title: Michigan Vascular Surgeon Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud Conviction and Agrees to Pay Up to $43.419 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: Vasso Godiali, a vascular surgeon from Bay City, Michigan, was sentenced on May 3 to 80 months in prison for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud health care programs by submitting claims for the placement of vascular stents and for thrombectomies that he did not perform and was ordered to pay $19.5 million in restitution collectively to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM). Additionally, Godiali agreed to pay the United States up to $43,419,000 to resolve related civil allegations that his fraudulent billings to federal health care programs violated the False Claims Act (FCA). According to a plea agreement that Godiali entered on Feb. 8, 2022, Godiali began to knowingly defraud medical insurers, including Medicare and Medicaid, in approximately 2009. Godiali billed for the placement of multiple vascular stents in the same blood vessel and prepared medical records purporting to document the medical necessity justifying that billing. In fact, however, Godiali did not place those stents and admitted to billing for services never rendered while preparing materially inaccurate medical records to justify the fraudulent billings. Godiali also billed for arterial thrombectomies and created medical records that stated he encountered occluded arteries that would justify the performance of the procedures. However, he admitted that he often encountered no such occlusions, performed no such thrombectomies, and thus billed insurers for services never rendered while preparing false medical records to justify the fraudulent claims. Godiali’s fraudulent practices resulted in $14,473,000 in damages to the federal government, and a total of $19.5 million across Medicare, Medicaid, and BCBSM, which he agreed to repay as restitution as part of his plea agreement. In the related FCA action, in addition to alleging that Godiali submitted false claims for procedures that he never performed, the United States alleged that Godiali improperly used Modifier 59 to “unbundle” services that should have been billed together in a single claim to increase his reimbursements from federal health care programs. A civil forfeiture case resulted in the seizure of approximately $39.9 million from financial accounts controlled by Godiali. Except for $7.5 million, which will be released to Godiali’s wife pursuant to an agreement with the United States, all of the seized funds will be used to pay the criminal judgment or the FCA settlement. “We will not tolerate the use of federal health care programs as a source of personal enrichment,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of those programs and the taxpayer funds used to support them.” “A priority of my office is protecting our district against unscrupulous health care providers.” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Dr. Godiali stole an enormous amount of money from both public and private health insurers over a number of years, and falsified medical records to cover up his scheme to defraud. We hope that today’s sentence and substantial civil recovery deter any other physicians likewise inclined to line their pockets at the expense of the public.” “This provider egregiously stole millions of dollars from taxpayers by billing federal health care programs for services that were neither medically necessary nor rendered to his patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “As this case demonstrates, HHS-OIG and our partners remain committed to ensuring that vital taxpayer dollars are used lawfully and for their intended purposes, not for the illegitimate financial gain of an individual provider.” “The scope of Godiali’s fraud is truly stunning,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This investigation proves the collective resources of law enforcement and the private sector can successfully combat fraud in our health care system.” The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Innovative Solutions Consulting, LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of the civil resolution, Innovative Solutions will receive up to $4,341,900. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Innovative Solutions Consulting LLC v. Vasso Godziachvili Godiali, M.D. , Case No. 1:15-cv-14150-TLL-PTM (E.D. Mich.). The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Neal, Philip Ross, and Craig Wininger for the Eastern District of Michigan. The FCA matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Postulka for the Eastern District of Michigan. The civil forfeiture action was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Ross for the Eastern District of Michigan. These matters received assistance from HHS-OIG, the FBI, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Except as to conduct admitted in connection with the criminal resolution, the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Cambridge Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs and Possession of Firearms

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Cambridge man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to federal drug and firearm charges. Ahsan Arty, a/k/a/ “Hass,” 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and conspiracy to possess and use firearms during and in relation to a drug offense. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Oct. 4, 2023. Arty was charged by criminal complaint in May 2022. In February 2021, Arty conspired to sell crack cocaine to an undercover officer and was captured on recording brokering the drug deal. Intercepted communications revealed that Arty also conspired with others to distribute cocaine. In August 2021, Arty travelled to California as part of a promotional tour for an associate. While in California, Arty went to the residence of an associate and stole approximately four kilograms of cocaine. Text messages recovered during the investigation showed that Arty sent the kilograms of cocaine to Massachusetts and later began distributing them upon his return. In December 2021, Arty and another man traveled to Lawrence to rob an individual who they suspected of having drugs and valuables in their residence. During this incident, Arty was armed with a handgun. They entered the residence and pistol-whipped a woman and demanded the whereabouts of drugs and cash. Ultimately, the drugs and cash were not present. Arty was identified through surveillance video of the vehicle utilized in the incident and text messages proved his involvement. In February 2022, Arty and two other individuals broke into the residence of an individual he suspected of having drugs and cash. The individual was not present. While inside the residence, Arty stole car keys and clothing and recorded a livestream video that he published on the internet. The next morning, associates of Arty attempted to rob the occupants of the same apartment and multiple rounds of gunfire were discharged during the incident. According to text messages recovered in the case, Arty came to pick up the robbers and drove them on a high-speed flight from responding law enforcement. Text messages also captured Arty and the robbers developing an alibi for the vehicle’s use in the robbery and chase. The vehicle was later located and impounded. In April 2022, Arty was arrested outside of a Boston nightclub due to a report of him having a firearm. When law enforcement responded to the scene, Arty drove his vehicle at the officers and struck a nearby vehicle. Arty and another passenger were immediately taken into custody. Two firearms, including a 9mm firearm that was equipped with a selector switch, rendering it capable of firing fully automatic, were located in Arty’s vehicle. It was learned during the investigation that the target of the February 2022 burglary and robbery was believed to be inside of the nightclub and that Arty was outside of the premises waiting for an opportunity to rob him. At the time of the offense, Arty was on pretrial release for multiple pending state firearm offenses. These included a January 2019 arrest for possessing a firearm in Boston and a July 2019 arrest for possessing a firearm in Revere. During the Revere incident, Arty fled the scene of an accident and later attempted to flee law enforcement. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow; and Revere Police Chief David J. Callahan made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Levy’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Boston Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Benefit Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A Hyde Park man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for using a stolen identity to fraudulently obtain government assistance benefits. Fernando Mateo Valenzuela, 69, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to two years and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Valenzuela was also ordered to pay restitution of $29,051 to the Department of Unemployment Assistance and $7,230 to the Department of Transitional Assistance. On Feb. 27, 2023, Valenzuela pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud, two counts of unlawfully using another person’s Social Security number, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. In 2020, Valenzuela applied for and received a total of $29,051 in unemployment payments using the name and Social Security number of a United States citizen. In 2019, Valenzuela used the same stolen identity to apply for and receive $7,230 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance. Valenzuela’s prior criminal record includes four drug convictions and a sex conviction involving a 13-year-old victim. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering & Fraud; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Northeast Region; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.


