John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAIVD MONSERATTE TORRES, 30, of New Jersey, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 170 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation headed by the DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Stamford Police Department, Norwalk Police Department and Connecticut State Police into a drug trafficking organization led by Wilfredo Gutierrez, also known as “Bean” and “Big Pun,” and his brother, Bobby Gutierrez, also known as “B.O.”  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, revealed that Wilfredo Gutierrez, Bobby Gutierrez and others conspired to distribute at least 10 kilograms of heroin in Fairfield County between September 2015 and May 2016.  TORRES was the Gutierrez brothers’ main source of heroin for several years.

TORRES was arrested on May 31, 2016.  On July 5, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and admitted that he was involved in the distribution of more than 30 kilograms of heroin.

After TORRES pleaded guilty and while he was released on bond pending sentencing, an investigation revealed that he had purchased U-47700, a synthetic opioid also known as “Pink,” over the dark web.  On March 7, 2017, TORRES was arrested by the DEA in New York.  A search of his person and vehicle revealed approximately 60 grams of U-47700, approximately 100 grams of heroin, and $8,600 in cash.

TORRES has been detained since his arrest on March 7, 2017.

Nine individuals were charged as a result of the investigation.  All pleaded guilty, and TORRES is the last to be sentenced.

On March 16, 2017, Wilfredo Gutierrez was sentenced to 180 months of imprisonment and, on April 24, 2017, Bobby Gutierrez was sentenced to 160 months of imprisonment.  Bobby Gutierrez also was ordered to forfeit $171,462 in cash.

On April 13, 2018, TORRES pleaded guilty in the Southern District of New York to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.  He awaits sentencing in that case.

The DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force includes members from the Bridgeport, Stamford, Stratford, Norwalk, Milford and Trumbull Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Heather Cherry.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Nikko Adolfo Perez, 26, of Atwater, charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of children, one count of coercion or enticement of a minor, and one count of receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Perez, using the Instagram screen name captainamerica272018, victimized two boys, ages 8 and 10, in Utah by coercing them into creating and then sending to him images of them engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Perez offered to pay the boys with Google Play credits if they engaged in requested sexual acts or poses. When one of the victims said he would “call 911,” Perez threatened to disseminate images of the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He also threatened to harm family members of the victims. Perez used Omegle, Instagram, Snapchat, Kik, and other social media apps.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Salt Lake City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation offices in Salt Lake City and Fresno. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Perez faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for the sexual exploitation count, a mandatory minimum of 10 years to a maximum of life in prison for the coercion and enticement count, and five to 20 years in prison for the count of receipt of child pornography. For all counts there is a potential $250,000 fine and a lifetime term of supervised release. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Dubai man was indicted today for his alleged participation in a long-running credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Olusegun Akinlade, a/k/a “Shadow Walker,” 29, of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is charged by indictment with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of aggravated identity theft.    

According to the indictment:

From October 2015 to January 2018, Akinlade, Henry Abdul, a conspirator who pleaded guilty in August 2018 to his role in the scheme, and others participated in a conspiracy to obtain control of and use credit card accounts of others through a fraudulent scheme commonly referred to as a “credit card takeover.” As part of the scheme, a person who is not the account owner or authorized user of a credit card account contacts the financial institution and poses as the account owner in order to change the personal information associated with the account to information familiar to the unauthorized user. This may include the residence, email address, or telephone number associated with the account. These changes to the account are designed to give the unauthorized user control of the account without the actual account owners’ knowledge or authorization, and may permit the unauthorized user to receive new credit cards associated with the compromised accounts. Once in control of the account, the unauthorized users make purchases, transfer funds to other accounts under their control, or sell the account information to third parties.

Akinlade and his conspirators allegedly purchased the victim account holders’ personal identifying information from hackers located outside of the United States. They then used the stolen information when contacting victim banks to carry out the account takeovers, or to open new accounts. Akinlade, who was in Dubai during the scheme, received from Abdul and other conspirators merchandise that they had purchased with the compromised credit card accounts, and a percentage of any profits the conspirators made selling such merchandise.

The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed by the Court.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, and special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas P. Grippo and David M. Eskew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

BEAUMONT, Texas –A 57-year-old Salvadoran national has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.

