title: Two Certified Nurse Midwives, One Licensed Practical Nurse and Two Business Owners Among Those Charged in Brooklyn as Part of National Health Care Related COVID-19 Enforcement Action

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Five individuals, including two certified nurse midwives, one licensed practical nurse and two health care business owners, have been charged for their participation in separate schemes that fraudulently distributed more than 2,600 fake COVID-19 vaccination records cards and defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program of more than $1.7 million. The charges filed in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, are part of a nationwide COVID-19 enforcement action led by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, which resulted in criminal charges against 18 individuals for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving approximately $490 million in fraudulent claims. The charges were announced by Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Thomas M. Fattorusso, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI). “The defendants in these cases used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to engage in fraud, including faking vaccine cards and stealing vital funds designed to keep struggling businesses afloat,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office remains committed to combating the opportunistic fraud that occurred in connection with the pandemic.” Mr. Peace thanked the New York State Department of Health for their assistance with the case. The results of the nationwide enforcement action were announced today by Assistant Attorney General Polite. “Today’s announcement marks the largest-ever coordinated law enforcement action in the United States targeting health care fraud schemes that exploit the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and our partners are committed to rooting out pandemic-related fraud and holding accountable anyone seeking to profit from a public health emergency.” “Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen the aid for businesses and individuals stolen through fraud and deceit. Fraudsters have lined their pockets and built real estate empires through illicit gains, showing no regard for those who truly need the funds. IRS Criminal Investigation and our investigative partners stay committed to targeting the criminals taking advantage of COVID relief benefits to see that the only pockets they line are those of a prison jumper,” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York. “The defendants allegedly operated a COVID-19 vaccination card fraud scheme distributing vaccine cards to individuals not vaccinated while also destroying doses of the vaccine intended to protect members of the community. COVID-19 health care fraud schemes put the well-being of society at risk. The FBI will continue to ensure schemers defrauding the government face the consequences in the criminal justice system,” stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. Schemes charged in the Eastern District of New York, detailed in two indictments and one criminal information, include the following: United States v. Kathleen Breault and Kelly McDermott The indictment charges certified nurse midwives Kathleen Breault and Kelly McDermott with conspiracy to defraud the United States. The indictment alleges that McDermott, who owns Sage-Femme Midwifery PLLC, a midwife clinic in Albany, New York, and Breault, who worked at Sage-Femme, conspired to enroll Sage-Femme as an authorized COVID-19 vaccine administration site and to provide COVID-19 vaccination record cards to individuals who were not vaccinated, including minors who were not at the time eligible to be vaccinated and non-United States citizens who were not present in the United States when they were purportedly vaccinated. The defendants allegedly destroyed vials of COVID-19 vaccines that were intended to be used to vaccinate patients. Even though Sage-Femme was a small midwife practice, the defendants’ fraud turned it into one of the busiest Johnson & Johnson vaccination sites in New York State, outpacing large, state-run vaccination sites. United States v. Sherilyn Pellitteri The information charges Sherilyn Pellitteri, a licensed practical nurse, with conspiracy to defraud the United States. The information alleges that Pellitteri, an employee of Sage-Femme Midwifery PLLC, a midwife clinic in Albany, New York, conspired to enroll Sage-Femme as an authorized COVID-19 vaccine administration site and to provide COVID-19 vaccination record cards to individuals who were not vaccinated, including minors who were not at the time eligible to be vaccinated and non-United States citizens who were not present in the United States when they were purportedly vaccinated. The defendant allegedly destroyed vials of COVID-19 vaccines that were intended to be used to vaccinate patients. Even though Sage-Femme was a small midwife practice, the defendant’s fraud turned it into one of the busiest vaccination sites in New York State, outpacing large, state-run vaccination sites. United States v. Kate Spencer and Ziv Biton The indictment charges Kate Spencer and Ziv Biton with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering. The indictment alleges that Spencer and Biton caused the submission of numerous fraudulent loan applications to the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program on behalf of purported health care businesses, among others. The applications contained false statements and included falsified documents regarding the purported businesses and the intended use of the loan funds, resulting in the distribution of over $1.7 million in fraudulent loans. The funds were allegedly used for personal expenses, such as purchases of residential properties. The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Andrew Estes of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The charges are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Defendants : SHERILYN PELLITTERI Age: 41 Somerset, KY E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 23-CR-113 (RPK) KATHLEEN BREAULT Age: 65 Cambridge, NY E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-158 (RPK) KELLY MCDERMOTT Age: 61 Albany, NY E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 23-CR-158 (RPK) KATE SPENCER Age: 39 North Miami Beach, FL E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-145 (HG) ZIV BITON Age: 34 North Miami Beach, FL E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 23-CR-145 (HG)


title: Chicago Man Charged With Producing Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been charged with child pornography charges for allegedly enticing four minors to produce sexually explicit images. MICHAEL RAMOS, 46, of Chicago, is charged with four counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of an electronic device containing child pornography, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Ramos is currently detained in federal custody. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment before U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Tucker. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each production count is punishable by a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of 30 years. The possession count carries a maximum sentence of ten years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you or someone you know may have been a victim of Michael Ramos, email the FBI at: MICHAELRAMOSVICTIMS@FBI.GOV . All responses are voluntary, and all identities of victims will be kept confidential. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office hosts United Against Hate meeting in Billings

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — The U.S. Attorney’s Office held its first United Against Hate event on April 19 in Billings with a meeting of federal and local law enforcement representatives and local religious and faith leaders, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. United Against Hate is an initiative launched by the Department of Justice focused on improving the prevention of hate crimes and hate incidents by building relationships at the local level. Through this initiative, the Justice Department seeks to create and strengthen partnerships among law enforcement, community leaders and residents. “I am pleased to kick off this initiative in Billings, which has experienced some troubling incidents against houses of worship and faith groups in recent months. Billings also has a history of standing up to hate, and I look forward to hearing different perspectives on ways we can all work together to fight hate crimes and prevent hate incidents from occurring,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. The meeting, held at the Yellowstone County Commission’s Board Room, provided an opportunity for members and leaders in the faith community to have a better understanding of hate crimes and hate incidents, how to report them to law enforcement and to learn about available resources. Speakers at the Billings meeting included U.S. Attorney Laslovich and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Vestal, civil rights coordinator for the office. In addition, the event featured a panel discussion and question and comment session that included U.S. Attorney Laslovich, FBI Supervisory Resident Agent Nadine Brown, Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Protective Security Advisor Albert Mendoza, Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder and Billings Police Department Chief Rich St. John. The District of Montana will be holding additional United Against Hate events in the coming months in communities across the state. XXX


title: Starke Couple Indicted On Mail Theft Charge

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Connor Lee Austin (31, Starke) and Maranda Ann Stewart (26, Starke) with theft of mail. If convicted, each faces up to five years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the victims in the case. According to court documents and public records, Austin and Stewart stole First Class mail over multiple months in 2022. Austin appeared in federal court on April 19, 2023, pursuant to a writ bringing him to Jacksonville from Florida State Prison, where he is serving a prison sentence of 36 months for grand theft, grand theft from a dwelling, and burglary. The Court ordered Austin detained pending trial. Stewart appeared in federal court on April 17, 2023, and was released on a bond. Their trial is set for June 2023. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with valuable assistance from the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.