title: Former Employee of Taste of Brazil Restaurant in Woburn Pleads Guilty to Transferring False Identification Documents

body_text: BOSTON – A Salvadoran national and former employee of the Taste of Brazil – Tudo Na Brasa restaurant in Woburn has pleaded guilty in connection with providing false identification documents to Brazilian employees of the restaurant who lacked work authorization. Marcos Chacon Gil, 39, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2023 to one count of transferring false identification documents. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2023. Chacon Gil worked at Taste of Brazil for three years beginning in 2014. Beginning in approximately 2018, Chacon Gil provided false identification documents to Brazilian employees of the restaurant who lacked work authorization in the United States. Chacon Gil did so in order for the employees to secure work authorization. On Feb. 20, 2020, Chacon Gil met with an employee and provided the employee with a fake green card and a fake social security card. The charge of knowing transfer of a false identification document knowing that such document was produced without lawful authority provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael Krol, Acting Special Agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr. made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert, Kelly Lawrence and Samuel R. Feldman of Levy’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Jefferson Parish Man Pleads Guilty for Distribution of Methamphetamine and Maintaining a Drug Premises

component: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On May 18, 2023, NGHIA LE (“LE”) , age 37, of Westwego, pleaded guilty as charged to all counts with which he was charged in a superseding indictment, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Count 1 charged LE with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. Count 3 charged LE with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 18 U.S.C § 2. Count 4 charged LE with distribution of methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 18 U.S.C § 2. Count 8 charged LE with using or maintaining a drug premises in violation of 21 U.S.C § 856(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C § 2. Count 9 charged LE with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D). Count 10 charged LE with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2. Count 11 charged LE with distribution of marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D). According to public records, LE utilized a motorcycle shop in New Orleans East to distribute methamphetamine on numerous occasions in 2021. LE sold over a pound and a half of methamphetamine to undercover agents and agreed to sell an additional 5 pounds of methamphetamine before he was arrested. Additionally, in 2020, LE also possessed over 45 pounds of marijuana, along with 5 firearms, intending to use those firearms to sell the marijuana. As to Counts 1, 3, and 4, the minimum penalty includes a term of imprisonment of 10 years up to a maximum term of life, a fine of up to $10 million, and at least 5 years of supervised release. As to Count 8, the maximum penalty includes a term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine up to $500,000 and up to 3 years of supervised release. As to Counts 9 and 11, the maximum penalty includes a term of imprisonment of 5 years, a fine up to $250,000 and at least 2 years of supervised release. As to Count 10, the minimum penalty includes a term of imprisonment of 5 years, a maximum term of life, a fine up to $250,000 and up to 5 years of supervised release . As to each count, LE faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit handled the prosecution.


title: Albuquerque Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Firearms Offenses and Carjacking

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced today that Freddie Granger was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Granger, 42, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2023, to one count of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, one count of carjacking, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on June 9, 2022, Granger sold two firearms to an undercover agent with the ATF, one of which was an AR-style rifle, along with high-capacity magazines. Granger indicated to the undercover agent that he had been unlawfully selling firearms for a “long time” and he would be open to doing “package deals” in the future. At the time, Granger had been convicted of seven felonies including involuntary manslaughter, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In his plea, Granger admitted that he knew that as a previously convicted felon he could not legally possess firearms or ammunition. Days later, on June 13, 2022, an officer with the Carlsbad Police Department pulled Granger over because the car he was driving was missing a license plate and was swerving. Granger gave the officer false identification information before fleeing. Granger crashed his car near a marijuana dispensary, where he encountered John Doe as Doe was exiting his vehicle. Granger pointed a firearm at him, demanded his keys and took his vehicle after Doe safely removed a 7-year-old minor from the backseat. When Granger was apprehended on July 8, 2023, he was still in possession of Doe’s car, which he had spray painted a different color. Upon his release from prison, Granger will be subject to 5 years of supervised release. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal prosecuted the case. # # # 23-111


title: Illinois Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine in Marathon County

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Anthony Anderson, 40, Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 10 years in prison for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Anderson pleaded guilty to this charge on January 20, 2023. In August of 2021, law enforcement agents began a drug investigation into Anderson. On March 9, 2022, Anderson provided a confidential informant one ounce of methamphetamine in Wausau, Wisconsin. The following day, the informant met with Anderson and paid him $450 for the methamphetamine. After receiving the money, Anderson provided the informant an additional ounce of methamphetamine. On August 1, 2022, at the direction of law enforcement, a second confidential informant contacted Anderson to arrange for the purchase of 10 ounces of methamphetamine. Later that day, Anderson met with the confidential informant in Wausau and sold them 10 ounces of methamphetamine in exchange for $4,200. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson concluded that a significant sentence was warranted because Anderson had an extensive criminal history including two prior drug trafficking convictions. Judge Peterson also noted that the large quantity of methamphetamine sold by Anderson demonstrated that his overall level of drug trafficking had increased from the time of his prior convictions. The charge against Anderson is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Wausau Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, Everest Metro Police Department, and Wisconsin’s National Guard Counterdrug Program. The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.


title: Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Possession of a Stolen Firearm

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 92 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on August 29, 2022, Lamonte Edjuan Brown, 39, pointed a loaded gun at two victims outside of a Minneapolis apartment complex. Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department were dispatched to the apartment, and when they approached Brown, he fled on foot. Officers chased Brown and apprehended him. In Brown’s sweatshirt pocket, officers found the loaded gun—a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen by the Eagan Police Department. Brown pleaded guilty on January 11, 2022, to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Senior Judge Susan Richard Nelson. In handing down the sentence, Judge Nelson remarked that that “the trauma in this case is palpable,” and emphasized that “our community is experiencing an epidemic of gun violence.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.


