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29 August 2022
Illinois Man Sentenced to 55 Years in Federal Prison for Killing Special Deputy U.S. Marshal Jacob KeltnerRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A federal judge in Rockford today sentenced an Illinois man to 55 years in federal prison for the killing of Special Deputy U.S. Marshal Jacob Keltner.
A jury earlier this year convicted FLOYD E. BROWN, 43, of Springfield, Ill., of second-degree murder of a federal officer, attempting to kill additional federal officers, assault of federal officers, and multiple firearm offenses. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed the sentence after a hearing in federal court.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ashley T. Johnson, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Rockford Police Department, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomington Police Department, Loves Park Police Department, Lincoln Police Department, Logan County Sheriff’s Office, and Illinois State Police. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Talia Bucci, Scott Paccagnini, and Ronald DeWald.
“Through the violent actions of Floyd Brown, the Keltner family lost a devoted son, husband and father, and the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois lost a dedicated public servant,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Special Deputy Keltner made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our nation. His bravery and dedication will not be forgotten. We remain committed to prosecuting violence against federal law enforcement officers to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Special Deputy Keltner put his life on the line every day to protect and serve his community,” said FBI Acting SAC Johnson. “Tragically, on March 7, 2019, he paid a terrible price for his dedication. We will never stop working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to remove violent offenders from our streets and safeguard those who care for our communities.”
Special Deputy Keltner was fatally wounded on March 7, 2019, when members of the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force and other law enforcement officers attempted to execute a warrant for Brown’s arrest at a Rockford hotel. Special Deputy Keltner served as a McHenry County Sheriff’s deputy and was a sworn member of the task force. Brown was wanted on a residential burglary charge.
When the officers attempted to gain access to Brown’s third-floor hotel room, he fired ten shots through the door and nearby walls, narrowly missing a Deputy U.S. Marshal and two Special Deputy U.S. Marshals. Brown then jumped out of a window and fired a shot that fatally struck Special Deputy Keltner, who was covering the exterior of the hotel.
Brown was arrested several hours later near Lincoln, Ill., after a high-speed pursuit.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Roy Bills, 57, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 24, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bills’ residence and found multiple firearms in the basement: a Diamondback 5.56mm AR-15 rifle; a Savage AXIS XP .308-caliber Winchester bolt-action rifle; a Derya Arms, model VR-80, 12-gauge shotgun; a GSG .22-caliber pistol; and a Beretta 96 .40-caliber pistol. Officers also located ammunition with the firearms. Bills admitted to possessing the firearms and ammunition.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bills knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute marijuana in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on November, 7, 2016.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-60.
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Hartford Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GABRIEL CORDERO, 35, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 135 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began an investigation of an organization that was trafficking large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and other narcotics in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, revealed that Cordero and other members of the organization were receiving bulk quantities of heroin and fentanyl from out-of-state suppliers. They then stored, processed and packaged the heroin/fentanyl in multiple locations, including apartments located at 280 Collins Street in Hartford where some members of the organization also resided, and then distributed the drug in the Hartford area, and also the Springfield and Holyoke, Massachusetts area. A significant amount of drug trafficking activity occurred at the Neighborhood Supermarket, located at 316 Farmington Avenue in Hartford.
Cordero resided in an apartment at 280 Collins Street, and investigators made multiple controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Cordero and other members of the drug trafficking organization in and around 280 Collins Street and Neighborhood Supermarket.
The investigation also revealed that Cordero and his associates possessed and used firearms in connection with their drug trafficking activity.
During the investigation, law enforcement executed 12 search warrants in Connecticut and Massachusetts and seized approximately 10 kilograms of heroin and fentanyl, much of which was packaged for resale in hundreds of thousands of bags. Investigators also seized numerous vials of Xylazine, which is a horse tranquilizer used by narcotics traffickers as a heroin/fentanyl additive. Seven firearms, gun magazines, numerous rounds of ammunition, and a bullet proof vest were also seized.
Fourteen individuals have been charged with various narcotics, firearms and immigration offenses as a result of this investigation.
Cordero has been detained since his arrest on June 29, 2017. On March 24, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. Agencies assisting the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service and Connecticut State Police.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Hacienda Heights Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing $1.3 Million from Amazon Through Refund ScamRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A third-party seller on Amazon.com was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for gaming the online retailer’s payment system in a scheme that defrauded the company out of more than $1.3 million.
Ting Hong Yeung, 40, of Hacienda Heights, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who also ordered him to pay $1,302,954 in restitution.
Yeung pleaded guilty on June 6 to one count of wire fraud.
Amazon allows third-party sellers to use its online retail platform to advertise items, make sales and communicate with customers. Ordinarily, when an Amazon customer purchases an item listed by a third-party seller, Amazon credits the third-party seller’s internal Amazon account for the amount of that purchase. About every two weeks, Amazon disburses into the seller’s bank account the proceeds of those sales for which the seller has provided proof that the items purchased have been shipped – namely, the shipment tracking numbers.
Yeung operated as an Amazon third-party vendor using business names including “Speedy Checkout,” “Special SaleS” and “California Red Trading Inc.” After enough time passed to allow his businesses to appear to be reputable vendors, Yeung would list expensive merchandise, such as furniture and home décor, at cut-rate prices to drive a spike in sales.
However, instead of shipping purchased items to the customers, Yeung provided Amazon with bogus tracking numbers. When customers complained about not receiving their purchases, Yeung delayed customer refund requests long enough to ensure that Amazon would disburse funds into his businesses’ bank accounts. As a result, Yeung collected payment for items that were never shipped and relied on Amazon to issue refunds to his disgruntled customers under its “A-to-z Guarantee.”
In some instances, instead of sending customers the products they ordered, Yeung shipped them cheap crystal ornaments, which served the dual purpose of generating tracking numbers that induced Amazon to disburse customer funds and forestalling customer complaints and demands for refunds. Yeung also used Amazon’s Buyer-Seller Messaging Service to convince customers that their orders were on their way when, in fact, they were not.
On occasion, Yeung provided goods to his customers that he obtained through his own fraudulent purchases from Amazon, which he made using credit cards in the names of other people and fictitious identities. After the goods were delivered to his customers, Yeung requested refunds for the goods from Amazon. Yeung often falsely claimed that he was entitled to a refund because the product was “Different from what was ordered,” and then returned lower-value items rather than the merchandise he had originally ordered. As a result, Yeung received both the refund and the proceeds of the original sale to his own customer.
“[Yeung] perpetrated his fraud over the course of roughly seven years, collecting more than $1.3 million,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “He forced his victim into an elaborate game of Whac-A-Mole: when Amazon uncovered and shut down a fraud scheme involving one of defendant’s companies, he simply began it anew with another.”
Yeung has admitted causing Amazon to suffer approximately $1,302,954 in losses. He has agreed to pay restitution, some of which will be paid with gold and silver bars that investigators seized during a search of his residence in February 2022.
The FBI investigated this matter and received cooperation from Amazon.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Guatemalan National Living in Maryland and Salvadoran National Living in Virginia Charged with Unlawful Transportation of Individual in VermontRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Nector Armando Garcia Perez, 26, of Waldorf, Maryland, and Deisy Del Cid Reyes, 27, of Falls Church, Virginia, were arrested yesterday and will appear tomorrow in federal court on a charge alleging that, on or about August 26, 2022, they unlawfully transported an individual they knew to have entered the United States illegally. Garcia Perez is a national of Guatemala, and Del Cid Reyes is a national of El Salvador.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office notes that a criminal complaint is an accusation only and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. As currently charged, each defendant would face up to 5 years of imprisonment if convicted. Any sentence in the case will be advised by the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest credited the agents of the United States Border Patrol for their quick response and investigation of Garcia Perez and Del Cid Reyes, and their continued efforts to prevent the exploitation of foreign nationals by human-smuggling organizations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt represents the United States in this case. Garcia Perez is represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Del Cid Reyes is represented by John-Claude Charbonneau, Esq.
Georgia Man Sentenced to over 7½ Years in Prison for Synthetic Identities Scheme That Defrauded Banks Out of Nearly $2 MillionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Georgia man was sentenced today to 94 months in federal prison for participating in a nationwide fraud ring that used stolen Social Security numbers – including those belonging to children – to create synthetic identities used to open lines of credit, create shell companies, and steal nearly $2 million from financial institutions.
Corey Cato, 41, of Atlanta, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay $1,908,481 in restitution. Cato pleaded guilty on May 9 to one count of conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
No later than 2017, Cato joined conspiracies to defraud banks and illegally possess credit cards. Cato and his co-conspirators created “synthetic identities” by combining false personal information such as fake names and dates of birth with the information of real people, such as their Social Security numbers. Cato and others then used the synthetic identities and fake ID documents to open bank and credit card accounts at financial institutions. Cato and his co-conspirators used the unlawfully obtained credit cards to fund their lifestyles.
As part of the scheme, Cato maintained a commercial mail receiving agency space called “Pak Mail” in Georgia where he and his co-conspirators received correspondence related to the synthetic identities, including bank account and credit card statements, while insulating their personal addresses from detection.
