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11 May 2022
Former Corsica Official Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding the Borough of More than $300,000Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to 21 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release on her conviction of wire fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora Berry Fischer imposed the sentence on Tammy Laird, 49, of Corsica, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, from January 2009 through August 2017, while Laird was employed as the Secretary and Treasurer of Corsica Borough, she defrauded the borough of more than $300,000 by issuing checks from the borough’s bank accounts to her father, her husband, and herself, by extracting funds from the borough’s bank accounts to pay personal expenses and credit card bills, and by making personal purchases on the borough’s business account at Staples. To hide her activity, Laird supplied the Corsica Borough Council and state auditors with altered bank statements and other falsified financial documentation. In 2020, Laird entered a guilty plea to all 26 counts of wire fraud charged.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Fischer stated that although Laird had demonstrated remorse and post-conviction rehabilitation efforts, she had perpetrated a multi-year fraud upon the borough, a small community with very limited operating funds, and as such, she deserved a sentence of imprisonment commensurate with the significant financial harm caused. Judge Fischer further ordered Laird to pay restitution to Corsica Borough in the amount of $265,200.79.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Laird.
Former Chief of Honduran National Police Extradited to the United States on Drug Trafficking and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today the extradition of JUAN CARLOS BONILLA VALLADARES, a/k/a “El Tigre,” on charges of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and related weapons offenses involving the use and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. BONILLA VALLADARES arrived from Honduras in the Southern District of New York yesterday, and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Rather than use his high-powered position as the Chief of Honduran Police to combat drug trafficking, Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, a/k/a ‘El Tigre,’ corruptly exploited his position to protect and assist the drug trafficking organizations he was obligated to disrupt. With his support and protection, Bonilla Valladares’s associates became a critical pipeline for the Central American drug trade to the United States. His extradition demonstrates that no one is exempt by virtue of their title or position of authority – even foreign Presidents and police chiefs – from criminal prosecution for contributing to the flood of illegal narcotics into this country that causes so much harm.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez would not have risen to power and successfully benefited from massive drug proceeds had it not been for his expansive network of corrupt associates. These associates, including Bonilla Valladares, likewise exploited their positions to traffic cocaine to the United States and violently protect other politically connected drug traffickers, all for their own personal gains. Bonilla Valladares further betrayed the Honduran people by using his law enforcement badge to cover for his crimes. Bonilla Valladares’s extradition shows the world once again that corrupt officials cannot hide behind their positions. DEA, in coordination with our U.S. and international partners, will stop at nothing to bring to justice anyone who threatens the safety and health of Americans.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint charging BONILLA VALLADARES, evidence presented at the October 2019 trial of Juan Antonio Hernandez Alvarado (“Hernandez Alvarado”) in the Southern District of New York, and statements in open court during the prosecution of Hernandez Alvarado[1]:
Between approximately 2003 and 2020, multiple drug-trafficking organizations in Honduras and elsewhere worked together, and with support from certain prominent public and private individuals, including Honduran politicians and law enforcement officials, to receive multi-ton loads of cocaine sent to Honduras from, among other places, Colombia and Venezuela via air and maritime routes, and to transport the drugs westward in Honduras toward the border with Guatemala and eventually to the United States. For protection from law enforcement interference, and in order to facilitate the safe passage through Honduras of multi-ton loads of cocaine, drug traffickers paid bribes to public officials, including certain presidents, members of the National Congress of Honduras, and personnel from the Honduran National Police, including BONILLA VALLADARES.
BONILLA VALLADARES was a member of the Honduran National Police between approximately 1998 and approximately 2016. During his tenure, he held high-ranking positions, including Regional Police Chief with authority over locations in western Honduras that were strategically important to drug traffickers, and Chief of the Honduran National Police for all of Honduras between approximately 2012 and approximately 2013. BONILLA VALLADARES corruptly exploited these official positions to facilitate cocaine trafficking, and used violence, including murder, to protect the particular cell of politically connected drug traffickers he aligned with, including former Honduran congressman Hernandez Alvarado and former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez (“Hernandez”), who is referred to in the Complaint charging BONILLA VALLADARES as “CC-4.”
For example, in exchange for bribes paid in drug proceeds, BONILLA VALLADARES directed members of the Honduran National Police, who were armed with machine guns, to let cocaine shipments pass through police checkpoints without being inspected or seized. BONILLA VALLADARES, in coordination with Hernandez Alvarado and others, also provided members of their conspiracy with sensitive law enforcement information to facilitate cocaine shipments, including information regarding aerial and maritime interdiction operations.
In or about 2010, Hernandez Alvarado told a cooperating witness (“CW-1”) that Hernandez Alvarado and Hernandez helped BONILLA VALLADARES advance his position within the Honduran National Police, and that BONILLA VALLADARES protected their drug-trafficking activities in return. Hernandez Alvarado also told CW-1 that BONILLA VALLADARES was very violent, and that Hernandez Alvarado and Hernandez trusted BONILLA VALLADARES with special assignments, including murder. For example, in or about July 2011, BONILLA VALLADARES participated in the murder of a rival drug trafficker at the request of Hernandez Alvarado and others because the rival trafficker had attempted to prevent Hernandez Alvarado and other members of the conspiracy from transporting cocaine through a region of western Honduras near the border with Guatemala.
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The Complaint charges BONILLA VALLADARES, 62, with: (1) conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, (2) using and carrying machine guns and destructive devices during and in relation to, and possessing machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy; and (3) conspiring to use and carry machine guns and destructive devices during and in relation to, and to possess machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy. If convicted, BONILLA VALLADARES faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison on Count One, a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison on Count Two, and a maximum term of life in prison on Count Three.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, New York Strike Force, and the Tegucigalpa Country Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing BONILLA VALLADARES’s arrest and extradition.
This prosecution 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.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig, Michael D. Lockard, Jason A. Richman, and Elinor L. Tarlow are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and BONILLA VALLADARES is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Bank Teller Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that KAREN FARRELL TIGLER, age 35, of Harvey, Louisiana, pled guilty today to Bank Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344, and Making and Subscribing False Tax Returns in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).
According to documents filed in federal court, from January 1, 2013, to November 14, 2016, TIGLER was employed as a multi-service banker with the Hancock Whitney Bank. TIGLER worked at a Whitney branch in New Orleans, LA. Client A was in her mid-80s in 2015 and 2016 and was a banking customer of Whitney.
From February 9, 2015, to October 28, 2016, TIGLER used her position with the bank to embezzle approximately $349,556 from Client A’s account by using 100 counter checks to debit funds from Client A’s account. TIGLER used her position with the bank to access personal information from other legitimate banking transactions to create the fraudulent counter checks. TIGLER forged the signatures of Client A and various others on the counter checks to conceal her embezzlement scheme. TIGLER accessed or utilized legitimate checks drawn on Client A’s account to prepare fraudulent counter checks. TIGLER cashed 21 counter checks totaling $73,924 that were supposedly for “roofing,” “market/garden work,” “light fixtures/cleaning,” “extras plumbing,” “misc. work,” “renovations,” and “maintenance.” TIGLER cashed the other 79 counter checks totaling approximately $275,632 payable to another individual that were supposedly for “house,” “maintenance,” and for “happy birthday.”
In addition, TIGLER failed to report $134,429 on her 2015 tax return and $215,127 on her 2016 return. TIGLER reported W-2 income from the bank of $21,290 for the tax year 2015 and $19,256 for 2016. TIGLER spread the deposits of cash of embezzled funds into her various accounts. TIGLER also failed to report gambling winnings of $32,180 on her 2015 tax return. When confronted by a relative of Client A, TIGLER falsely implicated another individual in an effort to conceal her embezzlement of funds from Client A’s account.
For her plea of guilty to Bank Fraud, TIGLER faces a maximum penalty of thirty (30) years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $1,000,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. She also faces up to _ years of supervised release. As to her plea of guilty to Making and Subscribing False Tax Returns, TIGLER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three (3) years and/or a fine of $100,000.00 plus cost of prosecution as well as up to _years of supervised release. For each charge to which she has pled guilty, she must also pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime at www.ovc.gov. Additional elder justice resources, training, and outreach materials can be found at the Elder Justice Website at www.elderjustice.gov.
Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for August 3, 2022, before United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Hancock Whitney Bank with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.
Former Archdiocese of Baltimore Roman Catholic Priest Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor Who He Met Through a ChurchRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Fernando Cristancho, age 65, of Bel Air, Maryland, to 22 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for coercion and enticement of a minor who he met through the church to engage in illegal sexual activity. Cristancho also admitted that he produced nude images of four other minor victims. Judge Hollander also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Cristancho 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; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert Peisinger, Jr.
“Cristancho is finally being held accountable for his horrific crimes. Let this sentence serve as a deterrent to anyone that seeks to sexually abuse children, especially those in trusted positions intended to be a safe place and haven for children.” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will relentlessly pursue and prosecute predators that exploit the trust of children and families.”
According to his guilty plea, Cristancho was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in Colombia, South America, in 1985 and moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where he worked as an assistant priest. In approximately 1999, Cristancho was granted faculties to work as a priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and worked as a priest in Baltimore County, and at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Harford County. In 2002, the Archdiocese of Baltimore revoked Cristancho’s faculties to work as a priest in the Archdiocese.
As stated in his plea agreement, John Doe was 11, 12, and 13 years old at the time of the offenses against him. John Doe’s family were members of St. Ignatius. Soon after Cristancho arrived at St. Ignatius in 1999, he began to spend time with John Doe’s family outside of church, including meals at restaurants and the family’s home, and at family gatherings. John Doe also became a lector at the church, with Cristancho working with him and coaching him in that process.
Beginning when John Doe was 11, Cristancho asked John Doe for back rubs; offered John Doe alcohol; took John Doe to dinner, kissed John Doe, told John Does that he loved him; and acted as if they were in a romantic relationship. Cristancho also showed John Doe pornography and suggested they do the same sexual activities.
After Cristancho was no longer working at the church, he arranged to hold religious services in the home of a parishioner, with John Doe performing as a lector or altar server. Additionally, in the summer of 2002, Cristancho invited himself to attend John Doe’s family’s camping trip and arranged to sleep next to John Doe in a tent. Following the camping trip, Cristancho arranged for John Doe to assist around Cristancho’s house, including with his infant children. Eventually, Cristancho arranged to have John Doe spend the weekend at Cristancho’s house which John Doe did on a regular basis well into 2003. It was during these weekends that Cristancho sexually abused John Doe. Cristancho sexually abused John Doe from 2002 through at least Fall 2003.
In September 2017, Cristancho went to a retail pharmacy to use the store’s photo printing equipment. When a store employee assisted Cristancho, they observed several photos of naked children and an image of what appeared to be a bite mark on a young boy’s buttocks on Cristancho’s smartphone. The employee subsequently made a report.
Law enforcement initiated an investigation, and a search warrant was executed at Cristancho’s residence on September 19, 2017. During the search warrant, investigators seized various digital devices including a smartphone. A subsequent forensic examination of the phone resulted in the discovery of nude photos and videos of four other minor victims, with most of the images being recorded when the victims were less than five years old.
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, the Maryland State Police, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution and thanked the Harford County Child Advocacy Center for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Colleen E. McGuinn, 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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Federal Murder, Attempted Robbery, Firearms Charges Filed in Shooting Death of Oconee County, Georgia, RaceTrac EmployeeRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A federal grand jury today returned a four-count indictment charging a Philadelphia resident with murder, attempted robbery and firearms charges. A co-defendant is accused of illegally purchasing the alleged murder weapon.
Ahkil Nasir Crumpton aka Crump, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is charged with interference with commerce by attempted robbery (Count One), use and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (Count Two), murder with a firearm during a crime of violence (Count Three) and false statement during the purchase of a firearm (Count Four). James Armstrong, 34, of Commerce, Georgia, is charged with false statement during the purchase of a firearm (Count Four). The statutory maximum sentence for Count One is 20 years imprisonment; the statutory maximum sentence for Count Two and Count Three is life imprisonment; and the statutory maximum sentence for Count Four is ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The indictment alleges that Crumpton brandished a Glock 9mm pistol during an attempted robbery of the RaceTrac gas station and convenience store on Macon Highway in Watkinsville, Georgia, on March 19, 2021, before shooting and killing store clerk Elijah Wood. The indictment alleges that Armstrong illegally purchased the firearm for Crumpton on Feb. 8, 2021, at the Franklin Gun Shop in Athens, Georgia, by falsely claiming to be the buyer on the Firearms Transaction Record-Form 4473 when Crumpton was the actual buyer. It is a federal offense to lie on Form 4473.
The case was investigated by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, GBI, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Law Enforcement Focuses on Violent Crime in TuscaloosaRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with state and local law enforcement, have increased their focus on prosecuting violent crime in Tuscaloosa. The initiative was made possible, in part, by focusing on crimes that drive the violence. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and ATF Special Agent in Charge Mickey French made the announcement.
“These efforts signify what can be accomplished when federal, state, and local law enforcement partners work together and combine every resource available to combat violent crime,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “But our work is not done. We expect additional prosecutions in the near future as we continue to focus on the scourge of violent crime. We are committed to working with our state and local partners in Tuscaloosa to make our communities safer.”
“The individuals who knowingly and unlawfully possess firearms, distribute narcotics, and use illegal substances while possessing firearms are a huge concern for law enforcement,” SAC French said. “The ATF works collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to swiftly remove violent criminals from the streets. The ATF’s primary mission is to combat violent crime in our communities, and we will work tirelessly to keep the communities that we serve safe.”
In April 2022, a federal grand jury indicted multiple defendants with firearm offenses, including:
Stanley Darnelius Wilder, 26, Tuscaloosa, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wilder illegally possessed a Diamondback 9mm pistol.
Antawn Devonte Marshall, 25, Eutaw, was charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Marshall illegally possessed a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, approximately 29 rounds of Wolf 7.6x39mm ammunition and a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol.
Johnny Dewayne Wells, 31, Tuscaloosa, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wells illegally possessed a Cobra .380 caliber pistol.
Charles Anthony Leatherwood, Jr., 20, Tuscaloosa, was charged with possession of a stolen firearm and with being an unlawful and addicted user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Leatherwood received a stolen Glock .40 caliber pistol.
On April 28, 2022, Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Donovan Logan Crawley, 32, of Tuscaloosa, to 15 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm. Crawley pleaded guilty in December 2021 to the charge. Crawley is prohibited from having a firearm because of multiple prior felony convictions.
In addition to the above cases, ATF, along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department, partnered in a two-day operation focused on reducing violent crime in Tuscaloosa. The operation resulted in the arrest of 35 individuals. ATF Special Agents and Task Force Officers arrested Devante Deshaun Stewart for a recent federal indictment alleging possession of two firearms after having been convicted of a felony. Tuscaloosa officers arrested individuals for a broad variety of offenses, including narcotics possession, pistol possession without a permit, distribution of narcotics, assault, outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court, illegal possession of pistols after convictions for certain state offenses, DUI, and leaving the scene of a crash, among other charges. Officers recovered a Jaguar automobile that had been stolen from the Birmingham area. Additionally, local narcotics investigators executed two narcotics search warrants during the operation. Officers also seized nine firearms from individuals who did not have pistol permits or were barred from possessing them because of prior convictions for certain felonies.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Jury Finds Minneapolis Man Guilty of Lying to a Grand JuryRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury convicted a Minneapolis man of lying to a grand jury, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel, Muse Mohamud Mohamed, 30, was convicted yesterday on two counts of false declarations before a grand jury. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
Mohamed was served with a subpoena to provide testimony before a grand jury seated in the District of Minnesota regarding the use of the agent delivery process during Minnesota’s August 11, 2020, primary election. The City of Minneapolis’ election records document that Mohamed delivered ballots as an agent for three voters during that election. The voters, however, testified that they do not know Mohamed and did not ask him to pick up and deliver absentee ballots for them.
