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27 July 2022
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Threatening Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA —Stanley J. Kowalewski, 50, of North Carolina, has pleaded guilty to mailing threatening communications to a United States District Court Judge.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that following a federal jury trial in the Northern District of Georgia, Kowalewski was convicted on 22 counts related to a fraud scheme and sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison. While serving that sentence in a prison in South Carolina, a federal judge received a letter that threatened to cause the women close to the judge to disappear if the judge did not grant all pending compassionate release motions, or motions for a reduction in sentence and release from prison, by a certain date. Specifically, the letter stated:
“Judge [Redacted],
You have failed to do the right things. Now you make us do this. You will grant ALL pending motions in your court for compassionate release by July 2nd, 2021 at 3:00 PM or earlier. They are all to be reduced to time served with NO supervised release. They will be immediate release from prison and no delays. If not, then we will begin to disappear the women closest to you. We know where they live, work, or go to school. If you try to alert the authorities, we will know and your loved ones will disappear. Do your job and everyone will be happy and you’ll never here from us again.
A.C.B.”
The day before the threat was mailed, an individual visited Kowalewski in prison. During that visit, Kowalewski provided that person two envelopes, one inside the other, and told that person to handle the interior envelope with gloves, to not get fingerprints on the envelope, to not ask questions, and to place it in the mail. A recorded prison call from Kowalewski to the visitor revealed that Kowalewski directed the person to hurry up and mail the letter.
The investigation also revealed that there was no other inmate at Kowalewski’s facility who was sentenced by the victim judge or court. The letter was mailed across state lines and delivered to the victim judge. At the time of the threat, Kowalewski had a compassionate release motion pending before the victim court.
Kowalewski faces up to 10 years in federal prison, which can be ordered to be served consecutive to his current sentence. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of court-ordered supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Kowalewski after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and agencies in the Northern District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case.
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Federal Court Orders Clinic to Close, Physician and Clinic Owners to Pay $600,000 for Alleged Unlawful Opioid DistributionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A federal court ordered a Tampa-area pain management clinic to close and directed the clinic’s owners and its former physician to collectively pay $600,000 in civil penalties pursuant to agreed resolutions in a case alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the Justice Department announced today.
In a complaint filed in February 2021, the United States alleged that Dr. Tobias Bacaner wrote prescriptions for opioids without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice while employed at Paragon Community Healthcare, a pain clinic in New Port Richey, Florida. The complaint alleged that Paragon’s owners, Theodore Ferguson II and Timothy Ferguson, managed the clinic’s operations and profited from the unlawful prescribing while ignoring obvious signs of drug abuse and diversion. The complaint further alleged that Dr. Bacaner and the Fergusons used their jointly owned pharmacy, Cobalt Pharmacy, to unlawfully fill prescriptions issued at Paragon without scrutiny.
The order against Dr. Bacaner requires him to pay $500,000 in civil penalties and prohibits him from prescribing, administering, dispensing or distributing controlled substances, among other restrictions. The order against the Fergusons and Paragon requires them to jointly pay $100,000 in civil penalties. The order also requires Paragon to permanently close, and places restrictions on the Fergusons’ ability to own or work at entities that administer, dispense or distribute controlled substances in the future. The defendants also agreed to permanently dissolve Cobalt Pharmacy, which closed shortly before the government filed suit.
“Physicians who prescribe opioids without a legitimate medical purpose and outside of the usual course of professional practice and others who facilitate that conduct will be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to aggressively use all available enforcement remedies to prevent the unlawful diversion of potentially dangerous prescription drugs.”
“Dr. Bacaner and his associates profited from unlawfully prescribing opioids without a legitimate medical purpose,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue to protect the community from those who place a higher value on profit than the safety of the public.”
“Our communities place trust in their medical professionals to help them. The actions of Dr. Bacaner and owners of this clinic violated this trust,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This settlement highlights DEA’s commitment to hold medical providers accountable for violating laws designed to protect the health and safety of our communities. The closure of these businesses and the prohibition to continue to exploit those in need, ensures the wellbeing of patients everywhere.”
U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington entered the consent decree in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Tampa District Office.
The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay S. Griffin and Trial Attorneys Scott Dahlquist and Tom Rosso of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch.
Federal Court Orders Clinic to Close, Physician and Clinic Owners to Pay $600,000 for Alleged Unlawful Opioid DistributionRead the Press Release
A federal court ordered a Tampa-area pain management clinic to close and directed the clinic’s owners and its former physician to collectively pay $600,000 in civil penalties pursuant to agreed resolutions in a case alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the Justice Department announced today.
In a complaint filed in February 2021, the United States alleged that Dr. Tobias Bacaner wrote prescriptions for opioids without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice while employed at Paragon Community Healthcare, a pain clinic in New Port Richey, Florida. The complaint alleged that Paragon’s owners, Theodore Ferguson II and Timothy Ferguson, managed the clinic’s operations and profited from the unlawful prescribing while ignoring obvious signs of drug abuse and diversion. The complaint further alleged that Dr. Bacaner and the Fergusons used their jointly owned pharmacy, Cobalt Pharmacy, to unlawfully fill prescriptions issued at Paragon without scrutiny.
The order against Dr. Bacaner requires him to pay $500,000 in civil penalties and prohibits him from prescribing, administering, dispensing or distributing controlled substances, among other restrictions. The order against the Fergusons and Paragon requires them to jointly pay $100,000 in civil penalties. The order also requires Paragon to permanently close, and places restrictions on the Fergusons’ ability to own or work at entities that administer, dispense or distribute controlled substances in the future. The defendants also agreed to permanently dissolve Cobalt Pharmacy, which closed shortly before the government filed suit.
“Physicians who prescribe opioids without a legitimate medical purpose and outside of the usual course of professional practice and others who facilitate that conduct will be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to aggressively use all available enforcement remedies to prevent the unlawful diversion of potentially dangerous prescription drugs.”
“Dr. Bacaner and his associates profited from unlawfully prescribing opioids without a legitimate medical purpose,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to protect the community from those who place a higher value on profit than the safety of the public.”
“Our communities place trust in their medical professionals to help them. The actions of Dr. Bacaner and owners of this clinic violated this trust,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This settlement highlights DEA’s commitment to hold medical providers accountable for violating laws designed to protect the health and safety of our communities. The closure of these businesses and the prohibition to continue to exploit those in need, ensures the wellbeing of patients everywhere.”
U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington entered the consent decree in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Tampa District Office.
The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay S. Griffin and Trial Attorneys Scott Dahlquist and Tom Rosso of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch.
Former Treasurer of Perry County Agricultural Society Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for FraudRead the Press Release
Benton, Ill. – Yesterday afternoon, in federal court in Benton, IL, Billy E. Harris, 49, the former treasurer of the Perry County Agricultural Society (“PCAS”), was sentenced to 21 months in prison for defrauding the PCAS out of more than $148,000.
The PCAS operates all of the festivals at the Perry County Fairgrounds in Pinckneyville, including the Perry County Fair. Harris, currently of St. Louis, MO, served as the treasurer of the PCAS from 2011 through October 2018. At his plea hearing earlier this year, Harris admitted that from
June 5, 2012 through October 3, 2018, he defrauded the PCAS out of more than $100,000.
Specifically, Harris acknowledged that he paid his personal expenses, and purchased items for his personal use, with electronic debits from the PCAS bank account. Many of those items were purchased through Amazon. Some of the items that Harris admitted purchasing with PCAS funds include a WiFi router, Apple AirPods, a Himalyan Salt Lamp Air Purifier, Star Wars Darth Vader and
Yoda personalized pet tags, a pair of Star Wars men’s sleep pants, a floating pool fountain, a CPAP tube cleaning brush, and men’s grooming products, including beard lube. Harris also admitted writing checks on the PCAS account payable to himself and his spouse, and forging a Board member’s signature on those checks.At the sentencing hearing yesterday, the sentencing judge noted that Harris’ fraud against the PCAS was a product of greed. In explaining her decision to sentence Harris to prison, the judge stated that individuals who prey on small community organizations cannot steal large sums of money and then simply say “I’m sorry” and walk away with no real consequences.
“When individuals like Harris steal from civic groups like the Perry County Agricultural Society, they are really stealing from the communities that the groups serve,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle
Aud Crowe. “In this case, Harris stole from the people of Perry County who enjoy attending community events at the Perry County Fairgrounds. We will always seek to hold these individuals accountable for their actions.”In addition to the 21 month prison sentence, the court also ordered Harris to pay $148,908.07 in restitution to the PCAS. After he is released from prison, Harris will then serve a two year period of supervised release.
