PORTLAND, Ore. – Today in federal court, Dan Heine and Diana Yates were sentenced to 24 and 18 months in prison, respectively, for bank fraud and falsifying bank entries, reports, and transactions.

A jury convicted Heine and Yates, former executives at the Bank of Oswego in Lake Oswego, Oregon, of one count each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and twelve counts each of falsifying bank entries, reports, and transactions in a trial ending in November 2017.

“Dan Heine and Diane Yates orchestrated one of the largest and most complex bank fraud schemes in Oregon’s history. Their selfish acts of greed are deplorable,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “While we urged the court to impose longer sentences, these sentences still serve as a warning to bank executives and others entrusted with fiduciary responsibilities. We will continue to work with federal investigators to protect investors and ensure the trustworthiness of our financial institutions.”

“For centuries, the American banking system has served as the bedrock of the U.S. economy. Honest bankers are critical to our financial system. By addressing lies and conspiracies at the Bank of Oswego, the FBI and Department of Justice have helped re-establish the integrity of the financial system we all rely on,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.

Dan Heine, a co-founder of the bank, was president, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the board of directors from September 2004 through September 2014. Diana Yates was executive vice president, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and secretary of the board of directors from 2004 through March 2012. During the conspiracy Heine and Yates concealed the true financial condition of the bank to regulators and the board of directors by falsely reporting that the bank had title to a property in a straw buyer transaction, falsely reporting that delinquent loans were paid, and falsely reporting the sale of bank owned property.

A forfeiture and restitution hearing has been scheduled for August 7, 2018. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) and prosecuted by Claire Fay, Quinn Harrington, and Michelle Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

DAYTON – Four men have been charged federally in a case involving the seizure of approximately 20 pounds of fentanyl.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Montgomery Sheriff Phil Plummer and other agencies with the Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Task Force announced the charges.

Omar Alejandro Cantu Garcia, David Guillermo Cantu Garcia, Pedro Torres Medina and Reyes Espinosa Aguilar (also known as Rodrigo Martinez Jr.) were each charged federally yesterday with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Omar Cantu and David Cantu entered the United States from Mexico via the Laredo, Texas Port of Entry on Sunday. On Monday, agents observed the pair exit a hotel in Dayton.

Activity consistent with drug trafficking – including driving their vehicle on a “heat run” to check for law enforcement, meeting a number of vehicles at a gas station parking lot and transferring packages between vehicles – led to traffic stops and the search of one residence on Prentice Drive in New Carlisle.

One vehicle, which was stopped by Clark County Sheriff’s Deputies, contained eight vacuum-sealed packages of cash. Inside the residence, agents discovered at least 50 pounds of marijuana sealed in plastic bags in the garage and nine kilogram blocks of fentanyl in a closet inside the home.

Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl is punishable by 10 years up to life in prison.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Task Force, and Assistant United States Attorney Brent Tabacchi, who is prosecuting the case.

The Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Task Force is part of the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission and includes officers from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Miami Township Police Department, Butler Township Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Montgomery County RANGE Task Force, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that David Forrest Noel, 40 of Bowdoin, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to two years in prison and five years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender.  Noel pleaded guilty on June 22, 2017.

According to court records, Noel was required by law to register as a sex offender because he was convicted in Massachusetts in 2010 of indecent assault and battery on a child.  After that conviction, Noel registered as a sex offender in Massachusetts.  He moved to Maine in 2016 and failed to notify appropriate authorities of the move and failed to register as a sex offender in Maine.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service.

BIRMINGHAM– A Huntsville man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to charges that he paid the father of a 15-year-old so he could have sexual contact with the child, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles.

BILLY R. EDWARDS, 63, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor to charges of commercial sex trafficking, coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution, and being a convicted felon in possession of firearms. His sentencing is scheduled Sept. 12.

The child’s father, DARWIN MOISES AMADOR-ZEPEDA, 38, a Honduran national, is charged with commercial sex trafficking and coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. Amador-Zepeda’s case is proceeding to trial, but a date has not been set.