As proven at trial, on October 14, 2021, Mohamed provided testimony to the grand jury that he received the absentee ballots from the voters themselves. When Mohamed was confronted with the fact that the voters each gave statements that they do not know him and that they did not ask him or anyone for agent delivery of their ballots for the August 2020 election, Mohamed testified that he received the ballots from the voters.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
This case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Svendsen, Angela M. Munoz, and Allison K. Ethen.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced for Sexual Assault Aboard FlightRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced yesterday to 10 months in prison, 5 years’ supervised release, and a $2,000 fine for sexual contact without consent while on an airplane flying into RDU airport. Ryan Eugene Larned will also have to register as a sex offender. On July 26, 2021, Larned pled guilty to the charge pursuant to a plea agreement.
“Safe air travel is essential to our economy and keeping families connected,” said Michael Easley. “This defendant assaulted a young woman traveling alone, and now he will be spending time behind bars and will be identified as a sex offender in the community. No passenger, flight crew, or flight attendant should have to fly in fear. My office will continue to prosecute crimes that jeopardize the safety of the flying public.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Larned, 38, flew on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport where he was seated next to a 17-year-old girl who was flying alone. The female, a high school junior, was in the window seat while Larned was in the middle seat. Without engaging in conversation and without consent, the 6’2’’ 220 pound man proceeded to touch the groin area of the 5’1’’ 100 pound female. He placed his jacket over them and reached his hands inside the pants of the female. The victim immediately reported the assault.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. FBI Special Agent Craig Noyes investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe prosecuted the case.
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. 5:21-CR-141.
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Erie Convenience Store Owner Sentenced for Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 2 years probation and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $52,236.68 on his conviction of food stamp fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Bader Al-Dhumani, 57, 836 East 11th Street, Erie, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around January 2015 to in and around April 2020, Al-Dhumani, who is the owner and operator of Palm Tree Market in Erie, committed food stamp fraud by accepting food stamps for cash, store credit, and ineligible items. Al-Dhumani also took possession of customers’ PA Access Cards so that he could use the customers’ food stamp benefits at other stores to purchase inventory for his store.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Al-Dhumani.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison on Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Walter Parker, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison on a federal firearms charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Parker was found guilty by a jury in February 2022, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of illegal possession of a weapon by a felon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Parker will be placed on three years of supervised release.
On April 10, 2019, at about 6 p.m., an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department observed Parker take a gun out of his waistband and put it inside a dumpster outside of an apartment building in the 3600 block of Hayes Street NE. After discarding the loaded gun, Parker then ran from officers. The firearm was recovered and determined to be a 9-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol, loaded with one round of ammunition in the chamber and 11 in the magazine.
At the time of this offense, Parker was on probation on a Maryland charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon. He also had prior convictions in the District of Columbia for robbery and fleeing a law enforcement officer.
Following his arrest in this case, Parker was placed on pre-trial release. However, he failed to abide by conditions of release and was ordered to surrender in May 2020. He did not surrender or return to Court until he was arrested in August 2020 on unrelated charges. 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 former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Berridge and Jeffrey Poulin, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, and Paralegal Specialists Kate Abrey, Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Genevieve de Guzman, Donville Drummond, and Rhonda Richardson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary L. Dohrmann and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily (Meg) Ariotti, who prosecuted the matter.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 74 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics and Use FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Victor Davis, 31, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 74 months in federal prison for his role in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute narcotics and a related conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Davis is one of more than a dozen individuals arrested as part of a joint FBI/ATF investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 34 pounds of marijuana, 16 firearms, and more than $270,000 in cash.
Davis, who utilized the street nickname “Wee,” pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine. As part of his plea agreement, Davis admitted to participating in a separate conspiracy to use, carry, and possess firearms. Davis was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, Davis will be placed on four years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in approximately June 2018, and continuing through April 2021, Davis and his co-conspirators maintained drug dealing territory on Trenton Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. – a territory they defended by carrying, and discharging, firearms at perceived rivals. As part of his role in the conspiracy, Davis distributed narcotics in street-level transactions and served as an armed defender of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory.
Davis encouraged his co-conspirators to pool their money to buy as many firearms as possible for use in defending their territory and admitted to having participated in shootings in defense of the co-conspirators’ territory. Davis was arrested in relation to another offense on May 4, 2020. He has been detained ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and ATF. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case, with help from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Vaillancourt and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Berridge.
Delaware Woman Charged with Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Nari T. Lam, age 29, of Wilmington, Delaware, was charged in a criminal Information on May 10, 2022, with failing to remit employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the Information alleges that from 2016 through 2020, Lam, the owner of Pennsylvania-based temporary staffing company, Penns Independent Staffing, failed to pay approximately $300,000 in employment taxes owed by Penns Independent Staffing to the IRS.
One other individual, Mark Holmes, age 66, of Hughes Springs, Texas, was previously charged in this investigation. Holmes pleaded guilty to accepting, as the General Manager of a Pennsylvania food services company, approximately $400,000 in bribes and kickbacks from two temporary staffing companies, one of which was Penns Independent Staffing, in exchange for hiring their employees. The two temporary staffing companies, in turn, received approximately $7,800,000 from Holmes’s employer.
Holmes also pleaded guilty to failing to remit employment taxes to the IRS for a separate temporary staffing company, Encore Staffing Solutions LLC, that he owned and operated with other coconspirators. From March 2018 through December 2020, Holmes and his coconspirators allegedly failed to pay approximately $135,000 in employment taxes owed by Encore Staffing Solutions LLC to the IRS. Holmes awaits sentencing.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Defendants Plead Guilty in Two Unrelated HomicidesRead the Press Release
Two men have pleaded guilty this week in federal court in two unrelated murder cases that occurred in Mayes and Craig Counties, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
On Wednesday, Daren Gilson Puffinbarger, 32, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country. Puffinbarger shot Muscogee Nation citizen Lucas Sanders in the head six times while the victim lay in bed then set fire to the victim’s body. The crime occurred on Aug. 18, 2021. Agents located two small propane torch kits in the bedroom, one on the bed and the other sitting upright on the floor next to the bed, which were used to start the fires. The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and Mayes County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick is prosecuting the case.
In a separate case, Johnny Lee Arnold, 34, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country on Tuesday. In a plea agreement, he admitted that on Aug. 19. 2019, he killed Cherokee Nation citizen Christopher Boren by stabbing him 17 times. The victim’s body was found near the vicinity of 350 Road and 4430 Road in Craig County. The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Mayes County Sheriff’s Office and Craig County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Brasher is prosecuting the case.
“Federal prosecutors, victim specialists and law enforcement are committed to fully investigating violent crimes that occur within Indian Country and to supporting victims and their families as we seek justice on their behalf,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Those individuals committing heinous crimes, such as murder, in the Northern District of Oklahoma will be held accountable.”
Dallas Man Convicted of Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
A Dallas man pleaded guilty yesterday to running a brutal sex trafficking ring for nearly two decades, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Anthony Johnson, 45, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking on May 10, narrowly avoiding his trial, which was scheduled to begin the same day.
“Like Tremont Blakemore, a north Texas trafficker who pleaded guilty just two weeks ago, Anthony Johnson systematically tormented his victims, convincing them they had no choice but to bend to his will,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “It’s difficult to fathom that human trafficking happens on the streets of Dallas, but it does, every day. If you or someone you know is being victimized, reach out for help. As impossible as it may seem in the moment, there is a way out.”
“Those attempting to profit from commercial sex through the viciousness of human trafficking are causing significant harm in our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas Christopher Miller. “This defendant’s guilty plea moves one step closer to finding justice for the victims he brutalized and manipulated.”
In plea papers, Mr. Johnson, aka “Macc Bucc,” admitted he forced numerous women to engage in commercial sex acts and turn the proceeds over to him. He set “quotas,” compelled the women to work for hours on end, and brutally beat them with an extension cord when they came up short, “disrespected” him, or did not follow his rules. He also required the women to steal from commercial sex customers, instructing them to rifle through customers’ pockets for cash or jewelry and check their cars for valuables.
One woman, identified in court documents as “Adult Victim 7,” endured his abuse for several years. The night he recruited AV7, Mr. Johnson directed his second-in-command, Demetrice Deckard, to take her to Harry Hines and teach her how to solicit commercial sex customers. She engaged in commercial sex with her first customer just a few days later. Throughout her time in his trafficking organization, AV7 was forced to travel cross-country to engage in commercial sex and was routinely beaten when she tried to leave the organization.
