NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man, previously convicted in state court of six felonies, was found guilty in federal court today of being a felon in possession of a handgun, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jamar Battle, 31, was convicted after a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The jury deliberated two hours before delivering the guilty verdict.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

On the evening of July 4, 2018, Battle was involved in an argument with his girlfriend and was waiting for her outside of her home. After she arrived near her home, Battle fired six shots at the car she had been riding in as it pulled away. He did not hit his intended target, but did hit a 5-year old girl who had been walking with her father after watching a neighborhood fireworks display. The child survived the shooting but suffered a major injury that required immediate medical attention.

Prior to this shooting, Battle had been convicted of six felonies. In 2015, Battle was sentenced to New Jersey State Prison on two firearms offenses and had just been released from prison in May 2018.

The count on which Battle was convicted is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 21, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited law enforcement officers of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose; special agents of the Department of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens 2^nd, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty verdict.

The government was represented by Senior Trial Counsel Robert Frazer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Naazneen Khan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.

     PHOENIX – On Jan. 23, 2019, Sonny James Garcia, 35, of the San Carlos Apache Indian Community, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 15 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Garcia had previously pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.  

     On Feb. 15, 2015, San Carlos Police Officers found Garcia in possession of a sawed-off shotgun near his home on the San Carlos Apache Indian Community. Garcia was not legally permitted to possess firearms due to two previous felony convictions in the Superior Court of Arizona, Gila County.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the San Carlos Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Simon, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:         CR-18-816-PHX-DJH    

RELEASE NUMBER:    2019-003_ Garcia

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

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

BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with his participation in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. 

Angel Milciades Santana Polanco, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2018, Santana Polanco pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than 400 grams or more of fentanyl. 

According to court records, as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, law enforcement agents intercepted phones used by Wareng Jhonny Villar-Ortiz and another member of the conspiracy, both of whom are also Dominican nationals.  Agents determined that Villar-Ortiz was a mid-level drug distributor, who had received a kilogram of fentanyl in late January 2018. The intercepted calls further established that Villar-Ortiz arranged for Santana Polanco, who was typically a distributor for Villar-Ortiz, to test the drugs. Santana Polanco found three individuals, gave the drugs to them, and then reported back to Villar-Ortiz how the individuals responded to the drugs. 

Between Feb. 8 and Feb. 12, 2018, agents intercepted communications between Santana Polanco and Villar-Ortiz in which Santana Polanco offered to supply Villar-Ortiz with a kilogram of drugs. Villar-Ortiz took possession of the drugs in order to test the quality before deciding whether to purchase them. On Feb. 15, 2018, Villar-Ortiz reported that the drugs were unacceptable and made arrangements for Santana Polanco to retrieve them. A search of Villar-Ortiz’s residence resulted in the seizure of 978.6 grams of fentanyl from a hiding spot in the bathroom wall. 

Court records indicate that Santana Polanco entered the United States illegally. After serving his sentence, he will be subject to deportation proceedings. Villar-Ortiz pleaded guilty on Jan. 11, 2019, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 5, 2019.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, made the announcement today.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Ipswich, and Arlington Police Departments.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

     PHOENIX – On Jan. 14, 2019, Levian D. Pacheco, 25, of Phoenix, Ariz, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 19 years’ imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release.  Pacheco was previously convicted by a federal jury of seven counts of abusive sexual contact with a ward and three counts of sexual abuse of a ward.  The statutory maximum sentence for sexual abuse of a ward is 15 years in prison and the statutory maximum for abusive sexual contact with a ward is 2 years in prison.  U.S. District Court Judge Logan ordered several of Pacheco’s counts to run consecutively.

     The evidence at trial showed that between August 2016 and July 2017, Pacheco sexually abused numerous teenage boys at the Casa Kokopelli Southwest Key Facility in Mesa, Ariz.  The minors were being held in official detention in these facilities pending possible deportation.  Pacheco was employed as a youth care worker at the facility and was in charge of supervising the minors.  The jury convicted Pacheco of sexually abusing seven victims, some on more than one occasion.  The acts involved over the clothes touching of the boys’ genitalia, as well as other sexual abuse. Pacheco’s sentence was increased due to the fact that he exposed some of his victims to the HIV virus.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, as well as the Mesa Police Department.  The prosecution was handled by Dimitra H. Sampson and Tracy Van Buskirk, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:         CR-17-1152-PHX-SPL

RELEASE NUMBER:    2019-002_Pacheco

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

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that John Kelvin Conner, 62, was convicted today by a jury of 19 counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to federal agents. The defendant, an attorney, devised and participated in a scheme to defraud an elderly woman out of more than $95,000 so that he could gamble with her money at casinos.