“The trafficking of any human being, especially a child, is unconscionable, unthinkable, and unforgivable,” Town said. “Our Human Trafficking Task Force remains committed to bringing these despicable traffickers to justice and we have reserved bed space in prison for them all, which will only serve as temporary quarters on their road to perdition.”

Edwards acknowledges in his plea agreement with the government that he began paying Amador-Zepeda in 2014 so that he would persuade or coerce his 15-year-old son to have sexual encounters with Edwards.

During the ongoing sexual trafficking of the child, Edwards often paid Amador-Zepeda by check, and the two men used cell phones to induce or coerce the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct, according to Edwards’ plea agreement.

The sexual encounters with the child continued for several months until Edwards stopped paying to have them, according to the plea agreement. At that point, Amador-Zepeda began blackmailing Edwards, threatening to show law enforcement the cell phone communications between him and the child unless Edwards paid him. Amador-Zepeda told the child what to say in English to deliver the blackmail threat, according to Edward’s plea agreement. The two men later executed a contract for Edwards to make a series of payments totaling $20,000 to Amador-Zepeda in exchange for the cell phone containing the incriminating evidence.

In May 2017, the child told law enforcement about the sex trafficking. In September 2017, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant and searched Edwards’ residence, finding an Industrial National de Armes .38-caliber revolver, a Jimenez Arms .25-caliber pistol, a Bryco Jennings .380-caliber pistol and a Winchester model 1400 MKII shotgun. Edwards previously was convicted of a felony, conspiracy to commit fraud, in the Northern District of Alabama in 2005.

The penalty for commercial sex trafficking is 15 years to life in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. The penalty for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution is 10 years to life in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s HSI, in conjunction with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the Madison County District Attorney’s Office, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Xavier Carter and Carla Ward are prosecuting.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for selling stolen firearms.

O’Ceonna S. Thomas-Weston, 23, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to five years in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 28, 2017, Thomas-Weston pleaded guilty to selling a stolen firearm. Co-defendant Ronnie Lee Martin III, 22, of St. Joseph, has also pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

Thomas-Weston admitted that she sold a stolen Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle to a confidential informant. Thomas-Weston contacted the confidential informant and indicated she had an AR-15 style rifle for sale and wanted $1,200 for the rifle. The confidential informant negotiated the price down to $900. Thomas-Weston told the confidential informant she hoped the person that bought the rifle didn’t get caught with it because it was a stolen military rifle.

Thomas-Weston also admitted that she had earlier sold a Taurus .38-caliber revolver and a Taurus 9mm pistol to the confidential informant. She had agreed to sell the confidential informant a .25-caliber pistol, but that sale never occurred. Thomas-Weston and Martin also sold the confidential informant a stolen Remington 30-06 caliber rifle.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department and the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
 

A federal felon who entered a Cedar Rapids home armed with a stolen firearm and pistol-whipped and Tased its owner was sentenced today to twenty years in prison in federal court in Cedar Rapids.  Sherman Hopkins, Jr., age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 2017 guilty plea to one count of interference and attempted interference with commerce by threats and violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951.  The case is the first Hobbs Act Extortion prosecution in the district involving the attempt to steal an Internet domain name.   

At the plea hearing and in a plea agreement, Hopkins admitted that on June 21, 2017, he entered the victim’s home and assaulted the victim in an attempt to obtain the victim’s property, specifically, the Internet domain “doitforstate.com.”  Hopkins carried and brandished a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, which was stolen from Michigan in 2014.  Hopkins was a convicted felon as the result of a 2006 conviction for perjury in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. 

Information from the plea agreement and court hearings showed that on June 21, 2017, Hopkins entered the victim’s home in Cedar Rapids.  Hopkins was carrying a cellular telephone and the gun and was wearing a hat, pantyhose on his head, and dark sunglasses on his face.         

The victim was upstairs and heard Hopkins enter the home.  From the top of a staircase, the victim saw Hopkins with the gun on the first floor.  Hopkins shouted at the victim, who then ran into an upstairs bedroom and shut the door, leaning up against the door to stop Hopkins from entering.  Hopkins went upstairs and kicked the door open.

