title: Chicago Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Significant Drug Trafficking in Madison

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dery McDuffy, 34, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 13 years in federal prison for possessing more than a kilogram of heroin with the intent to distribute it and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. This prison term will be followed by a 6-year term of supervised release. McDuffy pleaded guilty to these charges on June 7, 2023. In September and October 2022, McDuffy sold large amounts of heroin and methamphetamine in transactions recorded by local law enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration. On October 12, after he delivered a pound of methamphetamine and five ounces of heroin, officers trailed McDuffy to a storage unit he had rented on Madison’s westside. Officers arrested McDuffy and searched the unit, finding approximately 2 kilograms of heroin, 725 grams of cocaine, and five guns along with ammunition. McDuffy had previously been convicted of felony drug offenses in the State of Illinois, so was prohibited from possessing firearms. During sentencing, Judge Peterson explained that a primary priority in sentencing McDuffy was the protection of the public from the dangerous drugs he was selling, which degrade the community and exploit the illness of drug users. Labeling McDuffy a moderately-high level dealer who possessed firearms and an unrelenting criminal history, Peterson concluded that McDuffy was a danger to the community, necessitating a significant but fair sentence. The charges against McDuffy were the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of this case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.


title: Local man admits to fondling minor while producing child pornography

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - A 38-year-old resident of Montgomery County has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Authorities identified James Aubrey Zachary Wasson after discovering over 500 files of child pornography he had uploaded between March 2019 and March 2021. One folder contained a series of 51 photographs, all taken on a single date in December 2020. Some showed him in a state of sexual arousal next to a minor female child. He also appeared to be fondling her under her clothing. A subsequent search of Wasson’s cell phone confirmed it was the device he used to produce the series of sexually explicit photographs. The cell phone also contained other files of child pornography saved between May 2020 and May 2021. The minor victim also identified Wasson and recalled when he took the photographs. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks accepted the plea and set sentencing for Jan. 4, 2024. At that time, Wasson faces a minimum of 15 and up to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child, as well as up to 10 years for possession of child pornography. He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.


title: Four-Time Congressional Candidate Charged in Long-Running Misuse of Campaign Funds

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors today unsealed a grand jury indictment that accuses a Torrance man who was a candidate for a Los Angeles County congressional seat in four federal elections with misusing campaign funds, including funneling tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations back to himself through his friends and family. Omar Navarro, 34, is charged in a 43-count grand jury indictment. He is currently in state custody on unrelated charges, but he is expected to be turned over soon to federal authorities. As part of the case against Navarro, FBI agents today arrested Dora Asghari, 59, of Torrance, who is Navarro’s mother, and Zacharias Diamantides-Abel, 34, of Long Beach, who is a friend of Navarro, both of whom are accused of conspiring with Navarro to convert campaign donations to personal use. Navarro unsuccessfully campaigned in the four most recent election cycles to represent south Los Angeles County residents in California’s 43rd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. The indictment returned on September 14 and unsealed today alleges that Navarro, from September 2017 through July 2020, illegally funneled campaign cash to himself. The indictment outlines a scheme in which Navarro allegedly made payments from his campaign to various individuals – including Asghari and Abel – and then directed the transfer of cash back to himself for personal use. Navarro also allegedly used campaign funds to pay for personal expenses, including trips to Las Vegas and wine country, as well as two criminal defense attorneys. According to the indictment, Navarro later falsely reported these expenditures as campaign expenses to the Federal Election Commission. Asghari and Abel concealed Navarro’s misdirection of campaign funds by frequently cashing the checks rather than depositing them into their personal bank accounts. If they deposited the check, they often withdrew the funds shortly thereafter to share with Navarro. In total, from December 2017 to June 2020, Abel and Asghari allegedly received $49,260 and $58,625, respectively, from Navarro’s campaign, according to checks he wrote or caused to be written to them. According to the indictment, Asghari also created a shell company to facilitate her receipt of these campaign payments and transfers back to Navarro and his own shell company. According to the indictment, from January 2018 through July 1, 2020, Navarro deposited over $100,000 in cash into his personal accounts, even though he had no other source of income aside from the campaign funds, and he frequently made deposits after Abel or Asghari cashed campaign checks. Navarro also formed a sham charity called the United Latino Foundation as another way to embezzle funds from his campaign for his personal use. All three defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy. Navarro is charged with 13 counts of wire fraud, 26 counts of falsification of records, and three counts of prohibited use of campaign funds. Asghari is charged with six counts of wire fraud. Abel is charged with two counts of wire fraud. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted in this case, Navarro, Asghari and Abel would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count in which they were charged. Navarro also would face up to 20 years in federal prison for each falsification of records count and up to five years in prison for each count of prohibited use of campaign contributions. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. The California Fair Political Practices Commission provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis and Thomas F. Rybarczyk of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Dorchester Man Arrested for Sexually Exploiting 14-Year-Old

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dorchester man has been charged with the sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old minor. Miguel Hernandez, a/k/a Miguel Gomez-Lopez, 29, was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child. Hernandez was arrested on Sept. 25, 2023 and held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Oct. 2, 2023 in federal court in Boston. According to the charging documents, in April 2023, Hernandez messaged the 14-year-old victim on WhatsApp and asked if she wanted to meet in person. It is alleged that, on May 5, 2023, Hernandez messaged the victim, “I like you little girl,” and subsequently coerced the victim to engage in a sexual relationship with him. A forensic review of Hernandez’s devices allegedly revealed numerous sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim that Hernandez had taken – including a video of Hernandez having sex with the victim. The charge child exploitation provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Idaho man sentenced to five years in prison for stalking

