title: U.S. Attorney Breon Peace Announces Two Arrests in Coordinated National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Today, United States Attorney Breon Peace announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with alleged Medicare and Medicaid fraudulent billing schemes. The charges filed in federal court in Brooklyn are part of the Department of Justice’s 2023 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. Carlo Elomina Garcia, a licensed occupational therapist, and the owner of Carlo E. Garcia Occupational Therapy in Queens, was arrested and arraigned on June 26, 2023 and released on a $25,000 bond pending trial. Jian Ai Chen, a medical assistant and the owner of two pharmacies in Brooklyn, was arrested and arraigned on June 14, 2023 before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom and released on a $500,000 bond pending trial. Merrick B. Garland, United States Attorney General; Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Christian J. Schrank, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), announced the arrests and charges. “These enforcement actions, including against one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted by the Justice Department, represent our intensified efforts to combat fraud and prosecute the individuals who profit from it,” stated Attorney General Garland. “The Justice Department will find and bring to justice criminals who seek to defraud Americans and steal from taxpayer-funded programs.” United States Attorney Peace stated, “As alleged, the defendants abused the trust placed in them by Medicare and Medicaid by falsely billing these essential programs for their own enrichment. This enforcement action demonstrates our continued commitment to vigorously prosecute healthcare providers who steal from taxpayer-funded programs intended to help those in need.” “This nationwide enforcement action demonstrates that the Criminal Division is committed to fighting health care fraud and opioid abuse by prosecuting those who allegedly exploit patients and health care benefit programs for personal gain,” stated Assistant Attorney General Polite. “Today’s announcement includes some of the largest and most complex cases that the Department has prosecuted and demonstrates the Department’s commitment to seeking justice for those at all levels of the healthcare industry who put profits above patient care, from professionals in doctors’ offices to executives in corporate boardrooms.” “In both of these cases, the defendants are alleged to have submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for services and prescription medicine that were not provided. Abuse of Medicare and Medicaid harms not only the programs but also the everyday people whose tax money is used to fund these healthcare programs. The actions announced today highlight the FBI New York’s commitment to ensuring that those willing to attempt to take advantage of taxpayer-funded healthcare programs are held accountable in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “Federal health care programs are designed to provide access to high quality care to patients nationwide. When bad actors attempt to exploit those measures for illicit financial gain, they put greed before the needs and safety of their patients, and take valuable resources away from their intended recipients,” stated HHS-OIG Deputy Inspector General Schrank. “As today’s enforcement action illustrates, HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners are committed to defending the federal health care system against fraud.” United States v. Carlo Elomina Garcia As alleged in the criminal complaint, from May 2017 through June 2021, the defendant, through his company, billed Medicare and Medicaid for over $3.9 million in occupational therapy services and was paid over $1.6 million. Many of those services were not eligible for reimbursement, were not provided as billed or were not provided at all, including repeatedly billing for over 24 hours of one-on-one occupational therapy services in a single day. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Vagelatos. United States v. Jian Ai Chen As alleged in the indictment, As alleged in the indictment, Chen is charged with conspiracy to defraud in connection with a scheme to pay over $5 million in kickbacks to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in exchange for bringing their prescriptions to AC Pharmacy Corp. and A Star Pharmacy Inc., which she owned. Chen agreed with others to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid plans for dispensing prescription medications that were induced by the payment of kickbacks and not actually dispensed. Chen’s pharmacies received approximately $101 million as a result of the scheme. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Andrew Estes of the Brooklyn Strike Force. The arrests and charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Peace are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 78 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that included over $2.5 billion in alleged fraud. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and, in some cases, used the proceeds of the schemes to purchase luxury items, including exotic automobiles and yachts. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, Dallas, Detroit, the Gulf Coast, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, and Tampa; the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response Strike Force; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Ohio, District of South Carolina, Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Washington, and Eastern District of Wisconsin; and the State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of cases involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-national-hcf-court-documents . The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System to provide victims with case information and updates related to cases charged by the Fraud Section in the National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov The Defendants: CARLO ELOMINA GARCIA Age: 51 Astoria, Queens E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-596 JIAN AI CHEN (also known as “Maggie”) Age: 48 Syosset, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-255 (WFK)


title: Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Charges of  Enticement, Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Waterbury, CT sex offender admitted to a federal judge in U.S. District Court in Providence, RI, that in March 2019, he engaged in a series of sexually explicit online communications with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl living in Rhode Island; that he attempted to arrange a meeting with the girl to engage in sexual acts; and that he sent obscene materials to the person with whom he was communicating, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Jesus Maldonado, 59, pleaded guilty on June 27, 2023, to charges of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity; attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor; and commission of a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. In pleading guilty, Maldonado admitted that he engaged in a series of sexually explicit text message conversations with a person whom he believed to be “Jeni,” a 13-year-old girl living in Rhode Island. During the communications, he knowingly sent “Jeni” sexually explicit images and attempted to persuade her to engage in sexual activity. The person with whom he was communicating was, in fact, an undercover law enforcement officer assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and a Task Force Officer with Homeland Security Investigations. According to court records, at the time Maldonado engaged the illicit conduct with “Jeni,” he had previously been convicted in two different cases of sexual contact offenses with female children and, as a result, was a registered sex offender, as required by law. Maldonado is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Denise M. Barton and Stacey A. Erickson. The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police ICAC, the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, and HSI, New Haven, CT., for their assistance. ###


title: Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Smuggle Firearms from the United States

