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19 July 2022
Windsor Resident Admits Defrauding Employer and its Lender of More Than $700KRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that MARGARET BOISTURE, 50, of Windsor, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to a charge stemming from her fraud against her former employer and one of its lenders.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Boisture functioned as the chief financial employee of ZoneFlow Reactor Technologies, a pre-revenue company in the business of developing and commercializing a new technology that improves the efficiency of the production of hydrogen. PayPal marketed and serviced commercial loans from WebBank, a third-party lender. Between approximately October 2016 and February 2020, Boisture defrauded ZoneFlow, PayPal and WebBank by diverting ZoneFlow money to herself; taking unauthorized loans that caused ZoneFlow to pay additional interest expense; and making misrepresentations to PayPal and WebBank to induce them to make unauthorized loans to ZoneFlow that expanded the pool of money from which Boisture could take.
In total, Boisture’s criminal conduct caused losses of $632,159.78 to ZoneFlow and $78,066.76 to PayPal and WebBank.
Boisture pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
Boisture is released on a $500,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.
United States Attorney Announces Results of Project Safe Neighborhoods StrategyRead the Press Release
Tampa – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the second quarter results of the Middle District of Florida’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. Over the past three months, PSN prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida have charged 64 defendants with federal firearms and violent crime offenses. Those prosecutions have removed more than 200 firearms from our streets. During 2022, in total, PSN prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida have charged 115 defendants with federal firearms and violent crime offenses, involving 287 firearms and 1,813 auto sears. (See chart for case details)
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also committed to violent crime prevention. PSN community outreach efforts in the second quarter involved more than 900 people.
“Our ultimate goal is to reduce violent crime in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to doing our part to help make that happen, and we look forward to continuing to work with our law enforcement partners and our community stakeholders in this effort.”
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based reentry programs to reduce recidivism.
The cases identified in the linked chart have been investigated by the Apopka Police Department, the Bradenton Police Department, the Cocoa Beach Police Department, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County Police Department, the Lake Mary Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Sanford Police Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota Police Department, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.
Charged Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
2nd Quarter
Cambrel Smart (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Terry Flournoy (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Ronald Perkins (44)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Najour Grimes (25)
Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
James Edward Bess, III (27)
Carjacking
Maximum Prison Term: 25 years
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Manuel Copland (28)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
3
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan, Trent Reichling, and Mike Leeman
Jacksonville Division
2nd Quarter
Raymond Reeves (30)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Cornelius Moore (29)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Stephan Marshall (34)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Sterling Johnson (47)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
Brian Sarro (47)
Possession of a machinegun
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Brandon Skeith (39)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
Shawntae Clark (41)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
2
Johnny White (44)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
James Little (49)
Making a materially false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms causing a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in their official records
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
0
Dontae Edwards (30)
Making a materially false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms causing a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in their official records
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
0
Thomas Morrison (62)
Making a materially false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms causing a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in their official records
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
0
Darrell Paschal (50)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
Hinduwah Sama (18)
Assault on a federal employee
Maximum Prison Term: 8 years
Possession of a stolen firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Dustin Eward (44)
Conspiracy; Violation of the National Firearms Registration Act
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
Possession of firearms silencers
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
105
Gregory Eward (24)
Possession of firearms silencers
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Michael Langston (37)
Possession of a machinegun and silencer violation of the National Firearms Registration Act
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of firearms by an adjudicated mental defective and unlawful user of controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
11
Dylan Jarvis (30)
Possession of a short barreled shotgun, violation of the National Firearms Registration Act
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
David Geathers (25)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
4
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Julie Hackenberry, Arnold Cormeier, John Cannizzaro, Frank Talbot, Cyrus Zomorodian, Rodney Brown, Michael Coolican, Kevin Frein, and Kirwinn Mike
Ocala Division
2nd Quarter
Ricky D. Franklin, Jr. (30)
Possession of a firearm/ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Ronrico Lionel Farmer (33)
Possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
James Clay Bexley (34)
Possession of an unregistered firearm/destructive device
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession of a firearm in violation of a domestic violence injunction
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
18
Troy Nix (29)
Possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute heroin
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Tyrie K. Boyer, Hannah Nowalk, and Robert Bodnar, Jr.
Orlando Division
2nd Quarter
Kidanny Rivera-Rolon (27)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Mandel Lamont Stewart (24)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Ivan Hollingsworth (34)
Unlawful dealing in firearms –
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
NFT violation for transfer of auto sear
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
3 plus 238 auto sears
James King (53)
Possession of auto sear
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Sale of firearm to felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2 plus 12 auto sears
Brian A. Blake (30)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition (two counts)
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per count
2
Daniel Ira Johnson (34)
Transfer of firearm to non-resident
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
3
Javier Lopez Rivera (36)
Pedro Tapia Matos (29)
Possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 Years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years
3
Curtis Tyrone Johnson (34)
Possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 Years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
1
Jason Aaron Beaty (43)
Possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a drug user
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
3
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt, Ranganath Manthripragada, Terry Livanos, Dana Hill, Ilianys Rivera Miranda, Betty Gonzalez, and Michael Felicetta
Tampa Division
2nd Quarter
Jerome Miller (38)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Dallas Robinson, Jr. (21)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Niko Wimbley (27)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Deandre Lopez (32)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Michael Hankerson (30)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Raequan Nelson (23)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Raequin Smith (26)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Jackie Chapman, III (20)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
0
Ataire Carl Ray (27)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Marquvius T. Dixon (26)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Marquis Player (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
William Shumaker (38)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Cleate Wilson (40)
Forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with federal officers
Maximum Prison Term: 1 year
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Roy Nobles (41)
Malachi Deloch (23)
Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
4
Reginal Roberts (22)
Nathaniel Carr (28)
Daniel Jackson (29)
Chrishawn Butler (22)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Hobbs Act
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 24 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
O’Marie Hudson (25)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Hobbs Act
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:7 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
0
Elijah Bell (19)
Hobbs Act
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
0
Thomas Bellere (29)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Magdiel Carmona (27)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:10 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
6
Derrek Wallace (45)
Troy Dollman (45)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
2
Rafael Gonzalez Alomar (38)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
2
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Diego Novaes, Mike Sinacore, Samantha Beckman, Charlie Connally, Maria Guzman, David Sullivan, David Chee, Michael Kenneth, and Christopher Murray
Adjudicated Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
2nd Quarter
Re’Shod Larry (27)
Felon in possession of firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Romeo Lenell Battle (24)
Felon in possession of firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSA Simon Eth
Jacksonville Division
2nd Quarter
Edrick Jackson (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Ramone Astin
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
0
Andrew Harp (30)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Jeromy Washington (25)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
Adam Taylor (32)
Making a materially false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Charles Mobley (49)
Making a materially false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
9
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael Coolican, David Mesrobian, Arnold Corsmeier, Frank Talbot, David Mesrobian, and John Cannizzaro
Ocala Division
2nd Quarter
Marty Eugene Days, Jr. (33)
Possession of a firearm/ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Nathanael Santiago (28)
Possession of a firearm/ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Tevaughn Johnson (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Forcibly assaulting federal officer with injury
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Marques Leroy Young (22)
Making a materially false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Causing a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in their official records
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
1
Samuel A. Glover (30)
Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
2
Dean Dumont (23)
Possession of an Unregistered NFA Weapon
Maximum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
1
Miguel Vargas-Narez (44)
Possession of a firearm by an illegal alien
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Robert Bodnar, Jr, Tyrie K. Boyer, Mike Felicetta, Will S. Hamilton, and Hannah Nowalk
Orlando Division
2nd Quarter
Jarvis Jackson (31)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Interference with commerce by robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
Kevin Deane Jones (50)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt and Jen Harrington
Tampa Division
2nd Quarter
Devin Kelly (27)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Devontae Hunter (24)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Kermon Williams (44)
Jhaphre Higgs (42)
James Higgs (37)
Conspiracy to commit murder for hire
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: Life
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Murder for hire
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: Life
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Attempt to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Use of a firearm causing death in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: Life
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Use of a firearm causing death in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: Life
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
0
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Mike Sinacore, David Chee, Craig Gestring, and Charlie Connelly
Sentenced Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Sentence Imposed
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
2nd Quarter
John Olvera Salinas (19)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence—18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison
15
Joshua Wade McGinnis (27)
*Salinas codefendant
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
Distribution of cocaine (3 Counts)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Sentence Imposed: 10 years in federal prison
This PSN case from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSA Mike Leeman
Jacksonville Division
2nd Quarter
Steven McWhorter (49)
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine over 500 Grams
Sentence Imposed: 136 months in federal prison
2
Charles DeYoung (45)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Sentence Imposed: 10 years in federal prison
1
Brittany Cooper (32)
Interference with commerce by robbery
Sentence Imposed: 42 months in federal prison
0
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs Ashley Washington, Betty Gonzalez, David Mesrobian, and Laura Taylor
*Ocala Division
2nd Quarter
Marrin Maurice Baker (48)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon
Sentence Imposed: 28 months in federal prison
1
Ashley Nicole Kirkland (24)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting commerce by a previously convicted felon
Sentence Imposed: 34 months in federal prison
1
Lonnie Lorenzo Hollingsworth, Jr. (37)
Possession of ammunition affecting interstate commerce by a previously convicted felon
Sentence Imposed: 36 months in federal prison.