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MISSOULA — An Idaho man who admitted to threatening and harassing a woman in Montana was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Daniel August Meyer, 39, of Post Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty in May to stalking. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. In court documents, the government alleged that in August of 2022, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Meyer after the victim, identified as Jane Doe, reported that Meyer had threatened to kill her. Jane Doe reported that Meyer continually harassed her through phone calls and text messages after she moved to Missoula. In September 2023, Jane Doe discovered a tracking device on her vehicle believed to have been installed by Meyer. Meyer continued calling and leaving voice messages, including a message stating he was in town and on his way to her location. Law enforcement arrested Meyer on Sept. 14, 2023. A search of his vehicle led to the recovery of body armor, a sawed-off shotgun, and a large amount of ammunition. Meyer was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because he was subject to a permanent Order of Protection from 2010. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and Missoula Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Dorchester Man Arrested for Attempted Child Sex Trafficking

body_text: BOSTON – A Dorchester man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to sex traffic a 14-year-old child. Carlos Lopez, a/k/a Rene Carlos Arias-Lopez, 27, was charged with the attempted sex trafficking of a minor. Lopez was arrested on Sept. 25, 2023 and held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Oct. 5, 2023 in federal court in Boston. According to the charging documents, on June 1, 2023, police responded to a 911 call reporting that a 14-year-old was in danger at an apartment in Dorchester where she was drinking alcohol with an older man. At the apartment, it is alleged that the minor victim was found in Lopez’s bed, wearing a red sweatshirt and no pants or underwear and heavily intoxicated. Lopez was allegedly seated next to the victim, fully clothed with a beer in his hand. When the minor victim exited the bedroom, Lopez allegedly closed and locked the door on uniformed officers – barricading himself in the room for approximately 20 minutes. Upon gaining entry to the room, law enforcement allegedly located multiple empty beer bottles as well as female shorts and underwear near Lopez’s bed. It is alleged that, during a brief on-scene interview, the victim indicated that she did not know who took her pants off or when they came off, just that when she woke up her pants were no longer on. Lopez allegedly indicated that he had been introduced to the victim by another person so that he could engage in sexual intercourse with her. Specifically, it is alleged that Lopez agreed to pay this person $100 in exchange for sex with the victim. Lopez allegedly indicated that he did not actually complete any sex act on the victim before law enforcement arrived. A subsequent investigation allegedly revealed that Lopez had provided the victim with multiple alcoholic beverages before bringing her up to his bedroom and offering to pay her for sex. The charge attempted sex trafficking of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Denton County man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for child pornography violations

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Denton County man has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. James Buck Briggs, 49, of The Colony, pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing child pornography and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant. According to public information, in December 2021, an undercover law enforcement officer encountered Briggs in an online chat room dedicated to the sexual abuse of children. Briggs and the undercover officer began a chat which resulted in Briggs sending the officer a video depicting child pornography involving a very young female victim. The undercover officer was able to trace the IP address to Briggs’ residence in The Colony and a search warrant was executed. A search of Briggs’ cellular phone revealed hundreds of images which contained child pornography. Briggs was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 20, 2022. 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. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Frisco Field Office and the Plano Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Smith, Lesley Brooks and Marisa Miller. ###


title: Distribution of child pornography sends Billings man to prison for 14 years

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to distributing child pornography using social media was sentenced today to 14 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Stetson Lee Hubbard, 33, pleaded guilty in June to distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that in January 2020, law enforcement began an undercover investigation using a social media application and posed as woman. Law enforcement entered multiple public groups that appeared to be focused on child pornography. While in one such group, a member of the group distributed child pornography. An investigation determined the distribution originated in Billings and ultimately led to Hubbard. When interviewed, Hubbard acknowledged using the social media application and that he may have distributed child pornography on that application. Law enforcement subsequently found more than 1,160 images of child pornography on Hubbard’s cellular phone. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . XXX


title: Southwest Georgia Resident Sentenced to Prison Resulting from  Valdosta Armed Drug Distribution Investigation

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A Valdosta, Georgia, probationer with a lengthy criminal history who was found guilty by a federal jury on charges related to controlled substance distribution out of a Valdosta, Georgia, apartment complex was sentenced to prison recently. Barry Kiya Daise, 45, of Valdosta, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release to be served concurrently with any probation revocation sentence in Brooks County Superior Court by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on Sept. 21. Daise was convicted by a federal jury of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of maintaining and using a drug involved premises on Oct. 6, 2022. Daise is not eligible for parole. “Despite prior felony convictions involving guns and drug trafficking, the defendant continued to disregard the law by committing crimes that harm the community,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Defendants with long criminal records will face the possibility of federal prosecution for chronic illegal activity as we continue to partner with law enforcement to identify and hold repeat and violent offenders accountable.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Daise was identified as part of a larger investigation by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division into armed drug trafficking in August 2019. At the time, Daise was on probation for a prior state felony. Following several months of surveillance, a search warrant was executed at Daise’s West Hill Avenue apartment on Nov. 19, 2019. Inside, officers found a loaded firearm stolen from Tifton, Georgia, ammunition, 48 grams of powder cocaine, digital scales and evidence of crack-cocaine production. Daise’s cell phone contained messages about selling controlled substances, meeting at his apartment complex parking lot to conduct the transactions and photos of guns and drugs. Daise has a lengthy criminal record with prior state felony convictions including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Lowndes County, Georgia, Superior Court and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in Brooks County, Georgia, Superior Court. The case was investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Special Operations Division and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sonja Profit and Robert McCullers prosecuted the case.


title: Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced To 30 Years In Federal Prison For Federal Kidnapping And Attempted Witness Tampering

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Kyrie Rashuad Thompson, age 29, formerly of Washington, D.C., to 30 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for kidnapping and attempted witness tampering. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to the Court’s findings, on September 22, 2019, the victim drove her car to the residence of Thompson in the District of Columbia to drop off their three-year-old child to Thompson in a prearranged visit. Instead of retrieving their child, Thompson opened the front passenger door and sat down in the victim’s vehicle and ordered her to drive to Bald Eagle Drive in Maryland. After the victim refused, Thompson become angry and threatening. As a result, the victim began driving. Once they crossed into Maryland, the victim pulled into a parking lot in Forest Heights, Maryland, hoping to diffuse the situation. During that time, the victim’s boyfriend called the victim’s cell phone. Thompson answered the call, and told the caller that the victim was going to perform a sex act on him. When Thompson concluded the call, he started choking the victim around her neck with his hands and pulling her head toward the passenger side floorboard, pinning her down so she could not breathe. During this struggle, their three-year-old child was in the backseat of the vehicle crying. At some point, Thomson stopped choking the victim and ordered her to continue driving to Bald Eagle Drive. They ended up on Bald Eagle Drive, near the entrance to the Oxon Hill Children’s Farm in Prince George’s County, Maryland. There, Thompson pulled out his phone, and ordered the victim to perform a sex act on him. When the victim refused, Thompson choked the victim again and then pushed the victim’s head toward his crotch, holding it there while he used his cellphone to record the sex act. On the recording, their three-year-old child could be heard crying and telling him to stop. After the victim performed the sex act, she drove back toward the District of Columbia, where Thompson took their child out of the car. He threatened the victim not to call the police or something would happen. On December 18, 2019, a federal grand jury in the District of Maryland returned an indictment charging Thompson with kidnapping. Thereafter, on August 25, 2020, Thompson sent the victim a letter in which he wrote: “I talked to my lawyer and they told me they talked to you. Only thing is you have to change the facts [victim’s name]. You gotta say I didn;t kidnap you. You gotta say nothing happened until we were already in MD. They told me they know you probably think if you don’t go to court it’ll go away like before but its different with federal cases. You gotta call back and say I didn’t kidnap you. Please . . . . Tell them I didn’t force you to go to MD . . . Please call and say I didn’t kidnap you and you willing to tell a jury or judge that at court as well.” United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation- Washington Field Office and the U.S. Park Police for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Grossi, who prosecuted the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Two Chicago Men Sentenced to Over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Offenses Related to Stealing U.S. Mail