In a pretrial filing, prosecutors indicated they were prepared to introduce into evidence a 911 call placed by a different victim’s mother after her daughter called her in tears from a passerby’s phone.
“She said, ‘mamma, I wanna come home, they won’t let me come home,’ she said, ‘they got everything I got,’” the woman told the dispatcher. “‘Mamma, he got me by gunpoint, he’s got these girls following me, he beat me up real bad.’”
In another pretrial filing, prosecutors indicated that they were also prepared to introduce evidence that Mr. Johnson obtained a contraband cell phone while in jail awaiting trial and used the phone to continue running his organization. According to prosecutors, text messages obtained from the cell phone showed that Mr. Johnson continued to instruct women where to work, which hotels to use, how to steal from customers, and when they could finish work for the night. Mr. Johnson also directed women to send him videos of themselves having sex with commercial sex customers. In plea papers, Mr. Johnson admitted that he also ran his trafficking organization from behind bars from 2014 to 2019, following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Mr. Johnson now faces up to life in federal prison.
Ms. Deckard pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to engage in trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion and faces up to life in federal prison. Another co-defendant, Ashley Neice, pled guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and admitted to conspiring with Mr. Johnson to contact a victim in the criminal case in order to tell her not to cooperate with law enforcement. Ms. Neice faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, Miami Police Department, and the Miami Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie Smith and Renee Hunter prosecuted the case with the help of appellate liaison Brian McKay.
If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call local law enforcement or the 24/7 confidential National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Cryptocurrency Trader Sentenced to 42 MonthsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that defendant JEREMY SPENCE, a/k/a “Coin Signals,” was sentenced to 42 months in prison for defrauding more than 170 victims in connection with various cryptocurrency funds that he operated. SPENCE previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who imposed today’s sentence.
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and the Complaint, court filings, and statements made in court:
From November 2017 through April 2019, SPENCE solicited investors in various cryptocurrency investment pools that SPENCE had created and managed (the “Funds”). SPENCE solicited investments for several Funds, the largest and most active of which were the Coin Signals Bitmex Fund, a/k/a the “CS Mex Fund,” the Coin Signals Alternative Fund, a/k/a the “CS Alt Fund,” and the Coin Signals Long Term Fund. Investors who wanted to participate in a Fund would transfer cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, to SPENCE in order for SPENCE to invest it.
SPENCE solicited more than $5 million through false representations, including that SPENCE’s crypto trading had been extremely profitable when, in fact, SPENCE’s trading had been consistently unprofitable. For example, on January 28, 2018, SPENCE posted a message in an online chat group falsely claiming that his trading of investor funds over the past month had generated a return of more than 148%. As a result of this misrepresentation, investors transferred additional funds to SPENCE. In fact, over that same period of approximately one month, SPENCE’s trading resulted in net losses in the accounts in which he traded investor funds.
To forestall redemptions by investors, and to continue to raise money from investors to fund his scheme, SPENCE generated fictitious account balances, which he made available to investors online. Instead of accurately reporting the trading losses SPENCE was incurring, the account balances falsely indicated to investors that they were making money by investing with SPENCE. To hide his trading losses, SPENCE used new investor funds to pay back other investors in a Ponzi-like fashion. In total, SPENCE distributed cryptocurrency worth approximately $2 million to investors substantially from funds previously deposited by other investors.
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In addition to his prison term, SPENCE, 25, of Bristol, Rhode Island, was sentenced to three years of supervised released and restitution in the amount of $2,847,743.00.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which brought a separate civil action.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine I. Magdo is in charge of the prosecution.
Chicago Insurance Executive Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling Nearly $6 Million from His EmployerRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former controller of a Chicago-based insurance company has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for embezzling nearly $6 million in company funds.
From October 2018 to June 2020, KEVIN J. MIX authorized approximately 42 wire transfers totaling more than $5.8 million from Insureon to his personal bank accounts and the accounts of shell companies that he created. At the time, Mix was Insureon’s controller and responsible for managing the company’s accounting operations. Mix attempted to conceal the fraudulent transfers by making false entries in the company’s records, creating fake emails, and making false statements to company representatives and the company’s bank.
Mix used the stolen money to purchase, among other things, several real estate parcels in the Chicago area and Ohio, Mercedes-Benz and Audi automobiles, multiple diamonds and gold bars, and membership for a private charter jet service.
Mix, 43, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow on Tuesday ordered Mix to pay $5,845,427 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to six years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Curtis Givens, 52, admitted to selling several grams of fentanyl as well as two firearms, including a .32-caliber handgun, to a confidential informant on November 10, 2020. Givens admitted that he sold the confidential informant an additional 14 grams of fentanyl on November 18, 2020. Both transactions occurred at Givens’ residence on Charleston’s West Side.
Givens also brandished a firearm on July 7, 2021, while arguing with another person in view of a Charleston police officer who then immediately arrested Givens.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-166.
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California Man Sentenced to over 17 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ALLEN EDGERSON, age 44, of Moreno Valley, California, was sentenced to over 17 years today for methamphetamine trafficking.
EDGERSON pled guilty on July 7, 2021, to conspiring to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. According to court documents, EDGERSON sold methamphetamine in large quantities, quoting customers prices for up to 20 pounds of methamphetamine at a time. Law enforcement agents caught EDGERSON and his codefendant, Rachel Cesario, sending packages with multiple pounds of methamphetamine at a time to codefendant Sheon Copprue in New Orleans.
The Honorable Sarah S. Vance sentenced EDGERSON to a term of imprisonment of 210 months, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100. EDGERSON’s codefendants, Sheon Copprue, Rachel Cesario, and Tonya Calvin, have already pled guilty in this case and are awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.
Buffalo Man Going to Prison for Selling Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Moralles Mendez, 44, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, was sentenced to serve 90 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan E. Leydecker and Charles E. Watkins, Jr., who are handling the case, stated that in August and September 2019, investigators conducted two controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Mendez. On September 25, 2019, another controlled purchase was arranged and when Mendez arrived at the pre-determined location, he was arrested with a quantity of heroin and fentanyl on the front passenger seat of his vehicle. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant at Mendez’s residence and recovered five cellphones and two digital scales.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
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Brooklyn High School Paraprofessional Charged with Production of Child Pornography and Sextortion SchemeRead the Press Release
An 11-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Brian Quinones, a paraprofessional at Midwood High School, with sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child of pornography, cyberstalking, and related offenses. The charges relate to sexually explicit videos of a child that the defendant allegedly requested and received from a boy he met over the Internet, as well as other sexually explicit images and videos that the defendant possessed and distributed. Quinones was arrested today and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, Quinones was a prolific trader of child pornography who posed as a woman in order to solicit sexually explicit videos from a minor boy, then blackmailed the victim with cruel threats to post the material on the Internet,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office is working diligently with our law enforcement partners to address the online exploitation of minors and protect our children from predators like Quinones. Today’s prosecution should also serve as a reminder to parents and caregivers to remain vigilant about your children’s communications over the Internet and the importance of educating our children about the dangers of communicating online with strangers.”
Mr. Peace thanked the FBI/NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force for its investigative work on the case.
“Sexual predators often prey on the terror children experience when they are coerced and manipulated into creating explicit photos and videos,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “We allege Quinones threatened to expose the images his victim created if the child didn't continue to send him more. Children often fear going to an adult to report what's happened because they're humiliated, and they believe the threats. The FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force believes Quinones may have more victims, and we ask anyone with information to contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov so we can hold him fully accountable for his actions.”
“Any kind of sexual exploitation of a minor is absolutely detestable behavior,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “But when the suspect has also been entrusted with our communities’ children, it is especially disturbing. Decades ago, predators would go to a playground or a park to find young victims. Now, there’s an entire virtual world full of potential targets. These types of crimes have devastating effects on children and their families, and I commend and thank all of the investigators at the NYPD, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District who are dedicated to identifying and bringing to justice those who commit such offenses.”
