SHREVEPORT, La. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Shreveport husband and wife with conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and multiple counts of filing false tax returns, announced United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

According to the indictment, Robert and Donna Poimboeuf owned and operated D&G Holdings, LLC (D&G), a company providing laboratory and mobile phlebotomy services. For the 2011 through 2015 tax years, the Poimboeufs allegedly underreported their income and gross receipts from D&G on their joint personal federal income tax returns by submitting false information to two separate tax return preparers. The information submitted to the tax preparers omitted bank accounts and Forms 1099 that the accountants needed to accurately report their taxable income. The indictment charges that the Poimboeufs also improperly classified business receipts as non-taxable loan proceeds in an effort to reduce their income.

If convicted, Robert and Donna Poimboeuf each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy counts and three years in prison on each false return count. The Poimboeufs also face a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.

Special agents with the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. First Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Van Hook and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

The charges in the indictment are only accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Frank “Frankie Boy” Salerno, a soldier in the Bonanno organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Bonanno family”), was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy.  Previously, on December 6, 2018, John “Johnny Boy” Ambrosio, an acting captain in the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Gambino family”), and Anthony Saladino, an associate of the Gambino family, were sentenced to 51 and 63 months’ imprisonment, respectively, for racketeering conspiracy.  Ambrosio, Saladino and Salerno were the last of seven defendants to be sentenced on a superseding indictment charging Gambino and Bonanno members and associates with racketeering conspiracy, including predicate acts of drug trafficking, loan sharking, gambling and obstruction of justice.  The sentencing proceedings were held before United States District Judge Sandra J. Feuerstein.   

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI); and Geraldine Hart, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentencings.

“With these sentences, each of the seven defendants has now been punished for continuing organized crime’s corrosive influence on Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “There should be no doubt that putting a stop to the criminal activities of La Cosa Nostra continues to be a priority of this Office and our law enforcement partners.”  Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the New York City Police Department for its assistance in the investigation. 

“Organized crime continues to plague our communities with violence, coercion, and intimidation,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.  “The mobsters grow richer while their victims live in fear as they struggle to make payments while dealing with daily threats. Today’s sentences demonstrate that the shirt button of a ‘made man’ is no match for a badge – the FBI/NYPD Joint Organized Crime Task Force is committed to investigating and rooting out organized crime wherever it occurs, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.”

“These individuals were caught up in an elaborate racketeering conspiracy; acting as loan sharks, operating underground gambling rings and trafficking narcotics,”  stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez.  “Today’s sentencing should serve as notice to those pursue this criminal lifestyle, that law enforcement is diligently investigating these cases and you will be caught and serve time for your actions.”

“This case is yet another example of the dedicated collaboration among law enforcement agencies in the region to send a message that law enforcement is working together to halt the operations of La Cosa Nostra and their illegal activities,” stated SCPD Commissioner Hart. “I commend the Eastern District of New York for ensuring these individuals pay for their crimes.”

Between January 2014 and December 2017, Ambrosio and his co-defendants engaged in a racketeering conspiracy.  Salerno routinely collected payments from extortionate loans and gambling-related debts, often at the direction of Ambrosio.  In one intercepted conversation, Saladino and Thomas Anzalone discussed unpaid gambling debts, during which Saladino said he would give the debtor “something to be scared about.”  On another occasion, Saladino admitted to an undercover agent that he and Salerno were involved in organized crime, stating that Salerno “has got that thing (pointing to his shirt button),” indicating membership in organized crime.  In another intercepted call, Saladino recounted for Ambrosio a collection effort in which he threatened an individual, saying “when I get my hands around your your f-----g neck, everything is going to pop out of your ears.”  Ambrosio also was involved with a variety of gambling operations, including illegal poker games, electronic gaming machines and internet sports betting, with Salerno, Saladino, Alessandro Damelio and Joseph Durso being responsible for many of the day-to-day operations.  Anzalone, Damelio, Durso, Saladino and Salerno distributed a variety of narcotics, including cocaine, marijuana and Xanax. When Ambrosio and his co-conspirators were arrested on December 12, 2017, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at various locations, including a storage facility in Nassau County, and recovered gambling and loan sharking records, electronic gaming machines, narcotics and drug paraphernalia and numerous firearms, including two AR-15 rifles, a .38 caliber revolver and a sawed-off shotgun.

As part of his sentence, Ambrosio will forfeit $100,000, including $66,116 in cash that was seized from his residence in Huntington, New York.

Previously, co-defendant  Anzalone was sentenced on July 24, 2018 to 34 months’ imprisonment, Anthony Rodolico was sentenced on November 5, 2018 to one year in prison and Damelio and Durso were sentenced on July 11, 2018 and November 5, 2018 respectively to two months’ imprisonment. 

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell is in charge of the prosecution.

Defendant:

FRANK SALERNO (also known as “Frankie Boy”)
Age: 43
Queens, New York

Previously Sentenced Defendants:

JOHN AMBROSIO (also known as “Johnny Boy”)
Age: 74
Huntington, New York

ANTHONY SALADINO
Age: 67
Glen Cove, New York

THOMAS ANZALONE
Age: 44
Queens, New York

ALESSANDRO DAMELIO (also known as “Sandro”)
Age: 49
Queens, New York

JOSEPH DURSO
Age: 26
Glen Cove, New York

ANTHONY RODOLICO
Age: 46
Huntington, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-522 (S-1) (SJF)

Four individuals and a company were charged in a five-count indictment in connection with their operation of Jet Link, Inc., an aircraft parts broker based in Margate, Florida.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Wendell W. Palmer, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations - Office of Procurement Fraud, Detachment 5, Dobbins ARB, GA, Frank Robey, Director, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (CID-MPFU),  John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office and Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office made the announcement.