title: Wisconsin Man Indicted for Producing Child Pornography

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Manitowoc, Wisconsin man has been indicted for producing images depicting his sexual abuse of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on or about June 7, 2019, Jason Lee, 27, used and coerced a prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. Lee was arrested on May 11, 2023, and made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin before Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries, during which Lee was ordered to be transported to the District of Minnesota. Lee made his initial appearance yesterday before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. Lee was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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 conducted by the FBI, Saint Paul Police Department, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Long Island Doctor Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Frank Parasmo, a former medical doctor, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 36 months in prison for his conviction on 32 counts of unlawfully distributing oxycodone, a highly addictive prescription painkiller, to 18 patients without a legitimate medical purpose. As part of the sentence, Parasmo also received 3 years of supervised release. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), announced the verdict. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that there are significant consequences for doctors who act as drug dealers,” stated U.S. Attorney Peace. “This Office remains committed to using all tools available to address the damage the opioid crisis does to our communities.” “DEA’s investigative and regulatory focus is to keep the public safe and healthy,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino. “Parasmo’s actions were irresponsible to his patients and endangered theirs and others’ safety and well-being; his disregard of pertinent information such illicit drug use and the diversion of highly addictive opioid prescriptions was egregious. I commend the DEA’s Long Island District Office-Tactical Diversion Squad and the Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tenacious work on this investigation.” As proven at trial, between January 2014 and February 2015, Parasmo provided prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone pills to 18 of his patients without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of a professional medical practice. Parasmo issued prescriptions to patients who had just left detox treatment in rehabilitation facilities, as well as patients who had just been discharged from a hospital following an overdose. In addition, Parasmo issued prescriptions to many patients he knew were taking illegal drugs or who he suspected were addicts. There is a significant risk of an overdose when oxycodone is taken with heroin and cocaine. In several instances, Parasmo continued to write prescriptions for individuals who he had been warned were not taking their pills as prescribed and, in some instances, possibly reselling them on the streets. From 2010 to 2015, Dr. Parasmo prescribed over 1.5 million oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, making him one of the top prescribers of those painkillers in New York State during that period. Notably, after learning that the DEA was investigating his prescribing practices, Parasmo cut in half the number of oxycodone prescriptions he issued annually. This case was investigated by the DEA’s Long Island District Office Tactical Diversion Squad, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, Nassau County Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Port Washington Police Department, and Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Maffei and Charles P. Kelly are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : FRANK PARASMO Age: 76 Deer Park, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-1 (JMA)


title: SoCal Man Allegedly Impersonated Federal Agent and Used that Persona to Bilk Latino Immigrants Seeking Status to Remain in U.S.

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury has indicted a San Diego man for allegedly impersonating a federal agent and using that fake position to defraud more than 25 Orange County victims who sought immigration assistance, including “green cards” and United States citizenship, the Justice Department announced today. Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 52, of San Ysidro, was named in a 25-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury Wednesday afternoon. Brand Jimenez is currently being sought by federal authorities. The indictment charges Brand Jimenez with 10 counts of false impersonation of a federal officer or employee, three counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, seven counts of fraudulent possession and use of U.S. government seals, three counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of misusing a United States passport. According to the indictment, Brand Jimenez pretended to be a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and used that false title to scam victims. Brand Jimenez has never been employed by ICE. Brand Jimenez primarily targeted undocumented members of the Latino community, telling victims he could help them obtain work permits, legal United States residency, and U.S. citizenship, according to the indictment. Brand Jimenez falsely claimed to be an ICE agent, including by showing a fake ICE badge. Under that assumed persona, he promised that he could help his victims – most of whom were illegally present in the United States – to obtain legal residency (also known as a “green card”), work permits, or U.S. citizenship. According to the indictment, from April 2019 to November 2020, Brand Jimenez charged each victim between $10,000 and $20,000. In addition to falsely claiming to be an ICE federal agent or a federal “Homeland Security” official, Brand Jimenez allegedly sometimes told victims that he was a “G-18” federal official, which is a non-existent position. Brand Jimenez failed to file immigration paperwork for his victims, and he never obtained any immigration benefits for them, according to the indictment. Because he was not providing any immigration benefits for his victims, Brand Jimenez allegedly fabricated immigration documents with the victims’ names that fraudulently displaying the emblem of the United States Department of Homeland Security. Brand Jimenez also allegedly fabricated a stay of deportation order and provided it to one of his victims as alleged proof that the victim would not be deported, which was not true. In another instance, Brand Jimenez allegedly provided a victim with a valid Social Security card, a U.S. passport card, and a California Identification Card, and he directed that victim to use those documents under the name of a different person as proof of authorization to reside and work in the United States. Brand Jimenez is considered to be a fugitive after failing to appear for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty in an unrelated narcotics case in San Diego federal court. An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of all charges, Brand Jimenez would face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each mail fraud and wire fraud count, 10 years in federal prison for each count of misusing of a passport, five years in federal prison for each count of wrongful use of a government seal, three years in federal prison for each count of impersonating a federal officer, and a mandatory two-year prison sentence for each aggravated identity theft count. The FBI Orange County Resident Office investigated the case and received assistance from the Santa Ana Police Department. Anyone with information regarding Jimenez’s current whereabouts should take no action themselves but should immediately call the FBI’s toll-free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov/ or contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-877-WANTED-2. Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.


title: Lexington Man Sentenced to Over 13 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking in Owensboro