As set forth in court filings, between September 2019 and January 2020, Quinones used an instant messaging mobile application to trade dozens of videos and images depicting child pornography with another individual who has since been charged with child pornography-related offenses. Following a court-authorized search of Quinones’s residence and the seizure of his electronic devices, FBI Special Agents discovered a series of sexually explicit messages between Quinones, who was impersonating a woman, and a minor male victim (John Doe), who Quinones lured into creating and sending sexually explicit videos. Quinones then threatened to post the victim’s material on the Internet unless the victim agreed to make additional sexually explicit content. The defendant stated in a WhatsApp message: “I got everything you sent,” adding that he would “ruin” John Doe. The defendant directed John Doe to do “[e]verything I tell u to do” and to “behave.” He then wrote, “Get on your hands and knees.” When John Doe declined to do so, the defendant threatened, “I’m ready to make u famous[.] Any last words?’
If convicted of sexual exploitation of a child, Quinones faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This prosecution is 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Silverberg.
The Defendant: BRIAN QUINONES
Age: 30
Sheepshead Bay, BrooklynE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-218 (HG)
Bronx Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bronx, N.Y., man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Eric Encarnacion Medina, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 51 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In November 2021, Encarnacion Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
In January 2021, Encarnacion Medina was identified as working with a drug trafficker based in the Dominican Republic who shipped multiple kilograms of fentanyl to a location in Pennsylvania. Encarnacion Medina would then transport the fentanyl from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts. On Jan. 28, 2021, Encarnacion Medina sold one kilogram of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Boston and discussed future drug sales before going back to New York. On Feb. 11, 2021, Encarnacion agreed to sell the cooperating witness 400 fentanyl pills and drive to Boston again from New York for the transaction. Encarnacion Medina also discussed future deals and the potential for transactions involving high quantities of fentanyl pills and methamphetamine. Encarnacion Medina was arrested upon his arrival in Boston on Feb. 12, 2021.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
Avilla Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison and Ordered to Pay $251,948.59 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE- Adam N. Bock, age 43 of Avilla, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady, on his plea of guilty to removing, obliterating, tampering or altering a vehicle identification number of a motor vehicle, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Bock was sentenced to 30 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $251,948.59 in restitution to victims of the offense.
According to documents in this case, in 2017 and 2018, Bock and an accomplice stole 25 travel trailers from businesses in Indiana and Michigan. They then replaced the VIN numbers and rebranded the trailers in Bock’s company name. Thereafter, Bock and his accomplice sold many of the rebranded trailers to innocent third-party purchasers.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police with the assistance of the Michigan State Police, the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Office and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
Australian Citizen Sentenced for Visa FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Paul J. Carter, also known as Paul Hamilton, and formerly known as Paul Cristallo, was sentenced today to time served (6 days in jail), and to pay a $5,000 fine, for making false statements in a 2018 U.S. visa application.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Carter, age 55, an Australian citizen residing in Watervliet, New York, admitted to lying about his criminal history when he sought to renew his E-2 visa in 2018. E-2 visas admit certain foreign nationals who have invested a substantial amount of money in a U.S. business. Carter obtained an E-2 visa, and began residing in the United States, in 2014. The U.S. government denied Carter’s visa renewal application in 2018, and Carter has been residing in the United States without status since May 2020.
This case was investigated by HSI, with assistance from the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Honors Nation’s Law Enforcement During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
In honor of National Police Week, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), over 67% of the law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 succumbed to COVID-19.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the FBI through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58% from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks[1] were the cause of 24 deaths, significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 p.m. ET. Those who wish to view the vigil live online can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
[1] An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.
Arizona man faces charge for attempting to entice a minorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Jonathan John James, 58, of Tsaile, Arizona, appeared in federal court today for a preliminary and detention hearing where he was charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. James will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to a criminal complaint, on April 20 James allegedly followed a child as she shopped with a grandparent at a Home Depot in Gallup, New Mexico. James allegedly approached the victim, told her she was attractive and gave her his telephone number, written on a wet wipe package, in hopes they would communicate. On April 20, James allegedly began exchanging sexually explicit messages with someone he thought was the victim.
The messages were reported to the FBI on April 27. James continued exchanging messages with a person he thought was the victim. On April 28, James allegedly sent 24 images of obscene material depicting adults engaged in sexual activities, all of which showed nudity, and arranged to meet the victim. On May 5, James traveled from Arizona to a park in Gallup to meet the victim. He was detained by the FBI upon arrival.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, James faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
The FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Gallup Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Allen County Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned an indictment today charging an Allen County, KY man with possessing with the intent to distribute more than 5 grams of methamphetamine on three separate occasions and possessing a firearm on two of those occasions as a convicted felon and in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Timothy Harrison, 40, of Scottsville, KY, possessed with the intent to distribute, 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on March 25, 2021, in Allen County, on May 12, 2021, in Warren County, and on November 17, 2021, in Allen County. On March 25, 2021, Harrison, a convicted felon for possession of a controlled substance, also possessed a Ruger, model Wrangler, .22 caliber revolver, and ammunition, in furtherance of his drug trafficking. On May 12, 2021, Harrison possessed a Taurus, model PT 24/7 G2, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, and ammunition, in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
Harrison is charged with three counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance on May 25, 2022, before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Brent Brennenstuhl of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Harrison faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Louisville Division, made the announcement.
The DEA, the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kentucky State Police are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Albuquerque man pleads guilty to assaulting a federal officerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Derick Martin Garcia Pacheco, 33, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on May 10 in federal court to one count of assault on a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon and inflicting bodily injury and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Garcia will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Dec. 11, 2020, FBI agents executing a search warrant knocked at the door of Garcia’s residence and announced themselves as federal officers. Garcia armed himself with a .357 revolver and fired through the door, striking one of the agents. The agent was seriously injured, requiring surgery and hospitalization.
After Garcia shot the agent, other officers secured the scene and the FBI Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit responded to assist in executing the warrant, and Garcia was detained.
In his plea, Garcia acknowledge that he knew at the time of the incident that as a previously convicted felon he cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Garcia faces up to 20 years in prison for the assault charge and up to 10 years in prison for possessing firearms and ammunition.
The FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Holland S. Kastrin and Sarah J. Mease are prosecuting the case.
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Albuquerque man charged with bank robberyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Uriah Davis, 40, of Albuquerque, appeared in federal court today for a preliminary and detention hearing where he was charged with bank robbery. Davis will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to a criminal complaint, on May 2, Davis allegedly robbed the Wells Fargo bank on Central Avenue SE in Albuquerque. Davis allegedly entered the bank, approached a teller and made a verbal demand for money, repeatedly urging the teller to hurray. The teller complied and Davis allegedly fled the bank on foot.
On May 2, the FBI received a tip through the National Threat Operation Center that led agents to Davis’ location. On May 4, the FBI executed a federal search warrant on a room at the Tewa Lodge motel in Albuquerque, where Davis was found and taken into custody.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Davis faces up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crimes Task Force investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Letitia Carroll Simms is prosecuting the case.
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"Long Time Coming" Update: Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana in Parkersburg and elsewhere.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Matthew Edward Depew, 31, admitted to obtaining methamphetamine from Robert Sanders, Jr., between April and July 2021, which he then re-distributed to customers in and around Parkersburg. Depew would often obtain large quantities of methamphetamine on consignment from Sanders, and Sanders would sometimes direct Depew to specific customers. Sanders and Depew would regularly coordinate over the phone regarding when Depew needed more methamphetamine to distribute.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Depew was responsible for several pounds of methamphetamine worth tens of thousands of dollars that he obtained from Sanders and re-distributed within the Parkersburg area. Depew’s involvement in the conspiracy ended when he was arrested following a traffic stop by officers with the Parkersburg Police Department on July 31, 2021. During the traffic stop, officers found approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine in Depew’s possession that he had obtained from Sanders.
Sanders and co-defendants Carlo Ramsey, Floyd Dermonta Ramsey, Era Dawn Corder, and Ambera Roberts all previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. This case results from a nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” Roberts was sentenced to one and one-half years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on May 9, 2022. All other defendants are awaiting sentencing. The investigation also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force (PNTF), the Parkersburg Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Vienna Police Department, the Williamstown Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Boyd County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department, the Russell, Kentucky, Police Department and the Raceland, Kentucky, Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-163.