Robert Cantone, 73, of Coral Springs, Alex Cantone, 41, of Sunrise, Brenda Snelgrove, 58, of Coconut Creek, Ronald Burns, 45, of Hollywood, and Jet Link, Inc, operating out of Margate, Florida were charged in the indictment (Case No. 18-CR-60329).  R. Cantone, A. Cantone, Snelgrove and Burns have been arrested.  R. Cantone and Snelgrove had their initial appearances in Miami.  A. Cantone will have his initial hearing today in the Northern District of Texas. Burns remains a fugitive.  Each defendant faces charges of conspiracy to commit aircraft parts fraud and aircraft parts fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 38.  If convicted on any one of the counts alleged in the indictment, the defendants each face a maximum statutory sentence of up to ten years in prison, and Jet Link, Inc. faces a fine of up to $10,000,000.

According to conduct alleged in the indictment, R. Cantone, A. Cantone, Snelgrove, and Burns, would unjustly enrich themselves by fraudulently winning contracts for the supply of military aircraft parts to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), by supplying the DLA with false certifications on their electronic bid quotations, wherein they stated JET LINK “currently possesses the material,” and that the parts were “inspected for correct part number and for absence of corrosion or any obvious defects,” were “in its original package,” and were “new, unused, and not of such age or so deteriorated as to impair its usefulness or safety,” when in fact such parts were not purchased until after the contracts had been awarded by DLA.  These parts were thereafter shipped to the Department of Defense, and were often either non-conforming or substandard. 

“This indictment and the related arrests demonstrate that the U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to protecting the integrity of the defense procurement process,” stated U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan.  “We will continue to prosecute those individuals who choose to manipulate the system for their financial gain.”

            "The Air Force Office of Special Investigations, along with its law enforcement partners, has, and always will, aggressively identify and investigative anyone who attempts to commit aircraft part fraud and put our nation's warfighters at risk," stated Special Agent-in-Charge Wendell W. Palmer, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations - Office of Procurement Fraud, Detachment 5, Dobbins ARB, GA.

“These arrests represent the unwavering commitment by DCIS and our investigative partners to ensure that the Defense procurement system is protected from unscrupulous contractors who choose illicit profits over quality and integrity.  DCIS will pursue anyone who uses fraud and deception to undermine our critical warfighting missions or compromise safety in DoD programs and activities," stated John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Field Office, DCIS.

“Defrauding the government and providing substandard components intended for use in U.S. military aircraft puts our service members in harm’s way,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of HSI Miami.  “HSI will continue to work with our partners at the Department of Defense and aggressively target individuals and companies engaged in this type of criminal act.”

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Army CID-MPFU, DCIS, and ICE-HSI.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton.

An indictment is a charging instrument containing accusations.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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

A former South Florida attorney and a stock promoter pled guilty today in connection with a $1 million pump and dump securities fraud scheme involving the shares of Valentine Beauty, Inc. (“VLBI”). 

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney, Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.  

Mark E. Fisher, 53, of Boca Raton, Florida, and Joseph F. Capuozzo, 57, of Davie, Florida, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams, in Miami, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, in Case No. 18-CR-20823.  Judge Williams is scheduled to sentence Capuozzo on February 21, 2019 and Fisher on March 25, 2019.  Each defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 or double the gross proceeds of the offense.  

Previously, Eddy Ubaldo Marin, 56, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Shane R. Spierdowis, 27, formerly of Boca Raton, were charged with securities fraud offenses in connection with the same VLBI scheme.   Marin pled guilty and was sentenced on September 5, 2018, to 210 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles (Case No. 18-CR-20354-DPG).  Spierdowis also pled guilty and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ursala Ungaro to 5 years on probation.  (Case No. 18-CR-20355-UU).

            According to court documents, VLBI was a beauty products supply company with operations in Sunrise, Florida, that marketed its products on television infomercials and elsewhere.  Shares of VLBI stock were publicly traded and quoted over the counter on OTC Link.  In approximately November 2013, Marin and other accomplices arranged to secretly obtain a controlling interest in VLBI stock by issuing shares to certain third parties, including Green Tree Capital, Inc., a company controlled by Marin and Capuozzo, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 

Fisher, formerly a practicing lawyer licensed to practice in Florida and New York, was a securities lawyer based in Boca Raton who allegedly became involved with the manipulation of VLBI shares at the invitation of Marin.  Fisher allegedly executed various false and fraudulent documents to facilitate the scheme, including certain legal opinion letters that falsely indicated that shares controlled by Marin and other conspirators, were not in fact owned or controlled by “affiliates” of the companies.  Such letters allowed shares of VLBI to be falsely classified as “free trading” and thus sold to the public, when in reality that were restricted.  In March and April, 2014, Marin, Fisher, Capuozzo, Spierdowis, and other conspirators arranged to transfer a substantial number of shares into brokerage accounts in the name of fictitious entities, but in reality controlled by the conspirators.  In addition, according to court documents, Fisher, Capuozzo and other conspirators knew that Marin was a convicted felon and attempted to conceal his role in the scheme by keeping his name off of corporate documents.   To facilitate the concealment of Marin’s role, Capuozzo became the listed owner of an entity that held Marin’s VLBI shares and traded the shares at the direction of Marin.  Capuozzo also served as the nominee Chief Executive Officer of VLBI, while acting at the direction of Marin and the conspirators.

            Thereafter, beginning in approximately May 2014 and continuing through in or around September 2014, Marin, Fisher, Capuozzo, Spierdowis, and others arranged for VLBI to issue rosy press releases, while also using internet marketing and penny stock newsletters to tout VLBI stock.  These efforts were intended to artificially increase the trading volume and price of VLBI shares, so that Marin, Fisher, Capuozzo, Spierdowis and their co-conspirators could secretly sell shares at a profit.   During the conspiracy period, the conspirators sold approximately $1 million worth of VLBI shares to the investing public.