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Owensboro, KY – A Lexington, Kentucky man was sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison today for methamphetamine trafficking. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Sheila Lyons of the DEA Chicago Field Division, and Chief Art Ealum of the Owensboro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, James Leavell, Jr., 37, of Lexington and formerly of Owensboro, was sentenced to 13 years and 6 months in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine in Owensboro during 2019. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the DEA Evansville Resident Office and the Owensboro Police Department with assistance from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl prosecuted the case. ###


title: Convicted Felon Indicted for Gadsden Armed Bank Robbery

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury yesterday indicted a convicted felon on an armed bank robbery charge, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Edward Aliji Muhammed Brown , 41, of Gadsden, with armed bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Brown used a firearm during the robbery of Exchange Bank in Gadsden in March 2023. Brown is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction. Brown was convicted on August 24, 1999, in the Circuit Court of Etowah County, Alabama, of the offense of Robbery, First Degree. The maximum penalty for armed bank robbery is 25 years in prison. The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 15 years in prison. The FBI investigated the case along with the Gadsden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster is prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Two Indicted for Armed Robberies of Postal Workers

body_text: BOSTON – Two Massachusetts individuals were indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for the armed robberies of United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers that took place on Nov. 29, 2022 in Mattapan, Mass. and Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Mass. Myesha Lewis, 22, of Boston, and Kenneth Demosthene, 22, of Stoughton were indicted on two counts each of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States, aiding and abetting and two counts each of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, aiding and abetting. The defendants were previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 10, 2023. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, USPS has seen a rise in the use of arrow keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An arrow key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These arrow keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 13 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. These incidents included the attempted or successful robbery of USPS arrow keys from letter carriers in at least 10 instances. Additionally, of these 10, six of the robberies were instances where the perpetrators were reportedly armed with a knife, firearm, or both. On Nov. 29, 2022, in Mattapan, it is alleged that Demosthene and Lewis followed and then forcibly robbed a USPS letter carrier of an arrow key. Demosthene allegedly approached the letter carrier and said, “I’m going to need your master key,” before reaching into the letter carrier’s mail satchel and grabbing the arrow key. The key was secured around the letter carrier’s belt with a brass chain. It is alleged that the force used to physically break the brass chain caused the letter carrier to be pulled off the front steps. Demosthene and Lewis allegedly fled the scene in a rental vehicle. It is further alleged that, on Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Demosthene and Lewis robbed another USPS letter carrier of an arrow key at knife point. Demosthene allegedly approached the USPS letter carrier and said, “Give me your f****** arrow key.” It is alleged that the letter carrier put their hands in the air as the defendants attempted to remove the arrow key, at first by force pulling at the chain. Demosthene and Lewis then allegedly attempted to cut it with the knife, eventually breaking it loose, and fled the scene on foot. The charges of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States each provide for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Owner Of Mid-State Opioid Treatment Programs Agrees to Settle Allegations Of PPP Fraud & Controlled Substance Act Violations

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NASHVILLE – James C. Sells III, of Springville, Tennessee, has agreed to pay the United States a total of $500,000 to settle allegations that he fraudulently applied for and received funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and violated the Controlled Substances Act, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. According to the Settlement Agreement, Sells had ownership in several office-based opioid treatment programs in middle Tennessee, including Nashville Recovery LLC, which he sold in September 2022, Everwell Medical LLC, in Murfreesboro, Forever Well, LLC, in Dickson, and Journey Medical, in Gallatin. The programs, acting through Sells, applied for, and obtained multiple loans from the PPP in the total amount of $143,109, all of which were forgiven. In addition, in the Settlement Agreement, the United States also alleges that from January 1, 2020, through September 8, 2020, one of the providers who sees patients at two of the programs failed to secure his password to the electronic prescribing system and allowed his office manager to electronically sign prescriptions, in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. Of the $500,000 settlement, $143,109 is restitution relating to the PPP loans; $143,109 is damages relating to the PPP loan; and the remaining $213,782 is civil penalties for violations of the Controlled Substances Act. The civil claims settled by this Settlement Agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration - Diversion Group and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara F. Sweet of the Middle District of Tennessee. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. # # # # #


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking Charges Stemming from New Orleans Hotel Shootout

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – BRIAN JACOB , age 23, from New Orleans, pled guilty to various firearm and drug charges stemming from his participation in a December 28, 2020, shootout at the Jung Hotel on Canal Street, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. On May 23, 2023, JACOB pled guilty to Counts 1, 2, and 3 of the superseding bill of information, that charged him with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Count 1); participating in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana (Count 2); and illegally maintaining a drug involved premises (Count 3). JACOB will be sentenced on September 19, 2023, and faces the following sentences: For Count 1, he will face a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life in prison, not more than 5 years of supervised release, and not more than a $250,000.00 fine, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Any prison sentence imposed in connection with this count must be served consecutively to any other prison sentence imposed in connection with this case. For Count 2, he will face a maximum of 5 years in prison, at least two years of supervised release, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00 pursuant to Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(b)(1)(D); and For Count 3, he will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and not more than a $500,000.00 fine, pursuant to Title 21, United States Code, Section 856(a). Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Long Island Businessman Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Covid-19 Loan Fraud

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Donald Finley, a Locust Valley businessman and owner of the now-defunct Jekyll & Hyde theme restaurant in Manhattan and the Bayville Adventure Park on Long Island, pleaded guilty to disaster relief fraud and wire fraud in connection with his receipt of millions of dollars in small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay. When sentenced, Finley faces up to 30 years in prison, as well as restitution totaling more than $3.2 million and a fine of up to $1.25 million. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), and Daniel Brubaker, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the guilty plea. “Finley has admitted diverting millions of dollars in COVID-19 disaster relief funds to finance his personal expenses, including the purchase of a home in Nantucket, Massachusetts,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will continue investigating and prosecuting those, like the defendant, who shamelessly steal from government programs that were intended for struggling small businesses and families during the pandemic.” “We have seen the abuses of disaster relief programs when all too often criminals find an opportunity for exploitation. In this case, Finley obtained millions in COVID-19 relief funds, only to use the ill-gotten cash for his own personal gain. While he may be the owner of an amusement park meant to bring joy, with his guilty plea and pending sentencing, Finley may be facing a future that he could find much less enjoyable,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso. “Mr. Finley took advantage of a program intended to be used to support small businesses as part of the CARES Act of 2020, when he devised a scheme to submit fraudulent information to the government to obtain millions in funds during the pandemic to fund his lavish lifestyle. Not only did he purchase a home on Nantucket, but he utilized those funds to pay for personal expenses. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners are always on a mission to ensure those who truly need assistance get it, and those who scheme and break the law to receive funds which they are not entitled to, are brought to justice,” stated USPIS Inspector-in- Charge Brubaker. As set forth in court filings, between March 2020 and March 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Finley fraudulently applied for, and received, at least 29 PPP and EIDLP loans totaling approximately $3.2 million, on behalf of corporate entities he controlled. Instead of using the funds for disaster relief, Finley diverted them for personal use, including the purchase of a home in Nantucket, Massachusetts, in February 2021. Congress created the PPP and EIDLP as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Enacted on March 29, 2020, the CARES Act provided emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the allocation of funds for the issuance of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses to receive unsecured loans on favorable terms, which they were required to use for specified expenses, including payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP provided for forgiveness of the loan if the recipient businesses spent the proceeds on these specified expenses within a limited time period and used a certain percentage for payroll costs. Another source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the EIDLP, which provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. Under the program, EIDLP recipients were eligible to receive advances of up to $10,000 for small businesses within three days of applying for an EIDL (EIDL Advance). The amount of an EIDL Advance was determined based on the number of employees working for the applicant. The EIDL Advance did not have to be repaid. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Misorek is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : DONALD FINLEY Age: 61 Locust Valley, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-181 (JMA)