Using a stolen social security number and fake California driver’s license, Cato rented an apartment in Atlanta under the name “Jason Brown,” where, in February 2019, he possessed credit cards and financial information in the names of synthetic identities like “Adam M. Lopez” and “Carlos Rivera.”
The total losses to the banks totaled approximately $1.9 million.
“[Cato] and his co-conspirators built their wealth off the backs of the people whose identities they stole, many of them children,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Both the effects on these victims’ credit histories and their sense of violation are impossible to quantify, but they provide further reminder of the seriousness of [Cato’s] crime and the callousness of his conduct.”
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case, which is one of a series of cases that has resulted in criminal convictions for 12 defendants, including Turhan Lemont Armstrong, 52, of Northridge, who was convicted at trial in 2019 of 51 counts of fraud, money laundering, identity theft and other federal offenses.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Frauds Section and Allison L. Westfahl Kong, Chief of Trials, Integrity, and Professionalism, prosecuted this case.
Fugitive Sentenced to 57 Months for High-Speed Chase and Assaulting Federal Officer with VehicleRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.– A Staunton, Virginia man, who attempted to run over law enforcement officers serving arrest warrants, was sentenced last week to 57 months in federal prison.
Richard Lee Knight, 39, pled guilty in June 2022 to one count of assault on a federal officer.
According to court documents, the United States Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) discovered that Knight, who was wanted on several fugitive warrants out of various jurisdictions in Virginia, was staying at a motel in the Charlottesville area.
Local law enforcement, in conjunction with CARFTF, located Knight in a Walmart parking lot on the morning of November 29, 2021 near his Mercedes Benz vehicle. When a law enforcement officer moved in to arrest him by issuing an order to “show me your hands, don’t move,” Knight refused the order and entered his car instead. Knight drove his Mercedes in reverse, striking both a CARFTF officer and a police vehicle, then drove forward, ramming into a second police vehicle.
After fleeing the scene, Knight led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase through Albemarle County, Virginia before being apprehended after crashing his vehicle on Interstate 64.
As a result of Knight’s actions, a CARFTF officer suffered cuts, bruises, back injuries, and a concussion.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and United States Marshal Thomas L. Foster of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
The United States Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Albemarle County Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald M. Huber and Jordan E. McKay prosecuted the case.
Fort Hall Man Sentenced to 38 months Imprisonment for AssaultRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – A Fort Hall man was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on January 7, 2022, Evaristo Antonio Aguilar, 28, and the victim went to his residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Once inside the house, Aguilar, who had been using heroin, barricaded the door so the victim could not leave the residence. Aguilar then hit the victim on the leg and in the face with a dog leash. Aguilar slammed the victim’s face into a mirror and hit and kicked the victim over the next few hours, with the victim drifting in and out of consciousness. Late in the evening Aguilar dragged the victim down the hallway toward the bedroom and told her it was time to go to bed. At around 10:00 pm Aguilar fell asleep, and the victim managed to leave the house and call police from a cell phone in her car. Responding officers stated that the victim’s face was swollen, with black and bruised eyes and blood on the victim’s mouth and nose. The victim was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a collapsed lung, broken ribs, broken bones in her face and hand and extensive bruising over her body. The victim has since recovered.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Aguilar to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, of the District of Idaho, made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department which led to the charges.
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Former postal worker sentenced to 30 years in prison for producing child pornography and possessing stolen mailRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Stacy Keith Wisener, a repeat sex offender, has been sentenced to three decades in federal prison for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl and producing child pornography depicting the abuse. Wisener also received a concurrent term of imprisonment for possessing mail he had stolen from the U.S. Postal Service processing facility where he worked.
“After his release from Georgia’s sex offender registry, Wisener resumed his predatory activities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “His horrific targeting of this child is unbelievable. The extraordinary courage of Wisener’s young victim, and outstanding cooperation between investigators and prosecutors on the federal, state, and local levels, brought this repeat child predator to justice.”
“Wisener’s decision to continue to exploit children, even after working to get off the sex offender registry, now puts him in prison for decades,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “It is difficult to measure the pain and suffering this victim has endured. This case serves as an example of the FBI and our partners’ commitment to bring to justice despicable predators that prey on vulnerable children for their own gratification.”
“This defendant wasted a second chance after being removed from the sex offender registry by reoffending, this time with far more egregious crimes. The GBI is committed to working with our partners to protect our young ones who are most vulnerable,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director John Melvin.
“Given the horrid nature of Wisener’s conduct, we are especially grateful for the hard work and dedication of the investigative and legal teams,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Pierce, USPS Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office. “This sentence, likely leading to life behind bars, is a critical step in protecting those most vulnerable to predators like Wisener. The USPS Office of Inspector General will continue to work hand-in-hand with our local, state and federal partners to hold accountable any Postal Service employee who chooses to violate the law.”
“We are thankful for the strong relationships that we have with our state and federal partners. In complex cases like these, those partnerships help secure convictions which will ensure that no other child will ever be terrorized by this man. I would like to sincerely thank all of the individuals who played a role in securing this conviction for these appalling crimes,” said Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge.
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: for approximately four years, Wisener sexually molested a minor girl and routinely photographed and videotaped himself assaulting her. The abuse began in 2017, just a few months after a Paulding County Superior Court judge granted Wisener’s application to be removed from Georgia’s sex offender registry. Wisener had been added to the registry in 2003, when he pleaded guilty to molesting a different child under the age of 16. For that crime, Wisener was sentenced to probation in lieu of any jail time.
In October 2021, the victim, who Wisener had started molesting in 2017 when she was 11 years old, reported the abuse to her parents and local law enforcement. The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office immediately obtained a warrant to search Wisener’s home, where many of the assaults occurred. Deputies found and seized multiple data storage devices, including hard drives, flash drives, SD cards, micro-SD cards, and compact discs. A camera, a video camera, and a computer were also seized. Many of the seized devices contained child pornography, including but not limited to photographs and videos of Wisener molesting the victim.
During the search, deputies also located thousands of pieces of unopened mail, including packages, that bore the names and addresses of people other than Wisener. Wisener stole these items from the Postal Service processing and distribution facility on Crown Road in Atlanta.
Stacy Keith Wisener, 60, of Dallas, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen to 30 years in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release. Additionally, Wisener was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $175,000, a $5,200 special assessment, and to forfeit his house as property he had used to produce child pornography. Finally, Wisener was required to re-register as a sex offender.
Wisener was convicted of the federal child exploitation and stolen mail possession charges on April 29, 2022, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, and United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. The Paulding County District Attorney’s Office and United States Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leanne M. Marek and Theodore S. Hertzberg prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia B. Smith is representing the government in the related civil forfeiture action against Wisener’s house.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Statesboro City Councilman Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A former Statesboro, Georgia city councilman was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for evading taxes on income from bars he co-owned.
According to court documents and statements made in court, William Britt, now of Bluffton, South Carolina, evaded taxes on income from various bars he co-owned near college campuses in Georgia. As part of the scheme, each establishment was nominally owned by a single individual. In reality, a group of business partners, including Britt, owned the bars in varying ownership percentages. Britt and the other true owners skimmed cash from the establishments and disbursed it amongst themselves in accordance with their ownership percentages without reporting that income to the IRS.
To complete the fraud scheme, Britt personally ensured that some of the nominal owners of the bars filed false tax returns. Britt also provided false information to an accountant who prepared tax returns related to some of these businesses. Specifically, Britt misrepresented the businesses’ true ownership, underreported the bars’ income, and omitted cash distributions to the owners. This conduct enabled Britt and the other true owners of the bars to file tax returns with the IRS that omitted their full income tax liabilities. As part of his guilty plea, Britt admitted to willfully underreporting his income on his 2014 individual tax return.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chief Judge J. Randal Hall of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia ordered Britt to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $352,404.54 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David H. Estes for the Southern District of Georgia made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Tax Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, prosecuted the case.
Former South Bay Resident Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation Charge for Enticing Girls to Send Him Images Depicting MasochismRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Redondo Beach resident pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for targeting girls on the internet and enticing them to engage in masochistic abuse for his sexual gratification.
Matthew Christian Locher, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction.
According to his plea agreement, from November 2020 to May 2021, Locher targeted girls suffering from mental health issues, including depression, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders. During internet conversations, Locher groomed his victims to engage in self-mutilation and instructed a victim struggling with an eating disorder to starve herself, ordering her to film herself cutting her body when she disobeyed him.
Locher enticed two of the minor victims to send Locher images and videos of themselves committing acts of self-harm, which included cutting their breasts with razor blades.
Locher enticed a third victim, who was 12 years old, to run away from her home in Ohio and travel to California to engage in illegal sexual activity with him. Specifically, Locher encouraged the victim to kill her parents, at which point he would pick her up, bring her to California, and make her his “slave.” This victim began a trip to California after setting a fire in her family’s home in an unsuccessful attempt to kill her parents.