In approximately June 2014, Marin began a term of federal imprisonment due to a different federal offense, and was ultimately incarcerated at FCI Miami.  While Marin was at FCI Miami, Fisher, Capuozzo, Spierdowis, and others continued the stock manipulation scheme, while keeping a larger portion of the trading profits for themselves.  The conspirators continued to sell shares of VLBI, while continuing the same pattern of issuing press releases and engaging in coordinated sales of shares, until approximately April 26, 2016, when trading in VLBI shares was suspended by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

            Previously, the SEC filed parallel civil enforcement actions against Fisher, Capuozzo, Marin and Spierdowis.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.  She also thanked the SEC’s Miami Regional Office for their assistance.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerrob Duffy, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Lehr is handling asset forfeiture related to the matter.

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

PORTLAND, Ore.—On Wednesday, December 12, 2018, a federal jury in Portland returned guilty verdicts against Harry Dean Proudfoot III, 78, formerly of Tigard, Oregon, for running a fraudulent gold mining investment scheme that he used to steal $3.2 million from 140 investors. Proudfoot was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.

“Harry Proudfoot and his children made many promises to their investors—promises they never intended to fulfill. They now join a long list of financial criminals whose schemes were cut short by diligent investigators working on behalf of victims. Pursuing criminals who prey on unknowing investors is a top priority for federal law enforcement in Oregon,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

“The FBI is committed to investigating fraud schemes and deceptive practices by those who can cause devastating and irreparable financial harm to the members of our community. Together with its law enforcement partners, the FBI is dedicated to protecting the interests of the American public, so they can both invest and lend with confidence,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.

“Mr. Proudfoot and his children built a ‘house of cards’ with their false promises and when it collapsed, as these houses do, IRS-Criminal Investigation is proud to support its law enforcement partners to expose and bring to justice those responsible,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon.

According to court documents and information shared at trial, in 2008, Harry Proudfoot created 3 Eagles Research and Development, a company based in Tigard that he used from 2008 through 2012 to solicit investors for a purported goldmining operation in Ohio. Harry Proudfoot, along with his adult children, including co-defendant Matthew Proudfoot, falsely promised to use investors’ money to purchase mining equipment and conduct mining operations at two gravel pits in Ohio.

To entice investors, Proudfoot and his children offered high rates of return, typically 10% of gross revenues, payable once the mine became operational. They falsely told investors they had all the necessary legal and business requirements in place for the mining operation.

At the same time, Proudfoot and his children withheld important facts from investors including that Harry Proudfoot had received cease and desist orders from the States of Alaska and Oregon for selling unregistered securities through material misrepresentations in 1992, 1993, and 2003 and that Matthew Proudfoot had filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Rather than using investor money as promised they diverted it to their personal use, funding living expenses, cars, travel, credit card bills, medical payments, lulling payments and other expenses to keep the scheme afloat.

In 2011, the States of Washington and Colorado and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began investigating the group for securities violations. Ultimately, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon entered a judgment against Harry Proudfoot, Matthew Proudfoot and the 3 Eagles Research and Development Company in the SEC enforcement action.

Harry Proudfoot faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release on each count of wire fraud and 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release on each count of money laundering. He will be sentenced on April 3, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.

Co-defendant Matthew Proudfoot pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering on November 1, 2017. He will be sentenced on January 9, 2019.

The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted by Scott E. Bradford and John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

BOSTON – A Canadian national who worked as an accountant for a Massachusetts company was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing nearly $600,000 from her employer.

Thanh Tam Tao Huynh, a/k/a Tiffany Huynh, 30, most recently of Quincy, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $588,278. Huynh will be deported upon completion of her sentence. In June 2018, Huynh pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.

Huynh was employed as the accountant/bookkeeper by her employer from approximately March 2016 through December 2017. Huynh used her position and access to the company’s bank accounts to wire about $425,000 from a company account held by the Royal Bank of Canada to accounts in the United States that Huynh and her associates controlled. She also used a company credit card to make unauthorized purchases for herself and her friends. To conceal her actions, Huynh provided her employer with false balance information for the Canadian account and withheld the personal charge information from the credit card statements she submitted for review. In total, Huynh defrauded her employer of approximately $588,278.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Armando Ernesto Abarca, 22, of Modesto, California, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, was sentenced to 168 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.   

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that between September 2014 and September 2016, the defendant conspired with others to possess and distribute cocaine. Specifically, Abarca utilized a storage unit in Amherst, NY to store 43 kilograms of cocaine. The defendant also distributed approximately 50 kilograms of cocaine in Columbus, OH, during the course of the conspiracy.

Charges remain pending against co-defendant Raul Everado Ledesma Abarca. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.  

The sentencing is the result of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office. Additional assistance was provided by ICE-HSI in Los Angeles, California.

# # # #

ATLANTA - Craig Alan Castaneda has been found guilty by a jury of traveling from San Diego to Atlanta to have sex with a nine-year-old girl and of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

“Prosecuting child predators is one of this office’s highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We are proud of the work that our law enforcement partners do in pursuing these predators, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to work with them to bring these persons to justice.”

“This conviction is another example of the lengths child predators will go to prey on our children,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “It is also an example of the FBI’s determination to pursue them. We hope it also serves as a warning to predators who feel they can act out on the internet without fear of being caught.” 

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: In early April 2015, an FBI agent acting in an undercover capacity posted an ad on Craigslist in which he portrayed himself as a mother in search of a “teacher” for her nine-year-old daughter. The defendant responded to the ad the next day and described his previous experience in molesting children, including a child as young as four years old. He also said that he was “grooming” (that is, preparing) another child to be molested but that the family had moved away a few months earlier.

The defendant continued to communicate with the undercover agent for the next several weeks, and he made plans to travel from San Diego, California, to Atlanta, Georgia. In one of his final communications with the undercover agent before boarding a plane, he instructed the mother to obtain sex toys and lubricant. FBI agents met the defendant when he arrived at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on May 2, 2015, and arrested him.

Craig Alan Castaneda, 39, of Imperial Beach, Calif., was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia, June 2, 2015, on one count of traveling from another state to engage in sexual activity with a child under the age of 12 years, and one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Castaneda was convicted by a federal jury a three day trial.  Sentencing for Castaneda has not yet been scheduled.