In July 2016, the 85-years old victim signed a Power of Attorney (“POA”) agreement with the defendant that granted him authority to manage the victim’s finances and pay her bills. At the time, the victim lived at home, but required the assistance of multiple caregivers, and her only source of income was a monthly pension. The defendant used the POA agreement to liquidate a life annuity policy that the victim owned, deposit the proceeds into one of her bank accounts, and siphon nearly all of that money for his personal use at casinos.

From August 16, 2016 until April 22, 2017, the defendant used an ATM card to make at least 176 unauthorized withdrawals totaling at least $95,688 from the victim’s bank account at Pennsylvania and New Jersey casinos. During this time, the defendant neglected to pay the victim’s bills, which led to the victim temporarily losing basic utilities like heat, hot water, electricity, and telephone services. Additionally, many checks paid to the home caregivers were returned because of insufficient balances in the victim’s checking account. When questioned by FBI agents about the ATM withdrawals, the defendant falsely told the agents that the victim had authorized him to use her money to gamble at casinos.

“The defendant’s conduct in this case was egregious,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Stealing an elderly woman’s life-savings, gambling it away at casinos, and then lying about it to federal agents by pretending that he had permission to throw away the victim’s savings so that she couldn’t even afford her necessities – it is hard to fathom that an individual would choose to commit these crimes. We are grateful that the jury saw through the defendant’s lies and held him accountable.”

“For anyone with elderly loved ones, this is the nightmare scenario,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “John Conner’s victim was utterly vulnerable, and he took full advantage – robbing her blind to hit the casinos, frittering away her money as her own bills went unpaid. It’s unconscionable. The FBI will never stop working to protect the public from criminals like this, and we’re gratified to see him brought to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff.

NEW BERN– United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced BONDURANT AKEEM RUFFIN, 34, of Wilson, NC, to 69 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years supervised release.  On August 15, 2018, following a three day jury trial before United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan, a jury found RUFFIN guilty of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack). 

According to the investigation, on November 24, 2016, the Wilson Police Department began investigating a vehicle break-in.  They utilized a canine to conduct a tracking of the vehicle break-in suspect and encountered RUFFIN near a handicap ramp at a home.  Close to RUFFIN, underneath the handicap ramp, was a bag that was later determined to contain 879 grams of powder cocaine and 74 grams of cocaine base (crack).  This bag also contained a digital scale, a spoon and packaging materials.  At the time of his arrest, RUFFIN possessed over $2,000 in U.S. currency.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Wilson Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Dena King prosecuted the case for the government.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Matthew G.T. Martin, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, presented awards to representatives from three local law enforcement agencies for their outstanding accomplishments during the year. Individual awards were presented to Detective Chrystal Overcash of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office and Detective David Walker of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. An award for outstanding law enforcement agency was presented to the Burlington Police Department Gang and Violent Crimes Unit.

Award recipient: Detective Chrystal Overcash, Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

While assigned as a Task Force Officer to the Treasury Office of Inspector General, Detective Chrystal Overcash was instrumental in the prosecution of Kimberly Hobson. Hobson defrauded High Point Regional Hospital, using her position in the hospital’s financial department, embezzling almost 4 million dollars from the hospital, to the detriment of the hospital and the community it serves.

Thanks in large part to Detective Overcash’s efforts, the federal prosecution of Hobson was successful. Hobson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 102 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $3.8M in restitution. In addition, we were able to seize and forfeit the cash in Hobson’s bank accounts, 12 vehicles (including 2 in Romania), numerous items of personal property, and Hobson’s residence.

Award recipient: Detective David Walker, Orange County Sheriff’s Office

During 2018, while assigned as a Task Force Officer to the Drug Enforcement Administration/Raleigh Office, Detective Walker served as the primary agent on the Roderick Lamar Sanford investigation. Sanford and four coconspirators were engaged in the distribution of heroin (often, laced with Fentanyl) in and around Durham, NC from 2014 until their arrests last year.

The investigation was complicated by the fact that the main cooperating witness (CW) in the case was a recovering heroin addict who experienced relapses in sobriety on at least two occasions during the investigation (and was arrested at least once by Alamance Co. LEOs). The CW’s continued drug use and arrest impacted the CW’s credibility as a witness. Det. Walker expended dozens of hours gathering evidence which corroborated information provided by the CW (as well as other cooperating codefendants), as well as evidence of Sanford’s attempts to intimidate the CW into recanting statements against him.

