NEW BERN– The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that yesterday in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced CHRISTIAN IVAN CARDENAS, 21, of Greenville, North Carolina, to 128 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

CARDENAS was charged in a two-count Criminal Information on January 19, 2017 and pleaded guilty on March 15, 2017 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of marijuana and alprazolam (Xanax) and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime.

In August of 2015, the Greenville Regional Drug Trask Force, which is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Greenville Police Department, the Winterville Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the East Carolina University Police Department, began investigating CARDENAS as a narcotics distributor in Pitt County.  After a controlled purchase from CARDENAS, a search warrant was issued on CARDENAS’s residence.  At the time of the execution of the search warrant, CARDENAS fired multiple shots through the front door towards law enforcement officers, with one round striking East Carolina University Officer Travis Davis’s body armor. Fortunately, Officer Davis was not injured.

When law enforcement made their way into the home, several loaded firearms, currency, pills, and marijuana were found. Specifically, the officers recovered a loaded .45 caliber handgun, a loaded semi-automatic assault rifle, and a 12-gauge shotgun, as well as thousands of dollars, several hundred grams of marijuana, and more than two hundred Adderall pills.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) also assisted in the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Lemmon handled the prosecution of this case for the government.

RALEIGH– Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging ALEXIS REYES-IGLESIAS, age 24, of Mexico, ANTONIO DUQUE CAMACHO, age 46, of Mexico, and SANTIAGO MALDONADO-JAIMEZ, age 42, of Mexico,eachwith Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.   

Additionally, a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned an indictment charging MIGUEL RAIMUNDO RODRIGUEZ, age 45, of Cuba, with False Representation of a Social Security Account Number, False Claim of United States Citizenship with Intent to Obtain a State Benefit and Service, and Aggravated Identity Theft.

If convicted of Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien, REYES-IGLESIAS, found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of Illegal Reentry Subsequent to a Felony Conviction (trafficking cocaine), DUQUE CAMACHO, found in Harnett County, would face a maximum penalties of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of Illegal Reentry Subsequent to an Aggravated Felony (indecent liberties with a child), MALDONADO-JAIMEZ, found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of False Representation of a Social Security Account Number, False Claim of United States Citizenship with Intent to Obtain a State Benefit and Service, and Aggravated Identity Theft, RAIMUNDO RODRIGUEZ, found in Cumberland County, would face maximum penalties of 12 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.

BEAUMONT, Texas – A 40-year-old Beaumont, Texas man has been indicted and charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.

     Jonathan Matthew Torres was indicted by a federal grand jury today and charged with use of an explosive to damage property, possession of an unregistered destructive device, and mailing a threatening communication.

     According to information presented in court, on Apr. 26, 2018, what appeared to be a homemade destructive device was located inside a U.S. Postal Service priority mail service box at a Starbucks on Dowlen Road in Beaumont.  The device did not explode and there were no injuries.  On May 10, 2018, an explosion occurred at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Delaware Street in Beaumont.  The explosive device caused damage to St. Stephen’s administration building but there were no injuries. An extensive investigation led law enforcement authorities to Torres and on May 24, 2018, a search warrant was executed at Torres’s residence in the 4400 block of El Paso Street in Beaumont, Texas.  Inside the residence, investigators  recovered multiple containers of the same type of explosive material used in both previously discussed devices; postal boxes similar to the boxes used in the previously discussed devices; a receipt for the purchase of the type of string used in the device found at Starbucks; zip-ties similar to the type used in the device found at Starbucks; packing tape similar to the type used in the device found at Starbucks; and other components consistent with the devices.  Torres was arrested without incident and remains in custody pending trial.

     If convicted, Torres faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison.

     If you have any information related to these events, please call Beaumont Crime Stoppers at 409-833-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-CALL-FBI.

     This case is being investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher T. Tortorice and Russell James.

It is important to note that a complaint, arrest, or indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

            WASHINGTON - Anthony Brooks, 29, of Indian Head, Md., pled guilty today to federal charges of transporting a minor across state lines with intent to sexually abuse her. The minor was a 14-year-old girl whom Brooks tutored as part of an afterschool program the child was ordered to attend by a family court.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Brooks pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Trial had been scheduled to begin on June 7, 2018. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The Honorable James E. Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Sept. 7, 2018.

            The minor had been ordered by the Family Court of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to attend the Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) program, an afterschool diversion program through which at-risk youth are provided tutoring and mentoring. Brooks, then 28, a college graduate, was employed as one of her tutors.