This case is being investigated by the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Hartigan and Paul R. Jones are prosecuting the case.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

          CONCORD, N.H.  Jichun Zhang, 46, of Durham, pleaded guilty today to stealing money from federal research grants, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.

          According to court documents and statements made in court, Zhang was a former Research Associate Professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space (EOS).  Zhang was authorized to use a credit card provided by UNH to pay for expenses covered by federal research grants that were awarded to UNH by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 

          On 31 separate occasions from January 2016 to December 2017, Zhang used the credit card to purchase items totaling more than $6,900 from Amazon.com, e-Bay, and Apple, Inc., for his personal benefit.  For each such transaction, Zhang submitted a fictitious receipt and a fraudulent written justification for the expense to UNH.  The bogus documents caused the University System of New Hampshire to make payments on the credit card and obtain reimbursement for the unauthorized expenses from the NASA grants.

          Zhang will be sentenced on March 27, 2019.

          “The conduct involved in this case is particularly serious because it involved a professional educator who stole money that should have been used to pursue the important scientific goals of the federal grants,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “I want to thank the University of New Hampshire and the University System of New Hampshire.  Their immediate response and sustained cooperation with law enforcement demonstrated a forceful determination to protect the integrity of the federal grant process.”

          “I am grateful for the daily due diligence of the University of New Hampshire and University System employees who alerted the police to this criminal activity.” said UNH Police Chief Paul H Dean. “The complex joint investigation was a success due to the strong collaboration of federal and campus law enforcement and I believe it sends a clear message to anyone contemplating similar criminal activity in the research community.” 

          “Mr. Zhang has now accepted responsibility for misusing taxpayer money that was entrusted to him to pay for expenses covered by federal research grants. Not only did he mishandle those funds for his own personal gain, but he betrayed the trust of his colleagues at the University,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify others like Mr. Zhang who fraudulently misuse government money for their own self-enrichment.”

         “This investigation exposed an individual that used federal funds to advance his own personal gain,” said Curtis W. Vaughn, Special Agent in Charge, of the Office of Investigations of NASA’s Office of Inspector General.  “I commend the outstanding efforts of our agents, the University, and other law enforcement agencies involved in protecting the integrity of federal research grants and contracts.”

          The case was investigated by the UNH Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Police Departments in Durham, Nottingham, and Newmarket, New Hampshire.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert M. Kinsella.

###

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Ari C. Shapira, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, Juan J. Perez, Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Jorge R. Colina, Chief of the City of Miami Police Department (MPD), and Gadyaces S. Serralta, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Florida, announced the unsealing of federal charges today against 24 members and associates of a drug trafficking and money laundering organization ("DTO”) operating in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami-Dade County, Florida and elsewhere.  The defendants are charged in a 59-count indictment for their conduct related to drug trafficking, violent crime, federal firearms offenses, and money laundering.

“As your new U.S. Attorney, life-long South Florida resident and concerned citizen, I remain committed to supporting the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its dedicated law enforcement partners as we continue to target the members and associates of drug trafficking and violent criminal enterprises that threaten the public’s safety and security,” stated U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan.  “As evidenced by the handing down of federal charges against 24 defendants today, we stand ready to prosecute those individuals who terrorize our local communities, fuel the narcotics epidemic and endanger the lives of others with gun violence.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Ari Shapira said, “This indictment demonstrates, most clearly, the ATF commitment to reducing violent crime in South Florida.  We will never waver in our efforts to battle the drug-fueled firearms violence that threatens our communities.  I am proud to lead our dedicated law enforcement professionals and applaud their collective collaboration with our partners at all levels of government.  The people of South Florida deserve no less.”

“This success is the product of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies collaborating with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to rid our communities of illegal narcotics and the violence that so often comes with it,” said Miami-Dade Police Department Director Juan J. Perez.  “All of those involved in this investigation worked relentlessly to ensure that everyone responsible would be brought to justice.”  

“The U.S. Marshal Service is thankful to be a part of the law enforcement efforts that brought forth the dismantling of this criminal enterprise,” stated U.S. Marshal Gadyaces Serralta.  “Together with our federal, state, and local partners we have made this community a safer place to live, work and play.”

The federal indictment and ”Motion to Seek Pre-Trial Detention” allege that from approximately December 7, 2013, through on or about October 30, 2018, in Miami-Dade County, Ulysses Cabrera, a/k/a “Uley,” a/k/a “Big Cuz,” 29, and Bernardo Quinonez, a/k/a “Macho,” 30, both of Miami, were the leaders and organizers of the continuing criminal enterprise, the DTO.  Rafael Quinonez, a/k/a “Gigi,” a/k/a “Big Junkz,” 27, Henry Feliciano-Torres, a/k/a “Mafia,” 31, Daniel Quinonez, a/k/a “Julio,” 31 Marvin Melendez-Reyes, a/k/a “Homicide Marvin,” 22, Victor Smith, a/k/a “OGP,” 22, Hector Salgado, a/k/a “Teto,” 18, Issac Leal, a/k/a “Chico Black,” a/k/a “King Felony,” 28, Jose Luis Diaz, a/k/a “Lil Cuz,” 26, Peter Rodriguez, a/k/a “Hot Boy,” 25, Rogelio Ramos, 22, Peter Simo, a/k/a “Worm,” 20, Elizabeth Legon, a/k/a “Eli,” 29, Ricardo Perez-Castro,62 Orlando Lorenzo,52, Roberto Garcia,24, Miguel Haber,34, Pedro Rene Gonzalez, a/k/a “Pete,” 42, Eduardo Bobadilla-Orol, a/k/a “Chupa,” 62, Gilbert Cruz Baez, a/k/a “Bori,” 20, Alain Terry, a/k/a “Youngin,” Ronald Reyes-Melo, a/k/a “Cueyo,” 22, and Charlie Gonzalez, 28, are alleged members and associates of the criminal enterprise.  Rogelio Ramos is an illegal alien from Honduras.  All other defendants charged in the indictment are from Miami.