Mario Obdulio Orellana, a resident of Shelby County, Texas, pleaded guilty on Sep. 19, 2018, to making a false statement in application for passport before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn.

According to information presented in court, on Oct. 6, 2017, Orellana made a false statement in an application for a United States passport by claiming to be a United States citizen.    

                Under the federal statute, Orellana faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Gaston.

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United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a federal indictment charging PRESLEY AARON PELTIER, 22, with stealing four firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer. PELTIER, who was arrested on August 17, 2018, made his initial appearance earlier today before Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson in U.S. District Court in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

According to the indictment and law enforcement reports, on August 3, 2018, PELTIER and another individual, drove a stolen SUV into the rear entrance of a federally licensed firearms dealer’s storefront in Lakeville, Minnesota, causing significant damage. PELTIER and the other individual stole four firearms from the store, including a Beretta, model 9000S, .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a Ruger, model SR45, .45ACP-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a Smith & Wesson, model 5906, nine-millimeter-caliber semiautomatic pistol, and a Ruger, model SR45, .45ACP-caliber semiautomatic pistol, and fled the scene in the stolen SUV. PELTIER and the other individual then abandoned the stolen SUV in a south Minneapolis school parking lot.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lakeville Police Department, and the Minneapolis Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, an initiative that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.

Defendant Information:

PRESLEY AARON PELTIER, 22

Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

• Theft of firearms from a federally licensed dealer, 1 count
• Possession of stolen firearms, 1 count

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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA– HILLIARD FAZANDE, III (“FAZANDE”), age 50, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to 18 months probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5,000 to Hancock Whitney Bank, announced United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser.

According to court documents, on October 26, 2015, FAZANDE opened a bank account at the Whitney branch located at 3001 Holiday Drive in New Orleans, Louisiana.  On October 30, 2015, FAZANDE endorsed and deposited a TD Bank $387,000 cashiers check made payable to “Attorney Hilliard C. Fazande III” into his account at the Whitney branch located at 3001 Holiday Drive in New Orleans, Louisiana.  On October 31, 2015, FAZANDE went to the Whitney branch located at 8300 Louisiana Highway 23 in Belle Chasse, Louisiana and presented a bank teller with a temporary Whitney check in the amount of $5,000.00 knowing that he did not have sufficient funds to cover the transaction due to a bank hold on the $387,000.00 check.  FAZANDE then made a $5,000.00 cash withdrawal from his account.  On November 4, 2015, a Whitney employee contacted FAZANDE and advised him that the $387,000.00 check was counterfeit and that he must return the $5,000.00 he withdrew.  FAZANDE never returned the money to the Whitney Bank.

U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Fraud Section Chief, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man pled guilty yesterday to a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Fabian Lee Woodson, 36, of Elkview, entered his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

“Yet another heroin dealer off the streets,”  said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We are laser focused on removing these poison peddlers from our communities.” 

Woodson admitted that in early January of 2016, he possessed over 50 grams of heroin for distribution at his home in Elkview, West Virginia. He further admitted that he had four firearms in his home. Woodson also admitted that on two occasions in December 2015, he sold .8 grams of heroin to a confidential informant. Officers with MDENT conducted these controlled purchases and then executed the search warrant on Woodson’s home where the drugs and guns were recovered.

Woodson faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on December 19, 2018.

The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for a federal drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Baylee Gibson, age 19, of Bench Road, previously pled guilty in April 2018 to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.  Stuart praised the investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

“This young woman made a terrible decision when she decided to sell meth,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.   “But make no mistake, we prosecute drug dealers – young, old and every age in between – for peddling their poisons in our communities.”

On August  25,  2017,  an agent  with  MDENT arranged to meet Gibson and purchase one ounce of methamphetamine for $1200. The agent had spoken to Gibson on the telephone and had arranged the price and quantity.. Gibson told the agent to meet her at a parking lot just off the campus of West Virginia State University      (WVSU) on Baron Drive in Institute, West  Virginia..  This was the site of a previous methamphetamine sale by Gibson.  