            According to the government’s evidence, in late spring of 2017, the minor was transferred to a different BARJ location and, from that time forward, should have had no additional contact with Brooks. Brooks had previously been admonished by staff not to have contact with female students outside of the program. Brooks, however, continued to have contact with her. By July 2017, he was exchanging sexually explicit text messages with the girl, who had just completed the 8^th grade.  On July 11, 2017, Brooks contacted the girl’s father and asked the father’s permission to “tutor” the child. According to the evidence, Brooks then drove nearly an hour from his home in Maryland to Southeast Washington, where he picked up the girl, brought her to his home, and had sexual intercourse with her.

            Between July 11 and July 12, Brooks discussed with the girl over text message coming to pick her up again. Brooks advised the girl in text messages written on July 11 that he did not want to come get her on back to back days because her father might become suspicious. Instead, on July 13, 2017, Brooks again drove nearly an hour from his home in Maryland to Southeast Washington to pick up the child. He arrived at 6:30 a.m., at a time when the child’s father, the girl’s sole guardian and the only adult in the house, was at work at his construction job. According to the government’s evidence, he transported the child back to his house in Maryland, where he again engaged in sexual acts with her.

            Through September 2017, Brooks continued to communicate with the girl, exchanging sexually explicit text messages with her. On Sept. 19, 2017, the child’s father discovered the text messages between Brooks and his daughter while reviewing the messages on his daughter’s phone. He promptly contacted the MPD Youth and Family Services Division, which commenced an investigation. The FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation Task Force immediately joined the investigation. Brooks was arrested on Sept. 20, 2017 and has been in custody ever since. On Feb. 14, 2018, Brooks was indicted on two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge DeSarno, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and FBI Special Agents in the Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Pennsylvania, and the District of Maryland, as well as the U.S. Marshals Service.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Park, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi Lazarus who is prosecuting the matter along with Jason Park.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man who was arrested following a domestic disturbance in which he discharged his weapon pleaded guilty today to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Dequan Farlow, 37, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Farlow was arrested by Newark police officers on June 30, 2017 after he allegedly shot a speaker next to his ex-girlfriend’s mother and struck the mother with the gun at her residence in Newark.

Farlow admitted today that he knowingly possessed a loaded Hi-Point JCP semi-automatic handgun, despite having at least one prior felony conviction in Essex County Superior Court. As part of his plea agreement, Farlow also acknowledged that he knowingly fired the gun on June 30, 2017.

The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked officers of the Newark Police Division, under the direction of Department of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

Defense counsel: Patrick McMahon Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that retired Philadelphia Police Officer Victor Gates was found guilty today by a federal jury of honest services mail fraud conspiracy, honest services mail fraud, and making false statements. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding the defendant guilty. 

Gates bribed his friend Patrick Pelosi, a Philadelphia Police detective, to misuse his official position and access a law enforcement database of stolen cars in exchange for corrupt monthly payments.

Gates owned a company called Auto Recovery Services LLC, and one of his clients was Avis. Gates would have Pelosi remove certain stolen cars from the National Crime Information Center database so that Avis could rent them out to its customers. The defendant initially lied to police by denying that he made payments of any kind to Pelosi, although he later stated that he had made payments for “help” with the actual physical work of locating cars. Pelosi previously pled guilty and resigned from the Philadelphia Police Department in January 2017.

Between May 2008 and April 2013, Gates mailed a $300.00 check on a monthly basis to Pelosi’s home. Those payments increased to $400.00 per month between May 2013 and October 2014.

“This was a long-running, corrupt money-making scheme that is all the more egregious because the defendant has a law enforcement background,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “I want to thank the jury for its swift condemnation of Gates’ actions.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, Internal Affairs Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gibson.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Angelina L. Cedeno, age 35, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for distributing heroin in Albany County.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Janelle M. Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As part of her guilty plea on February 6, Cedeno admitted to distributing heroin in the Town of Bethlehem, Albany County, in August 2016.

This case was investigated by the FBI and New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert W. Tucker, Jr., of Star City, West Virginia, has admitted to a sex offender registration violation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Tucker, age 43, pled guilty to one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration.” Tucker admitted to traveling from Monongalia County, West Virginia to South Carolina and North Carolina, without updating his registry, as required by law, in August 2016 and September 2017.

Tucker faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that a Taiwanese teenager accused of threatening an attack on a high school in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania has been charged federally.

An-Tso Sun (a/k/a “Edward”), 18, was charged yesterday by federal complaint with possessing ammunition while being in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa, which is a felony under federal law.