title: Five Springfield Residents Indicted for Meth Conspiracy, Illegal Firearms

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Five Springfield, Mo., residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms. Dusty B. Lescard, 38, Anne Louise Currie, 61, Jeremy Moran Chambers, 44, Tilton Chase Tate, 39, and Erik C. Foster, 41, were charged in a 22-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield on April 12, 2023. That indictment has been unsealed. Lescard, Currie and Tate remain in federal custody pending their detention hearings. The federal indictment alleges that Lescard, Currie, Chambers, Tate and Foster participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from March 18, 2021, to Oct. 12, 2022. In addition to the conspiracy, Lescard is charged with six counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of distributing five grams or more of methamphetamine, and two counts of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Lescard is also charged with one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. Lescard allegedly possessed a Glock 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol on Dec. 30, 2021, and a Glock 9mm pistol on Jan. 12, 2022. Currie is also charged with two counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Chambers is also charged with one count of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. Chambers allegedly possessed a Ruger .22-caliber pistol, two Glock 9mm pistols and a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver on July 22, 2021. Tate is also charged with one count of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. Tate allegedly possessed a Ruger .380-caliber pistol and a Stoeger 9mm pistol on April 14, 2022. Foster is also charged with two counts of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property obtained from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including $11,960 that was seized by law enforcement. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the FBI, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Republic, Mo., Police Department, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Elmer Rene Hernandez-Hernandez, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 19, 2023, by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Hernandez-Hernandez received a sentence of 210 months’ imprisonment with a four-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. Hernandez-Hernandez also forfeited $13,400 that was seized as part of the investigation. On March 18, 2021, the DEA Criminal Interdiction Unit, while working at the United States Post Office in Omaha, intercepted a package containing 3,242 grams of methamphetamine. The package was destined to an address in Omaha. A controlled delivery of the package was completed to the listed address, and Kenneth Flowers accepted the package at the residence. Flowers was then monitored as he exited out his backdoor and walked up the street to deliver the package to the residence of Hernandez-Hernandez. Flowers was arrested after delivering the package. A search warrant was obtained for Hernandez-Hernandez’s residence. Inside, officers found various small amounts of illicit drugs (cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana), $13,400, and some firearms. One of the firearms was stolen. Flowers was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment on April 6, 2023 for his role in receiving the package for Hernandez-Hernandez. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to More than 12 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking Crime

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Bartolo Roman-Tapia, 23, of Mexico, was sentenced on April 19, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Roman-Tapia to 151 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison he will be subject to deportation. He was also ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release. On June 22, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant on a South Omaha apartment. Special Agents encountered Roman-Tapia locked inside the lone apartment bedroom. Within that bedroom Special Agents discovered 28 one-pound packages of methamphetamine, $18,754 in narcotics proceeds, two cellular telephones, a scale, money remitter receipts and drug payment ledger, apartment keys, and a wallet with Roman-Tapia's identification. The $18,754 was previously forfeited to the United States as proceeds from narcotics trafficking. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Fugitive High-Ranking MS-13 Leader Arrested on Terrorism and Racketeering Charges