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Cesar Ignacio Perez-Barrios, 48, of Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Perez-Barrios also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Perez-Barrios pleaded guilty to Smuggling Goods from the United States. On April 28, 2019, Perez-Barrios knowingly attempted to smuggle from the United States into Mexico: five AR-style upper receivers; five AR-style lower receivers; five AR-style barrels; five AR-style buffer tubes; five trigger kits; and five AR-style pistol grips. These items were concealed in a vehicle driven by a co-conspirator who then attempted to exit the United States into Mexico. Perez-Barrios expected to be paid for his role in the operation, whose purpose was to illegally smuggle the firearm parts into Mexico from the United States. The firearm parts, whose transportation across the border was arranged by Perez-Barrios, are prohibited from being exported from the United States into Mexico without a valid license. Neither Perez-Barrios nor any of his associates had a valid license or any other lawful authority to export the items to Mexico. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Bolling and Sandra M. Hansen, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00944-RM-1 RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-099_Perez-Barrios # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing with Intent to Distribute More Than 8 Pounds of Cocaine

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Bryam Toribio Frias, age 24, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely, cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2023. The defendant was previously indicted on February 1, 2023. On December 15, 2021, the defendant signed for and accepted a package addressed to him. A search revealed that the package contained over four kilograms of cocaine. The defendant was arrested shortly after he received the package. A later search of the defendant’s phone showed communications he sent about the package, and a search of his residence yielded additional cocaine in his bedroom. The charging statute for the drug offense provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. 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. The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Two Men Sentenced in Large Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Gabriel L’Ambiance Ingram, 34, of Lancaster, and Carl Michael Mann, II, 41, of Rock Hill, were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a large-scale drug operation operating in Rock Hill and Charlotte, North Carolina. Ingram was sentenced to 260 months (21.66 years) and Mann was sentenced to 300 months (25 years) in federal prison after being convicted at trial. Evidence presented during trial showed that the FBI and York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit began to investigate a group of defendants who were obtaining large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana from a distributor in Southern California. Based upon their investigation, the police were able to determine that members of the group were flying to California and having the drugs shipped back to the Rock Hill and Charlotte area. Based upon surveillance and other law enforcement techniques, the police learned that Darryl Hemphill was the leader of the group and helped introduce other members of the group to the California distributor. Later, the group began ordering fentanyl from California, which they used to make fentanyl-laced pills which were sold to users in Rock Hill, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga. Based upon their investigation, law enforcement showed that this group shipped more than 255 packages from California and distributed more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 1 kilogram or more of heroin, and more than 1000 grams of marijuana. Evidence showed Mann was a member of the conspiracy and was involved in obtaining the pill press machines used by the conspirators, the dye, and stamps used to make the fentanyl-laced pills. Mann would also operate the pill press machines for members of the conspiracy at different locations in Rock Hill and Charlotte. He was paid by members of the conspiracy with some of the pills he made for them. He was convicted at trial of conspiracy to possess 500 grams or more of cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and a quantity of heroin. Mann was also convicted of possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of crack cocaine found during a search of his home. Evidence also showed Ingram was a mid-level dealer who purchased illegal drugs from Hemphill and other members of the conspiracy and sold them to lower-level dealers and users of the illegal substances. Ingram was convicted of conspiracy to possess 500 grams or more of cocaine, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, and a quantity of heroin. Ingram was also convicted of three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and four counts of possession with the intent to distribute illegal substances to include heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and crack cocaine. Eighteen defendants were initially charged in this case. Fifteen defendants pleaded guilty to their involvement while Mann, Ingram, and Darrell Crockett were found guilty by a jury. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Mann to 300 months in prison and Ingram to 260 months in prison. Each will serve a term of court-ordered supervision following release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William K. Witherspoon, Elliott B. Daniels, Elle E. Klein, and Lamar Fyall prosecuted the case. ###


title: U.S. Attorney Sellinger Announces Participation in Coordinated National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced criminal charges against three defendants in connection with health care fraud prosecuted in the District of New Jersey, part of the Department of Justice’s 2023 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. The charges include the owner of a counseling center who filed false insurance claims and two men who pleaded guilty to their roles in a scheme to defraud Amtrak. “These enforcement actions, including against one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted by the Justice Department, represent our intensified efforts to combat fraud and prosecute the individuals who profit from it,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. “The Justice Department will find and bring to justice criminals who seek to defraud Americans and steal from taxpayer-funded programs.” “Our health care system exists to provide people with access to the medical services and treatment they need, but it also is a target for criminals who see it as a lucrative source of money to be plundered through elaborate schemes,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we continue to make sure that the resources that people need will always be there, and those who seek to enrich themselves illegally will be brought to justice.” “This nationwide enforcement action demonstrates that the Criminal Division is committed to fighting health care fraud and opioid abuse by prosecuting those who allegedly exploit patients and health care benefit programs for personal gain,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said. “Today’s announcement includes some of the largest and most complex cases that the Department has prosecuted, and demonstrates the Department’s commitment to seeking justice for those at all levels of the healthcare industry who put profits above patient care, from professionals in doctors’ offices to executives in corporate boardrooms.” The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Sellinger are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 90 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that resulted in the submission of over $2.6 billion in alleged false billings. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and, in some cases, used the proceeds of the schemes to purchase luxury items, including exotic automobiles and yachts. Devon Burt and Hallum Gelzer Devon Burt, 50, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and Hallum Gelzer, 44, of Enola, Pennsylvania, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline C. Arleo in Newark federal court to separate informations charging them with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to communicate extortionate threats. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Burt, a former Amtrak employee, and Gelzer worked with health care providers to recruit Amtrak employees to participate in a health care fraud scheme through the offer of cash payments in exchange for the employees allowing health care providers to use their patient and insurance information to submit false claims. The health care providers benefitted from the scheme by receiving payments from the Amtrak health care plan for services that were never provided or that were medically unnecessary. Burt received cash payments from providers in return for allowing the providers to use his personal and insurance information, and that of his dependents, to submit fraudulent claims. Both Burt and Gelzer received cash payments from providers in return for recruiting others to participate in the scheme. From April 2022 through June 2022, Burt and Gelzer conspired to communicate extortionate threats to a health care provider who participated in the scheme. Burt and Gelzer threatened the provider by interstate telephone calls and text messages, indicating that the provider would be injured if the provider did not pay Gelzer several thousand dollars. In total, the Amtrak health care plan paid over $9 million as a result of claims associated with providers connected to the health care fraud scheme. The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. The charge of conspiracy to communicate extortionate threats in interstate commerce carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. As part of their guilty pleas, Burt agreed to pay $959,072 in restitution, while Gelzer agreed to pay approximately $1.66 million restitution. Sentencing for Burt is scheduled for Nov. 16, 2023, and for Gelzer, Nov. 15, 2023. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York; and the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark. Maria P. Cosentino Maria P. Cosentino, 60, of Garfield, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with four counts of health care fraud and one count of obstruction of justice. She made her initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: Cosentino, the owner of a Paramus, New Jersey counseling center providing counseling services and mental health treatment to children, families, couples, and adults, for years submitted false claims to private health insurance plans for counseling sessions that were never provided. Cosentino falsely claimed that various individuals had received counseling at the center when in fact they had been out of the country, had ceased attending the practice, or had never visited the counseling center at all. The false claims caused insurance plans to issue reimbursement checks to the center even though the individuals had never received any treatment. When law enforcement sought to interview individuals at Cosentino’s counseling practice about Cosentino’s conduct, Cosentino tried to persuade at least one employee to cover up her billing practices and to lie to law enforcement. The charge of health care fraud is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. The charge of obstructing justice is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. Both charges are also punishable by a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney DeNae M. Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, Dallas, Detroit, the Gulf Coast, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, and Tampa; the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response Strike Force; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Ohio, District of South Carolina, Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Washington, and Eastern District of Wisconsin; and the State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Enforcement Action, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the department’s website at LINK. The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System to provide victims with case information and updates related to cases charged by the Fraud Section in the National Enforcement Action. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov . Victims with questions about the cases charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office may call 1-973-645-2700. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-steven-diamantstein . A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: 22-Year-Old Man Receives 21 Months in Prison for Assault on a Federal Officer