Sun is a Taiwanese national who came to the United States to live with an American host family and study at a high school in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. According to the complaint, on or about March 26, 2018, Sun told another student (identified in the Complaint as “Student 1”), “Hey, don’t come to school on May 1^st . . . I’m going to come here armed and shoot up the school. Just kidding.”

“When someone makes an alleged threat of this kind, law enforcement must take it seriously and investigate all leads,” U.S. Attorney McSwain said. “Law enforcement is committed to doing everything in our power to stop an attack before it happens. We must keep our children and our community safe from harm.” 

Student 1 reported the incident to school officials, who then alerted law enforcement.  According to the complaint, after the report of the threat, school officials and the Upper Darby Police called Sun’s host family to inform them of the alleged threat. Thereafter, Sun’s host-mother told police that she hired an attorney for Sun, returned home from work, and removed numerous items from Sun’s bedroom, placing them into a black duffel bag. She then allegedly brought this duffel bag to the attorney she had spoken with earlier in the day. According to the complaint, the duffel bag was later given to law enforcement and was found to contain the following:

• • One semiautomatic pistol, comprised of a Glock 19 9mm upper component (slide, recoil spring, and barrel) bearing serial number BESE280, and a Polymer80 brand lower component (frame) with no serial number;
  • 44 rounds of 9mm Aguila ammunition;
  • 615 rounds of 9mm Blazer Brass ammunition;
  • 225 rounds of 12 gauge Federal shotgun ammunition;
  • 280 rounds of 5.56mm IMI Systems ammunition; and
  • 423 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm TulAmmo ammunition.

Upper Darby Police officers also executed a search warrant at Sun’s residence and seized from Sun’s bedroom: 20 rounds of 9mm Blazer Brass ammunition; one ballistic suit, including a vest, jacket and pants; one cross bow; seven arrows; and various firearm accessories and shooting equipment. Sun has been in custody in Delaware County since his arrest by Upper Darby police in March.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.

“Thanks to the tremendous work of our local, state, and federal partners, a potential school tragedy was prevented,” said Special Agent in Charge Marlon V. Miller, Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia Field Office. “Homeland Security Investigations will continue to support all of our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and security of our communities.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Upper Darby Police Department and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe.

An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

CONTACT:  Barbara Burns
PHONE:      (716) 843-5817
FAX #:         (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Michael Hildebrand, 50, of Orchard Park, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to assault within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a fine of $5,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that on December 20, 2017, the defendant was a passenger on a United Airlines flight from Newark, NJ to Buffalo, NY. During the flight, Hildebrand assaulted a woman by grabbing the victim’s groin area without consent.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, under the direction of Chief George Gast.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 7, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Roemer.

WASHINGTON– Defendant Bobby Paul Edwards, 53, of Conway, South Carolina, pleaded guilty Monday in United States District Court for the District of South Carolina to one count of forced labor, admitting that he used violence, threats, isolation and intimidation to compel a man with an intellectual disability to work for over 100 hours a week without pay, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon of the District of South Carolina.

According to court documents, between 2009 and 2014, Edwards managed a restaurant in Conway, South Carolina, where the victim, identified in court documents as “JCS,” had worked since he was 12 years old. Once Edwards began managing the restaurant in 2009, he increased JCS’s duties, requiring him to work more than 100 hours per week. The defendant stopped paying JCS and began using violence, threats, isolation, and intimidation to compel victim JCS’s continued service. According to court documents and Edward’s admissions, he subjected JCS to abusive language, racial epithets, threats, and acts of violence that included beating JCS with a belt, punching JCS with his fists, hitting JCS with pots and pans, and burning JCS’s bare neck with hot tongs, in order to compel JCS to work faster or to punish JCS for mistakes.

The defendant compelled JCS to continue working under these conditions until October 2014, when authorities removed victim JCS from the premises after receiving complaints about the abuse.

“Human trafficking through forced labor can happen on farms, in homes, and as today’s case shows – in public places, such as restaurants,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “Edwards abused an African-American man with intellectual disabilities by coercing him to work long hours in a restaurant without pay. Combatting human trafficking by forced labor is one of the highest priorities of this Justice Department and today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to seeking justice on behalf of victims of human trafficking.”

“This defendant abused a vulnerable victim, and today’s guilty plea holds the defendant responsible for his criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon for the District of South Carolina. 