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10 May 2022
四名男子被指控谋杀 31 岁的皇后区男子Read the Press Release
美国纽约东区地方法院今天公布了一项两项罪名起诉书，指控Qing Ming Yu （又名“Allen Yu”）、Antony Abreu，又名“Antony”，You You，又名 “Eddie”，和 Zhe Zhang，又名“Zack” 2019 年 2 月 12 日谋杀31 岁的皇后区居民Xin Gu。
Qing Ming Yu和You You今天在纽约被捕，Zhe Zhang在加州被捕。 Antony Abreu 已被联邦拘留，因一件不相关的事情正在服刑，稍后将被转移到纽约东区。 Qing Ming Yu和You You定于今天下午在美国地方法官 Kuo面前被提审。 Zhe Zhang的首次出庭将在美国加州中区地方法院举行。 美国纽约东区检察官 Breon Peace、纽约外地办事处 (FBI) 联邦调查局助理主管 Michael J. Driscoll 和纽约市专员 Keechant L. Sewell 警察局 (NYPD) 宣布了逮捕和指控。
正如指控的那样，被告无情地使用枪支暴力来解决商业纠纷，将一个人的生命价值降低到美元数字，给社区带来创伤和哀悼，”美国检察官Peace说。 “起诉凶手永远是这个办公室的首要任务——无论是被告扣动扳机，还是付钱给别人为他做肮脏的工作。”
Peace先生对皇后区地方检察官办公室在调查中的协助表示感谢。 据称，Qing Ming Yu聘请他的侄子谋杀他认为的商业对手。 他的行为远远超出了糟糕的商业实践，表现出对人类生命的冷酷无情。 由于我们今天与合作伙伴采取的行动，Qing Ming Yu和参与剧情的每个人都不必再为生意操心了——因为他们被指控的罪行将面临正义和终身监禁的可能性， ”助理主管 Driscoll 说。
“我们之前已经说过：如果有人参与了纽约市的谋杀案，我们会找到他们并确保伸张正义，”纽约警察局局长 Sewell 说。“不知疲倦的工作 在本案中，侦探、特工和检察官帮助追究涉嫌对这起谋杀案负责的人对他们的行为负责。这是我们机构合作致力于公共安全的另一个例子，进一步证明没有人是无法控制的。
法庭文件详述，2015 年至 2018 年间，Xin Gu在Qing Ming Yu的房地产开发公司曼哈顿办公室工作。 几年来，Xin Gu开始担心公司的财务状况。 此后，Xin Gu辞职，成立了自己的房地产开发公司。
Xin Gu离职后，数名客户和员工也与Qing Ming Yu的公司断绝关系，该公司于 2018 年底关闭。Qing Ming Yu对Xin Gu不忠的行为感到愤怒，聘请侄子You You杀了Xin Gu以换取报酬。 You You 又聘请了 Zhang 和 Antony Abreu 协助执行谋杀。
2019 年 2 月 11 日晚，一直到第二天早上，Xin Gu的新公司在纽约皇后区的一家卡拉 OK 酒吧举办了一场农历新年庆祝活动。 被告人得知Xin Gu一行人的消息，决定当晚将其杀死，由You You看守，Zhe Zhang为逃跑司机，Abreu多次向新谷开枪，将其杀死。
如果罪名成立，每位被告都将面临终身监禁或死刑的强制性判决。
起诉书中的指控仅仅是指控，除非被证明有罪，否则假定无罪。
政府的案件由办公室的有组织犯罪和帮派科处理。 美国助理检察官 Devon Lash、Nadia E. Moore 和 Gabriel Park 负责起诉。
被告人：
QING MING YU，又名“Allen”
年龄：54
纽约州牡蛎湾Antony ABREU，又名“Anthony”
年龄：34
纽约皇后区YOU YOU，又名“Eddie”
年龄：34
Plainview, New YorkZHE ZHANG，又名“Zack”
年龄：34
Arcadia, CaliforniaE.D.N.Y.Docket No。 22-CR-208
Yale Man Sentenced for False StatementsRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Kendall Dean Kipp, age 53, of Yale, was sentenced today in federal court to three years of probation for making a False Statement. He was also ordered to pay a $9,500 fine and perform 180 hours of community service over a three-year period. According to court documents, Kendall pleaded guilty to the charge on December 16, 2021.
Kipp submitted falsified documents to the State of Iowa concerning the quality of water produced for the residents of the City of Yale. This violated the provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act and, in turn, the False Statement statute. “As a certified drinking water operator, the defendant was entrusted not only with ensuring compliance with our environmental laws, but with the health and safety of the community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cate Holston of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Lenexa, KS. “His actions betrayed that trust, and today’s sentencing demonstrates that EPA will pursue and hold accountable those who intentionally violate the law.”
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Criminal Division of the Environmental Protection Agency and The Iowa Department of Natural Resources investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.
Wright County Man Sentenced to 125 Months in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Wright County man was sentenced to 125 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, ordered to pay $65,000 in restitution, $17,000 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography fund, and $5,000 to the Domestic Trafficking Victims’ fund, for possession of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Alexander John Odegaard, 34, was found in possession of at least 34,723 images and 555 videos depicting child pornography during the execution of an FBI search warrant at his house in September 2021. Among these were depictions of the sexual abuse of prepubescent minors, including depictions of children being physically restrained, whipped, and threatened with fire. Odegaard was on supervision for child pornography possession in Wright County at the time of the offense.
On January 19, 2022, Odegaard plead guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz.
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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda E. Dugi
Wright County Man Sentenced to 125 Months in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Wright County man was sentenced to 125 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, ordered to pay $65,000 in restitution, $17,000 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography fund, and $5,000 to the Domestic Trafficking Victims’ fund, for possession of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Alexander John Odegaard, 34, was found in possession of at least 34,723 images and 555 videos depicting child pornography during the execution of an FBI search warrant at his house in September 2021. Among these were depictions of the sexual abuse of prepubescent minors, including depictions of children being physically restrained, whipped, and threatened with fire. Odegaard was on supervision for child pornography possession in Wright County at the time of the offense.
On January 19, 2022, Odegaard plead guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz.
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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda E. Dugi.
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Wisconsin Woman Indicted for Sex Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Colette Amanda Mahan, also known as “Pimpin’ Amanda” and “Amanda Chase” (age 39), of Waukesha, Wisconsin, for multiple offenses related to sex trafficking.
The indictment returned by the grand jury contains ten counts. Count One alleges that beginning in at least 2004 and continuing through approximately June 2018, Mahan traveled and used facilities in interstate commerce to carry on an unlawful activity, specifically a business involving prostitution, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3). Count Two charges Mahan with sex trafficking of a child, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1) and (b)(2). Counts Three, Five, Seven, and Nine each charge Mahan with using force, fraud, and coercion to traffic a different adult victim for commercial sex acts, while Counts Four, Six, Eight, and Ten charge her with transporting those victims to various other states with the intent that they engage in prostitution there, including Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, and Florida.
Mahan was arraigned on the charges on May 5, 2022. On May 9, 2022, a federal magistrate judge ordered that Mahan be detained pending trial, citing the danger she would present to the community if released based on the sustained, severe pattern of physical violence, intimidation, and exploitation described by victims and witnesses, and supported by corroborating evidence.
If convicted of any of the counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, Mahan would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. Mahan faces penalties of up to 40 years in prison for sex trafficking of a child, up to ten years in prison for the interstate transportation charges, and up to five years in prison for the racketeering charge. Additionally, the court can impose a fine of up to $250,000 per count as well as a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The sex trafficking charges in the indictment concern five specific victims. Additional members of the public who may have information about Mahan’s involvement in sex trafficking are encouraged to call the Federal Bureau of Investigation Milwaukee Field Office at 414-276-4684.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the Racine County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Laura S. Kwaterski.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
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For further information contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
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Williamsport Man Sentenced to 144 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Quran Geddy, age 26, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for his role in distributing fentanyl in Lycoming County.
According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Geddy was a founder and leader of the Williamsport “400 Gang” a/k/a “WAM Gang,” that distributed fentanyl in Lycoming County. At the hearing, Chief Judge Brann highlighted Geddy’s multiple prior drug-related convictions and continual criminal conduct despite periods of incarceration and court supervision.