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Hugo Alexander Garcia-Sales, 22, of Guatemala, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to a term of 21 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Garcia-Sales pleaded guilty on April 11, 2023, to Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon and Improper Entry by an Alien. On October 13, 2022, Garcia-Sales threw five softball-sized rocks at a United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations helicopter Air Interdiction Agent while the helicopter was in the air. Although the rocks failed to hit the helicopter, one rock came within several feet of striking the aircraft. As part of his guilty plea, Garcia-Sales admitted that striking the helicopter with any of the rocks could have caused the aircraft to crash. Additionally, Garcia-Sales admitted he is a Guatemalan national who knowingly entered the United States near Newfield, Arizona, without legal permission to enter or remain in the United States. CBP’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel J. Walters, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-02445-RM-BGM RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-100_Garcia-Sales # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Former New York City Department of Education CEO of School Support Services and Three Executives of SOMMA Food Group Convicted of Extortion Conspiracy and Bribery

body_text: Today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts on all counts of a superseding indictment against Eric Goldstein, the former Chief Executive Officer of the New York City Department of Education’s (NYC DOE) Office of School Support Services, and Blaine Iler, Michael Turley and Brian Twomey, operators of a food services company, with conspiring to commit extortion under color of official right and solicitation and giving of bribes relating to programs receiving federal funds. The verdict followed a 4-week, trial before Visiting U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin. When sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Extortion, Hobbs Act Extortion, Conspiracy to Commit Federal Program Bribery, Federal Program Bribery, Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud, and Honest Services Wire Fraud, the defendants each face up to 20 years in prison as well as forfeiture and restitution penalties. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the verdict. “The defendants’ criminal conduct is a textbook example of choosing greed over the needs of our schools and the well-being of our children. Our children depended on nutritious meals served in schools and instead, got substandard food products containing pieces of plastic, metal, and bones, which is unacceptable,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s verdict demonstrates the consequences of corruptly placing personal profit over the public interests.” Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, for their outstanding investigative work on the case. As proven at trial and contained in court filings, between 2008 and September 2018, Goldstein oversaw the management, budget, and operations of several NYC DOE departments, including the Office of Food and Nutrition Services (SchoolFood), which was responsible for managing the overall food service operation for all New York City public schools. In early 2015, Iler, Turley, and Twomey created a food services company called SOMMA Food Group (SOMMA), to provide food products to retail and food service markets, including to K-12 schools across the United States. SOMMA promoted and sold yogurt, hamburgers, and antibiotic-free chicken products marketed under the brand name Chickentopia. At or about the same time SOMMA was founded, Goldstein, Iler, Turley, and Twomey co-founded Range Meats Supply Company (RMSCO), to purchase grass-fed beef products that SOMMA, in turn, would then promote and sell under the brand name Range Meats to retail markets and New York City schools. At the same time, Iler, Turley, and Twomey partnered with Goldstein in RMSCO, Iler, Turley and Twomey began to promote SOMMA’s products to SchoolFood officials and employees, all of whom reported to Goldstein in his role as OSS Chief Executive. During a meeting with Iler in New York in July 2015, Goldstein told him, “I’m going to buy a lot of f---ing chicken from you guys, let’s do the beef.” Between 2015 and December 2016, defendants Iler, Turley, and Twomey provided numerous benefits to Goldstein, including enticing Goldstein with potentially lucrative business opportunities and monetary payments to RMSCO for Goldstein’s benefit. In exchange, Goldstein used his influence as head of SchoolFood to help Iler, Turley, and Twomey in SOMMA’s business dealings before SchoolFood. Goldstein helped ensure that SchoolFood accepted SOMMA’s products for purchase, expedited the approval process and resolved disagreements between SOMMA and SchoolFood officials in SOMMA’s favor. The defendants purposefully concealed Goldstein’s ownership interest in RMSCO from the NYC DOE while Goldstein was using his influence and public position at NYC DOE to benefit SOMMA. In the fall of 2016, SchoolFood stopped serving SOMMA’s chicken tenders after a NYC DOE employee choked on a bone that had not been removed from a chicken tender supplied by SOMMA. Goldstein, who had final approval as to whether and when the chicken tenders would be allowed back in schools, delayed approving the reintroduction of the tenders until Iler, Turley, and Twomey agreed to transfer SOMMA’s ownership interest in RMSCO to Goldstein as well as to transfer $66,670 to a bank account in RMSCO’s name that Goldstein had opened and controlled. Following weeks of negotiations, on November 29, 2016, Iler, Turley and Twomey agreed to pay the bribe Goldstein was soliciting and one day later, on November 30, 2016, Goldstein approved reintroduction of SOMMA’s chicken products in schools. The products were served in schools until April 2017 when, following repeated complaints from students and staff that the chicken tenders continued to contain foreign objects. SchoolFood decided to remove all of SOMMA’s food products from New York City public schools. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Polemeni, Andrew Grubin, Laura Zuckerwise, and Kaitlin McTague are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Kavya Kannan. The Defendants : ERIC GOLDSTEIN Age: 55 New Rochelle, New York BLAINE ILER Age: 35 Dallas, Texas MICHAEL TURLEY Age: 54 Fayetteville, Arkansas BRIAN TWOMEY Age: 50 Dallas, Texas E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-550 (DC)