Edwards faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for forced labor, a $250,000 maximum fine, and mandatory restitution to the victim. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the defendant will also be required to pay restitution to victim JCS in an amount to be determined at the time of sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. The case is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Jared Fishman, Trial Attorney Lindsey Roberson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and its Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Leigh Richardson of the District of South Carolina.

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A paralegal employed by the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, has been arrested on federal child pornography charges.   

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.

Richard Russo, 54, of Boynton Beach, was charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United State Code, Section 2252(a)(2) and (b)(4).  If convicted, Russo faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a statutory maximum term of 20 years in prison.  Russo is currently being detained, without bond, pending further proceedings.  His preliminary hearing and arraignment are scheduled to take place on June 14, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach.   

            According to the court record, including allegations contained in the criminal complaint, beginning in late 2017, Russo, a Paralegal Specialist with Customs and Border Protection began communicating and receiving child pornography from another individual using a cross-platform messaging service.

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 the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

A criminal complaint is a formal charge against a defendant.  Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI and BSO in this matter.  He also thanked the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security - Office of the Inspector General for their assistance.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Corey Steinberg.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a two Romanian nationals with bank fraud, debit card fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, Florin Bersanu, 31, and Viorel Naboiu, 43, participated in a scheme to insert skimming devices inside the card slots of multiple banks in Virginia, West Virginia and Florida. As bank customers conducted ATM transactions, the skimming devices captured the victim customers’ debit card numbers when they inserted their cards into the ATM slot. Bersanu and Naboiu also installed small, covert surveillance cameras, disguised to blend into the ATMs’ exterior, which videoed the finger movements of bank customers as they entered their PINs during the transactions. The defendants later encoded the skimmed debit card numbers onto blank plastic magnetic stripe cards, and using the videoed PINs they made cash withdrawals from the victim customers’ bank accounts. The defendants are accused of stealing at least $42,756.80 in funds from BB&T Bank and Henrico Federal Credit Union in Virginia, United Bank in West Virginia, and Pen Air Federal Credit Union and Eglin Federal Credit Union in Florida.

Bersanu and Naboiu are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. If convicted, they face maximum possible sentences of 30 years on the bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud charges, 10 years on the access device fraud charge, and a mandatory minimum term of two years for aggravated identity theft that must run consecutive to any other punishment imposed. 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Hood is 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:18-cr-75.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

     PHOENIX – Yesterday, Ali Vahdani Pour, 28, an Iranian national, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas Rayesto 137 days in prison. Pour had previously pleaded guilty to false swearing in an immigration matter. 

     In his plea agreement, Pour admitted having lied on his asylum application.  Specifically, Pour admitted he falsely denied having served in the Iranian military and falsely denied having received refugee status in another country.  Pour further admitted to having served in the Iranian military and to having received refugee status in Italy prior to seeking asylum in the United States.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Joseph E. Koehler, Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Ryan Goldstein, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-17-1598-PHX-DLR 

RELEASE NUMBER:    2018-077_Pour

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

SALT LAKE CITY – Shayne Carson, age 54, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, dubbed the “Double Hat Bandit during a string of bank robberies committed in Utah and six other states between Oct. 15, 2016, and Sept. 16, 2017, has pleaded guilty to 18 robberies. Sentencing is set for Aug. 15, 2018, in U.S. District Judge Jill Parrish’s courtroom in Salt Lake City.

The plea agreement reached with federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah resolves four robberies in Oregon, three in Colorado, three in Washington, one in Idaho, two in Iowa, one in Ohio, and four in Utah. The majority of the robberies took place at banks inside grocery stores and involved a man wearing two hats.

Carson admitted to a Dec. 19, 2016, robbery of US Bank located at 4065 South Redwood Road in West Valley City; two Dec. 27, 2016, robberies of US Banks in West Jordan – one  at 4080 West 9000 South and one at 7061 South Redwood Road.  He returned to Utah to rob a US Bank at 922 East 2100 South in Salt Lake City on June 21, 2017.

The string of robberies charged in the Utah case started with an Oct. 15, 2016, bank robbery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and ended with a credit union robbery in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sept 16, 2017.  He received between $834 and $8,377 in each of the robberies.

In the majority of the robberies, Carson admitted he told the teller he had a gun and, in some cases, he admitted he brandished what appeared to be a handgun during the robbery. Law enforcement authorities now believe the handgun was not a real firearm.

