title: Former Bank Employee Convicted After Trial for Fraudulently Opening Bank Accounts

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury in Maryland has convicted Diape Seck, age 29, of Rockville, Maryland for his role in a bank fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators obtained or attempted to obtain almost $2 million by fraud, including by stealing checks from the mail of churches and religious institutions. The guilty verdict was returned late on February 24, 2023. The guilty verdict was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Serra of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Terry Sult of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office. According to the evidence presented at his eight-day trial, from at least January 2019 to January 2020, Seck, a customer service representative with Bank A, conspired with Mateus Vaduva, Marius Vaduva, Vlad Baceanu, Nicolae Gindac, Florin Vaduva, Marian Unguru, Daniel Velcu, Vali Unguru and others to commit bank fraud. Specifically, the evidence showed that Seck fraudulently opened bank accounts in fake identities in exchange for cash bribes. Co-conspirators engaged in fraud that included fraud involving rental cars and the deposit of checks stolen from the incoming and outgoing mail of churches and other religious institutions, into the fraudulently opened bank accounts. The co-conspirators then withdrew the funds and spent the fraudulently obtained proceeds. As detailed in the trial evidence, Diape Seck facilitated the opening of hundreds of bank accounts at Bank A for his co-conspirators, who used purported foreign identity documents, often but not universally Romanian, to fraudulently open bank accounts with him at Bank A, as well as bank accounts at other victim financial institutions. Seck opened accounts for co-conspirators without their presence in the bank, without verifying identity information, and opened accounts for co-conspirators who opened multiple accounts at a time under different identities. To conceal his improper activities, Seck opened accounts for the co-conspirators at the same time he conducted legitimate bank activities. The co-conspirators paid Seck cash in exchange for him opening the fraudulent bank accounts. According to court documents and witness testimony, Seck violated numerous bank policies in opening approximately 412 checking accounts in a one-year period from approximately January 2, 2019 through January 3, 2020, relying predominantly on purported Romanian passports and driver's license information. Checks payable to and written from churches and other religious institutions from around the country were deposited into many of the 412 checking accounts which were not opened in the names of the churches. The co-conspirators fraudulently negotiated the stolen checks by depositing them into the victim bank accounts, including the fraudulent accounts opened by Seck at Bank A, often by way of automated teller machine (ATM) transactions. After depositing the stolen checks into the bank accounts, the conspirators made cash withdrawals from ATMs and purchases using debit cards associated with the bank accounts. Co-conspirators Vlad Baceanu, age 38; Daniel Velcu, age 43; Marian Unguru, age 36; and Vali Unguru, age 20, all of Baltimore, Maryland, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. Nicolae Gindac, age 52, of Dania Beach, Florida was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $1,096,660.11; Mateus Vaduva, age 29, of Baltimore was sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $1,320,885.84; Florin Vaduva, age 31, of Dania Beach, Florida was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $1,096,660.11; and Marius Vaduva, age 28, of Baltimore was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $1,334,230.84, after they previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. Seck faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; bank fraud; making false entries in bank records; and receipt of a bribe or reward by a bank employee. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Seck on June 2, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner, 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Former Erie Coke Employee Pleads Guilty to Violating the Clean Air Act

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: ERIE, PA - A resident of Fairview, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court on Feb. 24, 2023, to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. David Stablein, 54, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter. In connection with the guilty plea, Stablein admitted the facts set forth in the Information filed in the case; that is, from October 2015 to September 2018, Stablein conspired with his supervisor Anthony Nearhoof and others to violate the Clean Air Act while employed at the Erie Coke Corporation. The conspiracy involved employees opening heating flues on top of the coke oven batteries by removing their caps to allow combustion gases to vent directly into the air to avoid the plant’s environmental monitoring system. Stablein and Nearhoof, who is pending trial, personally removed flue caps, and directed others to do so, in order to vent coke oven gas directly into the atmosphere to reduce opacity levels being read by the monitoring system through the smokestack. The improper venting of coke oven gas to bypass the monitoring system and minimize opacity readings resulted in the spread of air pollutants outside the facility’s boundaries to adjoining residential and commercial areas, which presented potential dangers to the public’s health and safety. Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for June 30, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Vasquez Schmitt and Michael L. Ivory, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Perry D. McDaniel and Martin Harrell are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Environmental Protection Agency conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Stablein.


title: Repeat Offender Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County man was arrested for possessing multiple images and videos of child sex abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Matthew Knapp, 38, of Lindenwold, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of child pornography. He made his initial appearance on Feb. 23, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In February 2022, an undercover law enforcement officer conducted an online session using a publicly available peer-to-peer program, which allows internet users to trade digital files. A user shared multiple files featuring images or videos of child sexual abuse from an internet address traced to Knapp’s residence. On May 10, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Knapp’s residence and seized, among other things, a computer, three hard drives, and a flash drive that contained depictions of child sex abuse, including images of prepubescent children. Knapp was convicted of aggravated indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 2007. For a repeat offender, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel with the investigation leading to the arrest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay; and the Lindenwold Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Michael McCarty Jr., for their assistance with the investigation leading to the arrest. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the Criminal Division in Camden. The charge and allegations against the defendant are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: James L. Luketich, M.D., University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and University of Pittsburgh Physicians Agree to Pay $8.5 Million and Implement Monitoring Actions to Resolve False Claims Allegations