The St. Louis Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Pinckneyville Police Department investigated the case. The Perry County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Verseman and Zoe Gross prosecuted the case.Executives of Card Payment Processing Company Indicted in East Texas for Nationwide Multimillion Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A federal grand jury in Texas has indicted former executives and company leaders at Electronic Transactions Systems Corporation (“ETS”) for their conduct in defrauding approximately 7,000 merchant clients out of millions of dollars, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Edward Walsh Vaughan, 58, of California; Hadi Akkad, 49, of Virginia; Jill Hall Mandichak, 43, of Virginia; Sean Lynch, 50, of Virginia; Katherine Nguyen, 38, of North Carolina; and Gina Ellingsen, 43, of Minnesota, were all charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Vaughan and Akkad were also charged with money laundering conspiracy.
ETS was a card processing company located in Virginia that provided equipment and services to facilitate credit and debit card payment transactions for merchant clients, including government municipalities, private businesses, and charity organizations throughout the country. According to the indictment, between 2012 and 2019, the defendants, at the direction of ETS president Ed Vaughan, are alleged to have defrauded ETS merchant clients by deliberately disguising a portion of their processing fees for thousands of clients. The indictment describes how the defendants executed their fraud, including by embedding the hidden markups in “Interchange fees,” misleading merchant clients in emails and contracts, and failing to disclose the true fee structure in billing and account statements.
The indictment also details how Vaughan and Akkad used the fraudulently obtained funds to personally enrich themselves through multimillion-dollar bonuses, luxury vehicles and private aircraft, and high-end real estate purchases. In addition, because the fraud was concealed prior to ETS’ acquisition, Vaughan received an additional $107 million, and Akkad received $33 million from the sale of the company.
If convicted, the defendants each face up to 30 years in federal prison.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern District of Texas.
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Erie Woman Pleads Guilty in Meth Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Sarah Umanita Bloom, 31, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around June 2018, to on or about February 28, 2020, Bloom conspired with her co-defendants to distribute methamphetamine as they participated in a methamphetamine distribution network that trafficked methamphetamine from Akron, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania into Crawford, Venango and Warren Counties.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, 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 Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop E, Vice Unit, the Titusville Police Department, the Warren County Drug Task Force, the Warren County Sherriff’s Office and the Crawford County Sherriff’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bloom.
Erie Man Admits Bringing 8 Pounds of Meth from Arizona to ErieRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drugs laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Willie C. Sanders III pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about July 20, 2019, Sanders possessed with the intent to distribute 8.38 pounds of methamphetamine which he had brought in a suitcase from Arizona through the Erie Airport.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for November 17, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, 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.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Sanders on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Sanders.
El Paso Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
EL PASO – An El Paso man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, on April 24, 2021, Justin Allen Thomas, 32, began a conversation through a social media application with a 14-year-old. The conversation quickly turned sexual in nature and Thomas made plans to meet the teen for a sexual encounter. When Thomas showed up at the teen’s residence, he was arrested by law enforcement. Instead of a 14-year-old, Thomas was communicating with an FBI employee.
On May 2, 2022, Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest on April 24, 2021.
“This case highlights the importance of undercover operations in preventing these individuals from harming children in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Not only did this individual plan to meet with someone whom he thought was a 14-year-old to engage in prohibited sexual activity, but agents discovered child sexual exploitation material on his electronic devices after his arrest.”
“Individuals such as Mr. Thomas, who target the most vulnerable members of our community, will be held accountable for their actions,” said Jeffrey R. Downey, Special Agent in Charge FBI El Paso Field Office. “I am extremely proud of the hard work conducted by our Agents and the El Paso Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Texas Department of Public Safety to ensure justice was served in this case. The FBI will continue to work hard to stop these crimes from occurring.”
The FBI, with valuable assistance from HSI, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the El Paso Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Valenzuela prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
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El Departamento de Justicia y la Oficina para la Protección Financiera del Consumidor llegan a un acuerdo con Trident Mortgage Company para resolver acusaciones de discriminación en el ámbito crediticioRead the Press Release
El acuerdo proporciona más de $20 millones para mejorar las oportunidades crediticias en vecindarios de color
Primer acuerdo contra una compañía de hipotecas que combate la exclusión financiera; segundo acuerdo más grande contra la exclusión financiera en la historia del Departamento de Justicia
El Departamento de Justicia, la Oficina para la Protección Financiera del Consumidor (CFPB, por sus siglas en inglés) y los Fiscales de Pennsylvania, New Jersey y Delaware anunciaron hoy una serie de acuerdos para resolver alegaciones de que Trident Mortgage Company (Trident), cuyo dueño es Berkshire Hathaway Inc., incurrió en un patrón o una práctica de discriminación en el ámbito crediticio al practicar exclusión financiera en la zona metropolitana de Philadelphia, incluyendo en vecindarios de Philadelphia, Camden y Wilmington. Esta resolución representa el primer acuerdo contra la exclusión financiera que el Departamento de Justicia ha conseguido con una entidad crediticia no bancaria y el segundo acuerdo más grande contra la exclusión financiera en la historia del Departamento.
“En otoño del año pasado, anuncié la Iniciativa para Combatir la Exclusión Financiera, del Departamento de Justicia, y prometí que movilizaríamos recursos para hacer realidad el acceso crediticio justo en vecindarios marginados por todo nuestro país”, afirmó el Fiscal General Merrick B. Garland. “Tal y como se ha demostrado mediante el anuncio histórico de hoy, estamos aumentando nuestra coordinación con agencias federales de regulación financiera y Fiscalías Generales estatales con el fin de combatir la exclusión financiera moderna que ha afectado de manera ilegal las comunidades de color”.
“Este acuerdo es un recordatorio claro que la exclusión financiera no es un problema de otra época lejana. Las actividades ilícitas de exclusión financiera de Trident denegaron a comunidades de color la igualdad de acceso a hipotecas residenciales, les quitaron la oportunidad de generar riqueza y desvaloraron propiedades en sus vecindarios”, declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Este acuerdo garantiza la infusión de recursos crediticios significativos en vecindarios de color por la zona de Philadelphia que, a nivel histórico, han experimentado discriminación racial. Junto con nuestros compañeros federales y estatales de la aplicación de la ley, estamos enviando el mensaje potente a los prestamistas que se les hará rendir cuentas si vulneran nuestras leyes de préstamos justos”.
“Trident practicó la exclusión financiera por la zona de Philadelphia y excluyó a familias elegibles que querían comprar una casa”, comentó Rohit Chopra, el director de la CFPB. “Dado el alto costo de la vivienda, es fundamental que la discriminación ilegal no aleje todavía la posibilidad de ser propietario”.
“Durante demasiados años ya, las comunidades negras, latinas y otras comunidades de color no se han beneficiado de la igualdad de acceso a préstamos y titularidad legal de escrituras”, dijo Jacqueline Romero, la Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Este de Pennsylvania. “Estas áreas de Philadelphia, que han sido históricamente excluidas financieramente, siguen experimentando niveles desproporcionados de pobreza, malas situaciones sanitarias, niveles educativos más bajos, desempleo y delito violento. Me complace que mi oficina haya podido apoyar, mediante esta resolución, la Iniciativa para Combatir la Exclusión Financiera del Fiscal General y espero seguir colaborando con la División de Derechos Civiles”.
La “exclusión financiera” (conocido como “redlining”, en inglés) es una práctica ilegal en la que prestamistas evitan la prestación de servicios crediticios a individuos que viven en comunidades de color por motivos de la raza, el color de piel o el origen nacional de los residentes de tales comunidades. La demanda que se presentó ante un tribunal federal hoy alega que, desde al menos el 2015 y hasta el 2019, Trident no prestó servicios de préstamos hipotecarios a vecindarios de color por la zona metropolitana de Philadelphia, sus oficinas estaban concentradas en vecindarios de mayoría blanca y sus oficiales de crédito no atendían a las necesidades crediticias de vecindarios de color. Asimismo, la demanda alega que los oficiales de crédito enviaban y recibían correos de trabajo que contenían comentarios racistas y referencias a comunidades de color como «ghetto».
Conforme la orden de consentimiento propuesta, la cual queda sujeta a la aprobación del tribunal y fue presentada junto con una demanda hoy ante el Tribunal Federal de Distrito para el Distrito Este de Pennsylvania, Trident ha acordado invertir más de $20 millones con el fin de aumentar las oportunidades crediticias en vecindarios de color por la zona metropolitana de Philadelphia. Trident invertirá al menos: $18.4 millones en un fondo de préstamos subvencionados para residentes de vecindarios de color por la zona metropolitana de Philadelphia; $750,000 en el desarrollo de asociaciones comunitarias con el fin de prestar servicios que mejoran el acceso a los préstamos hipotecarios residenciales; $875,000 en anuncios y proyección comunitaria; y $375,000 en educación financiera para el consumidor. Puesto que Trident ya no opera un negocio de préstamos, contratará a otro prestamista para la provisión de préstamos subvencionados y servicios crediticios a las comunidades que fueron excluidas financieramente. Por otra parte, Trident asegurará que el prestamista emplee al menos a cuatro oficiales de crédito hipotecario dedicados para servir los vecindarios dentro y alrededor de las ciudades de Philadelphia, Camden y Wilmington; mantendrá al menos cuatro sucursales en esos vecindarios; y empleará a un gerente de préstamos comunitarios a tiempo completo que supervisará el desarrollo continuo del crédito en vecindarios de color por la zona metropolitana de Philadelphia. Asimismo, Trident pagará una sanción civil de $4 millones.