Soon after federal authorities executed a search warrant at his residence, Locher relocated to Indiana in the summer of 2021. Following his arrest in Indianapolis in January 2022, federal authorities transported Locher to California. He has been in federal custody since then.
United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee scheduled a January 17, 2023 sentencing hearing, at which time Locher will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Springfield (Ohio) Police Department, the Shelby County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office, and the New York City Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Former Real Estate Attorney and Wife Sentenced for Mortgage Fraud and Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Massachusetts attorney and his wife have been sentenced in federal court in Boston in connection with various mortgage fraud schemes.
Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr., 62, and Nancy Plunkett, 57, both of Hyannis Port, were sentenced on Aug. 25, 2022 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf. Barry Plunkett was sentenced to 78 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,236,466 and forfeiture of $3,221,403. Nancy Plunkett was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,054,759, jointly and severally with Barry Plunkett, and forfeiture of $3,221,403. On March 4, 2022, Barry Plunkett pleaded guilty to five counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of tax evasion. On the same date, Nancy Plunkett pleaded guilty to five counts of bank fraud.
Prior to being disbarred in October 2017, Barry Plunkett owned and operated the Plunkett Law Firm where his wife, Nancy Plunkett, served as his office assistant and paralegal.
The defendants engaged in several bank fraud schemes. In one scheme, from September 2012 to July 2016, the defendants defrauded six mortgage lenders and 14 homeowners for whom the Plunkett Law Firm handled the closings for new mortgage loans to refinance residential properties. The Plunketts informed the mortgage lenders that pre-existing mortgages were paid off from the new loan proceeds when, in fact, they intentionally failed to pay off the prior liens and instead converted more than $1 million in payoff funds for their own purposes.
In other bank fraud schemes – between April 2015 and March 2018 – the Plunketts fraudulently used various names, entities and false documents to obtain three successive mortgage loans on their home in Hyannis Port in amounts of $412,000, $470,000 and $1.2 million. The defendants pledged as collateral a property in Hyannis Port that was held in a family trust for which Barry Plunkett was one of three beneficiaries. Both defendants participated in providing false documents to the lenders, including false title reports and other records to falsely represent that the property was free and clear of existing mortgage liens and forged documents in the names of other people. The defendants also made misrepresentations to a lender that Nancy Plunkett was a single woman living in Wellesley who was purchasing the property in her maiden name as a business investment when, in fact, the defendants had been married since 2014 and the property was their residence.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Robert Manchak, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild and Mackenzie Queenin of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit, prosecuted the case.
Former Eastern Kentucky Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Restrained InmateRead the Press Release
Jeffery T. Havens, 27, a former Eastern Kentucky Correctional Center (EKCC) officer from West Liberty, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to one count of depriving an inmate of his civil rights.
According to his plea agreement, Havens admitted that on July 24, 2018, he and another EKCC correctional officer assaulted an inmate who had been taken to an isolated shower cell. Havens admitted that he held the inmate against the ground while his fellow correctional officer punched and kicked the inmate in the head. Havens joined in the assault by punching the inmate multiple times. At the time of the assault, the inmate was unresisting, lying face-down and wearing handcuffs and leg shackles.
On July 12, in a related case, former EKCC officer Derek Mays pleaded guilty to four counts of obstruction of justice based on his efforts to cover up the same assault.
Havens is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2023. He faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Colonel Phillip Burnett Jr. Commissioner of Kentucky State Police (KSP), jointly announced the guilty plea.
The FBI, KSP and the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Dembo and Mary Melton for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case.
Former High School Track and Field Coach Charged in Twenty-Count Child Exploitation IndictmentRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging Alfredo Bruce Smith, 51, of St. Thomas, with twenty counts of charges including production of child pornography, coercion and enticement, and transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity. Smith is also charged with Virgin Islands sexual offenses including aggravated second-degree rape. If convicted, Smith faces a possible sentence of life imprisonment.
According to court documents, Smith worked as a coach and school monitor at Charlotte Amalie High School. In 2021, Homeland Security Investigations began an investigation into Smith’s alleged criminal activities after receiving reports that he sexually assaulted a minor during a school-sponsored track and field trip in March 2019. A subsequent search of Smith’s social media and cell phones revealed dozens of images of child pornography, many of which depicted sex acts occurring at Charlotte Amalie High School
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everard Potter and Natasha L. Baker. Homeland Security Investigations encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-800-981-3030, or by calling 787-729-6969.
United States Attorney Delia L. Smith reminds the public that an Indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Exporting firearms and ammunition for wife lands Texas man in prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A man illegally residing in Garland has been sent to federal prison for his role in smuggling firearms from the United States into Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Juan Jose Roque, 36, pleaded guilty April 29.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Roque to serve 46 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Roque had been participating for months in the criminal venture before he was caught. The court also heard that his participation included buying firearms and ammunition to be exported and loading vehicles for his wife who was acting as the leader/organizer. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Roque was an average participant in the venture even though he was acting at the behest of his wife at the time.
On Dec. 17, 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Roque after he failed to use a signal to change lanes. Soon after, authorities discovered 13,000 rounds of ammunition and a firearm in the vehicle.
Investigation later revealed that Roque worked in conjunction with his wife Brendalit Hernandez, 44, and co-conspirator, Juan Marvin Garcia, 25, both illegally residing in Garland, to smuggle ammunition and firearms into Mexico. Hernandez was also romantically involved with Garcia while currently married to Roque.
Hernandez facilitated the delivery of the ammunition and firearms to individuals in Mexico. She instructed Roque to purchase the weapons and ammunition to then be transported in vehicles while coordinating with Garcia to carry ammunition from Dallas to the Rio Grande Valley area and eventually Mexico.
Garcia was previously sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Hernandez pleaded guilty to charges July 5 and will be sentenced Sept. 14.
Roque will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colton Turner prosecuted the case.
Eastern panhandle man admits to role in “boot” distribution operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Corbin Charles Linthicum, of Kearneysville, West Virginia has admitted to his role in a drug conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Linthicum, 22, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Eutylone.” Linthicum admitted to working with others to distribute large quantities of Eutylone, also known as “boot,” from Maryland to Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, West Virginia from February 2019 to March 15, 2022.
Linthicum faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; ATF; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department; the Virginia State Police, Montgomery County; and Maryland State Attorney’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation and Sex Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Matthew Stitt-Johnson, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of second-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances for abusing three minor children.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stitt-Johnson pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for Jan. 25, 2023. Stitt-Johnson faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 68 ½ years.
According to the government’s evidence, Stitt-Johnson sexually abused three children, an eight-year-old, a five-year-old, and an eight-month-old infant, between 2015 and 2020. Stitt-Johnson took videos of his sexual abuse of the five-year-old child and the eight-month-old infant. While the five-year-old and her sister reported the abuse to their mother, the abuse was not reported to law enforcement agencies. In 2021, law enforcement officers received a tip that Stitt-Johnson downloaded child pornography from a cloud-based service and subsequently executed a search warrant on his home, recovering two cell phones belonging to Stitt-Johnson.
Videos depicting the sexual abuse of the five-year-old victim and eight-month-old victim were discovered in his cell phones, along with 13,000 images of child pornography. Stitt-Johnson distributed the images of his sexual abuse of children in Internet forums dedicated to trading child pornography, particularly trading images of the rape and torture of infants and toddlers, and actively sought out and distributed other child pornography images over a two-year period.
Stitt-Johnson was arrested on Dec. 17, 2021. He has been in custody since.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as MPD’s Youth and Family Services Division (YFSD), Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Alexis Spencer-Anderson and Daniel Haines, Victim/Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant and Tracy Owusu, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Platt and Janani Iyengar.
Convicted Felon Who Possessed Loaded Firearm Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Nathanael Santiago (29, Ocala) to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. A federal jury had found Santiago guilty on May 11, 2022.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office encountered Santiago in the driver’s seat of an idling vehicle in Marion Oaks. The deputies approached Santiago and saw a marijuana “blunt” in the ashtray, which Santiago admitted to smoking. When Santiago stepped out of the vehicle, the deputies discovered a loaded 9mm pistol that had been hidden beneath his right leg. Santiago has previously been convicted of three felony offenses. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah Nowalk.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 262 Months in Prison for Firearm Possession Following Armed Standoff with PoliceRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jermaine Lee Walker, 45, of Quincy, Florida, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison after he pled guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Those who repeatedly commit serious crimes are deserving of significant prison sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Our brave law enforcement partners work tirelessly to keep us safe and are to be commended for apprehending this armed career criminal and bringing his reign of violence to an end. This sentence ensures that our community will be safer and sends a message that there are real and severe consequences for federal firearm offenses.”
Court documents reflect that on April 5, 2021, the Quincy Police Department (QPD) and Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) responded to a 911 call regarding a man holding a woman at gunpoint. QPD officers arrived on scene and made contact with residents who explained a man and woman were inside, struggling over a firearm. QPD officers entered the house and found Walker struggling with his girlfriend over control of a revolver. Walker ignored commands to drop the firearm and told officers to give him five minutes and then come back. Walker kept his girlfriend between himself and officers, using her as a human shield. Walker pointed the firearm at his girlfriend and pointed the firearm at officers. GCSO deputies arrived on scene and entered the residence. One deputy was able to get a clear shot at Walker and shot him in the hip/buttock area. Walker then dropped the firearm, was arrested, and given medical attention. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the officer involved shooting.