Hopkins grabbed the victim by the arm and demanded to know where he kept his computer.  When the victim told Hopkins that he kept his computer in his home office, Hopkins forcibly moved the victim to the office.  Hopkins ordered the victim to turn on his computer and connect to the Internet.  Hopkins pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, which contained a series of directions on how to change an Internet domain name from one GoDaddy account to another GoDaddy account.  Hopkins put the firearm against the victim’s head and ordered him to follow the directions on the piece of paper.  Hopkins also took the victim’s cell phone and threw it so that he could not call for help.

The victim asked Hopkins for a mailing address and phone number, because GoDaddy required the transferee’s mailing address and phone number to effectuate the change of ownership of the domain name.  Hopkins then pistol whipped the victim several times in the victim’s head.  Hopkins also pulled out a Taser and “Tased” the victim several times in his left arm, back, and neck. 

Hopkins became more violent, hitting the victim in the head and berated the victim.  Hopkins then cocked the gun.  Fearing for his life, the victim quickly turned to move the gun away from his head.  The victim then managed to gain control of the gun, but during the struggle, he was shot in the leg.  The victim shot Hopkins multiple times in his chest.  He then contacted law enforcement.

Hopkins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Vavricek and Dan Tvedt and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 17-CR-59-LRR.

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CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged today with receiving and distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Carlos Santiago Gomez, 27, of Absecon, New Jersey, turned himself in at the Atlantic City Resident Office of the FBI this morning after returning from a business trip to Texas. He is charged by complaint with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography. Santiago Gomez made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court.

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

From April 2016 through March 27, 2018, Santiago Gomez allegedly viewed, received and distributed images of child sexual abuse, including images of prepubescent children. Santiago Gomez, who was employed in the IT field, administered a KIK group in which participants traded images and videos of child sexual abuse. (KIK is an instant messaging app). While administering the group, Santiago provided instructions, including:  

“New comers, welcome. There are just some rules to keep in mind when posting and maintaining your position. 1. Girls only 2. No Toddler 3. Videos only, no links no pictures. 4. Goes without saying but be active. Thanks and enjoy.”

“Please don’t post adult videos.”

“If you’re using FREENET, you might as well call the cops and turn yourself in. TOR, though not 100% safe by default, is slow but way better than FREENET.”

On March 27, 2018, law enforcement officers searched Santiago Gomez’ residence and seized numerous computers and electronic devices, including Santiago Gomez’ cellular telephone. Although law enforcement officers have not yet fully completed their analysis of Santiago’s electronic devices, agents have uncovered more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse. 

Each count of receiving or distributing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. 

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner, with the investigation leading to today’s charge and arrest.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Waheba Issa Dais, 45, originally of Israel and a U.S. legal permanent resident residing in Cudahy, Wisconsin, has been charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support or resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Matthew Krueger for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Special Agent in Charge Justin Tolomeo of the FBI’s Milwaukee Division made the announcement.

According to the criminal complaint, beginning in at least January, Dais attempted to provide services, personnel, expert advice and assistance to ISIS, by promoting ISIS’s agenda, facilitating recruitment and maintaining a virtual library of instructions on how to make bombs, biological weapons, poisons and suicide vests to assist self-proclaimed ISIS members and supporters in their attack planning.  Dais used multiple social media accounts that she hacked and took over from unwitting victims and private social media platforms to provide and facilitate her support.  Dais used one of her pro-ISIS accounts to encourage an individual, whom she believed to be an ISIS supporter, to conduct an attack in the name of ISIS.  She provided detailed instructions on how to make Ricin and then suggested the individual introduce the Ricin to a government post or water reservoirs.  In another post, she suggested potential targets for bombing attacks, including street festivals and celebrations in the summer.

Dais was arrested by the FBI on June 13.  Dais appeared before a federal magistrate judge on the charges on June 13.

The defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.00.  A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes.  If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by the FBI Milwaukee Division’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The government’s is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Roselle Fitzgerald (54, Bradenton) with one count of theft of government funds, two counts of making a false statement to a federal agency, seven counts of presenting counterfeit or forged securities, and three counts of fraudulent use of a means of identification. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment on each count of fraudulent use of a means of identification, 10 years in prison on the theft of government funds count and for each count of presenting counterfeit or forged securities, and up to 5 years’ imprisonment on each count of false statement to a federal agency. The indictment also notifies Fitzgerald that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $192,091.20, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the indictment, Fitzgerald worked as a title-closer at various law firms, while simultaneously receiving Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits to which she was not entitled. Fitzgerald also made material false statements to employees of the Social Security Administration regarding her work activity. In addition, she possessed counterfeit or forged checks from the law firms where she was employed and used the means of identification of others in connection with the counterfeit or forged checks.  

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General and the Sarasota Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.

Ocala, Florida – A federal jury yesterday found Santonio Juvon Jackson (35, Ocala) guilty of possession, distribution, and conspiracy to possess and distribute heroin and fentanyl. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and up to life, on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Jackson was indicted on December 6, 2017.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on October 26, 2017, Jackson conspired with others to deliver six ounces of heroin and fentanyl in the Ocala area.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

An alleged Sinaloa Cartel member is in federal custody, following his extradition from Mexico to the United States yesterday afternoon.  He is expected to make his initial appearance later today in federal court in El Paso.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney John F. Bash for the Western District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), El Paso Division; Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), El Paso Division; and, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek, II, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Dallas Division.

Arturo Shows Urquidi aka “Chous”, age 47, is charged in an April 2012 indictment returned by a federal grand jury in El Paso.  Urquidi is charged with one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (RICO conspiracy), one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, one count of conspiracy to import into the United States five kilograms or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering offenses and one count of conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

“The Sinaloa Cartel has smuggled multi-ton quantities of cocaine and heroin into our country for decades, using intimidation, violence and murder to build and protect their criminal empire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Williamson. “The extradition of Urquidi exemplifies the will of the international law enforcement collaboration to target, disrupt and dismantle the powerful Mexican cartels.”

“The extradition of Urquidi demonstrates that when we work together with our law enforcement partners both here and in Mexico, we can bring Sinaloa Cartel leadership and its core members to justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Buie.

“ATF remains committed to partnerships that combat violent crime and firearms trafficking,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Boshek. “Working together to dismantle criminal organizations improves public safety and increases social and economic stability.”

Urquidi was one of two dozen alleged high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel leaders, including Joaquin Guzman Loera aka “El Chapo” and Ismael Zambada Garcia aka “Mayo”, indicted on federal racketeering charges in April 2012.   According to the indictment, Urquidi was responsible for the unloading and loading of cocaine, drug proceeds and firearms in Sinaloa Cartel warehouses in Juarez.

Last week, co-defendant Mario De La O Lopez, a former Chihuahua, Mexico state police officer, was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison in connection with the investigation into this criminal enterprise.  Three defendants--Gabino Salas-Valenciano, Jesus Rodrigo Fierro-Ramirez and Emigdio Martinez, Jr.--have died since the indictment was returned in 2012.  Twenty (20) defendants, including Urquidi, remain under indictment.  Trial is scheduled for November 2018.  Upon conviction, Urquidi faces up to life in federal prison.

This investigation resulted in the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, thousands of pounds of marijuana in cities throughout the United States.  Law enforcement also took possession of millions of dollars in drug proceeds which were destined to be returned to the Cartel in Mexico.  Agents and Officers likewise seized hundreds of weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition intended to be smuggled into Mexico to assist the Cartel’s battle to take control of Juarez and the local drug trafficking corridors.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The DEA, FBI, and ATF together with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Marshals Service, El Paso Police Department, El Paso Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated this case.    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the extradition.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys of the Western District of Texas.

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri Lydon announced today that a jury returned a guilty verdict following a trial in federal court in Anderson, South Carolina on Tuesday. The jury found Zee Zee Zelazurro, age 37, of Greenville, guilty of possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).  The trial was held before United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson, South Carolina.  Judge Cain will impose a sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.  Zelazurro may face up to life in prison and remains in custody.