Trident también ha celebrado acuerdos con Pennsylvania, New Jersey y Delaware. Esos acuerdos resuelven alegaciones tanto contra Trident como contra Fox & Roach LP, una filial del mercado inmobiliario de Trident. Además de los términos del acuerdo incluidos en la orden de consentimiento federal, conforme a los acuerdos con Pennsylvania y New Jersey, Trident reembolsará a los estados por los gastos incurridos en la realización de las investigaciones. Además, Fox & Roach invertirá $150,000 en la publicidad en comunidades de color por la zona metropolitana de Philadelphia.
El Departamento de Justicia y la CFPB investigaron este asunto conjuntamente, con el apoyo de la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Este de Pennsylvania. La investigación fue coordinada estrechamente con los Fiscales Generales de la Mancomunidad de Pennsylvania y los estados de New Jersey y Delaware.
El acuerdo forma parte de la Iniciativa para Combatir la Exclusión Financiera del Departamento de Justicia, un esfuerzo coordinado de aplicación de la ley cuyo objetivo es abordar esta forma persistente de discriminación contra comunidades de color. La iniciativa está expandiendo el alcance del Departamento al fortalecer las asociaciones con Fiscalías Federales por todo el país, socios regulatorios y nuestros socios en las Fiscalías Generales Estatales. Para más información sobre los esfuerzos de la Sección por hacer cumplir las leyes de préstamos justos, vaya a https://www.justice.gov/crt-espanol/hce. Los individuos pueden denunciar incidentes de discriminación en el ámbito crediticio llamando a la línea informativa del Departamento de Justicia para discriminación en la vivienda al 1-833-591-0291 o entregando un informe en línea.
Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Cardell Richardson, 33, of Chili, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer to possession of 10 grams or more of para-flourofentanyl with intent to distribute, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that in June and July of 2021, investigators purchased suspected fentanyl from Richardson on three separate occasions. On July 22, 2021, investigators searched Richardson’s residence on Forsythia Drive in Chili, seizing multiple quantities of fentanyl and para-flourofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, as well as nearly $4,000 in cash, a digital scale and drug packaging material. Richardson, who was arrested outside his residence, was found with 76 decks of para-flourofentanyl and $590 in his possession.
The matter was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. before the Judge Larimer.
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Desoto County Man Pays the Price for Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenville, Miss. – A Southaven man was sentenced today to 17.5 years in prison for distribution of child sexual abuse materials.
According to court documents, Daniel Blake Coulston, 27 years old, used a minor to produce child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. Coulston admitted to sharing those images with numerous other persons through a social media application.
“We see far too many of these types of cases, and it is our hope that lengthy prison sentences will serve not only to remove guilty individuals from society, but will also act as a deterrent against heinous crimes of this nature,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner.
"Our underage citizens depend upon the adults of the community to protect them. Those who violate the innocence of our youth deteriorate the safety of our society's future. The FBI maintains a commitment to support our local and DOJ partners in aggressively investigating and preventing harm to minors," stated Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Desoto County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case.
Crime Spree Lands Carjacker in Federal Prison for 21 YearsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Javeon Jacobs (22, Tampa) to 21 years in federal prison for firearms offenses relating to his brandishing of a firearm during three armed carjacking incidents. Jacobs had pleaded guilty on April 14, 2022.
According to court documents, on March 31, 2021, Jacobs used a firearm and physical force to carjack a vehicle in Safety Harbor. On April 18, 2021, Jacobs kidnapped two individuals at gunpoint in Tampa and took their vehicle. After releasing those victims, Jacobs abandoned their vehicle at another location in Tampa, where Jacobs carjacked another vehicle, again by brandishing a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tampa Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Largo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jim Preston.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety – one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and re-entry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Council Bluffs Man sentenced for Sex Trafficking TeenagersRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Jesse Cody, 34 of Council Bluffs, Iowa was sentenced on July 26, 2022, for sex trafficking two teenagers between Iowa and Nebraska. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr sentenced Cody to 16 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Cody will have to register as a sex offender and serve a five-year term of supervised release.
A federal jury previously convicted Cody of trafficking an eighteen year old victim in foster care and a nineteen year old woman who resided in Omaha. The foster care victim testified at trial that Cody forced her to have sex with men for money for Cody’s financial gain. The victim testified that Cody beat, raped, and choked her when she would refuse to comply with his demands. Cody induced the second victim, then a college student, into sex trafficking by misrepresenting to the victim the money that she could make and the lifestyle that she would lead and then Cody took most of the money for himself.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Police Department.
Convicted Drug Dealer Found with Firearm in Car Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who was found with a Taurus 709 slim 9x19mm caliber pistol and marijuana in his car was sentenced July 26, 2022, to more than three years in federal prison.
Edward Roby Jr., age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 28, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon. At the guilty plea, Roby admitted that July 25, 2021, he knowingly possessed a firearm. He also admitted that he had previously been convicted of a felony, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in 2018.
Roby was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Roby was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and fined $100. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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.
Roby is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Williams and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-cr-2057.
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Columbia Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Selling Drugs to ATFRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Derrall Lanard Reed, a/k/a “Ric0,”35, of Columbia, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to five counts of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and four counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in early 2020, agents from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), along with local agencies, conducted an investigation into firearms within the Columbia area. During this investigation, undercover ATF agents were introduced to Reed, who during five transactions in February 2020 sold five handguns, many of which were loaded, and crack cocaine and cocaine to undercover ATF agents. During one of the transactions, the undercover agent tried to buy Reed’s personal firearm, but he refused, saying he didn’t want to be “naked” (without a gun). Reed was arrested on federal charges and detained without bond on March 12, 2020, when he showed up to sell another firearm to the undercover agents. A federal search warrant was executed on his home. Inside the home, agents found his personal firearm, which had a high-capacity magazine, and various rounds of ammunition. Of the six handguns recovered by ATF during this investigation, three had previously been reported as having been stolen from residences or vehicles. Two were previously reported stolen in Richland County, and one, on which someone had attempted to obliterate the serial number, had previously been reported as having been stolen from a residence in Hoke County, North Carolina. Additionally, two of the firearms, including the one recovered in Reed’s home, were preliminarily linked through ballistics analysis as having been involved in ShotSpotter incidents and other shooting incidents in Columbia on July 2019, November 2019, December 2019, and March 2020. Reed has prior state convictions for possession of crack cocaine (2004), possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine (2006), and assault and battery with intent to kill (2006, wherein he shot another person in the thigh).
United States District Court Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Reed to a total of 144 months imprisonment to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This investigation by the ATF, Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Midlands Gang Task Force was made possible by leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
The technology known as “ShotSpotter” relies upon acoustic sensors to pinpoint where gunfire occurs. Information from the sensors is sent to officers of the Columbia Police Department and 9-1-1 dispatchers through real-time digital alerts.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.
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Colorado Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Deadly Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
DENVER - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Douglas Floyd, age 52, of Colorado Springs, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old boy in Colorado Springs.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant conspired with two co-defendants to violate federal drug laws. Specifically, between December 2021 and January 30, 2022, the three of them agreed to distribute blue pills to a juvenile and his friends. The blue pills contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and para-fluorofentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance. According to the plea agreement, the juvenile’s death on January 31, 2022, resulted from the use of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl contained within pills that were distributed as part of the conspiracy. The defendant was in the distribution chain of the drugs that resulted in the juvenile’s death.
Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the change of plea hearing on July 27, 2022. The defendant will be sentenced on October 17, 2022. The case against the two co-defendants remains ongoing in federal district court in Denver. Those defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the FBI Denver Division and the Colorado Springs Police Department. Prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter McNeilly and Alyssa Mance.
Case number: 22-cr-080
Chief Financial Officer of Global Public Relations Firm Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Falsification of Corporate RecordsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that FRANK OKUNAK, the former chief financial officer of one of the world’s leading global public relations firms, pled guilty in connection with a decade-long scheme to embezzle over $16 million from his employer.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated: “ Frank Okunak, former CFO of one of the world’s leading public relations firms, admitted today to illegally embezzling over $16 million of the firm’s assets to pay for his posh lifestyle. Okunak now awaits sentencing for his decade-long fraud scheme.”