“This sentencing is a testament to the effectiveness of the law enforcement community—local, state, and federal alike—when we partner with the United States Attorney’s Office and the community to prevent and solve community-related problems together, as well as to hold those accountable who violate the laws of our state and nation,” said Chief Timothy Ashley, Quincy Police Department.
Walker qualified for enhanced sentencing because he had previously been convicted of arson of a structure, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and two separate incidents of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Walker had been to prison on four separate occasions and was released from prison approximately six months before this offense. He was on state probation at the time of this offense.
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the Quincy Police Department, the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to 2011 Robbery After Start of Federal TrialRead the Press Release
A man who robbed a Century cab on April 29, 2011, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Johnathan DeWayne Mitchell, age 44, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of interference with commerce by robbery.
The guilty plea occurred during the opening stages of Mitchell’s jury trial after exhibits had been admitted and the jury was selected. In the plea hearing, Mitchell admitted he robbed a Century cab on April 29, 2011, and took money and personal effects from the driver. Evidence admitted at the trial, before the plea was entered, showed the cab driver died of multiple stab wounds she sustained during the robbery.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mitchell remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mitchell faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, restitution to the victim’s family, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Reinert and Dillan Edwards and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 16-CR-00029-LTS.
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Canton Man Charged with Operating Illegal Slot Machine Gambling BusinessRead the Press Release
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Steven Saris, 47, of Canton, Ohio, was charged in an indictment with operating an illegal gambling business.
The indictment alleges that from 2012 through 2018, the defendant, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, owned and operated Café 62, an illegal gambling business involving slot machines, in the Canton area.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, a sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Ohio Casino and Gaming Commission and the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Toepfer and Robert J. Patton.
Californian Admits Mailing 2 Kilograms of Meth to Western PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Stockton, California pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Francisco Barba, age 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Barba was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Barba mailed approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine to the Western District of Pennsylvania at the direction of methamphetamine suppliers located in California.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Barba on January 6, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than ten years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Meth and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Stockton, California pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics and money laundering laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Christian Maldonado, age 34, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine as well as one count of conspiracy to launder money before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Maldonado was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Maldonado received over 280 pounds of methamphetamine from suppliers located in California, package it in mail parcels, and provided them to couriers, who shipped them from California and Nevada to Jefferson County, Clearfield County, and Allegheny County. Maldonado also received a large amount of United States currency representing drug proceeds that was used to purchase additional methamphetamine from the Western District of Pennsylvania. Maldonado then transported the remaining drug profits to a co-defendant.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Maldonado on Jan. 9, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than ten years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks
California Man Arrested for $7 Million Securities FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California man has been arrested in connection with his alleged involvement in a sophisticated securities fraud scheme that generated over $7 million in illicit proceeds.
Joseph A. Padilla, 53, of Carlsbad, Calif., was charged with one count of securities fraud. Padilla was arrested at the San Diego International Airport on Aug. 25, 2022 and made an initial appearance in federal court in the Southern District of California on Aug. 26, 2022. He will appear in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging document, Padilla is a one-time stockbroker who was barred from the securities industry in 2012 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It is alleged that, between February and April 2021, Padilla participated in a sophisticated and lucrative pump-and-dump fraud scheme involving the shares of Charlestowne Premium Beverages Inc., a thinly-traded microcap company that traded under the stock ticker symbol FPWM. As part of the scheme, Padilla is alleged to have orchestrated the fraudulent inflation (or “pump”) of Charlestowne’s stock price using his brokerage account and the accounts of several other individuals. He then allegedly facilitated the sale (or “dump”) of millions of Charlestowne’s shares at pumped up prices to unsuspecting investors in Massachusetts and throughout the United States.
The charge of securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bucks County Drug Trafficker Convicted of Multiple Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Matt “Mack” Jones, 39, of Bensalem, PA, was convicted at trial of multiple narcotics offenses including distribution of heroin and conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In January 2018, New Jersey State Police, the Philadelphia DEA, New Jersey (Camden) DEA, and the Philadelphia Police Department began a joint investigation of the defendant and other co-conspirators related to a drug trafficking operation. Investigators learned that the defendant was a supplier of heroin, and would use female associates as couriers to deliver bags of heroin to customers. Phone records, text messages, and physical surveillance confirmed the defendant’s participation in the conspiracy to distribute and deliver substantial amounts of heroin throughout the Philadelphia region.
The investigation progressed from controlled purchases of heroin from the defendant and his co-conspirators, to the eventual seizure of substantial amounts of fentanyl-laced heroin, narcotics adulterants, drug paraphernalia, and multiple stolen firearms from an apartment used by the defendant and his coconspirators to store and distribute drugs. All told, the narcotics conspiracy was responsible for distributing over a half kilogram of heroin and/or fentanyl.
“Drug addiction and the distribution operations that enable it are at epidemic levels in Philadelphia, and the federal government is aggressively prosecuting those responsible for the surge,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Jones and other members of this conspiracy pumped large quantities of narcotics into our communities, putting many people’s lives at risk. We want to thank our law enforcement partners in this case for their hard work and dedication.”
The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Philadelphia Police Department, New Jersey State Police, the Bensalem Township Police, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Metcalf.
Buckhannon man sentenced for drug and counterfeit chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Garry William Moran, II, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 84 months of incarceration for drug and counterfeit charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Moran, 42, pleaded guilty in June 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” and one count of “Possession of Counterfeit Obligations.” Moran admitted to having methamphetamine to sell from January to May 2019 in Upshur County and elsewhere. Moran also admitted to having $1,100 in counterfeit bills in May 2019 in Upshur County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Lakes Drug Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Bridgeport Gang Member Admits Role in Murder and Attempted MurderRead the Press Release
TRAVON JONES, also known as “Buda” and “Budda,” 20, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to a racketeering offense stemming from his involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang and the murder and attempted murder of rival gang members.*
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia; David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Jones has been a member of the “East End gang,” which began as a local street gang based in the East End of Bridgeport, but currently has members and associates who are either incarcerated or living throughout Bridgeport and surrounding towns. The East End gang has been aligned with other groups, including the PT Barnum Gang, the East Side gang and 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport. These groups were aligned against rival organizations in Bridgeport, including the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”) and the “Greene Homes Boyz,” (“GHB/Hotz”), based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End.
Jones and other East End members distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; used and shared firearms; and committed murder and other acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals. East End members celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube, and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities.
In pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, Jones specifically admitted that, on July 12, 2019, he and another East End member shot and killed Sean Warren, also known as “Kujoe,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang. In addition, on October 17, 2019, Jones and another East End member shot at and attempted to kill another member and associate of the O.N.E. gang.
Under the terms of a binding plea agreement, if accepted by the court, the parties have agreed that a sentence of between 20 and 30 years of imprisonment is an appropriate sentence in this case.
Jones is detained pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, and Stephanie T. Levick.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
*On July 21, 2023, Judge Bolden granted Jones' motion to withdraw his guilty plea.
Boston Man Charged with Four Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with multiple bank robberies in Massachusetts.
Jacob Pimentel, 31, was indicted on four counts of bank robbery. Pimentel is currently in custody in Middlesex County for a related offense and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, between April and May 2022, Pimentel allegedly robbed four separate banks in the greater Boston area, stealing a total of more than $6,000. Specifically, it is alleged that Pimentel robbed the TD Bank branch in Allston on April 25, 2022; the TD Bank branch in Brighton on May 4, 2022; the Santander Bank branch in Brookline on May 13, 2022; and the TD Bank branch in Cambridge on May 23, 2022.
The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston, Sharon and Lynn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boca Raton Chiropractor Sentenced to Four Years’ Imprisonment for $20 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jonathan Michael Rouffe (49, Boca Raton) to four years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The court also ordered Rouffe to forfeit assets from several bank accounts, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $3,127,290, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct, and a restitution order in the amount of $10,725,607.15. Rouffe had pleaded guilty on June 30, 2020.
According to court documents, in 2018, Rouffe and his conspirators established a conglomerate of durable medical equipment (“DME”) supply companies. During the creation of the companies, they lied to Medicare to secure billing privileges, including placing the companies in the names of straw owners. By concealing their true ownership, the conspirators gained control of more companies, which Medicare generally prohibits, enabling them to submit high volumes of illegal DME claims. Through the conglomerate, during the course of one year, Rouffe and his conspirators submitted more than $20 million in illegal DME claims, resulting in over $10 million in payments from Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“CHAMPVA”).