Evidence presented by the government at trial established that, on May 2, 2017, officers of the Greenville Police Department responded to 911 calls regarding a shooting and other disturbances in the area of 100 Pelham Road. Officers encountered Zelazurro, who refused to comply with their instructions and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at them. Officers took cover, and a standoff ensued. After a half an hour, officers were able to deescalate the situation, and Zelazurro was taken into custody. A .40 caliber Taurus semi-automatic handgun, which had been purchased by Zelazurro’s former girlfriend, was recovered from the scene. Zelazurro has prior convictions for Accessory after the Fact to Armed Robbery, Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Assault on a Federal Officer, and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Zelazurro’s case was expedited for federal prosecution as part of Operation “Real Time.”  The goal of this program is to identify individuals for federal prosecution with significant criminal histories who continue to actively possess firearms in the communities across South Carolina.  “Real Time” is a working collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement as well as state and federal prosecutors.  Since August of 2015, the initiative has resulted in the expedited federal prosecution of over 150 defendants and seizure of over 200 firearms as well as assorted ammunition from prohibited persons in the upstate.

“We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the ATF for the successful prosecution of Zelazurro,” said Captain Howie Thompson of the Greenville Police Department Investigation Division. “I also commend the officers involved in Zelazurro’s arrest in 2017; their response, tactics, and teamwork resulted in Zelazurro’s peaceful surrender and minimized the threat to those living nearby. I can’t say enough about the collective efforts of the officers, investigators, and forensics personnel who provided prosecutors with the necessary evidence and support needed to reach this just verdict.”

“ATF is actively committed to investigating and apprehending criminals who illegally acquire and use firearms to commit violent crimes.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors in the upstate area to keep our communities safe,” said ATF Charlotte Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Wayne L. Dixie, Jr..

“Operation Real Time identifies armed repeat offenders in our communities and takes them off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon. “Convicted felons who continue to carry and use firearms need to know we are determined in our resolve to disarm and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

The case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department, the Greenville County Forensic Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Schoen prosecuted the case.

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SOUTH BEND – Eugene Troxell, age 46, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. for being a felon in possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

Troxell was sentenced to 86 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, Troxell sold two guns that had been stolen from a federally licensed firearms dealer. Troxell has twelve prior felony convictions in ten cases as well as nine misdemeanor convictions. His prior convictions include violent crimes and controlled substance offenses.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Middlebury Police Department and the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department and was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.

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WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, and for the third time in two years, U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss for the District of Delaware and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) returned a more than 500-year-old copy of a Christopher Columbus’ letter describing his discoveries in the Americas to the Vatican during a morning repatriation ceremony at the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (the “Vatican Library”) in Vatican City.  The letter, originally written in 1493, was stolen from the Vatican Library and later sold in 2004 for approximately $875,000.

In or around December 1921, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus donated a copy of the Columbus Letter (along with thousands of other rare books and manuscripts) to Pope Benedict XV.  The Columbus Letter was preserved in the Vatican Library.  After receiving a copy of the Columbus Letter, at no time did the Vatican City State or the Vatican Library relinquish title to this document.  In or around 1934, a detailed description of the Vatican Library’s copy of the Columbus Letter was catalogued in the census copies of the standard bibliography of 15^th century printing, otherwise known as the Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke (volume VI, Leipzig, 1934, no. 7177).  At an unknown time and date, the Columbus Letter was stolen from the Vatican Library and replaced with a forgery, which was designed to appear like the original letter.

Like the prior recovered letters, the return of the Vatican’s Columbus Letter followed a multi-year joint investigation conducted by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware.   After receiving a tip that the Vatican Library’s letter was stolen and replaced with a forgery, law enforcement determined that the original letter was located in a private art collector’s personal collection in Atlanta, Georgia.  The investigation determined that this individual purchased the stolen Columbus Letter in good faith during a February 2004 transaction worth $875,000. 