The plea agreement includes a stipulated sentence of at least 144 months but not more than 180 months. The stipulated sentencing range is subject to the approval of the court. The amount of restitution Carson will be ordered to pay will be determined at the sentencing hearing in August.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City is prosecuting the case. According to prosecutors, FBI special agents did excellent work in solving a difficult case with assistance from a FBI analyst in New Mexico. Carson was arrested in Indiana in September 2017. Local and state law enforcement agencies in many states also assisted with the investigation.

          SANTA ANA, California– Two men from Orange County have been sentenced to federal prison for participating in a “builder bailout” mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in the fraudulent purchase of more than 100 condominium units around the country, causing more than $10 million in losses when the properties went into foreclosure.

          Maher Obagi, 32, of Huntington Beach, was sentenced to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay just over $10 million in restitution. A second defendant – Mohamed Salah, 43, of Mission Viejo – was sentenced to 57 months in prison and was ordered to pay just over $7 million in restitution. Both defendants were sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge Andrew Guilford.

          Obagi and Salah, along with several co-conspirators, operated the scheme through Excel Investments and related companies that were based in Santa Ana and then Irvine. The scheme involved kickbacks from condominium builders during the 2008 financial crisis, kickbacks that were hidden from lenders to convince them to fund loans in excess of actual purchase price.

          During the course of the scheme, co-conspirators identified condominium developments around the country in which the builders were struggling to sell units and then arranged with the builders to purchase multiple units at a discount. The builders benefitted by making it appear that their condos were selling and maintaining their value, while members of the conspiracy obtained the kickbacks.

          The co-conspirators negotiated with condominium builders in California, Florida and Arizona for discount units. The defendants bought units for themselves, their relatives, and on behalf of “straw buyers” whom they brought into the scheme. They identified straw buyers by looking for individuals with good credit scores and then recruited them into the scheme by giving them an upfront payment for their participation and by presenting the scheme as an investment opportunity that required no down payment and would generate income through rental payments.

          To obtain mortgages for the properties, Obagi and other co-conspirators prepared loan applications with false information about the straw buyers – including fake employment, income and assets, as well as fabricated W2s, pay stubs and bank statements. The mortgage applications also included false information about the terms of the transactions, such as concealing the large kickbacks from lenders through false and misleading HUD-1 forms. As a result of the false statements in the fraudulent loan applications, mortgage lenders provided over $21 million in financing to purchase more than 100 properties.

          Many of these loans went into default, and mortgage lenders lost more than $10 million after foreclosing on the properties. The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) purchased dozens of these loans on the secondary mortgage market and suffered losses of at least $1.3 million as a result of defaults and foreclosures on the properties.

          Following a trial in 2015, Obagi was found guilty of one count of conspiracy and three counts of wire fraud. Salah was found guilty by the same federal jury of one count of conspiracy.

          Several other defendants were charged in connection with the same scheme. They are:

• Ali Khatib, 53, of Newport Coast, who pleaded guilty in a related case and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16;

• Momoud Aref Abaji, 37, of Huntington Beach, who was convicted at trial and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14;

• Jacqueline Burchell, 57, of Orange, who pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16;

• Wajieh Tbakhi, 53, who is a fugitive; and

• Mohamed El Tahir, who is now deceased.

          This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General; and IRS Criminal Investigation.

          The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a Reading, Pennsylvania man was sentenced on drug charges in federal court.  Angel Diaz-Gibson, 26, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for distribution of heroin and using a telephone to facilitate the commission of a federal drug felony.  Diaz-Gibson pled guilty in March, admitting that on August 22, 2015, he distributed 148 stamps of heroin to a confidential informant in Fairlea, and that he had a telephone conversation with the informant to help set up the deal.  Each stamp is considered to be one dose of heroin.

Stuart praised the investigative work of the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

“Tragically, the heroin epidemic has spread into even our small, more rural communities like Fairlea,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “My Office and our team of law enforcement partners are working hard every day to shut down drug trafficking in our communities.”

Assistant United States Attorney John File prosecuted the case.  United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided at the plea hearing. 

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A Guatemalan man who used false identification documents to obtain a job was convicted by a jury on June 5, 2018, after a two-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Jose Corio-Raymundo, age 40, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States, was convicted of one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of misuse of a social security number.  The verdict was returned yesterday afternoon following about five hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that Corio-Raymundo used a fraudulent Social Security card bearing the social security number assigned to a United States citizen, and a fraudulent State of Iowa identification card when he completed an employment form on October 2, 2013, at a business in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Corio-Raymundo also used the social security number of the United States citizen on state and federal tax forms.  On the employment form, Corio-Raymundo falsely claimed to be a United States citizen.  The investigation began when the Iowa Department of Transportation noticed that Corio-Raymundo was trying to register vehicles under a second social security number.  Their investigation disclosed that Corio-Raymundo used the social security number to title vehicles, when he was arrested by police on traffic violations, and when he obtained employment at four businesses in Cedar Rapids.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Corio-Raymundo remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Corio-Raymundo faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $500 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Iowa Department of Transportation, Bureau of Investigation and Identity Protection. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 18-CR-08-LRR.