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Houston, Jose Wilfredo Ayala-Alcantara, also known as “Indio de Hollywood,” a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as “MS-13,” was transferred to the Eastern District of New York where he, together with 12 other high-ranking MS-13 leaders, are charged with directing the transnational criminal organization’s criminal activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, and elsewhere over the past two decades. Ayala-Alcantara was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) on April 18, 2023 when he arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. The day before, Ayala-Alcantara had been located by Mexican authorities, who determined that he was an El Salvadoran citizen with no valid status in Mexico. He was expelled from Mexico to El Salvador but arrested while transiting through the United States. Specifically, Ayala-Alcantara is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to provide or conceal material support to terrorists, and narco-terrorism conspiracy. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY); Donald Alway, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s Los Angeles Field Office; Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI); and John J. Durham, Director of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), announced Ayala-Alcantara’s arrest and initial appearance. “Jose Wilfredo Ayala-Alcantara’s abominable MS-13 career has come full circle — having joined the transnational gang when he lived in the United States, he was deported to El Salvador where he ascended to a leadership position, he is returning to face justice in the Eastern District of New York where MS-13 has wrought so much violence in our communities,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “As most Angelenos know too well, MS-13 is a criminal enterprise that has wreaked havoc on communities in the United States and beyond for decades,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Alway. “The FBI is dedicated to dismantling this scourge on society and will work with our local and international partners to do so, regardless of where they hide. There is no safe haven for criminals who do the bidding of transnational gangs.” “As alleged, Jose Wilfredo Ayala-Alcantara has led a life of violence and crime, which propelled him to a leadership position within the Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 street gang,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “Ayala-Alcantara is accused of leading MS-13, directing the gang’s vicious appetite for power through carnage and bloodshed. HSI New York will exhaust every resource at our disposal to ensure criminals like Ayala-Alcantara are located and brought to justice. I commend the unified efforts of Homeland Security Investigations New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, and Mexico City, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation Los Angeles Field Division for locating and apprehending Ayala-Alcantara.” “For over two decades, Ayala-Alcantara has been a zealous member and leader of MS-13, who directed violence and criminal activity across the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, and beyond,” said JTFV Director Durham. “This arrest marks an important step towards holding Ayala-Alcantara accountable for decades of terrorist and criminal acts that he and his MS-13 co-conspirators have carried out internationally.” Ayala-Alcantara’s indictment was unsealed on February 23, 2023, following the arrests of three of his co-defendants, Vladimir Antonio Arevalo-Chavez, also known as “Vampiro de Monserrat Criminales,” Walter Yovani Hernandez-Rivera, also known as “Baxter de Park View” and “Bastard de Park View,” and Marlon Antonio Menjivar-Portillo, also known as “Rojo de Park View,” but he remained a fugitive until earlier this week. As set forth in court filings, Ayala-Alcantara and his co-defendants are part of MS-13’s command and control structure, consisting of the Ranfla Nacional , Ranfla en Las Calles , and Ranfla en Los Penales , and play significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations in El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, and throughout the world. In total, 27 of the highest-ranking leaders of MS-13 have been charged in this indictment and the related case of United States v. Henriquez, et al. A grand jury in the Eastern District of New York previously indicted 14 members of the Ranfla Nacional , who functioned as MS-13’s “Board of Directors.” As further alleged, Ayala-Alcantara, who was one of the founding members of the Hollywood clique of the MS-13 in Los Angeles, California, and later rose to become one of the criminal organization’s highest-ranking leaders, and his co-defendants have engaged in numerous violent terrorist activities aimed at influencing the government of El Salvador (GOES). The defendants have used terrorist violence to obtain benefits and concessions from the GOES and to target GOES law enforcement and military officials. The defendants have actively engaged in public displays of violence to threaten and intimidate civilian populations, to obtain and control territory and to manipulate the electoral process in El Salvador. Several of these defendants have played prominent roles in MS-13’s past and current negotiations with the GOES. Further, these defendants are alleged to have authorized and directed violence in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere as part of a concerted effort to expand MS-13’s influence and territorial control. As the leaders of the MS-13 transnational criminal organization, these defendants were an integral part of the leadership chain responsible for supervising MS-13 cliques in the United States that engaged in extreme violence, including numerous murders, attempted murders, assaults, and related offenses. For example, this Office’s Long Island Criminal Division has prosecuted hundreds of MS-13 leaders, members, and associates for carrying out more than 65 murders in the Eastern District of New York between 2009 and the present. Three co-defendants, Jorge Alexander De La Cruz, also known as “Cruger de Peatonales,” Juan Antonio Martinez-Abrego, also known as “Mary Jane de Hollywood,” and Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, also known as “Veterano de Tribus,” remain at large. Members of the public with information concerning their whereabouts are strongly encouraged to contact the FBI’s toll-free MS-13 tip line, 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or HSI’s tip line at (866) 347-2423 or https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form . Together, FBI and HSI have offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the fugitives. Six other co-defendants, Edwin Ernesto Cedillos-Rodriguez, also known as “Renuente de Abriles Dangers,” Carlos Tiberio Ramirez-Valladares, also known as “Snayder de Pasadena,” Dany Fredy Ramos-Mejia, also known as “Cisco de Teclas,” Dany Balmore Romero-Garcia, also known as “Big Boy de Normandies,” “Dig Boy de Normandies,” and “D Boy de Normandies,” Ruben Antonio Rosa-Lovo, also known as “Chivo de Centrales,” and Miguel Angel Serrano-Medina, also known as “Cabro de Park View,” are believed to be in custody in El Salvador. Since its creation in August 2019, JTFV has successfully implemented a whole-of-government approach to combatting MS-13, including increasing coordination and collaboration with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. JTFV has also identified and targeted for prosecution the MS-13 programs, cliques and individuals that have had the most violent impact in the United States, and it has coordinated significant MS-13 indictments in U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the first use of national security charges against MS-13 leaders. JTFV has been comprised of members from U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the EDNY; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of New York; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of Florida; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. In addition, all Department of Justice law enforcement agencies are involved in the effort, including the FBI; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the USMS; and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. In addition, HSI also plays a critical role in JTFV. Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the FBI’s Los Angeles, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Houston, and Newark Field Offices, who spearheaded this investigation, with essential partnership provided by the Criminal Investigative Division’s Safe Streets Gang Unit, along with HSI’s National Gangs and Violent Crime Unit and HSI’s New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Houston Field Offices. Additionally, FBI Legal Attachés in Mexico City and San Salvador, HSI Attaché Mexico City, USMS Legal Attaché in Mexico City, and the United States Customs and Border Protection Officers at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston provided critical support in connection with the arrest, as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office and the USMS for the Southern District of Texas for coordinating the initial appearance in Houston. Mr. Peace also thanked the numerous Department of Justice components that contributed to this indictment, including: the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section; the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Executive Office; the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training, and Organized Crime and Gangs Section. In addition, the Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the United States Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General, have provided critical support for JTFV’s mission. These charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Ayala-Alcantara faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Donnelly, Matthew Shepherd, and Stewart M. Young from JTFV, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell from the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Newly Arrested Defendant in U.S. Custody : JOSE WILFREDO AYALA-ALCANTARA (also known as “Indio de Hollywood”) Age: 55 Defendants Previously Arrested and in U.S. Custody : VLADIMIR ANTONIO AREVALO-CHAVEZ (also known as “Vampiro de Monserrat Criminales”) Age: 47 WALTER YOVANI HERNANDEZ-RIVERA (also known as “Baxter de Park View” and “Bastard de Park View”) Age: 29 MARLON ANTONIO MENJIVAR-PORTILLO (also known as “Rojo de Park View”) Age: 47 Fugitive Defendants: JORGE ALEXANDER DE LA CRUZ (also known as “Cruger de Peatonales”) Age: 45 JUAN ANTONIO MARTINEZ-ABREGO (also known as “Mary Jane de Hollywood”) Age: 42 FRANCISCO JAVIER ROMAN-BARDALES (also known as “Veterano de Tribus”) Age: 45 Defendants Believed to be in El Salvador Custody: EDWIN ERNESTO CEDILLOS-RODRIGUEZ (also known as “Renuente de Abriles Dangers”) Age: 35 CARLOS TIBERIO RAMIREZ-VALLADARES (also known as “Snayder de Pasadena”) DANY FREDY RAMOS-MEJIA (also known as “Cisco de Teclas”) Age: 44 DANY BALMORE ROMERO-GARCIA (also known as “Big Boy de Normandies,” “Dig Boy de Normandies,” and “D Boy de Normandies”) Age: 48 RUBEN ANTONIO ROSA-LOVO (also known as “Chivo de Centrales”) Age: 52 MIGUEL ANGEL SERRANO-MEDINA (also known as “Cabro de Park View”) Age: 47 E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 22-CR-429 (JMA)


title: COVID-19 Fraudsters Charged in Utah for Allegedly Manufacturing, Selling and Distributing at least 120,000 Counterfeit COVID-19 Vaccination Cards