From as early as 2013, the DTO distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana onto the streets of Little Havana, in Miami-Dade County, Florida and elsewhere.  In November of 2017, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, headed by ATF, began a proactive investigation into the Little Havana based DTO.  The indictment announced today charges members, former members and associates of the DTO with various drug trafficking, money laundering and violent crimes.

According to allegations in the court docket, Cabrera supplied the cocaine and acted as a manager of the DTO.  B. Quinonez oversaw the operation and man-power used to transform the cocaine into crack cocaine and distribution into the streets of Little Havana and elsewhere. Cabrera and B. Quinonez were charged in the indictment with being the principal administrators, organizers, supervisors and leaders of the continuing criminal enterprise, the DTO, and that they earned substantial income and resources from the criminal operation (Count 1). 

The court docket further alleges that co-defendants, including Diaz, P. Rodriguez and R. Quinonez, were mid-level management members of the DTO, who worked to bring the narcotics into the South Florida community for distribution.  R. Quinonez oversaw the distribution of marijuana by the DTO.  Residences in Little Havana and Brickell, within Miami-Dade County, were used to manufacture, consume and distribute the illegal narcotics.  The DTO used the area of 10th Avenue and 4th Street, in Little Havana as their base of operation.  Co-defendants including Feliciano-Torres, D. Quinonez and Smith oversaw the local drug trade, as street-level narcotics distributors including co-defendants Leal, Ramos, Simo, Baez, Haber, Legon and Terry introduced the drugs directly into the community.  Cabrera, B. Quinonez, R. Quinonez, Feliciano-Torres, D. Quinonez, Melendez-Reyes, Smith, Leal, Diaz, Ramos, Simo, Baez and Terry were collectively charged in the indictment with participating in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute the controlled substances (Count 2).

When rival drug dealers threatened the territory controlled by their criminal enterprise or when individuals questioned their authority, Cabrera and B. Quinonez allegedly directed armed members of the charged narcotics conspiracy to intimidate, maim, and in some instances kill others.   As a result, innocent bystanders were shot and sustained serious physical injuries.

The indictment charges specific firearms offenses and violent criminal conduct, including:

Baez, a former member of the DTO turned rival, was charged with committing a drive-by shooting on October 30, 2017, in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy. 

Cabrera, Bernardo Quinonez, Rafael Quinonez, Feliciano-Torres, Daniel Quinonez, Melendez-Reyes, Smith, Leal, Ramos, Simo, Haber and Terry were charged federally for their involvement in a drive-by shooting which occurred on October 31, 2017, November 2 and November 6, 2017, in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Gonzalez, Bobadillo-Orol, Leal, Melendez-Reyes, Reyes-Melo, Gonzalez and Simo were charged with being convicted felons unlawfully in possession of firearms.

Cabrera, Bernardo Quinonez, Rafael Quinonez, Feliciano-Torres, Daniel Quinonez, Melendez-Reyes, Smith, Leal, Ramos, Simo, Haber and Terry were collectively charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking on April 3, 2018.

Cabrera, Bernardo Quinonez, Rafael Quinonez, Feliciano-Torres, Daniel Quinonez, Melendez-Reyes, Smith, Leal, Ramos, Simo, and Haber were also charged with collectively possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking on June 11, 2018. 

Smith and Salgado were charged with committing an armed robbery of a Miami hotel guest on July 10, 2018.

Baez and Terry were charged for their involvement in a drive-by shooting which occurred on July 27, 2018, in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Ramos was charged with being an illegal alien unlawfully in possession of a firearm on September 13, 2018.

            In addition, Cabrera, Bernardo Quinonez, Rodriguez and Diaz were charged with laundering money, in that they allegedly conducted financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce (including the purchase of property), with proceeds of the drug trafficking enterprise. 

Law enforcement seized approximately 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, several grams of crack cocaine, more than 26 pounds of marijuana, 4 assault rifles, 10 pistols, 10 extended magazines, 10 semi-automatic firearms, a short barrel rifle, a revolver and hundreds of rounds of ammunition related to the criminal conduct charged in the indictment.

If convicted of the varied charges set forth in the indictment each defendant will face his/her respective sentencing guidelines.  The maximum penalty for: participating in a continuing criminal enterprise is life in prison; participating in a conspiracy to possess controlled substances with the intent to distribute is life in prison; maintaining an establishment for distribution of controlled substances is 20 years in prison;  possessing  controlled substances with the intent to distribute is 20 years in prison; participating in a conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is life in prison; committing a drive by shooting is 25 years in prison; brandishing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is life  in prison; being a felon in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition is 10 years in prison; participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years in prison; and using a two-way radio to facilitate drug trafficking is 20 years in prison.

This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

This investigation and prosecution was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.  The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations.  The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.

This investigation, Operation Havana Ghost, is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the ATF, MDPD, including the MDPD Street Terror Offender Program (STOP), MPD and U.S. Marshals Service for their dedicated efforts to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in South Florida. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Breezye Telfair.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Eloisa D. Fernandez is handling the forfeiture aspects of this case.

An indictment is a charging instrument containing allegations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Attached: Indictment and United States’ Omnibus Motion to Seek Pre-Trial Detention

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

SAVANNAH, GA– Three men, all illegal alien residents of the United States, have been indicted for plotting the murder of a whistleblower who exposed a scheme to fraudulently employ other illegals.

Brothers Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 49, and Juan Rangel-Rubio, 42, both residents of Rincon, Ga., and Higinio Perez-Bravo, 49, of Savannah, were charged in a federal indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Savannah, announced Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine.

Pablo Rangel-Rubio and Juan Rangel-Rubio are charged with Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; Conspiracy to Kill a Witness; Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; and Money Laundering Conspiracy. Pablo Rangel-Rubio and Perez-Bravo are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder for Hire. Pablo Rangel-Rubio also is charged with three counts of Money Laundering Transactions Over $10,000.