According to the allegations in the Information, statements made in court, and court filings:
For nearly a decade, FRANK OKUNAK, who was the chief financial officer and later chief operating officer of a leading global public relations firms (the “PR Firm”), embezzled over $16 million from the PR Firm and, ultimately, the shareholders of the PR Firm’s publicly traded parent corporation. OKUNAK used the embezzled funds to finance his personal lifestyle and his own private business ventures. OKUNAK concealed and facilitated his theft by preparing and causing others to prepare materially false accounting books and records, including invoices and payment records that falsely described expenditures as having been undertaken for the benefit of the PR Firm, when funds were actually used for OKUNAK’s personal benefit or for the benefit of his personal business associates.
Specifically, from 2011 through 2020, OKUNAK used his authority as an officer of the PR Firm to cause the PR Firm to make unauthorized payments for OKUNAK’s personal and business ventures unrelated to the activities of the PR Firm or its corporate parents. OKUNAK used the PR Firm’s assets to provide the start-up capital for his personal, independent business ventures, to purchase tickets and luxury boxes at sporting events, and even to cover donations to his alma mater. To hide the illicit nature of these expenditures, OKUNAK frequently prepared or caused others to prepare false or misleading invoices and other documentation to suggest, falsely, that the funds were used for legitimate corporate purposes.
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OKUNAK, 56, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of falsification of corporate books and records. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. As part of his guilty plea, OKUNAK agreed to forfeit $10,823,575.57 and to pay restitution of $16,043,603.71.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Williams further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the victim PR Firm and its corporate parent for their cooperation and assistance in this investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Hartman and Matthew Podolsky are in charge of the case.
Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Lettia Harris, also known as “Tish,” 30, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Harris admitted to selling a Jennings, model J22, .22-caliber pistol and approximately 0.6 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” to a confidential informant at her Charleston residence on November 14, 2018.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner 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. 2:21-cr-117.
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Cardiologist Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Distributing Thousands of Oxycodone PillsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A New Jersey cardiologist was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for unlawfully prescribing thousands of Oxycodone pills, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Raymond Catania, 60, of Warren, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with dispensing Oxycodone outside of the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Catania was a New Jersey physician specializing in cardiology and practicing in Watchung, New Jersey. From January 2016 through March 2017, Catania issued prescriptions for thousands of Oxycodone pills to one of his patients, and Catania did so without a legitimate medical purpose and outside of the usual course of professional practice. Catania also issued prescriptions for thousands of Oxycodone pills to that patient’s wife even though the wife was not Catania’s patient. Oxycodone – a Schedule II controlled substance – has a high potential for abuse that can lead to severe psychological and physical dependence and can result in fatal overdoses. Catania prescribed more than 8,600 Oxycodone 30 mg pills.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp fined Catania $25,000 and sentenced him to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie F. Schwartz, Senior Litigation Counsel, of the Special Prosecutions Division, in Newark.
Buffalo Man Sentenced on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Shamaar Braggs, 41, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to serve six months home incarceration and three years supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that in May 2018, Braggs was under the supervision of New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision following a previous drug conviction in Chautauqua County Court. On May 19, 2018, New State Parole Officers conducted a parole search of Braggs’ residence, during which they located a .40 caliber pistol, a .22 caliber assault rifle, an assault rifle, a quantity of marijuana and suboxone, $2,730.00 in cash, and two digital scales. Buffalo Police Officers then responded and took Braggs into custody.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci.
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Blythewood Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking and Heroin Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Brian Leroy Watson, a/k/a “Lil B,” a/k/a “B,” 50, of Blythewood, has pleaded guilty to attempted sex trafficking of a minor and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of heroin.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in January and February 2016, Watson attempted to exploit a minor female victim in commercial sex. In March 2016, the victim disclosed to law enforcement that Watson, a heroin and crack cocaine dealer, sexually assaulted her. Watson was interviewed by law enforcement, and he denied assaulting the victim and instead said he was prostituting her.
Advertisements from Backpage.com linked to Watson’s cell phone number and e-mail address showed the minor victim was advertised for commercial sex. Text messages from Watson’s phone also provided evidence that Watson knew the victim was a minor, and that he distributed heroin to and sexually exploited the minor victim. Another purported victim of Watson’s also told FBI that Watson exploited the minor victim in commercial sex. Numerous witnesses told FBI that Watson manipulated the withdraw symptoms and drug dependence of women to obtain commercial sex for his financial gain.
As for the heroin distribution conviction, Watson sold a quantity of heroin on August 29, 2016 to an undercover officer with the Richland County Sherriff’s Department. Watson negotiated the sale of heroin with officer, which occurred at his residence, and Watson carried a pistol in his hand at the time of the drug sale. The sale was audio and video recorded, and lab tests confirmed what Watson sold was heroin.
Watson faces up to Life in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution to all identifiable victims of his scheme, and a Life term of court-ordered supervision to follow any term of imprisonment. He also must register as a sex offender upon any release from prison. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs accepted the guilty plea and the Court will sentence Watson after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case.
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Billings Woman Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison in Identity Theft CaseRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced today that a 37-year-old Billings woman was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for multiple counts of wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Additionally, the defendant was ordered to pay $21,045.98 in restitution. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.
Elizabeth Stephenson, while working at an assisted living facility in Billings, Montana, took the debit card and PIN from a 96-year-old resident who requested she buy him a six-pack of beer. Stephenson did so, and then used the victim’s bank card twelve times to place funds—over $1,000—on the Telmate account of her boyfriend who was incarcerated in Idaho. Over the next month—and on 22 separate occasions—Stephenson took the card to an ATM and withdrew over $16,200 from the victim’s account, always in $700 increments. Stephenson also utilized the victim’s credit card to obtain thousands of dollars of criminal legal services for her boyfriend. All told, Stephenson caused a loss of over $21,000.00 to the elderly victim. The missing money was discovered by a relative who was serving as the victim’s Power of Attorney.
When questioned by law enforcement, Stephenson denied any involvement and claimed the victim never gave her his credit card. Stephenson maintained her innocence even when advised that her name had been entered in an attempted Cash App transaction on the victim’s phone. When Stephenson finally acknowledged she took the money, she claimed the victim gave her permission and that she always provided him with some of the funds she withdrew. Stephenson later conceded that the victim did not actually have the capacity to authorize the transfer of any funds to her.
When interviewed, the victim could not remember which employee he gave his card. After Stephenson’s theft was discovered, he only had $94 in his wallet.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla Painter prosecuted the case which was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Billings Police Department.
Asleep at the wheel drug trafficker sent to federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Alice man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of trafficking meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Allen Marcus Carrillo pleaded guilty May 2.
Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton ordered him to serve a 126-month sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing Carrillo’s efforts to acquire narcotics and other contraband while in custody for this offense by attempting to bribe a guard at the federal detention facility. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tipton noted Carrillo’s efforts to acquire contraband while in federal custody were “extraordinary” and justified the lengthy sentence imposed.
On May 17, 2021, authorities observed Carrillo’s vehicle obstructing traffic on Highway 359. When they approached, they discovered Carrillo asleep in the driver’s seat of the running car.
A subsequent search revealed a black magnetic box containing more than 90 grams of pure meth underneath Carrillo’s seat.
Carrillo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted this investigation with the assistance of the Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. prosecuted the case.
Alabama Man Convicted of Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Traveling to Florida to Have Sex with A MinorRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal jury in Tallahassee convicted Jason Earl Kirkland, 44, of Cottonwood, Alabama of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The guilty verdict, returned yesterday, at the conclusion of a two-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“There is no greater charge than the protection of our children,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “This multi-agency investigation and the related prosecution is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who engage in such heinous conduct.”
In May 2021, investigators from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Panama City Beach Police Department, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted an undercover online operation to identify individuals seeking to engage in sexual activity with minors. Evidence introduced during the trial revealed that on May 12, 2021, a person with the username "Mark from Cottonwood" and who claimed to be 41 years old, later identified as Jason Earl Kirkland, sent a private message to an undercover (UC) law enforcement profile, claiming to be a 14-year-old girl located in Marianna, Florida, using a social media and messaging application. Kirkland and the UC officer exchanged several messages before having voice communications over the phone and through text messaging.
“The internet is a dangerous place for sexual predators who choose innocent children as their victims when it’s an uncover agent on the other end,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “The investigative power of HSI, and our law enforcement partnerships Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Panama City Beach Police Department, Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, is why this predator will spend some much-deserved time behind bars.”
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our children and we will work diligently with our law enforcement partners to ensure they do not become victims,” stated Jackson County Sheriff Donnie Edenfield.
On May 13, 2021, Kirkland resumed contact with the UC, where the conversation became sexual in nature and Kirkland expressed his desire to engage in sexual acts with the UC (who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl). Kirkland also sent a nude photograph of himself and of his genitals to the UC through text messages. Kirkland then traveled to Marianna, Florida to meet the UC so he could drive her back to his residence to engage in sexual activity. Kirkland was arrested upon his arrival at the designated meeting location.