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Utah returned an indictment charging a Utah and South Carolina man for running a scheme to defraud the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by obstructing the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination program. According to court documents, Nicholas Frank Sciotto, 32, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Kyle Blake Burbage, 32, of Goose Creek, South Carolina, manufactured, sold, and distributed at least 120,000 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards across the country between March 2021 through September 2021. Sciotto, a former resident of Weber County, Utah, started and operated an online business where he began to fraudulently manufacture and sell the COVID-19 vaccination record cards. As alleged in the indictment, most of Sciotto’s buyers lived in New York where they were subject to more stringent COVID-19 vaccine restrictions. Sciotto’s co-conspirator, Burbage, purchased counterfeit vaccination record cards from Sciotto and then resold some of the counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards and distributed them in South Carolina. By collectively manufacturing, selling, and distributing thousands of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards to others during the COVID-19 pandemic, the defendants significantly undermined the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination program and other governmental health-and-safety regulations and protocols. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Sciotto primarily sold the counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards online through Facebook and charged approximately $10 each, for orders of 10 or more cards, and $7.50 each, for orders of 100 or more cards. The case is part of a nationwide coordinated law enforcement action by the Department of Justice to combat health care fraud related to COVID-19. In total, DOJ announced criminal charges against 18 defendants in nine federal districts across the United States. These cases allegedly resulted in over $490 million in COVID-19 related false billings to federal programs and theft from federally-funded pandemic programs. See national DOJ release here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-nationwide-coordinated-law-enforcement-action-combat-covid-19 Sciotto and Burbage are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearances April 20, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah. U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG), and FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Todd Bouton, of the District of Utah 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 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 and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . 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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form . An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Franklin County Man Indicted for Federal Child Exploitation Violations

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: TYLER, Texas - A Mount Vernon man has been indicted on federal child exploitation charges in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today. Zachary Arzola, also known as Zachary Castenada, 26, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on April 19, 2023 charging him with coercion and enticement of a minor; traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct; and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to the indictment, from December 2022 until January 9, 2023, Arzola allegedly used the internet and social media and messaging applications to coerce a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct. In December 2022, Arzola is alleged to have traveled from Texas to Ohio for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and in January 2023, transported a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity. If convicted, Arzola faces up to life in federal prison. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case is being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety – CID, Mount Vernon Police Department and the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok. ###


title: Justice Department Announces Nationwide Coordinated Law Enforcement Action to Combat COVID-19 Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The Department of Justice today announced criminal charges against 18 defendants in nine federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving health care services that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and allegedly resulted in over $490 million in COVID-19 related false billings to federal programs and theft from federally funded pandemic programs. Two of the most significant criminal cases in this sweep were filed by federal prosecutors in the Central District of California. In connection with the enforcement action, the department seized over $16 million in cash and other fraud proceeds. The Center for Program Integrity of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CPI/CMS) separately announced today that it took adverse administrative actions in the last year against 28 medical providers for their alleged involvement in COVID-19 schemes. “The Justice Department will not tolerate those who exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stole taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This unprecedented enforcement action against defendants across the country makes clear that the Department is using every available resource to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud and safeguard the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs.” Today’s announcement builds on the successes of the April 2022 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and the May 2021 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and involves the prosecution of various COVID-19 health care fraud schemes. In one of the most significant types of COVID-19 health care fraud schemes announced today, multiple defendants were charged with defrauding the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program. The Uninsured Program was designed to prevent the further spread of the pandemic by providing access to uninsured patients for testing and treatment. The Uninsured Program was also designed to provide financial support to health care providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by reimbursing them for services provided to uninsured individuals. The Uninsured Program ultimately ceased operating due to the exhaustion of funding. In the Central District of California, a medical doctor was charged for allegedly orchestrating an approximately $230 million fraud on the Uninsured Program. Dr. Anthony Hao Dinh, 63, of Newport Coast, was the second highest biller in the country to the Uninsured Program. As a result of the scheme targeting the Uninsured Program, Dr. Dinh and his companies were paid more than $153 million, and he used fraud proceeds for high-risk options trading, losing over $100 million from November 2020 through February 2022, according to court documents. Dr. Dinh allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for treatment of patients who were insured, billed for services that were not rendered, and billed for services that were not medically necessary, according to a criminal complaint filed on April 10. After being arrested on April 12 and subsequently released on a $7 million bond, Dr. Dinh is scheduled to be arraigned in United States District Court on May 22. If he were to be convicted of the three charges, Dr. Dinh would face a statutory maximum sentence of 50 years in federal prison. “Dr. Dinh is alleged to have stolen from a taxpayer-funded program meant to provide COVID-related health care to uninsured patients,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We will not tolerate stealing from the American people, and our prosecution of this large-scale scheme demonstrates our continued efforts to stop fraud of all sorts.” Dr. Dinh is also charged with two other individuals for allegedly submitting over 70 fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and fraudulently obtaining over $3 million in loan funds. The other defendants named in this scheme are Dr. Dinh’s sister – Hang Trinh Dinh, 64, of Lake Forest, who is currently a fugitive being sought by federal authorities – and Matthew Hoang Ho, 65, of Melbourne, Florida, who also was arrested on April 12. Dr. Dinh is charged in the complaint with health care fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Hang Dinh and Matthew Ho are each charged with one count of wire fraud. The case against Dr. Dinh and his codefendants is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the AMTRAK Office of Inspector General, and the California Department of Health Care Services. Assistant United States Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section, and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Justin M. Woodard and Helen H. Lee of the Fraud Section are prosecuting this case. In another case filed the Central District of California – this one by attorneys with the Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force – a lab owner was charged for allegedly submitting over $358 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, HRSA, and a private insurance company for laboratory testing. The indictment alleges that the defendant’s lab performed COVID-19 screening testing for nursing homes and other facilities with vulnerable elderly populations, as well as primary and secondary schools. But to increase its reimbursements, the defendant allegedly fraudulently added claims for respiratory pathogen panel tests even though ordering providers and facility administrators did not want or need them. Lourdes Navarro, 64, of Glendale, was charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and making false statements, in connection with the operation of Matias Clinical Laboratory, Inc. (Matias), also known as Health Care Providers Laboratory, a laboratory she operated, controlled, and managed with her husband Imran Shams. Navarro was previously charged in an indictment returned in April 2022. The superseding indictment adds allegations that Navarro conspired with Shams and carried out a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, the HRSA’s COVID-19 Uninsured Program, and an insurance company for respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) testing that was not ordered, medically unnecessary, procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes, and ineligible for reimbursement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Matias performed COVID-19 screening testing for a variety of clients, including nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, assisted living facilities, and similar facilities with vulnerable elderly populations, as well as primary and secondary schools. It is alleged that, in order to increase its reimbursements, Matias fraudulently added claims for RPP tests even though medical providers and facility administrators did not order them, and such tests were not needed for the patient population Matias served. It is further alleged that Matias falsely represented to HRSA that patients had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in order to obtain payment on the RPP claims. The superseding indictment alleges additional loss to Medicare, HRSA, and the insurer of approximately $241 million in billed claims, and alleges that these payors reimbursed Matias an additional $39.9 million. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Gary Winters and Ray Beckering of the National Rapid Response Strike Force. Today’s announcement also includes first-of-their-kind charges against suppliers of COVID-19 over-the-counter tests, which Medicare began to cover in April 2022 for beneficiaries who requested them. These kits were provided to the public to slow the spread of the deadly disease, but wrongdoers allegedly sought to exploit the program by repeatedly supplying patients or, in some instances, deceased patients, with dozens of COVID-19 tests that they did not want or need. In the Middle District of Florida, a doctor and a marketer were charged for allegedly unlawfully purchasing Medicare beneficiary identification numbers and shipping over-the-counter tests to beneficiaries throughout the country who did not request the tests, causing over $8.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare. Charges were also brought under the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Initiative. The PRF is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 that provided financial assistance to medical providers to deliver needed medical care to Americans suffering from COVID-19. In the Eastern District of Louisiana, the operator of a primary care clinic and purported spa was charged with allegedly submitting fraudulent loan agreements, attestations, and other documentation from which she received over $1.1 million in PRF and EIDL funds that were used to purchase real estate, luxury vehicles, a boat, a trailer, a time share, and luxury vacations, among other expenditures. In total, 12 defendants have been charged with crimes related to misappropriating funds intended for frontline medical providers, and seven have pleaded guilty. The law enforcement action also includes charges against manufacturers and distributors of fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards, who intentionally sought to obstruct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their efforts to administer the nationwide vaccination program and provide Americans with accurate proof of vaccination. In the Eastern District of New York, three medical professionals who worked at a small midwife practice were charged for allegedly distributing nearly 2,700 forged COVID-19 vaccination record cards to individuals who were not vaccinated. Instead of administering the COVID-19 vaccine, the defendants allegedly destroyed vials of COVID-19 vaccines that were intended to be used to inoculate patients. Despite being a small midwife practice, it was one of the busiest vaccination sites in New York State, outpacing large, state-run vaccination sites. In the District of Utah, two individuals were charged for allegedly manufacturing and selling online approximately 120,000 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards across the country, especially in areas that were subject to more stringent COVID-19 vaccine restrictions. Today’s enforcement action was led and coordinated by the Fraud Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, the Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, and Tampa; the National Rapid Response Strike Force; and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Central District of California, Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, Eastern District of New York, District of Puerto Rico, District of Utah, and Western District of Washington are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-case-summaries . In addition to the FBI and HHS-OIG, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, AMTRAK Office of Inspector General, California Department of Health Care Services, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement action. The Health Care Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to prevent and deter health care fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. In the past three years, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force has rooted out health care fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, 53 defendants have been charged in nationwide COVID-19 Health Care Fraud Enforcement Actions for causing over $784 million in loss associated with the pandemic, and 20 defendants have been convicted. 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 www.justice.gov/coronavirus . The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation. An indictment, complaint, or information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Dubuque Man Sentenced to over 15 years for Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl Near a Local Park