body_text: PITTSBURGH – Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today that the United States has finalized a Settlement Agreement with James L. Luketich, M.D., University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (“UPMC”), and University of Pittsburgh Physicians (“UPP”), to resolve the lawsuit the United States filed against those Defendants in September 2021. As part of that Settlement Agreement, Dr. Luketich, UPMC, and UPP agreed to pay $8.5 million to the United States to resolve the claims against them. The Defendants also agreed to create and effectuate a Corrective Action Plan for Dr. Luketich, and to submit to a year-long, third-party audit of Dr. Luketich’s physician fee services billings to Medicare. Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, UPMC, in turn, has the ability to request information, guidance, assurance and/or an advisory opinion from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services regarding certain Medicare regulations pertaining to the types of surgeries at issue in the case. The United States’ lawsuit was filed under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. 3729, et seq., and was based on a two-year investigation into allegations originally brought by Jonathan D’Cunha, M.D., a former UPMC surgeon. In its Complaint, the United States alleged that Dr. Luketich – the longtime chair of UPMC’s Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery – regularly performed as many as three, complex surgical procedures at the same time, failed to participate in all of the “key and critical” portions of his surgeries, and forced his patients to endure hours of medically unnecessary anesthesia time, as he moved between operating rooms and attended to other patients or matters. According to the United States’ Complaint, those practices amounted to violations of the statutes and regulations which prohibit “teaching physicians” (like Dr. Luketich) from billing the United States for “concurrent surgeries,” were well known to UPMC leadership, and increased the risk of surgical complications to patients. In June 2022, the Court denied the Defendants’ attempt to dismiss the Government’s Complaint. The Settlement Agreement provides that it is neither an admission of liability by the Defendants nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded. Instead, in order to avoid delay and the expense of protracted litigation, and in consideration of the promises and obligations of the Settlement Agreement, the parties agreed to resolve the case. “This is an important settlement and a just conclusion to the United States’ investigation into Dr. Luketich’s surgical and billing practices, and UPMC and UPP’s acceptance of those practices,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “This Office is committed to safeguarding the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and to protecting those programs’ beneficiaries. No medical provider – however renowned – is excepted from scrutiny or above the law.” “The Complaint alleged that Dr. Luketich used his position as a trusted doctor to defraud the health care system,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “Health are fraud costs our country billions of dollars each year. This money is not just absorbed. It is passed down to the consumer. The Settlement Agreement provides that UPMC will implement a Corrective Action Plan for Dr. Luketich, and he will now have to undergo close scrutiny of his work.” “Ensuring physicians and other health care entities provide honest and accurate information to their patients and government health care programs, is of the upmost importance,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the HHS-OIG Philadelphia Regional Office. “HHS-OIG will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate health care fraud allegations to protect the safety of patients and the integrity of taxpayer-supported health care programs.” The False Claims Act is one of the most powerful tools in the United States’ continued efforts to combat health care fraud. The Act’s whistleblower (or “qui tam”) provisions authorize private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery, and permit the United States to intervene and take over the lawsuit, either in its entirety, or in part (as it did here). Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800 HHS TIPS (800-447-8477). Assistant United States Attorneys Lee Karl and Adam Fischer litigated this case on behalf of the United States. Prior to the filing of the Government’s Complaint, this matter was investigated by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania’s Office of the Attorney General. The case is captioned United States of America ex rel. Jonathan D’Cunha, M.D. v. James Luketich. et al., No. 19-cv-495 (W.D. Pa.).


title: Tuskegee Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Crimes Committed While on Supervised Release

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that Shaheyne Phillip Thomas, 28, from Tuskegee, Alabama, received a 100-month prison sentence. Thomas had previously pleaded guilty to committing federal gun and drug offenses while on supervised release from a previous conviction. The judge also ordered that Thomas serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. According to Thomas’s plea agreement and other court records, on March 30, 2021, officers from the Alexander City Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Thomas was driving. When speaking with Thomas, the officers noticed the smell of alcohol. They also saw an open container inside the car. When the officers asked Thomas for a driver’s license and proof of insurance, he was unable to produce either. The officers then searched Thomas’s vehicle and found methamphetamine, $657 in cash, and a 9mm handgun, which was located under the floormat on the driver’s side of the vehicle. On November 18, 2022, Thomas pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The 100-month sentence was ordered on February 23, 2023. At the time of the March 2021 arrest, Thomas was on federal supervised release. He had previously served approximately three years in prison following a 2018 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Soon after the March 2021 arrest, in June of 2021, a judge revoked Thomas’s supervised release and sentenced him to 24 months in prison for violating the terms of his release. Thomas will serve the 100-month sentence imposed last week only after he finishes serving the 24-month sentence imposed in June of 2021. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Alexander City Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Assistant United States Attorney Russell T. Duraski prosecuted this case.


title: Brothers Convicted of Methamphetamine Conspiracy

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Today, a federal jury convicted brothers Julio Garcia, 42, and Juan Garcia, 38, of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty verdict. According to information presented in court, in 2019, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating the drug trafficking activities of the brothers. Julio Garcia was serving a 10-year federal sentence at the time for another drug offense and while in custody he used contraband phones to continue his drug trafficking activities. Juan Garcia, who was not in custody, served as a “middle-man.” He was tasked with, among other things, accepting payments for shipments of narcotics and depositing the money from those payments into various bank accounts. During this conspiracy, investigators were able to seize two shipments, each containing over 1 kilogram of methamphetamine. Julio Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2023, and Juan Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, 2023, both before United States District Judge Mark S. Norris. Both men face not less than 10 years imprisonment, not more than life, not more than a $10,000,000 fine, and not less than five years of supervised release. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Desoto County Sheriff’s Department. This prosecution, as well as the previous investigation into Julio Garcia, is part of an investigation conducted by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking organizations and organized criminal enterprises, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Allen and Michelle Kimbril-Parks, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case. ### For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.


title: Landlord and Former Operators of Upstate New York Nursing Home Pay $7,168,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Worthless Services Provided to Residents