“Unfortunately, we see too many cases like this, where children are potentially being preyed upon by sexual predators. These predators have the ability to camouflage themselves online, and they can seem friendly and non-threatening,” stated Chief Talamantez. “We urge parents to remain diligent in their children’s use of social media and have those difficult conversations with your kids about the dangers of the Internet. There is a huge threat out there and we need to do everything we can to protect our children and prevent them from becoming victims. The Panama City Beach Police Department aggressively pursues these cases to protect our children and our community. This is one more predator off the street, but the threat never goes away. Our department is honored to work with other law enforcement agencies who are committed to the arrest and prosecution of these predators.”
Kirkland’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2022, at 1:30 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States Chief District Mark E. Walker. Kirkland faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum of life in prison, for the attempted enticement charge. For the charge interstate travel to have sex with a minor, Kirkland faces a maximum of 30 years in prison.
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Panama City Beach Police Department, Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case.
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.
34 Meth Traffickers Sentenced to 360+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Thirty-four members of a methamphetamine ring that operated in the Dimmitt, Texas area have been sentenced to a combined 364 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
The majority were charged in a 38-count federal indictment filed in February 2020, then arrested during a large-scale takedown in March 2020. The FBI’s Dallas Field Office, which led the bust, dubbed it Operation Tierra de Hielo, or “Operation Land of Ice.”
The first defendant to plead guilty, Denita Mirelez, 48, entered her plea on August 19, 2020, admitting that she and a co-conspirator sold several ounces of meth to an FBI informant. She was later sentenced to 97 months in federal prison. The final defendant to plead guilty, Johnny Gilbert Lopez, aka “Cannon,” 55, entered his plea 19 months later, on March 21, 2022. He also admitted that he sold meth to an informant and was sentenced yesterday to 100 months in federal prison.
The remaining defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced as follows:
- Jesus Garcia, aka “Don Chuy,” 60
Pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; sentenced on May 18, 2021 to 300 months in federal prison
- Noel Mandujano, 50
Pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on July 20, 2021 to 360 months in federal prison
- Robert Vera, 51
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 20, 2021 to 188 months in federal prison
- Osvaldo Cortez, aka “Lito,” 41
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on April 8, 2021 to 135 months in federal prison
- Gustavo Rincon, aka “Tavo,” 45
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 17, 2021 to 210 months in federal prison
- Ricky Dale Leavitt, aka “Big Rick,” 48
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on July 13, 2021 to 97 months in federal prison
- Tyler Martin Miller, 32
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on July 7, 2021 to 120 months in federal prison
- Robert “Roberto” Flores, 46
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on May 25, 2021 to 235 months in federal prison
- Tiffany Darlene Haner, 38
Pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm; sentenced on Jan. 20, 2021 to 120 months in federal prison
- Michael “Mike” Diaz, 48
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on June 2, 2021 to 120 months in federal prison
- Rigoberto Cuevas, aka “Rigo,” 43
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 26, 2021 to 188 months in federal prison
- Johnny Ortiz, aka “Johnny O,” 44
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 4, 2021 to 240 months in federal prison
- Kristina Renee Chaparro, aka “Yebra,” 36
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 28, 2021 to 132 months in federal prison
- Michael Reyes, aka “Rat,” 44
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on May 11, 2021 to 120 months in federal prison
- Juan Arturo Martinez, 44
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 4, 2021 to 52 months in federal prison
- Steven Mendez, 39
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 28, 2021 to 210 months in federal prison
- Frank “Frankie” Martinez, 39
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Nov. 19, 2021 to 139 months in federal prison
- Katrina Casas, 37,
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 28. 2021 to 40 months in federal prison
- Ricardo Reyes, Jr., aka “Little Ricky,” 35
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 14, 2021 to 124 months in federal prison
- Roxanne Casas, 39
Pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 4, 2021 to 51 months in federal prison
- Cruz Mendez Nunez, 58
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on June 2, 2021 to 92 months in federal prison
- Christopher Allen Smith, aka “Smitty,” 35
Pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm; sentenced on Jan. 26, 2021 to 55 months in federal prison
- Juan Manuel Martinez, aka “Mitos,” 45
Pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 25, 2021 to 115 months in federal prison
- Melenie Arceo, 24,
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 26, 2021 to 108 months in federal prison
- Luis Alberto “Tito” Gonzalez, 40
Pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm; sentenced on Feb. 17, 2021 to 77 months in federal prison
- Priscilla Kay Caballero, 37
Pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a communications facility; sentenced on May 25, 2021 to 48 months in federal prison
- Susan Odette Stinnett, 34
Pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a communications facility; sentenced on Feb. 4, 2021 to 48 months in federal prison
- John David Ramirez, 43
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 12, 2021 to 33 months in federal prison
- Christian Daniel Cordova, 30
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced to on Jan. 28, 2021 to 84 months in federal prison
- Ricardo Chavez, aka “KK,” 42
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 12, 2021 to 188 months in federal prison
- Servian Riojas, aka “Smokey,” 41
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 20, 2021 to 151 months in federal prison
- Leonardo “Leo” Ortuno-Palacios, 53
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on September 30, 2021 to 240 months in federal prison
"This investigation was a massive undertaking and a true partnership between local, state and federal agencies. We dismantled the entire organization, from out-of-state leadership, to West Texas leaders, suppliers and distributors," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “The collective sentences imposed on the dozens of defendants will have a lasting impact on the community as we continue to work to keep our communities free from the social, criminal and community health damages caused by methamphetamine.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office; the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division; the U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division; ICE – Enforcement & Removal Operations; the Castro County Sheriff's Office; the Hereford Police Department; Texas Department of Safety; the Amarillo Police Department; the Dimmitt Police Department; the Randall County Sheriff's Office; the Lubbock Police Department; the Potter County Sheriff's Office; the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office; and the Plainview Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the case.
This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
- Jesus Garcia, aka “Don Chuy,” 60
33 Members of a Violent Gang Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in Fajardo, Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 20, 2022, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 33 violent gang members from the municipality of Fajardo with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB)- Fajardo Strike Force- were in charge of the investigation of the case, with the collaboration of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI).
The indictment alleges that from 2016 to the date of the return of the indictment, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, and marihuana within 1,000 feet of the Pedro Rosario Nieves Public Housing Project, and other areas nearby. The object of the conspiracy was to operate a drug-trafficking organization to distribute controlled substances in many areas in the municipality of Fajardo for significant financial profit.
The main leader of the drug trafficking organization, Michael G. Molina-Quiñones, a/k/a Maicol/La M”, led the operations from outside the housing project. He communicated with other members of the organization and gave them instructions and orders on how to handle the operations. Molina-Quiñones also ordered acts of intimidation, force, and violence to maintain control of the operations, intimidate rival gangs, and discipline members of the organization.
As part of the conspiracy, the co-conspirators used apartments in the public housing project and other areas in several municipalities to prepare the drugs for distribution at the drug points.
The defendants acted in different roles in order to further the goals of their organization, to wit: leaders/suppliers, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. Twenty-five defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are:
Michael G. Molina-Quiñones, a/k/a “Maicol/La M”
Xavier Edgardo González-Rivera, a/k/a “Codito”
Luis Joel Nieves-Ciarez, a/k/a “Popeye”
Aramis Suárez-García, a/k/a “Blanco Perla
Manuel Cruz-Chico, a/k/a “Gongi”
Christian Cardona-Hernández, a/k/a “Pichingay”
Raúl Quiñones-Boria, a/k/a “Bebo Grande”
José Enriquez-Ciarez, a/k/a “Cheo”
Frank Luis Quiñones-Boria, a/k/a “Real G”
Alex Carrasquillo-Rosado, a/k/a “Boca”
Belmarie Nieves-Ciarez
José Pabón-Agosto, a/k/a “El Popo/Popola/Menor/Yeti”
José Esteban Rivera-Tolentino, a/k/a “Kikí”
Héctor Omar Hernández-Tolentino, a/k/a “Omy”
Jeziel Rodríguez-Cabral, a/k/a “Superman”
Anjofer A. Escobar-Aponte, a/k/a “Yoyo”
Carlos Alexis Serrano-Vega, a/k/a “Peluca”
Eliezer De La Paz-Cruz, a/k/a “Pocoyo/El Eliot”
Juan Gabriel Cruz-Torréns, a/k/a “Nurio/Negro”
Edwin Lemuel Marcano-Ferrer, a/k/a “Lele”
Manuel O. Robles-Osorio, a/k/a “Bota”
Juan Ramón Cortijo-Meléndez, a/k/a “Golo”
Alexander Rodríguez-Luna, a/k/a “Ale/Alex”
Iván Javier Ginés-Negrón, a/k/a “Gordo”
Julio L. Torres-Vázquez, a/k/a “Tito”
Marcelino Salcedo-Ayuso
Raymond Cruz-Medina
Héctor A. Laureano-Cruz, a/k/a “Rastrillo”
Alejandro Rivera-Molina, a/k/a “Tempo/Gringo”
Carlos Silva-Meléndez, a/k/a “Pinpin”
Anthony Adonays Centeno-Félix, a/k/a “Troco/Broco”
Kiara Michelle Méndez-Carrasco, a/k/a “La Dura”
Yarlin Torres-Rodríguez, a/k/a “Yailin”
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, AUSAs Corinne Cordero-Romo and Joseph Russell, and Special AUSA R. Vance Eaton are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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26 July 2022
Wheeling man sentenced for selling methamphetamineRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Johnnie Lee Harris, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Harris, also known as “Jay,” 42, pled guilty in October 2020 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1000 Feet of Protected Location.” Harris admitted to selling methamphetamine near River Towers in Wheeling in September 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man who was part of a conspiracy to rob two victims at gunpoint was sentenced July 25, 2022, to more than 12 years in federal prison.
