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17 June 2022
Whitehall man sentenced to more than seven years in prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Whitehall man who admitted to downloading child pornography for approximately six years was sentenced on June 16 to seven years and two months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Tyler D. Pinnt, 35, pleaded guilty in February to an information charging him with receipt of child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris also ordered a total of $6,000 restitution to two victims. Chief Judge Morris ordered Pinnt to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.
The government alleged in court documents that Pinnt received child pornography from about March 2015 to July 2021. The Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was investigating Pinnt for online crimes against children and on July 13, 2021, served a search warrant on his residence near Whitehall. Agents seized several computers and cellular phones and conducted a forensic examination of the devices. At the time of the search, Pinnt admitted in an interview that he found child pornography online and that agents would locate child pornography on his laptop and desktop computers. Investigators located child pornography images and videos on Pinnt’s two phones and his computers and determined that Pinnt had downloaded the material between March 2015 and July 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, FBI, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Helena Police Department and Seattle (Washington) Police Department Human Trafficking Unit.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Westmoreland County Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty to distributing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors and has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to 5 years’ imprisonment and 10 years’ supervised release.
Senior U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Matthew T. Buchinsky, age 36, of New Alexandria, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court during the guilty plea hearing, from May 1, 2016, through May 11, 2016, Buchinsky distributed videos and sill images which depicted the sexual exploitation of a minors to other individuals using the Kik instant messaging software application. Additionally, on November 10, 2016, pursuant to a search warrant executed on his home, Buchinsky was found to be in possession of more than 8,000 videos and images which depicted the sexual exploitation minors, including those depicting infants and toddlers.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Conti emphasized the dangerous nature of Buchinsky’s conduct and stated that she hoped that he would take advantage of sex offender treatment while incarcerated. Judge Conti further ordered Buchinsky to pay restitution to victims requesting payment of such, in amounts to be determined by the court within 90 days of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Department of Homeland Security/homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Buchinsky.
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.justice.gov/psc.
West Barnstable Woman Sentenced for Stealing Opioids from Veterinary OfficeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A West Barnstable woman was sentenced on June 15, 2022 in federal court in Boston in connection with stealing hydrocodone, an opioid and Schedule II controlled substance, from the veterinary office where she worked.
Melissa Paradise, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served (approximately one day in prison) and one year of supervised release. On Feb. 10, 2022, Paradise pleaded guilty to six counts of acquiring a controlled substance using a registration number assigned to another person and eight counts of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge.
In late 2018 and 2019, federal investigators noted that an unusually large amount of hydrocodone had been ordered by the veterinary office. In June 2019, the investigators conducted an audit at the animal hospital during which Paradise was identified as the office manager responsible for record keeping regarding prescriptions.
Upon her arrival at the office on the day of the audit, Paradise admitted to investigators that she used the DEA registration number assigned to a veterinarian in the practice without the veterinarian’s knowledge or consent to order controlled substances which she then stole for her personal use. Paradise also admitted that she forged the signature of a second veterinarian on other prescription documents and diverted those drugs for her own use. The second veterinarian later confirmed that the signature on the documents was forged.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Barnstable Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Warren County Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Role in Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Warren County has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in jail on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Cody Tobias Greeley, 25, of Tidioute, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around June 2018, to on or about February 28, 2020, Greeley conspired with his co-defendants to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five hundred grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine as they participated in a methamphetamine distribution network that trafficked methamphetamine from Akron, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania into Crawford, Venango and Warren Counties.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop E, Vice Unit, the Titusville Police Department, the Warren County Drug Task Force, the Warren County Sherriff’s Office and the Crawford County Sherriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Greeley.
U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins Selected as Vice-Chair of the Attorney General’s National Advisory Subcommittee on Civil RightsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts has been selected to serve as Vice-Chair of the Civil Rights Subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC).
“I am honored to have been asked to serve as Vice-Chair of the Civil Rights Subcommittee. It is my sincere hope that we seize this moment in history to facilitate meaningful dialogue and action to combat the uptick in hate-based violence. Civil rights are at the forefront of so many of the issues dividing our nation today. Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Brown, we will provide guidance to the Department of Justice. Our goal is to fulfill the promise of equality for everyone,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins.
United States Attorney Nick Brown for the Western District of Washington has been selected to serve as Chair the Civil Rights Subcommittee. The Subcommittee will play an important role in advising the AGAC on civil rights matters of importance to the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices across the country.
“I am gratified that my colleagues and Attorney General Garland selected me for this important role,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “The Department of Justice came into being to protect civil rights, and I look forward to helping shape our focus. There are a number of important issues for the Department to address, including the rise in hate crimes, ensuring voting rights, and developing strategies to ensure accountability and trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”
The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee was established nearly 50 years ago by Attorney General Elliott Richardson. The Committee’s purpose is to give United States Attorneys a voice in Department policies and to advise the Attorney General of the United States.
U.S. Attorney Parker affirms commitment to uphold civil rights of Ohioans in Southern DistrictRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker announced today the creation of a civil rights referral initiative for the Southern District of Ohio.
Members of the public may now report potential civil rights violations directly to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A referral form is now available at the office’s main website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh.
“My office – in coordination with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice – is charged with enforcing federal civil rights laws throughout the Southern District of Ohio,” U.S. Attorney Parker said. “We are strongly committed to upholding the civil rights of the residents of our District. We welcome any information from the public that brings to our attention possible violations of our Nation’s civil rights laws.”
Potential civil rights violations may involve topics such as access to reproductive health, disability rights, hate crimes, housing discrimination (including sexual harassment by landlords, property managers or other housing providers), voting rights, law enforcement misconduct, and religious liberties.
“Hate and discrimination have never had a place in our society. They have no place today,” added U.S. Attorney Parker. “People should be able to practice their faith and worship, go grocery shopping, vote, find housing, and celebrate their heritage without any worry of instances of hate or discrimination being committed toward them.”
Mr. Parker noted that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is primarily a litigating office and not an investigative agency. Information provided on the civil rights referrals may be forwarded by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to the appropriate law enforcement or administrative agency.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa Taiwo (Criminal Division) and Michael Downey (Civil Division) will serve as the points of contact for this initiative. Inquiries can be sent to usaohs.civilrights@usdoj.gov.
To view the referral form, visit: /media/1227446/dl?inline.
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U.S. Attorney Nick Brown to lead Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Civil RightsRead the Press Release
Seattle – U.S. Attorney Nick Brown for the Western District of Washington has been selected to lead the Civil Rights Subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the Civil Rights Subcommittee, U.S. Attorney Brown will play a key role in advising the AGAC on civil rights matters of importance to the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.
“I am gratified that my colleagues and Attorney General Garland selected me for this important role,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “The Department of Justice came into being to protect civil rights, and I look forward to helping shape our focus. There are a number of important issues for the Department to address, including the rise in hate crimes, ensuring voting rights, and developing strategies to ensure accountability and trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”
U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins of the District of Massachusetts will serve as Vice-Chair of the Civil Rights Subcommittee.
“I am honored to have been asked to serve as Vice-Chair of the Civil Right Subcommittee. It is my sincere hope that we seize this moment in history to facilitate meaningful dialogue and action to combat the uptick in hate-based violence. Civil rights are at the forefront of so many of the issues dividing our nation today. Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Brown, we will provide guidance to the Department of Justice. Our goal is to fulfill the promise of equality for everyone,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.
The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee was established nearly 50 years ago by Attorney General Elliott Richardson. The Committee's purpose is to give United States Attorneys a voice in Department policies and to advise the Attorney General of the United States.
Two Predators Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Four Children They met on Social Media PlatformsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Thomas James Israel, 46, of Ft. Wayne, and Max Schafer, 31, of Brownsburg, were each sentenced to federal prison for their role in exploiting four children between October 2019 and August 2020. One of the victims was exploited by both Israel and Schafer during separate incidents. Israel previously pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child sexual abuse material. On November 15, 2021, Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt sentenced Israel to twenty-five years in federal prison. Late yesterday, Schafer pleaded guilty to receipt of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child sexual abuse material. District Judge James R. Sweeney II sentenced Schafer to over fourteen years (175 months) in federal prison.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and June 2020, Israel met his first minor victim, who was 14, using online applications such as Omegle and Meetme. Using Snapchat and Kik, Israel persuaded this victim to meet with him in person, then forced the victim into sadomasochistic sexual abuse, including forceful oral sex and assault. Israel recorded the sexual abuse on his mobile phone and later sent the video to the victim.