title: Farmington Man Admits Methamphetamine Distribution

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Farmington, Missouri on Wednesday admitted possessing and selling methamphetamine. Charles J. Crawford, 53, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. On Sept. 5, 2019, Crawford sold about an ounce of nearly pure methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with the Missouri State Highway Patrol for $250. Officers then observed multiple vehicles coming and going from Crawford’s home, indicating drug sales were occurring. A subsequent court-approved search of Crawford’s home early the next morning found nearly three more ounces of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and two firearms. The possession with intent charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years in light of the significant quantity of drugs involved. Both sides have agreed to recommend 100 months in prison when Crawford is sentenced. The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Mineral Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.


title: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Charge for His Participation in the Triple C Gang

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Jawaun Harris, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal charge of conspiracy to participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, in connection with his membership in the Triple C gang, including a carjacking, two attempted murders and a drug distribution conspiracy. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department. According to court documents, Harris was a member of the Cruddy Conniving Crutball gang, or Triple C, an enterprise operating primarily in east Baltimore. The gang’s main purpose was to commit violent acts to promote the reputation of the gang and to command respect from the neighborhood. The enterprise benefitted financially from selling narcotics, murdering drug dealers, taking contract killings, engaging in street robberies, robbing dice games, and occasionally carjacking vehicles. The members of the gang divided the proceeds of the robberies. Harris admitted that between 2015 and 2020, he and other Triple C members engaged in more than a dozen murders and numerous non-fatal shootings, robberies, and carjackings. Also, Triple C members routinely used social media to identify and locate victims and to share information concerning possible retaliation for violent crimes committed by gang members. Triple C members and associates used at least 14 firearms to commit crimes, often trading with each other or other groups to avoid detection through ballistic evidence. They limited conversations about criminal plans to members of Triple C and critiqued each other after committing crimes regarding ways to improve their actions. Harris admitted that he participated in two attempted murders on October 10 and 11, 2018, and a carjacking on October 10, 2018, during which at least one member of the conspiracy possessed a firearm. Harris also admitted that it was foreseeable to him, that his co-conspirators would commit other acts that he did not participate in, including at least 16 murders, 28 attempted murders, at least 22 robberies and attempted robberies, and three carjackings. Co-defendants Rashaud Nesmith, a/k/a Shaud, age 21, and Michael Chester, a/k/a Mikkie, age 24, both of Baltimore, pled guilty to their participation in a racketeering conspiracy in June 2022 and were sentenced to 40 years and 20 years in federal prison, respectively. Harris and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Harris will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for October 5, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (“ATF”) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (“NIBIN”). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin . 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. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the FBI and the Office of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia C. McLane and Michael C. Hanlon, who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Former Chicago-Area Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns

component: Tax Division

body_text: A former Chicago-area woman pleaded guilty today to preparing and filing false income tax returns on behalf of her clients. According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2014 through about April 2019, Erica Early, a tax preparer formerly of Robins and Richton Park, Illinois, operated a tax preparation business for clients located in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. She often charged $1,000 to prepare basic tax returns. On returns she prepared, Early falsely inflated clients’ income to maximize the Earned Income Tax Credit and falsely claimed education-related credits. Early, who was a U.S. Postal Service employee during some of the time she was engaged in preparing the false returns, also falsified her own personal tax returns, claiming education credits she knew she was not eligible to receive. In total, Early’s conduct resulted in tax loss to the IRS of approximately $515,990. Early is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 4, 2023, and faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Boris Bourget of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Picayune Man Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Picayune man was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Eric Renard Scott, 39, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court records, in 2015, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization located largely in Picayune, MS (Pearl River County). In 2018, Eric Renard Scott and two others were identified as being part of the conspiracy. Federal agents used a confidential source to begin making purchases of meth. On October 24, 2018, a DEA confidential source purchased 27.9g of actual meth at 99% purity from Eric Renard Scott and two of his co-conspirators in Picayune. Scott was charged in a federal criminal indictment on September 7, 2022 and he pled guilty on February 13, 2023 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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: U.S. Attorney Announces Participation in Coordinated National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett announced criminal charges against four defendants in connection with two health care fraud and opioid abuse scheme cases prosecuted in the Western District of Kentucky, as part of the Department of Justice’s 2023 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. The charges stem from pharmacy owners and employees taking opioids from their pharmacies and distributing the drugs on the street and, in some instances, billing insurance fraudulently. “This nationwide enforcement action demonstrates that the Criminal Division is committed to fighting health care fraud and opioid abuse by prosecuting those who exploit health care benefit programs and patients for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement includes some of the largest and most complex cases that the Department has prosecuted, and demonstrates the Department’s commitment to seeking justice for those at all levels of the healthcare industry who put profits above patient care, from professionals in doctors’ offices to executives in corporate boardrooms.” The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Bennett are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 78 individuals for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that resulted in over $2.5 billion in alleged fraud. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and, in some cases, used the proceeds of the schemes to purchase luxury items, including exotic automobiles and yachts. In the Western District of Kentucky, two separate cases were charged on June 14, 2023, and June 26, 2023. The charges included conspiracy to commit theft of medical products, conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances, health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making a false writing. Specifically, in United Stated v. Joseph and Jenifer Huff, pharmacist Joseph Patrick Huff, 44, and Jenifer Huff, 44, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, were charged by superseding indictment on June 14, 2023, with one count of conspiracy to commit theft of medical products, one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances, six counts of health care fraud-Adderall fraud, four counts of health care fraud-Eliquis fraud, two counts of health care fraud-Nicotrol and Linzess fraud, one count aggravated identity theft, and one count of making a false writing. The indictment charges the Huffs with conspiring to take, carry away, and conceal and knowingly possess, transport and traffic a pre-retail medical product, namely oxycodone and hydrocodone, with a value over $5000, and conspiring to sell and trade the oxycodone and hydrocodone for marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Additionally, Joseph Huff is charged with falsely and fraudulently billing various health care benefit programs for Adderall XR to obtain a higher reimbursement rate. Joseph Huff also is charged with falsely and fraudulently billing commercial insurance for dispensing Eliquis to a patient when in fact the patient never received the Eliquis medication. In addition, Joseph Huff and Jenifer Huff are charged with falsely and fraudulently billing Kentucky Medicaid for prescriptions dispensed to Jenifer Huff when in fact no physician or nurse practitioner issued an order for the prescriptions. Joseph Huff is also charged with using the name and National Provider Identifier number of a physician without lawful authority when he billed Kentucky Medicaid for a prescription dispensed to Jenifer Huff. Finally, Joseph Huff is charged with filing a false DEA Form 106, reporting the theft of narcotics, which were not actually stolen. In United States v. Stephen Troy Wilmoth and Ashley Ramsey-Wilmoth, Stephen Troy Wilmoth, 45, and pharmacy technician Ashley Ramsey-Wilmoth, 41, of Hodgenville, Kentucky, were charged by information on June 27, 2023, with one count of conspiracy to commit theft of medical products and one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. The information charges the Wilmoths with conspiring to take, carry away, and conceal and knowingly possess, transport and traffic a pre-retail medical product, namely oxycodone and hydrocodone, with a value over $5000, and conspiring to sell and trade the oxycodone and hydrocodone. Ashley Ramsey-Wilmoth, an employee of Century Medicines, a retail pharmacy in the supply chain for oxycodone and hydrocodone, took, carried away and concealed unopened bottles of oxycodone and hydrocodone from Century Medicines prior to the oxycodone and hydrocodone being made available for retail purchase by a consumer. She then provided the oxycodone and hydrocodone to her husband, Stephen Troy Wilmoth, to sell and distribute. These cases are being investigated by the DEA, the Bowling Green/Warren County Drug Task Force, the Kentucky State Police, and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Office of Inspector General. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Ansari. Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster and Acting Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section led and coordinated the enforcement action. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, Dallas, Detroit, the Gulf Coast, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, and Tampa; the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response Strike Force; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Ohio, District of South Carolina, Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Washington, and Eastern District of Wisconsin; and the State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of cases involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-national-hcf-court-documents. The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas, and for further information for victims about new federal charges in connection with the HIV scheme, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-steven-diamantstein . A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Albany Man Receives 64 Months for Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Carlos Hernandez, age 54, of Albany, was sentenced today to 64 months in prison for distributing heroin and fentanyl on at least five occasions in April and May 2021. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), made the announcement. On February 8, 2023, Hernandez pled guilty to distribution of a controlled substance. He admitted that between April and May 2021, while he was on parole from a state prison term, he sold a total of 68 grams of fentanyl and 71 grams of heroin on at least five occasions in Albany. Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also ordered Hernandez to serve a 4-year term of supervised release after he is released from prison. The DEA investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case.


title: Herkimer County Man Sentenced to 138 Months in Prison for Distributing and Receiving Child Pornography

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Patrick Galusha, age 32, of Ilion, New York, was sentenced today to serve 138 months in prison for distributing and receiving child pornography. In addition to the prison term, Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes ordered Galusha to serve a term of supervised release of 15 years, to begin upon his release from prison, to pay restitution, and to forfeit the device he used to commit the offenses. Galusha also will have to register as a sex offender upon his release. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Galusha admitted that, in January 2022, he traded child pornography with others over a social media messaging application on his phone, distributing approximately 35 files in exchange for 163 images and 7 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children. This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: St. Louis Woman Admits Defrauding Her 96-year-old Great-grandmother

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis, Missouri on Wednesday admitted defrauding her 96-year-old great-grandmother. Alexis Butler, 35, waived her right to indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark to one felony count of bank fraud. Butler admitted that sometime before Dec. 2, 2022, she obtained the personal identifying information of her great-grandmother, as well as her account information at St. Louis Community Credit Union. She then obtained online access to the account. On Dec. 2, 2022, she transferred $2,000 to someone else. The next day, she opened an account for herself at the credit union and began transferring her great-grandmother’s money to her account. Butler admitted as part of her guilty plea that from Dec. 2, 2022 to Jan. 19, 2023, she fraudulently withdrew $26,700 from her great-grandmother’s account. Butler re-deposited $7,500 into the account on January 6, however. Both sides have agreed to recommend a sentence of three years in prison for Butler, and she will be ordered to repay the money. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Pagedale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.


title: Gatlinburg Woman Sentenced To 27 Months In Prison For Defrauding COVID-19 Economic Relief Program