The agent met Gibson as planned. After a brief discussion, Gibson took $1200.00 of prerecorded buy money, got out of the agent' s car and walked towards the campus of WVSU. Additional MDENT agents were positioned around the campus conducting surveillance. Gibson then met with another individual, later identified as her co­ defendant, Kyle Keith Russell, and returned to the agent's car. There, Gibson provided the agent with a clear plastic bag with a substance that field tested positive as methamphetamine. The substance was sent to the Mid-Atlantic DEA laboratory where it was tested. The testing showed the substance was 23.39 grams of pure methamphetamine. Gibson arranged and sold methamphetamine to the  same undercover agent on August 22, 2017, and twice on August 30, 2017. The agent arranged all three of those additional sales directly with Gibson. Those sales took place in the same manner and at the same location as the count of conviction.  Kyle Keith Russell was Gibson’s source of supply for those sales.  Russell pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Russell’s sentencing is scheduled for November 14, 2018.

United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the case.  Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Hurricane man pled guilty today to a federal gun charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Michael Shawn Alford, 38, entered his guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, the Dunbar Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“Another felon in possession conviction,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “ATF and our state and local law enforcement partners have intensified their efforts and worked a significant number of gun crime cases over the last nine months.  By doing so, they are making West Virginia safer for all of us.”

Alford admitted that On September 24, 2017, he was riding a motorcycle in the area of Dry Ridge Road in Milton. The motorcycle broke down and Alford began to push it down the road. When a deputy from the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene, Alford went behind a tree in the woods close to the road. The deputy heard Alford in the woods and asked him to come out to the road. The deputy then went behind the tree where Alford had been and recovered a Smith and Wesson, Model M&P Shield, 9mm handgun. Alford was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of felony convictions in Kanawha County Circuit Court for aggravated robbery in 2001 and for unlawful assault in 2009.

Alford faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on January 14, 2019.

Assistant United States Attorneys Clint Carte and Stephanie Taylor are responsible for the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley sentenced Constantin Schiller, 65, of Romania, today to two years in prison for conspiracy to commit bribery, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents,  Schiller and co-defendants Anamaria Cruceru, 51, and Marcelle Banaga, 43, also of Romania, were employees of a Romanian company, Polaris M. Holdings, owned and operated by co-defendant Dumitru Martin, 57, of Romania. Between June 2014 and December 2015, the defendants conspired with each other to bribe a high-level United States Air Force contracting officer in an effort to win multiple multimillion-dollar contracts for Polaris. The defendants offered to pay the contracting officer a bribe, which they called a “commission,” equal to 10 percent of the amount of any contract awarded. The defendants also suggested that the contracting officer use a fictitious consulting contract and other commercial contracts and documents to conceal payment of the bribe.

In July 2015, the defendants caused Polaris to submit a bid to the USAF to supply storage containers to the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania. The contract was valued at over $10 million. In September 2015, Martin traveled to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California to sign the documents relating to the bid as well the fictitious contracts meant to conceal various bribe payments totaling just over $1 million. Thereafter, as part of the conspiracy, the defendants caused Polaris to wire $100,000 from Romania to a bank account in the United States as the initial bribe payment to the USAF contracting officer. Unbeknownst to the defendants, the USAF contracting officer was working with federal law enforcement, and there was no contract to be awarded to Polaris.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Beckwith and Todd Pickles are prosecuting the case.

On April 6, 2017, Martin was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Banaga and Cruceru have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Nunley on November 8, 2018, and November 15, 2018, respectively. They each face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

          RIVERSIDE, California– A federal grand jury has indicted three members of a local drug-trafficking organization for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of carfentanyl, a powerful fentanyl analogue.

          The indictment alleges that Alejandra Romero-Agredano, 49, and Jorge Martin 27, both of Fontana, and Jose Jesus Camacho-Martinez, 32, of Downey, belong to a drug-trafficking organization that distributed nearly 26,000 carfentanyl pills to undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents over a four-month period.

          Romero-Agredano coordinated the distribution of carfentanyl, a powerful and highly addictive opioid. Carfentanyl is many times more potent than fentanyl and heroin, and is used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other large mammals.

          Earlier this year, undercover agents negotiated delivery of the pills with a Mexican-based co-conspirator.  Romero-Agredano, working with Camacho-Martinez and Martin, then delivered three separate shipments each containing thousands of carfentanyl pills to undercover DEA agents in the Inland Empire.