Co-defendant, Darnell Cotton, 26, of Williamsport previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment for his role in distributing fentanyl in Lycoming County.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Williamsport Bureau of Police, the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Virginia man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shawn Kendall Murray, of Gainesville, Virginia, was sentenced today to 33 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Murray, age 39, pleaded guilty in March 2020 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride.” Murray admitted to having cocaine hydrochloride in November 2018 in Jefferson County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
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.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Vermont Man Arrested for Murder on the High Seas and Related Inheritance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Nathan Carman, 28, of Vernon, Vermont, was arrested on May 10, 2022, pursuant to an eight-count indictment charging him with the 2016 murder of his mother, Linda Carman, on the high seas, and related frauds to obtain family and insurance funds. Carman will be arraigned tomorrow, May 11, 2022, before Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford.
According to the unsealed indictment, in 2013, Nathan Carman shot and killed his grandfather John Chakalos at Chakalos’s home in Windsor, Connecticut, and, in 2016, killed his mother Linda Carman and sunk his boat during a supposed fishing trip off the coast of Rhode Island. The indictment alleges that both killings were part of a scheme to obtain money and property from the estate of John Chakalos and related family trusts. The indictment further alleges Carman attempted to defraud the company that insured his fishing boat.
If convicted of murder on the high seas, Carman faces mandatory life imprisonment. The fraud charges each carry a potential penalty of up to 30 years of imprisonment. The indictment is an accusation only and Carman is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If Carman is convicted, the Court will impose sentence based on the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
Participants in the multi-year investigation of Carman included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Coast Guard, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Connecticut State Police, the Windsor (Connecticut) Police Department, and the South Kingstown (Rhode Island) Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Paul J. Van de Graaf and Nate Burris represent the United States. The Office of the Federal Public Defender represents Carman.
Vallejo Felon Sentenced to over 6 Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm while on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Johnathan Shane Blakeley, 28, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to a total of six years and eight months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for committing this offense while on federal supervised release, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 20, 2019, law enforcement officers attempted to stop Blakeley for a traffic violation, but Blakeley refused to yield and led police on a high-speed chase through Vallejo. After Blakeley crashed his car on Interstate 80, he got out of his car and ran through several lanes of traffic. He tried to get into the passenger seat of a car that stopped. After police apprehended Blakeley, they found a Glock 9 mm pistol with a high-capacity magazine in his car. Blakeley cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of three felony offenses. Blakeley was on federal supervised release when he committed this offense. He had just been released from federal prison less than 30 days prior, after having served a 30-month sentence for possessing a firearm as a felon.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Vallejo Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Marshals, FBI Urge Public to Report Phone ScamsRead the Press Release
TYLER – The U.S. Marshals and the FBI are alerting the public of several nationwide imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. marshals, court officers, or other law enforcement officials. They are urging people to report the calls their Local FBI office and file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, which has the ability to detect patterns of fraud from the information collected and share that data with law enforcement. During the latest series of calls, scammers identifying themselves as “Deputy John Garrison” (the name of the actual U.S. Marshal in the Eastern District of Texas) attempt to collect a fine in lieu of arrest due to a claim of identity theft, failing to report for jury duty, or other offenses. They then tell victims they can avoid arrest by withdrawing cash and transferring it to the government, purchasing a prepaid debit card such as a Green Dot card or gift card and read the card number over the phone to satisfy the fine, or by depositing cash into bitcoin ATMs. Scammers use many tactics to sound and appear credible. In many instances, scammers provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials and federal judges, along with courthouse addresses. They may also spoof their phone numbers to appear on caller IDs as if they are calling from a government agency or the court when they actually are not. If you believe you were a victim of such a scam, you are encouraged to report the incident to your local FBI office and to the FTC. Additionally, The Department of Justice launched the National Elder Fraud Hotline, which provides services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. The hotline’s toll-free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). Things to remember:
• U.S. MARSHALS WILL NEVER ask for credit/debit card/gift card numbers, wire transfers, or bank routing numbers, or to make bitcoin deposits for any purpose.
• NEVER divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers.
• Report scam phone calls to your local FBI office and to the FTC.
• You can remain anonymous when you report.
• Authenticate the call by calling the clerk of the court’s office of the U.S. District Court in your area and verify the court order given by the caller.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov
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America’s First Federal Law Enforcement Agency
Two Women Admit Roles in Multi-State Recovery Home Patient Brokering SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A woman from California and a woman from Arkansas today admitted their roles in a multi-state patient brokering scheme in which they paid referral fees from their rehabilitation centers in exchange for patient referrals, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Lauren B. Philhower, 33, of Los Angeles, California, and Anastasia A. Passas, 33, of Bentonville, Arkansas, each pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging them each with one count of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act.
Five other individuals have previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. Peter Costas, of Red Bank, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in May 2020 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud; Seth Logan Welsh, of Forest Hill, Maryland, and John C. Devlin, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty in September 2020 to the same charge; Kevin M. Dickau, of Georgtown, Texas, pleaded guilty in September 2020 to the same charge; and Dr. Akikur Mohammad, of West Hills, California, pleaded guilty in September 2020 to conspiracy to violate the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA).
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators owned and operated a marketing company in California. They used the marketing company to help orchestrate a scheme in New Jersey, Maryland, California, and other states that involved bribing individuals addicted to heroin and other drugs to enter into drug rehabilitation centers so Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators could generate referral fees from those facilities. Two such facilities in California that paid such referral fees were operated by Philhower and Passas.
The marketing company run by Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin maintained contractual relationships with drug treatment facilities around the country, including the ones run by Philhower and Passas. The marketing company also engaged a nationwide network of recruiters – including Costas in New Jersey – to identify and recruit potential patients, from New Jersey and other states, who were addicted to heroin or other drugs and who had robust private health insurance.
To convince drug-addicted individuals to travel to and enroll in rehabilitation when they otherwise would not have, Costas and other recruiters offered to bribe them—often as much as several thousand dollars—with the approval of Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin. Once the patients agreed to enroll in drug rehabilitation in exchange for the offered bribe, Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and Costas would arrange and pay for cross-country travel to the drug treatment centers in California and other states, in concert with the owners of the facilities themselves, including Philhower and Passas. Costas would stay in touch with the New Jersey patients at the facilities and specifically instruct them to stay at the facilities long enough to generate referral payments, and he would pass along information to Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin about the patients’ status at the facilities. Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin would monitor the other patients they brokered by speaking to other recruiters or to the owners and employees of the drug treatment facilities themselves.
Philhower and Passas’s drug treatment facilities had a contract with the marketing company run by Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin. Their facilities and other facilities typically paid the marketing company run by Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin a fee of $5,000 to $10,000 per patient referral. Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators shared that money among themselves. Costas and other recruiters received approximately half that amount for each patient they brokered. Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators brokered scores of patients to drug treatment facilities around the country, including the ones run by Philhower and Passas, and the conspiracy caused millions of dollars of losses for health insurers.
Philhower and Passas each face a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing for Philhower is scheduled for Sept. 13, 2022, and for Passas, Sept. 14, 2022.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Messenger in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the FBI, under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge Kristi Koons Johnson in Los Angeles, and the District Attorney’s Office in Orange County, California, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Jason S. Gould, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Two Men Sentenced to 380 Months and 320 Months for Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Two men, James Garfield Charles, 52, of Lexington, and Vincent Adams Vassor, 55, of Los Angeles, were sentenced to 380 months and 320 months in federal prison, respectively, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, after being convicted of various drug trafficking charges.
Charles and Vassor were both convicted in January 2022. Charles was convicted of Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance if his drug trafficking. Vassor was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. A third defendant, Antonio Cloyd, 59, also of Lexington, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of meth and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to evidence presented at trial, from January 2021 to June 2021, Charles distributed methamphetamine and provided others with methamphetamine for their distribution. On February 8, 2021, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Vassor, which led law enforcement to Charles, who supplied the drugs. On June 8, 2021, law enforcement arranged a controlled purchase of three pounds of methamphetamine; and then, after obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement found an additional five pounds of methamphetamine and distribution quantities of multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.
Under federal law, both must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Filed Division; and Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Todd Bradbury.