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who distributed heroin and fentanyl in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced on April 18, 2023, to more than 15 years in prison in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Deandre P. Davis, age 33, formerly of Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and distribution of heroin and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of Hilltop Park in Dubuque, Iowa. At his plea hearing, Davis admitted to engaging in a drug-related conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl. In the fall of 2020, Davis coordinated with Nicole Jarvis and personally distributed heroin and fentanyl throughout the city of Dubuque. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Davis was sentenced to serve 188 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 12-year term of supervised release following his term of incarceration. There is no parole in the federal system. Davis remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to federal prison. This case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason D. Norwood. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 21-CR-1033-CJW. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: San Felipe Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Robert Chavarillo was sentenced to 190 days of incarceration. Chavarillo, 43, of San Felipe Pueblo, and an enrolled member of the San Felipe Pueblo, pleaded guilty on Dec. 12, 2022, to abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. Chavarillo will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to the plea agreement, Chavarillo engaged in sexual conduct with the victim, identified as Jane Doe, while she was heavily intoxicated and sleeping. Chavarillo knew that he did not have permission to engage in sexual conduct with Doe at the time. The incidents took place within San Felipe Pueblo. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall and Caitlin Dillon prosecuted the case.


title: Smugglers Sentenced for U-Haul Transport Resulting in Death

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Trajahn Alexander Johnson, 25, of Glendale, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to six months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Johnson, the final co-conspirator to be sentenced, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death. Johnson’s co-defendants were charged for their role in the transportation of the undocumented noncitizens and they also pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death and were sentenced by Judge Rayes: Israel Omar Vargas, 21, of Avondale, Arizona, was sentenced on September 19, 2022, to 80 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Worine Terrell Sams, Jr., 25, of Mesa Arizona, was sentenced on March 27, 2023, to 64 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Two other individuals also were charged by a separate indictment for their role in the transportation of undocumented noncitizens and pleaded guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death and were sentenced by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich: Tristan James Mott, 22, of Mesa, Arizona was sentenced on January 18, 2023, to 78 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Jera Simone Richard, 25, of Tempe, Arizona, was sentenced on January 30, 2023, to 36 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On October 1, 2020, in response to a 911 call, the Gila River Police Department (GRPD) conducted an investigative traffic stop of a U-Haul box truck. Upon investigation, GRPD officers discovered that there were 14 undocumented noncitizens in the U-Haul truck, one of whom had died during the transportation. Four others were taken to the hospital, suffering from heat-related illnesses. GRPD officers identified Richard as the driver of the U-Haul and Mott as the passenger. It was later determined that Richard and Mott had coordinated the transport of the 14 individuals with Vargas, Sams, and Johnson. “Human smuggling is always a risky business proposition, and sometimes those seeking a better life in America pay the ultimate price,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “Thanks to the collective work of a private citizen calling 911, observant tribal police officers and dedicated federal agents, we disrupted an alien smuggling scheme and held these five defendants accountable for the death of a migrant in their care.” “Dismantling human smuggling networks has been a longtime focus for HSI Arizona, but for those events that have resulted in a death of a migrant our investigation intensifies,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Arizona. “No one should ever lose their lives at the hands of a smuggler. Together, with our law enforcement partners, we continue to identify smuggling syndicates to safeguard the U.S. border and help save the lives of people these organizations regularly prey upon.” Homeland Security Investigations–Casa Grande Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-20-00646-PHX-SMB CR-21-00210-PHX-DLR RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-056_Johnson # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: South Carolina Man Arrested For Stealing And Possessing A Firearm As A Convicted Felon

body_text: Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Alexander Timothy Rosa (31, South Carolina) on a three-count indictment charging him with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possession of a stolen firearm, and stealing a firearm from a federal firearms licensee. If convicted, Rosa faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. According to the indictment, on or about October 26, 2021, Rosa unlawfully took a firearm from a pawn store that is licensed to engage in the business of dealing firearms. Rosa continued to possess the stolen firearm until November 9, 2021. Rosa was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including breaking into a motor vehicle (2014), grand theft (2015), robbery (2017), and two counts of assault and battery first degree (2017). As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. 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 is being investigated by the Belleview Police Department, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Radcliff Man for Four Bank Robberies in Western Kentucky