Israel met a second minor victim using Snapchat and persuaded the victim to send him explicit videos and photos of herself. When this victim was between 14 and 16 years old, she sent her minor boyfriend sexually explicit images and videos of herself. Without her consent, the boyfriend disseminated the images and videos over the internet. Israel downloaded those images and videos onto his online storage account and viewed them for a sexual purpose.
Israel met his third minor victim, who was between 14 and 16 years’ old, over Omegle. Knowing that the victim suffered from mental health issues, Israel induced her to produce child sex abuse material, and to sell the images and videos to others online. Israel took a percentage of the fees and paid the victim by sending her gift cards from Victoria’s Secret.
According to court documents, Schafer also met Israel’s first minor victim using Omegle. Knowing that the minor victim was only fourteen years old, Schafer met and engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the victim. Schafer also persuaded the victim to send him the video that Israel produced, depicting Israel’s violent sexual abuse of the child.
Schafer also met his second minor victim, who was 16, using Omegle and Snapchat. Schafer persuaded this girl to send him sexually explicit images and videos of herself for his sexual purpose.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Violent Crime Task Force investigated the case. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department also provided valuable assistance. As part of Israel’s sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that he be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for life following his release from prison and pay $16,000 in restitution to the victims. As part of Schafer’s sentence, Judge Sweeney ordered that he be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 40 years following his release from prison and pay $6,000 in restitution to the victims. Both Israel and Schafer must also register as sex offenders wherever they live, work, or go to school, as required by law.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston who prosecuted this case.
In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Two Plead Guilty in Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Worcester residents have pleaded guilty to their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and heroin. The defendants pleaded guilty on the morning of June 13, 2022, upon commencing jury selection for their previously scheduled trial.
Cintia Franco, 34, and Amauris Antonio Rosario Garcia, a/k/a “Animal,” 39, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl; conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin; and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Garcia also pleaded guilty to distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2022. Franco and Garcia were charged in October 2019 along with co-conspirators John Robles and Jector Torres.
“The defendants engaged in a conspiracy to distribute deadly drugs, many of which disguised as pharmaceutical-grade prescription pills, into the Worcester community and profit off of people’s pain and suffering,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The opioid epidemic is still raging. Every day, fentanyl takes countless lives and causes irreversible destruction and harm in our communities across the Commonwealth and the country. Drug traffickers will be prosecuted and removed from our communities. This is a priority in my administration.”
In early 2019, Robles was identified by investigators selling purported oxycodone pills, which were later determined to be counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, at Albino’s Market in Worcester. Intercepted communications from Robles’ phone identified that Garcia was the supply source and that Garcia was distributing pills through Robles and Torres. The investigation also revealed that Garcia and Franco were distributing heroin, fentanyl pills and powdered fentanyl directly to users in Worcester.
Robles and Torres previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 27, 2022 and Oct. 17, 2022, respectively.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. All other charges each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years 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 and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Worcester Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and Connecticut State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen M. Noto and Danial E. Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office are 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.
Two Florida Men Charged with Federal Hate Crime for Violently Attacking a Black Man While Shouting Racial SlursRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Ocala, Florida, has charged two Florida men with committing a hate crime. The indictment charging Roy Lashley, 55, and Robert Lashley, 52, was unsealed today following the arrest of Robert Lashley.
The indictment alleges that on or about Nov. 17, 2021, the defendants, aiding and abetting one another, willfully caused bodily injury to the victim, a Black man, because of his actual and perceived race. According to the indictment, the defendants repeatedly called the victim racial slurs and repeatedly struck the victim with closed fists and an axe handle.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment, three years of mandatory supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg of the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. The FBI and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office investigated the matter. Trial Attorneys Maura White and Matthew Tannenbaum of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Bodnar Jr. for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
For more information and resources about the department’s work to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Florida Men Charged with Federal Hate Crime for Attacking a Black Man While Shouting Racial SlursRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL - A federal grand jury in Ocala, Florida has charged two Florida men with committing a hate crime. The indictment charging Roy Lashley, 55, and Robert Lashley, 52 was unsealed today following the arrest of Robert Lashley.
The indictment alleges that on or about Nov. 17, 2021, the defendants, aiding and abetting one another, willfully caused bodily injury to the victim, a Black man, because of his actual and perceived race. According to the indictment, the defendants repeatedly called the victim racial slurs and repeatedly struck the victim with closed fists and an axe handle.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment, three years of mandatory supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg of the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. The FBI and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office investigated the matter. Trial Attorneys Maura White and Matthew Tannenbaum of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Bodnar Jr. of the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
For more information and resources about the department’s work to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Additional South Florida Residents Charged in Elaborate Prescription Medication Diversion SchemeRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Federal prosecutors in Miami have charged two additional men, 51-year-old Lazaro Hernandez and 37-year-old Eladio Vega, for their alleged roles in a widespread fraud scheme involving the distribution of adulterated and misbranded cancer, HIV, psychiatric, and other expensive prescription medications to unsuspecting patients. The third superseding indictment unsealed today brings the number of defendants charged in this case (19-cr-20674) to 15.
According to the indictment and other documents filed in the case, Hernandez and Vega were part of a prescription medication diversion fraud scheme that worked as follows: The operation involved a division of labor, in which street-level dealers supplied medicines to participants who inspected, cleaned, and packaged the drugs for shipment to others with established pharmaceutical wholesale companies. The wholesale company owners prepared fraudulent documentation, falsely representing that legitimate drug manufacturers had provided the medications to them. In fact, the suppliers had acquired the drugs through health care fraud, theft or burglary, or buying the medications from patients who obtained prescriptions but chose to sell them rather than take their medicines. With the false documentation, the company owners then sold the newly misbranded medications to retail pharmacies. In turn, the retail pharmacies sold the medications to patients who knew nothing about the real source of the drugs, which had been stored and transported with no regard to temperature, light, humidity, or other maintenance controls.
In order to conceal the nature of their criminal enterprise and the identities of those profiting from it, conspirators routed money obtained from sales of the mislabeled and adulterated drugs through the bank accounts of multiple shell companies, according to the court documents.
According to the indictment, Hernandez and Vega acquired and supplied to their co-conspirators the medications that were later misbranded and sold to unknowing patients. The indictment charges Hernandez and Vega with conspiracy to distribute misbranded and adulterated drugs, conspiracy to traffic in medical products with false documentation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of mail fraud. It also charges Hernandez with two counts of money laundering.
To date, eight of the 15 defendants charged in this case have entered guilty pleas.
Hernandez is also charged in a separate case in the Southern District of Florida involving prescription medication diversion: U.S. v. Hernandez, Case No. 22-cr-60129. Hernandez made his initial court appearance in both cases today in federal magistrate court in Miami.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of FBI Miami; and Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Tamen is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20674.
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Tigard Man Faces Federal Charges for Threatening Mass Shooting at Elementary SchoolRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland has returned an indictment charging a Tigard, Oregon man with threatening a mass shooting at a local elementary school.
Brandon Richard Riess, 26, has been charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
According to court documents, on May 15, 2022, Riess submitted to a federal agency multiple electronic messages threatening a mass shooting at a Portland area elementary school. On May 16, 2022, law enforcement arrested Riess at his apartment in Tigard. Prior to his arrest, Riess admitted to sending the threatening messages and owning a pistol that was taken away several years earlier by his parents.
Riess made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a three-day jury trial scheduled to begin on August 16. 2022.
If convicted, Riess faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Riess also faces six counts of disorderly conduct in Washington County Circuit Court.
Administrators and parents of the affected elementary school have been notified of Riess’s arrest. No known active threat exists.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Sherwood Police Department, and Washington County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information about real or perceived threats of violence should call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. For immediate threats to life and safety, please call 9-1-1.
Third Defendant Sentenced in Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Moises Amezcua-Cardenas, 21, Schofield, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 18 months in federal prison for his role in a money laundering conspiracy. Amezcua-Cardenas pleaded guilty to the offense on February 24, 2022. Because the defendant had already served that much time in custody, the sentence was considered served.
In November and December 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, together with local law enforcement, investigated a series of thefts by fraud involving individuals who used false pretenses to convince employees of businesses to collect and deliver the businesses’ cash-on-hand to individuals who were supposedly legitimate money couriers. Businesses large and small were targeted in the scheme and the loss to date is approximately $300,000.
Moises Amezcua-Cardenas was one of the individuals that picked up money from employee victims under the false pretenses that he was a legitimate money courier acting on behalf of the victim businesses. He also conducted wire transactions to redirect fraud proceeds back to perpetrators in Mexico. He and his co-defendant, Mario Amezcua-Cardenas, also transported $242,980 in fraud proceeds to another co-defendant Sinval De Oliveira in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on December 2, 2020.