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – Two Chicago men were each sentenced today to 2 years and 6 months in prison for conspiring to steal U.S. Mail and for illegally using and possessing a key to access U.S. Postal Mail receptacles. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division made the announcement. According to court documents, Brandon King , 21, and Angel Martin , 25, were each sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiring to steal mail matter from U.S. Postal Mail receptacles and for the illegal use and possession of a key used to open U.S. Postal Mail receptacles. There is no parole in the federal system. As part of the conspiracy, King and Martin illegally used the key to access U.S. Postal Mail receptacles in the Louisville area and to steal items deposited in the mail receptacles. During the conspiracy, they fraudulently negotiated and attempted to negotiate stolen checks. The total intended loss caused by their conduct was $179,540.30. In June of 2022, King and Martin were arrested after attempting to flee from local law enforcement in the Louisville area. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Jeffersontown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel King, formerly with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky and now with the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Calhoun prosecuted the case. ###


title: South Bend Man Sentenced to 198 Months in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Pablo Pedraza, 30 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Pedraza was sentenced to 198 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in February 2023, Pedraza sold 1 pound of methamphetamine. When law enforcement later executed a search warrant at his residence, they recovered over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine and over $18,000 cash. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the St. Joseph County Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.


title: Hospice medical director sentenced for $150M hospice fraud scheme

body_text: McALLEN, Texas - A 52-year-old San Antonio man has been sentenced for his role in a scheme that involved the submission of over $150 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice and other health care services. Jesus Virlar-Cadena pleaded guilty June 4, 2019. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Virlar-Cadena to serve 50 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. The court also ordered Virlar-Cadena to pay $9 million in restitution and $9 million in forfeiture. From 2009 to 2018, Virlar-Cadena served as the medical director of the Merida Group, a large health care company that operated dozens of locations throughout Texas. He was a physician but the Texas Medical Board later suspended his medical license. A federal jury convicted co-conspirators Rodney Mesquias, 53, San Antonio, Henry McInnis, 52, Harlingen, and Francisco Pena in October 2019. Evidence at the trial showed that the Merida Group marketed their hospice programs through a group of companies. They enrolled patients with long-term incurable diseases such as Alzheimers and dementia as well as patients with limited mental capacity who lived at group homes, nursing homes and in housing projects. In some instances, Merida Group marketers falsely told patients they had less than six months to live. They also sent chaplains to the patients based on the false pretense they were near death. In order to bill Medicare for these services, the Merida Group hired Virlar and other medical directors but made payment of their medical director fees contingent upon an agreement to certify unqualified patients for hospice. In addition to regular medical director payments, Virlar received luxury trips, bottle service at exclusive nightclubs and other perks in exchange for his certification of unnecessary hospice patients. In exchange for these illegal kickbacks, Virlar himself certified over $18 million in unnecessary hospice services as part of the over $150 million conspiracy. Mesquias and McInnis were previously sentenced to 20 and 15 years in prison, respectively. Pena is now deceased. Virlar-Cadena was permitted to remain on bond pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (OIG), FBI and Texas Health and Human Services Commission – Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz prosecuted the case along with Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and former Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.


title: Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced on Bank Robbery Charge

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was sentenced in federal court today on a charge of bank robbery, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced. The court was advised that on December 7, 2022, Ahmed Asiri robbed the Dollar Bank located at 3029 West Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the Dormont neighborhood. As a result of the robbery, Asiri obtained $20,000 in United States currency. These funds were later recovered by law enforcement. Judge Horan sentenced Asiri to 37 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and ordered Asiri to pay restitution to Dollar Bank. Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County Police Department, and the Dormont Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Asiri.


title: Montgomery Woman Convicted for COVID-19 Era  Paycheck Protection Program Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Today, a federal jury convicted Zsa Zsa Bouvier Couch, 55, from Montgomery, Alabama, on charges related to loans received through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. The CARES act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, which authorizes the disbursement of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Couch submitted at least six fraudulent applications for loans under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s PPP. In total, Couch sought over $1.6 million. In each application, Couch falsely inflated the number of employees who worked for her purported businesses as well as the businesses’ average monthly payroll. These false statements resulted in her qualifying for larger PPP loan amounts than she would have otherwise been eligible to receive. Couch also made other false statements in her applications. For example, she failed to disclose that she had applied for multiple PPP loans for the same business. She also did not disclose her common ownership of multiple businesses. In support of the inflated employee numbers and average monthly payroll claimed in the applications, Couch submitted falsified tax documents. Ultimately, Couch received a total of $609,687.47 of PPP funds. Couch then used the funds to pay money to herself, her husband, and other family members and to purchase luxury vehicles. On April 8, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Couch on multiple counts of bank fraud, making false statements to a federally insured bank, and money laundering. Following the guilty verdict, Couch faces a potential sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for Couch in the coming months. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to detecting, investigating, and prosecuting individuals who exploit public benefit programs,” said United States Attorney Stewart. “My office will continue to work with law enforcement partners to safeguard all tax dollars, especially programs dedicated to help businesses deal with economic hardships during times of crisis.” “This conviction underscores our unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that those who engage in fraudulent activities meant to exploit the CARES Act's provisions are held accountable for their actions,” stated Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge with the FBI Mobile, Alabama Division. “This accomplishment would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our law enforcement partners. We understand the significance of CARES Act funds in supporting individuals and businesses during these challenging times, and we will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to hold accountable any individuals or entities engaged in fraudulent activities related to CARES Act relief programs.” “The defendant fraudulently took money from programs designed to help struggling small businesses survive during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “The verdict today serves as a reminder to others who defrauded government aid programs that IRS-Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are continuing the pursuit to bring them to justice.” “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration will aggressively pursue those who endeavor to defraud taxpayer-funded Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act programs, which were established to provide assistance to American business owners during these unprecedented times,” said Mark Morini, Special Agent in Charge of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Southeast Field Office. “We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners in this effort.” The FBI, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Patrick Lamb and Joel Feil are 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 at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Woodhull Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison for Attempted Crimes Against Children