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Owensboro, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on April 12, 2023, charging a Hardin County, Kentucky, man with four bank robberies. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Sheriff Dale Bozarth of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. The indictment charges Ramon Alvarez, 36, with the following four bank robberies: (1) the WesBanco Bank in Meade County, Kentucky, on May 22, 2018, stealing $8,292; (2) the Hancock Bank and Trust in Hancock County, Kentucky, on June 7, 2018, stealing $9,407; (3) the Casey County Bank in Casey County, Kentucky, on June 25, 2018, stealing $5,400; and (4) the Wilson and Muir Bank in Grayson County, Kentucky, on July 2, 2018, stealing $5,000. Alvarez entered federal custody on April 17, 2023, and subsequently made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 80 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. This case is being investigated by the FBI Bowling Green Field Office, the Kentucky State Police, and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Fentanyl Dealer Responsible For Two Drug Overdoses Is Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Megan Emily Tate, 29, of Sylva, N.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing a substance that contained fentanyl and caused two overdoses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees North Carolina, and Sheriff Doug Farmer of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. “Fentanyl is a highly potent substance that can quickly cause accidental drug poisoning. In many instances, victims do not know they are ingesting a potentially deadly drug until it’s too late,” said U.S. Attorney King. “The surge in fentanyl distribution is affecting families and communities everywhere. Law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local level are committed to dismantling fentanyl networks and holding accountable those who engage in the distribution of this dangerous drug.” “Fentanyl is extremely dangerous and leaves behind a trail of devastation. Ms. Tate obviously had total disregard for the safety of others,” said Special Agent in Charge Murphy. According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in April 2021, deputies with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Tate for suspected distribution of fentanyl. While Tate was in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center, she supplied two inmates with fentanyl, causing them to overdose. As a result, both overdose victims were transported to the hospital and one victim was placed on a ventilator. Both victims later recovered from their drug overdose. According to court documents, over the course of the investigation into the drug overdose incidents, law enforcement determined that Tate had supplied each victim with a substance that contained fentanyl, which Tate had concealed and later retrieved from her body cavity while in the detention center. According to the DEA , fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat in the United States. According to the CDC, more than 100,000 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings in the 12-month period ending in January 2022. Sixty-seven percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Some of these deaths were attributed to fentanyl mixed with other illicit drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, with many users unaware they were actually taking fentanyl. On January 30, 2023, Tate pleaded guilty to distribution of a mixture of substance containing fentanyl. She is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA’s Asheville Post of Duty and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Asheville Methamphetamine Trafficker And Pill Distributor Is Sentenced To Prison

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – An Asheville methamphetamine trafficker and pill distributor was sentenced to 151 months in prison today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. John Paul Roberts, 40, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after he completes his prison term. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger imposed today’s sentence. Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and today’s hearing, in January 2020, an investigation began into Roberts’ drug distribution activities, after law enforcement determined that Roberts and an associate were mailing pills containing methamphetamine via the U.S. Mail to customers throughout the United States. The investigation eventually revealed that Roberts and his associate used the Dark Web to obtain the methamphetamine. Roberts then mixed the methamphetamine with other ingredients and used pill presses to manufacture thousands of pills, which he and his associate falsely marketed and sold on the Dark Web as Adderall ®. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement documented that Roberts and his associate manufactured and sold thousands of pills containing methamphetamine and mailed pills to customers in 19 states. Court records show that Roberts and his associate also sold methamphetamine in wholesale quantities to local drug traffickers, with a combined street value of more than $1 million. On December 5, 2022, Roberts pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked HSI and USPIS for their investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kimberly Dawn Legg, 49, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, admitting to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, for several months prior to December 5, 2022, Legg sold quantities of methamphetamine obtained from a supplier who usually delivered the methamphetamine directly to her Lotus Drive residence in Charleston. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted to handling the money when selling the methamphetamine to customers while co-defendant Larry Wayne Legg typically weighed out the amounts. Kimberly Dawn Legg further admitted that the supplier usually provided the methamphetamine without requiring full payment, with the understanding that he would be paid from the individual sale proceeds. On December 4, 2022, the supplier delivered approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to Legg’s residence. The next day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Legg’s residence and found the methamphetamine. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted that she and Larry Wayne Legg intended to sell the seized methamphetamine. Kimberly Dawn Legg is scheduled to be sentenced on August 3, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Larry Wayne Legg, 55, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on March 6, 2023. Kimberly Dawn Legg and Larry Wayne Legg are among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash. Two other co-defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-4. ###


title: KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Hate Crime in Attempted Murder of Teen Because of His Sexual Orientation