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On June 28, 2023, Sarrah Denton Willhite, 35, of Gatlinburg Tennessee was sentenced to 27 months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. As part of a plea agreement filed with the court, Willhite agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging her with one count of wire fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Judge Varlan ordered Willhite to pay restitution in the amount of $346,600 and to complete a term of supervised release of two years following her release from prison. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Two primary sources of relief provided by the CARES Act were the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program. The EIDL program was administered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and provided low-interest loans to businesses to pay for items like accounts payable, rent, mortgage payments, and other bills that could not be paid as a result of the pandemic. As set forth in the filed plea agreement, on November 27, 2021, Willhite submitted an electronic application to the SBA requesting an EIDL on behalf of Rescue Army Nation Ministries, a nonprofit organization purportedly owned and operated by Willhite for charitable or religious purposes. Willhite submitted false documents in support of her application, including a Profit and Loss Statement that Willhite fabricated solely for the purpose of obtaining the loan. She also falsely represented that Rescue Army Nation Ministries employed eight employees. In fact, as Willhite knew, it employed none. Willhite also falsely certified that she would use the loan proceeds solely for working capital, and she misrepresented that she was acting on behalf of a charitable or religious organization. The SBA approved the application based on Willhite’s fabricated documents and false statements. On December 17, 2021, the SBA transferred by wire $346,600 in EIDL funds into a bank account Willhite controlled. Between December 17, 2021, and January 28, 2022, Willhite spent approximately all the EIDL funds on personal items or expenses, including a vacation to Disney World, to pay off student loans, to purchase land, and to purchase two vehicles and a travel trailer. She transferred the remainder of the proceeds to her personal checking account. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico made the announcement. The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney William A. Roach, Jr., who serves as the Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Tennessee, represented the United States. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ###


title: Man Who Threatened Violent, Anti-Semitic Action Indicted By Grand Jury

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a grand jury returned an indictment against Seann Pietila, 19, of Pickford, Michigan for violent threats Pietila made online. Pietila allegedly communicated via Instagram about planning to commit acts of violence to kill other people. He also allegedly sent messages about neo-nazism, antisemitism, glorification of past mass shooters, and a desire and intent to mimic past mass shooters. “No one should face violent threats because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other status,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “We have seen a rise in antisemitism across the nation and here in Michigan, and my office is committed to using all our powers to protect the public and ensure accountability.” The indictment charges Pietila with three counts. The first two counts charge that he transmitted threatening communications in interstate commerce. The maximum penalty under that statute is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Pietila also faces one count of threat to kill or injure by means of fire, which is punishable by up to ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. “The crimes alleged in this indictment have made members of our community feel unsafe as they practice their religion. No American should fear engaging in their constitutionally protected rights,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “I appreciate the coordinated efforts of our state and local law enforcement partners to disrupt this defendant before he could put his plans into action.” The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher O’Connor and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI was assisted by the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, TRI-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), and Michigan State Police Emergency Services Team. A copy of the indictment is attached. The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. ###


title: Large-Scale Cocaine Supplier Sentenced in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Jamaican national was sentenced today to over six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. According to court documents, from January through December 2019, Caswell Richards, 56, regularly supplied kilograms of cocaine to distributors in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Over the course of the conspiracy, Richards distributed at least 15 kilograms of cocaine to his co-conspirators. He distributed cocaine in Maryland through a middleman, Hopeton Fletcher, 53, of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Richards insulated himself from law enforcement detection by arranging transactions with Fletcher, who would then communicate directly with cocaine distributor Simeon Orekoya, 50, of Washington, D.C.. Orekoya, who was supplied with cocaine by numerous individuals in addition to Richards, distributed cocaine in the Eastern District of Virginia, as well as other locations throughout the D.C. metropolitan area from January 2017 through December 2019. Orekoya was sentenced on June 15, 2021, to 195 months of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and firearms trafficking. Fletcher was sentenced on April 19 to 42 months of imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Sarah Linden, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hahn and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bibeane Metsch prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level criminal organization 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 . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-18.


title: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty To New Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jason Koscielski, 35, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction), which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in December 2011, Koscielski was convicted on federal charges of receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography, and sentenced to serve 135 months in prison and 30 years supervised release, which prohibited him from possessing any unmonitored telephone. In November of 2021, Koscielski obtained a Tracfone, in violation of the terms of his supervised release. Between November 2 and November 16, 2021, Koscielski used the phone to send and receive images of child pornography and to possess approximately 476 images of child pornography. Many of the images involved children younger than 12 years old and were sexually explicit in nature. On November 5, 2021, Koscielski also used the Phone to exchange sexually explicit photos with Minor Victim 1, a 15-year-old male. The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Probation Department, under the director of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, 2023, before Judge Siragusa. # # # #


title: United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref Announces Eastern District of Washington’s Participation in Coordinated National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with millions of dollars in fraud prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington, as part of the Department of Justice’s 2023 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. The Eastern District of Washington cases charge a physician and pharmacist in connection with separate schemes involving telemarketing fraud and falsifying COVID-19 vaccine information. “These enforcement actions, including against one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted by the Justice Department, represent our intensified efforts to combat fraud and prosecute the individuals who profit from it,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will find and bring to justice criminals who seek to defraud Americans and steal from taxpayer-funded programs.” “Health care fraud harms elderly and vulnerable members of our community, undermines confidence in our health care system, and diverts precious funds from vital government programs,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “It has a corrupting and devastating impact on our community. We will not rest in our pursuit of health care providers who abuse their positions of trust for their own personal benefit. Our office will continue to work hand-in-glove with our law enforcement partners to ensure that these fraudsters are brought to justice.” The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Waldref are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 78 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that resulted in the submission of over $2.5 billion in alleged false billings. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and, in some cases, used the proceeds of the schemes to purchase luxury items, including exotic automobiles and yachts. The Eastern District of Washington charges stem from two separate cases. In United States v. David Antonio Becerril , a grand jury indicted a Yakima area physician on sixteen counts of fraud, false statements, and conspiracy in connection with a telemarketing scheme and conspiracy to fraudulently bill Medicare for millions of dollars in medically unnecessary genetic tests and medical equipment. In United States v. Reynolds , an East Wenatchee pharmacist was charged by information with one count of making false statements in connection with health care matters for falsifying COVID-19 vaccination information for Washington state employees. The Becerril and Reynolds cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. The other cases in the National Enforcement Action are being prosecuted by the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, Dallas, Detroit, the Gulf Coast, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, and Tampa; the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response Strike Force; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Ohio, District of South Carolina, Southern District of Texas, and Eastern District of Wisconsin; and the State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of cases involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-national-hcf-court-documents . United States v. Becerril is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Allie Jensen and Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene , and was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Seattle Field Office. United States v. Reynolds is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Spokane Resident Office and HHS-OIG. The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System to provide victims with case information and updates related to cases charged by the Fraud Section in the National Enforcement Action. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov . Victims with questions about the cases charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office may contact (509) 353-2767. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-steven-diamantstein . A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States v. Becerril , 1:23-CR-02029-SAB United States v. Reynolds , 2:23-CR-00076-MKD