0
Christopher Graves (28)
Possession of a firearm or ammunition affecting interstate or foreign commerce by a felon
Sentence Imposed: 53 months in federal prison.
1
Deveon Demon Jenkins (27)
Possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a previously convicted felon
Sentence Imposed: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Darrell Pierre Hopkins (54)
Making a materially false statement during the purchase of firearms
Causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records
Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison
0
Jeffrey Walt Boston (44)
Felon in possession of firearm
Unlawful possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Sentence Imposed: 8 years, 8 months in federal prison
1
Christopher L. Leslie (25)
Felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition affecting commerce
Possession of an unregistered NFA weapon
Sentence Imposed: 4 years, 4 months in federal prison
3
Kenyari D. Brewton (26)
Making a materially false statement during the purchase of firearms
Causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records
Sentence Imposed: Time Served
0
Mark Charles Weatherly (21)
Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute (actual meth – 5 grams or more)
Possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting interstate or foreign commerce by a felon
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Michael P. Felicetta, Robert Bodnar, Jr., and Tyrie K. Boyer.
Orlando Division
2nd Quarter
Larry Burrows (26)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence
Carjacking
Sentence Imposed: 27 years in federal prison
0
This PSN case from the Orlando Division was handled by Chauncey Bratt.
Tampa Division
2nd Quarter
Dnerius McCullough (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 77 months in federal prison
1
Samuel Storey (43)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 17 years in federal prison
1
Antonio Phillips (33)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 8 years in federal prison
1
Victor Grant (40)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 21 years, 10 months in federal prison
0
Michael Cottone (35)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 5 years and 3 months in federal prison
2
Christian Agosto (22)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 4 years, 3 months in federal prison
1
Deuntay Robertson (30)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 6 years in federal prison
1
Robert Russel Hinote (75)
Dealing firearms without a license
Sentence Imposed: Probation
75
Travis Riley (39)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Sentence Imposed: 9 years, 7 months in federal prison
3
Ralph Malpeso (44)
Possession of an unregistered firearm
Sentence Imposed:3 years, 1 month in federal prison
6
Clay Morris (29)
Sentence Imposed: Probation
Francis Zuilkoski (64)
Sentence Imposed: Probation
Calfus W. Drummond (35)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Sentence Imposed: 11 years, 6 months in federal prison
6
Ronald White (27)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 3 years, 1 month
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Diego Novaes, Charlie Connally, and Mike Sinacore
Outreach Activities
2nd Quarter
Date
Event
Number of Attendees
Division
April 4, 2022
Cleveland Elementary
28
Tampa
April 7, 2022
AMI Youth Program (Guns, Gangs & Goals)
29
Tampa
April 12, 2022
Girls With Pearls
17
Orlando
April 19, 2022
Girls With Pearls at PACE Center
20
Orlando
April 21, 2022
Central Florida Reentry Network Program
56
Orlando
April 22, 2022
FBI Protecting Places of Worship Program
55
Tampa
April 22, 2022
Baker Correctional Reentry Program
75
Jacksonville
April 26, 2022
Girls With Pearls at PACE Center
14
Orlando
April 28, 2022
Tampa Bay Reentry Month Program
163
Tampa
May 2, 2022
Rising Stars Program at Westbrooke Elementary (Gun Pledge)
18
Orlando
May 9, 2022
Cleveland Elementary
27
Tampa
May 12-13, 2022
Problem-Solving for Public Safety Partners
21
Jacksonville
May 17, 2022
Pace Center for Girls
15
Orlando
May 20, 2022
Lockhart Elementary Lunch Buddies Mentor Appreciation
50
Tampa
May 21, 2022
NOBLE Law In Your Community Program
35
Fort Myers
May 23, 2022
Cleveland Elementary
28
Tampa
May 26, 2022
Lee County Public Schools Assembly (Assistant Principals)
93
Fort Myers
June 2-3, 2022
Problem-Solving for Public Safety Partners
15
Ocala
June 14, 2022
Boys & Girls Club at Marshall Middle School (Guns, Gangs & Goals)
42
Tampa
June 15, 2022
Boys & Girls Club at Shields Middle School (Guns, Gangs & Goals)
77
Tampa
May 2, 2022
May 31, 2022
June 14, 2022
June 28, 2022
PSN Violent Crime Initiative – Orlando PD
25
10
25
40
Orlando
Total Number of Events for 2nd Quarter: 24
Total Number of Attendees for 2nd Quarter: 97
Ukraine Resident Pleads Guilty for Role in Sophisticated International Scheme to Steal Money from U.S. Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
A U.S. citizen who previously resided in Ukraine pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents, Harold Sobel, 69, was a member of an international criminal enterprise that unlawfully debited money from the bank accounts of unknowing U.S. victims. Members of the criminal enterprise created shell companies for the purpose of receiving victim funds and created fake websites for the shell companies that claimed to offer products or services, such as cloud storage. Members of the criminal enterprise executed unauthorized debits against victims’ bank accounts, while falsely representing to banks that the debits were authorized by the victims as payment for the non-existent products and services.
“The department will prosecute members of international criminal enterprises who defraud Americans and deceive U.S. banks,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Regardless of where they are located, the department will pursue the perpetrators of these fraud schemes.”
“A sophisticated transnational criminal enterprise executed false debits against unsuspecting victims and deceived banks– victimizing American consumers and financial institutions in the process,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “The guilty plea demonstrates the tenacity and resolve of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners to hold criminals accountable for their unscrupulous actions.”
Unauthorized debits against victim accounts, caused by conspirators, resulted in returned transactions and high return rates that often generated scrutiny from the banks. To both conceal and continue making these unauthorized debits, members of the criminal enterprise made misrepresentations to the financial institutions about the transactions, claiming that they were authorized. In some cases, members of the criminal enterprise caused the accounts used by the criminal enterprise to also make “micro debits” against other bank accounts controlled and funded by or for the criminal enterprise. The “micro debits” were used to artificially lower the return rates to levels that conspirators believed would reduce bank scrutiny and thereby lessen the likelihood of closure of the accounts used by the criminal enterprise. The criminal enterprise also operated a call center that fielded complaints from victims of the unauthorized debits. The call center sought to dissuade victims from making reports to the victims’ banks and to government agencies.
As part of the enterprise, Sobel opened bank accounts in the United States at the direction of a co-conspirator who organized and conducted the affairs of the enterprise from outside the United States. For example, on or about Oct. 16, 2019, Sobel opened four business deposit accounts at a bank branch in Las Vegas. Sobel opened the accounts for a shell company called “Silver Safe Box” and listed himself as the sole member and authorized signer in the account opening documentation. The criminal enterprise then funded “micro debits,” designed to lower return rates, through the Silver Safe Box accounts. Between approximately December 2019 and January 2021, the Silver Safe Box accounts funded over 800,000 “micro debits” in amounts ranging from $0.99 to $1.85. Sobel also recruited at least two associates in the United States to help the foreign co-conspirator, among other things, open additional bank accounts and register shell companies.
Sobel’s participation also involved providing support for the activities of the criminal enterprise’s call center in Ukraine. Sobel devised a script to be used in response to complaints from victims by the call center’s personnel to retain as much of the criminal enterprise’s proceeds as possible, and – only on those occasions where those efforts failed – to then issue full refunds, in order to dissuade victims from making reports to the victims’ banks and government agencies. Sobel also devised a metric by which he and the foreign co-conspirator could evaluate the effectiveness of the call center’s personnel. As part of his guilty plea, Sobel admitted that more than $1.5 million in victim debits were reasonably foreseeable to him.
Sobel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 12 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Meredith Healy and Wei Xiang of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mina Chang of the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas provided substantial assistance.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Joined by State and Local Agencies, to Host One-Stop Reentry Resource Fair at the War Memorial in Baltimore Tomorrow, July 20, 2022Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Tomorrow, July 20th, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), will sponsor a one-stop reentry resource fair that will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the War Memorial, 101 N. Gay Street, Baltimore, MD. More than 40 organizations, including at least 20 employers, will be on-site offering assistance and resources to returning citizens and justice-involved persons, including in the areas of employment, job training, educational opportunities, health services, transitional housing, and legal assistance, among other areas of support and assistance.
This reentry resource and job fair is a component of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s violent crime reduction strategy. In addition to the office’s enforcement efforts to remove violent criminals with guns from our communities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has initiated a number of outreach, intervention and prevention efforts to support and invest in communities plagued by violence, such as this reentry resource fair.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Resolves Investigation into Allegations of Race Discrimination by Hartland Community School DistrictRead the Press Release
DETROIT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has resolved its investigation into allegations of race discrimination by the Hartland Consolidated School District, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. The United States Attorney’s Office initiated an investigation under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act based on a complaint filed by a then-student in the district and her guardian, which alleged that the District failed to address pervasive race-based harassment of the student and other Black students in the district. Title IV authorizes the Department of Justice, of which the United States Attorney’s Office is a component, to address complaints that a school is depriving students of equal protection based on race, color, and other protected characteristics.