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department, together with the New York State Office of the Attorney General, announced today that the United States and New York State have entered into settlement agreements with the landlord and several individuals and entities involved in the operation of Saratoga Center for Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Care (Saratoga Center), a nursing facility in Ballston Spa, New York. Leon Melohn; Alan “Ari” Schwartz; Jeffrey Vegh; Jack Jaffa; 149 Ballston Ave., LLC; Ballston Two, LLC; Saratoga Center for Care, LLC; and Saratoga Care and Rehabilitation Center, LLC (the Settling Parties) collectively agreed to pay $7,168,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims to the Medicaid program for worthless services provided to residents. Saratoga Center closed in February 2021, after this investigation was initiated. “This settlement demonstrates the Department of Justice’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that nursing home residents receive the quality of care to which they are entitled,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When individuals or entities put the welfare of these vulnerable residents in jeopardy, they will be held accountable.” Before issuing a license to operate a nursing home, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) thoroughly reviews, among other things, an applicant’s character and competence to ensure that the operator will provide a consistently high level of care to residents. After a months-long vetting process, in 2014, NYSDOH approved Schwartz and Vegh to operate Saratoga Center with Leon Melohn, through entities he managed and controlled, acting as its landlord (Melohn and his entities are hereinafter referred to as the Landlord). This license vested in Schwartz and Vegh the nondelegable duty to oversee the operations of the home. But in or around early 2017, due to a financial dispute, the Landlord required the legally licensed operators to surrender control of Saratoga Center. The Landlord replaced them with Jaffa and a business associate of his, along with various corporate entities, even though none of them had – and they never obtained – the necessary license from the NYSDOH. Jaffa and his associate undertook all the nondelegable duties that remained the responsibility of Schwartz and Vegh. These unlicensed individuals operated Saratoga Center from February 2017 until it closed in February 2021. During that period, the United States contends that Saratoga Center delivered worthless services to residents, and its physical conditions deteriorated to such a degree that it violated federal and state regulations. Specifically, the operators failed to adequately staff the home, and residents suffered medication errors, unnecessary falls, and the development of pressure ulcers. Additionally, Saratoga Center did not consistently maintain hot water throughout the facility, have an adequate linen inventory, and dispose of solid waste. In 2019, Saratoga Center was placed on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Special Focus Facility list – a list of the worst-performing nursing homes in the United States. Saratoga Center remained on the list until its closure. The United States contends that, between February 2017 and February 2021, the Settling Parties knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims for payment to Medicaid for worthless nursing services. This settlement resolves those allegations. “Nursing homes should protect the health and well-being of every resident,” said U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman for the Northern District of New York. “That did not happen at Saratoga Center. Instead, a business dispute between the operators and landlord led to dangerous conditions for residents and staff, and caused the submission of false claims to Medicaid for worthless services. This case demonstrates that we will hold responsible people accountable when they pocket federal funds while providing substandard care. Thank you to Attorney General James and her office for collaborating on this case.” “We trust nursing homes to protect New Yorkers during their most vulnerable days, but the owners, unlicensed operator and landlord of Saratoga Center repeatedly violated the law for their own benefit,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “Instead of providing the quality care and compassion that residents deserved, the owners of Saratoga Center deceived regulators and left residents to suffer deplorable conditions and neglect. I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Freedman and team for their partnership in holding Saratoga Center accountable for putting New Yorkers in harm’s way. My office will continue to ensure nursing home residents are protected, and I encourage anyone who has witnessed alarming conditions, resident neglect, or abuse at a nursing home to contact my office.” In connection with the settlement, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), negotiated voluntary exclusions of the individuals and entities. Schwartz; Saratoga Center for Care, LLC; 149 Ballston Ave, LLC; and Ballston Two, LLC will be excluded from Medicare, Medicaid, and all other Federal health care programs, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(f), for a period of ten years. Vegh will be excluded for eleven years. Jaffa and Saratoga Care and Rehabilitation Center, LLC, will be excluded for twenty years. “Ensuring safety and quality of care for nursing home residents is a top priority,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the HHS OIG. “When nursing home owners, operators, and landlords are responsible for substandard care in their facilities, HHS OIG will not hesitate to pursue their exclusion and bar them from future participation in federal health care programs.” The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort among the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, the Justice Department’s Civil Division Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the New York State Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Moran for the Northern District of New York and Attorneys Carol Wallack and Lyle Gruby of the Justice Department’s Civil Division handled this matter for the United States. Special Assistant Attorneys General Emily Auletta and Hillary Gray Chapman handled this matter for the Office of the New York Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The exclusions of the individuals and entities were negotiated by Senior Counsel Felicia Heimer for HHS OIG. The United States’ investigation was part of its Elder Justice Initiative, which supports the efforts of state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, and other elder justice professionals to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, with the development of training, resources and information. Learn more about the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice . The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Wichita Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN.– A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with sex trafficking. According to court documents, Markeece Anderson, 30, of Wichita is charged with two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. Anderson allegedly coerced a woman to engage in commercial sexual acts. The Wichita Police Department is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case. OTHER INDICTMENTS Veronica Mora-Medero, 48, of Ontario, California, was indicted on one count of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Boone County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Troy Wilson Wheatley, 42, of Boone County, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 30, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to reports of a shooting at Wheatley’s residence near Chapmanville. Officers encountered Wheatley and seized a Ruger, model Security-9, 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson, .22-caliber pistol. One firearm was in a holster on Wheatley’s hip and the other was in his back pocket. Wheatley admitted to possessing the firearms and further admitted to the officers that he had discharged a firearm when his nephew drove past the residence that morning. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Wheatley was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Nicholas County Circuit Court on February 3, 2006. Wheatley is scheduled to be sentenced on June 22, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Lesley Shamblin are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-225. ###


title: West Tennessee Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Methamphetamine Possession

body_text: Jackson, TN – Jonathan Wayne Green, 41, of Holladay, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for possession of over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today. According to the information presented in court, on April 16, 2019, an officer with the Camden Police Department responded to a trespassing complaint in a restricted area at Camden General Hospital. The officer observed a pickup truck which matched the description from the complaint. After the truck drove into a nearby McDonald’s parking lot, the officer conducted a traffic stop. The driver, Jonathan Wayne Green, appeared to be nervous while talking with the officer and confessed that he was on state probation and that he had a large amount of methamphetamine in the backseat of his truck. A search of the truck revealed over a pound of methamphetamine (which was individually wrapped in three separate smaller bags inside of a larger Ziplock bag), cash, and drug paraphernalia. Green admitted to selling methamphetamine earlier that night. United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Green to 168 months' imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the Camden Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case. ### For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.


title: David Apps Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Broad Street United Methodist Church

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - On February 27, 2023, David Michael Apps, 50 of Chattanooga, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. Apps is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., before the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr., in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. According to court documents filed by the United States, from 2014 through 2021, Apps, the business manager of Broad Street United Methodist Church in Cleveland, Tennessee, devised a scheme in which he used an official church credit card to pay for personal expenses in excess of $1.5 million dollars. Some of these expenses included payment for personal travel, automobiles, medical bills for family members, boat/watercraft and marina fees, and firearms, none of which was related to church business. Apps also wrote checks to himself under the guise of church member donations to support supposed medical bills relating to his false claim that he had brain cancer. The specific count of conviction involves the use of the church credit card to buy a luxury watch from an expensive retailer in California for $3,711. Apps faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud count, along with significant fines, restitution, and forfeiture of property. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Neff represents the United States. The investigation was conducted by the FBI as part of the Smoky Mountains Financial Crimes Task Force. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. ###


title: Bullying and Internet Safety a Top Priority for U.S. Attorney’s Office Community Outreach Staff