Co-defendant Mario Amezcua-Cardenas, who is Moises Amezcua-Cardenas’s brother, was sentenced to 2 ½ years in federal prison on May 18, 2022. Co-defendant Sinval De Oliveira was sentenced to 5 years on June 8, 2022. All defendants were ordered to pay restitution.
The charges against the defendants were the result of investigations conducted by U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Merrill Police Department, Wausau Police Department, Everest Metropolitan Police Department, West Allis Police Department, Stevens Point Police Department, and Marathon County Sheriff’s Dept. with special assistance from the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin prosecuted this case.
Tax Return Preparer Charged with Tax Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a 22-count indictment charging KEYANTE PAUL, 33, of, Florida, with tax fraud offenses.
The indictment was returned on June 15, 2022. Paul was arrested yesterday in Florida. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel Irick in Orlando and was released on bond. Her arraignment in the District of Connecticut is scheduled for June 30.
As alleged in the indictment, Paul, through her business Keys Tax Services, operated as a tax return preparer, and she traveled to Connecticut for part of the year to prepare returns for Connecticut clients. For the 2015 through 2018 tax years, Paul prepared numerous federal tax returns for clients that included false income “adjustments” that reduced taxpayers’ reported adjusted gross income, false expenses and losses in connection with sole proprietorship businesses that clients did not operate, and, in at least one instance, false charitable contributions.
The indictment charges Paul with 22 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Laraia and Lauren C. Clark.
Tampa Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Malachi Deloch (23, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Deloch faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on February 7, 2022, Deloch, a convicted felon, possessed multiple firearms, including a Springfield XD 9mm with extended magazine. Deloch was seen openly carrying the firearm in a residential area of Tampa, he later fled from officers with the Tampa Police Department who had arrived on the scene.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.
This case is being 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.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ameer McCullars, age 27, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 46-months in prison following his conviction for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute powder and crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
McCullars admitted that from July to September 2019, he conspired with others to distribute what the Court determined to be approximately 216 grams of powder cocaine and 28 grams of crack cocaine in Onondaga County. Senior United States District Judge Frederick Scullin also sentenced McCullars to a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after he serves his term of imprisonment, and ordered him to pay a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $12,800.
This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-Syracuse Resident Office, which includes Task Force Officers from the City of Auburn Police Department, the City of Syracuse Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. Other agencies that assisted in this investigation included the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick.
St. Petersburg Armed Career Criminal Found Guilty of Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Aunyis Cherry (27, St. Petersburg), an Armed Career Criminal, guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as convicted felon. Cherry faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Cherry had been indicted on May 27, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Cherry drove a vehicle with a counterfeit license plate in the area of 14th Street South in St. Petersburg. A uniformed detective from the St. Petersburg Police Department arrived to conduct a stop. Cherry fled from the car but was apprehended. The vehicle’s owner couldn’t be determined, and an inventory search revealed a fully loaded FN Herstal pistol. The jury heard testimony that Cherry’s DNA was located in three places on the firearm, including the handle and trigger. As a previously convicted felon, Cherry is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Gordon and Craig Gestring. The trial was conducted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samantha Beckman and Jim Preston.
This case is being 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.
St. Louis woman admits $291,000 pandemic loan fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis on Friday admitted fraudulently obtaining a $291,000 loan meant to help businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
Porshia L. Thomas, 31, pleaded guilty to a felony bank fraud charge and admitted that between April and September of 2020, she executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain a Paycheck Protection Program loan.
Thomas registered a company called Couture Trading Inc. in Montana on April 7, 2020. On July 15, 2020, she applied for a PPP loan by making a series of false claims. She claimed the company had a Beverly Hills address, had been in operation for five months, had 15 employees, had an average monthly payroll of $120,000 and that the loan would be used on expenses permitted under the program, including payroll and mortgage, lease and utility payments.
The company had few, if any, employees or payroll expenses.
Thomas also submitted Internal Revenue Service forms listing false information about employees and wages, bogus Wells Fargo bank statements and a fake letter from a Wells Fargo branch manager verifying that Couture Trading had an account.
On Sept. 8, 2020, Couture Trading received $291,600.
Thomas used some of the loan for a 2018 Audi S5 Sportback Quattro, paid someone whose name was listed in company documentation $75,000, and used more for living expenses and for purchases at Neiman Marcus, Ulta Beauty, Bath and Body Works and Victoria’s Secret.
Thomas is scheduled to sentenced on September 21. She will be ordered to repay any of the money that has not been recovered.
“Law abiding citizens are frustrated with those who lie and cheat to get access to money not intended for them,” said Charles Miller, assistant special agent in charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis field office. "Anyone engaging in this type of financial fraud should be put on notice. They will not go undetected and will be held accountable.”
IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
To report suspected pandemic fraud, go to the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud or call the Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721.
Springfield Man Charged as a Drug User in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Paul Lachapelle Jr., 26, of Springfield, Vermont, appeared today in federal court on charges that on May 30, 2022, he possessed a firearm while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance. Lachapelle pleaded not guilty at his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle and was detained pending further proceedings in the case.
According to court records, on May 30, 2022, Springfield Police responded to a residence to address a possible burglary in progress by an individual with a handgun holstered to his hip. Springfield Police encountered Lachapelle outside the residence and learned information indicating that Lachapelle threw a handgun into a tall grassy area nearby. Springfield Police searched that area and recovered a .22 caliber revolver with a holster. According to the complaint affidavit, Lachapelle has been an unlawful user of and addicted to controlled substances dating back to September 2021 and continuing into May of 2022.
The charge in the complaint is an accusation only, and Lachapelle is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted of the charged offense, Lachapelle could face up to ten years in prison along with a period of federal supervised release that could include requirements for substance abuse treatment. Any sentence would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and consideration of Lachapelle’s personal history and characteristics.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Vermont State Police, the Springfield Police Department, the Chester Police Department and the Ludlow Police Department. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Perella and Zachary Stendig. Lachapelle is represented by Michael Straub of Straub Law Offices.
This case is being 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. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn for more information.
South Carolina Woman Sentenced to 28 Months in Prison for Stealing over $780,000 in Medicare and Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Hanahan, South Carolina, woman was sentenced to 28 months in prison for defrauding the government of hundreds of thousands of dollars in Social Security and Medicare benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Martha Aguilar, 60, formerly of Middletown, New Jersey, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to Count Three of a superseding indictment charging her with Social Security Fraud. Chief Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence by videoconference on June 15, 2022.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From November 2004 to September 2016, Aguilar collected $136,879 in Social Security benefits and $644,605 in Medicare benefits that she was not entitled to receive. Aguilar indicated on forms to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she was completely disabled and unable to work, but continued working as a paralegal. Aguilar also fraudulently applied for and received temporary disability from the state of New Jersey totaling $13,622, and unemployment benefits from the state of New Jersey totaling $103,738, which she concealed from the SSA. In all, Aguilar fraudulently failed to report to SSA $488,870 in benefits and income.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Aguilar to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $781,484.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Debbi Mayer; and N.J. Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Division of Fraud Prevention & Risk Management-Special Investigations Unit, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah Russell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Sex Offender Sentenced in South Florida to over 29 Years for Attempting to Sexually Entice MinorRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal district judge in Fort Pierce, Florida this week sentenced a 47-year-old Orlando man to 355 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempting to sexually entice a minor and committing an offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender.
In August 2021, Joseph Furey Lusk engaged in sexually explicit chats with someone in Martin County, Florida he believed was 15 years old. During weeks of sexually explicit chats, Lusk encouraged her to send him nude images and videos of herself and friends engaged in sexual activity. In addition, Lusk sent several photographs of his erect penis through text messages. Lusk’s attempt to entice occurred less than one month after his release from state custody on a 2018 Florida state conviction for traveling to meet a minor – a conviction that required him to register as a sex offender.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office announced the sentence that U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed.
HSI Miami (Fort Pierce office) investigated the case, with assistance from Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Bergstrom is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions 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.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14036.
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Rutland Man Imprisoned Following Guilty Plea to String of Convenience Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Joey Miles Sherwood, 31, of Rutland, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to 38 months’ imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge that he robbed the Cumberland Farms convenience store in Wallingford, Vermont last August. As part of his plea agreement, Sherwood admitted to committing three additional convenience store robberies last August: the robbery of the Maplefields convenience store in Pittsford, the robbery of the Union Street Grocery in Brandon, and the attempted robbery of the Maplefields convenience store in Shoreham. U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that Sherwood serve 3 years of supervised release following completion of his prison term and pay restitution in the amount of $746. Sherwood has been detained since he first appeared in federal court last September.