title: York Woman Sentenced To 18 Months In Prison For Money Laundering Scheme

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Melinda Bixler, age 50, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bixler operated two businesses—one a for-profit company called Elder Healthcare Solutions; the other a non-profit company called Adult Care Advocates—providing services to elderly clients who resided in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Both businesses operated from an office location at 4070 W. Market St. in York, PA. Bixler purchased a home in York, PA for $685,000 using money that she had obtained through various unlawful means. Bixler obtained a mortgage loan for the purchase of her home by submitting multiple false statements to York Traditions Bank. These false statements included a forged letter from the owners of a business property that Bixler had previously purchased stating that she no longer owed money to the prior owners, when in fact she was still making monthly payments on it. Bixler also obtained a false gift letter from a third party wherein that third party stated that he was gifting Bixler $350,000 from his own personal funds when Bixler actually funneled money to that third party through a series of transactions that disguised the true sources of the funds. One source of these funds was $78,000 that Bixler took from the bank account of M.H., a 94-year-old woman residing at a nursing home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Bixler was then the power of attorney for M.H., and she therefore had access to the elderly client’s bank account. Bixler agreed to pay a total of $147,882 to three former clients from whom she misappropriated funds; victims M.H, G.E. and E.P. Bixler also agreed to forfeit the property at 4070 W. Market St., along with $129,357.01, the balance in a bank account belonging to Adult Care Advocates. Finally, Bixler agreed to resign her positions with both Elder Healthcare Solutions and Adult Care Advocates. The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, York County District Attorney’s Office, York County Area Agency on Aging, and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, Protective Services Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Convicted Felon from Eufaula Sentenced to 160 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that Robert Skyler White, 27, from Eufaula, Alabama, received a sentence of 160 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal firearms charges. According to his plea agreement and other court records, on July 9, 2021, law enforcement in Henry County, Alabama, stopped a vehicle for speeding. Officers identified White as the driver and discovered that he had outstanding warrants. While arresting White, law enforcement found a bag of marijuana in one of his pockets. Officers then looked inside the vehicle and discovered a scale, 50 small baggies containing marijuana, and a handgun. White is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Later, on March 18, 2022, White had an argument with his brother after they left a bar in Eufaula, then both men went to their mother’s house. White went inside and retrieved a rifle, pointed it at his brother’s head, and threatened to kill him. Finally, on July 31, 2022, White was stopped by law enforcement for a traffic violation and was again found to be in possession of a firearm and controlled substances. White pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on February 16, 2023. During the sentencing hearing on May 24, 2023, the federal judge also ordered that White serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Abbeville Police Department, the Eufaula Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney B. Chelsea Phillips prosecuted the case.


title: Norwich Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Tax Offenses Stemming from Scheme that Victimized Women Through Social Media Accounts

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that on May 23, 2023, DEXTER ENWEREM, 36, of Norwich, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in Bridgeport federal court to fraud and tax offenses stemming from a scheme that defrauded women approached through their social media accounts. According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately September 2019 and March 2021, Enwerem participated in a scheme to defraud individuals, primarily women, who were contacted through their Facebook and Instagram accounts. As part of the scheme, a co-conspirator of Enwerem would use a false identity and make false representations to approach and befriend victims through the social media platforms. As the relationship progressed, the co-conspirator would sometimes move the communication to Google Hangouts, an online platform that allows users to communicate by video call or direct chat message. Eventually, the co-conspirator would request money from the victim based on various false representations of need. The victims would then send money by wire transfers, checks, money orders, and cash. Some of the money was wired into bank accounts that Enwerem controlled, and some was sent in packages to an address where Enwerem could receive them. Through this scheme, Enwerem and his co-conspirators defrauded victims of approximately $450,000. Enwerem wired approximately $220,000 of these funds to bank accounts in Nigeria. In response to bank officials who questioned the nature of these wire transfers, Enwerem falsely stated that the recipients were family members and that the funds were intended to take care of his grandmother, and for household expenses. Enwerem also failed to pay taxes on the income he fraudulently obtained. Enwerem pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of tax evasion, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. As part of his plea, he has agreed to pay restitution of $449,189 to his victims, and $127,299 in back taxes for the 2019 and 2020 tax years. Enwerem was arrested on related state charges on March 24, 2021. He is released on a $200,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled. This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Cyber Task Force (CCTF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Norwich Police Department, with the assistance of the Hartford Police Department. The FBI’s CCTF is staffed with detectives from the Connecticut State Police’s Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit and the Bristol, Hartford, Stamford, and UConn Police Departments, as well as an agent from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. To contact the CCTF or report a cyber incident, please call the FBI’s New Haven Field Office at 203-777-6311 or file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov . The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.