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Nearly one in four students ages 12-18 experiences bullying. It can eat away at a student’s self-esteem and make attending school a serious challenge. That’s why staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, regularly travel to area schools to shine a light on this behavior at an early age. Most recently, more than 100 fifth and sixth graders gathered in the Academir Charter School East gymnasium in Doral, Fla., for a presentation about bullying, cyberbullying, and tips to stay safe on the internet. According to research, one typically bullies because he or she likely was bullied themselves. And rather than stop the cycle of behavior, they choose to bully for fear of becoming a victim. “When being bullied, don’t take the bait,” said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Darcey Lindsley. “Don’t get upset because that’s exactly what they want you to do. If someone says you’re ugly, respond with well I think you’re beautiful.” And always report bullying. When it’s reported, there is a record of it. “If you see something, get involved,” said Lindsley. “Be that person you want others to be toward you.” In the past, bullying was usually face-to-face. Now it’s all over social media and many children become victims of it. “Who knows what cyberbullying is?” asked Lindsley. Nearly every hand went up. “To be considered cyberbullying it needs to be minor against minor. After that it becomes harassment. Judges are taking this type of bullying very seriously. They aren’t necessarily slapping minors on the wrist anymore.” Regarding internet safety, Lindsley stressed the need to always be skeptical about online chatting. That fellow 10-year-old on the chat quite easily could be a 40-year-old with bad intentions. “You have to think,” said Lindsley. “Don’t slip up and don’t be so trusting. Don’t reveal too much as you never know who is on the other end of that instant message.” Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Darcey Lindsley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, rewards a student with a piece of candy for a correct answer during a recent presentation on bullying, cyberbullying, and internet safety. ###


title: Chugiak Man Indicted for Sexually Exploiting Children

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: ANCHORAGE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on February 23, 2023, charging Jeremy Scott Daniels, 37, of Chugiak for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. The indictment and additional details set out in court documents filed by the government allege that, in December 2021, Daniels used social media to entice and induce a minor to engage in sexually explicit activity and produce child pornography with him. The filings further allege that in October 2010, Daniels communicated online with undercover law enforcement, unbeknownst to him, and attempted to entice a fictitious child, whom he believed to be an 8-year-old girl, to engage in sexually explicit activity with him. The same filings also allege that Daniels distributed, received, and possessed child pornography at various points throughout 2020 and 2022. Between May and June 2020, on ten occasions, Daniels used the messaging application Kik to transmit child pornography videos to other users. On January 28, 2022, the date of Daniel’s arrest, the FBI also recovered child pornography involving prepubescent minors on Daniel’s cellphone. If the public has any further information regarding Daniels’s activities, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at 907-276-4441. Daniels was previously taken into federal custody on January 28, 2022, following the government’s filing of a complaint. The indictment charges Daniels with production of child pornography; coercion and enticement; and distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. The defendant previously made his initial court appearance on the complaint on February 2, 2022, before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, Daniels faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years imprisonment and maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Lane S. Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Tran is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### usao/ak/23-011


title: Money Launderer For $5 Million Vehicle Sale Scam Extradited From Spain

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ION VIOREL IONITOIU, a Romanian national who resided in Spain, was extradited to the United States on bank fraud and money laundering offenses arising from a scheme to launder money derived from an online vehicle sale scam that took in at least $5 million from defrauded consumers. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ionitoiu is the seventh member of an operation that laundered fraud proceeds for online swindlers who preyed on U.S. consumers who has been charged, and he will now face justice for his actions. This Office is committed to rooting out both those who commit the underlying fraud and their enablers, regardless of where they reside.” As alleged in the Indictment, and based on other documents filed in court and statements made in court: [1] From at least March 2019 through at least April 2021, ION VIOREL IONITOIU was an intermediary between co-conspirators who defrauded consumers who were trying to buy vehicles online and a money laundering crew that operated in Brooklyn, New York. Other members of the conspiracy, pretending to represent car dealerships, advertised vehicles that they did not own and were not authorized to sell on fake websites with domain names that sounded like legitimate car dealerships or through online marketplaces like Craigslist and eBay. Victims who responded to those advertisements and negotiated a purchase price were instructed by the purported sellers to wire payment to bank accounts in New York. Unbeknownst to the victims, the accounts were opened at IONITOIU’s direction by co-conspirators who operated in Brooklyn, including KAROL KAMINSKI, STANISLAV TUNKEVIC, ARTURAS GILYS, and SVETLANA VAIDOTIENE. Once the payments cleared, the account owners quickly withdrew the funds before the victims realized they had been defrauded. The victims never received the vehicles they thought they had bought or any refunds from the fake sellers. In total, dozens of victims were defrauded of a total of at least $5 million. * * * ION VIOREL IONITOIU, 34, a Romanian national and Spanish resident, was extradited to the United States on February 24, 2023. IONITOIU is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. KAROL KAMINSKI, 33, STANISLAV TUNKEVIC, 48, and ARTURAS GILYS, 41, all of Lithuania, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on March 28, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres. SVETLANA VAIDOTIENE, 55, of Lithuania, was sentenced to time-served (10 months and eight days) on January 17, 2023. She was also ordered to forfeit and to make restitution in the amount of $271,000 and has been removed from the United States. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, the United States Marshals Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau for their assistance in this investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Lai is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation as to the charged defendant.


title: KC Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Forcibly Resisting an Officer, Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for ramming into two law enforcement vehicles while attempting to flee while in possession of methamphetamine and firearms. Anthony M. Quinones, also known as “Droopy,” 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 19 years in federal prison without parole. The court sentenced Quinones to 17 years in prison for the charges on which he was convicted, plus an additional two years in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release in an earlier, unrelated federal case. On Feb. 3, 2022, Quinones pleaded guilty to one count of forcibly resisting a federal law enforcement officer, one count of possessing methamphetamine to distribute, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. U.S. Marshals Service deputies tracked Quinones, who was being sought for absconding from federal supervision, to a Quality Inn on Nov. 13, 2018. Quinones left the hotel with two females. As he approached his vehicle, deputies used their vehicles to attempt to pin in Quinones’s vehicle. Quinones hopped in the driver’s seat of the vehicle and attempted to flee from the parking lot. Quinones accelerated his vehicle and crashed into the two vehicles occupied by deputies, causing significant damage. Quinones fled and eventually crashed through a gas meter and into a light pole. He got out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. As he fled, he pulled a loaded Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol from his waistband just before he was tackled to the ground. Quinones continued to struggle with the deputies but was successfully taken into custody. Deputies found approximately one ounce of methamphetamine and $3,500 in Quinones’s jacket pockets. Deputies searched Quinones’s vehicle and found 10 ounces of methamphetamine hidden in a stereo box on the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle. Deputies interviewed the two women who left the hotel with Quinones, who told them he was up in a hotel room using methamphetamine with them. They also said Quinones left a gun in the hotel room. The gun, a Taurus 9mm pistol, was recovered by law enforcement officers. At the time of his arrest, Quinones was on federal supervised release following his 2004 conviction and incarceration for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, Quinones is a longtime gang member and drug trafficker with violent tendencies. While in custody in this case, he participated in fights and was caught with homemade weapons. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.