The District cooperated fully with the investigation and voluntarily took a number of steps to address concerns that were raised during the investigation, including creating a School Board-level Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, instituting training for staff and students, revising internal policies and practices regarding the investigation process for allegations of harassment, and adding counseling and social work staff. The District agreed to take additional steps during the 2022-23 school year, such as conducting a district-wide climate survey to assess the presence and effect of harassment based on race, developing a plan to address the concerns identified by the survey, and increasing measures to learn of, investigate, and respond to complaints of racial harassment.
“Students deserve a safe school environment where they can learn and grow without facing racial harassment. In districts like Hartland, where students of color are only a small percentage of the student body, schools must make an extra effort to ensure that all students are comfortable reporting harassment and other forms of discrimination and be confident that the adults in the building will keep them safe,” said Ison. “We commend the Hartland Consolidated School District for acknowledging their obligations to remove barriers to ensure that all students can fully engage in the educational process.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will review the District’s compliance with the terms of the resolution during and at the end of the 2022-23 school year, and if the terms are found to have been satisfied, it will close its investigation. The case was handled by AUSAs Susan K. DeClercq and Luttrell Levingston.
The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the Letter of Resolution with the Hartland Consolidated School District, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights. Civil rights complaints may be emailed to usamie.civilrights@usdoj.gov or by contacting the U.S. Attorney's Office’s civil rights hotline at (313) 226-9151.
Two Senior SEPTA Maintenance Managers and Additional Co-Defendant Sentenced for Bribery and Fraud Scheme Against the AuthorityRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that David Abell, 73, of Chincoteague Island, VA, and Rodney Martinez, 51, of Blackwood, NJ, were sentenced today by United States District Court Judge C. Darnell Jones for bribery and fraud offenses in connection with a scheme to defraud SEPTA of approximately $900,000. Abell was sentenced to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay over $213,000 restitution and to forfeit nearly $96,300. Martinez was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $292,000 restitution and to forfeit nearly $144,300. Both defendants had pleaded guilty to charges of federal program bribery and federal program theft -- Abell in November 2021 and Martinez in December 2021.
From about 2013 through 2019, management-level employees working in SEPTA’s Bridges and Buildings Department (“BBD”) including Abell, Martinez and Peter Brauner, 59, of Kintersville, PA, engaged in bribery and theft schemes with two SEPTA vendors. The BBD is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and renovating SEPTA facilities throughout the southeastern Pennsylvania region. To facilitate this work, SEPTA issued “procurement cards” (also known as P-Cards) to management-level employees working in the BBD. The P-Cards, which operate as SEPTA credit cards, are to be used for purchasing items needed for the legitimate work of the BBD.
In about 2013, Abell, who was the Senior Director of Maintenance at SEPTA, agreed with two codefendants who were SEPTA vendors, to exploit the P-Card system for their mutual benefit. Abell solicited the vendors to provide him with regular cash payments of approximately $1,000 to $2,000 per month. In exchange for those payments, the vendors falsely billed SEPTA through the P-Card system for items that the vendor was not providing to SEPTA. The false charges to SEPTA covered the cash payments to Abell, plus a substantial additional amount to generate fraud proceeds for the vendor. As part of the corrupt deals with the vendors, Abell encouraged other BBD managers to use and continue to use the vendors for SEPTA purchases, growing the vendors’ business with SEPTA.
At various times, beginning around 2014, several other SEPTA BBD managers began engaging in similar fraud activity with the vendors. Those managers included defendant Martinez, who in 2016 replaced Abell as Senior Director of Maintenance and took over Abell’s legitimate role in SEPTA’s BBD, as well as his role in the fraud and bribery scheme. Martinez regularly solicited cash payments from the vendors under the same arrangement that the vendors had with Abell. The cash payments to Martinez totaled over $144,000. The cash payments to Abell totaled approximately $100,000.
Other BBD managers, including defendant Brauner, individually solicited the vendors for cash and personal items. The vendors agreed to provide the cash and personal items to the managers, and then fraudulently billed SEPTA to cover the cost of those payments and products and to generate additional fraud proceeds for themselves. The personal items provided to the managers included valuable gold coins, electronic devices and appliances, designer clothing, and expensive tools and equipment. Together, the two vendors defrauded SEPTA of roughly $900,000. Brauner, a lower-level participant in the scheme, was sentenced today to two years of probation, and was ordered to pay over $33,000 restitution, also by Judge Jones.
One of the corrupt vendors, Mark Irvello, was sentenced by Judge Jones in May 2022, to two years and six months in prison. The government charged a total of nine individuals who participated in this bribery and fraud scheme. All defendants have pleaded guilty and have been or will be sentenced by Judge Jones.
“Philadelphians deserve public employees who do their jobs honestly, without gaming the system to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “At a time when SEPTA is facing significant challenges to continue serving and protecting its riders, the defendants’ actions – and those of their co-conspirators – are the definition of selfish greed.”
“Stealing money from SEPTA, which so many folks depend on day to day, is both shameful and shortsighted,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “This is not the way to increase your take-home pay. The FBI takes federal program theft seriously and, as in this case, we’ll work to ensure justice is done and fraudsters are held appropriately accountable.”
“The auditors and investigators in the SEPTA Office of Inspector General worked diligently to uncover this difficult-to-detect fraud,” said SEPTA Inspector General Denise S. Wolf. “Our ridership deserves that these wrongdoers be held accountable for their illegal activity. We express appreciation for the FBI and United States Attorney’s Office for bringing these defendants to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the SEPTA Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. SEPTA’s Internal Audit Division launched an investigation after receiving tips from employees, and the Authority’s Inspector General shared the findings with the FBI.
Two Men from Wounded Knee Charged with First Degree MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that two Wounded Knee, South Dakota, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for First Degree Murder, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
Eugene Acorn High Hawk, age 59, and Spencer High Hawk, age 25, were indicted on July 6, 2022. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The penalty upon conviction is mandatory life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Eugene Acorn High Hawk and Spencer High Hawk beating a male to death near Wounded Knee in June 2022. Eugene Acorn High Hawk is also accused of beating a juvenile male with a baseball bat during the same incident. The charges are merely an accusation, and both men are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Blair is prosecuting the case.
Eugene Acorn High Hawk and Spencer High Hawk were detained pending trial. A trial date has been set for September 20, 2022.
Two Convicted Felons Plead Guilty to Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Chesapeake men pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing firearms as convicted felons.
According to court documents, from October 2021 through January 2022, Brian Ellis, 28, and Raymond Wyche, 30, were buying and selling firearms as convicted felons. Wyche was serving a federal term of supervised release from a previous federal conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
A search of Wyche’s phone revealed numerous text messages between Wyche, Ellis, and others about buying and selling various firearm. The text messages often included pictures and even videos of the firearms. In one text message, Ellis informed Wyche that he bought a Glock pistol. Shortly thereafter a search warrant was executed at Ellis’ residence and a Glock pistol was recovered amongst his other personal effects. In another text message Wyche was attempting to sell a Glock pistol to another individual, the text message included a picture of the gun with the serial number being visible. The Norfolk Police Department recovered this same gun after conducting a high-speed of chase of several juveniles. The gun was found in their automobile.
Wyche is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Ellis is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16. He also faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Muhr is prosecuting 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. 2:22-cr-55.
Tijuana Man Charged with Possessing 249 Pounds of FentanylRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Jessica Schulberg (619) 546-9664
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 19, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Alexis Benito Nuno of Tijuana was charged in federal court today in connection with the alleged smuggling of approximately 249 pounds of fentanyl into the U.S.
Nuno was driving a 2015 Black GMC Sierra truck on eastbound Interstate 8, about 300 yards east of the Crestwood on-ramp near the Golden Acorn Casino when he was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents around 3 a.m. During the traffic stop, a Border Patrol dog, named “Huno,” alerted to the vehicle, indicating the presence of drugs.
Agents stopped Nuno’s vehicle, in part, because he had previously been encountered at a nearby checkpoint a week earlier, on July 11, 2022, and agents noticed that he appeared nervous and his vehicle’s gas tank showed signs of tampering. According to a federal complaint, during a traffic stop on July 18, 2022, agents found 108 packages of suspected M30 Fentanyl pills hidden in the gas tank and spare tire with a total weight of 113.20 kilograms (249.04 pounds). The packages from the spare tire were wrapped in clear plastic bags with no markings or labels. The packages from the gas tank were wrapped in clear vacuum sealed bags with no markings or labels. The contents tested positive at the scene for fentanyl.
Nuno was arrested. He made his first appearance in federal court this afternoon.
“Stopping the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. is among our highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This deadly drug is fueling a public health crisis that is destroying families. It’s always a good result when fentanyl is intercepted, particularly this massive amount.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and vigilant Border Patrol and DEA agents for working hard to keep fentanyl off the streets.
DEFENDANT Case Number 22mj2400
Alexis Benito Nuno Age: 24 Tijuana, MX
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(l)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison
AGENCY
United States Border Patrol
Drug Enforcement Administration
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Men Charged in Ecuadorian Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned an indictment last week, which was unsealed today, charging a Florida man and two Ecuadorian citizens, who reside in Costa Rica, for their alleged roles in a bribery and money laundering scheme to obtain business from Ecuadorian state-owned insurance companies.