          The three defendants were arrested by the DEA on September 7.  Romero-Agredano will be arraigned on October 3.  Camacho-Martinez will be arraigned on October 11, and Martin will be arraigned on September 26.  This is the first carfentanyl distribution case charged in federal court in the Central District of California.

          An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

          Each defendant faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, if convicted.

          The case was investigated by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Fontana Police Department and Ontario Police Department.

          This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerry C. Yang of the Riverside Branch Office.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal jury has found Rodney Flucas, 49, of Stockton, guilty of transportation of minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and one count of transporting an adult daughter across state lines with intent to engage in incest, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

“Cases like these are difficult to investigate. We must ask the victims to relive trauma and face a person they would rather forget. Rodney Flucas underestimated the strength and grace of his victims, and we thank them for their courage,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “We are grateful for opportunities to investigate crimes against minors-often in concert with local, state, and federal partners — to ensure those who exploit their naiveté and innocence face justice.”

According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, Flucas engaged in long‑term, concurrent sexual abuse of three of his daughters and two others, all of whom were minors when he began abusing them. The abuse came to light in February 2017 when his teenaged daughter tried to commit suicide by driving into a lamppost hoping that her death would lead to the discovery of the abuse. She was transported to the hospital where she disclosed the abuse to authorities. After this, five other victims began disclosing the sexual abuse Flucas inflicted on them since they were children. They made such disclosures despite Flucas’s aggressive campaign to get them to lie to child protection authorities and the police, and despite the family mantra Flucas had programmed into minors in his home from a young age: “what happens in the family, stays in the family.” DNA testing confirmed that Flucas is the father of 10 children born to victims who testified in this case.

According to evidence produced at trial, Flucas began abusing four of his victims when the family lived in Valdosta, Georgia around the year 2000. He owned or controlled upward of four houses on the same street in Valdosta where his wife, ex-wife, other partners and children lived. In 2014, the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services began to investigate allegations of child abuse, made by a grandmother of four of Flucas’s children, including allegations that Flucas had impregnated two of his daughters, but closed its investigation. In August 2014, Flucas moved his family to Americus, Georgia where he continued to sexually abuse some of his children. He began working as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing but was fired after one month amidst sexual abuse allegations.

By September 2014, Flucas moved the family, including four of his victims, to Klamath Falls, Oregon and continued the abuse. Once in Oregon, Flucas also began sexually abusing a 15‑year-old girl, who had befriended Flucas’s daughter at school. That girl moved into Flucas’s home, and Flucas eventually impregnated her when she was 16. He also impregnated an adult daughter for the third time in Oregon. Flucas continued his abuse of his victims throughout their entire time in Oregon.

After more allegations arose in Oregon in 2015, Flucas moved his family to Stockton. He moved his victims, including the then-pregnant family friend, and continued to sexually abuse them in California until the car crash that brought the allegations to light.

Evidence at trial also demonstrated that on the heels of his daughter’s disclosure to police in Stockton, Flucas began searching the internet for places to move overseas, including China, Kenya, Ethiopia, Canada, Panama, and Nepal. He also searched for the U.S. dollar to Mexican peso conversion rate.

According to evidence presented at trial, in addition to his ties to Georgia, Oregon, and California, Flucas has ties to or has lived in Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; he has a current Pennsylvania driver’s license and testified at trial he has a home there and travels there often. Additionally, Flucas has fathered at least 23 children, including three who were the subject of this trial, by numerous women. Also presented at trial was evidence that Flucas had visited a website that provided information about the statute of limitations for rape in the state of Texas.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which originated from an investigation by the Stockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nirav Desai and Jeremy Kelley are prosecuting the case. The defendant is also the subject of charges filed by the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, as a result of the Stockton Police Department’s separate investigation.

Flucas is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on December 17, 2018. Flucas faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and up to a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of transportation minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.  On June 26, a separate jury had found Flucas guilty of one count of attempted witness tampering, and he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for that count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd Robinson (619) 546-7994 and Kareem Salem (619) 546-8904

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY– September 20, 2018

SAN DIEGO, CA – Twenty-six people, many of whom are alleged members and associates of criminal street gangs and the Mexican Mafia prison gang, are charged in complaints unsealed today with participating in drug- and gun-related conspiracies, including one that alleges a kidnapping and armed robbery that was prevented by law enforcement.