title: Wells Fargo Agrees to Training on New Companywide Policy to Improve Telephone Access by Customers Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that it has resolved a complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) made by a Wells Fargo customer who is hard of hearing relating to accessing Wells Fargo’s banking services via telephone. In the resolution, Wells Fargo has adopted changes to its companywide ADA policy for communications with customers with disabilities and agreed to provide training to its call center representatives on the new policy. The complainant, who has difficulty hearing and speaking on the telephone, attempted to use her caregiver to relay information on her behalf on telephone calls with Wells Fargo customer service representatives. The complainant was a consumer banking and credit card customer with Wells Fargo, and some of her telephone inquiries related to fraudulent charges that had been made using her credit card. The complainant alleged that Wells Fargo refused to permit the caregiver to assist the complainant, which prevented her from receiving services over the telephone. This refusal forced the complainant to visit Wells Fargo bank branches in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer and fall of 2020. The ADA requires that places of public accommodation allow individuals with disabilities to use appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including by allowing others to communicate on their behalf, in order to ensure effective communication so that they can receive equal service from businesses and other public accommodations. To resolve the complaint, Wells Fargo agreed to pay the complainant $10,000. In addition, Wells Fargo made changes to its companywide ADA policy to clarify that companions of individuals with disabilities may provide communication assistance. Wells Fargo also agreed to train call center employees and other customer service representatives on the policy. Wells Fargo also agreed to reach out to other customers who had made complaints about the same issue and notify them of the policy change. These companywide changes and efforts may affect numerous individuals nationwide, as Wells Fargo serves approximately one in three households in the United States, with approximately 4,700 banking locations across the country. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that customers with hearing disabilities can access the same customer services that are offered to other customers,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We applaud Wells Fargo’s cooperation in adopting companywide policy changes and providing training to ensure that its customer service representatives provide equal access for customers with disabilities.” Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s civil rights enforcement program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/civil-rights-enforcement . This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeyen Wu.


title: Two Additional Municipal Employees Plead Guilty to Fraud Conspiracy

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Two Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employees pleaded guilty on Feb. 9 to conspiring with another individual to engage in fraud on MTA excess vehicle auctions. According to two plea agreements filed on Feb. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in New York City, MTA employees Dzmitry Yaniuk and Marina Yaniuk engaged in a conspiracy with a third co-conspirator, Timour Abramov, to thwart the competitive bidding process on numerous excess vehicle auctions conducted by the MTA to ensure that a company controlled by the co-conspirators submitted the winning bid and would be awarded the contract. As part of the conspiracy, Marina Yaniuk, an MTA sales specialist, provided Dzmitry Yaniuk and Abramov confidential pricing information in violation of MTA rules. Abramov previously pleaded guilty to one count of fraud conspiracy on Jan. 30. “The MTA’s riders and New York’s taxpayers trust government employees to put public service first,” said Director Daniel Glad of the Justice Department's Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). “When public servants abuse their positions and cheat for personal gain, the Antitrust Division and its PCSF partners will hold them accountable.” “Our office remains grateful for the diligence and commitment from our law enforcement partners at the Department of Justice, who continue to work to ensure that individuals attempting to defraud the MTA are held fully responsible for their actions and whose behavior should not unfairly reflect on tens of thousands of honest, hardworking MTA employees,” said Acting MTA Inspector General Elizabeth Keating. Dzmitry Yaniuk and Marina Yaniuk each pleaded guilty to one count of fraud conspiracy that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The fines may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victim of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The guilty pleas are the result of an investigation conducted by the Antitrust Division’s New York Office, the Office of the MTA Inspector General, and the FBI Newark's Atlantic City Resident Agency . Acting Assistant Chief Steven Tugander and Trial Attorneys Milosz Gudzowski, Dina Hoffer, and Richard Samboy are prosecuting the case. In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the PCSF, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy, Carjacking, and Weapons Violations

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on Monday, February 27, 2023, TYRESE HARRIS , age 19, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty to a five-count superseding indictment for conspiracy, carjacking, and weapons violations. Count 1 charged HARRIS with conspiracy to commit carjackings beginning on August 19, 2021 through February 1, 2022 in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 . Count 2 of the indictment charged HARRIS with a carjacking that occurred on August 19, 2021, on Washington Avenue in New Orleans.in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). Count 3 charged HARRIS with using a firearm in furtherance of the carjacking, a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(ii) and 2 In Count 4 of the indictment, HARRIS was charged with an attempted carjacking on Howard Avenue on January 18, 2022 in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). Finally, in Count 5, HARRIS was charged with a carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury that occurred on February 1, 2022 on S. Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2119(2) and 2. HARRIS’ sentencing is set for May 30, 2023. If convicted of Count 1 , HARRIS faces a maximum sentence of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a period of up to 3 years of supervised release. If convicted of these Counts 2 and 4, HARRIS faces a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00,and a period of up to 3 years of supervised release. . If convicted of Count 3, HARRIS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, to be run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a period of up to 5 years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 5, HARRIS faces a sentence of a maximum 25 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a period of up to 3 years of supervised release. As to each count of the superseding indictment , HARRIS also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. * * *


body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on Monday, February 27, 2023, TYRESE HARRIS , age 19, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty to a five-count superseding indictment for conspiracy, carjacking, and weapons violations. Count 1 charged HARRIS with conspiracy to commit carjackings beginning on August 19, 2021 through February 1, 2022 in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Count 2 of the indictment charged HARRIS with a carjacking that occurred on August 19, 2021, on Washington Avenue in New Orleans, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). Count 3 charged HARRIS with using a firearm in furtherance of the carjacking, a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(ii) and 2. In Count 4 of the indictment, HARRIS was charged with an attempted carjacking on Howard Avenue on January 18, 2022 in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). Finally, in Count 5, HARRIS was charged with a carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury that occurred on February 1, 2022 on S. Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2119(2) and 2. HARRIS’ sentencing is set for May 30, 2023. If convicted of Count 1 , HARRIS faces a maximum sentence of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a period of up to 3 years of supervised release. If convicted of these Counts 2 and 4, HARRIS faces a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00,and a period of up to 3 years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 3, HARRIS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, to be run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a period of up to 5 years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 5, HARRIS faces a sentence of a maximum 25 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a period of up to 3 years of supervised release. As to each count of the superseding indictment, HARRIS also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. * * *


title: Davenport Man Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Distribution of Fentanyl