According to court documents, Esteban Eduardo Merlo Hidalgo, 50, of Miami, Christian Patricio Pintado Garcia, 49, of Costa Rica, and Luis Lenin Maldonado Matute, 52, of Costa Rica, allegedly conspired to pay bribes to officials of Ecuador’s state-owned insurance companies Seguros Sucre S.A. and Seguros Rocafuerte S.A. to obtain and retain business for themselves, an intermediary company, and reinsurance clients. The intermediary company also allegedly received a portion of the brokerage commission obtained from Seguros Sucre and Seguros Rocafuerte and used those funds, in part, to make the bribe payments. As further alleged in the indictment, the co-conspirators laundered funds related to the bribery scheme to and from bank accounts in Florida and used the proceeds for their personal benefit.
Merlo, Pintado, and Maldonado are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years; one substantive violation of the FCPA, which carries a maximum penalty of five years; conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years; and four counts of engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years for each count. Merlo made his initial court appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Pintado and Maldonado remain at large. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum total penalty of 60 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. office; and Special Agent in Charge John J. Bernardo of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
This case is being investigated by IRS-CI and FBI, jointly under the auspices of the Global Illicit Financial Team.
Trial Attorneys Alexander Kramer, Katherine Raut, Drew Bradylyons, and James Mandolfo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ten Arrested in Southeastern Massachusetts Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Ten individuals were arrested today for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. During today’s arrests, 14.9 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and substantial amounts of cash and were seized from target locations.
According to the charging documents, in March 2021, law enforcement began investigating a DTO led by Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Intercepted communications on numerous cellphones allegedly identified Mario Rafael Dominguez-Ortiz, Yeury Francisco Garcia-Rodriguez, Rafael Cesar Cabreja Jimenez and Alfredo Rodriguez as members of the DTO who conspired with Ortiz-Alcantara to regularly distribute multi-kilograms of fentanyl from a base of operations at a stash house in Fall River. According to court documents, at the time of their arrest this morning, Cabreja Jimenez and Rodriguez had barricaded themselves in a back bedroom of the stash house upon the arrival of law enforcement.
The investigation also identified Rebecca Bartholomew, Edwin Collazo, Jason Cruz, Michael Pacheco and Jose Santiago as alleged regular DTO customers who re-distributed fentanyl to their own local customer bases in areas including Cape Cod and New Bedford. As part of the conspiracy, it is alleged that members of the DTO, under Ortiz-Alcantara’s management and control, conducted drug transactions with these regular customers in public areas – including in the diaper aisle of a store and in supermarket parking lots. It is also alleged that on at least one occasion, members of the DTO transported drugs concealed in cereal boxes while accompanied by a child. Over 500 grams of suspected fentanyl was seized during the investigation through controlled purchases and drug seizures.
The following defendants were arrested today and charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances:
- Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara, 36, of Providence, R.I.;
- Mario Rafael Dominguez-Ortiz, 24, of Cranston, R.I.;
- Yeury Francisco Garcia-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Benjamin Osorio Pizarro,” 32, of Providence, R.I.;
- Rebecca Bartholomew, 36, of Yarmouth;
- Jose Santiago, 45, of New Bedford;
- Edwin Collazo, 26, of New Bedford;
- Jason Cruz, 41, of New Bedford;
- Michael Pacheco, 43, of Taunton;
- Rafael Cesar Cabreja Jimenez; and
- Alfredo Rodriguez.
“Today’s coordinated law enforcement operation disrupted an organization we believe served as a hub for the distribution of illegal and deadly narcotics in Southeastern Massachusetts and into Rhode Island,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The opioid crisis has resulted in far too much harm and far too many deaths in our Commonwealth. My office will not relent in pursuing those who make a living off pumping poisonous fentanyl into our communities – violators will be identified, prosecuted, incarcerated and put out of business. I commend our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for their exceptional collaboration that led to today’s arrests and brought this case to fruition.”
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New England,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Illegal drug distribution ravages the very foundations of our families and communities here in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Let these arrests serve as an example to those who distribute poisons like fentanyl. The DEA will aggressively pursue and hold you accountable. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, DEA SAC Boyle, New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Springfield, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 84 Months of Imprisonment for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Donald Dorosheff, 75, was sentenced on July 14, 2022, to 84 months’ imprisonment for receipt and possession of child pornography, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,500 to each of the five identified victims, totaling $12,500.
At the March 2022 bench trial before United States District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, the government presented evidence to establish that from May 2013 to March 3, 2016, Dorosheff repeatedly accessed and downloaded child pornography to his laptop computer from the Internet. On March 3, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at Dorosheff’s apartment in the Sangamon Towers in Springfield and seized his computer, an external hard drive, and various flash drives. During a subsequent forensic analysis of the computer evidence, the FBI determined that Dorosheff received and possessed more than 2,000 child pornography images and 28 child pornography videos, most of which involved prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Dorosheff has been detained since his conviction.
The prosecution was the result of an investigation by the FBI, Springfield Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass represented the government in the prosecution.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Southwest PA Foster Parent Pleads Guilty to Producing Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit ConductRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal child sexual exploitation laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Ronald Oshensky, Jr., age 43, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
According to information presented to the court, Mr. Oshensky was a foster parent with Children and Youth Services (CYS) organizations from several southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Through his guilty plea and pursuant to his plea agreement Mr. Oshensky acknowledged that from July 14, 2011, to October 23, 2011, the exact date being unknown, he produced two videotapes containing a total of 18 video clips which depicted seven different minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct all of which were produced using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
U.S. Attorney Chung stated, “Mr. Oshensky was entrusted to care for some of the most vulnerable members of society. Through the documented serial sexual abuse he perpetrated against children, he breached that trust and further victimized already disadvantaged youth. Today’s guilty plea reflects my office’s commitment to holding accountable those who perpetrate sexual offenses against children and ensures that western Pennsylvania is safer a place by taking a dangerous child predator out of the community.”
“This Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation with significant assistance from the FBI and the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Police Department clearly demonstrates the power of interagency cooperation resulting in taking a dangerous predator off the streets.” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Philadelphia Field Office. “I am especially proud of our HSI Special Agents’ investigative abilities that ultimately led to Oshensky’s federal charges and eventual guilty plea.”
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for Dec. 2, 2022. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Johnstown Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Oshensky.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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 and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Sioux Falls Man Charged with Two Counts of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Attempted Production of Child Pornography and Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography.
Trayviel Miles, age 23, was indicted on July 6, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on July 14, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 30 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Count one of the Indictment alleges that between February 15, 2022, and February 26, 2022, Miles knowingly attempted to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor female to engage in explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, knowing and having reason to know that such visual depiction would be transported in interstate or foreign commerce or mailed, and such visual depiction would be produced using materials that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in interstate and foreign commerce, including by computer.
Count two of the Indictment alleges that between November 17, 2021, and February 16, 2022, Miles knowingly received and distributed, and attempted to receive and distribute any child pornography that has been mailed, shipped, or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer.
The charges are merely accusations and Miles is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Miles was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial, which has been set for September 20, 2022.
Romanian National Known as “Virus” Extradited for Operating “Bulletproof Hosting” Service That Facilitated the Distribution of Destructive MalwareRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that MIHAI IONUT PAUNESCU, a/k/a “Virus,” a dual Romanian and Latvian national, was extradited from Colombia for allegedly running a “bulletproof hosting” service that enabled cyber criminals to distribute the Gozi Virus, one of the most financially destructive computer viruses in history. PAUNESCU also allegedly enabled other cybercrimes, such as distributing malware including the “Zeus Trojan” and the “SpyEye Trojan,” initiating and executing distributed denial of service (“DDoS”) attacks, and transmitting spam. PAUNESCU was initially arrested in Romania in December 2012 and released on bail, and he was arrested again in Colombia last year at the request of the United States. PAUNESCU was presented yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein and detained. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Mihai Ionut Paunescu is alleged to have run a “bulletproof hosting” service that enabled cyber criminals throughout the world to spread the Gozi Virus and other malware and to commit numerous other cybercrimes. His hosting service was specifically designed to allow cyber criminals to remain hidden and anonymous from law enforcement. Even though he was initially arrested in 2012, Paunescu will finally be held accountable inside a U.S. courtroom. This case demonstrates that we will work with our law enforcement partners here and abroad to pursue cyber criminals who target Americans, no matter how long it takes.”
According to allegations in documents filed in Manhattan federal court[1]:
The Gozi Virus is malicious computer code or “malware” that stole personal bank account information, including usernames and passwords, from the users of affected computers. The Gozi Virus infected over one million victim computers worldwide, among them at least 40,000 computers in the United States, including computers belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”), as well as computers in Germany, Great Britain, Poland, France, Finland, Italy, Turkey and elsewhere, and it caused tens of millions of dollars in losses to the individuals, businesses, and government entities whose computers were infected. Once installed, the Gozi Virus – which was intentionally designed to be undetectable by anti-virus software – collected data from the infected computer in order to capture personal bank account information, including usernames and passwords. That data was then transmitted to various computer servers controlled by the cyber criminals who used the Gozi Virus. These cyber criminals then used the personal bank account information to transfer funds out of the victims’ bank accounts and ultimately into their own personal possession.