In April 2017, following negotiations between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and representatives for the individual in possession of the letter, the parties agreed to permit a subject matter expert to inspect and compare both the Columbus Letter in Atlanta against a copy of the Columbus Letter  in the Vatican Library’s possession.  The expert determined that the Columbus Letter located in Atlanta was, in fact, the original Columbus Letter that belonged to the Vatican Library, and that the copy in the Vatican Library’s possession was a forgery. Following this analysis, the person in possession of the Columbus Letter in Atlanta voluntarily agreed to relinquish title and interest in the Columbus Letter.

“This marks the third time in two years that agents from HSI, along with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, have partnered to return these precious letters documenting Columbus’ journey back to their rightful home,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss.  “It is only through our strong federal law enforcement partnerships that we are able to combat these cross-border crimes that rob every one of these world treasures.  I truly commend the efforts of everyone involved in this case.”

Ambassador Callista L. Gingrich of U.S. Embassy to the Holy See said, “The Columbus Letter, written in 1493, is a priceless piece of cultural history.  I am honored to return this remarkable letter to the Vatican Library – its rightful owner.”

Vatican Librarian Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès said, “We are extremely grateful to be able to reinsert this volume in its rightful place in De Rossi’s collection, where it will remain at the disposal of the researchers who come from around the world to study the collections of the Vatican Library.”

“Homeland Security Investigations is dedicated to investigating those who pilfer history's most important records and chronicles and retuning those antiquities, like this Columbus Letter, back to their rightful owner nations,” said Special Agent in Charge Marlon V. Miller of HSI Philadelphia.  “This effort is of utmost importance, not only to the special agents who investigate these crimes, but to the global community at large.  “Let this repatriation signal our continued commitment to these investigations, and serve as a testament to our partnerships, both here and abroad.”

The case is being investigated by HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie M. McCall of the District of Delaware.

Link to Ambassador Gingrich's Remarks

Antonio L. Bender, 20, of Nashville, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger, to 12 years in prison on federal firearms and obstruction of justice charges, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Bender was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 10, 2017, on charges of being an unlawful drug user in possession of two firearms; possession of a stolen firearm; and obstruction of justice, by having photographs deleted from his Facebook account which showed him holding a pistol in each hand, in an attempt to impede a federal investigation.  Bender pleaded guilty to these charges in December 2017. 

According to documents filed with the court, Bender is a Rollin’ 60s Crips gang member and was released from juvenile custody in October 2016.  On March 27, 2017, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers were responding to a report of shots being fired in the area of the J.C. Napier and Tony Sudekum public housing developments.  As they were responding, two officers heard more gunfire and got out of their patrol car to investigate.  While on foot, they heard four to five more shots before seeing Bender, who was armed with two pistols equipped with a laser and a flashlight.  Bender raised the pistols towards the officers and fired once, as the laser crossed the chest of one of the officers.  The officer was not hit and Bender then fled on foot.  The officers did not return fire because there were bystanders behind Bender, and they could not fire without endangering them. 

The officers chased Bender, who surrendered a short distance away, after discarding the two pistols, a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic and a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic, which had previously been reported stolen. 

The subsequent investigation determined that Bender is an unlawful drug user and he had taken both pistols from an unknown man selling firearms a few weeks earlier.  He was involved in a shooting earlier in the day on March 27, 2017, in which he shot a person who had sold one of his associates some fake cocaine.   Multiple other shots struck and heavily damaged an occupied car nearby.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy is prosecuting the case.

Charleston, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Justin Michael Hannah, age 38, of Hanahan, South Carolina has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Charleston, to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).  United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel of Charleston accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on August 21, 2017, police officers responding to a 911 call regarding suspicious behavior at a North Charleston gas station discovered two firearms in a vehicle operated by Hannah. At the time of his arrest, Hannah had one or more felony convictions. North Charleston Police believe that they may have interrupted preparations for a robbery.

Ms. Lydon stated the maximum penalty for felon in possession of firearms and ammunition is imprisonment for 10 years and/or a fine of $250,000.

The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and officers of the North Charleston Police Department. 

The case was prosecuted as part of Project CeaseFire, a joint federal, state and local initiative focused upon aggressively prosecuting firearm cases in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.  Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and reinstituted PSN nationwide. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Schoen of the Charleston office is prosecuting the case.