title: Woman Charged With Covid-19 Card Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: WILLIAMPSORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Collen Brungard, age 37, of Milton, Pennsylvania, was charged on June 28, 2023, by criminal Information with knowingly possessing and making a fake COVID-19 vaccine card. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information charges Brungard with knowingly possessing and making unauthorized COVID-19 vaccine cards, specifically fraudulent COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards, purportedly issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control to record medical information about vaccines purportedly received, and bearing the insignia of the Center for Disease Control. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 6 months’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: CFO, Controller, Corporate Officers Charged in $53 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Pandemic Relief

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: Fourteen people who allegedly bilked the Paycheck Protection Program, a COVID-era financial program, and numerous financial institutions out of more than $53 million in loan proceeds have been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. This case is the largest investigated by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force to date. The defendants were arrested Tuesday and Wednesday in Texas, California, and Oklahoma by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Treasury Department’s Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG). “Defrauding the government is an affront to American taxpayers. Defrauding the government during a pandemic – at a time when millions of hardworking entrepreneurs struggled to make payroll and rent – is pouring salt in a wound,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “These defendants allegedly conspired to steal tens of millions of dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program – funds which could have helped legitimate businesses pay their bills and keep their employees afloat. We are thankful to the officers and agents who meticulously investigated this case, especially the data scientists at the Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, whose sophisticated analysis ensures that those who abused the PPP will be brought to justice.” “These indictments charge another group of individuals with defrauding the taxpayers of millions of dollars as the group abused a federal program critical for struggling small businesses that were hit hard by the pandemic,” said Brian Miller, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. “SIGPR is glad to have played a significant role teaming with other law enforcement agencies and the United States Attorney’s Office to hold these individuals accountable.” “These individuals allegedly conspired to orchestrate multiple fraud schemes which exploited financial institutions and government programs, solely to enrich themselves,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the American people do not fund the lifestyle of criminals with taxpayer dollars that were intended to protect the most susceptible from financial ruin and promote economic stabilization in a critical time of need.” According to a series of indictments unsealed Wednesday, several of the charged defendants purportedly operated a group of affiliated recycling companies, including Mammoth Metal Recycling, Elephant Recycling, Gulf Coast Scrap, 4G Metals, 4G Plastics, 5G Metals, Level Eight, Sunshine Recycling, L.K. Industries, , NTC Industries, West Texas Equipment, and West Texas Scrap. They allegedly submitted at least 29 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications that fraudulently inflated payroll expenses, doctoring bank statements and Internal Revenue Service tax forms to falsely reflect business income. They then routed PPP loan funds through a series of bank accounts to create a false paper trail of payroll expenses. At least two of the defendants also allegedly submitted false applications to financial institutions on behalf of their purported recycling companies to fraudulently obtain, in the aggregate, millions of dollars in business loan proceeds. And one defendant allegedly lied to the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC) by stating that he did not know several of his other alleged coconspirators. Those charged in the sixteen count-indictment filed last week include: Mihir Patel, Chief Financial Officer of Sunshine Recycling, and owner of Mammoth Group, R.A. Industries, and L.K. Industries: conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aiding and abetting, and conspiracy to commit money laundering Kinjal Patel, Controller at Sunshine Recycling: conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aiding and abetting, and conspiracy to commit money laundering Prateek Desai, owner of West Texas Scrap: conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud and aiding and abetting Wajahat Khan, aka Ray Khan, President and owner of Gulf Coast Scrap: conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aiding and abetting, and conspiracy to commit money laundering Imran Khan, aka Ron Khan, Operations Director and owner of 4G Metals and West Texas Equipment: conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud and aiding and abetting Chirag Gandhi, aka Chris Gandhi, Controller of NTC Industries, and President and owner of 5G Metals and Sunshine Recycling: conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud and aiding and abetting Bhavesh Patel, aka Bobby Patel, Chief Business Development Officer for Sunshine Recycling and owner of Level Eight and: conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aiding and abetting, and making a false statement to the FDIC Dharmesh Patel, aka Danny Patel, Co-President and co-owner of Elephant Recycling: conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud and aiding and abetting Mitra Bhattarai, Co-President and co-owner of Elephant Recycling: conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud and aiding and abetting Bhargav Bhatt, aka Brad Bhatt, NTC Industries employee: conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering Those charged in separate indictments include: Mrunal Desai: bank fraud and aiding and abetting Chintak Desai, President of Nanosoft Technologies: bank fraud and aiding and abetting Ambreen Khan: wire fraud Usha Chapain, aka Usha Sharma: bank fraud An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants face up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aiding and abetting, bank fraud, and making a false statement to the FDIC, 20 years for wire fraud, and 10 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering. This case was investigated by a SIGPR special agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force, and special agents from the Dallas field offices of the FDIC OIG and FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Fabio Leonardi is prosecuting the case. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence , which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations. The Paycheck Protection Program was authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP provided forgivable loans to small businesses to cover payroll, rent, and other certain business expenses; the program ended in May 2021.