To attain such high volumes of claims, Rouffe and his conspirators used illegal bribes and kickbacks. Specifically, they illegally purchased thousands of DME claims from so-called “marketers.” On invoices, the parties disguised the illegal kickback transactions as marketing services and the conspirators claimed that the DME prescriptions had been generated through “telemedicine.” No telemedicine had actually occurred. Instead, doctors were bribed in exchange for DME approvals. Rouffe and his conspirators paid millions to secure the illegal DME claims for submission to Medicare and CHAMPVA.
“Today’s sentencing shows that individuals who commit Medicare fraud will be held accountable for their crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to bring those who steal from federal health care programs to justice.”
“Healthcare fraud investigations require lots of patience and skill to follow the money,” said FBI Tampa Special Agent in Charge David Walker. “The FBI has a world class team of special agents, analysts, and forensic accountants determined to protect our nation’s federally funded healthcare systems and bring these heartless, greedy fraudsters to justice.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
Barbour County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – James Richard Cutright, of Philippi, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 36 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Cutright, 34, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Cutright, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a 16-gauge shotgun in February 2020 in Barbour County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Aliquippa Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin/Fentanyl that Caused a DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of distribution of a substance containing, heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Zachary Martin Cymbalak, age 35, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William J. Stickman.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement officers found a deceased individual under circumstances suggesting that the death was caused by an overdose, which was later confirmed by the Beaver County Coroner’s Office. At the location of the death, law enforcement officers found drug paraphernalia and distinctive empty stamp bags. Based on telephone records and other investigative techniques, law enforcement identified Cymbalak as the likely source of supply of the drugs that caused the death.
Later on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement arranged for a confidential informant to purchase controlled substances from the defendant. The stamp bags were the same distinctive stamp bags found at the scene of the death. After the purchase, law enforcement stopped the vehicle in which Cymbalak was a passenger and recovered more of the distinctive stamps bags and the money used in the purchase. Laboratory tests confirmed that the stamp bags purchased from Cymbalak and recovered from Cymbalak’s person contained a combination of heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl. As part of the plea agreement Cymbalak took responsibility for causing the death of the decedent.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for Jan. 18, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Baden and Harmony Township Police Departments, the Beaver County Coroner’s Office, and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office Anti-Drug Task Force, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cymbalak.
26 August 2022
West Virginia Man Indicted for Acquiring Illegally Transported PlantsRead the Press Release
A resident of Birch River, West Virginia, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbus, Ohio, on charges of receipt, acquisition or purchase of illegally transported protected plants and falsification of records, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio announced.
The six-count indictment named Tony Lee Coffman, 59, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Coffman received, acquired or purchased American ginseng roots that had been illegally transported in interstate commerce from Ohio and falsified records relating to the purchase of Ohio ginseng.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison per count, a fine of $20,000 per count, or both. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting this case.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources conducted the investigation.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Violent New Haven Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL SMITH, also known as “Head,” 36, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 156 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics trafficking, gun possession and money laundering offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the DEA New Haven Task Force began an investigation into a New Haven-based drug trafficking network headed by Smith. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Smith and his associates were distributing heroin and crack cocaine throughout the New Haven area. Smith’s girlfriend, Keilah Boria, maintained bank accounts that Smith used to launder the cash proceeds of his drug trafficking activity. From 2016 to 2019, Boria deposited more than $200,000 in cash into the bank accounts. Boria rented vehicles for Smith that Smith used to conduct his drug trafficking activity.
In December 2019, Smith was intercepted on a wiretap describing having shot at a rival drug dealer. New Haven Police collected 31 shell casings from a location in the Fair Haven neighborhood where the shooting occurred. Smith was arrested on December 23, 2019.
Smith has been detained since his arrest. On April 15, 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base (“crack”), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a narcotics trafficking offense, and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of a specified unlawful activity.
Boria pleaded guilty to related charges and, on September 14, 2021, was sentenced to nine months of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, West Haven, Hamden, East Haven, North Haven, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Elena L. Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Secret Service Returns $286M in Fraudulently Obtained Funds to the Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
DENVER – Today, the U.S. Secret Service returned approximately $286 million in fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to the Small Business Administration (SBA). These recovered funds were generated by fraudulently submitted EIDL loan applications using fabricated or stolen employment and personal information.
“The Secret Service is dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s financial systems against fraud and holding those responsible to account for their criminal activity,” said Assistant Director David Smith. “By aiding in the return of nearly $2.3 billion in stolen funds over the last 30 months, our workforce has demonstrated a clear and firm commitment to the vitality of American businesses across the country.”
“Through intentional collaborations like this, OIG will continue to ensure that taxpayer dollars obtained through fraudulent means will be returned to taxpayers and fraudsters involved face justice,” said SBA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware. “OIG is focused on rooting out bad actors in these vital SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service and our many partners in law enforcement for their tireless dedication and focused commitment to seeing justice served.”
Initiated by the Secret Service Orlando, Florida, Field Office, the investigation revealed that the conspirators utilized third-party payment system Green Dot Bank (GDB), issuer of Green Dot debit cards, to conceal and move their criminal proceeds. Working with GDB, the Secret Service was able to identify over 15,000 accounts used in the conspiracy and seize the $286 million contained in these fraudulent accounts.
After having identified the suspected fraudulent accounts with GDB, the Secret Service approached the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. The District of Colorado has venue for all Economic Injury Disaster Loans issued by the Small Business Administration based on its Finance Center being located in Colorado. The U.S. Attorney’s Office then obtained the seizure warrant with the District Court that led to the seizure of over 15,000 accounts with $286 million from Green Dot Bank.
“Working closely with our Central and North Florida Cyber Fraud Task Forces, this investigation enabled the recovery of a significant amount of critical federal relief,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Roy Dotson, the lead investigator for the Secret Service.
“We applaud the hard work and dedication of the Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Colorado and Middle District of Florida,” said Department of Justice Director for COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Kevin Chambers. “This is an important step in returning stolen funds to the American people. This forfeiture effort and those to come are a direct and necessary response to the unprecedented size and scope of pandemic relief fraud. The Department of Justice is grateful for our partnership with the Secret Service and all of our law enforcement partners working to recover stolen pandemic relief funds”.
Since 2020, the Secret Service has seized over $1.4 billion in fraudulently obtained funds and assisted in returning approximately $2.3 billion to state unemployment insurance programs. The Secret Service has additionally initiated more than 3,850 pandemic related fraud investigations and investigative inquiries.
Two Individuals Convicted of Conspiracy and Fraud in Cattle Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a woman and man today of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering relating to a scheme that fraudulently raised money from investors across the country.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Reva Joyce Stachniw, 70, of Galesburg, Illinois, and Ron Throgmartin, 58, of Buford, Georgia, ran a Ponzi scheme from late 2017 until early 2019 by fraudulently representing to victim-investors that their investments were backed by short-term investments in cattle. They also used false and fraudulent pretenses to solicit money from victim-investors for the conspirators’ Colorado-based marijuana business, Universal Herbs LLC. Other victim-investors gave the conspirators money based on false promises that investment money would be used for legitimate business activities related to cattle or marijuana, without having the investment money linked to specific investment opportunities.
Stachniw and Throgmartin were convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2023, and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud counts and the conspiracy to commit wire fraud count, as well as 10 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Scott Armstrong and Trial Attorney Brandon Burkhart of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Two District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Armed Kidnappings Using Blindfolds and Zip TiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Taheed Ebron, 21, and Nathan Coleman, 29, both of Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to prison terms for kidnapping two men at gunpoint over a five-day period in August 2021 and using blindfolds and zip ties to restrain their victims.
The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Both defendants pleaded guilty in April 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of armed kidnapping. Ebron also pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license in a separate firearm case. The guilty pleas were contingent upon the Court’s approval. Ebron’s plea called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison, and Coleman’s plea called for eight to 10 years in prison.
The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted the pleas and sentenced the defendants accordingly. Ebron was sentenced today to 10 years in prison. Coleman was sentenced on June 24, 2022, to a 9 ½-year prison term. Following completion of their prison terms, Ebron and Coleman each will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 24, 2021, at approximately 10:45 p.m., Ebron, Coleman, and a third perpetrator kidnapped a man at gunpoint while he was walking home in the 1300 block of Corcoran Street NW. The defendants pulled the man’s COVID face mask over his eyes as a blindfold and forced him into the rear of Ebron’s silver Nissan Rogue SUV. They demanded that he turn over his cellphone, credit and debit cards, and personal identification numbers (PINs). The defendants then drove the man to multiple ATM locations and used his financial cards to withdraw more than $1,400 from his accounts. They also used the man’s cards and cellphone to make a series of purchases and transactions, including a $1,200 PayPal transfer. Ebron, Coleman, and the third perpetrator eventually released the man from the SUV, forcing him to lay face down on the ground in an alley before driving away.