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Seven “Humvees” marked for destruction, alleged to have been stolen and resold

 PRESS RELEASE

Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today that two men are facing federal charges for their role in stealing Humvee vehicles that were meant to be destroyed and sold for scrap. Richard S. Treloar, 63, St. Louis, Missouri, faces seven counts of conversion of government property and seven counts of false statements; co-defendant Mark W. Collier 52, Bedford, Indiana, faces seven counts of false statements.

“Theft, waste, fraud and abuse of government funds and equipment is never acceptable,” said Minkler. “When it involves stealing from our military, it is a particularly egregious offense and those responsible will be held accountable.”

Treloar owned a St. Louis based company called Treloar Enterprises International, Inc., (TEI) which contracted with the Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to demilitarize military vehicles, mostly High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles commonly known as Humvees. The Humvee is a four-wheel drive military light truck capable of being outfitted with armor, ballistic glass and high-powered weapons and is currently being used in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters.  

As part of Treloar’s contract with DAL, his company was responsible for demilitarizing the Humvees which would include eliminating the functional capabilities and inherent design features of vehicles. In many cases, that included the total destruction of the Humvee. When the Humvees were demilitarized, both Treloar and Collier verified in writing that the process had been completed.

From January 2014, through November 2015, TEI took delivery of all Humvees from Naval Support Activity Crane (Crane) which is located in Southern Indiana. To facilitate the contract, TEI opened a facility in nearby Spencer, Indiana, where the purported demilitarization took place. The indictment alleges Treloar converted at least seven fully armored Humvees for his own use and sold or attempted to sell them for his own benefit. The value of the Humvees was over $589,000. Both defendants also certified that each and every Humvee was demilitarized, when in fact they were not.  

This case was investigated by the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General-Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Services, and Defense Logistics Agency-Office of the Inspector General.

"Today's indictments demonstrate the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of all Department of Defense programs," said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, Southeast Field Office. “DCIS' efforts in this investigation mitigated further significant loss and waste of taxpayer dollars from this fraudulent scheme."

"Not only is fraud of this type a serious financial crime, the equipment involved is concerning,” said Mike Wiest, Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Southeast Field Office. “There are no legitimate civilian uses for an armored military vehicle. NCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who siphon resources away from America's warfighters."

Assistant United States Attorney Bradley P. Shepard who is prosecuting this case for the government, said Treloar faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each count of conversion of government property and Collier faces up to five years’ imprisonment on each count of false statements.

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.

In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting complex, large-scale fraud schemes, particularly those that exploit positions of trust. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 5.1

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            WASHINGTON – The owner of a tutoring and mentoring business and a former employee of the District of Columbia Public Schools pled guilty today to federal charges for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently bill the school system more than $200,000 for services that they falsely claimed had been provided to students with special needs.

             The guilty pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the District of Columbia.

            John A. Faulkner, Jr., 40, the business owner, and Isaiah Johnson, 38, the former D.C. Public Schools employee, each pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of mail fraud and identity theft. Mail fraud carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and identity theft carries up to 15 years. Both charges also carry potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, each defendant faces an estimated range of 33 to 41 months in prison and fines of up to $75,000. They also must pay a total of $217,366 in restitution to the District of Columbia Schools. Faulkner also has agreed to pay $142,866 in a forfeiture money judgment, and Johnson has agreed to pay $74,500 in a forfeiture money judgment. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2018.

            Faulkner and Johnson, both of Baltimore, were indicted on Sept. 14, 2017, and remain free on personal recognizance pending their sentencing hearing.

            According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the pleas, the men carried out a scheme from at least July of 2012 through at least July of 2014 involving fraudulent invoices submitted to the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) for services purportedly performed under the Compensatory Education Program.

            The Compensatory Education Program awards services to eligible students to assist with their educational needs and development. Students awarded compensatory education services have learning, mental, and/or behavioral disabilities that create an educational barrier that prevents them from reaping the full benefits of education. Services consist of tutoring, individualized education, monitoring, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioral and psychological analysis. Once DCPS approves specific services, parents or guardians receive letters specifying the services that can be provided. They also receive a list of independent providers, or vendors.