About 228 firearms were seized from a home in Lakeside during the investigation, and law enforcement officials who were listening in on conversations via court-approved electronic surveillance were able to thwart the attempted kidnapping of a gang member known as “Grizzly from Palm City.”

This morning before dawn, a contingent of more than 200 local, state and federal law enforcement officials searched dozens of locations around the county looking for defendants, guns and drugs. As of 3 p.m. today, 20 defendants are in custody. During searches today and over the course of the yearlong investigation, authorities have seized seven pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of over $150,000. Five federal defendants are still at large, including Marla Caniglia, Christina Tovar, Farren Alcoser, aka “Sweetpea,” Soledad Mota, aka “Negra,” Tony Kiryakoza, and Candice Apra, aka “Babydoll.”  Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 858-320-1800.

According to one complaint charging Robert Thomas Welsh, San Diego Sheriff’s Department’s Special Enforcement Division executed a search warrant at Welsh’s residence on Wildcat Canyon Road in Lakeside. They found multiple gun safes in various locations within the home, a total of 228 firearms including AR-15 assault rifles and guns with obliterated serial numbers, multiple high capacity magazines including a 50-round drum magazine, several firearm silencer devices, a “Glock switch” device that converts a semi-automatic pistol into an automatic pistol and multiple cases of ammunition.

According to another complaint, in June of 2018, agents participating in the investigation learned that defendants Fady Esho, Sergio “Shaggy” Sanchez and Jose “Chapo” Hernandez intended to assault, intimidate, rob at gunpoint and restrain the intended victim on behalf of the Mexican Mafia because they believed he stole  a laptop and other items from a gang associate.

Esho, along with fellow defendants Sergio “Shaggy” Sanchez and Jose “Chapo” Hernandez, set out to do the bidding of the prison gang leaders. However, the San Diego Police Department’s Gang Suppression Team conducted a traffic stop of their Hummer as the three defendants were en route to the “hit.” The trio was arrested and officers seized four firearms and zip ties.

According to the complaint, Esho was carrying a loaded Sig Saur .40-caliber handgun in a concealed holster on his waist, along with two filled magazines in separate holsters. Esho also had multiple zip ties in his rear pants pocket. A search of the Hummer resulted in the seizure of an additional three firearms, all of which were loaded: A Ruger 9mm handgun was located between the front passenger seat and the console; a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun was located in a black bag in the rear seat; and a Ruger .22-caliber revolver was located under the driver’s floor mat.

In total, the defendants were charged in six complaints with various crimes, including racketeering, methamphetamine trafficking, felon in possession of firearms and other drug and gun offenses. According to the complaints, the gang members come from the following gangs: Otay Rasta Locos, Logan Heights Rep Steps, Encanto, Lomita, Logan Heights 30, Eastside, East County Blood, Lakeside Gangsters, Varrio Chula Vista and Pinoy.

“The seizure of hundreds of firearms is a very significant strike against gang violence in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “Gang members live by a different set of norms, in a world where methamphetamine is a business and guns and violence are tools of the trade. Because of the strong partnerships between state, local and federal law enforcement, this operation is now closed.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John Brown stated, “Dismantling violent gangs is a continuing priority for the FBI. We share a long commitment with our law enforcement partners to address the dangerous threat facing our communities. Today's takedown demonstrates our focus and determination to strike at gang related enterprises and to eliminate the violence these groups inflict on our neighborhoods.”

The defendants had their initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Nita L. Stormes this afternoon. All defendants entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.  Their next court appearance will be on September 25, 2018, for a hearing on the Government’s motion to have the defendants remain in custody pending trial.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

DEFENDANTS                                Case Number: 18mj4902                             

Robert Thomas Welsh                                                                       

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Title 18, U.S.C. § 922(o)(1) – Unlawful Possession of a Machine Gun

Maximum Penalty is 10 years in custody

Title 18, U.S.C. § 922(k) – Possession of a Firearm with Manufacturer’s Serial Number Removed and Obliterated

Maximum Penalty is 5 years in custody

DEFENDANTS                                Case Number: 18mj4979                                         

Jesus Ramirez aka “Chuy”

Jorge Gonzalez aka “Lonely”

Chans Milstead

Christopher Risdon

Alan Rohrback Jr.