Chavee E’Laun Harden, age 32, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 18, 2021 jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
Evidence at trial showed that, on November 4, 2020, Harden, Antione Maxwell (who was sentenced on July 25, 2022, to 30 years in prison), and another individual conspired with each other to rob Harden’s marijuana dealers at gun point of marijuana products and drug-related proceeds. Harden facilitated the armed robbery, and Maxwell and the other individual held guns to the victims’ heads and threatened to kill them. The marijuana products, money, and firearms were later located either inside or outside of Harden’s residence.
Harden was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Harden was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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.
Harden is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Reinert and Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-2013.
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Waterloo Man Sentenced for Possessing Marijuana He Intended to DistributeRead the Press Release
A man who possessed marijuana he planned to distribute and possessed multiple firearms was sentenced today in federal court.
Jeremy Jay Smith, age 33, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the sentence after a March 15, 2022, jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Evidence at trial showed that law enforcement officers searched Smith’s home on September 12, 2020, after Smith had posted videos of himself with marijuana and guns on social media. During the search, officers found over 600 grams of marijuana that Smith planned to distribute to others. In close proximity to the marijuana, officers also found two handguns, as well as numerous other long guns that were also in the same room as the marijuana.
Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Smith was sentenced to serve a 5 year term of probation and fined $1000.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra Hake and Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-2041.
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Waterbury Drug Distributor Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHERMAN PETERS, also known as “Red,” 37, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a narcotics distribution conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2020, the DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of heroin, cocaine and crack in the Waterbury area, and was believed to be headed by Zachary Lee Foster, who worked closely with Jason Metz and James Grant. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones used by members of the organization, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs. Between December 2020 and January 2021, Peters was intercepted multiple times on a wiretap ordering heroin, cocaine and crack from Foster. Peters then sold the drugs to his own customers.
On March 1, 2021, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Peters, Foster, Metz, Grant and 13 others.
On March 3, 2021, in association with the arrests of several members of this conspiracy, law enforcement executed seven search warrants and seized approximately 40,000 bags of suspected heroin, 350 grams of cocaine and 50 grams of crack cocaine, and nine firearms
Peters has been detained since his arrest on March 9, 2021. On March 31, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Foster, Metz and Grant also pleaded guilty. Metz, of Naugatuck, was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment, and Grant, of Waterbury, was sentenced to 84 months of imprisonment. Foster awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick F. Caruso and Brendan Keefe 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. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Waterbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
Violent Felon Sentenced for Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Oct. 6, 2017, Demetrius Antwon McGregor, 37, was arrested on a warrant in front of his apartment by members of the Norfolk Police Department Fugitive Unit and a Deputy U.S. Marshal. They recovered a loaded Sig Sauer handgun from his waistband. McGregor is a 9-time convicted violent felon, with prior convictions for both malicious and unlawful wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, attempted robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery as well as four convictions for maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle.
As part of an investigation into his involvement in a suspected murder, investigators obtained a search warrant for McGregor’s apartment, where he was staying with his mother, and found in the bedroom closet 18 bags of cocaine; two assault rifles, one of which was loaded and had been reported stolen; four additional large-capacity magazines; dozens of rounds of .45 and 9mm caliber ammunition; and two digital scales. The investigators also recovered from under the bedroom mattress a Sig Sauer .45 caliber magazine designed for the gun taken from his waistband, two additional digital scales sitting out in the open on top of a cabinet, and shoes that McGregor had previously photographed himself wearing and had posted on his Facebook page along with multiple photos of himself standing in front of his residence months before the arrest and search. The .45 caliber ammunition from the closet and in the magazine under the mattress matched the brand of the ammunition in the handgun recovered from McGregor.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Mike Goldsmith, Interim Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. Chief District Judge Davis.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and Joseph E. DePadilla prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-34.
Vermilion County Resident Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for CounterfeitingRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Jacob R. Kirkley, 45, of the 100 block of North Vermilion Street in Potomac, Illinois, has been sentenced to twenty-seven months in the federal Bureau of Prisons for counterfeiting U.S. Currency and passing counterfeit U.S. Currency.
Kirkley pleaded guilty on January 26, 2022, to one count of manufacturing U.S. currency and two counts of passing U.S. currency. At the plea hearing, held before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, Kirkley admitted that, on May 17, 2020, a Vermilion County Sheriff’s Deputy found over $20,000 of counterfeit U.S. currency in his truck. In June of 2020, Kirkley passed counterfeit currency at Carnaghi’s Towing and McDonald’s in Danville, Illinois and, in July of 2020, he passed counterfeit currency at Dollar General in Tilton, Illinois. A Vermilion County Sheriff’s Deputy arrested Kirkley on an outstanding warrant on July 23, 2020. At the time of the arrest, deputies found over $20,000 counterfeit U.S. currency, four printers, a paper cutter, and numerous counterfeit-making implements in Kirkley’s truck and in a hotel room at the Budget Inn in Danville, Illinois.
The statutory penalties for both manufacturing and passing counterfeit currency are up to 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
At the sentencing hearing on July 25, 2022, Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller, who represented the government in the prosecution, requested a sentence of imprisonment to reflect “the public policy interest in protecting the integrity of government obligations.” In addition to imposing a sentence of twenty-seven months of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce ordered Kirkley to serve a three-year term of federal supervised release following imprisonment and to pay a mandatory $300 special assessment.
The case investigation was conducted by the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Secret Service, Springfield Office.
Three in Lebanon Charged in Schemes to Smuggle Weapons from Cleveland and Income Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Federal law enforcement officials announced today that three indictments were unsealed in federal court, detailing charges against three men, two formerly of Northeast Ohio, who are believed to be currently residing in Lebanon.
Named in the indictments are George Nakhle Ajaltouni, 47, formerly of North Olmsted; Jean Youssef Issa, 48, of Batroun, Lebanon; and Nakhle “Mike” Nader, 51, formerly of Cleveland. Ajaltouni and Issa are charged for their roles in a scheme to smuggle and illegally ship firearms from Cleveland to Lebanon. Nader is charged in a separate indictment with income tax evasion.
The FBI is seeking information that may lead to the arrests of George Ajaltouni and Nakhle “Mike” Nader. Jean Youssef Issa was recently arrested pursuant to a Red Notice issued by Interpol.
The three indictments describe separate schemes, one involving Ajaltouni and Issa; one involving Ajaltouni alone; and the other solely concerning Nader. While the schemes are separate, it is believed that Ajaltouni and Nader are acquaintances and that the two men are currently residing near Batroun, Lebanon. The indictments were originally filed between 2016 - 2019, and efforts to apprehend Ajaltouni and Nader remain ongoing.
Ajaltouni and Issa are officially charged with conspiracy to smuggle and illegally ship firearms, smuggling goods from the U.S., unlawful delivery of firearms to a common carrier, control of arms exports and imports and unlicensed dealing in firearms.
According to the indictment, it is alleged that from May 2011 to September 2014, Ajaltouni and Issa conspired together to smuggle hundreds of firearms from Cleveland to be resold in Lebanon. As part of the conspiracy, it is alleged that Ajaltouni purchased firearms from federal firearms dealers and private sellers throughout Northeast Ohio and elsewhere. In addition, the indictment states that Ajaltouni frequently attended gun shows and paid cash to purchase firearms from exhibitors.
It is further alleged that in order to ship the weapons, Ajaltouni purchased used automobiles from other individuals, which were then used to store and conceal firearms inside the doors and body panels of the vehicles. The indictment states that Issa then traveled from Lebanon to Cleveland to assist Ajaltouni with concealing the firearms in the vehicles for transportation via ship.
These vehicles were then shipped to Lebanon, where the firearms were retrieved and resold. Ajaltouni and Issa would then travel between Cleveland and Beirut to ensure the smuggled weapons arrived.
Ajaltouni is also charged in a separate indictment with naturalization fraud after obtaining naturalization and citizenship in 2009 that he was not entitled to nor eligible to receive.
Named in the third indictment unsealed today is Nakhle “Mike” Nader. Nader is charged with four counts of income tax evasion related to various businesses he owned and operated in Cuyahoga County.