The investigation began with the Aug. 19, 2017 death of Eliud Montoya, 41, who was found shot to death near his home in Garden City, Ga.. Two days before his death, Montoya, a naturalized United States citizen employed by a Savannah-area tree service, had filed a formal complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that Pablo Rubio-Rangel ran a scheme to employ illegal aliens at the tree service, profiting from the company while also skimming pay from the illegal workers. Four months earlier, Montoya also had reported the scheme to company officials.

According to the indictment, authorities allege Pablo Rubio-Rangel paid Perez-Bravo to assist Juan Rubio-Rangel in killing Montoya in retaliation for reporting the conspiracy that is believed to have netted the brothers more than $3.5 million during the approximate 10-year period of the scheme.

“Eliud Montoya was a naturalized citizen of the United States who worked hard and raised a family,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “He went to the proper authorities to report a federal crime and for that he was murdered. Our office is committed to ensuring justice for Eliud Montoya, a man killed for doing the right thing, by those intent on protecting their illegal profits.”

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.

“As Homeland Security Investigations has stated repeatedly – HSI equally focuses its worksite enforcement efforts on those who illegally work in the U.S., as well as the employers who knowingly hire them,” said HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Nick S. Annan. “This case is an extreme, but clear, example of how far certain criminals seeking to illegally exploit the U.S. labor market will go to protect their ill-gotten gains, and illustrates why worksite enforcement will continue to be a major priority for HSI.”

“The FBI is proud to have assisted our fellow federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in making these important arrests,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Citizens who uphold the law and report criminal activity should never have to be afraid of retaliation from those intent on breaking the law.

A criminal indictment contains only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

For any questions, please contact Barry Paschal at the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.

          CONCORD, N.H. - Ariel Mendoza, 26, a citizen of Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty today to theft of mail and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.

          According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2017 to March 2018, several residents of Salem and Manchester, New Hampshire, as well as residents of Lawrence, Massachusetts reported to their local police departments that they had used public mailboxes to mail personal checks or money orders that never were received by the intended recipients.  On November 26, 2017, a video surveillance camera near a public mailbox in front of the U.S. Post Office in Salem captured images of Mendoza and another person as they stole items of from the mailbox.

          In addition, from November 2017 to May 2018, Mendoza and others deposited over $27,000 in stolen checks and money orders to accounts at banks and credit unions in New Hampshire.  After each deposit, Mendoza and the other conspirators obtained the proceeds of the stolen checks by withdrawing cash at ATMs and performing debit card transactions.

          Mendoza will be sentenced on March 29, 2019.  After he completes that sentence, Mendoza faces likely deportation to the Dominican Republic.

          “Crimes such as bank fraud cause financial damage to innocent victims and cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “The theft of mail undermines public confidence in a critical governmental service and must be addressed by aggressive investigation and prosecution.  I want to thank the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Police Departments in Salem, Manchester, and Lawrence.  Their prompt response and thorough investigation of these serious crimes should deter other people from engaging in similar conduct.”

          “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes mail theft very seriously,” said Inspector in Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division.  “Our customers expect their personal information to be kept secure when mailing with the U.S. Postal Service.  Postal Inspectors, along with our local police departments who assisted in this investigation, worked hard to prevent more people from becoming further victimized by this scheme.  These types of crimes cause considerable financial damage and personal inconvenience.”

          The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Salem Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, and the Lawrence, Massachusetts Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Kinsella.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Late on December 12, 2018, a federal grand jury returned indictments charging John Lewis Harrison, a/k/a Binky, age 28; Taurus Tillman, age 29, a/k/a Tosh; and Brandon Wilson, a/k/a Ali, age 24, all of Baltimore, Maryland, on the federal charge of assaulting employees of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) while they were detained and being transported to and from the courtroom during their trial.  

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and United States Marshal for the District of Maryland Johnny Hughes.

“The brave men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service are critical to our justice system and we will not tolerate assaults on them,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.

According to their indictments, from September 17, 2018 through October 31, 2018, a criminal trial was held in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, in the matter of U.S. v. Barronette, et al., before U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake.  Harrison, Tillman, and Wilson were all defendants in the case and were detained before and during the trial.  During the trial, members of the USMS were responsible for transporting the defendants, including Harrison, Tillman, and Wilson, to and from the courtroom.

According to their indictment, on September 21, 2018, Harrison and Tillman assaulted two Deputy U.S. Marshals and a U.S. District Court Security Officer as they were being escorted from the courtroom during a break in the trial.

According to his indictment, on October 31, 2018, Wilson assaulted two officers with the Maryland Department of Correction in the Chesapeake Detention Facility as they attempted to search Wilson prior to his being transported to U.S. District Court for the continuation of his trial.

If convicted of these charges, Harrison, Tillman, and Wilson each face a maximum sentence of eight years in prison.  The defendants remain detained pending an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Marshals Service for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Romano, who is prosecuting the case.

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Jackson, Miss. – Jerrod Domonique Cowards, 25, of Jackson, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Tom S. Lee to serve 37 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. Cowards was also ordered to pay a $1,500.00 fine.

On May 1, 2018, officers with the Clinton Police Department were on patrol in the area of Highway 80 and Shaw Road in Clinton, Mississippi. One officer noticed a silver Ford Fusion on the road without the tag illuminated as required by law. The officer stopped the vehicle and noticed an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The officer ultimately searched the vehicle and found a firearm underneath the front passenger seat where Cowards was sitting. Cowards admitting to possessing the firearm that was found underneath his seat. Cowards had a prior felony conviction from Rankin County Circuit Court in 2011.  

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clinton Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together.”  PSN is program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Former 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.

St. Louis, MO – Jonathan Jamar Dickerson, a/k/a “Los,” 29, of University City, Missouri, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for distributing fentanyl to another person, resulting in a fatal overdose. 