body_text: ROCK ISLAND, ILL. – A Woodhull, Illinois, man, Scott Edward Raschke, 39, of the 200 block of Southeast Third Avenue, was sentenced on September 21, 2023, to 240 months of imprisonment for Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, and Sexual Exploitation of a Child. He was further sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release and a $300.00 special assessment. At the sentencing hearing, the government proffered evidence that Raschke engaged in a months’ long online conversation in which he arranged to pay for sex with an eleven-year-old child. Ultimately, Raschke traveled to Moline, Illinois to meet the eleven-year-old for sex and to take sexually explicit photos of the child. Upon arriving in Moline, Raschke was apprehended by law enforcement. Also at the hearing, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sara Darrow discussed the seriousness of Raschke’s conduct, commenting on graphic nature of the conversations Raschke engaged in and his intent to memorialize the abuse of a child. Raschke pled guilty to the charges in May of 2023. The statutory penalties for the offenses are a minimum of 15 years up to life imprisonment for Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children, a minimum of 15 years up to 30 years imprisonment for Sexual Exploitation of a Child, and a minimum of 10 years up to life imprisonment for Attempted Enticement of a Minor. The convictions also provided for a term of supervised release from five years to life. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew represented the federal government in the prosecution. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.


title: Owner of Home Health Company Convicted of $2.8M Medicare Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in the Eastern District of Michigan convicted an Indian national today for orchestrating a $2.8 million health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, and engaging in money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and witness tampering. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Yogesh Pancholi, 43, of Northville, Michigan, owned and operated Shring Home Care Inc. (Shring), a home health company based in Livonia, Michigan. Despite being excluded from billing Medicare, Pancholi purchased Shring using the names, signatures, and personal identifying information of others to conceal his ownership of the company. In a two-month period, Pancholi and his co-conspirators billed and were paid nearly $2.8 million by Medicare for services that were never provided. Pancholi then transferred these funds through bank accounts belonging to shell corporations and eventually into his accounts in India. After being indicted, and on the eve of trial, Pancholi, using a pseudonym, wrote false and malicious emails to various federal government agencies alleging a government witness had committed various crimes and should not be allowed to remain in the United States in an attempt to keep the witness from testifying. The jury convicted Pancholi of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, two counts of substantive health care fraud, two counts of money laundering, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of witness tampering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 10, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and witness tampering convictions, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the health care fraud and money laundering counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski of the FBI Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Shankar Ramamurthy and Andres Almendarez of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kathleen Cooperstein. Trial Attorney Patrick Suter investigated and originally charged the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Michigan Man Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Participating In Romance Scams And Other Fraud Schemes Targeting Elderly Victims