According to the Nader indictment, it is alleged that from 2012 to 2015, Nader owned and managed the daily operations of three liquor stores in Cuyahoga County. During this time, Nader is accused of withholding information from his tax preparer regarding sources of additional income, debt forgiveness and using business monies to pay personal expenses.
It is alleged that Nader regularly used cash or funds from business bank accounts to pay for personal expenses, including rent, car payments, mortgage payments, parking, travel, dining, alimony, clothing, jewelry and more.
The FBI is asking that if anyone has information on the current whereabouts of Ajaltouni and/or Nader, to please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-225-5324. Your identity can remain anonymous.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s 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 FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); IRS Criminal Investigation; Customs and Border Protection (CBP); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG); Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG); the Cleveland Division of Police and the North Olmsted Police conducted the investigation. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd, Matthew B. Kall and Robert J. Patton of the Northern District of Ohio.
Click here to view the FBI Wanted poster for George Nakhle Ajaltouni.
Click here to view the FBI Wanted poster for Nakhle "Mike" Nader.
Texas Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the InternetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a San Saba, Texas, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet was sentenced on July 8, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Cody Allen Green, age 39, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Green was ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100 and will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Green, formerly a member of the U.S. Air Force, was arrested and federally indicted following a Cybertip from Facebook in which he was seeking and obtaining images of child pornography from an unidentified 14-year-old girl. The Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce executed a search warrant on Green’s home and located multiple devices containing child pornography involving infants and/or toddlers.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Green was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Two Men Involved in Methamphetamine Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo announced today that RICHARD CALVERT BROWN, age 37, of Casper, Wyoming, and JONATHAN FRANK KRANTZ, age 51, of Orland, California, were sentenced for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine before Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl.
Brown was sentenced on February 18, 2022, to 75 months’ imprisonment with four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1600 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. Kranz was sentenced on July 18, 2022, to 75 months’ imprisonment with four years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $500 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation conducted an investigation into a methamphetamine distribution organization operating out of Casper, Wyoming in early 2021. Agents identified Brown as an individual in the organization that transported multi-ounce quantities of methamphetamine and pounds of marijuana into Casper on a weekly basis for redistribution. The source of the drugs was identified as Krantz, who lived in California. Searches conducted in California and Wyoming yielded a seizure of methamphetamine and several firearms.
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the Glenn County Sheriff’s office in Glenn County, California. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher prosecuted the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00100-SWS
Summerville, WVA Man Indicted for Attempted Coercion of a Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Summersville, West Virginia, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activityplain language statement of offense described in indictment or generic description such as violating various federal laws or violating various federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Christopher Mills, 38, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Mills attempted to coerce and entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Specifically, from May 2022 until July 2022, Mills did use a facility and means of interstate commerce, specifically the Internet and a cellular telephone network, to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice or coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity.
After chatting with an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old child for weeks on his cell phone and over the internet in an effort to entice the purported child to have sex, Mills traveled from his home in West Virginia to the Pittsburgh area to meet the purported child to engage in sexual activity. Mills went so far as to bring contraception and lingerie for the anticipated sexual encounter with a child.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life imprisonment, a fine of not more than $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Indicate relevant bond/detention information if known
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Statement of US Attorney Damian Williams on the Conviction of “Lottery Lawyer” Jason KurlandRead the Press Release
“Jason Kurland marketed himself to the public as the leading lottery lawyer in the country and was successful in recruiting as clients some of the biggest lottery winners in U.S. history. But then he used his position as a lawyer—a profession founded on duties of honesty and loyalty—to steer his clients to invest millions of dollars in companies that he secretly owned and took illegal kickbacks based on his clients’ investments without their knowledge. Ultimately, the defendant and his co-conspirators lined their own pockets while his clients suffered massive losses from their crimes. I want to thank the FBI and the career prosecutors of the Southern District of New York who worked tirelessly to hold the defendant accountable for his crimes.”
South Carolina Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Sending Firearms to New York FelonRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joshua Meighen, age 30, of Seneca, South Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to serve 72-months (six years) in federal prison for providing a firearm and ammunition to a convicted felon, and illegally transferring a firearm to an out of state resident, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
In addition to his six-year prison sentence, Meighen was also ordered to a serve a three-year term of supervised release after he is released from custody.
As part of his previous guilty plea, Joshua Meighen admitted that while he was living in South Carolina he contacted a Central New York resident who was known to Meighen as a convicted felon and arranged for a sale through the U.S mails of a Taurus 9mm caliber semiautomatic pistol and 25 rounds of ammunition for $980.00. Meighen mailed the pistol and ammunition from South Carolina to Central New York, where it was recovered at a post office facility in Syracuse on October 14, 2021. After further investigation, ATF Special Agents executed a federal court search warrant at Meighen’s home in Seneca, South Carolina. He was arrested and returned to the Northern District of New York (Syracuse) for prosecution.
In pleading guilty, Meighen also admitted that he mailed a Phoenix Arms .22 caliber pistol and a Stoeger 9mm caliber pistol from South Carolina to a second New York felon in Binghamton, New York. Both firearms were seized on November 10, 2021, by the United States Postal Inspection Service through the execution of a federal search warrant.
Meighen, a former resident of New York State, has five previous felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, and the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard R. Southwick.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography was sentenced on July 25, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Spencer Peter Goth, age 24, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Goth was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 7, 2021. He pled guilty on May 5, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between April 12, 2018, and December 29, 2020, when Goth knowingly received child pornography over the internet. After searching the internet for child pornography, Goth saved the files containing child pornography onto his computer then transferred the files onto a thumb drive that was connected to his computer through a USB port. Goth knew the files contained child pornography before he chose to download and save them.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Goth was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for His Role in Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on July 25, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Larry James Zamora, age 40, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Zamora was indicted for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance by a federal grand jury on July 7, 2021. He pled guilty on April 20, 2022.
Beginning on or about December of 2020, and continuing until July 2021, Zamora reached an agreement to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine in the District of South Dakota. During his involvement in the conspiracy, he obtained methamphetamine and money from co-conspirators and distributed and transferred it to other co-conspirators. Zamora’s involvement in the conspiracy ended with his arrest on March 31, 2021, when law enforcement executed a search warrant on his home.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Zamora was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Felon in Possession of a Firearm was sentenced on July 25, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Omot Musa Karlo, age 20, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Karlo was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 9, 2021. He pled guilty on May 5, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on August 31, 2021, as Karlo, who had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed a firearm, a Glock GmbH, Model 19X, 9x19mm Luger caliber, semi-automatic pistol. The firearm had previously been shipped and transported in interstate commerce before Karlo possessed it.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Karlo was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Escape from Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
A man who failed to report to a residential reentry center in Sioux City was sentenced on July 22, 2022, to more than 2 years in federal prison.
Charles Lee Cook, age 39, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a February 23, 2022, guilty plea to one count of escape from federal custody.
At the guilty plea, Cook admitted that on December 30, 2021, he signed and dated his Federal Bureau of Prison's furlough paperwork acknowledging the conditions of his furlough. On January 12, 2022, he departed the Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Florence located in Florence, Colorado on furlough. According to the conditions of furlough, he was required to arrive at Dismas Charities, a residential reentry center, halfway house in Sioux City, no later than 10:30 p.m. that evening. He failed to report.
On January 13, 2022, Dismas Charities notified FCI Florence that Cook did not arrive at Dismas Charities and his whereabouts were unknown. Cook was arrested by law enforcement at 2800 West 4th Street in Sioux City on January 19, 2022.
After a federal conviction for failure to register as a sex offender, defendant was sentenced to 41 months in prison with 5 years of supervised released on August 29, 2019, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa Case Number CR19-4006.
Cook was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Cook was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Cook is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-4007.
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Second Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Paycheck Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Virginia man who laundered over $900,000 in fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program loan proceeds was sentenced on July 20, 2022, to more than three years in federal prison. Benjamin Sakyi, age 31, from Dumfries, Virginia, originally from Accra, Ghana, received the prison term after a February 8, 2022 guilty plea to one count of money laundering conspiracy.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted in late March 2020 that provided emergency financial assistance, including Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) funds, to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence at Sakyi’s sentencing and other hearings showed that Sakyi received over $900,000 in fraudulently obtained CARES Act funds at three different financial institutions in the names of two Virginia corporations, Blue Flight Logistics LLC and NKB Enterprise LLC. Sakyi then transferred the funds elsewhere. Before laundering the CARES Act funds, multiple financial institutions had closed Sakyi’s accounts over the years due to his banking activity, which included over $3.5 million in incoming and outgoing financial transactions.