According to court records, Sherwood’s prosecution and conviction stemmed from an investigation into several convenience store robberies occurring in Rutland and Addison Counties during the months of July and August 2021. Additionally, according to court records, during each of the robberies to which Sherwood admitted, Sherwood entered the store, retrieved a beverage from a cooler, and approached the cashier. As the cashier rang up the sale, Sherwood demanded money and brandished a knife in the direction of the cashier. On August 30, 2021, Sherwood was arrested in Rutland. On September 2, 2021, a federal grand jury in Burlington returned an indictment charging Sherwood with the robbery of the Wallingford Cumberland Farms. In February of this year, Sherwood pleaded guilty to the Wallingford robbery and admitted to committing the Pittsford, Brandon, and Shoreham robberies.
United States Attorney Nikolas Kerest commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police, and the coordination and assistance provided by the Brandon Police Department, the Middlebury Police Department, the Rutland City Police Department, and the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department. U.S. Attorney Kerest stated, “This case exemplifies the type of important investigative and collaborative work that Vermont’s federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies do every day. Their collaborative efforts allow our office to prosecute individuals such as Joey Sherwood, whose actions sow unacceptable levels of fear and disorder in Vermont communities.”
Sherwood is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Sara Puls. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ang.
Rocky Mount Robber Sentenced to 92 Months’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jesse Lamont Jenkins was sentenced this week in federal court to 92 months’ imprisonment for his role in an armed robbery of an ABC store located on Westwood Drive in Rocky Mount, NC.
Jenkins pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery on December 14, 2021.
“Hardworking people should never be threatened at gunpoint for simply doing their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Easley. “We are committed to keeping Rocky Mount a safe place to work and raise a family – and we will keep partnering with local law enforcement to take violent career criminals off the streets of Eastern North Carolina.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on August 10, 2019, Jenkins, 30 years old, and Eric Montrell Mobley, entered the ABC store located on Westwood Drive in Rocky Mount. The robbers brandished a firearm demanding money and threatened to “smoke” the employees if they did not comply with their requests. Jenkins and Mobley took $3, 316.72 and fled the store. Jenkins and Mobley were later arrested. Mobley is scheduled for sentencing in July.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rocky Mount Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane J. Jackson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00290-FL-2.
Registered Nurse Pleads Guilty in Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card FraudRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A registered nurse from the Veteran’s Hospital in Detroit, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges related to Covid-19 Vaccination Record Cards fraud, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) – Chicago Region.
Pleading guilty was Bethann Kierczak, 37, of Southgate. The plea took place before United States District Judge David M. Lawson. Kierczak pleaded guilty to theft of government funds.
According to court records, Kierczak admitted to stealing or embezzling authentic Covid-19 Vaccination Record Cards from the VA hospital—along with vaccine lot numbers necessary to make the cards appear legitimate—and then reselling those cards and information to individuals within the metro Detroit community. Kierczak’s theft of Covid-19 Vaccination Record Cards began at least as early as May 2021 and continued through September 2021. Kierczak sold the cards for $150-$200 each and communicated with buyers primarily via Facebook Messenger.
“The defendant abused her position of trust as a medical provider to line her own pockets and sell fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “My office is committed to protecting the citizens of Michigan from individuals who used the global pandemic as an opportunity to commit fraud as evidenced by this case and many other prosecutions we have brought against those that have used this national crisis as an opportunity to commit crimes.”
“Stealing and selling fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards threatens the safety of VA medical center patients and employees as well as the general public,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office.
“For personal enrichment, this nurse committed fraud using COVID-19 vaccination record cards, which undermined public health measures during the pandemic and violated the all-important trust the public extends to healthcare professionals,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, our agency will continue to investigate those who recklessly and intentionally disregard efforts to protect the health of those in our country.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Particka. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), VA Police Detroit and the Medicare Fraud Strike Force (MFSF) partners, a partnership among the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and U.S. Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
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.
Pittsburgh Man Admits Trafficking Cocaine and Shooting an ATF Special Response Team Member Executing an Arrest Warrant at His ResidenceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violating the federal narcotics and firearms laws, and to having assaulted a federal agent with a dangerous weapon, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Dion Williams, 46, formerly of Marion Street, Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that beginning in 2019, agents with the FBI and other agencies investigated drug trafficking activity in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood, and elsewhere. As part of that investigation, agents conducted court-authorized interceptions of telephonic communications over two telephones used by a codefendant between February 2020 through May 2020. During this period, agents intercepted Williams communicating regarding the purchase and redistribution of cocaine. In connection with his guilty plea, Williams admitted that the amount of cocaine that was attributable to him, through his conduct and through the foreseeable conduct of co-conspirators, was between 500 grams and 2 kilograms.
The court was also informed that on June 18, 2020, an ATF Special Response Team (“SRT”) arrived at Williams’ residence to execute search warrants on the building and to arrest Williams on the indictment charging Williams with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. After the SRT operators loudly and repeatedly announced themselves, including through the PA system of an ATF SRT vehicle, one of the ATF agents on the SRT team rammed open a door to the structure. The door swung back shut, and the agent had to try breach it again. After the agent breached the door the second time, Williams, who was inside the building, shot the SRT operator one time through the shoulder. Fortunately, the operator was quickly taken to a hospital and was not permanently injured. After Williams shot the agent, he apparently disassembled the firearm and hid different components of it in the residence; the disassembled firearm was later found underneath the basement steps of the residence, while the magazine and ammunition were recovered hidden in a false ceiling on the second floor. Williams did not immediately surrender but rather, was taken into custody, without further incident, several minutes after the shooting.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for October 27, 2022, at 1:30 PM. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years up to life in prison, a fine of $8,500,000, or both.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Williams remain detained in the custody of the United States Marshals.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome Moschetta and Doug Maloney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The narcotics investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which led the multi-agency investigation that included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police (Bureau of Narcotics Investigations), the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. That 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.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation that led to the prosecution of Williams for his involvement in the shooting of the ATF agent.
Pittsburgh Felon Indicted on Illegal Ammunition Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on June 17, 2022, and unsealed today, named Melvin Bowles, 27, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about March 27, 2022, Bowles knowingly possessed ammunition as a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Yvonne M. Saadi is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking a Minor on Backpage.comRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Rodney Kent a/k/a “Hott Rodd”, a/k/a “Hott,” 50, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted at trial of sex trafficking, arising from his forcible coercion of a minor to engage in prostitution.
In September 2018, Kent was charged by Indictment for sex trafficking of a minor via force, fraud and coercion stemming from his actions to traffic the victim. The defendant and the victim first met on a digital social networking application in June 2016. Kent then met the victim, who was a teenager, and transported the victim to a house where he manipulated the victim into posing for photographs. The defendant then advertised the minor victim for sex on Backpage.com over the course of several weeks; during this time he also verbally and physically abused the victim, including using cigarettes to burn the victim. The victim was eventually able to escape from the defendant’s house and alert law enforcement. In April 2018, the Justice Department seized Backpage, which was the Internet’s leading forum for prostitution ads, including ads depicting the prostitution of children.
“The crime that this defendant committed is one of the most devastating to victims that our Office prosecutes,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Kent forced a young person, a minor child, to sell their body for his own greed and financial gain. We will continue to work collectively to investigate these destructive crimes against the most vulnerable victims.”
“While this defendant will face years in prison for his vile actions, his victim will carry the effects of those actions for the rest of their life,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire. “The FBI works tirelessly to find and capture the monsters who prey on our children. To those who participate in this brand of evil as a means to make a living – we are looking for you, we will find you, and you will find yourself paying the price inside the walls of penitentiary.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tinicum Township Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra M. Lastowski and Vineet Gauri.
Owner of Tech Services Company Sentenced to More than Three Years in Prison for $13 Million COVID-Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Winchester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with filing fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $13 million in forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for COVID-19 relief through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Elijah Majak Buoi, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 39 months incarceration and three years of supervised release. Buoi was also ordered to pay restitution of $2 million and forfeiture of $2 million. On Feb. 24, 2022, Buoi was convicted by a federal jury of four counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.
Beginning in or around April 2020, and continuing until at least in or around June 2020, Buoi devised a scheme to obtain PPP funds by repeatedly filing false and fraudulent loan applications in which he systematically used false tax documents and payroll processing records until he was ultimately awarded a loan.