title: Jacksonville Men Who Robbed Five Convenience Stores At Gunpoint Sentenced To 16 And 10 Years In Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Sabastian Amrine (20, Jacksonville) to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison and Brandon Bayne (25, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for five armed robberies of convenience stores in Jacksonville. The court also ordered the forfeiture of a pistol that was used in the robberies. Restitution to the victims will be determined at a future date. Amrine had pleaded guilty on November 22, 2022, and Bayne pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022. According to court documents, at least by August 19, 2021, Amrine and Bayne were residing together in Jacksonville when they formulated a plan to rob convenience stores at gunpoint. On that date, Bayne drove Amrine to a Circle K store in Jacksonville. Amrine entered the store and brandished a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine at the clerk and demanded money from the register. The clerk, fearing for his life, gave Amrine $120. Amrine left the Circle K and was picked up by Bayne. Bayne then drove Amrine to Blue Store in Jacksonville, where Amrine entered and again brandished the pistol at the clerk, demanding money. While Amrine was standing at the counter pointing the firearm at the clerk, a small child was standing next to him at the counter and at least one other child and an adult female were present inside the store. The clerk gave Amrine $100 and Amrine left and was again picked up by Bayne. Amrine, child, and clerk during the robbery of Blue Store on August 19, 2021 On August 29, 2021, Bayne and Amrine conducted robberies of Rainbow Food Store and Fast Stop Store in the same manner. On September 1, 2021, Bayne drove Amrine to a GATE gas station in Jacksonville. Amrine entered the store and again brandished the pistol and demanded money from the clerk, who complied with Amrine’s demand. Bayne picked up Amrine and a manager from the GATE gas station followed the two as they fled from the robbery. A patrol officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit of Bayne’s vehicle. Bayne fled from the officer, driving recklessly in heavy traffic until he crashed the vehicle into a ditch along Argyle Forest Boulevard. Both Amrine and Bayne then exited the crashed vehicle and fled on foot. The Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol with extended magazine – which was loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition – fell out of Amrine’s pants as he fled. Amrine was taken into custody as he attempted to scale a fence while fleeing. Bayne was tracked down by a police canine unit a short distance away, hiding in a storage shed in a residential backyard. The Smith & Weston .40 caliber pistol was recovered by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kirwinn Mike and Laura Cofer Taylor.


title: Florida Business Owner Sentenced To 65 Months In Prison For Defrauding Medicare Of $7 Million

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHRISTOPHER MARGAIT was sentenced today to 65 months in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud by fraudulently trafficking in orders for durable medical equipment such as back, knee, and wrist braces. MARGAIT previously pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced today before United States District Judge Denise Cote. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Christopher Margait faced justice today for illegally selling orders for durable medical equipment and thus defrauding Medicare of at least $7 million. Such fraud schemes do real harm to Medicare—a vital, taxpayer-funded program that provides affordable health care to people over 65 or with disabilities.” According to statements made in court and publicly filed documents in this case: From at least August 2019 through May 2021, MARGAIT and his co-defendant, Matthew Taylor Witkowski, engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare by illegally obtaining and selling fraudulent orders for durable medical equipment (“DME”) paid for by Medicare. Using a business that he jointly owned and operated with Witkowski, and a call center that Witkowski operated in the Dominican Republic, MARGAIT illegally generated and purchased fraudulent orders for DME and then sold those fraudulent orders to pharmacies and DME suppliers, including suppliers in New York City. Those pharmacies and DME suppliers then used those fraudulent orders as the basis for at least $7 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare. Many of these fraudulent orders used names and personal health information of actual Medicare beneficiaries, without the beneficiaries’ authorization or prior knowledge. Many of these fraudulent orders also contained professional information of doctors and other health-care providers enrolled in the Medicare program, as well as the purported electronic signatures of these providers, which were falsified and created without the authorization or knowledge of these providers. During the course of the scheme, MARGAIT and Witkowski received more than $3.8 million in illegal kickbacks from DME suppliers, who made these payments to True Prospects Marketing, Inc., a company controlled by MARGAIT and Witkowski. * * * MARGAIT, 45, of West Palm Beach, Florida, pled guilty on June 2, 2022, to a single count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition, MARGAIT was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture of $3,853,442 and restitution of $7,000,000 to the Medicare program. Witkowski, 38, a U.S. citizen who resided in the Dominican Republic since he was in college, was sentenced on April 20, 2023 to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $4,065,995 and restitution of $8,131,990 to the Medicare program. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Raymond Lewis is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Bangor Man Faces Up to 20 Years for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A former Bangor man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Christopher Coty , 42, conspired with others to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. Coty knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy. Coty is the tenth defendant to plead guilty in this case; four other participants in the conspiracy were sentenced in prior related cases. Coty faces up to 20 years imprisonment. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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. ###


title: Felon Serving Time for Illegally Possessing a Firearm Sentenced to Additional 33 Months in Federal Prison for Escape from Residential Reentry Facility

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: EVANSVILLE- Austin R. Pam, 28, of Evansville, Indiana has been sentenced to an additional 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to escape from custody. According to court documents, on January 4, 2019, Pam was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment for illegally possessing a firearm and a consecutive 21 months’ imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release in a different case. On September 23, 2021, Pam was transferred to the Volunteers of America (“VOA”) in Evansville, Indiana, to complete his sentence. The Bureau of Prisons contracts with residential reentry centers, also known as halfway houses, to aid inmates who are nearing release. Inmates serving a portion of their sentence at a residential reentry center are only authorized to leave through sign-out procedures for approved activities. Pam was to remain in and abide by the rules of the facility until his projected release date of March 21, 2022. On November 27, 2021, VOA staff noticed that Pam had not returned from his place of employment. Staff unsuccessfully attempted to contact Pam and reached out to his shift supervisor, who stated Pam never showed up for his shift. Pam was arrested in Evansville in an unrelated case on May 25, 2022. Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Dan McClain, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana, made the announcement. U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.


title: Willoughby Hills Man Sentenced for His Part in $7 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme Fraud

body_text: CLEVELAND – Aydin Kalantarov, 38, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday to 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker, after he pleaded guilty to defrauding the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) of approximately $1.2 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program under Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Kalantarov was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, a $200 special assessment, and agreed to pay up to $1.2 million in restitution. According to court documents, from May 2020 through October 2020, Kalantarov, along with his two brothers, Zaur Kalantarli and Ali Kalantarli, conspired to defraud the SBA of nearly $7 million in EIDL loans. As part of the scheme the brothers created 70 fictious Ohio corporations with agriculture sounding names, such as “Ohio Almonds and Peanuts” and “Ohio Organic Carrots”. Once the fictitious corporations were created, the brothers submitted fraudulent EIDL loan applications to the SBA claiming that their business was adversely affected by the pandemic. The SBA funded 47 of the applications for a total of approximately $7 million. Kalantarov personally received $1.2 million in fraud loan proceeds. He used most of his funds to purchase a house in California. Zaur Kalantarli and Ali Kalantarli remain at large. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (“TIGTA”), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Cleveland, the IRS Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (“USDA-OIG), and the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (“SBAOIG”). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad J. Beeson.