“Bulletproof hosting” services helped cyber criminals distribute the Gozi Virus with little fear of detection by law enforcement. Bulletproof hosts provided cyber criminals using the Gozi Virus with the critical online infrastructure they needed, such as Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses and computer servers, in a manner designed to enable them to preserve their anonymity.
PAUNESCU operated a “bulletproof hosting” service that helped cyber criminals distribute the Gozi Virus and commit other cybercrimes, such as distributing malware including the “Zeus Trojan” and the “SpyEye Trojan,” initiating and executing DDoS attacks, and transmitting spam. PAUNESCU rented servers and IP addresses from legitimate Internet service providers and then in turn rented them to cyber criminals; provided servers that cyber criminals used as command-and-control servers to conduct DDoS attacks; monitored the IP addresses that he controlled to determine if they appeared on a special list of suspicious or untrustworthy IP addresses; and relocated his customers’ data to different networks and IP addresses, including networks and IP addresses in other countries, to avoid being blocked as a result of private security or law enforcement scrutiny.
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PAUNESCU, 37, of Bucharest, Romania, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The maximum and minimum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the FBI. Mr. Williams also thanked the NASA Office of Inspector General, and the Columbian National Police. In addition, Mr. Williams thanked the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) for its partnership in this matter. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attachés in Bogota, Colombia, and the U.S. Marshal Service provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Colombia.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds & Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Lai is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Roanoke-Based Opioid Treatment Center Settles Civil Case with United StatesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Virginia Treatment Center, LLC, doing business as Roanoke Comprehensive Treatment Center (RCTC) in Roanoke, has agreed to pay $348,934 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicaid for addiction treatment services that was not provided by the required licensed individuals.
RCTC is a subsidiary of Acadia healthcare that provides outpatient treatment, including medication-assisted treatment for adults suffering from opioid addiction.
“At a time when addiction disorder is running rampant in many Virginia communities, we must continue to be vigilant in holding accountable those who seek to defraud Medicaid through fraudulent billing schemes like this one,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “I am grateful for the teamwork of my Office, the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and our other federal, state, and local partners on this important matter.”
"I'm glad that my office, in coordination with our partners in the Western District Attorney's Office and Department of Health and Human Services, was able to reach a reasonable settlement with the Roanoke Comprehensive Treatment Center for allegedly billing Medicaid for addiction treatment services not provided by licensed officials. This is yet another example of the outstanding relationship between Virginia state and federal partners, and we're continually grateful for their assistance," said Attorney General Miyares
“Both insurers and patients can be misled when health care entities bill for services as if they were performed by individuals with certain credentials but, in reality, were furnished by less-qualified personnel,” stated Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “To protect the integrity of federal health care funds, HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners remain insistent that providers charging programs such as Medicaid do so accurately and transparently.”
The allegations involved claims that RCTC billed Virginia Medicaid from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020 for counseling to patients that was not provided by credentialed addiction treatment professionals. RCTC was required to conducted face-to-face counselling sessions for its patients. During this time period, RCTC billed Medicaid for counseling services by people who were not credentialed as though the counseling had been provided by properly credentialed addiction professionals.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lugar investigated the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Richmond Community College Director Sentenced for Stealing Student Financial Aid FundsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for orchestrating a six-year scheme to defraud the United States Department of Education and the Commonwealth of Virginia of at least $230,000 in student financial aid funds.
According to court documents, from 2006 through 2017, Kiesha Pope, 48, was the Director of Financial Aid at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (“Reynolds”), a public community college servicing the greater Richmond area. From 2011 through 2017, Pope was involved in a scheme to defraud the Department of Education, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Reynolds of educational funds. Pope used her financial aid office access to manufacture or boost financial aid eligibility for individuals, often her family members, who were not in fact eligible for financial aid. Thereafter, Pope directed at least four such co-conspirators to send her the majority of these financial aid funds. Pope spent financial aid funds on her personal expenses, such as a vacation on Disney Cruise Line, retail shopping, and expenses for her daughter.
To execute the scheme, Pope fraudulently overrode Reynolds' internal automated controls to manually place her co-conspirators in a status that guaranteed their continued receipt of financial aid funds. For instance, Pope used her access to the Reynolds financial aid systems to procure financial aid for her son from 2011 through 2017, knowing very well that her son was not attending Reynolds. In another instance, Pope procured financial aid for her ex-fiancé while that individual - a purported student at Reynolds - was actually serving a term of incarceration.
When confronted in September 2017 by Reynolds leadership about her relationship with various academically ineligible students, Pope lied to the official, denying that she had a relationship with her co-conspirators. To conceal the lie, Pope thereafter falsified supporting justification to substantiate the high financial aid amounts she had facilitated for her co-conspirators. In one instance, Pope forged medical documents reflecting that her goddaughter was failing to meet academic eligibility due to a breast cancer diagnosis, knowing full well that her goddaughter did not, in fact, have breast cancer.
In October 2017, Reynolds leadership again confronted Pope about her relationship with various academically ineligible students that Reynolds had realized were receiving high amounts of financial aid. In that conversation, Pope again lied, claiming not to know these students—despite the fact that those students were, in fact, Pope's son, goddaughter, and cousin. When pressed for supporting documentation that would justify Pope’s financial aid structuring, Pope abruptly resigned from Reynolds.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Michael C. Westfall, State Inspector General for the Commonwealth of Virginia; and Terry Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Region of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College for its extensive and diligent cooperation with and assistance to the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth 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. 3:22-cr-9.
Retired School Psychologist Going to Prison on Child Pornography 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 David Michael Calaiacovo, 65, of Hamburg, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison and 15 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that Calaiacovo is a retired school psychologist. On June 27, 2019, after receiving reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) via the New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Calaiacovo’s residence and found several electronics, including a laptop and a desktop computer. A forensic review of those devices recovered more than 800 images and videos of children being raped, sexually assaulted, or sexually exploited.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in Charge Matthew Scarpino; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski; and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco’s Trip to New YorkRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco traveled to New York this week to highlight the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat the cyber threats of today and prepare for the threats of tomorrow.
On Monday afternoon, Deputy AG Monaco visited the National Cyber-Forensics Training Alliance (NCFTA), a public-private partnership designed to increase information-sharing between private industry and government to identify, mitigate and disrupt cyber threats. She received a briefing from the NCFTA’s managing director, several private sector members and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the strategies they are using to tackle malicious cyber actors.
While at NCFTA, Deputy AG Monaco met with students, recent graduates, professors and career advisors from law schools and universities around New York to highlight the department’s new Cyber Fellows Program. Launched last year by Deputy AG Monaco, the program will foster the next generation of cyber leaders in the Justice Department. Alongside other department prosecutors, the Deputy AG highlighted the department’s one-of-a-kind cyber mission to protect the American people and encouraged student attendees to apply for future classes of the department’s Cyber Fellows.
On Tuesday morning, the Deputy AG provided keynote remarks at the annual International Conference on Cyber Security (ICCS), where she announced the department’s latest seizure and forfeiture of ransomware profits – this time from a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group that deployed ransomware known as “Maui.” The Deputy AG also outlined key findings from the department’s Comprehensive Cyber Review, which she launched during her first weeks as Deputy Attorney General and was published earlier today, including: applying lessons learned from the department’s fight against other national security threats and reaffirming the department’s commitment to using all the tools at its disposal to address the blended threat presented by nation state cyber actors and transnational criminal groups deploying a wide range of threats – from ransomware attacks to global botnets.
Following her remarks, the Deputy AG departed New York for Colorado, where she will attend the Aspen Security Forum and visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Denver and meet with federal, state and local law enforcement partners.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on July 8, 2022, by Judge Karen E. Schreier, U.S. District Court.
Cody Provost, age 42, was sentenced to time served, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Provost was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021. He pleaded guilty on April 15, 2022.
The conviction stems from Provost possessing and distributing hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, in South Dakota between the summer of 2019 and January 2021.
The case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Task Force, which includes the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Prostitution Sting Arrest Results in Nine-Year Prison Sentence for Norman Man with Multiple Felony Convictions Found in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, EUGENE DESHON HALL, 41, of Norman, was sentenced to serve more than nine years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 19, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Superseding Indictment that alleged illegal possession of a firearm and witness tampering. Federal law prohibits a person who has previously been convicted of felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. On January 9, 2022, Hall plead guilty to illegal possession of a firearm.
Public records reflect that, on April 6, 2021, Oklahoma City Police Department Vice Unit officers conducted a prostitution sting operation at a motel. The operation resulted in the arrest of a sex worker. Prior to the arrest, the sex worker called Hall to assist with removing the undercover police officer from the motel room. When Hall arrived, he was armed with a revolver and admitted to officers he possessed the firearm. Before April 6, 2021, Hall had been convicted of multiple felonies in Oklahoma, including possession of a controlled substance in McCurtain County case CF-2002-174, domestic abuse in McCurtain County case CF-2004-170, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in McCurtain County case CF-2007-299, obstructing an officer and felony driving under the influence in McCurtain County case 2010-42, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute a controlled substance in McClain County case CF-2012-458.
On July 14, 2022, U.S. Chief District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Hall to serve 110 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In support of this sentence, Judge DeGiusti cited Hall’s lengthy criminal history.
This case is the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary E. Walters and David R. Nichols, Jr. prosecuted the case.