Just days later, on Aug. 28, 2021, at approximately 3:45 a.m., Ebron, Coleman, and a third perpetrator kidnapped another man at gunpoint near the intersection of 13th and E Streets NE while he was riding an electric scooter on the way to work. After seeing the man, Ebron parked his silver Nissan Rogue SUV in the intersection, and Ebron, Coleman, and the third perpetrator exited the vehicle. The defendants ran toward the man and caught and threw him to the ground. They then hooded him using a drawstring bag and restrained his hands with zip ties that Ebron and Coleman had purchased the previous day. The defendants forced the man into the SUV and demanded his wallet, cellphone, and PINs. They drove him to an ATM and withdrew more than $1,000 from his bank account. Ebron, Coleman, and the third perpetrator eventually released the man from the vehicle, instructing him to run straight ahead and not look back or else be shot. The defendants then used his debit card to make a series of purchases and withdrawals.
A joint MPD and FBI investigation led to Coleman’s arrest on Sept. 6, 2021, and Ebron’s arrest the following day. Both have been in custody since their arrests.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from MPD’s Special Investigation Section and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews, and Victim/Witness Specialists Christina Bloodworth and Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles R. Jones and Mary L. Dohrmann, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Aurora Brothers Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Jesus Orlando Ortiz-Gonzalez, age 37, and Sergio Guadalupe Ortiz-Gonzalez, age 26, both of Aurora, Colorado, have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in distributing illegal narcotics.
Jesus Ortiz-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to the plea agreement, on December 8, 2020, Jesus Ortiz-Gonzalez sent a courier to California to transport drugs back to Colorado. On December 14, 2020, Ortiz-Gonzalez orchestrated two drug load pick-ups in California, providing instructions to the courier of what to say and where to pick-up the drugs. On December 15, 2020, along Interstate 70 in Utah, a Utah Highway Patrol Trooper observed the courier’s rental car commit a traffic violation and he initiated a traffic stop. The traffic stop led to the discovery of nearly 60 pounds of methamphetamine and over 4 pounds of fentanyl disguised as heroin.
Sergio Ortiz-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to the plea agreement, from January 6, 2021, to February 2, 2021, Sergio Ortiz-Gonzalez entered into an agreement with a co-defendant to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. Additionally, on March 19, 2021, he sourced approximately 13 pounds of methamphetamine and provided it for re-distribution to a co-defendant. Colorado State Troopers, working with the DEA, stopped the co-defendant’s vehicle and seized the methamphetamine.
On August 26, 2022, Chief U.S District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer sentenced Jesus Ortiz-Gonzalez to 200 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Judge Brimmer sentenced Sergio Ortiz-Gonzalez to 158 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
“We appreciate the dedication of the DEA agents who work diligently to try to prevent these illicit drugs from making their way onto our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “I certainly hope drug dealers take note that we will prosecute and hold them accountable for distributing drugs in our neighborhoods.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Case number: 21-cr-00231-PAB
Three Companies Agree to Plead Guilty to Federal Offense and Pay Nearly $13 Million in Federal Fines and Response Costs for Offshore Oil SpillRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Texas-based oil company and two of its subsidiaries have agreed to plead guilty to violating the federal Clean Water Act, pay a $7.1 million criminal fine, and compensate federal programs approximately $5.8 million in connection with the discharge of approximately 25,000 gallons of crude oil last October during an offshore leak in the 17-mile-long San Pedro Bay Pipeline, according to plea agreements filed today.
Federal prosecutors this afternoon filed plea agreements for the Houston-based Amplify Energy Corp., Beta Operating Co. LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Amplify doing business as Beta Offshore), and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Amplify). All three companies were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in December 2021.
Representatives of the three companies are expected to appear in the near future in United States District Court in Santa Ana to formally enter the guilty pleas. Each company has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of negligently discharging oil into San Pedro Bay during the oil spill on October 1 and 2, 2021. The plea agreements are “binding” plea agreements, which means that the judge presiding over the case, United States District Judge David O. Carter, must accept or reject all aspects of the plea agreements. Should the court decide not to accept the plea agreements, any party may withdraw from the agreements and the case would proceed toward trial.
In addition to the payment of approximately $13 million in federal fines and costs, the companies have agreed to be placed on probation for a period of four years, during which time they are required to perform a series of actions and make operational improvements, including:
- reimbursing governmental agencies and entities that incurred direct and indirect expenses as the result of their response, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, in an amount currently estimated to be $5,844,700;
- improving training for all operational employees and related management personnel in identifying and responding to potential pipeline leaks;
- installing a new leak detection system for the pipeline;
- requiring notification to regulators of all leak detection alarms;
- contracting with an oil spill response organization that has the capability to detect oil on the surface of the water at night or in low-light conditions that will promptly deploy upon request;
- conducting visual underwater inspections of the pipeline semiannually; and
- making modifications to their pipeline-related procedures that will require financial investment of at least $250,000.
“The substantial financial penalties and compliance measures required by the plea agreements demonstrate the federal government’s resolve to punish any entity that causes environmental damage,” said Acting United States Attorney Stephanie S. Christensen. “This oil spill affected numerous people, businesses and organizations who use the Southern California coastal waters. The companies involved are now accepting their responsibility for criminal conduct and are required to make significant improvements that will help prevent future oil spills.”
The San Pedro Bay Pipeline, which was used to transfer crude oil from several offshore facilities to a processing plant in Long Beach, began leaking on the afternoon of October 1, 2021. In response to multiple leak detection alarms on October 1 and 2, the defendants’ employees shut down the pipeline several times, but then repeatedly and incorrectly assessed there was no leak and started pumping crude oil through the pipeline again. As a result of the defendants’ conduct, approximately 588 barrels of crude oil were discharged from a point approximately 4.7 miles west of Huntington Beach from a crack in the pipeline.
“Today’s plea agreement is a noteworthy success for federal and state law enforcement agencies charged with enforcing U.S. maritime laws protecting the oceans and natural marine resources in U.S. waters and around the world,” said Traci Larson, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Pacific Region. “CGIS Pacific Region is committed to protecting people’s health and the environment in communities across the Pacific Coast and throughout the U.S.”
“Our nation’s environmental laws are designed to protect our communities and oceans from hazardous pollutants, including oil,” said Scot Adair, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in California. “Amplify Energy’s agreement to plead guilty today demonstrates that companies that negligently violate those laws will be held responsible for their crimes.”
“Resources were devoted by the FBI and our federal partners in this investigation, including the FBI’s Underwater Search and Evidence Recovery Team,” said Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The anticipated guilty pleas will send a clear message of accountability to companies which rely on our natural resources and will hold them to elevated standards of environmental stewardship.”
“The expected guilty pleas serve as a compelling reminder that pipeline operators are responsible for exercising the highest levels of accountability for their operations given the potential for devastating consequences when they fail to do so,” said Cissy Tubbs, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, Western Region. “Together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue our vigorous efforts to pursue those who fail to meet the standards set by law and regulation designed to protect the people and natural resources of our nation.”
The plea agreements filed today require that the $7.1 million fine in the federal case be paid in installments over the next three years. The defendants recently paid $656,500 of the estimated $5.8 million in costs incurred by the Coast Guard and the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Additionally, the defendants previously paid the vast majority of expenses related to the clean-up of the spill.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division; the FBI; and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General investigated the oil leak.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matt O’Brien and Brian Faerstein of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor via SnapchatRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Tennessee man, Ryan Dale Gross, 26, of the 3400 block of Berkshire Circle, Johnson City, has been sentenced to 264 months imprisonment for four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. The counts are to be served concurrently. Following his release, Gross must serve a 10-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that in late 2020, a minor child residing in the Central District of Illinois was contacted over Snapchat by a person later identified as Gross. Gross falsely told the minor child he was 16 years old, and the chats progressed into Gross requesting sexually explicit photos of the minor victim despite knowing the victim’s age. At first, the minor refused, but Gross eventually coerced the victim into sending numerous images and videos that were sexually explicit in nature. In the chat conversations recovered by law enforcement, Gross threatened to expose the nude photos if the minor did not continue to send sexually explicit materials to his liking. Agents were able to trace the Snapchat conversations and images back to Gross and his residence in Johnson City, Tennessee. Agents executed a search warrant on Gross’s house in February 2021 and confirmed he was the account holder who had exploited the minor.
At the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge James E. Shadid stated that the minor victim endured a “nightmare” at the hands of Gross’ conduct in the case, describing the threats as cold, mean, and calculated.
Gross was indicted in March 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022. A preliminary forfeiture order was issued for Gross’ Apple iPhone used in the commission of the offense.
The statutory penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor are 15 to 30 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release for each count. Special assessments under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act are also possible.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Gross was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
Summerset Woman Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Summerset, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Attempted Exploitation of a Minor, Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity.
Emily Nicole Yeary, age 24, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on August 22, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, lifetime supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Yeary attempting to sexually exploit a 14-year-old and transporting the minor across state lines for sexual activity. The charges are merely an accusation and Yeary is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Galena Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Yeary was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
South L.A. Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Armed Robberies of Half a Dozen Businesses in Two-Week Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man pleaded guilty today to a federal conspiracy charge and admitted to committing six armed robberies of businesses, mostly 7-Eleven stores, during a two-week crime spree late last year.
Colin Powell Lacey, 28, of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act).