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: Davenport, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced to 174 months of imprisonment, on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a distribution amount of fentanyl. According to court documents, on November 1, 2021, Linder Kai Divos, age 27, was in possession of a Taurus, nine-millimeter pistol, as well as 96 grams of methamphetamine and 564 fake Percocet pills, which contained fentanyl. Divos ran from the police. Prior to his arrest, law enforcement purchased pills containing fentanyl from Divos. After he is released from prison, Divos will serve five years of supervised release. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated 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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Schemes and Money Laundering

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Joseph Modile, a Nigerian national, pleaded guilty to an indictment in the Eastern District of New York charging him with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, and an information filed in the Southern District of Texas and transferred to the Eastern District of New York, charging him with money laundering and wire fraud. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. When sentenced, Modile faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each of the fraud counts and the money laundering count and a consecutive sentence of two years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count. Upon completion of his sentence, Modile faces deportation from the United States. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Alamdar S. Hamdani, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX), announced the guilty plea. “With today’s guilty plea, Modile is revealed as a prolific fraudster and money launderer who has left a trail of fake documents, plundered bank accounts, and financial victims from Brooklyn all the way across the country,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I commend all of the law enforcement agencies for pulling together the threads of the defendant’s complex schemes in order to hold him accountable for his multiple crimes.” “A major figure in fraud has been taken out of the equation,” stated United States Attorney Hamdani. “Thanks to the partnerships in law enforcement and the sophisticated techniques used during the investigation, this prolific money launderer had no choice but admit his guilt and will be held accountable for his crimes.” Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department, which conducted this investigation as part of an enterprise Priority Transnational Organized Crime (PTOC) of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the FBI’s Houston Field Office which led the OCDETF operation, the FBI’s Boston Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, New York County District Attorney’s Office, the Houston Police Department, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for their substantial assistance. In a scheme that was charged in the Eastern District of New York, from January 2014 and September 2018, Modile and others defrauded victims, businesses, and financial institutions in the United States through a sophisticated home equity line of credit (HELOC) scheme involving a series of bank account takeovers. During this time, Modile and others also laundered proceeds from the bank account takeovers. In furtherance of the HELOC fraud scheme, Modile and others acquired personal identifying information (PII) of the actual holders of the targeted bank accounts at the financial institutions. The co-conspirators then used the PII to impersonate the actual holders of the targeted bank accounts, thereby gaining control of the accounts. In some cases, members of the conspiracy recruited “runners,” who impersonated the actual account holders inside bank branches using forged and fraudulent identification documents created at the direction of Modile and others. In most instances, the stolen funds were first deposited into fraudulent bank accounts set up and controlled by co-conspirators in the names of the actual victims from whom the money had been stolen. In other cases, the bank accounts into which the stolen funds were first deposited were in the names of sham corporations, which were opened using false and fraudulent identification. In total, Modile and others stole at least $5 million as part of the HELOC fraud scheme. In a related scheme charged in the Eastern District of New York, in May 2018, Modile and others engaged in a separate Business Email Compromise scheme, using fraudulent emails and telephone calls to steal approximately $10.2 million from a victim company. The co-conspirators impersonated a contractor of an entity located in St. Paul, Minnesota, through a fraudulent email address and directed representatives of the entity to deposit the funds in an account controlled by members of the conspiracy. Modile and others then laundered those stolen funds through bank accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy. Finally, as set forth in the information filed in the Southern District of Texas, from November 2017 until May 2018, Modile knowingly devised a scheme to defraud victims. Modile used his cellular phone to communicate with others about financial transactions for the purpose of executing his scheme to defraud. In particular, he directed an individual already convicted in Houston, Texas to withdraw cash from their bank account and provide to others. Modile also directed the individual in Houston to lie to their financial institution regarding the reason for withdrawing money from their account. In February 2018, Modile orchestrated and directed a substantial amount of money into an account of the individual in Houston. The money derived from wire fraud and Modile was aware the money came from unlawful activity. This effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney David Pitluck is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist William Daniels, along with Assistant United States Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez of the Southern District of Texas. The Defendant : JOSEPH MODILE Age: 45 Los Angeles, California E.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 21-CR-108 and 23-CR-50 (DG)


title: Des Moines Woman Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Charges

body_text: Des Moines, IA – A Des Moines woman was sentenced Friday, February 24, 2023, to a total of 45 years in prison for conspiring to produce child pornography and child exploitation. According to court documents, Ashley Marie Butler, age 33, produced child pornography on at least three occasions in 2021 when she videorecorded her co-defendant and husband, Shane William Butler, sexually abusing a minor victim. Videos of the sexual abuse of the minor victim and child pornography were located on Shane Butler and Ashley Butler’s cell phones. Chief United States District Court Judge Stephanie Marie Rose imposed a 30-year sentence on the conspiracy count and a 15-year sentence on the production count, to be served consecutively, for a total sentence of 45 years. After her prison term, Butler was also ordered to serve a total of 10 years of supervised release. In addition, Butler was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution as well as a $200 fine to the Crime Victim’s Assistance Fund. Co-defendant Shane Butler also received a 45-year sentence in December 2022 . United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department, the Polk County Attorney’s Office, the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa prosecuted the case.