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for committing a hate crime by shooting a local teenager eight times in an attempted murder that was motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation. “This significant penalty brings a measure of justice to the young victim and to the larger LGBTQI+ community,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “To ambush and shoot an unwitting victim, who posed no threat to him, for no other reason than his sexual orientation is reprehensible behavior that won’t be tolerated. Our entire community must stand together against acts of violence motivated by hatred for any group of people. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the civil rights of all citizens and prosecuting those who illegally threaten those rights.” Malachi Robinson, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. “This sentencing validates that bias-motivated crimes will not be tolerated and demonstrates law enforcement’s continued commitment to aggressively investigate and bring to justice those responsible for these heinous crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office. To target an individual, lure them and shoot them multiple times for no other reason than their perceived sexual orientation is reprehensible. The sentence imposed today reflects the severity of the crime committed against the victim and the entire LGBTQI+ community. Every individual has the right to live without fear of being attacked or harassed, regardless of their sexual orientation. The FBI is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to protect the civil rights of all.” “This defendant’s sentence holds him accountable for the violent and callous hate crime perpetrated against a defenseless teenager targeted because of their LGBTQ+ status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Recent FBI data makes clear that hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community persist and this sentence should send a strong message to the perpetrators of these crimes that they will be held accountable. Bias motivated misconduct has no place in our country, and the Justice Department is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to vigorously pursue justice for victims targeted because of their sexual orientation.” On July 7, 2022, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Robinson has been in federal custody since he was indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 10, 2021. By pleading guilty, Robinson admitted that he shot the then-16-year-old victim, identified in court records as “M.S.,” approximately eight times with a Taurus 9mm pistol in an attempt to kill him because of his sexual orientation, causing life-threatening injuries. After a chance meeting at the Kansas City Public Library on May 29, 2019, Robinson and M.S. talked briefly over Facebook Messenger before meeting outside the library. According to court documents, library surveillance footage showed that M.S. began to walk away, and Robinson followed him, catching up to M.S. before crossing the street. The two then walked for a while in the Swoop Park area, until Robinson suggested that they go into a wooded area nearby under the guise of looking for a place to engage in a sex act. Around the same time, Robinson wrote separately to his girlfriend that he “might shoot this boy” because of his sexual orientation. Robinson and M.S. entered a wooded area nearby. M.S. changed his mind and turned to leave the woods, but Robinson pulled out his pistol and fired repeatedly at M.S. M.S. was able to get up and onto a sidewalk in front of the woods. He moved along the sidewalk until he eventually collapsed in front of a nearby apartment building. A bystander called 911, and police officers and emergency medical services responded. M.S. was transported to a local hospital, where he was deemed to be in critical condition. M.S., who sustained eight gunshot wounds, survived the shooting after spending approximately two weeks in the hospital. M.S. has since suffered long-term effects of the shooting. He has undergone multiple surgeries and physical therapy and still has several bullets inside of him. Robinson fled through the woods toward his apartment building and engaged in attempts to avoid detection or arrest. Later that day, and in the days that followed, Robinson told others that he shot M.S. because of his sexual orientation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Ketchmark with the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Shan Patel and Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Export Fraud Violation

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Rana Zeeshan Tanveer, 42, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to committing an export fraud violation. Tanveer admitted that he knowingly submitted false export valuations for two high-technology devices that Tanveer shipped to Pakistan. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 31, 2017, Tanveer ordered the two high-technology items, paying more than $4,000 for both items. The two items were shipped to Tanveer in Beckley and he received them on June 7, 2017. Tanveer admitted to creating a false invoice that intentionally understated the value of the items as less than $200. Tanveer further admitted to using the false invoice to ship the items to Pakistan using a freight forwarding service in July 2017. Tanveer also admitted that he intentionally used false invoices on at least six other occasions, from June 14, 2014 through August 20, 2018, that deliberately undervalued the purchase cost of U.S.-origin technology that Tanveer exported to Pakistan. “Mr. Tanveer pleaded guilty to unlawfully shipping high-technology devices overseas and is now being held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice is steadfast in its commitment to prosecute those who would undermine our nation’s security and economic interest by flouting U.S. export control laws.” Federal law requires the filing of accurate Electronic Export Information (EEI) through the Automated Export System (AES) about certain items that are exported from the United States. It is a federal crime to knowingly submit false or misleading Electronic Export Information. The purpose of this export requirement is to strengthen the ability of the United States to prevent the export of certain items to unauthorized destinations or end users. Accurate information in the Automated Export System also aids the United States in targeting, identifying, and, when necessary, confiscating suspicious or illegal items or shipments prior to export. “Violating export control requirements is a serious offense,” said United State Attorney Will Thompson. “Our office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who evade U.S. export laws.” Tanveer is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). “Knowingly undervaluing shipments in order to avoid export reporting requirements is a violation of U.S. export control rules,” said OEE Washington Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Anderson. “The Office of Export Enforcement will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent and disrupt illicit trade that threatens U.S. national security and undermines U.S. foreign policy.” “Mr. Tanveer used deceptive practices and tried to disguise his true activities for years,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “The FBI will always work to disrupt these types of actions, as they pose a threat not only to our national security, but also to the U.S. economy. I commend the work done by everyone at the FBI, but we would not have been successful without our strong partnership with the Department of Commerce. Together, our agencies will continue to fight export fraud.” United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and National Security Division Trial Attorney R. Elizabeth Abraham are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-26. ###


title: Six Federal Inmates Indicted for Contraband Cell Phones

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Six federal inmates housed at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina (“FCC Butner”) have been charged with possession of contraband cell phones. According to the indictment, the inmates, Rakeem Baldwin, Antoine Stanfield, Neshawn Howard, Alan Gutierrez, Shafter Manuel, and Ronito Gomez, were housed at three different institutions within the Butner Complex at the time of the offenses: the Federal Medical Center, the Low Security Institution, and the Federal Prison Camp. Each has been charged with one count of possessing a cell phone. Additionally, Antoine Stanfield was charged with a second count of destruction or removal of property to prevent seizure. If convicted, each inmate faces up to a year of imprisonment for possessing the cell phone, with Stanfield facing an additional statutory maximum of five years for destroying or removing property to prevent its seizure. Additionally, if convicted, the of the charge of possessing a cell phone would also make each inmate ineligible for credit under the First Step Act, which allows federal inmates to earn up to 365 days off of their sentence for participating in eligible programming while incarcerated. “Contraband cellphones in prison threaten the safety and security of the inmates and the institution as a whole,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “By indicting these six inmates at FCC Butner, we hope to send a clear message to the inmate population that the possession of cellphones will never be tolerated at FCC Butner.” Thomas Scarantino, Complex Warden, at FCC Butner stated, “I would like to thank the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina for their continued support in prosecuting these cases. I would also like to thank the legal team and staff at FCC Butner who have assisted with this case. I have zero tolerance for inmates introducing contraband into FCC Butner that puts the safety and security of staff and inmates at risk.” Federal Bureau of Prisons investigative staff are investigating the cases, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Brooks Storus and Merrill E. Ward are prosecuting the cases. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: South Carolina Man Convicted Of Robbing A Mount Pleasant Restaurant At Gunpoint Is Sentenced To 50 Years In Prison