title: Stroudsburg Woman And East Stroudsburg Man Charged With Making Straw Purchases Of Fifteen Firearms

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Yesenia Ramos, age 43, of Stroudsburg, and Windall Mitchell, age 34, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, were charged on June 20, 2023, by a federal grand jury with multiple counts of making false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Yesenia Ramos, age 43, of Stroudsburg, and Windall Mitchell, age 34, of East Stroudsburg, are charged with conspiring to provide false information to federally licensed firearms dealers regarding the purchases of fifteen firearms between May 15, 2021 and June 14, 2022, in Monroe County. The fifteen firearms were purchased from various federally licensed firearms dealers in Monroe County, including Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters in Stroudsburg and Brodheadsville, Pocono Mountain Firearms in Scotrun, The Gun Place in East Stroudsburg, and Lopez Firearms in Pocono Summit. The indictment also charges Ramos with fifteen substantive counts of making false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers, and charges Mitchell with being a convicted felon in possession of firearms. The charge against the defendants resulted from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the 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 launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The maximum penalty under federal law for the offenses of making false statements to firearms dealers and for being a felon in possession of firearms is ten years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. ###


title: Oakland Motorist Charged With Being Felon In Possession Of Ammunition After Firing Shots During I-580 Road Rage Incident

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Antoyne Terrell Bullock appeared today in United States District Court to face a federal charge that he possessed ammunition during a road rage incident on Interstate 580, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. Bullock made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Oakland before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu. The charge was set out in a criminal complaint filed June 16, 2023, and unsealed in federal court today. The criminal complaint alleges the defendant, Bullock, 43, shot at a fellow motorist causing the motorist to lose control of their vehicle. Specifically, on May 25, 2023, the defendant, in his Ford SUV, sped up next to the driver of a Dodge truck, and while beside the Dodge, the defendant rolled down the rear back passenger window of his SUV and shot at the driver of the Dodge. The defendant struck the driver side window causing it to shatter. The complaint further details, the driver of the Dodge ducked, while turning the steering wheel, causing his vehicle to collide with the defendant’s SUV. The SUV overturned, rolling over several times before coming to a stop on its roof. The defendant, and the female passenger, attempted to leave the scene of the accident when California Highway Patrol officers arrived. Upon canvasing the scene, officers recovered a P80 handgun and keys to the Ford SUV alongside the highway. When officers arrested the defendant, they recovered a loaded magazine in his pants pocket. In sum, the complaint charges Bullock with being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). The statutory maximum for the charge for the violation is 10 years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum of 3 years’ supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only after considerations of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statue governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Bullock is scheduled to make his next federal court appearance on July 18, 2023, for a preliminary hearing and arraignment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chambers is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jasmine Sanders. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF, California Highway Patrol, the Oakland Police Department, and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.


title: Grand Jury Returns Indictments

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. La Crosse Man Charged with Gun Crimes and Drug Crimes Involving Methamphetamine & Fentanyl Issac Santana, 26, La Crosse, Wisconsin, is charged in an 8-count indictment with gun and drug crimes. The indictment alleges that on November 19, 2022, he possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, that he possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute, and that he was a felon in possession of ammunition. The indictment further alleges that on February 9, 2023, he distributed methamphetamine. The final four counts of the indictment allege that on April 6, 2023, he possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, that he possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute, that he was a felon in possession of a 9mm handgun and ammunition, and that he possessed a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Santana faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years on the two charges alleging the possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine for distribution, 20 years on each of the fentanyl charges and the distribution of methamphetamine charge, 15 years on the felon in possession of ammunition and felon in possession of a firearm charges, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years on the charge of possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed. The charges against Santana are the result of an investigation by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the prosecution. Two Dane County Men Charged with Gun & Drug Crimes Tyez D.D. Boyd, 25, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and Davonte F. King, 28, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing fentanyl for distribution, and possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that on November 17, 2022, Boyd possessed a.45 caliber handgun. The indictment further alleges that on that day, King possessed a 9mm handgun, and fentanyl with the intent to distribute. If convicted, Boyd and King each face a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on the felon in possession of a firearm charge. King faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on the fentanyl charge, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed. The charges against Boyd and King are the result of an investigation by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force; Madison Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson is handling the prosecution. Madison Man Charged with Gun & Drug Crimes Messiah A. Fleming, 21, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, with possessing fentanyl for distribution, and with possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that on November 24, 2022, he possessed a loaded 9mm handgun and fentanyl with intent to distribute. If convicted, Fleming faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge, 20 years on the fentanyl charge, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed. The charges against Fleming are the result of an investigation by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force; Madison Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson is handling the prosecution. Walworth County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm Arron W. Dupler, 34, Darien, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that on March 4, 2022, he possessed a Ruger LCP .380 handgun. If convicted, Dupler faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Janesville Police Department; and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Marie Boor is handling the prosecution. Madison Man Charged with Gun & Drug Crimes Robert A. Goldsberry, 28, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, with possessing marijuana for distribution, and with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that on November 3, 2022, he possessed a 9mm handgun and ammunition, and marijuana with intent to distribute. If convicted, Goldsberry faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge, 5 years on the marijuana charge, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed. The charges against Goldsberry are the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Reinhard is handling the prosecution. Fitchburg Man Charged with Distributing Heroin Robert Seymour, 38, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with two counts of distributing heroin. The indictment alleges that he distributed heroin on May 31 and June 21, 2023. If convicted, Seymour faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on each count. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Reinhard is handling the prosecution. Jamaican National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S. Andre Bowyer, 32, a citizen of Jamaica found in Grant County, Wisconsin, is charged with reentering the United States after previously being removed. The indictment alleges that he was found in the United States on June 12, 2023. If convicted, Bowyer faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson is handling the prosecution.