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          WASHINGTON– A Los Angeles resident was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for two child exploitation offenses, including engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places and traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Macias of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles.

          Paul Alan Shapiro, 71, a retired auto dealership employee, pleaded guilty one day before he was set to go on trial on July 24, 2017. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Shapiro will serve 10 years in federal prison, 20 years of supervised release following his prison sentence, and will pay $20,000 total to two victims, both of whom are citizens of the Kingdom of Thailand. U.S. District Court Judge Dolly M. Gee of the Central District of California presided over today’s sentencing.

          According to plea documents, Shapiro traveled from Los Angeles to Thailand on numerous occasions over the past 20 years, and engaged in sexual acts with male boys under the age of 16 on multiple occasions. On at least two occasions in September 2012, Shapiro paid minors as young as 13 years old small amounts of local currency in order to engage in various sex acts with them. According to other documents filed in the case, Shapiro photographed these encounters of himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the boys.

          HSI conducted the investigation. Trial Attorneys Austin M. Berry and Ralph Paradiso of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

DENVER – Jaquon Mucsarney, age 37, of Aurora, Colorado was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Marcia S. Krieger to serve 144 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to defraud the United States and aggravated identity theft, announced the United States Attorney Bob Troyer, IRS – Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Steven Osborne and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Wilbert M. Craig.  Mucsarney was also ordered to pay $327,970 in restitution to the IRS.

According to information contained in the indictment and plea agreement, between January 1, 2011 and January 1, 2016, Mucsarney devised a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by filing tax return with false information in order to obtain a fraudulent tax refund.  At various times, Mucsarney received assistance from his mother, Schosche MucSarney and girlfriend Sherry Charleston.

As leader of this scheme, Mucsarney created approximately 50 fictitious businesses which only existed on “paper” and had little or no legitimate business activity.  In order to file corporate tax returns for these businesses, Mucsarney logged into the U.S. Treasury website and obtained an Employment Identification Number (EIN) using either his or Schosche’s social security numbers.  When Mucsarney became aware the IRS was investigating his activities, he started using individuals stolen names and social security numbers to obtain EINs for various companies. 

Mucsarney typically filed U.S. Corporation Income Tax Returns (Forms 1120) on behalf of the shell companies which he completed with false information relating to income, deductions, overpayments, and refunds due.  When Mucsarney was incarcerated on unrelated charges, he would either supply Schosche and Charleston with the false information to complete the fraudulent income tax returns or have Schosche send Mucsarney blank IRS form to complete.  Mucsarney would then mail the completed tax returns to the IRS directly from his correctional facility.

Over the course of the scheme, Mucsarney, with the assistance of others, submitted approximately 100 fraudulent income tax returns to the IRS which claimed refunds totaling $2,168,277.  Of the amount requested, the IRS ultimately paid out approximately $327,970. 

“Mucsarney stole identities and used fake business names to line his own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer.  “Thanks to our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, for the next twelve years Mucsarney’s real identity will be known to the Bureau of Prisons.”

“Stealing identities and filing false tax returns is a serious crime that hurts innocent taxpayers,” said Steven Osborne, Special Agent in Charge of the Denver Field Office of IRS – Criminal Investigation.  “This 12-year sentence demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting the interests of law-abiding taxpayers to ensure that the only citizens who receive tax refunds are those who are entitled to them.”

“The SSA OIG promotes Social Security number (SSN) integrity by pursuing cases of SSN misuse and related government fraud,” said Wilbert Craig, Special Agent-in-Charge of the SSA OIG Denver Field Division. “We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case, which resulted in a 12-year prison sentence for the defendant at the center of an SSN misuse and tax fraud scheme, and we will continue to work with the IRS-Criminal Investigation to investigate similar cases.”

Schosche Mucsarney was sentenced on November 22, 2016 to five years probation and restitution of $195,902 to the Internal Revenue Service based on her guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the government.  Sherry Charleston was sentenced on January 9, 2017 to eighteen months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, and restitution of $16,541 for conspiracy to defraud the government. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Neff.