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. – Brandon Lloyd Daniels, 31, of North Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced today to 50 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for the 2018 armed robbery of the Tavern and Table restaurant in Mount Pleasant, S.C., announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks presided over the sentencing hearing. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Mark Arnold of the Mount Pleasant Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents, evidence presented at trial, and witness testimony, on the evening of April 4, 2018, officers with the Mount Pleasant Police Department responded to reports of a robbery and shooting at the Tavern and Table restaurant, located at 100 Church Street in Mount Pleasant. Trial evidence established that around 11:30 p.m., shortly after the restaurant closed for the evening, Daniels entered the restaurant through the back door wearing a face covering and went into the restaurant’s office, where several employees were gathered. Daniels pointed his firearm at the employees and demanded money. According to trial evidence, Daniels aimed his firearm at the restaurant’s assistant manager and shot him in the lower back. The victim sustained serious, permanent injuries from the gunshot. Following the shooting, the employees complied with Daniels’ demands and handed him several of the restaurant’s cash drawers. As Daniels fled the scene, he fired two more shots inside the restaurant in the direction of another employee. In July 2022, a federal jury convicted Daniels of Hobbs Act robbery, discharging a firearm during and in relation to the robbery, and felon in possession of ammunition. In October 2021, following a bench trial before Judge Hendricks, Daniels was convicted of possession of a sawed-off shotgun and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The convictions stemmed from investigators’ discovery of a sawed-off shotgun in Daniels’ bedroom during the execution of a search warrant in connection with the Tavern and Table robbery. Daniels is in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In announcing today’s sentence, Judge Hendricks described the shooting as “vicious,” and said that “This offense involved a tragic robbery, shooting, and maiming of an innocent man tantamount to attempted murder.” She also noted that “it is a miracle the victim did not die,” and that the “amount of physical damage to the victim is unparalleled.” U.S. Attorney King commended the ATF and the Mount Pleasant Police Department for their investigation of the case and thanked the FBI for their substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taylor Stout, Regina Pack, and Erik Lindahl, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.


title: The Justice Department Announces Nationwide Coordinated Law Enforcement Action to Combat COVID-19 Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown joins with the Department of Justice in announcing criminal charges against 18 defendants in 9 federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving health care services that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and allegedly resulted in over $490 million in COVID-19 related false billings to federal programs and theft from federally-funded pandemic programs. In connection with the enforcement action, the department seized over $16 million in cash and other fraud proceeds. The Center for Program Integrity of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CPI/CMS) separately announced today that it took adverse administrative actions in the last year against an additional 28 medical providers for their alleged involvement in COVID-19 schemes. U.S. Attorney Brown announced that Shaquaila Lewis, a/k/a Shaquaila Lewis-Chatman , 35, of Gibsland, Louisiana, was charged in the Western District of Louisiana by indictment with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1.1 million in funds under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which were low-interest financing to small businesses, renters and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. According to the indictment, Lewis, a registered nurse, caused the submission of numerous fraudulent loan applications that contained false statements regarding a purported business and the intended use of the loan funds. The funds were allegedly used for personal expenses, such as gambling and contracting work on her home. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard of the Gulf Coast Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. “The COVID-19 pandemic brought hardships to many American citizens and those who have chosen to abuse the assistance that was provided is appalling,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “We will continue to join with our federal and state and local partners to investigate and prosecute any who may have defrauded the government through these programs that were offered to help people.” “The Justice Department will not tolerate those who exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stole taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This unprecedented enforcement action against defendants across the country makes clear that the Department is using every available resource to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud and safeguard the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs.” “Today’s announcement marks the largest-ever coordinated law enforcement action in the United States targeting health care fraud schemes that exploit the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. “The Criminal Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and our partners are committed to putting an end to pandemic-related fraud and holding accountable anyone seeking to profit from a public health emergency.” The announcement today builds on the successes of the April 2022 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and the May 2021 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and involves the prosecution of various COVID-19 health care fraud schemes. In one of the most significant types of COVID-19 health care fraud scheme announced today, multiple defendants were charged with defrauding the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program. The announcement also includes first-of-its-kind charges against suppliers of COVID-19 over-the-counter tests, which Medicare began to cover in April 2022 for beneficiaries who requested the tests. These kits were provided to the public to slow the spread of a deadly disease, but wrongdoers allegedly sought to exploit the program by repeatedly supplying patients, or, in some instances, deceased patients, with dozens of COVID-19 tests that they did not want or need. Charges were also brought under the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Initiative. The PRF is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 that provided financial assistance to medical providers to provide needed medical care to Americans suffering from COVID-19. Today’s enforcement action was led and coordinated by Assistant Chiefs Justin M. Woodard and Debra Jaroslawicz and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, the Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, and Tampa; the National Rapid Response Strike Force; and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Central District of California, Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, Eastern District of New York, District of Puerto Rico, District of Utah, and Western District of Washington are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-case-summaries . Other agencies involved are the FBI and HHS-OIG, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, AMTRAK Office of Inspector General, California Department of Health Care Services, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies across the nation. The Health Care Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to prevent and deter health care fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. In the past three years, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force has rooted out health care fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, 53 defendants have been charged in nationwide COVID-19 Health Care Fraud Enforcement Actions for causing over $784 million in loss associated with the pandemic, and 20 defendants have been convicted. 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 . The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation. An indictment, complaint, or information is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Former Professional Wrestler Charged with Theft of Millions of Dollars in Federal Funds Intended for Needy Families

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Jackson, Miss. - A federal indictment was unsealed today charging a former professional wrestler with misappropriating millions of dollars in federal safety-net funds intended for needy families and low-income individuals in Mississippi. According to court documents, Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr., 40, of Madison, along with co-conspirators John Davis, Christi Webb, Nancy New, and others, are alleged to have fraudulently obtained federal funds – including from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program – that they misappropriated for their own personal use and benefit. Davis was the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS). As part of the alleged scheme, after federal funds were issued to MDHS, Davis directed MDHS to subgrant the funds to two nonprofit organizations, Family Resource Center of North Mississippi Inc. (FRC) and Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC), which were operated by Webb and New, respectively. Davis then allegedly directed Webb and New to award sham contracts to various individuals and entities purportedly for the delivery of social services, including at least five sham contracts that were awarded to DiBiase’s companies, Priceless Ventures LLC and Familiae Orientem LLC. As further alleged in the indictment, under these sham contracts, FRC and MCEC provided millions of dollars in federal funds from MDHS to DiBiase and his companies for social services that DiBiase did not provide and did not intend to provide. DiBiase allegedly used these federal funds to buy a vehicle and a boat, and for the down payment on the purchase of a house, among other expenditures. DiBiase is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and four counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and for each count of money laundering. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the FBI Jackson Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson of the Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey of the IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office made the announcement. The FBI, HHS-OIG, USDA-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Adrienne E. Rosen of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dave Fulcher and John Meynardie for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.