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TIMY HAKIM was sentenced to two years in prison and an additional six months in home detention for his participation in a conspiracy to defraud at least 15 victims of romance schemes, lottery scams, and business email compromise schemes. HAKIM was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Hakim and his co-conspirators devastated elderly and vulnerable victims, including recent widowers. Several of the victims lost their entire life savings and one victim reported becoming suicidal. A U.S. citizen, Hakim provided co-conspirators in South Africa with U.S. phones used to contact and deceive victims and opened and operated bank accounts that laundered the victims’ money. He will now spend time in prison and be compelled to make restitution to the victims of the schemes.” According to Count One of the Information to which HAKIM pled guilty and other statements and submissions made in Court: From at least in or about 2015 up to and including November 2019, HAKIM participated in an international wire fraud conspiracy that left at least 15 people and entities with over $1.4 million in losses. HAKIM facilitated the laundering of proceeds of three types of fraud schemes, a “Romance Scheme,” a “Lottery Scheme,” and a “BEC Fraud Scheme.” Through the Romance Scheme, a vulnerable individual was led to believe she or he was in a romantic online relationship with a perpetrator of the Scheme, when in fact, the perpetrator merely used this as a mechanism to build the victim’s trust and solicit the victim’s money. Through the Lottery Scheme, the scheme participants informed certain victims that they had won a cash prize but first needed to make certain payments to access the funds. Through the BEC Fraud Scheme, the scheme participants induced a corporate victim located in Manhattan to release company funds under fraudulent pretenses by impersonating the founder of the company. HAKIM controlled multiple U.S. and foreign bank accounts that received funds from victims targeted by these schemes. HAKIM also obtained and provided his foreign co-conspirators in South Africa with cell phones with American numbers subscribed to his plan, which were used to contact and defraud victims. And on at least one occasion, HAKIM personally contacted a victim pretending to be a government official involved in detaining the victim’s partner to induce the victim to send money. At least 15 individual and corporate victims lost money as part of HAKIM and his co-conspirators’ schemes. They include vulnerable, isolated, and elderly victims, who entered into relationships after the deaths of their spouses and, over a period of several years, were induced to drain their entire retirement savings and take out loans from family and friends. Many victims experienced severe emotional harm, including a woman who reported becoming suicidal after losing her retirement savings to this scheme. * * * In addition to his prison term, HAKIM, 47, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, including six months to be spent in home detention, and was ordered to pay $1,414,043 in restitution and to forfeit $671,452. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The criminal case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vladislav Vainberg is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Three Defendants Sentenced in Prison-Directed Armed Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: ATHENS, Ga. – Three defendants involved in a lengthy and ongoing investigation into armed drug trafficking conducted out of jail facilities in Mexico and Georgia were sentenced for their crimes recently. Cindy Stamey, 50, of Danielsville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after a federal jury found her guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of methamphetamine on Sept. 21, 2022. Christopher Wilson, 42, of Hull, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 55 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on April 13, 2022. Laura Yazmine Garcia Guerro, aka “Yazmin Garcia,” aka “Yaz,” 30, a citizen of Mexico and a resident of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine on July 13, 2021. U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal handed down the sentences on Sept. 18. The defendants are not eligible for parole. “These cases are the result of a lengthy and ongoing criminal investigation into armed methamphetamine trafficking in the Athens community with ties to prisoners and Mexican cartels, a dangerous mixture,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to applaud the tremendous efforts of law enforcement at the local, state and federal level to dismantle criminal networks plaguing our communities.” The following co-defendants in related cases have been sentenced: Bruce Hicks, a/k/a “Bruno,” a/k/a “Bruce Incc,” of Athens, was sentenced to serve 260 months in prison on Jan. 8, 2020, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Jan. 1, 2019; Malcody Dinges aka “Cody” aka “Yes, Sir Cody,” 44, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison (to run consecutive to any state-imposed sentence) to be followed by three years of supervised release on May 12, 2022, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Dec. 16, 2021; Adonias Sales Temaj aka “Alacran,” 29, a citizen of Guatemala and resident of Norcross, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 210 months in prison on March 7, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on July 14; Frankie Baza, of Gwinnett County, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 3, 2021, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Ervin Sales Temaj aka “Milton Aguilar,” 35, a citizen of Guatemala and resident of Norcross, was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on July 14, 2022, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on April 13, 2022; Carrie Kasper, 32, of Athens, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison on July 10, after she pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on July 15, 2021; Jeris Dove aka “Jeris Southers,” 29, of Athens, was sentenced to serve 110 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release on Jan. 20, 2022, after he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Oct. 18, 2021; Justin Maddox, 45, of Athens, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison on Jan. 11, 2023, after he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 3, 2021; and Katlyn Lackey, 22, of Commerce, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison on Jan. 12, 2023, after she pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine May 12, 2022. The following co-defendants are awaiting sentencing: Brendan R. Gates, 38, of Commerce, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on Sept. 21, 2022, and faces a maximum of life imprisonment. Sentencing will occur at a date determined by the Court; and David Zavala, of Gordon County, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Dec. 11, 2020, and faces a maximum of life imprisonment. Sentencing for Zavala will occur at a date determined by the Court. According to court documents, law enforcement officers in the Middle District of Georgia began investigating drug trafficking organizations operating from jail facilities in Mexico and Georgia in 2016, including inmates using social media and contraband cell phones to conduct and direct drug sales and move the drug proceeds to other members of the conspiracy. In 2018, federal agents learned that co-defendant Dinges was conducting drug deals using contraband cell phones while in custody at Wheeler Correctional facility. During the investigation, agents learned that Dinges was communicating with the co-defendants and others located in the Athens region about controlled substances; these individuals would travel to locations in Atlanta as directed by Dinges to receive methamphetamine and return to Athens to distribute the drugs. Dinges received a fee for brokering the deals. The drug trafficking organization was responsible for distributing more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine. In March 2021, law enforcement conducted an undercover purchase of methamphetamine from “Carlos,” another incarcerated person in Mexico, who was suspected of providing large quantities of methamphetamine to the Athens-area including in Watkinsville, Georgia. "Carlos" directed Garcia Guerro to conduct the transaction at the El Indio Restaurant parking lot in Duluth. Garcia Guerro was arrested at the location point in possession of a gallon-size plastic bag of methamphetamine, nearly one kilogram. For more information about these cases, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/68-defendants-indicted-operation-wu-block-meth-heroin-investigation . This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . These cases are being investigated by DEA Macon Resident Office, FBI Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, Clarke County Sheriff's Office, Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, Hart County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Oglethorpe County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections and Northeast Regional Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett is prosecuting the cases for the Government.


title: New Castle Resident Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – Ricardo Reeves was sentenced to 120 months in prison for fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine trafficking, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Reeves, age 45 of New Castle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Judge Schwab ordered Reeves to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Reeves pled guilty earlier this year to (1) possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin, as well as quantities of cocaine and cocaine base, and (2) possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, all on December 14, 2020. Reeves was initially released on bond following his indictment for these crimes. His bond was thereafter revoked after he got caught trafficking more fentanyl and cocaine while on bond. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. The Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions in this case. 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 of Justice 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.


title: Former Braddock Resident Indicted on Bank Robbery Charges

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Braddock, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of bank robbery, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The two-count Indictment named Dwayne Harvey, 55, formerly of Braddock, PA, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about July 28, 2023, Harvey robbed a branch of Huntington Bank in North Versailles, PA of over $4,000; and on or about August 8, 2023, Harvey robbed a branch of Citizens Bank in Pittsburgh, PA of over $3,000. The law provides for a maximum sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000, a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the North Versailles Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Dubois Resident Sentenced for Violating Federal Narcotics Laws

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Dubois, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 23 months of imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release on her conviction for violating federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Megan Pyne, age 29. According to information presented to the court, Pyne was a narcotics distributor who purchased a quarter pound of methamphetamine from Derek Hillebrand, the leader of the drug trafficking organization, on multiple occasions, which Pyne then redistributed. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pyne. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Former Accounting Manager of Pasadena Storage Business Agrees to Plead Guilty to Insider Trading that Led to Nearly $500,000 in Profits

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former employee at a publicly traded Pasadena-based company has agreed to plead guilty to buying more than 66,000 company shares based on non-public information that the company was about to be acquired at a higher per-share price, and then selling the shares after news of the acquisition became public, resulting in nearly $500,000 in ill-gotten gains, the Justice Department announced today. Marco Antonio Perez, 59, a.k.a. “Marc Perez,” of Glendora, is charged with one count of insider trading, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Both the information charging Perez and his plea agreement were filed this morning in United States District Court. Perez has been ordered to make his initial appearance in this case on October 5. According to the plea agreement, General Finance Corp., a Pasadena-based storage and modular space company, employed Perez as an accounting manager who reported to the company’s chief financial officer. He also performed assignments for the company’s chairman, including printing out the chairman’s emails. As a result, Perez had access to material information belonging to General Finance, including offers to buy the company, before the information was released to the investing public. In violation of his fiduciary duties to General Finance and its shareholders, and in violation of the company’s policy against insider trading, in March and April of 2021, Perez purchased a total of 66,585 shares of General Finance stock which he was later able to sell for a total of $1,262,815. Perez purchased the General Finance stock after reading confidential emails sent to the company’s chairman in early 2021 that concerned the pending sale of General Finance for a price in the range of $19-$20 per share. Perez paid prices between $10 and $12 for the 66,585 shares he bought. General Finance was ultimately sold to the Stamford, Connecticut-based United Rentals Inc. On April 15, 2021, United Rentals issued a press release announcing that it was acquiring General Finance for $19 per share. Prior to this announcement, General Finance’s share price closed that day at $12.17. The day after United Rentals’ announcement, the price of General Finance shares surged from $12.17 – the closing price before the announcement – to $19 per share. Within two weeks of the announcement, Perez sold all 66,585 shares he had purchased on inside information, netting a profit of approximately $488,533. In his plea agreement, Perez also admitted to tipping off two people about the impending sale of General Finance, which also violated General Finance’s policy against insider trading. Both individuals acted on Perez’s inside information and made profits of $127,140 and $34,867, respectively. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission today announced civil charges against Perez stemming from his illegal activity in this case. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Ranee A. Katzenstein and Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Bridgeport Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Amazon