title: Felon Convicted of Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Richmond man last week on charges of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Rashon Torrence, 26, a convicted felon, threw a firearm during a foot pursuit with a Richmond Police Department officer. Around midnight on January 3, 2022, officers saw a truck speeding in a residential area. The driver, later identified as Torrence, was wearing a black ski mask. The officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Torrence, and a brief vehicle pursuit ensued. Torrence then stopped the truck and ran, with an officer in pursuit. When Torrence got to a patch of trees, he made a throwing motion, and the officer saw a black object leave Torrence’s hand. After detaining Torrence, the officer went back to the trees and found a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Officers also recovered from Torrence 10 pills of methamphetamine and 44 pills of Clonazolam, a Schedule I controlled substance in Virginia. Torrence also had $352 in his pocket. The officers also recovered an additional 122 Clonazolam pills from a bottle near to where Torrence was arrested. Torrence has a prior conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Torrence faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on June 27. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Stephen Miller are prosecuting the case. 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. 3:22-cr-113.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

body_text: DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jesus Ruiz Velasco-Ochoa, age 38, of Guadalajara, Mexico, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison after earlier pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to the plea agreement, co-defendant Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, based in Aurora and Denver, organized the interstate transportation and local distribution of large quantities of illegal drugs. Co-conspirators worked with Mexico-based sources of supply to arrange pickups of illegal drugs from California-based intermediaries working with and for those Mexico-based sources of supply. During the course of the FBI's investigation into her activities, Vallejo-Gallo arranged for the transport of large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. To effectuate her scheme of drug distribution, Vallejo-Gallo employed a network of co-conspirators, including interstate load runners, local runners, local multi-pound drug customers (who would, in turn, distribute to lower-level drug distributors), and lieutenants to coordinate the activities of the aforementioned coconspirators. The defendant served as one of the primary interstate load runners for the conspiracy, which lasted from at least March 19, 2019, until February 12, 2020. On July 31, 2019, for example, intercepted calls indicated the delivery of 46 pounds of methamphetamine in a load carried by the defendant. On October 21, 2019, two co-defendants started a load run to California at Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo’s direction, where they coordinated with the defendant and others to pay for drugs and transport drugs back to Colorado. On their way back to Colorado on October 23, 2019, Utah State Patrol stopped them and refused to allow the defendant, who was driving the load vehicle, to drive any further because he was unlicensed. Another co-defendant took over driving. The defendant transferred the methamphetamine he was carrying to the co-defendant so that she could complete the run. The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. A narcotics K-9 on scene alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Based on the positive dog sniff, CSP searched the vehicle, discovering approximately 53 pounds of methamphetamine in a large suitcase inside the trunk of the sedan. “Today’s announcement is the result of a lengthy investigation and prosecution of several defendants, which would not have been possible without the diligent work of our many law enforcement partners,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “This combined effort took a significant drug trafficking organization off the streets of Denver and Aurora.” “This individual was a member of a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine onto the streets of metro Denver. As a result of this multi-agency investigation, this DTO is no longer operational in Denver and Aurora,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Leonard Carollo. “FBI Denver is committed to working with federal, state and local partners in operations like this to dismantle DTOs, mitigate the distribution of illegal drugs and make our communities safer.” “This multi-agency investigation and subsequent lengthy sentencing sends the strong message that HSI will use every resource and authority necessary to hold those accountable that jeopardize the safety of our communities for profit,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge, HSI Denver. “This investigation that stretched across multiple states and crossed international borders can only be accomplished by dedicated law enforcement professionals that adopt a “One Badge” philosophy.” “Targeting the profits generated by drug traffickers is a key step in the investigative process, and vital to disrupting and dismantling their organization,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “IRS-CI, our law enforcement partners, and the United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work together to eliminate this threat to our communities.” United States District Court Judge Raymond Moore sentenced Velasco-Ochoa on February 24, 2023. Agents and deputies assigned to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force from the FBI, HSI, ICE ERO, IRS-CI, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation and were assisted by officers and deputies from the DEA, the Colorado State Patrol, the Aurora Police Department, and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung handled the prosecution of the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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. Case number: 20-cr-0028


title: Bergen County Man Charged for Possession of Machine Gun, Rifle, Handgun, and Fraudulent United States Marshals Service Credentials in Newark Airport

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was charged following his attempt to bring firearms, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, fraudulent law enforcement credentials, and other items on a domestic flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today. Seretse Clouden, 42, of Wallington, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and fraudulent possession of an identification document and authentication feature of the United States. He made his initial court appearance today before the U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clarke III in Newark federal court and was detained. According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Dec. 30, 2022, Clouden entered Newark Liberty International Airport for a scheduled flight to Fort Lauderdale. During routine screening of checked luggage that was destined for Fort Lauderdale, Transportation Security Administration agents discovered two .40 caliber Glock magazines, each containing 15 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and a ballistic vest carrier that displayed the words “Deputy Marshal.” Further investigation revealed that the checked luggage belonged to Clouden, which resulted in additional screening of Clouden’s other luggage, which contained an ASP expandable baton, a spring loaded knife, a taser, a .40 caliber Glock 22 handgun, a .308 caliber DPMS Panther Arms rifle, and one 5.56 caliber AR-15 rifle, which meets the definition of a machine gun. That luggage also contained “United States Marshal” credentials, bearing Clouden’s name and photograph, and a “United States Marshal” badge. An inquiry with the United States Marshals Service confirmed that Clouden is not, and was not, employed with the United States Marshal Service. The count of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison. The count of fraudulent possession of an identification document and authentication feature of the United States carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos; officers of the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Edward Cetnar; and officers of the Transportation Security Administration. The government is represented by U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Jenny Chung, Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Office’s OCDETF/Narcotics Unit, in Newark.


title: Mason County Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Matthew Ryan Harper, 22, of Point Pleasant, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Harper must also register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 9, 2021, Harper used the Snapchat social media platform to distribute a video of a prepubescent minor female subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Harper admitted to distributing videos containing child pornography on three additional occasions in June 2021. Harper communicated with others on Snapchat and the Omegle online chat website about obtaining and trading child pornography during this time. Harper further admitted to possessing 100 images and 38 videos of child pornography on January 25, 2022. Some of the images depicted toddlers. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-60. ###


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – George Michael Thayer, 52, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 24, 2022, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Thayer. The officer searched the vehicle and found approximately 12 oxycodone pills, multiple empty sandwich bags and a set of digital scales. Thayer admitted that he possessed the oxycodone found during the vehicle search and further admitted that he intended to distribute it. Thayer is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-70. ###


title: District Man Convicted by Jury for Assault on a Member of the LGBTQ+ Community