According to his plea agreement, from November 13, 2021, to November 29, 2021, Lacey participated in the robbery of six businesses – five of which were 7-Eleven convenience stores. During the robberies, Lacey typically entered the stores, pointed a handgun at the store’s cashier and stole money – usually hundreds of dollars in cash belonging to the business.
For example, on November 29, 2021, Lacey and his co-conspirator, Kyle Richard Williams, 25, of Inglewood, traveled together to a smoke shop located in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles. Williams entered the store, pointed a handgun at the cashier and stole $442 while Lacey waited outside the store before fleeing with Williams.
That same night, Lacey and Williams robbed 7-Eleven stores in Hollywood and Mid-City, with Lacey pointing a handgun at the cashier at the Hollywood store and Williams pointing a handgun at the cashier at the Mid-City business, making off with $600 and $100, respectively. Lacey and Williams then fled in Lacey’s Hyundai.
On December 30, 2021, Lacey and Williams attempted to rob a 7-Eleven in El Segundo. Williams pointed a handgun at the store employee and demanded money. Lacey and Williams fled together after the employee showed Williams that the cash register was empty.
In total, Lacey admitted to participating in the armed robbery of six stores, including two other 7-Elevens in Hollywood and one 7-Eleven in West Hollywood. Lacey and Williams netted a total of $2,859 from the robberies.
Lacey and Williams have been in federal custody since March 2022.
United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled a November 4 sentencing hearing for Lacey, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Williams pleaded guilty on July 29 to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 9, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each Hobbs Act robbery count.
The FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department’s Major Crimes Bureau Metro Detail investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremiah M. Levine and Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
South Bay Chiropractor Sentenced to 14 Months in Federal Prison for Receiving Kickbacks for Referring Patients for Spinal SurgeriesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Bay chiropractor was sentenced today to 14 months in federal prison for taking kickbacks from Pacific Hospital – a corrupt medical center in Long Beach whose owner was later imprisoned – and for soliciting kickbacks from another Southern California hospital.
Brian Carrico, 68, of Redondo Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered him to pay a fine of $25,000.
Carrico pleaded guilty on February 24 to one count of soliciting kickbacks – the same day his two Redondo Beach-based companies, Performance Medical & Rehab Center Inc., and One Accord Management Inc., each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to solicit kickbacks.
Judge Staton today also sentenced Carrico’s companies to one year of probation and fined them each $250,000.
Carrico is a licensed chiropractor and owned Performance Medical & Rehab Center, which treated injured workers. Surgeons saw patients at Performance Medical’s offices. Carrico also owned One Accord Management, which provided billing, collection and other support services for Performance Medical.
His criminal partner, William Parker, 68, of Redondo Beach, owned Union Choice Therapy Network, which had a contract with Pacific Hospital and paid One Accord money from that contract. Last month, Parker was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison and was fined $5,500. He pleaded guilty on February 24 to one count of soliciting kickbacks.
From June 2004 to December 2013, Carrico and Parker participated in a kickback scheme in which Pacific Hospital overpaid for the value of services performed under its Union Choice contract to induce Carrico and Parker to refer patients to Pacific Hospital for surgeries and other treatment.
Pacific Hospital specialized in surgeries, especially spinal and orthopedic procedures. The owner of Pacific Hospital, Michael D. Drobot, conspired with doctors, chiropractors and marketers to pay kickbacks in return for the referral of thousands of patients to Pacific Hospital for spinal surgeries and other medical services paid for primarily through the California workers’ compensation system.
During its final five years, the scheme resulted in the submission of more than $500 million in medical bills for spine surgeries involving kickbacks. To date, 22 defendants have been convicted for participating in the kickback scheme.
In April 2013, law enforcement searched Pacific Hospital. Later that year, Carrico learned Pacific Hospital was going to be sold and the kickback scheme would end. Rather than cease their criminal conduct after the Pacific Hospital search, Carrico and Parker then approached an executive at a different hospital and solicited kickbacks from him.
Specifically, Carrico and Parker offered a quid pro quo in which the referral of patients to the hospital was contingent on that hospital entering into a management services agreement with Union Choice. Under the proposed agreement, the hospital would have paid Union Choice a total of $110,000 over the span of four months – more than the market value of the services performed.
While not written into the contract, Carrico and Parker would cause the referrals of Performance Medical patients to go to this hospital. The hospital’s executive ultimately rejected the deal.
“[Carrico], as the licensed medical professional, had control and influence over the location where patients had spinal surgeries,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Patients are not commodities that can be traded for kickbacks.”
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Department of Insurance investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph T. McNally and Billy Joe McLain of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Sisseton Foursome Sentenced in Robbery CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that four individuals from Sisseton, South Dakota, who were all convicted of Robbery and Aiding and Abetting, have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Tiffany Bernard, age 30, was sentenced on August 22, 2022, to 15 years in federal prison – the maximum possible sentence – followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution was also ordered for $300,358.89, relating to the victim’s medical expenses and lost wages.
In late 2021, Bernard’s three co-defendants were sentenced for their respective roles in the robbery and assault. On October 4, 2021, Brendon Javon Jacob Rodlund, age 32, was also sentenced to the maximum of 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Rodlund is also serving a separate federal sentence of approximately 13 years in federal prison for sexual assault. His robbery sentence will be served consecutively to his prior sentence for sexual assault.
Andrew David Renville, age 34, was sentenced on November 1, 2021, to the maximum of 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Renville was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Randall Delbert Pumpkinseed, age 33, was also sentenced on November 1, 2021, to 13 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Pumpkinseed was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court documents, between November 16 and 17, 2015, Bernard, Rodlund, Pumpkinseed, and Renville assaulted by force, violence, and intimidation, and did take and attempt to take things of value from the victim. The robbery and assault took place at Dry Wood Lake near Sisseton, and all defendants aided and abetted each other in perpetrating these crimes.
This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement, the FBI, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
All defendants are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Scranton Police Officer Charged with Federal Program FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Scranton Police Officer, Jeffrey J. Vaughn, age 50, was charged yesterday by criminal information with one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.
The information alleges that Vaughn, while working as a sergeant in the Scranton Police Department, which is an entity that receives over $10,000 a year in federal funding, knowingly obtained by fraud over $5,000 in compensation that was paid to him for certain extra duty patrol shifts at local, lower-income housing complexes that Vaughn claimed to work but did not in fact work.
The case was investigated by the Scranton Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and federal agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The charges contained in a criminal information are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Resumen de la visita de los fiscales estadounidenses del suroeste a MéxicoRead the Press Release
Del 23 al 25 de agosto, una delegación de fiscales, sus jefes de división penal, y jefes de fuerzas de tarea contra el crimen organizado y la droga (OCDETF) de ocho distritos fronterizos viajaron a la Ciudad de México para participar en una serie de reuniones sobre cooperación en seguridad incluyendo esfuerzos para combatir organizaciones del crimen transnacional y esfuerzos el tráfico ilegal de armas, narcóticos y personas. La última reunión de fiscales estadounidenses del suroeste en México se llevó a cabo en marzo de 2020.
El fiscal Gary Restaino del distrito de Arizona, la fiscal en funciones Stephanie Christensen del distrito central de California, el fiscal Randy Grossman del distrito sur de California, el fiscal Alexander Uballez del distrito de Nuevo México, el fiscal Brit Featherstone del distrito este de Texas, el fiscal Chad E. Meacham del distrito norte de Texas, la fiscal Jennifer Lowery del distrito sur de Texas y la fiscal Ashley Hoff del distrito oeste de Texas fueron parte de la delegación estadounidense que comenzó su viaje con una reunión con el embajador de Estados Unidos en México Ken Salazar.
La agregaduría del Departamento de Justicia en la embajada en México organizó las reuniones. La delegación participó en una reunión con varios funcionarios de la Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), incluyendo al subdirector de la oficina de asuntos internacionales y agregadurías Humberto Trujillo Ramos, la subprocurador general especializada en combate a la corrupción Luz Mijangos Borga, el subprocurador para investigaciones penales Felipe de Jesús Gallo Gutiérrez, y el subprocurador para oficinas regionales Germán Adolfo Castillo Banuet. Ambas delegaciones dialogaron sobre cómo pueden fortalecer la coordinación actual en procuración de justicia e intercambio de información.
Además, la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) recibió a los fiscales y les informó sobre el Marco Bicentenario Estados Unidos-México para la Seguridad, la Salud Pública y Comunidades Seguras. El jefe de la Unidad para América del Norte Roberto Velasco, y el Subsecretario de Seguridad Ciudadana Ricardo Mejía estuvieron presentes por parte de México.
La delegación de fiscales también sostuvo reuniones con cada agencia estadounidense de procuración de justicia representada en la embajada en la Ciudad de México sobre oportunidades y retos. Dialogaron sobre estrategias investigativas y sus compromisos compartidos por proteger la seguridad de nuestra frontera compartida y los ciudadanos en ambos países.