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAJHNI YANKANA, 28, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to five months of imprisonment, followed five months of home detention and three years of supervised release, for defrauding Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”). According to court documents and statements made in court, Yankana created multiple vendor accounts with Amazon allowing him to sell merchandise through the website on a third-party basis. He often opened the accounts using false names, email addresses and other identifying information. After setting up the accounts, Yankana represented to Amazon that he was shipping it valuable merchandise to be held for sale by the company. In reality, he would not ship the merchandise, and would later falsely claim that it had been lost, supporting his false claims with fabricated documents. Amazon sent Yankana a series of refunds for the purportedly lost merchandise. Through this scheme, Yankana defrauded Amazon of $210,836.97. Judge Thompson ordered him to pay full restitution. On August 26, 2022, Yankana pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Yankana, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 27. Two other individuals involved in this scheme pleaded guilty to the same charge. On September 5, 2023, Oshane Stewart who defrauded Amazon of approximately $742,000, was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment. Stewart’s brother, Kenoy Stewart, who defrauded Amazon of more than $1 million, is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow. This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Amazon. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Christopher W. Schmeisser.


title: Former Paterson Resident Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former Paterson, New Jersey, resident was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Brando Mancebo, 24, formerly of Paterson, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. district Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with possession of stolen mail and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Mancebo and others conspired to break into U.S. Postal Service collection boxes in Bergen, Hudson, and Morris counties and steal mail. They agreed to fraudulently deposit stolen checks into bank accounts associated with members of the conspiracy, even though they were not payees on the checks. Members of the conspiracy then withdrew funds from those accounts. In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Mancebo to five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $106,374 and forfeiture of $2,025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Calle of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.


title: Operator of Large-Scale Marriage Fraud "Agency" Pleads Guilty

body_text: BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to running a large-scale marriage fraud “agency” that arranged hundreds of sham marriages for the primary purpose of circumventing immigration laws. This included, among other things, obtaining green cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by claiming the undocumented clients had been abused by alleged American spouses. Marcialito Biol Benitez, a/k/a “Mars,” 49, a Philippine national residing in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2024. Benitez was arrested and charged in April 2022 . Benitez operated what he and others referred to as an “agency” that arranged hundreds of sham marriages between foreign national “clients” and United States citizens, including at least one foreign national who resided in Massachusetts. The agency then prepared and submitted false petitions, applications and other documents to substantiate the sham marriages and secure adjustment of clients’ immigration statuses for a fee of between $20,000 and $35,000 in cash. Benitez operated the agency out of brick-and-mortar offices in Los Angeles, where he employed his co-conspirators as staff. Among other things, Benitez’s staff allegedly assisted with arranging marriages, submitting fraudulent marriage and immigration documents for the agency’s clients – including false tax returns, as well as recruiting U.S. citizens to marry the agency’s clients in exchange for payment. After pairing foreign national clients with citizen spouses, Benitez’s agency staged fake wedding ceremonies at chapels, parks and other locations, performed by hired online officiants. For many clients, the agency would take photos of undocumented clients and citizen spouses in front of prop wedding decorations for later submission with immigration petitions. Benitez’s agency then submitted fraudulent, marriage-based immigration petitions to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the federal agency responsible for granting lawful permanent resident status. Benitez’s agency coached clients and spouses through interviews with USCIS and advised clients about maintaining the appearance of legitimate marriage to their spouses. Benitez’s agency arranged sham marriages and submitted fraudulent immigration documents for at least 600 clients between October 2016 and March 2022. Benitez’s agency would assist certain clients – typically those whose spouses became unresponsive or uncooperative – with obtaining green cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by claiming the undocumented clients had been abused by alleged American spouses. Specifically, the agency would submit fraudulent applications on clients’ behalf for temporary restraining orders against spouses based on fabricated domestic violence allegations. Benitez’s agency would then submit the restraining order documentation along with immigration petitions to USCIS, in order to take advantage of VAWA provisions that permit non-citizen victims of spousal abuse to apply for lawful permanent resident status without their spouses’ involvement. Benitez is the seventh defendant to plead guilty in this case. The charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Office; Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego; and Alanna Ow, Director of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, San Diego District. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided valuable assistance in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Florida Man Sentenced for $2.5 Million COVID-Relief Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A former Massachusetts resident was sentenced today in connection with filing fraudulent applications to obtain $2.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Vinicius Santana, 35, of Boca Raton, Fla. and formerly of Revere, Mass. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 29 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Santana was also ordered to pay restitution of $2.5 million and forfeiture. In September 2022, Santana pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transactions. Santana owned Complete Home Care, LLC (CHC), a painting company in Massachusetts. In April 2020, Santana submitted several different PPP loan applications on behalf of CHC. In the initial applications, Santana listed five employees and an average monthly payroll of between $10,000 and $18,000. These applications were denied. In the fourth application for CHC, Santana falsely claimed to have 154 employees and an average monthly payroll of $1 million. On May 11, 2020, a bank issued Santana’s company a $2.5 million loan based on the false representations in the fourth application. After receiving the funds, Santana misused the loan proceeds to buy real estate and cars and to invest in cryptocurrency. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG); Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Region; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Carol E. Head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Brazilian Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian man pleaded guilty today in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Guilherme Pereira, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs who scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2024. Pereira was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2020. Pereira was removed from the United States on Aug. 14, 2018, after he was convicted in Massachusetts state court of one count of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He unlawfully returned to the United States and was arrested on Jan. 30, 2020. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Temple Man Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Transport Non-Citizens Resulting in Death