This case is part of "Operation 922," the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of the national Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian initiatives to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. "Operation 922" prioritizes prosecution of federal gun crimes connected to domestic violence.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Previously Deported Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry and Covid-19 Related Fraud and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Pedro Hernandez-Romero, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty on July 19, 2022, to the offenses of illegal reentry of a removed alien, social security account fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hernandez-Romero, a previously deported alien, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the country without authorization and subsequently using the identity and social security number of a United States citizen to obtain COVID-19 related benefits, including approximately $26,000.00 in Pennsylvania Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 9 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Previously Deported Mexican Men Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on July 19, 2022, Juan Esdrada-Beret, age 41, and Mario Luna-Zarate, age 38, were indicted by a federal grand jury for the offense of Illegal Reentry into the United States.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Esdrada-Beret, a citizen of Mexico, had been previously removed in April 2018 and is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after that date. He was located in Schuylkill County in June 2022.
Luna-Zarate, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed in May 2020, and is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime thereafter. He was located in Schuylkill County in June 2022.
The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffery St John and Phillip J. Caraballo.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the offenses is 2 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Phoenix Man Charged with Assaulting Federal Officer During Arrest for Transporting Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Brandon Hall, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, and Martina Vega, 41, of Superior, Arizona, were charged by criminal complaint with Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens While Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Another. The complaint also charged Hall with Assaulting a Federal Officer.
On July 8, 2022, U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents responded to a citizen’s report claiming seven undocumented noncitizens were headed north from the border near Naco, Arizona. When agents responded, they discovered a silver vehicle, driven by Hall, transporting the group.
Hall initially appeared to stop for law enforcement, but almost hit a USBP agent as the agent approached the vehicle on foot. After Hall fled from USBP agents, he stopped the vehicle, and all of the undocumented noncitizens exited the vehicle. USBP agents later located Hall’s vehicle and apprehended Hall, his passenger Vega and four of the undocumented noncitizens.
A conviction for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Another carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, or both.
A conviction for Assaulting a Federal Officer carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, or both.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Customs and Border Protection’s USBP is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: MJ-22-4679-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-119_Hall et al.# # #
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.
Oregonian Pleads Guilty in Cross-Country Meth and Marijuana Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Grants Pass, Oregon, pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics and money laundering laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
George Charlan, age 34, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of marijuana as well as one count of conspiracy to launder money before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Charlan was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Charlan orchestrated the shipment of over 280 pounds of methamphetamine and 100 kilograms of marijuana from California and Nevada to Jefferson County, Clearfield County, and Allegheny County. Charlan also directed the shipment of a large amount of United States currency representing drug proceeds that was used to purchase additional methamphetamine and marijuana from the Western District of Pennsylvania to California. Charlan then directed Christian Maldonado to transport the remaining drug profits to Charlan.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Charlan on Nov. 29, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than ten years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that the defendant remain detained.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Operator of Missouri Aircraft Supply Businesses Pleads Guilty in $7 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that KYLE J. WINE, 41, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to fraud and money laundering offenses stemming from a $7 million scheme related to his commercial aircraft supply businesses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wine owned and operated various companies engaged in the business of commercial aircraft supply, including JetPro International, LLC (“JetPro”), Nexus Aviation, and Turbotech Partners. From at least 2018 through 2021, Wine defrauded investors in aircraft-related transactions. Wine used victims' money to purchase aircraft airframes and engines, sold the aircraft airframes and engines, hid the
resulting profits from his investors, and diverted invested funds for his personal use.
As part of the scheme, Wine induced an investment firm based in Darien, Connecticut, to invest $4.5 million in the purported acquisition and sale of an Airbus A320-231 airframe and two aircraft engines. Wine sent fictitious correspondence to the victim investor, and created fake domain names and email accounts and the used those email accounts to send fraudulent correspondence to the victim investor, to trick the investor into believing that JetPro was attempting to sell the Airbus airframe and the two aircraft engines to certain buyers. In fact, Wine had already sold one engine for $2.45 million and the Airbus airframe for $1.3 million. He never informed the victim investor of those sales and shared none of the proceeds of the sales with the investor. Wine also used some of these invested funds to purchase another aircraft engine without the knowledge of the victim investor.
In total, Wine’s fraud scheme caused $7,152,666.67 in losses to 13 separate victims.
Wine pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Wine is released on bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan N. Francis.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 324 Months for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.— A Morrow, Ohio man, Steven Richard Stiles, Jr., 34, was sentenced to 364 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after pleading guilty to using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography.
According to Stiles’ plea agreement, from June 18, 2021 to December 16, 2021, he communicated with five minor victims via Snapchat, persuaded them to produce visual depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and convinced them to send him the depictions through Snapchat. Stiles admitted that he knew that the visual depictions were of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Stiles pleaded guilty to the charge in April 2022.
Under federal law, Stiles must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Kyle Rader, Erlanger Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DHS-HSI and Erlanger Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Spievack and Amanda Harris Huang.
This case was prosecuted 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 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.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to 168 Months for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.— A Fairfield, Ohio man, Shakir Aswad Little, 30, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after pleading guilty to transporting visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
According to Little’s guilty plea, on July 27, 2021, law enforcement found Little in possession of approximately 335 videos and images of child pornography on his phone, which he had transported from Ohio to Kentucky. Little admitted that he knowingly transported these videos and images and knew that they contained minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Little pleaded guilty to the charge in April 2022.
Under federal law, Little must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Sheriff Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DHS-HSI and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow.
This case was prosecuted 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 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.
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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Antwan Lamar Sherrod, 32, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 1, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington and encountered Sherrod in the residence with a Springfield Armory XDS 9mm pistol next to him on a couch.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Sherrod knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his conviction for felony conspiracy in Cabell County Circuit Court on August 24, 2017.
Sherrod is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-22.
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North Carolina Man Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents, Darren Lee Joy, 63, of Matthews, admitted to evading his 2015 individual income taxes by submitting to his employer an IRS Form W-4 falsely stating he was exempt from federal income-tax withholding. He also did not file a 2015 tax return, even though he was legally required to do so based on the amount of income he earned.
Joy will be sentenced at a later date to be determined by the district court. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
North Carolina Man Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents, Darren Lee Joy, 63, of Matthews, admitted to evading his 2015 individual income taxes by submitting to his employer an IRS Form W-4 falsely stating he was exempt from federal income tax withholding. He also did not file a 2015 tax return, even though he was legally required to do so based on the amount of income he earned.
Joy will be sentenced at a later date to be determined by the district court. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
New York Man Admits Pivotal Role in iPhone Theft ScamRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A New York man who played a pivotal role in a conspiracy that defrauded AT&T out of between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of Apple iPhones obtained from Walmart stores in Rhode Island and elsewhere pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Christopher Sanchez Matos, 34, of Bronx, NY, admitted to a federal judge that, in some instances, he supplied members of a conspiracy with personal identification information for AT&T Wireless customers. Posing as authorized AT&T customers, Sanchez and others obtained iPhones from Walmart stores without paying for them, aside from applicable sales tax.
According to court documents, for each Apple iPhone obtained through the scheme, the group member would receive money from a retail store in the Bronx.
Matos is scheduled to be sentenced on October 20, 2022. Co-conspirators Ruben Gomez, 24; Oliver Mercedes, 24; and Javier Rodriguez, 26, all from Bronx, NY, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The defendants’ sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced for Sending Threatening Communications to Black Maryland Woman and Her FamilyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Michael Marotta, age 26, of Sewell, New Jersey to three years of probation with a 30-day term of community confinement, preceded by an intensive in-patient drug treatment program for making threatening interstate communications. Marotta admitted that he used an anonymizing text message service to threaten physical harm to a Black woman and her family in Maryland.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kristen M. Clarke of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“Hate-fueled racially motivated violence must not be tolerated and this office will aggressively prosecute those who stoke fear and hate in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We will protect and defend the civil rights of all individuals who are harassed on the basis of race.”
"Hate crimes are a high priority for the FBI and FBI Baltimore works to reduce this targeted prejudice through coordination with our state and local law enforcement partners” said Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore field office. “The violence driven by bias against a person’s race has a devastating effect on our communities and those who engage in such a manner will endure consequences.”
According to Marotta’s plea agreement, on April 14, 2020, Marotta used an anonymizing mobile phone application, to send a threatening message to a Black Maryland woman. In the message, Marotta used racial epithets to describe the Maryland woman and her family, and he threatened to come to their home and do physical harm. As detailed in the plea agreement, Marotta wrote, among other things, that “I know where you live now, I’m coming to rape your family” and “eat my bullets.” As detailed in his plea agreement, Marotta claims he does not know the recipient-victim of the message, nor does the recipient-victim know Marotta.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen M. Clarke commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Cunningham and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its Civil Rights Unit, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights.
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Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Terrell Howard, 32 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Howard was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in December 2020, Howard fired a handgun in the air 18 times in a residential neighborhood in South Bend. Howard’s criminal history revealed he had prior felony convictions which prohibit him from possessing a firearm, to include armed robbery with a handgun and criminal recklessness.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander and former Assistant United States Attorney Geovanny E. Martinez.
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.