La relación México-Estados Unidos en procuración de justicia es una de nuestras asociaciones más importantes para combatir al crimen transnacional. La delegación estadounidense reiteró el compromiso de Estados Unidos por proteger a ciudadanos estadounidenses y mexicanos, y los líderes de ambos países reafirmaron su compromiso con la cooperación bilateral en procuración de justicia.
Readout of Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys Visit to MexicoRead the Press Release
From Aug. 23 to 25, a delegation of U.S. Attorneys, their criminal division chiefs, and Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force chiefs (OCDETF) from eight border districts traveled to Mexico City to participate in a series of briefings and meetings on security cooperation matters, including efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations and efforts to counter the illegal trafficking and smuggling of firearms, narcotics and people. The last meeting of Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys in Mexico took place in March 2020.
U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino of the District of Arizona, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Christensen of the Central District of California, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman of the Southern District of California, U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez of the District of New Mexico, U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston of the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham for the Northern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery of the Southern District of Texas, and U.S. Attorney Ashley Hoff of the Western District of Texas were amongst the U.S. delegation that commenced their trip with meeting U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar.
The Justice Department’s Attaché Office in Mexico City organized the briefings and meetings. The U.S. delegation participated in a meeting with various officials from Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office “Fiscalía General de la República” (FGR) including Deputy Director of the Office of International Affairs and Attaché Offices, Humberto Trujillo Ramos; Deputy Attorney General Specialized in Combatting Corruption, Maria de la Luz Mijangos Borga; Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Investigations, Felipe de Jesus Gallo Gutierrez; and Deputy Attorney General for Regional Offices, German Adolfo Castillo Banuet. The two delegations discussed how they can further strengthen existing coordination of enforcement efforts and information-sharing.
Additionally, the Foreign Ministry “Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores” (SRE) hosted the U.S. Attorneys and discussed the United States-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Secure Communities. Undersecretary for North American Affairs, Roberto Velasco, and Undersecretary of the Secretariat of Public Security and Citizen Safety Ricardo Mejia were among the SRE delegation.
The U.S. Attorneys' Offices delegation were also briefed by each U.S. law enforcement agency stationed in Mexico City on current opportunities and challenges in Mexico. They discussed investigative strategies and their shared commitment to protecting the security and safety of our shared border and the citizens of both countries.
The U.S. law enforcement relationship with Mexico is one of our most important partnerships to combat trans-border crime. The U.S. delegation reiterated the United States’ commitment to protecting U.S. and Mexican citizens, and the leaders from both countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral law enforcement cooperation.
Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys meeting with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office: La Fiscalía General de la República
Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys meeting with Mexico’s Foreign Ministry “Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores" Group photo of US delegation: Back row L to R: Attaché Christina Vejar; District of Arizona OCDETF Chief Maria Gutierrez; Co-director of Joint Task Force Alpha Victor White; Southern District of California OCDETF Chief Joe Smith; Eastern District of Texas Criminal Chief Frank Coan, District of Arizona OCDETF Chief Rob Fellrath, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas Brit Featherston, Central District of California OCDETF Chief Shawn Nelson; Southern District of Texas OCDETF Chief Mary Lou Castillo; Central District of California Criminal Chief Scott Garringer; District of Arizona First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Hernandez; District of Arizona Criminal Chief Rui Wang; District of Arizona Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Savel; District of New Mexico Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Ramirez; District of New Mexico Criminal Chief (Las Cruces) Aaron Jordan; District of New Mexico Criminal Division Chief (Albuquerque) Kristopher Houghton Front row L to R: U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Christensen, U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez, Amb. Ken Salazar, U.S. Attorney Ashley Hoff, Western District of Texas Criminal Division Chief Christina Playton, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery, U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham, Southern District of Texas OCDETF Chief John Jocher; Deputy Attaché Rocio ZamudioRaleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Chadd E. Worley, 44, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 8, 2020, Worley was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement in Beckley. Worley admitted to possessing approximately 23 grams of heroin found in the vehicle, and further admitted that he intended to distribute the heroin in and around Raleigh County.
Worley is scheduled to be sentenced on December 30, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Michigan.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-112.
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Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Awais Chudhary, 22, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan and residing in Queens, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court filings, in August 2019, after watching violent terrorist propaganda videos, Chudhary pledged his allegiance to ISIS’s then-leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and began planning for a knife or bomb attack as a lone wolf ISIS supporter. Chudhary identified targets, including the pedestrian bridges over the Grand Central Parkway and the Flushing Bay Promenade, where he intended to carry out the attacks. Chudhary sought guidance from individuals whom he believed to be ISIS supporters, including what type of knife to use and how to prevent detection from law enforcement by not leaving “traces of finger prints [or] DNA.” Chudhary also sent a screenshot of a document from an ISIS propaganda magazine that included a diagram of the human body depicting where to stab victims with a knife. Chudhary conducted several reconnaissance trips to these locations and made video recordings of the areas he intended to attack.
Chudhary ordered items online that he intended to use to commit a terrorist attack, including a tactical knife, a mask, gloves, and a cellphone chest and head strap – to facilitate his recording of the attack, which he hoped would serve as inspiration to other ISIS supporters. Chudhary was arrested as he attempted to retrieve the items from an online retailer’s locker in Queens.
When sentenced, Chudhary faces up to 20 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Breon S. Peace for the Eastern District of New York; and Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI’s New York Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Algor and Ellen Sise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.
Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Awais Chudhary, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. When sentenced, Chudhary faces up to 20 years in prison.
Breon S. Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea.
“Awais Chudhary has admitted to planning to carry out a lone wolf terrorist attack in Queens against innocent civilians in an embrace of ISIS’s murderous cause,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Thanks to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Chudhary’s efforts to commit deadly violence on behalf of ISIS were thwarted, lives were saved, and he now awaits sentencing for his heinous crime.”
“As he admitted today, Mr. Chudhary planned to bring terror to the people of New York City on behalf of ISIS. The Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with its tireless vigilance, was able to successfully disrupt his plot, keeping our city safe from this potential lone wolf terrorist. The FBI, along with our partners on the JTTF, remain committed to our highest priority of defending the United States from terrorism,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
“Mr. Chudhary has admitted to providing material support, from American soil, to terrorists based overseas,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “He is a naturalized U.S. citizen who abandoned the country that took him in, and instead pledged allegiance to ISIS and repeatedly and diligently promoted its violent objectives. Clearly, the threat of ISIS-inspired terrorism remains very real, and the members of our FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force will never stop working to identify anyone aiding groups that consider our country their sworn enemy.”
According to court filings, in August 2019, after watching violent terrorist propaganda videos, Chudhary pledged his allegiance to ISIS’s then-leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and began planning for a knife or bomb attack as a lone wolf ISIS supporter. Chudhary identified targets, including the pedestrian bridges over the Grand Central Parkway and the Flushing Bay Promenade, where he intended to carry out the attacks. Chudhary sought guidance from individuals whom he believed to be ISIS supporters, including what type of knife to use and how to prevent detection from law enforcement by not leaving “traces of finger prints [or] DNA.” Chudhary also sent a screenshot of a document from an ISIS propaganda magazine that included a diagram of the human body depicting where to stab victims with a knife. Chudhary conducted several reconnaissance trips to these locations and made video recordings of the areas he intended to attack.
Chudhary ordered items online that he intended to use to commit a terrorist attack, including a tactical knife, a mask, gloves, and a cellphone chest and head strap to facilitate his recording of the attack, which he hoped would serve as inspiration to other ISIS supporters. Chudhary was arrested as he attempted to retrieve the items from an online retailer’s locker in Queens.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Algor and Ellen Sise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.
The Defendant:
AWAIS CHUDHARY
Age: 22
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-135 (CBA)
Previously-convicted felon found guilty of illegally carrying a gunRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man faces a possible sentence of at least 15 years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of illegally carrying a gun.
Dontray Lewis, 43, of Savannah, was convicted after a three-day jury trial on one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. If Lewis is adjudicated as an armed career criminal based on his history of multiple felony convictions, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Gun-carrying criminals like Dontray Lewis are a malignant source of much of the violent crime in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Their claim is always that they need to carry a gun ‘for protection,’ but with our law enforcement partners we will continue to work to protect our streets from gun-wielding felons.”
As described in evidence presented during the three-day trial in U.S. District Court, Lewis was found to have possessed a loaded Glock semiautomatic pistol and additional loaded magazines when Savannah Police officers stopped his vehicle for traffic violations in May 2020. Lewis is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions. The jury deliberated for approximately six hours before finding Lewis guilty.
Sentencing for Lewis before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will be scheduled upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
“It is our duty to make this community a safer place for you and your families,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka “The safety of the public is at the core of ATF’s mission and we stand at the front line eradicating violent crime from our streets. One firearm in the hands of the wrong person or prohibited person is one firearm too many."
“This conviction further underscores the importance of our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Lenny Gunther, Savannah Police Chief. “The successful conviction of an individual in Savannah who was illegally in possession of a firearm is further evidence of the value of the recently approved partnership that will bring on an additional prosecutor to get those committing federal gun crimes off our streets.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington II and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Daron J. Hubbard.
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.