Buoi submitted six fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of his company Sosuda Tech, LLC (Sosuda) to four different SBA-approved lenders. In each loan application, Buoi misrepresented the number of employees and payroll expenses. Buoi also submitted fraudulent IRS tax forms in support of his applications. The evidence at trial showed that Sosuda was a startup company with no U.S.-based payroll and no U.S.-based employees. As a result of his scheme, Buoi obtained a $2 million PPP loan. The government recovered approximately $1.97 million of the loan funds.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small-businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Stephen Donnelly, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection; Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Association, Office of Inspector General, Eastern Regional Office; and Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Region, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Rollins’ Securities, Financial, and Cyber Fraud Unit, and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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.
Omaha Woman Sentenced to 70 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Tressa Thompson, 46, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 16, 2022, by United States Judge John M. Gerrard for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Thompson received a sentence of 70 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. Thompson also forfeited any interest in $2,810 that was seized during her arrest.
On December 17, 2020, officers with the Omaha Police Department had contact with Thompson and a co-defendant while they were parked on the street. The co-defendant attempted to run and discarded a pound of methamphetamine. Thompson remained in the passenger seat with a Tupperware container containing more methamphetamine. Altogether, 640 grams of pure methamphetamine was seized along with $2,810 that was found in the vehicle. Phone records showed that the co-defendant was providing methamphetamine to Thompson, who later resold it.
The co-defendant is set for trial in federal court on August 22, 2022, before United States Judge John M. Gerrard.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office.
Omaha Woman Sentenced for Role in Forged Stimulus Check ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jessica A. Lovering, 30, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard to a sentence of time served for Conspiracy to Pass and Utter Forged United States Treasury Checks and two counts of Passing and Uttering Forged United States Treasury Checks. Lovering has served 3 months and 11 days’ incarceration. There is no parole in the federal system. Upon her release, Lovering will serve a 3-year term of Supervised Release. Lovering was also ordered to pay $1,400 in restitution.
On March 26, 2021, Lovering went to the EZ Money Check Cashing location at 5102 L St. in Omaha and presented a forged United States Treasury stimulus check in the amount of $1,400 and was able to cash the check. A white powdery substance was used to obscure the original payee name and “Jessica Lovering” had been placed on the check as the payee. This United States Treasury Check was originally made payable to an individual who is an inmate in the United States Bureau of Prisons.
On April 26, 2021, Lovering went to the EZ Money Check Cashing location at 5102 L St. in Omaha and presented a forged United States Treasury stimulus check in the amount of $1,400. The check had originally been made payable to an inmate of the Nebraska Department of Corrections. A white powdery substance was again used to obscure the original payee name and “Jessica Lovering” had been placed on the check as the payee. The EZ Money employees recognized the check as being altered and denied payment.
Lovering received these checks from Courtney Clark. Text message and Facebook Messenger conversations between Clark and Lovering were obtained via search warrants. In these conversations, Clark and Lovering discuss the manufacturing and alteration of checks. Clark and Lovering discuss Lovering cashing a check at the EZ Money near 50th and L Streets. Clark and Lovering discussed Clark getting checks back from Lovering and their splitting the proceeds.
Clark pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Pass and Utter Forged United States Treasury Checks and two counts of Passing and Uttering Forged United States Treasury Checks on May 18, 2022. Clark’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 18, 2022, at 10:30 a.m.
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.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Omaha Police Department.
Odenton, Maryland Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Receiving 90,000 Images and 3,000 Videos of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Armando Ramirez, Jr., age 50, of Odenton, Maryland, to six years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography. Judge Hollander also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Ramirez must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Anne and HSI Baltimore Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.
According to his guilty plea, between March 19, 2020, and March 28, 2020, law enforcement observed Ramirez’s home IP address access several files of child pornography including a 1 minute and 37 second video depicting a naked prepubescent female engaged in oral sex with an adult male.
Additionally, on March 21, 2020, using the same IP address, Ramirez requested a 48 second video of an adult sexually assaulting a prepubescent female in her sleep.
As stated in his plea agreement, on August 20, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Ramirez’s residence where several items were seized including a USB hard drive, two laptops, 1GB USB flash drive, and a 500GB USB hard drive. During the forensic review of the digital devices, law enforcement located 90,000 images and 3,000 videos, and 42 files of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted the sexual abuse of toddlers.
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 Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, and the Anne Arundel Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam K. Ake, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Northumberland County Man Charged with Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Alex Santiago, age 40, of Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal complaint on June 15, 2022, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, on June 15, 2022, Santiago was in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber firearm in Mount Carmel. As a previously convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Northumberland County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Bloomsburg Police Department, the Sunbury Police Department, the Shamokin Police Department, and the Coal Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel is prosecuting the case.
This case is also being 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years’ 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.
Criminal Complaints are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Newport News Police Officer Arrested on Charges of Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a sergeant with the Newport News Police Department with three counts of the sexual exploitation of a child.
According to allegations in the indictment, Michael Nicholas Covey, 39, of Newport News, used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint filed last week, in a separate investigation, child sexual assault images were found on a convicted sex offenders’ electronic devices in Cincinnati, Ohio. Those images were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Alexandria. During the analysis of the images, NCMEC determined that the images may have been produced in Newport News. NCMEC forwarded the information to the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SOVA ICAC) who, in turn, contacted the FBI. Agents with the FBI were able to identify the child depicted in the images. Further investigation led the agents to the defendant, Michael Nicholas Covey. He was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on Friday, June 10.
Covey is charged with the sexual exploitation of a child. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and maximum penalty of 30 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 Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa McKeel and Peter G. Osyf are 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. 4:22-cr-48.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JARRIN GAYDEN, age 34, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on June 16, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to a one-count superseding bill of information that charged him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one-hundred grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, in November 2017, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) began to investigate the heroin overdose death of an individual in Metairie, Louisiana. FBI agents identified the deceased individual’s heroin supplier and arrested him after making a controlled purchase of heroin from him. After the supplier was arrested, GAYDEN assumed control of the supplier’s phone and began to sell heroin to customers who called to purchase heroin from the supplier. After learning of GAYDEN’s drug activity using the supplier’s phone, agents made two controlled purchases of heroin from GAYDEN totaling two grams.
As a result of his plea, GAYDEN faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of imprisonment of forty years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.
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Nationwide Drug Trafficking, Law Enforcement Impersonation, and Fraud Ring DisruptedRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 19-count indictment Thursday against Quinten Giovanni Moody, aka Christano Rossi, 37, of Dublin, and Myra Boleche Minks, 46, formerly of Roseville, for drug trafficking, impersonating federal law enforcement officials, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and obstruction of justice, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between 2017 and 2022, Moody and Minks were part of an organization identified as the Moody-Minks organization, whose members engaged in a variety of criminal conduct. Specifically, Moody and Minks were the leaders of the organization’s unlawful transportation of marijuana from California to Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, and Texas. Moody and Minks used couriers, airline employees, and a shipping company to transport the marijuana to various destinations. In addition, between April 2020 and May 2021, Minks impersonated special agents and employees of federal law enforcement agencies to seek nonpublic information related to organization members’ criminal conduct, to include:
- On April 13, 2020, Minks, posing as a DEA Special Agent, sought information concerning the victims of a fatal shooting on Interstate 880 in Oakland;
- On April 27, 2020, Minks, posing as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, sought information concerning a federal drug trafficking investigation regarding co-defendant Moody;
- On July 24, 2020, Minks, posing as a FBI Special Agent, attempted to dissuade a person from buying a property in Placer County, claiming that the seller was under investigation by the FBI;
- On Oct. 14, 2020, Minks, posing as an employee of the U.S. Secret Service, sought information from the Colma Police Department in San Mateo County regarding the location of a vehicle police had seized;
- On Jan. 25, 2021, Minks, posing as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, sought information regarding an ongoing murder investigation in San Francisco, including whether the person charged with the murder had cooperated with law enforcement; and
- On May 31, 2021, Minks, posing as an employee of the U.S. Department of Justice, sought information regarding a search warrant authorizing the disclosure of information regarding a cellphone number. Related to this impersonation episode, Minks and Moody have also been charged with impersonating an employee of the US DOJ and submitted to Phone Company 1 fake federal search warrants that sought the disclosure of GPS location data for a specific telephone number.