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Michigan Doctor Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Michigan endocrinologist pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents, Bashar Kiami, 53, of Roscommon, owned and operated Northern Michigan Endocrine PLLC, a solo endocrinology practice in Grayling. From 2014 to 2017, the defendant filed corporate returns for the endocrinology practice on which he underreported the practice’s gross receipts and overstated its expenses. As the sole shareholder, Dr. Kiami reported business income from the practice on his individual income tax returns. By underreporting the practice’s business income, Kiami fraudulently reduced his tax liability for the years 2014 through 2017. In total, Kiami caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $250,000.
Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date. Kiami faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey A. McLellan and Melissa S. Siskind of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Meth-loaded tires send Rio Grande City man to prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 20-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of importing 500 grams or more of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery
Abiel Geronimo Fernandez pleaded guilty March 22.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Fernandez to serve 140 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard that Fernandez asked someone to hide marijuana and a firearm while he was waiting for trial. The court also saw pictures from his cell phone of narcotics and firearms. In one, he was taking a selfie while wearing body armor and holding a rifle. In other photos, there were kilogram quantities of narcotics indicating that this was not the first time he had transported large quantities of narcotics. In imposing the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted that Fernandez’s arrest for alien smuggling one day before his arrest on this matter was troubling.
On Nov. 28, 2021, Fernandez attempted to enter the United States from Mexico at the Rio Grande City Port of Entry while driving a Chevrolet Silverado. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where they discovered anomalies in all four tires of the truck.
There were a total of 24 bricks of meth hidden within the tires. The total weight was approximately 59 kilograms with an estimated street value of $236,000.
As part of his plea, Fernandez admitted he was recruited the day before to smuggle three kilograms of meth into the country in exchange for $3,000.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colton Turner prosecuted the case.
Mechanicsburg, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Possession of 50 Grams or More of Actual Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Mechanicsburg, Illinois, man, Gerald Hurley, 47, of the 13000 block of Darnell Road, was sentenced on July 18, 2022, to five years in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
At the sentencing hearing in front of United States District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, the government presented evidence that Hurley was responsible for distributing over five kilograms of methamphetamine in the Central District of Illinois.
Hurley was indicted in November 2020 and pleaded guilty in March 2022. He was originally released on bond but then re-arrested and detained in August 2021 after he violated the conditions of his bond following his unsuccessful discharge from substance abuse treatment.
The statutory penalties for possession of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine with intent to distribute are up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Illinois State Police, and the Springfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, spearheaded locally by the Drug Enforcement Agency. The primary goal of this initiative is to address methamphetamine trafficking and its attendant consequences by using a coordinated, multi-agency approach targeting the highest levels of drug trafficking leadership. 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.
Macon Man Sentenced to the Statutory Maximum Prison Sentence for Distributing Child Sexual Assault MaterialRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison after he assumed the social media identity of a 12-year-old girl using threats and then forced the victim to produce child sexual abuse material, which he sold online.
Anthony Sparks Brown, 27, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III after he pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. Brown will also register as a sex offender for life upon release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Anthony Brown’s ongoing exploitation of a middle schooler came to light thanks to a cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. GBI agents tracked down the defendant, freeing the child from his escalating online threats,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This case illustrates that it takes a cross-section of groups to include caring citizens and dedicated law enforcement to stop the online exploitation of children.”
“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims. No child should be subject to online exploitation. As we work with internet service providers and other law enforcement agency partners, we are ensuring that predators like this defendant are held accountable,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds.
According to court documents, the GBI received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Jan. 2019, based on a report originating from Facebook detailing child sexual abuse material communicated between two Facebook users – a middle school-aged female (Jane Doe #1) and a 57-year-old man. An ensuing investigation ultimately revealed that Brown was using the Jane Doe #1 account to possess, distribute and sell child sexual abuse material.
Brown had met the real Jane Doe #1, a 12-year-old girl from Tennessee, on Instagram in 2018. Brown told investigators that she sent him nude images. Later, Brown threatened the 12-year-old on Facebook using an alias, sending her these images and other sexually explicit photos and stating that he was sure that she didn’t want her parents to see the images. Brown then proposed they make a deal whereby in exchange for Jane Doe #1’s Facebook login information, Brown would refrain from sending out her explicit photos. Jane Doe #1 complied and sent her credentials to Brown. That same day, Brown began soliciting sexual images and videos from the girl, using threats.
Brown was taken into custody on July 9, 2019. Brown admitted he threatened the girl in order to receive her Facebook passwords and assumed her identity on Facebook, chatting with her friends and family on that platform. He further admitted to using threats to coerce more sexually exploitative images and videos from her, distributing those images and selling some of the images.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the GBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim prosecuted the case.
Lawrence Man Convicted of Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was found guilty by a federal jury in Boston yesterday in connection with drug-trafficking activities involving fentanyl.
Ronald Carmona, 31, who most recently resided in Lawrence, was convicted following a week-long jury trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Nov. 21, 2022. Carmona was indicted in December 2019 by a federal grand jury and has been in custody since his arrest in October 2019.
“Distributing fentanyl in our Commonwealth causes significant harm to real people and their families. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Carmona organized the sale of over an entire kilogram of fentanyl across five different drug deals. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. This conviction reflects my office’s relentless pursuit of those responsible for circulating dangerous drugs in our communities and fueling the opioid epidemic.”
“Ronald Carmona exploited the city of Lawrence as his drug-trafficking hub, dealing over one kilo of deadly fentanyl to anyone who could muster the cash to pay him, without a second thought to the harm he was inflicting upon his customers and his community,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Disrupting drug trafficking organizations like this one in which Mr. Carmona had a role is a critical part of our mission, and another example of how we are holding accountable those who are responsible for perpetuating the ongoing opioid crisis in our region.”
Between May 2019 and October 2019, Carmona arranged for and facilitated five separate sales of fentanyl to a long-time drug customer. Carmona then conspired with multiple other drug runners to deliver the fentanyl. All five drug deals totaled over one kilogram of fentanyl.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel Yeager and Steve Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Kyle Woman Indicted for First Degree MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Kyle, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for First Degree Murder and Felony Child Abuse and Neglect.
Billie Jean Red Owl, age 34, was indicted on November 18, 2021. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 15, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.
The charges relate to Red Owl engaging in a pattern of child abuse, including failing to provide sufficient food and hydration and medical care to her child, who was under the age of seven years, in 2020 at Kyle. This abuse resulted in the death of the child.
The charges are merely accusations and Red Owl is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama is prosecuting the case.
Red Owl was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for August 23, 2022.
Justice Department Seizes and Forfeits Approximately $500,000 from North Korean Ransomware Actors and their ConspiratorsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced a complaint filed in the District of Kansas to forfeit cryptocurrency paid as ransom to North Korean hackers or otherwise used to launder such ransom payments. In May 2022, the FBI filed a sealed seizure warrant for the funds worth approximately half a million dollars. The seized funds include ransoms paid by health care providers in Kansas and Colorado.
“Thanks to rapid reporting and cooperation from a victim, the FBI and Justice Department prosecutors have disrupted the activities of a North Korean state-sponsored group deploying ransomware known as ‘Maui,’” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco today at the International Conference on Cyber Security. “Not only did this allow us to recover their ransom payment as well as a ransom paid by previously unknown victims, but we were also able to identify a previously unidentified ransomware strain. The approach used in this case exemplifies how the Department of Justice is attacking malicious cyber activity from all angles to disrupt bad actors and prevent the next victim.”
According to court documents, in May 2021, North Korean hackers used a ransomware strain called Maui to encrypt the files and servers of a medical center in the District of Kansas. After more than a week of being unable to access encrypted servers, the Kansas hospital paid approximately $100,000 in Bitcoin to regain the use of their computers and equipment. Because the Kansas medical center notified the FBI and cooperated with law enforcement, the FBI was able to identify the never-before-seen North Korean ransomware and trace the cryptocurrency to China-based money launderers.
Then, as a result, in April 2022, the FBI observed an approximately $120,000 Bitcoin payment into one of the seized cryptocurrency accounts identified thanks to the cooperation of the Kansas hospital. The FBI’s investigation confirmed that a medical provider in Colorado had just paid a ransom after being hacked by actors using the same Maui ransomware strain. In May 2022, the FBI seized the contents of two cryptocurrency accounts that had received funds from the Kansas and Colorado health care providers. The District of Kansas then began proceedings to forfeit the hackers’ funds and return the stolen money to the victims.
“Reporting cyber incidents to law enforcement and cooperating with investigations not only protects the United States, it is also good business,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The reimbursement to these victims of the ransom shows why it pays to work with law enforcement.”
“These sophisticated criminals are constantly pushing boundaries to search for ways to extort money from victims by forcing them to pay ramsons in order to regain control of their computer and record systems,” said U.S. Attorney Duston J. Slinkard for the District of Kansas. “What these hackers don’t count on is the tenacity of the U.S. Justice Department in recovering and returning these funds to the rightful owners.”
“The FBI is dedicated to working with our federal and private sector partners to disrupt nation state actors who pose a critical cyber threat to the American people,” said FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran. “Today’s success demonstrates the result of reporting to the FBI and our partners as early as possible when you are a victim of a cyber attack; this provides law enforcement with the ability to best assist the victim. We will continue to pursue these malicious cyber actors, such as these North Korean hackers, who threaten the American public regardless of where they may be and work to successfully retrieve ransom payments where possible.”