            According to the statement of offense, Faulkner owned a company that in 2011 became eligible to be paid by DCPS as a vendor for tutoring and mentoring services. Johnson was a DCPS compliance case manager who was responsible for notifying parents or guardians, via letters, that their children were entitled to obtain the services of the independent providers. In that role, according to the indictment, Johnson had access to students’ names as well as compensatory education letters and the forms used to create those letters.

            Faulkner and Johnson created or caused to be created false and fraudulent timesheets purporting to reflect compensatory education services provided to students that had, in fact, not been performed. These documents included the names and, in some instances, the signatures of individuals who purportedly provided services, the DCPS students and the students’ parents or guardians. Faulkner and Johnson admitted that they and others used these means of identification without the knowledge or permission of the individuals. Faulkner attached these timesheets to invoices to DCPS. He received payments and distributed a portion of the proceeds to Johnson.

            DCPS sent at least $217,366 in payments for services that never were performed.

            In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas;  former Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Howie; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, Paralegal Specialists Kristy Penny and Joshua Fein, and former Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter C. Lallas and Adrienne Dedjinou, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. –United States Attorney David C. Joseph and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced today that a prosecutor with the state Attorney General’s office would be designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in an effort to help reduce violent crime in the Monroe area.

The addition of another federal prosecutor in Monroe is in addition to the two violent crime prosecutors that were recently authorized for U.S. Attorney Joseph’s office as part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing effort to increase targeted prosecutions of violent crime through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.  In the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana has brought approximately 115 criminal indictments charging more than 200 defendants with firearm and drug related offenses, including felons and drug dealers in possession of firearms.  These prosecutions represent approximately three times the number of such cases that have been brought in previous years.

The PSN program is a collaborative effort led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office involving local, state and federal law enforcement.  In the Monroe area, participants include the ATF, FBI, DEA, Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Monroe Police Department.  The program has been proven to be successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone.  United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a crime reductions strategy involving PSN.

“I want to thank Attorney General Landry for his commitment and assistance to our joint effort to reduce violent crime in Northeast Louisiana,” Joseph stated.  ”In the last year, we have substantially increased violent crime arrests and prosecutions in the District, which is clearly making our neighborhoods and communities safer. Given our collaboration with Attorney General Landry’s office and the hard work of our state, local and federal law enforcement partners in Northeast Louisiana, we fully expect that these efforts will reduce violent crime here in Monroe and throughout the area.”

“When I became Attorney General, one of my priorities was to strengthen my office’s working relationship with our federal partners,” Landry said. “I share U.S. Attorney Joseph’s vision to make our communities safer by working together; and we are optimistic that by offering one of our prosecutors to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, prosecutions will be done in a quicker and more efficient manner.”

“The Project Safe Neighborhood initiative is a comprehensive, coordinated, and community-based approach that we use to reduce and deter violent crime,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols.   “It is through this collaborative effort that we truly make our communities safer.”

The Western District of Louisiana consists of 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and encompasses two-thirds of the State of Louisiana. This area covers the cities of Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe and Shreveport.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man pleaded guilty today to using Kik, an instant messaging mobile application, to coerce and entice a minor.

According to court documents, in late 2016, Anthony C.A. Martin, 27, of Pensacola, began communicating via Kik with a 15 year-old female living in Alexandria. In March 2017, over Kik, they discussed Martin traveling from Ohio, where he was living at the time, to Virginia to have sexual intercourse with the minor victim and then transport her back to Ohio. Days later, Martin met the minor victim in a room at a hotel in Alexandria, where the two had sex before driving to Ohio.  There, Martin used Kik to ask the minor victim to send him explicit photographs and videos. The minor victim complied, using Kik to transmit to Martin, among other things, a video of her masturbating. Later, in June 2017, after the minor victim had returned to Virginia, Martin again traveled to Alexandria, where he met the minor victim at a different hotel and recorded their sexual encounter with his cell phone.

Martin pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison when sentenced on September 7. 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.

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

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Michael L. Brown, Alexandria Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Blanchard and Kellen S. Dwyer 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-238.