Also according to court documents, Moody, Minks, and co-defendant Jessica Tang, 48, of Sacramento, participated in a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department (EDD). The defendants obtained the names, social security numbers, and other personally identifiable information (PII) of identity theft victims. They submitted applications for unemployment insurance benefits in the names of these victims without their consent and knowledge. The applications contained false and fraudulent representations, including false statements about the identity of the applicants, the applicants’ occupation and previous employment, and false addresses. In total, the defendants fraudulently caused EDD to disburse in excess of $120,000.
Also according to court documents, Moody and Minks obstructed justice. In April 2022, a federal magistrate judge in Sacramento signed warrants authorizing federal agents to seize two of Moody’s vehicles: a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro and a 1956 Chevrolet pickup truck. Agents seized the vehicles and put them in a secure parking lot at the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office. Thereafter, between May 8 and May 21, Moody and Minks gave a tow truck company employee fake federal court orders that purported to order the release of Moody’s vehicles. Moody and Minks directed the tow truck driver to take the fake court orders to the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office and remove the vehicles from the FBI’s secure lot.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Highway Patrol, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, the Placer County Probation Department, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, the Colma Police Department, the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the San Francisco Police Department, the Atlanta Police Department, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the California Employment Development Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty, Justin L. Lee, and Sam Stefanki are prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the drug trafficking offense, Moody and Minks face a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. If convicted of the false personation offenses, Moody and Minks face a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison and $250,000 fine on each count. If convicted of the conspiracy and mail fraud offenses, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of aggravated identity theft, the defendants face a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison. If convicted of the obstruction of justice, Moody and Minks face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Multiple-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Gun Found in His HomeRead the Press Release
A man who had previously been convicted of committing multiple crimes involving guns was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Kalon Deon Bruce, age 29, from Atlanta, Georgia, received the prison term after a December 6, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In June 2021, Bruce possessed a gun that was recovered by the Waterloo Police Department during a search of the home where he was living in Waterloo, Iowa. Bruce had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including two convictions for interference with official acts while in possession of a firearm, theft, trafficking in stolen weapons, and eluding.
Bruce was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Bruce was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Bruce is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and the Cedar Falls Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-cr-2063.Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican Man Sentenced to 90 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Luis Lopez, 39, of Jalisco, Mexico, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Lopez received a 90-month term of imprisonment followed by a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Lopez also forfeited any interest in $89,930 that was seized during his arrest. Lopez will be deported after serving his sentence.
In April of 2021, the DEA and Omaha Police Department were investigating a co-conspirator of Lopez for distributing methamphetamine. Lopez and the co-conspirator sold and distributed one pound of methamphetamine in an undercover operation conducted by law enforcement on April 11, 2022. Lopez drove the co-conspirator to the drug sale in a Ford Flex. On April 14, 2022, officers observed the same Ford Flex being driven by Lopez with the co-conspirator as a passenger. During a traffic stop of the vehicle, officers found a large amount of U.S. Currency. A search warrant was executed on Lopez’s residence and more U.S. Currency was seized along with ledgers tracking narcotic sales. Overall, $89,930 was seized.
This case was investigated by the DEA and Omaha Police Department.
Mercer County Man Admits Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role as the leader of a Trenton drug-trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of heroin in the Trenton area, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Robert M. Gbanapolor, 35, of Trenton, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to a superseding indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute a detectable amount of heroin.
Ten other members of this drug trafficking conspiracy have previously pleaded guilty in this case.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From June 2018 through May 2019, Gbanapolor and others engaged in a heroin trafficking conspiracy in the areas of Stuyvesant, Hoffman, and Highland avenues in Trenton, as well as in the area of Barbary Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gbanapolor obtained regular bulk supplies of heroin from Duane Paulino-Escalera, whom Gbanapolor referred to as “Papi.” Gbanapolor, in turn, distributed this heroin for profit to other members of the drug-trafficking organization, who distributed the heroin in and around Trenton. Paulino-Escalera pleaded guilty in January 2020 and was sentenced on May 7, 2021, to five years in prison.
The counts to which Gbanapolor pleaded guilty carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison on each of Counts One and Three, and a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison on Count Two. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, Camden Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; and task force officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve Wilson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked detectives and officers of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Christine A. Hoffman; detectives and officers of the Gloucester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Harkins; members of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives and officers of the Bordentown Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Pesce; and special agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric A. Boden and Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Killing Woman in Car in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Fox, 28, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today to 21 years in prison for killing a woman as she sat in her car earlier this year in Northwest Washington. Her two young children were in the back seat at the time of the slaying.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Fox pleaded guilty in March 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of second-degree murder while armed and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 14 to 21 years in prison. The Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. accepted the plea and sentenced Fox accordingly. Following his prison term, Fox will be placed on five years of supervised release.
The shooting took place shortly after 8 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2022. According to the government’s evidence, Fox and the victim, Sierra Johnson, 27, were in a car parked near the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Euclid Street NW. Ms. Johnson was in the driver’s seat and Fox was in the passenger seat, with Ms. Johnson’s children in the back seat of the car. While inside the car, Fox shot Ms. Johnson at least four times. He then got out of the vehicle and shot her at least one more time before fleeing with the gun. Ms. Johnson was pronounced dead a short time later. She had four gunshot wounds to the head, one to the right side of her neck, and one to her right upper extremities. The children were not hit by the gunfire.
Fox was arrested on Jan. 25, 2022. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Marketing Agency Owner Sentenced to 12 Months for Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ryan Weckerly, 48, Sycamore, Illinois, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for wire fraud and aiding in the preparation of a false tax return. The prison sentence will be followed by 6 months of home confinement and 2 ½ years of supervised release. Weckerly is the owner of two marketing agencies based in Sycamore, Illinois - Morningstar Media Group, and Morningstar Interactive, which did business as Invironments Magazine.
The government’s investigation revealed that between 2015 and 2020, Weckerly and co-defendant Barbara Bortner engaged in a kickback scheme in which Weckerly submitted inflated invoices to Bortner for his marketing work for Mercyhealth. During the scheme, Bortner was the Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at Mercyhealth in Janesville. Once Bortner approved his marketing invoices, Weckerly received payments from Mercyhealth and provided money to Bortner using either cash or checks. In return for the payments, Bortner agreed to use Weckerly’s business, Morningstar Media Group, as the primary marketing agency for Mercyhealth.
In order to disguise the true nature of the kickback payments, Bortner created a fictitious company named WeInspire LLC. During the timeframe of the kickback scheme, Weckerly wrote over 103 checks to WeInspire LLC from one of his business accounts. The cumulative total of these checks was $2,051,975. In addition, bank records show that Weckerly provided Bortner with over $1,000,000 in cash kickback payments.
The Internal Revenue Service initiated an audit of Bortner’s individual tax returns in May 2019. During the audit, Bortner represented to an IRS Revenue Agent during an interview that WeInspire was a legitimate company that performed marketing work for one of Weckerly’s businesses. In an attempt to cover up the kickback scheme, Weckerly provided Bortner with an IRS Form 1099 for WeInspire that purported to include her total compensation from Invironments Magazine. However, on the Form 1099, Weckerly only included the monetary total of the checks written to WeInspire and did not include the cash payments he provided to Bortner. In the months following the interview with the IRS Revenue Agent, Bortner continued to receive kickback payments from Weckerly.
At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley ordered Weckerly and Bortner to pay $2,428,275 in restitution to Mercyhealth. Bortner was sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison for her role in the offense by Judge Conley on May 2, 2022.
The charges against Weckerly and Bortner were a result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.
Man Sentenced to 30+ Years for Sex Trafficking 14-Year-Old, Adult out of Dallas HotelRead the Press Release
A Dallas man was sentenced today to more than 30 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a 14-year-old minor and an adult victim, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
A federal jury in Dallas convicted Anthony Lennell Acy, 34, on one count of child sex trafficking and one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion in August 2021. He was sentenced today to 365 months by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.
“The North Texas Trafficking Task Force objective is quite clear: We will never relent in our pursuit of criminals responsible for exploiting minors or forcing anyone into the commercial sex industry,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas Christopher Miller. “Individuals like Anthony Acy need to understand that they will be prosecuted and held accountable for the destruction of the lives of their victims because of their personal greed and disdain for human decency.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Acy trafficked at least two victims — including the 14-year-old girl, a runaway from McKinney, Texas — out of multiple hotels in Dallas and in California.
Agents with the North Texas Trafficking Task Force testified that they recovered Jane Doe 1 and Adult Victim 1 out of a Dallas hotel room and arrested Mr. Acy as he was leaving the hotel parking lot.