Sakyi received the CARES Act funds from a Northwest Iowa man, Donald Franklin Trosin. Over 20 fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications were submitted to the Small Business Administration in the name of Trosin and another individual at Minnesota and Iowa financial institutions. One of the applications falsely represented that Trosin had 120 employees on his payroll and over $5 million in payroll expenses when, in truth, Trosin did not operate a business at all. Trosin then transferred much of the proceeds of the fraudulently obtained loans to Sakyi, who, as indicated, transferred the funds elsewhere.
Sakyi was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Sakyi was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $1,093,400.00 in restitution. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Trosin received a 40-month prison sentence in July 2021 for his role in the money laundering conspiracy.
“One of our utmost priorities is to ensure that CARES Act funds get to American Citizens in need. IRS:CI is committed to investigating fraud related to CARES Act programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS Criminal Investigation. “This defendant laundered over $900,000 in CARES Act funds. IRS:CI, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to combat and prevent this type of pandemic-related fraud.” “Attempting to defraud any SBA program undermines the spirit and true intent of uplifting the nation’s small business community,” said SBA OIG’s Central Region Special Agent in Charge Sharon Johnson. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.” After the sentencing, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Benjamin Sakyi used the COVID pandemic to defraud the U.S. government of more than $900,000 dollars in CARES Act funds that were intended for legitimate businesses struggling to remain operational. The FBI and our federal partners will continue to protect the integrity of federal assistance funds by identifying, investigating, and bringing to justice those who use a pandemic to fill their own pockets.” Acting United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax stated, “Sakyi and Trosin callously took advantage of emergency financial assistance that Congress intended to provide to businesses struggling to stay afloat during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The district court’s sentences serve as a stark warning and deterrent to those who would be tempted to engage in similar activity.”
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department's response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Sakyi is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-4013. The case file number for Donald Trosin’s case is 20-CR-4066.
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San Xavier Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Voluntary Manslaughter and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. –Gilbert Martinez Jose, 22, of San Xavier, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 19 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Jose was previously found guilty by a federal jury on one count of Voluntary Manslaughter, one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and one count of Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.
On September 29, 2018, Jose, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, shot and killed a Tohono O’odham man. He also shot at a Tohono O’odham woman, who was uninjured. The offenses occurred on the Tohono O’odham Nation in San Xavier, Arizona.
The Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances M. Kreamer Hope and Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-2313-TUC-CKJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-124_Jose# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
San Diego Man Pleads Guilty After Fatally Stabbing BoyfriendRead the Press Release
A San Diego man who stabbed his boyfriend 93 times pleaded guilty today to a federal crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Alexander Yoichi Duberek, 25, was indicted in September 2021. He pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of interstate domestic violence resulting in death.
“This defendant plotted the murder of an innocent young man, methodically purchasing equipment, locating a stretch of desolate road, and stabbing the victim nearly eight dozen times,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Not every brutal domestic homicide falls within federal jurisdiction, but when it does, we are determined to use whatever tools we have to bring the perpetrator to justice. Mr. Duberek now faces the possibility of a life behind bars pondering his evil act.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Duberek admitted that on Oct. 31, 2020, he traveled from his home in San Diego to his boyfriend’s home in Plainview, Texas, where he committed the fatal stabbing on the side of a rural farm road.
Mr. Duberek admitted that after arriving at the Lubbock airport that evening, he took a cab to a Sam’s Club parking lot where he purchased a Toyota Camry for $3,000 cash. He then drove to a Walmart, where he purchased a knife, a hatchet, a gas can, a collapsible shovel, a head lamp, a change of clothing, boots, personal hygiene items, and a first aid kit.
He then murdered his 30-year-old boyfriend and dumped his body.
Following the murder, Mr. Duberek fled to Houston, where he sold the vehicle used in the murder to an individual outside an auto auction. Investigators later searched the vehicle and found blood in the back seat that matched the victim.
The defendant remained at large for roughly five months before turning himself in to San Diego law enforcement on March 18, 2021. While being booked into jail, he was asked about a tattoo of his boyfriend’s first name on his ring finger; he answered that it was the name of the person he had killed.
Mr. Duberek now faces up to life in federal prison.
The Hale County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Rangers, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and San Diego Field Offices conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office and the Texas Highway Patrol’s Houston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Sean Long are prosecuting the case.
Rome Man Sentenced to 200 Months for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Michael Mayhew, age 56, of Rome, New York, was sentenced today to serve 200 months in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
As part of his guilty plea, Mayhew admitted that in December of 2018 he took photographs of a six-year-old child naked in a bathroom using a cellular telephone, including images that captured the child’s genitals. Mayhew also admitted that in 1993 and 1994 he secretly video recorded three children under the age of 12 in his home, again capturing videos of them naked and in two instances with their genitals visible. He further admitted that from 2010 to 2015 he downloaded from the internet numerous graphic video files of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Finally, Mayhew admitted that in March of 2019 he possessed 184 images of child pornography on an electronic storage device in his home, and he also possessed on two separate VHS tapes the sexually explicit videos he took in 1993 and 1994.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 30 year term of supervised release, which will start after Mayhew is released from prison, and ordered Mayhew to pay a $400 special assessment, a $30,000 fine, an additional special assessment of $5,000 and a Child Pornography assessment of $17,000. Mayhew will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Oneida County Sherriff’s Office, Rome Police Department, Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, New York State Police, and the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
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
Repeat smuggler fleeing with law enforcement on car door heads to prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 49-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of smuggling undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Alex Chamie pleaded guilty April 21.
Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton ordered Chamie to serve 51 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional details that described Chamie’s extensive criminal history including 11 burglaries, nine thefts and two drug convictions among other criminal misconduct. In handing down the sentence, the court noted he was also previously convicted of conspiring to transport undocumented aliens in 2018.
On Feb. 23, law enforcement observed multiple individuals moving in brush on the side of U.S. Highway 281 north of a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint located near Falfurrias. At that time, Chamie pulled over near the group. They ran out of the brush and loaded into the car.
Authorities attempted to stop the vehicle. However, the car failed to yield and increased speed. Eventually, the car pulled over to the shoulder of the road and the individuals fled into the brush.
Chamie ignored commands to place his car in park and attempted to flee, but law enforcement was holding on to the driver’s side door. They subdued him and turned off the vehicle. A search revealed a black pepper spray gun resembling a firearm tucked into his waistband.
Later, authorities found four individuals all determined to be illegally present in the country.
Chamie will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Parker Gochenour prosecuted the case.
Readout of Justice Department Leadership Meeting with Reproductive and Civil Rights OrganizationsRead the Press Release
Yesterday afternoon, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta met with representatives from reproductive rights, health, and justice groups and other civil rights organizations. During the meeting, Department leadership heard from the organizations about the impact of Dobbs across the country, including on communities of color and other vulnerable communities attempting to access reproductive healthcare. Associate Attorney General Gupta, who chairs the Department’s Reproductive Rights Task Force, updated participants on the Task Force’s work and discussed the Department’s ongoing efforts to protect reproductive freedom.
The Justice Department also launched a webpage today, www.justice.gov/reproductive-rights, to provide a centralized online resource of the Department’s work to protect access to comprehensive health services.
Reading Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Travelling to his Native Dominican Republic to Engage in Illicit Sex with a Child for YearsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Valentin Ortiz, 73, of Reading, PA, was sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $10,000 restitution by United States District Court Judge John M. Gallagher for repeatedly traveling to the Dominican Republic to engage in a sexual relationship with a 12 year old child, with whom he eventually fathered two children.
In November 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of travel in foreign commerce with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and two counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. The charges arose from an investigation which began when the defendant, a naturalized United States citizen, applied to bring his spouse to the U.S. by filing paperwork with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in June 2018. The defendant listed August 2013 as the date of their marriage, when his spouse and victim was 18 and he was 65 years old. Investigators discovered that beginning in 2007, when the defendant was 59 and the victim was just 12 years old, he pursued and maintained a sexual relationship with her when he traveled to the Dominican Republic. This ongoing illicit sexual relationship led to the victim becoming pregnant with their two children, when she was 13 and 15 years old, respectively.
“Valentin Ortiz is a sexual predator who targeted a very young and vulnerable victim, travelling internationally so he could prey on this child without the same legal consequences as he might face in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But as a U.S. citizen, he is prohibited from engaging in such abhorrent conduct abroad, and accordingly, he has now been held accountable for his crimes.”
“Catching international predators requires international reach. When it comes to these types of cases, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is a premier U.S. government agency working to track, arrest, and convict these appalling criminals,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Philadelphia Field Office. “This case shows how HSI Philadelphia, along with our colleagues in the Dominican Republic, collaborated closely and stopped at nothing in pursuit of a dangerous sexual predator of children.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was sentenced on July 18, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken. Lebeau was previously convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, following a two-day jury trial in federal court in March 2022.
Montgomery LeBeau, age 41, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lebeau was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2022. The conviction stems from Lebeau, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Hi-Point, model JCP, .40 Smith & Wesson caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Lebeau came into contact with law enforcement in October 2021 in Rapid City.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Lebeau was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.