title: Three Luzerne County Family Members Indicted On Drug Trafficking Charges

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Disabella, age 34, James Disabella, Jr. age 59, and James Disabella, III, age 35, all of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, were indicted on May 23, 2023, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between August 2022 and December 2022, the Disabellas conspired to distributed over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. The indictment also alleges that between July 2022 and December 2022, the Disabellas distributed quantities of pure methamphetamine on several occasions. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is lifetime imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Kentucky Militia Member Charged with Felony and Misdemeanors For Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

body_text: WASHINGTON — A Kentucky man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election. Daniel Edwin Wilson, 47, of Louisville, Kentucky, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with obstruction, a felony, and four misdemeanors including: knowingly entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and parading, demonstrating or picketing on Capitol grounds. He was arrested today in Louisville, KY and is expected to make his initial appearance later today in the Western District of Kentucky. According to court documents, Wilson began planning, in the winter of 2020, to obstruct and interfere with the joint session of Congress at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to certify the electoral college vote. On Dec. 22, 2020, Wilson—who in a Telegram chat group went by the moniker “Live Wire”—responded to a discussion regarding traveling to Washington, D.C. for Jan. 6, 2021 by writing, “Ooh Rah. Curb stomp crew all in!!!” Later that same day, Wilson wrote, “We are willing to work and coordinate with others but I am a gray ghost ranger,” referring to Wilson’s affiliation with a particular militia. Wilson also discussed bringing firearms to Washington, D.C. for Jan. 6, 2021, but he ultimately wrote, on Dec. 24, 2020, “In my opinion I don’t think it’s time to gun up for the sixth we have to play this out but if they seat biden on the 20th all bets are off it’s gonna happen even if Trump wins we have to get this government under control it’s been crossing my mind if we go to a Civil War do we try to take Washington DC first or do we try to take state capitals first.” On Dec. 27, 2020, Wilson wrote, “I am ready to lay my life on the line. It is time for good men to do bad things.” On Jan. 6, 2021, Wilson was captured in open-source and U.S. Capitol CCTV footage at the U.S. Capitol, wearing a pair of blue jeans, tan boots, and a blue hooded sweatshirt, carrying a red backpack and an olive-green fabric pouch, and at times, wearing a gas mask. A review of the U.S Capitol’s CCTV footage revealed that, at approximately 2:37 PM, Wilson entered the U.S. Capitol building through the Upper West Terrace Door. After entering the building, Wilson walked into the Rotunda, where he remained for several minutes. From the Rotunda, Wilson walked through Statuary Hall. He then returned to the Rotunda and ultimately exited through the East Rotunda Doors at approximately 2:49 PM. In an interview with FBI agents on March 9, 2021, Wilson repeatedly denied being inside the Capitol building. A search warrant was obtained and, on June 3, 2022, during the execution of the warrant, law enforcement seized six firearms from Wilson’s residence, which were stored in a backpack and inside a cabinet in his residence, covered by clothing. Wilson was prohibited from possessing firearms at the time, due to previous felony convictions. At least two of the seized firearms were loaded at the time of seizure, and another two did not have serial numbers. This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Louisville and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. In the 28 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov. A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: SW Georgia Resident Pleads Guilty to Firearms Charge, Sold Stolen Rifles

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – An Americus, Georgia, resident with a criminal history pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm after he was arrested stealing rifles from the local Walmart, which he sold for cash and drugs. Brandon Michael Hatfield, 31, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon today before U.S. District Judge Leslie A. Gardner. Hatfield faces a maximum of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 7. There is no parole in the federal system. “The defendant stole several rifles in a matter of weeks, flipping them quickly for cash and drugs and thereby increasing the number of stolen firearms on the streets of Americus,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement at every level is working to reduce the number of firearms in the hands of criminals in an effort to improve the safety within every community across the Middle District of Georgia.” “The unlawful acquisition and selling of firearms are serious crimes that feed and intensify the violence that plagues so many communities here and abroad," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. "This investigation illustrates the collective resolve of ATF and our law enforcement partners working together to make a safer community.” According to court documents, Hatfield attempted to steal a Rossi, 22LR caliber rifle from the Walmart in Americus, Georgia, on Nov. 18, 2022, but was stopped by Walmart employees before he could exit the store with the weapon. An investigation by Walmart’s security team revealed that Hatfield stole a total of five rifles on five different occasions from the store between Nov. 1 and Nov. 16. Hatfield admitted that he stole the firearms and traded them for money and drugs. Hatfield has been convicted of several felonies, including dealing methamphetamine, escape and residential entry in Decatur County, Indiana, Superior Court. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. The case was investigated by ATF and the Americus Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daniel Quintero, age 38, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty yesterday to receiving hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. Quintero admitted that from on or about May 1, 2019 through March 2, 2022, he downloaded images and videos of child pornography. At sentencing, scheduled for September 26, 2023, Quintero faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, and a maximum fine of $250,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Quintero will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. This case was investigated by the FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, and the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Vickey is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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 .


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl and Gun Crimes

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Doran King Burroughs Jr., 23, of Charleston, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 10, 2022, Burroughs sold approximately 102 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant while outside a Charleston business in the informant’s vehicle. Burroughs admitted to that transaction and to an additional sale of approximately 51 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on May 4, 2022, in the informant’s vehicle in Charleston. On August 11, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Burroughs’ residence. Burroughs admitted that during the search, officers found approximately 76 grams of fentanyl, a drum magazine loaded with 7.62x39mm ammunition, a Spartan Armor System body armor carrier, and four firearms: a Glock, model 17, 9mm pistol; a PAP, model M92PV, 7.62mm-caliber pistol; a Glock, model 43X, 9mm pistol; and a Bushmaster model xm15-e25, .223-caliber rifle. Burroughs admitted to possessing the firearms and to possessing the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Burroughs knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his conviction for first-degree possession of a controlled substance, first offense, in Boone County, Kentucky, Circuit Court on March 7, 2022. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-172. ###


title: Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Large Quantities of Cocaine by Tractor Trailer

body_text: UTICA, NEW YORK – Guillaume Latour-Laitre, age 26, of Prevost, Quebec, pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. Latour-Laitre admitted that from November 2019 through December 7, 2019, as vice president of a commercial trucking company in Quebec, he trafficked cocaine from the United States to Canada via tractor trailer. On December 7, 2019, Latour-Laitre’s co-conspirator and employee at the trucking company, Jason Nelson, attempted to leave the United States for Canada at the Derby Line, Vermont Port of Entry. At the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers performed an outbound inspection on Nelson’s tractor trailer and discovered approximately 142 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a secret compartment in the trailer. Latour-Laitre was extradited from Canada in December 2022 to face the charges. Nelson was sentenced on April 27, 2022, to 72 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. At sentencing, scheduled for October 12, 2023, Latour-Laitre faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, and a maximum fine of $10 million. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. HSI and CBP investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Latour-Laitre.