At trial, Jane Doe 1 testified that Mr. Acy approached her in a parking lot next to a hotel a couple weeks after she ran away from home. Jane Doe 1 stated that Mr. Acy told her that she could model for his clothing line and then drove her to a hotel, where he offered her dinner and a place to stay that night. She testified that Mr. Acy later forced her to take ecstasy pills, caused her to engage in commercial sex in Dallas and in California, and physically assaulted her multiple times.
Adult Victim 1 testified at trial that Mr. Acy first recruited her over Facebook, claiming that he wanted to be her boyfriend. Adult Victim 1 stated that, after she traveled to Dallas to visit Mr. Acy, he took her cell phone and her car keys and forced her to engage in commercial sex in order to pay back the money he claimed to have spent on her. Mr. Acy trafficked Adult Victim 1 first in Dallas and later in Austin and California. Adult Victim 1 testified that Mr. Acy forced her to earn $1,000 a day, with all proceeds turned over to him.
Both victims testified that Mr. Acy repeatedly beat them, threatened them at gunpoint and knifepoint, and threatened to kill them and their families if they called the police.
In the course of the investigation, investigators reviewed Mr. Acy’s hotel records, phone records, financial records, online advertisements, and Facebook posts that corroborated the victims’ accounts of Mr. Acy’s sex trafficking activity.
The North Texas Trafficking Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations, conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, the Colleyville Police Department, and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Ricketts (fmr.) and John Kull prosecuted the case.
Man Arrested for Allegedly Distributing over $230 Million of Adulterated HIV MedicationRead the Press Release
A Florida man was arrested today for allegedly distributing more than $230 million in adulterated HIV drugs that were ultimately dispensed to unsuspecting patients throughout the country.
According to an indictment unsealed today, Lazaro Hernandez, 51, of Miami, was allegedly part of a nationwide scheme to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and illegally distribute more than $230 million in adulterated and misbranded prescription drugs that were dispensed to unsuspecting patients. As alleged in the indictment, Hernandez acquired large quantities of HIV medication illegally and then created false drug labeling and other documentation to make it appear as though these high-priced drugs had been obtained legitimately. To carry out the scheme, Hernandez and co-conspirators established licensed wholesale drug distribution companies in Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York. Hernandez and his co-conspirators used those companies to sell the adulterated drugs at steep discounts to other co-conspirators at wholesale pharmaceutical distributors in Mississippi, Maryland, and New York. Those wholesale pharmaceutical distributors then resold the drugs to pharmacies throughout the country, which billed the drugs to health insurers, including Medicare, and dispensed the adulterated and misbranded HIV medication to unsuspecting patients.
As alleged in the indictment, between approximately 2019 and 2021, the wholesale pharmaceutical distributors paid Hernandez and his co-conspirators more than $230 million for the illegally acquired and adulterated prescription drugs. Hernandez allegedly laundered those hundreds of millions of dollars through the use of several corporations in Miami.
Hernandez is charged with conspiracy to deliver into interstate commerce adulterated and misbranded drugs, conspiracy to traffic in medical products with false documentation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and specific money laundering offenses. If convicted of all counts, he faces a maximum total penalty of more than 100 years in prison. The defendant was also charged in a separate, superseding indictment that was returned by a grand jury in Miami on June 14. Hernandez is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in both cases today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region, made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FDIC-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy James Abraham of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling forfeiture.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Arrested for Allegedly Distributing over $230 Million of Adulterated HIV MedicationRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Florida man was arrested today for allegedly distributing more than $230 million in adulterated HIV drugs that were ultimately dispensed to unsuspecting patients throughout the country.
According to an indictment unsealed today, Lazaro Hernandez, 51, of Miami, was allegedly part of a nationwide scheme to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and illegally distribute more than $230 million in adulterated and misbranded prescription drugs that were dispensed to unsuspecting patients. As alleged in the indictment, Hernandez acquired large quantities of HIV medication illegally and then created false drug labeling and other documentation to make it appear as though these high-priced drugs had been obtained legitimately. To carry out the scheme, Hernandez and co-conspirators established licensed wholesale drug distribution companies in Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York. Hernandez and his co-conspirators used those companies to sell the adulterated drugs at steep discounts to other co-conspirators at wholesale pharmaceutical distributors in Mississippi, Maryland, and New York. Those wholesale pharmaceutical distributors then resold the drugs to pharmacies throughout the country, which billed the drugs to health insurers, including Medicare, and dispensed the adulterated and misbranded HIV medication to unsuspecting patients.
As alleged in the indictment, between approximately 2019 and 2021, the wholesale pharmaceutical distributors paid Hernandez and his co-conspirators more than $230 million for the illegally acquired and adulterated prescription drugs. Hernandez allegedly laundered those hundreds of millions of dollars through the use of several corporations in Miami.
Hernandez is charged with conspiracy to deliver into interstate commerce adulterated and misbranded drugs, conspiracy to traffic in medical products with false documentation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and specific money laundering offenses. If convicted of all counts, he faces a maximum total penalty of more than 100 years in prison.
The defendant was also charged in a separate, superseding indictment that was returned by a grand jury in Miami on June 14. Hernandez made his initial court appearance in both cases today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region, made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FDIC-OIG are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy James Abraham of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling forfeiture.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-60129.
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Leicester Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Unemployment and Loan Fraud Schemes Related to COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Leicester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for his involvement in fraud schemes affecting the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Programs in Massachusetts and Nevada.
William Cordor, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Cordor was also ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution to the SBA. In November 2021, Condor pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.
Between May and October 2020, Cordor engaged in a fraudulent unemployment scheme by attempting to file numerous claims for unemployment with the State of Nevada by taking advantage of PUA funds made available due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cordor filed the claims using the names, Social Security numbers and other personal identifying information of third parties for whom he had no legal authority to file such claims. The State of Nevada ultimately detected that the claims were fraudulent and did not approve the PUA funds.
Cordor also engaged in a second wire fraud scheme using stolen identities to fraudulently apply for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster loans made available by the SBA. Cordor used a third party’s personal identifying information to obtain a loan from the SBA under false pretenses, and then used the fraudulent funds for his own enrichment, including to pay for plane tickets, hotel accommodations, restaurants, entertainment and shopping during a Florida vacation.
In May 2020, Cordor agreed to surrender to federal authorities the balance of $79,000 in his bank account that were proceeds of a separate unemployment fraud scheme in Massachusetts. This occurred before Cordor filed the fraudulent unemployment claims with Nevada in July 2020.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the case was provided by the Leicester and Marlboro Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Criminal Division and Danial Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted 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.
Lake County Woman Convicted of Mail Fraud and Conspiracy in Connection with $2.94 Billion Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Joyce O. Isagba guilty of three counts of mail fraud and one count of conspiring to defraud the United States with respect to claims. She faces a maximum penalty of 70 years in federal prison. A grand jury had indicted Isagba and her husband, David, on May 27, 2020. David Isagba entered a guilty plea on March 29, 2022.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, from 2009 through 2019, the Isagbas submitted 227 fraudulent tax returns to the IRS falsely claiming to be entitled to more than $2.94 billion in tax refunds on behalf of sham trusts. The Isagbas subsequently received a total of $5,815,723.65 from the IRS as a result of this fraudulent scheme. Joyce Isagba used her portion of the money to purchase a residence. She entered into a contract to purchase the home the day after she received a $462,000 fraudulently obtained refund check from the IRS. The Isagbas also purchased multiple luxury vehicles with fraud proceeds and used the money to fund a luxurious lifestyle.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah Nowalk.
Joshua D. Hurwit is Sworn in as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Joshua D. Hurwit has been sworn in as United States Attorney for the District of Idaho today. Hurwit was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., on April 25, 2022, and confirmed by the United States Senate on June 13, 2022. Chief U.S. District David C. Nye administered the oath of office.
“I am honored to serve as United States Attorney,” Hurwit said. “I am grateful for the special trust and confidence shown to me by President Biden and all of those who supported me throughout this process, especially my family. I also want to thank Senator Crapo and Senator Risch for approving of my confirmation. I look forward to fulfilling the Department of Justice’s mission in Idaho alongside our law enforcement and community partners. It is a privilege to continue serving with my colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We all share an unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law, preventing violent crime in our communities, maintaining our natural resources, protecting the civil rights of our residents, and seeking justice for victims.”