“Today’s announcement reiterates the FBI and Justice department’s continued commitment to working with our critical infrastructure and private sector partners to identify and dismantle cyber threats, including new and emerging ransomware variants,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI Kansas City Field Division. “Because of swift reporting by the victim medical center, action was taken to lessen the loss to the victim company, as well as identify the malware deployed, preventing additional cyber-attacks. The relationship between the FBI and our private sector partners are critical to discover, disrupt and dismantle cyber threats to our nation’s infrastructure.”
On July 6, 2022, based on information obtained during the Department’s investigation, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of the Treasury issued a joint cybersecurity advisory regarding the North Korean threat to U.S. health care and public health sector organizations, which included indicators of compromise and mitigation advice.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Duston J. Slinkard for the District of Kansas; Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office; and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Jury convicts foreign citizen in Mission harboring conspiracyRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury in McAllen has convicted a 27-year-old Mexican citizen for conspiracy and harboring and transporting aliens within the country, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for approximately an hour before convicting Silverio Moreno-Calderon following a two-day trial.
Moreno-Calderon illegally resided in a stash house on West 1st Street in Mission. On Feb. 2, authorities observed Moreno-Calderon exit the residence and meet with a driver in a black sport utility vehicle.
At that time, Moreno-Calderon prepared the vehicle for transportation of the undocumented individuals by rearranging the vehicle’s contents and viewing it from all angles with the doors both open and closed.
The jury heard that Moreno-Calderon directed three individuals into the vehicle and concealed them with blankets, boxes and various items. Soon after, the loaded vehicle departed from the residence. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and found the undocumented individuals in the car. They were later determined to be illegally present in the United States.
Authorities searched the residence and discovered an additional 24 people who had been smuggled into the country and were awaiting further transportation.
At trial, two of the aliens provided testimony describing how Moreno-Calderon confiscated their cell phones upon arrival to the house, enforced rules they needed to follow and determined when they would be able to contact their families. One of individuals testified how Moreno-Calderon punched him in the face for attempting to use his cell phone without permission.
Moreno-Calderon’s co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty to transporting aliens within the United States. One of whom, the driver, testified how he had driven from Houston the day before and planned to transport four aliens back to the area. However, he and Moreno-Calderon were only able to fit three people in the vehicle due to their size. He also told the jury how he followed Moreno-Calderon’s advice as it seemed like he had done this many times. He testified how Moreno-Calderon told him that he was planning on walking a group north following the driver’s departure.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that Moreno-Calderon was just an alien who was also smuggled, not a smuggler. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Miceala Alvarez presided over the trial and set sentencing for Nov. 3. At that time, Moreno-Calderon faces up to 10 years on each conviction as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Moreno-Calderon has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric D. Flores and Lee Fry are prosecuting the case.
Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Johnstown, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Hasus L. Hardy, 35, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on or about August 25, 2021, Hardy knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, possessed firearms and ammunition, after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for December 1, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hardy.
Inmate admits to murder, sentenced to 25 yearsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – An inmate previously housed at United States Penitentiary Hazleton was sentenced yesterday to 25 years after admitting to second degree murder in a 2012 death of another inmate, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Michael Owle, 33, pled guilty to aiding and abetting second degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon in the death of inmate Anthony M. Dallas. Owle, along with Ruben Laurel, 43, repeatedly stabbed and cut Dallas, killing him on August 29, 2012, at USP Hazleton in Preston County. Dallas suffered nearly 50 stab wounds, wounding him in the heart, lungs, and liver. Another inmate also suffered injuries during the attack but survived.
Laurel was sentenced to 25 years of incarceration on July 11, 2022.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Hugo Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Hugo man has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2022, law enforcement responded to the Robbinsdale and Crystal area after receiving multiple calls of shots fired in the vicinity. Officers apprehended Brannen Michael Stafford, 34, who was armed with a fully automatic, Glock 17 nine-millimeter handgun tucked in his waistband. Police found several nine-millimeter shell casings on Highway 100 in the same vicinity. Officers later searched a Ford F-150 that Stafford and another man had been driving. They seized another Glock nine-millimeter handgun, 100 rounds of nine-millimeter ammunition, and approximately six pounds of methamphetamine.
Stafford pleaded guilty earlier today before U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Robbinsdale Police Department, and the Crystal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst is prosecuting the case.
Fulton Man Pleads Guilty to Secretly Recording Teen VictimsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Fulton, Mo., man who secretly recorded two teenage victims pleaded guilty in federal court today to attempting to produce child pornography.
Craig Michael Glover, 52, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of attempting to produce child pornography.
By pleading guilty today, Glover admitted that he secretly placed a hidden camera in the bedroom of a victim, identified in court documents as FV1. Glover also admitted that he placed a hidden camera in a bathroom to capture video of a second victim, identified in court documents as FV2.
According to the plea agreement, FV1 discovered the camera, which was designed to look like a USB phone charger, a few days after Glover had been alone in her home. She was plugging in a Christmas tree on Jan. 2, 2021, when she discovered a brown cord plugged into the wall. She followed the extension cord and found the camera attached with tape to a shelving unit in her room. On the same day, FV1 and her mother took the camera, which had a 32GB micro SD card installed in the device, to the Jefferson City Police Department. An FBI special agent reviewed the video files stored on the SD card, which revealed multiple videos of FV1 completely nude or partially nude in her bedroom. Another recording stored on the SD card showed Glover placing the camera.
A Jefferson City police detective interviewed Glover, who admitted this was the second time he had installed a camera in FV1’s bedroom. Glover admitted that he also had installed a hidden camera when FV1 was a minor.
Investigators examined Glover’s iPhone and found multiple images of FV1 at various stages of undress. The computer forensic examiner also found images of another victim. The images, which were still shots taken from video from a hidden camera, depicted FV2 in various stages of undress in the bathroom. FV2 told investigators the images were recorded at her 17th birthday party, which Glover had attended.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and the defendant jointly agree to recommend a sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Four People Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl in Northeastern South DakotaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that four South Dakota residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Jevon McLeod, a/k/a “Buddy Traffick”, age 32, and Tiarah Grace Bissonette, age 24, both of Sisseton, South Dakota, and Daren Lee Basche, age 57, and Trey Byron Petrich, age 22, both of Watertown, South Dakota, were indicted on July 11, 2022. They all appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Moreno on July 14, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 40 years in custody and/or a $5 million fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Beginning on a date unknown and continuing until on or about July 11, 2022, in the District of South Dakota, Jevon Joseph Mcleod, Daren Lee Basche, Tiarah Grace Bissonette, and Trey Byron Petrich did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together, with others known and unknown to the grand jury, to knowingly and intentionally distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The defendants conspired to distribute pills containing fentanyl in the northeastern part of South Dakota.
The charge is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges is prosecuting the case.
Following their initial appearances, McLeod, Basche, and Bissonette were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, and Petrich was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Fort Myers Convicted Felon Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Serdarryel Dave English, Jr. (39, Fort Myers) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered English to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. English had pleaded guilty on March 17, 2022.
According to court documents, on April 14, 2018, an officer with the Fort Myers Police Department was conducting uniformed marked patrol when she observed a dark Toyota sedan roll through a stop sign at the intersection of Lora Street and Polk Street in Fort Myers. The officer turned to follow the vehicle and make a traffic stop, but before she could she observed the car quickly turn onto Belmont Street where she briefly lost sight of it. Once on Belmont Street, the officer observed the vehicle turn into a driveway, and at that point she activated the vehicle police lights and conducted a traffic stop.
During the traffic stop, the officer identified the front-seat passenger as English. During a search of the vehicle, the officer found a loaded handgun magazine between the passenger seat and door jam, adjacent to where English had been sitting. The magazine had a Smith and Wesson logo and was loaded with four rounds of .380 caliber ammunition. A further search of the vehicle revealed a .380 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol without an attached magazine. The firearm was chambered with one round of .380 caliber ammunition, matching the ammunition in the magazine found in the car. At the time, English had prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Fort Myers Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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 reentry 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.
Former Ontario Provincial Police Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Minors on the Bois Forte ReservationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A former Ontario Provincial Police officer was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for abusive sexual contact with two minors at the Fortune Bay Resort and Casino on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 22, 2018, Brady John Hillis, 33, a citizen of Canada, was at the Fortune Bay Resort and Casino on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation. Hillis was captured on Fortune Bay’s security surveillance video engaging in sexual contact with two minor victims who were under 12 years of age.
Hillis was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim. On January 18, 2022, Hillis pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 years of age.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Bois Forte Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad prosecuted the case.
Former Newport Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Chelmsford, MA, man found by members of law enforcement to be in possession of more than 800 images of child sexual abuse while he was living in Newport, RI, in October 2020, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
According to court documents, in August 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received information that an IP address utilized by William H. Normandin, 44, had been flagged for association with child pornography. During a court authorized search of Normandin’s residence in October 2020, members of law enforcement seized Normandin’s cellphone, which was found to contain over 800 images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.
Normandin, arrested on October 29, 2020, by HSI agents and members of the ICAC, pleaded guilty in federal court on August 17, 2021, to possession of child pornography. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 24 months of incarceration to be followed by 3 years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Milind M. Shah and John P. McAdams.
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