title: Florida Mortgage Loan Officer Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

body_text: Orlando, FL – A Florida man pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes. According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2015 and 2018, Jeffrey Donaldson of Orlando worked as a loan officer for two mortgage companies and made over $750,000 in wages. He submitted to each of his employers false employee withholding certificates (Forms W-4) claiming that he was exempt from any federal income tax withholding. During that same period, Donaldson willfully did not file personal tax returns even though he earned enough income requiring him to do so. As a result, Donaldson caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $150,000. Donaldson will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS-Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd and Brian Flanagan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terry Livanos of the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.


title: Pennsylvania Physician Sentenced to Prison for HOPE Clinic Prescription Practices

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brian Gullett, D.O., 46, of Clarksville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to six months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and fined $5,000 for aiding and abetting obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Gullett admitted to unlawful prescription practices at HOPE (Hitech Opioid Pharmachovigilance Expertise) Clinic, a purported pain management clinic that operated in Beckley, Beaver and Charleston, West Virginia, and Wytheville, Virginia. Gullett also surrendered his medical license and his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) certificate of registration, and agreed not to apply for re-registration to dispense Schedule II controlled substances. “The criminal conduct in this case exploited and worsened an already devastating opioid crisis,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This office and its law enforcement partners are resolved to bring to justice those who allow greed to outweigh their oaths and duties as health care professionals.” According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2010 until June 11, 2015, practitioners associated with HOPE Clinic prescribed thousands of oxycodone- and morphine-based pills to individual customers. Some of these prescriptions provided customers with an average of four to seven pills per day. Several HOPE Clinic locations averaged 65 or more customers a day during a 10-hour workday with only one practitioner working. Gullett admitted to signing multiple oxycodone prescriptions for 120 pills of 30 milligrams each and 30 pills of 15 milligrams each for a HOPE Clinic customer at the Charleston location on March 13, 2013. Gullett further admitted that the customer’s medical chart did not support these prescriptions and that the prescriptions were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional medical practice. Evidence showed that the customer had multiple failed drug screenings, reported being addicted to pain medication, bought pills on the street, and sold pills from his HOPE Clinic prescriptions to others. Gullett admitted that he did not discuss the possibility of addiction or the need for addiction treatment with the customer. “Medical professionals who circumvent the rules for prescribing powerful and potentially addictive pain-killers contribute to the opioids crisis facing our nation,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “Our office will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who see addiction as an opportunity for profit.” Gullett was initially indicted in 2018 along with the owners, managers and other physicians associated with HOPE Clinic and PPPFD. Five other physicians have also pleaded guilty. The remaining defendants are awaiting trial. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the West Virginia State Police, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Beckley Police Department, the Kentucky State Police, the Harrison County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department, and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (AHIDTA). United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Monica Coleman, Steve Loew and Owen Reynolds prosecuted the case. This prosecution was 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. This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 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. 2:22-cr-167. ###


title: Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Against Louisville Woman for CARES Act Fraud

body_text: Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment on May 17, 2023, charging a Louisville woman with three counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of money laundering related to fraud involving the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) financial assistance program. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Kelly Moening of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Great Lakes Field Division made the announcement. According to the indictment, between April 9, 2020, and August 11, 2022, Rachel Finley, 54, filed two fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, resulting in the theft of $117,990. Finley utilized the entity Private Label Vintage & Spirits, a Kentucky Limited Liability Company, to file the applications. Finley falsely exaggerated the number of employees and payroll expenses of the entity in the fraudulent applications. Finley further applied for forgiveness for one of the loans, falsely stating the amount that had been spent on payroll. The Small Business Administration (SBA) PPP loans were designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses who were in operation on February 15, 2020, to keep their workers on the payroll. PPP loan proceeds were required to be used by the business on certain permissible expenses. Interest and principal on PPP loans could be entirely forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on the allowable expenses within a designated period and used a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. Finley made her initial court appearance today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Finley faces a maximum penalty of 140 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. TIGTA is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Elver is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Fitchburg Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearms & Ammunition

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – A Fitchburg, Wisconsin man is charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in a one-count indictment returned on May 17, 2023, by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison, Wisconsin. The indictment is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. The indictment charges Calvin M. Henderson, Sr., 45, with possessing three handguns and ammunition on January 26, 2023, knowing that he previously had been convicted of a felony. Henderson was arrested on Monday, May 22, in Madison by Fitchburg police officers and the U.S. Marshals Service. He made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison that day and remains in federal custody. His trial has been scheduled for August 21, 2023. If convicted, Henderson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Fitchburg Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the prosecution. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.


title: 35-year prison sentence for Colerain Township man convicted at trial of taking sexually explicit photographs of victims ages 9 & 12 while they slept

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court here today to 420 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for sexually exploiting children and possessing child pornography. Nicholas J. Veerkamp, 32, of Colerain Township, Ohio, was convicted following a jury trial in October 2022. Veerkamp sexually exploited a 9-year-old victim and a 12-year-old victim and kept images of the exploitation. “This defendant has shown a consistent pattern of sexually abusing children,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “In his current federal case, Veerkamp creeped into the bedrooms of minor girls and took sexually explicit photos of them. There is no place in society for someone engaging in this conduct that’s so harmful to our children.” According to court documents and trial testimony, in August 2017, Veerkamp sexually exploited a 12-year-old victim to create three images of child pornography. In October 2017, Veerkamp sexually exploited a 9-year-old child for the purpose of making child pornography. Veerkamp created 19 images of the victim, including images in which he exposed the child’s genitals while the victim slept. The defendant also possessed other images of minor females on his electronic devices. Veerkamp was convicted of sexual imposition in 2016 for having sex with a 13-year-old girl, and as a result, was required to register as a sex offender. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III; Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey’s Regional Electronics Crimes Investigations unit and other members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children task force announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case. # # #