Brian Allen

Victoria Villa

Ricky Felizmena

Farren Alcoser

Soledad Mota aka “Negra”

Candace Apra aka “Babydoll”

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Sections 841 (a)(1) and 846

Maximum Penalty, based on alleged drug amounts: Up to life in prison; 10 year mandatory minimum

DEFENDANTS                                Case Number: 18mj4978

Jesus Ramirez aka “Chuy”

Jose Hernandez aka “Chapo”

Fady Escho

Dale Chaney

Keleli Gaylord

Tony Kiryakoza

David Gautreau

Marla Caniglia

Christina Tovar

Sara Beamer

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Sections 841 (a)(1) and 846

Maximum Penalty, based on alleged drug amounts: Up to life in prison; 10 year mandatory minimum

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number: 18mj4977

Fady Esho

Sergio Sanchez

Jose Hernandez

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1959

Maximum Penalty, based on the underlying racketeering crimes: Up to three years in prison

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number: 14mj4972

Sammy Harold Baugues

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2)

Maximum Penalty is 10 years in custody

Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Section 841(a)(1)

Maximum Penalty is 20 years in custody

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number: 18mj4971

Veronica Ojeda

Aimee Chavira

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Sections 841 (a)(1) and 846

Maximum Penalty, based on alleged drug amounts: Up to life in prison; 10 year mandatory minimum

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Violent Crimes Gang Task Force

Task Force agencies include:

FBI, ATF, DEA, BOP, USPIS, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, San Diego District Attorney's Office, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sheriff's Department, National City Police Department, Chula Vista Police Department, La Mesa Police Department, El Cajon Police Department and Federal Bureau of Prisons- Joint Intelligence Sharing Initiative.

*A complaint is not evidence that the defendants committed the crimes charged.  The defendants are presumed innocent until the Government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kevin Green, age 57, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 3 years of probation for his theft of disability compensation benefits from a disabled and elderly Army veteran and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”).

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Donna L. Neves of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office. 

Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also ordered Green to pay $39,500 in restitution and a $6,000 fine.

A federal jury convicted Green following a 5-day trial in April 2018.  The evidence established that Green received approximately $71,000 in disability compensation benefits from the VA as fiduciary for a disabled 73-year-old Army veteran between March 2011 and May 2013, and was required to spend the money solely for the benefit of the veteran.  The veteran initially lived in a cottage on Green’s property in Kerhonkson, New York, but moved into a Vermont veterans’ home in April 2012.  All of the veteran’s expenses at the veterans’ home were paid by the VA, but Green continued to collect the veteran’s disability compensation benefits.  When asked for an accounting, Green misrepresented how he had spent the VA benefits, and the evidence demonstrated that he had spent tens of thousands of dollars on himself. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck. 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Deloyd M. Lesane, age 38, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing and intending to distribute fentanyl and more than 28 grams of cocaine base (crack cocaine).

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Gouverneur Police Chief Laurina Greenhill.

Lesane was selling crack cocaine and fentanyl from an apartment in Gouverneur in April 2017.  St. Lawrence County Drug Task Force members executed a search warrant there and found, in Lesane’s bedroom, approximately 57.5 grams of crack cocaine, 2.5 grams of fentanyl, 19.7 grams of cocaine, a digital scale with cocaine residue, drug packaging material, and $2,708 in U.S. currency.

Lesane was also sentenced to 8 years of post-imprisonment supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by members of the St. Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Gouverneur Police Department, and HSI.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Alejandro Olvera-Servin, age 38, and a citizen of Mexico, pled guilty today to illegal re-entry into the United States.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.

Olvera-Servin admitted as part of his guilty plea that he is a citizen of Mexico, and that he was removed from the United States to Mexico on March 19, 2016 and again on April 27, 2018.  On each occasion, Olvera-Servin had been arrested by immigration authorities in Texas after he entered the United States without inspection from Mexico.  