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: Defendant Assaulted Man as He Walked Home WASHINGTON – Anthony Duncan, 42, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today for assaulting a pedestrian in May 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Duncan was found guilty of assault with significant bodily injury and faces up to three years in prison. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2023. According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on May 21, 2022, the victim was walking home on 15 th Street in Northwest, Washington, D.C. from a Bocce Ball game when he was confronted by Duncan. Duncan, who was a stranger to the victim, accused the victim of directing a sexually suggestive act towards him and took offense. The victim vehemently denied making any such advance. As Duncan confronted the victim for this perceived advanced, he pulled out his cell phone, and recorded himself physically attacking the victim. Duncan broke the victim’s nose and teeth, and the victim required numerous stitches to stop the bleeding. Duncan called the victim a derogatory gay slur numerous times as he attacked the victim. In announcing the conviction, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared English and Randle Wilson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: HSI San Juan Arrests 2 Men on Child Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents with the support of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, arrested two men charged with Transportation of Child Pornography, Possession of Child Pornography, Production of Child Pornography and Coercion and Enticement of minors, in two separate and unrelated cases. According to court documents, in or about December 2020 through in or about January 2021, Nathan Gallarza Chaparro, 22, of Aguadilla, did knowingly transport one or more images and videos, which contained images of child pornography. Also, Gallarza Chaparro was charged with possession of child pornography. Assistant United States Attorney Ginette Milanes, from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting this case. In a separate case, HSI special agents arrested Eduardo Luis Marrero Casanova, 52, a religious leader in Cayey. According to the indictment, in or about December 2022, through on or about January 25, 2023, the defendant used a cellular phone, as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce two fifteen-year-old male minors to engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, which includes the production of child pornography as defined in Title 18, United States Code (U.S.C.). Also, Marrero Casanova did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor, and attempted to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct. Defendant Marrero-Casanova is facing two (2) counts of coercion and enticement of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), and two (2) counts of production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a). Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora, of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. “The United States Attorney’s Office and the federal and local law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our children from sexual predators,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remind and encourage the public to report all inappropriate behavior with children to their local authorities and together local and federal law enforcement agencies will seek justice for the victims of these crimes.” “It is time for us as a community to stand together and protect our minors from these predators,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebecca C. González-Ramos. “We have the services, the help, and the expertise. Please reach out so we can take these individuals out of our society. There will be zero tolerance for those who intend to harm our children.” On Friday, the defendants had their initial hearings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler. The defendants were transferred to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center to await further judicial proceedings. If convicted, Nathan Gallarza Chaparro faces a statutory minimum sentence of 5 years up to 20 years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervise release of 5 years up to life for the possession of child pornography. Eduardo Luis Marrero Casanova is facing a minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum of life for each count of coercion and enticement; and a minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years for each count of production of child pornography. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI is the principal investigative arm of U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a vital U.S. asset in combatting transnational crime and threats. One of HSI’s top priorities is to protect the public from crimes of victimization, and HSI’s child exploitation investigations program is a central component of this mission. HSI is recognized as a global leader in this investigative discipline. HSI utilizes its vast authorities, international footprint, and strong interagency and public-private partnerships to identify and rescue child victims, identify, and apprehend offenders, prevent transnational child sexual abuse, and help make the internet a safer place for children. For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians . An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: West Seneca Man Going To Prison For Possession Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: CONTACT: Barbara Burns PHONE: (716) 843-5817 FAX #: (716) 551-3051 BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Shawn Johnson, 35, of West Seneca, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who handled the case, stated that in September 2019, investigators discovered an IP address, traced to Johnson, attempting to download suspected child pornography using the internet. On December 2, 2019, the FBI obtained a search warrant for Johnson’s Angle Road residence. As investigators executed the search, they encountered Johnson standing in his bedroom smashing a laptop computer against the wall and trying to damage it. The laptop, which sustained serious damage, was sent to the FBI's Digital Forensics Analysis Unit Laboratory where much of the data was recovered. The hard drive was found to contain numerous images and videos of child pornography. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gould. # # # #


title: Seneca County Man Sentenced For Defrauding The U.S. Coast Guard

body_text: CONTACT: Barbara Burns PHONE: (716) 843-5817 FAX #: (716) 551-3051 BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Dennis Daniels, 73, of Romulus, NY, who was convicted of mail fraud and willful failure to file an income tax return, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation, and pay restitution, including $22,440 to the U.S. Coast Guard and students, and $115,757 to the Internal Revenue Service, by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron J. Mango and David J. Rudroff, who handled the case, stated that Daniels owned and operated Sea Tech Marine Training, which offered U.S. Coast Guard approved training courses to include operator uninspected passenger vessel (OUPV), one-hundred-ton masters license (Masters), assistance towing endorsement and auxiliary sail endorsement. Daniels also owned and operated Sea Test, a business that offered drug testing programs for United States Coast Guard license holders. Between 2014 and 2017, Daniels received gross income totaling approximately $665,327 but failed to file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for those years. The tax owed on the unreported income was approximately $115,757. In addition, in January and February 2019, Daniels taught 23 students the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) approved OUPV course with a Masters upgrade. The course should have included 80 hours of classroom instruction time, however, Daniels only provided 51 hours of classroom instruction. In addition, Daniels provided the students with the answers to certain examination questions and instructed students to provide false information regarding prior sea service. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, under the direction of Neal Marzloff, Special Agent-in-Charge, Central Region; the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the Boston Division; and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office. # # # #


title: Niagara Falls Woman Going To Prison For Stealing Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars From Investment Firm Clients

body_text: CONTACT: Barbara Burns PHONE: (716) 843-5817 FAX #: (716) 551-3051 BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jennifer Campbell, 48, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison and pay restitution totaling $371,332.11 by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose, who handled the case, stated that Campbell was employed as the Office Manager and Chief Compliance Officer at an investment advisory firm based in Buffalo, with access to client accounts. Between November 2018, and May 2021, Campbell used this access to steal over $500,000 from several clients and from the firm itself, primarily by writing checks from client accounts, forging the signatures of either the client or a principal at the firm, and then depositing the checks into her own personal account. Campbell took various steps to conceal her theft. In one instance, she sent a victim a falsified account statement that purported to show an account balance of approximately $148,000, when in fact the account at the time had a balance of only $93. In another instance, Campbell took funds from a client and transferred them to the bank account of one of her earlier victims. Finally, Campbell gained access to the email accounts of the firm’s principals and diverted emails that they received from anti-money laundering and financial crimes personnel at the firm’s broker-dealer, who had begun to raise questions about some of the transactions that Campbell had engaged in. In an effort to put off these inquiries, Campbell sent several emails using the email account of a firm principal. In these emails, Campbell made various false statements and submitted fake documentation in an effort to make the transactions appear legitimate. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. # # # #