Hurwit joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho in 2012. He initially worked in the civil division, defending the United States against lawsuits and pursuing affirmative claims on behalf of the United States. In 2015, Hurwit joined the criminal division, where he prosecuted financial crimes, environmental crimes, public corruption cases, and drug and firearms offenses. He also has led the RICO conspiracy prosecution against members of the Aryan Knights white supremacist gang. In 2005, Hurwit received the Director's Award for Excellence by a Litigative Team for his work as part of the trial team that successfully prosecuted United States v. Swenson et al., the securities and wire fraud case arising from the collapse of DBSI, Inc.
Hurwit also thanked Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., the First Assistant United States Attorney in the office who served as United States Attorney in acting and interim capacities since February 2021, for his dedicated service. “Mr. Gonzalez has made lasting contributions to our Office not only through his internal leadership and mentorship, but also through the relationships he has built with law enforcement and other partners throughout Idaho.” said Hurwit. “He is a true public servant.”
Hurwit grew up in Eugene, Oregon. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with honors from Stanford University in 2002 and from Harvard Law School in 2006, where he received the Best Oralist Award in the finals of the Upper Round Ames Moot Court Competition. After law school, Hurwit clerked for U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of the Southern District of New York and worked at national law firms before joining the United States Attorney’s Office in Idaho.
As United States Attorney, Hurwit is the chief federal law enforcement official in the state of Idaho, having prosecutorial responsibility over 44 counties in Idaho, encompassing more than 83,000 square miles and a population approaching 2 million people. He leads three staffed offices located in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Pocatello with 64 total employees, including 31 attorneys, and three full-time Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and four full-time contractors. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to domestic and international terrorism, civil rights, the environment, public corruption, child exploitation, fraud, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases, pursues civil fraud claims on behalf of the United States, and collects debts owed to the United States.
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Indictment unsealed charging terrorism, fraud, identity theft and immigration offensesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 24-year-old former Iraqi refugee has been charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery and Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (DOJ-NSD).
Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi made his initial appearance in federal court today. Also charged are his cousin Mohammed (aka Moe) Amer Faisal Al Qaysi, 26, another former Iraqi refugee, and Hami Jamshid aka Jamshid Ahmadzai, 32, a naturalized U.S. citizen. Hafedh Al Qaysi, Faisal Al Qaysi and Jamshid resided in Richmond, Houston and Sugar Land, respectively.
Law enforcement took them into custody June 16 on the charges contained in a sealed nine-count superseding indictment, returned April 26. The indictment was unsealed as the three appeared in court today.
Hafedh Al Qaysi did unlawfully and knowingly conspire and agree with others known and unknown to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to the charges. The Secretary of State has defined ISIS as a foreign terrorist organization.
Hafedh Al Qaysi is also charged with three counts of making a false statement in a naturalization application. The indictment alleges that he falsely answered “no” when asked if he had ever been a member of or in any way associated, either directly or indirectly, with a terrorist organization, or if he was ever a part of any group or ever helped any group, unit or organization that used a weapon against any person or threatened to do so.
The naturalization application also asks whether the applicant had ever committed, assisted with or attempted to commit a crime or offense for which they were not arrested. Hafedh Alqaysi, Faisal Al Qaysi and Jamshid all falsely answered “no” to that question, according to the indictment.
The indictment also alleges that Jamshid procured citizenship or naturalization unlawfully.
The three men face additional charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Beginning on or about Jan. 1, 2015, through on or about March 10, 2017, they conspired together to devise a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. The indictment alleges that Hafedh Alqaysi also committed aggravated identity theft in relation to that scheme.
If convicted, Hafedh Al Qaysi faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the material support count as well as well as a mandatory two years for the identity theft which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. Making a false statement in a naturalization application and procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully carry possible penalties of five and 10 years, respectively. All three also face up to 20 years for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud, upon conviction.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani is prosecuting the case along with DOJ-NSD Trial Attorney Joshua Champagne.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Hot Springs Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs man was sentenced today to a total of 211 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
In June of 2019, agents with the Arkansas State Police and detectives from the 18th East Judicial Drug Task Force began an investigation into Antone Nicklaus Costa, age 42, for the distribution of methamphetamine in the Garland County area. Between the dates of June 20, 2019, and July 23, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted several controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Costa.
On September 16, 2019, an Arkansas State Police Trooper made a traffic stop on Costa and took him into custody. A search of his person revealed approximately 4 grams of methamphetamine, 29 suspected Clonazapam tablets and $823.00 dollars in U.S. currency. In the passenger's seat of the vehicle being operated by Costa, the officers observed in plain view, a loaded 9mm handgun.
Costa was transported back to his residence and a search was conducted. The search resulted in officers locating a stolen .45 caliber handgun, an additional handgun, ammunition, and multiple empty baggies.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.
The 18th East Judicial Drug Task Force and the Arkansas State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Harris and Kim Harris prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Honolulu’s Former Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro and Businessman Dennis Mitsunaga Indicted in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Special Attorneys Michael Wheat (619) 546-8437, Joseph Orabona (619) 546-7951, Janaki Chopra (619) 546-8817, Colin McDonald (619) 546-9144 and Andrew Chiang (619) 546-8756
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 17, 2022
HONOLULU – Former Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Mitsuyoshi Kaneshiro and Honolulu businessman Dennis Mitsunaga are charged in an indictment unsealed today with participating in a bribery scheme in which Mitsunaga and his network of employees and affiliates paid Kaneshiro more than $45,000 in campaign contributions to prosecute one of his former employees and violate that employee’s civil rights.
Kaneshiro and Mitsunaga, owner and CEO of Mitsunaga & Associates, Inc., an engineering and architectural firm, were arrested at their homes this morning and will make their first appearances in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter. Also indicted and arrested today were three of Mitsunaga’s employees - Terri Ann Otani, Aaron Shunichi Fujii and Chad Michael McDonald. All are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Federal Program Bribery and Honest Services Wire Fraud, and Conspiracy Against Rights.
According to the indictment, Mitsunaga wanted a fired employee, identified in court records as L.J.M., to be prosecuted after that employee filed a federal discrimination suit against Mitsunaga’s company. In order to influence the prosecutor’s office to open an investigation and file charges, Mitsunaga steered tens of thousands of dollars to Kaneshiro’s reelection campaigns between 2012 and 2016. In doing so, Mitsunaga circumvented campaign contribution limits by asking for contributions from family members, business partners, employees and subcontractors. The accusations against L.J.M. were baseless and motivated by a desire to intimidate L.J.M., the indictment said.
According to the indictment, in the summer of 2014, after a senior deputy prosecutor in Kaneshiro’s office recommended declining charges against L.J.M., Kaneshiro reassigned the case to a recently hired deputy prosecuting attorney, identified in court records as J.D. Around December 1, 2014, acting on behalf of Kaneshiro, J.D. filed a felony information against L.J.M., charging L.J.M. with four counts of second-degree theft under State of Hawaii law.
The prosecution of L.J.M. continued for several years until her case was dismissed with prejudice in a written order by Hawaii Circuit Judge Karen T. Nakasone on September 15, 2017. The order of dismissal pointed out the “one-sided nature of the investigation” and the fact that the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney “was little more than acting as the recipient of, and conduit for” submissions provided by Mitsunaga & Associates.
The indictment alleges that in exchange for the contributions given to him by defendants Mitsunaga, Otani, Fujii, McDonald and others, Kaneshiro agreed to take official action and exercise his authority as the Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu to open an investigation into and prosecute L.J.M.
“This indictment alleges a Honolulu businessman and others paid more than $45,000 in campaign contributions to Honolulu’s former Prosecuting Attorney to prosecute a former employee,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman in the Southern District of California. “Public officials must conduct their affairs honestly and with integrity. The Department of Justice will work to hold accountable anyone who betrays that duty through the influence of bribes.” Grossman thanked the FBI in Honolulu and the prosecution team for their work on this case.
“The citizens of Hawaii deserve a government free of corruption,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven B. Merrill of the FBI’s Honolulu Division. “Corruption erodes the public trust and the FBI is committed to ensuring that people cannot buy prosecutions in the State of Hawaii. Thanks to U.S. Attorney Grossman and the prosecution team for their teamwork and commitment to justice.”
DEFENDANTS Case No. CR 22-00048-JMS
Keith Mitsuyoshi Kaneshiro Age: 72 Honolulu, HI
Dennis Mitsunaga Age: 78 Honolulu, HI
Terri Ann Otani Age: 66 Honolulu, HI
Aaron Shunichi Fujii Age: 64 Honolulu, HI
Chad Michael McDonald Age: 50 Kaneohe, HI
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud and Federal Program Bribery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison
Conspiracy Against Rights – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 241
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison
AGENCY
FBI
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.