According to court documents, on January 28, 2017, 21-year-old “D.M.” was discovered unresponsive in her bedroom in a family residence in Maryland Heights, MO.  She was pronounced deceased.  D.M. had been last seen by her sister the previous evening.  Next to D.M.’s body on the nightstand was a line of white powder which was neatly prepared.  There were empty gelatin capsules located in D.M.’s trash can. The Office of the St. Louis county Medical Examiner determined that D.M. died of fentanyl intoxication.

A search of D.M.’s phone revealed text messages between her and a person named “Los.”  The text exchange occurred between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on January 27, 2017.  In the text message, D.M. asked “Los” whether she could “get 2?,” to which “Los” responded, “Yea.”  D.M. indicated “Okay omw.”  At 4:27 pm, D.M. advised “Los” via text, “Here.”  Five days after D.M. died, Dickerson continued to send text messages to others advertising fentanyl.

During a search of Dickerson’s apartment, police located numerous items consistent with the distribution of heroin and fentanyl.  They also located dozens of gelatin capsules that were identical to the ones located in D.M.’s trash.  Police later discovered video footage of the parking lot of the Overland apartment complex at which Dickerson had been living. The video clearly showed Dickerson and D.M. meeting in the parking lot on the afternoon of D.M.’s death.

Dickerson was arrested on February 3, 2017.  Laboratory tests on the line of white powder revealed it to be a combination of heroin and fentanyl.

Dickerson pled guilty in August to one felony count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White.  In his comments to the Court, Dickerson claimed that he was the victim of an unfair prosecution.  “Dickerson is not a victim and thanks to the Maryland Heights police department he will spend a mandatory minimum 20 year sentence in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen. 

This case was investigated by the Maryland Heights Police Department.

MACON— A Dublin, Georgia man was sentenced to 240 months in prison for spearheading an organized interstate pimping ring, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Jesse Lee Hall, Jr., 39 of Dublin, pled guilty in May to one (1) count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, five (5) counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity and one (1) count of inducement to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity. The Honorable Marc T. Treadwell sentenced Mr. Hall, Jr. on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 to a total of 240 months imprisonment and five (5) years of supervised release for his crimes. In addition, co-defendant Lantesia Lanier, 41, of Dublin, Georgia was sentenced to twelve (12) months in prison and one (1) year supervised release on a charge of misleading law enforcement about her knowledge of the enterprise.

According to the plea agreement, Mr. Hall, Jr., acted as a pimp for several victims. The first victim was identified by law enforcement at a Macon hotel in June 2016. The victim told authorities that Mr. Hall, Jr. was her pimp and that she met him through the internet, and her convinced her to move from Ohio to Georgia. The victim was forced by Mr. Hall, Jr. to perform commercial sex acts in hotels throughout central Georgia. During the investigation, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office received new information that Mr. Hall, Jr. was trafficking other women for sex. A second victim confirmed that Mr. Hall, Jr. was her pimp and that she had worked for him from approximately July 2013 until February 2016.  Mr. Hall, Jr. advertised her services on the website Backpage.com and transported her to hotels inside and outside Georgia for commercial sex acts. A third victim was also identified and was required to perform commercial sex acts throughout central Georgia. All three victims detailed various threats from Mr. Hall, Jr. to force them to perform commercial sex acts. The victims told law enforcement that Ms. Lanier, along with co-defendants Curtis Hall and Jackie Fields, had knowledge of the operation and participated in it to varying degrees. Mr. Hall and Ms. Fields will be sentenced at a later date.

“This pimp will serve 20 years in prison for selling people for sex. Human trafficking is a deplorable offense, and its victims are usually the most vulnerable people in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Charles “Charlie” Peeler. “We will continue to make human trafficking a major priority for the Office, and appreciate the investigative work of the FBI, Bibb, Laurens, and Bleckley County Sheriff’s Offices in this case.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, with support from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Bleckley County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case for the Government.

Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.

United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced ADAM C. METEVIA, a 22 year-old resident of Baton Rouge, to 27 months in federal prison following his conviction of possessing a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.  The Court further sentenced METEVIA to 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and also ordered that the firearm and ammunition possessed by METEVIA be forfeited.

On November 14, 2017, Baton Rouge Police Department responded to a McDonalds near the corner of Scenic Hwy. and Harding Blvd. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  A complainant advised that METEVIA entered the McDonalds, walked behind the counter to the kitchen area, and raised up his shirt, exposing a handgun tucked into his waistband.  When the BRPD officers arrived at the McDonalds, they observed a male, later identified as METEVIA, matching the description of the suspect in possession of a large revolver.  Upon apprehension, officers retrieved the firearm and also discovered twenty-one rounds of .ammunition in his pockets.  METEVIA was previously convicted in East Baton Rouge Parish of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, a felony.

U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “Firearms in the hands of convicted felons will not be tolerated in this jurisdiction.  I want to thank my prosecutors, the ATF, and the Baton Rouge Police Department for bringing this defendant to justice.”

ATF Resident Agent-in-Charge Antonio L. Pittman stated, “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with our Federal, State, and Local Law enforcement partners continue to serve our communities by focusing our efforts on removing armed, violent offenders from our streets. We work diligently to protect our citizens by presenting relevant investigative work to our Middle District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal prosecution.”

This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Baton Rouge Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brad Casey.

United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced DEMARCUS FLEMING, a 38 year-old resident of Baton Rouge, to 115 months in federal prison following his conviction of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.  The Court further sentenced FLEMING to 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm be forfeited.

On July 5, 2017, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a “disturbance with shots fired,” at a residence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  As they did so, the deputies, via their investigation, determined that FLEMING possessed the firearm which they located on the ground in front of the residence.   FLEMING was previously convicted in East Baton Rouge Parish of possession of cocaine and attempted possession of a firearm, felony offenses.  The Court stated in part for the reasoning, “The Court has an absolute obligation to protect the community and, based on your drug use and behavior in the past, it is not a stretch for the Court to find that you pose a serious risk to the public.”

U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “Our office works hard to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted felons, and this is an example of what can be achieved when federal, state, and local agencies work together. I want to thank our prosecutors, the ATF, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office for their efforts.”