On June 19, 2018, he was arrested by a Border Patrol Agent in Mooers, New York, after he illegally entered the United States from Canada by walking across the border approximately 10 miles to the west of the Champlain Port of Entry, thereby avoiding immigration and customs inspection.  Olvera-Servin admitted that he returned to the United States without permission following the 2016 and 2018 removals. Olvera-Servin claimed to have been living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, prior to his 2016 removal.

Olvera-Servin faces up to 2 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn on January 17, 2019.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.    

This case was investigated by Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Obanette Jean, age 35, and a citizen of Haiti, was sentenced today to time served (55 days in jail) for illegal re-entry into the United States.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.

Jean was ordered removed from the United States to Haiti on April 1, 2015.  On October 12, 2017, Jean departed the United States while the removal order was pending, and entered Canada.  On July 27, 2018, she was arrested by a Border Patrol Agent just south of the border after she entered the United States from Canada without inspection approximately one-quarter mile west of the Champlain Port of Entry.  Jean admitted that she returned to the United States without permission.   

Following the sentencing, Jean was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, for removal proceedings.     

This case was investigated by Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.

            CONCORD - Steven Orr, 53, of Grapevine, Texas, was sentenced on Thursday to 71months in prison for two wire fraud offenses and unlawful possession of firearms, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, in June of 2017, Orr offered to sell four loaders to a company in Windham, New Hampshire for $120,000.  Unaware that Orr did not own the loaders or have authority to sell them, the Windham company arranged for a third party to inspect the loaders and then caused $120,000 to be electronically transferred from its bank account in New Hampshire to Orr’s personal bank account in Texas.

            In August 2017, Orr agreed to sell 21 cranes owned by a company in Joliet, Illinois to a company in Lemont, Illinois, for $2.2 million.  Unaware that Orr did not have authority to sell the loaders, the Lemont company transferred a $550,000 deposit for the transaction from its bank account in Chicago, Illinois to Orr’s account in Texas.

            The court records also reveal that Orr had prior felony convictions for burglary, grand larceny, larceny of an automobile, possession of a controlled substance, and an attempt to distribute contraband in a prison.  Under federal law, it was unlawful for Orr to possess a firearm after his first felony conviction.  Nevertheless, when Special Agents from the FBI arrested Orr last September, they found a Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol and a Taurus .380 caliber pistol in a safe that was inside a recreational vehicle Orr was renting.

            Orr previously pleaded guilty on April 5, 2018.

            “I am grateful to the FBI for its efforts to stop this defendant’s fraud schemes and bring him to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “Those who commit fraud in New Hampshire should understand that they will be prosecuted and incarcerated.  This defendant’s unlawful possession of guns demonstrates his complete disregard of the law, as well as the substantial risk he posed to the community.” 

            “Mr. Orr is a convicted felon and con man who clearly hasn’t learned anything from his time in prison. Hopefully with today’s sentencing, he’ll soon learn that the only place that cheating and swindling will get you is behind bars,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI will continue to seek out fraudsters like Orr, who profit through deception, by targeting hard-working businesses.” 

            The cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Kinsella.

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Florence, South Carolina ------- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jadarius Oshar McCray, age 22, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was arrested following a single-count federal Indictment charging felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g).  The maximum penalty McCray could receive is ten years imprisonment.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office for prosecution.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this Indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Darrin Paul George, age 30, of Camden, South Carolina, has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Columbia, to possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, a violation of Title 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(a)(1), 924(a)(2) and 924(e).  United States District Cameron McGowan Currie of Columbia accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence was presented at the change of plea hearing established that on July 2, 2017, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was operating a traffic safety check point in Bishopville when Deputies saw George throw something out of his car as he approached the checkpoint. Further investigation revealed that George had thrown a loaded pistol out of his car. George is prohibited from possessing firearms because he was convict for Armed Robbery in 2008 and Distribution of Cocaine in 2010 and 2011.

U.S. Attorney Lydon stated the maximum penalty for Felon in Possession of a Firearm is imprisonment for a minimum of 15 years up to life imprisonment, supervised release of 5 years and/or a fine of $250,000.

This case was investigated by Agents of the Lee County Sherriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001. Assistant United States Attorney William E Day, II of the Columbia is prosecuting the case.

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