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Two Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GREGORY JOHNSON, JR., age 43, of Baton Rouge, and KEITH BOURGEOIS, age 51, of New Orleans, were indicted on May 5, 2022 by a federal grand jury for violations of the Controlled Substances Act and the Gun Control Act. JOHNSON and BOURGEOIS were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(C), 846. JOHNSON and BOURGEOIS were also charged with possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii), and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to the indictment, JOHNSON and BOURGEOIS conspired with each other and others to distribute cocaine hydrochloride in the Eastern District of Louisiana and elsewhere. On or about April 19, 2022, JOHNSON and BOURGEOIS possessed a Smith and Wesson Model SD .40 caliber pistol, a Taurus PT 24/7 .40 caliber pistol, a Heritage Rough Rider .45 LC caliber revolver, and a Thompson Center Arms Super 14 .35 Rem caliber pistol. JOHNSON also possessed a Springfield XD-S Mod.2 .45 caliber pistol.
If convicted of the drug offense, JOHNSON faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $8,000,000, and at least 8 years of supervised release; BOURGEOIS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 40 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least 4 years of supervised release. For possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, JOHNSON and BOURGEOIS face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 5 years of supervised release. For being felons in possession of a firearm, JOHNSON and BOURGEOIS face a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. For each charge that JOHNSON and BOURGEOIS face, they must also pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.
Tucson Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl that Caused DeathRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Oscar S. Acuna, Jr., 35, of Tucson, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl. Sentencing is scheduled for July 12, 2022, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.
Acuna admitted that he sold fentanyl pills and black tar heroin to a young woman and her boyfriend in May 2020 at a hotel in Tucson. Shortly after ingesting part of one of the pills, the young woman began experiencing respiratory distress. Medical personnel were unable to save her. An autopsy confirmed that the cause of her death was fentanyl and heroin toxicity.
A conviction for distribution of fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $1,000,000.00, or both.
Tucson Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-01564-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-064_Acuna# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ted Serr, age 38, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
Serr, who remains detained pending his sentencing scheduled for September 7, 2022, before Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue, faces at least 5 years and up to 60 years in prison. The Court will also impose a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Serr will also be required to register as a sex offender.
As part of his guilty plea, Serr admitted that he actively traded child pornography images and videos using a social media messaging application on his cellular telephone, and that on June 2, 2021, he distributed a video file depicting sexual conduct with a child who was between 8 and 11 years old. Serr further admitted that on June 8, 2021, he received a video file depicting sexual conduct with a child who was between 3 and 5 years old. Finally, Serr admitted that on June 10, 2021, he knowingly possessed 52 image files and 452 video files depicting child pornography on his cellular telephone.
Serr’s case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Investigators of the New York State Police, Computer Crimes Unit (CCU). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J.L. Brown as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Spartanburg County Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina ---Rashad Jamal Mack, 27, of Spartanburg, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed officers responded to Oliver Street in Spartanburg in reference to a man with a gun. Officers observed a man, later identified as Mack, who met the description provided to officers. When officers approached Mack, he fled on foot and officers observed him toss a firearm as he fled which officers recovered shortly thereafter. Officers detained Mack and located a .40 caliber magazine and .40 caliber ammunition on his person. The firearm which officers recovered was loaded with .40 caliber ammunition. The firearm had previously been reported as stolen.
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III, sentenced Rashad Jamal Mack to 57 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Spartanburg Police Department as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Winston Marosek prosecuted the case.
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South Bend Man Sentenced to 144 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Javier Gil, 37 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty on his plea of guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Gil was sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Gil conspired to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Gil and his co-defendants took several trips to California to obtain drugs for distribution. During the final trip in December 2017, Gil and two other individuals flew to California, where they obtained 11 kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine that were loaded into a vehicle headed for the Midwest. The drugs were discovered when the vehicle was stopped by police.
Saul Leal, Gil’s co-defendant, was sentenced to 108 months in prison earlier in April.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Oklahoma State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Kimberly L. Schultz.
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Slidell Woman Charged with Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LINDA REED HILL (“HILL”), age 75, of Slidell, Louisiana, was charged on May 6, 2022 by a bill of information today with Theft of Government Funds in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
According to the bill of information, beginning in or about May 1, 2004, and continuing until in or about February 28, 2021, the HILL did knowingly embezzle, steal, purloin, and convert to her use, money belonging to the United States and a department and agency thereof, namely the Social Security Administration, to which she knew she was not entitled, when she withdrew funds from a joint JP Morgan Chase account under her own name and Individual “A’s” name.
Prior to April 28, 2004, Individual “A” received SSA Retirement Survivor Insurance (“RSI”). After Individual “A’s” death, from approximately May 2004 to February 2021, Individual “A” continued to receive monthly SSA disability benefits in an amount ranging from $1,310.00 - $1,518.00 per month, totaling $319,696.00, which was deposited by SSA into a joint JP Morgan Chase Savings account, shared by HILL and Individual “A.” The monthly SSA funds were then taken from the joint account, transferred to two different accounts listed under HILL’s name, and withdrawn by HILL.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, HILL faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn McHugh.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty May 9, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City. Jose Luis Estrada, age 37, from Sioux City, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Estrada admitted to conspiring to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine around the tri-state area.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Estrada remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Estrada faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 5 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4075.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Sacramento, California, Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and for Using a Communication Facility to Commit a Drug FelonyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Sacramento, California, man, Tommy V. Tran, 28, of the 8000 block of Danbury Park Court, was sentenced on May 4, 2022, by United States District Judge Sue Myerscough to 180 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine and for using a communication facility to commit a drug felony.
Judge Myerscough determined Tran, along with five co-defendants, between August 1, 2018 and February 11, 2019, knowingly conspired to possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Judge Myerscough specifically found Tran was responsible for over 1,400 grams of methamphetamine and over 2,500 grams of marijuana. The drugs were shipped from California to Missouri and eventually to Adams and Pike Counties in Illinois. Tran was also convicted of using a communication facility, namely a telephone, to facilitate the conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute and the distribution of methamphetamine.
Judge Myerscough further found that Tran had acted as a supervisor, organizer, or leader in the criminal activity as he had recruited individuals to send the drugs via the United States Postal Service and commercial carriers and to pay for the drugs via electronic banking transactions. The Court also concluded Tran possessed numerous dangerous weapons.
Previously, co-defendant Shawn Davis was sentenced by Judge Myerscough to 144 months’ imprisonment. Cases against other co-defendants remain pending. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Tran was indicted in March 2019 and pleaded guilty in November 2021. He has remained in the custody of the United States Marshals since being arrested in California in February 2019.
The statutory penalties for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine are not more than life in prison, not more than a $10 million fine, and not less than five years of supervised release. The statutory penalties for use of communication facility to commit a drug felony are not more than four years in prison, not more than a $30,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Jacobs stated that “the successful prosecution of Tran shows how OCDETF can be used to bring together local, state, and federal resources to target and imprison high-level drug dealers.”
“Disrupting drug traffickers like Tran is a critical part of our mission and an example of the effectiveness of our task force partnerships,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “The sentence handed down today reflects the tireless effort of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to investigate criminal enterprises operating within our communities and bring to justice those who endanger public health and safety.”
The West Central Illinois Task Force; Quincy Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; and Drug Enforcement Agency, St. Louis Division, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.
Rock Hill Man Pleads Guilty in Large Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Darryl Hemphill, 34, of Rock Hill, pled guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Rock Hill Police Department began to investigate a group of defendants who were obtaining large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana from a distributor in Southern California. Based upon their investigation, the police were able to determine that members of the group were flying to California and having the drugs shipped back to the Rock Hill and Charlotte, N.C. area. Based upon surveillance and other law enforcement techniques, the police learned that Hemphill was the leader of the group and helped introduce other members of the group to the California distributor. After the drugs were shipped back to South Carolina, Hemphill and others distributed the drugs to local dealers. Later, the group began ordering fentanyl from California which they used to make fentanyl-laced pills which were sold to users in Rock Hill, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga. Based upon their investigation, this group shipped more than 255 packages from California and distributed more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one kilogram or more of heroin, and more than a 1000 grams of marijuana. Eighteen defendants were charged in this case. Twelve defendants have pled guilty to their involvement with five defendants awaiting trial.
Hemphill faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The case was investigated by agents of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), City of Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William K. Witherspoon, T. DeWayne Pearson, and Elliott Daniels are prosecuting the case.
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