ATF Resident Agent-in-Charge Antonio L. Pittman stated, “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with our Federal, State, and Local Law enforcement partners continue to serve our communities by focusing our efforts on removing armed violent offenders from our streets. We work diligently to protect our citizens by presenting relevant investigative work to our Middle District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal prosecution. The arrest and prosecution of Mr. Fleming is one example of the great work we are doing in our district.”

“This indictment is one example of the collaboration of local, state and federal agencies to get dangerous criminals and weapons off our streets. The EBR Sheriff's Office is committed to continuing to work with all our law enforcement counterparts to ensure the safety of our residents.  I'm grateful to the U.S. Attorney's Office for their hard work and dedication in prosecuting these cases that our agents have worked so hard to develop,” stated EBR Sheriff Sid Gautreaux.

This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Jefferson.

PITTSBURGH - After deliberating for approximately one hour, on December 12, 2018, a federal jury of six men and six women found Juan Wilquin Hernandez-Bourdier guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and possession of heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Hernandez-Bourdier was tried before United States District Judge Reggie B. Walton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt who prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that on January 26, 2016, Hernandez-Bourdier was the front seat passenger in a 2002 Honda Odyssey minivan as it travelled eastbound across Route 80 in Western Pennsylvania. Because the windows were darkly tinted and the vehicle changed lanes without signaling, Trooper Reed Grenci stopped the vehicle. Grenci, a trained interdiction officer, noted many signs that the two occupants may possibly be smuggling illegal items or money and requested permission to search the vehicle. Since Trooper Grenci knew that the same type of vehicles had resulted in police locating a hidden aftermarket compartment in the rear bumper area, he went under the rear of the vehicle and observed the "trap". Once the hydraulically-operated trap was opened, it was found to hold four rectangular blocks which contained a total of 4,195 grams of heroin. The word "Ferrari" and the Ferrari horse symbol were found to be stamped into the kilograms of heroin. The outer layers of wrapping on those blocks consisted of coffee grounds and plastic wrap.

Lab analysis located two fingerprints of the driver on the kilogram packages and a box of plastic wrap and coffee grounds were contained within a backpack in the van. Lab analysis of a toothbrush in the backpack with the coffee grounds and plastic wrap revealed the DNA of Hernandez-Bourdier. The trial included evidence that the driver and passenger were related by marriage and that they were both originally from the Dominican Republic, but were living in the greater New York City area.

A Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) testified that a gram of heroin (for comparison’s sake, it was noted that in court that one gram is the same amount in a common package of coffee sweetener) contains approximately 50 "stamp bags," or single serving dosage units of heroin, and that while many factors can affect the price of a stamp bag, single bags are commonly sold for approximately $10 each in Western Pennsylvania. As such, the amount of heroin located would be nearly 210,000 stamp bags worth more than $2 million on the street.

The driver of the vehicle, Habys Meran, while on house arrest, cut off his house arrest bracelet and fled. He is currently a wanted fugitive and individuals with information regarding his whereabouts may contact the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Unit at 412-644-6627. All individuals may remain anonymous and monetary rewards are possible.

Judge Walton scheduled sentencing for May 10, 2019 at 11 a.m., after the preparation of a Pre-Sentence Report by the United States Probation Office. In most circumstances, the law provides for a total sentence of at least 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court remanded the defendant to jail in the custody of the United States Marshals Service.

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) joined forces to conduct the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hernandez-Bourdier, with the valuable assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as laboratory analysis by the PSP and HSI labs.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TOSHIREA JACKSON, 49, of Bridgeport, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of health care fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in January 2012, Jackson and Juliet Jacob operated two businesses, Transitional Development And Training (TDAT), and It Takes A Promise (ITAP), both located at 360 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, which provided social and psychotherapy services.  The investigation revealed that Jackson and Jacob used ITAP and TDAT to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were never provided.  As part of their scheme, Jackson and Jacob used the Medicaid provider numbers of two licensed health care providers who had neither rendered nor supervised any of the psychotherapy services that Jackson and Jacob billed to Medicaid.  Jackson, and the two licensed providers, were employees of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS).  The two providers did not authorize Jackson or Jacob to obtain provider numbers for them at TDAT or ITAP, and were not aware that TDAT or ITAP were billing Medicaid as if the providers had personally rendered the psychotherapy services. 

The investigation further revealed that, in March 2012, Nikkita Chesney, who was employed by a health care provider that provided substance abuse treatment, including a detoxification program in Bridgeport, began to steal the personal identification information of Medicaid clients who were patients of her employer.  The personal identifying information included the patients’ Medicaid identification number, Social Security Numbers and dates of birth.  Jackson, Jacob, and Chesney then used the stolen identity information to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services purportedly provided by TDAT and ITAP, when the Medicaid clients had never received any such services from TDAT or ITAP.

In pleading guilty, Jackson admitted that the scheme involved stealing the identity of more than 150 Medicaid clients, and that she and her co-conspirators successfully billed Medicaid for approximately half of those clients.  Jackson further admitted that she and her co-conspirators also billed Medicaid for services to other clients that were never provided to those clients.

When she is sentenced, Jackson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  She also has agreed to a restitution order of $2,496,618.  A sentencing date is not scheduled.

Jackson is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.

On October 18, 2018, Jacob pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud for her role in this scheme and a separate Medicaid fraud scheme.  October 23, 2018, Chesney pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.  Both await sentencing.

Five other individuals have been charged and convicted of health care fraud offenses as a result of this and related investigations.

This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon and Auditor Susan Spiegel.

This case is being jointly investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.  U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the Connecticut Department of Social Services for their role in identifying the fraudulent scheme and supporting the investigation and prosecution of the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chief State’s Attorney’s Office and Attorney General’s Office meet regularly as part of The Medicaid Fraud Working Group.  The Working Group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI.  The Working Group reviews pending issues and cases, identifies trends that might indicate fraudulent activity, and coordinates efforts for maximum results.

People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.