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO – A Temple, TX man was sentenced yesterday to 136 months in prison for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death. According to court documents, between July 24, 2020, and July 26, 2020, Saul Benitez-Gonzalez, 22, conspired with Raul Perez-Benitez (indicted separately) and others to smuggle non-citizens from Mexico to the United States. Benitez helped and prepared Perez to illegally transport nine Mexican citizens into the United States. On July 26, 2020, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Perez driving a GMC Sierra five miles north of Brackettville. When the agents tried to conduct an immigration inspection, Perez failed to yield and a highspeed chase ensued. Agents terminated pursuit after speeds of 100 miles per hour were reached. Later that morning agents discovered the GMC had an accident. The GMC appeared to have flipped and rolled after hitting a large boulder. Of the nine Mexican citizens being transported by Perez in the GMC, two died from fatal injuries received in the accident and three others were transported to a medical facility with serious bodily injuries. Four others sustained minor injuries and were transported to a Border Patrol station for processing. “Smugglers and those who support them have no regard for their human cargo,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza. “We will continue to work hard with our fellow law enforcement partners to bring these smuggling networks down.” “This sentencing serves as reminder that HSI will utilize every tool to investigate and dismantle human smuggling networks,” said Special Agent in Charge, Craig Larrabee, HSI San Antonio. “Those engaged in this illicit activity place personal profit ahead of public safety. Driven by greed, these criminals have little regard for the health and well-being of the people they smuggle.” On January 13, 2023, Perez was sentenced to 63 months with credit for time served since his incarceration on July 26, 2020. HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Izaak Bruce and Larry Fadler prosecuted the case. ###


title: Members of deadly alien smuggling ring convicted

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Several members of a deadly alien smuggling ring have pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens resulting in multiple deaths, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Juan Manuel Tena, 40, Pharr, Julia Isairis Torres, 37, Israel Torres Jr., 34, and Jose Refugio Torres, 27, all of Roma, conspired to transport illegal aliens from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations within the United States. As a result of that conspiracy, a total of eight aliens were killed and two others seriously injured. All four were all involved in the attempted smuggling of illegal aliens in March 2019 by motor vehicle from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston. During this failed attempt, a vehicle rolled over and caused the deaths of four non-U.S. citizens with serious injuries to one other. Tena and others also attempted to smuggle illegal aliens in February 2022 by watercraft from South Padre Island to the Corpus Christi area. The watercraft capsized, resulting in the deaths of four other non-U.S. citizens and serious injury to another. The victims included migrants from Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador as well as a 17-year-old boy from Ecuador and a pregnant woman from Honduras. “From the shores of Corpus Christi to the backroads of the Rio Grande Valley, Tena and his associates left a dark path strewn with dead migrants. Eight people, including a pregnant mother, lost their lives due to their actions,” said Hamdani. “Like so many others, the victims in this case wanted to come to America for a better life, but Tena and his associates took advantage of them for profit. Now they are going to federal prison. Let this case be an example to anyone thinking about smuggling people in the United States, especially using dangerous means. You will be prosecuted. You will be held accountable.” “Not only did this human smuggler conspire to undermine our nation’s immigration laws for his own personal profit, but eight migrants lost their lives because of his callous and reckless disregard for those whom entrusted him,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners, and utilizing our unique investigative authorities, to bring those responsible for horrible tragedies like this to justice.” As part of his plea, Tena admitted to coordinating and recruiting co-conspirators to transport illegal aliens using watercraft and vehicles in both March 2019 and February 2022. Tena also agreed to the forfeiture of several properties in Roma and Pharr that he admitted to purchasing with the proceeds he received from the conspiracy. As part of their pleas, Julia Torres and Jose Torres both admitted to their involvement in the March 2019 failed alien smuggling attempt. On July 26, Israel Torres also pleaded guilty to his involvement in the March 2019 incident. U.S. District Judge Roland Olvera accepted the pleas and set sentencing for Dec. 20. At that time, all four face up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Tena has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Julia Torres, Israel Torres and Jose Torres were permitted to remain on bond pending their hearings. HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol; Coast Guard; Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations; police departments in Port Mansfield and South Padre Island; Texas Rangers; Texas Game Wardens; sheriff’s offices in Kenedy, Duval and Willacy Counties; and the Willacy County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edgardo J. Rodriguez and David A. Lindenmuth are prosecuting the case.


title: Kentwood Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearms Charges

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that TRACY DAVIS , age 51, of Kentwood, LA, pled guilty on September 26, 2023 to one (1) count of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841, one (1) count of Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and one (1) count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). According to court documents, DAVIS was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Hammond Police Department began investigating DAVIS due to a complaint that DAVIS was distributing narcotics in the Kentwood area. A search warrant was obtained for two residences and a vehicle associated with DAVIS , that resulted in the seizure of cocaine and multiple firearms from within the residences and vehicle. For the controlled dangerous substance charge, DAVIS faces a maximum sentence of twenty years, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. For the possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking charge, DAVIS faces an additional five years up to life imprisonment that must run consecutive to every other term of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to five years of supervised release. For the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge, DAVIS faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also requires payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. 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 effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Hammond Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Billings man sentenced to more than three years in prison for possessing child pornography

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man convicted of sending two videos of minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct to an undercover officer was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Ethan Andrew Schilling, 25, pleaded guilty in January to a superseding information charging him with possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. In court documents, the government alleged that in March 2022, law enforcement was conducting an undercover investigation and began corresponding with Schilling on a social media application. The undercover officer posed as the relative of a 12-year-old girl. Schilling’s intentions regarding the fictitious girl became increasing sexual in nature. Schilling offered that he had “pics” and sent the undercover officer two videos of a prepubescent minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In May 2022, law enforcement served search warrant at Schilling’s residence. During an interview with law enforcement, Schilling stated that he sent the videos and acknowledged that it was illegal to send child pornography. Zeno B. Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children. XXX


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Immigration Charges

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on September 26, 2023, FERMIN DANIEL PUENTE-MONTOYA , age 32, pleaded guilty to a three-count bill of information charging him with violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act and Illegal Reentry of a Removed Alien. According to court documents, PUENTE-MONTOYA and two others, conspired to transport an amount of methamphetamine from Houston, Texas to Kenner, Louisiana. PUENTE-MONTOYA furthered the conspiracy by transporting the methamphetamine from Houston to Kenner by personal vehicle. In the course of doing so, he was pulled over by law enforcement in Kenner who observed him giving the methamphetamine to his co-conspirators. Prior to this drug trafficking conspiracy, PUENTE-MONTOYA had been deported from the United States and reentered the country illegally. On Counts 1 and 2, conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, PUENTE-MONTOYA faces a maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. For Count 3 that charges him with illegal reentry, PUENTE-MONTOYA faces up to two years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release. Each individual count also requires payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kenner Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Two Long Island Men Separately Indicted for Running National Sex Trafficking Businesses

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today in federal court in Central Islip, an 11-count indictment was unsealed charging Lamont Young, also known as “Paper,” with sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking of a minor and interstate prostitution. Young was arrested today on Long Island and was arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks. Young was ordered detained pending trial. Earlier this week, on September 26, 2023, a six-count indictment was also unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging Michail McKen, also known as “Kells,” with sex trafficking by force and interstate prostitution. McKen was arrested this morning in Arizona. He will make his initial appearance in federal court in Phoenix later this afternoon. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the indictments. “As alleged, Young and McKen each ran a national sex trafficking business, including on Long Island, forcing vulnerable females into commercial sex work for the defendants’ financial benefit,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “These indictments demonstrate that the United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with both local and federal partners to ensure that sex trafficking on Long Island is not tolerated, and those who engage in such violent, cruel crimes are held accountable.” Mr. Peace also expressed his thanks to the New York City Police Department for their assistance with the Young case, and to the Greater Phoenix Human Trafficking Task Force and the FBI Phoenix Violent Crimes Task Force for their assistance with the McKen arrest. “The commercial sexual exploitation of women is a heinous act that causes long-lasting harm to victims and their families,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “Combating sex trafficking and violence in our communities is one of the top priorities for the FBI and our law enforcement partners across New York.” “This pair preyed on and recruited vulnerable young women for years using violence and other measures to force them to engage in sex acts for their own financial gain,” stated SCPD Commissioner Harrison. “The Suffolk County Police Department remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners throughout the nation to bring justice to victims of human trafficking.” As set forth in Young’s indictment and other court filings, between 2011 and at least 2021, Young recruited his victims online, sold them a dream of stability and financial wellbeing, and then once they accepted his invitation to work for him, he used violence, fraud and coercion to cause them to engage in commercial sex acts for his benefit. At least one of his victims was a minor, who engaged in numerous sex acts on Long Island in 2016 and 2017 at Young’s direction. Young referred to the women that worked for him as a “program” or a “movement,” had numerous rules and inflicted violence on the victims when he perceived they disobeyed him. Young also had some of his victims brand themselves with tattoos, including the letter “P” for his street name “Paper,” which is a reference to cash. As alleged in McKen’s indictment and other court filings, between 2019 and 2022, McKen used violence and threats of violence to compel multiple women to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit. McKen often recruited sex workers in Virginia, and then caused them to travel to Long Island, where McKen is originally from, to engage in commercial sex acts. McKen sent his victims all over the country to work, including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Kentucky, Alabama and Oregon. Of the individuals that he trafficked, McKen separated them into two tiers – high-end, experienced females, for whose services he could charge large sums of money, and lower-end, less competitive females, who often struggled with drug addiction, and for whose services McKen would charge less. McKen maintained leverage over those suffering with drug addiction by forcing them to engage in commercial sex acts in exchange for a rationed supply of narcotics that would prevent them from going through complete withdrawal. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun from the Mercedes Benz vehicle he was driving. The charges in the Young and McKen indictments are allegations and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, they face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison. If you are a victim of trafficking—whether by Young, McKen or someone else—and have information to provide, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is prepared to help regardless of your immigration status, at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. The government’s cases are being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Farrell is in charge of both prosecutions. The Defendants : LAMONT YOUNG (also known as “Paper”) Age: 41 Hauppauge, Central Islip and Patchogue, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-382(JMA) MICHAIL MCKEN (also known as “Kells” and “Cavalli”) Age: 35 Baldwin, New York and Phoenix, Arizona E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-377(JMA)


title: Defendant in Fatal Tractor Trailer Smuggling Incident Pleads Guilty

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – Christian Martinez, 29, of Palestine, TX, entered a plea of guilty today to multiple counts arising from a fatal tractor trailer smuggling incident. Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death; one count of Conspiracy to Transport Aliens Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Placing Lives in Jeopardy; one count of Transportation of Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death; and one count of Transportation of Illegal Aliens Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Placing Lives in Jeopardy. Martinez and co-defendant Homero Zamorano Jr., 47, of Elkhart, TX, the driver of the tractor trailer, were initially charged by indictment on July 20, 2022. Four other co-defendants were identified and charged in a superseding indictment on June 7, 2023: Riley Covarrubias-Ponce aka Rrili aka Rilay, 30; Felipe Orduna-Torres aka Cholo aka Chuequito/Chuekito aka Negro, 29; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal aka Cowboy, 38; and Armando Gonzales-Ortega aka El Don aka Don Gon, 54, The indictment alleges that in the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, and others exchanged the names of undocumented noncitizens who would be smuggled in an upcoming tractor-trailer load. The four additional defendants charged in the superseding indictment allegedly orchestrated the retrieval of an empty tractor-trailer and its corresponding hand-off to the driver on June 27. According to the superseding indictment, Martinez drove Zamorano from Palestine to San Antonio where Zamorano picked up the empty tractor-trailer. Orduna-Torres allegedly provided the Laredo address at which Zamorano loaded the migrants into the tractor trailer. The indictment also alleges that Gonzalez-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 66 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded for smuggling. Martinez, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, Rivera-Leal, and Gonzales-Ortega then coordinated, facilitated, passed messages, and made each other aware of the tractor-trailer’s progress. Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and HSI Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee, San Antonio Division, made the announcement. HSI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and has received tremendous support from Customs and Border Protection; Border Patrol; Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; the San Antonio Police Department; the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; the San Antonio Fire Department; the Marshall Police Department; and the Palestine Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears and Amanda Brown are prosecuting the case. These charges resulted in coordination with Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is part of the JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###