For purposes of sentencing in his case, Sanford is being held accountable for conspiring to distribute over 20 kilograms of heroin between 2014 and 2018.

Award recipient: City of Burlington Police Department Gang and Violent Crimes Unit

This award recognizes a law enforcement agency for outstanding unit accomplishments during the award period. The criteria included:

• Evidence of the unit’s ability to successfully combat gang activity

• The creation or development of innovative gang enforcement strategies

• Mission accomplishments and successes at the unit level resulting in a decrease in gang activity

The Burlington Police Department Gang & Violent Crimes Unit (GVCU) was formed during the summer of 2016 in response to multiple gang-related violent crimes that created an unprecedented wave of violence within the Burlington jurisdiction. GVCU has been extremely successful in addressing and minimizing gang activity in Burlington by solving cases of gang violence, witness intimidation, and organized crime related to gang activity.

Officers involved in the GVCU activities and investigations detailed below include Adam Snow, JT Theriault, Al Smith, Sergeant J. Light, Lt. Alan Balog, and Capt. Bret Currie.

During the month of October 2017, GVCU investigators solved a series of four Blood gang-related shootings into occupied dwellings where two gang members were shot during separate shootings in Burlington. These crimes led to the seizure of four firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition from a convicted felon.

During the month of November 2017, GVCU investigators solved a gang/drug-related homicide that occurred in Burlington, which occurred due to a Blood gang member owing a drug debt to a Folk Nation gang member.

During the month of December 2017, GVCU investigators solved a gang/drug-related home invasion from Burlington that resulted in the seizure of a bulletproof vest, 700+ rounds of ammunition, and 4 firearms from Blood gang members, who are also convicted felons. GVCU investigators solved a gang/drug-related murder from Burlington, which occurred during a drug deal between Crip gang members and Blood gang members. Ultimately, three convicted felons were arrested and charged with murder, including the shooter.

During the month of April 2018, GVCU investigators solved a gang-related shooting in the parking lot of a sweepstakes business in Burlington. GVCU investigators also solved a Blood gang-related murder and robbery at a sweepstakes business where the security guard was shot to death inside the business during the robbery. Additionally, all persons inside the business besides a female employee were viciously and ruthlessly beat with a firearm during the robbery by the shooter. Intelligence learned during this investigation showed that this crime was for the benefit of the Blood gang, and for newly drafted gang members to earn rank in the Blood gang.

Between October 2017 and April 2018, the City of Burlington experienced an approximate 80% reduction in reports of firearms being discharged in the city, an approximate 80% reduction in reports of firearms being discharged into occupied dwellings, and a total reduction of gun-related crime by approximately 83% in the City of Burlington. These crimes are all common indicators of underlying gang problems, which often physically appear as gun- related crimes. Additionally, the City of Burlington experienced approximately three months in early 2018 without a single homicide occurring, which has not happened in Burlington for at least the last decade.

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PROVIDENCE - A Massachusetts man identified by law enforcement as the primary contact between a major international heroin and fentanyl source of supply in the Dominican Republic and a three-state New England drug trafficking operation based primarily in Rhode Island was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr.

Vladimir Arias, 33, of Peabody, Mass., is identified in court documents as a trusted courier of an individual in the Dominican Republic known as The Maestro, a significant heroin and fentanyl supplier. Arias was responsible for moving significant quantities of heroin and fentanyl into New England, and collecting tens of thousands of dollars at a time from a drug trafficking operation which operated primarily from stash houses in Cranston and Woonsocket, R.I.

According to court documents, the drug trafficking operation was organized and directed by three brothers, Juan, Claudio and Hector Valdez. The Valdez drug trafficking operation supplied heroin and fentanyl to mid-level drug dealers and street dealers in the greater Providence and Boston areas and in Hartford, Conn.

Arias, who was among many individuals whose drug trafficking activities in connection with the Valdez Brothers drug trafficking operation were being monitored, was arrested during a traffic stop on Interstate Route 95 in Rhode Island on April 10, 2017. Agents had just watched him accept a return of heroin from Juan Valdez. Nearly a kilogram of heroin in 10-gram packages for redistribution was found hidden in a crudely constructed hide in the motor vehicle. That heroin was the remainder of a full kilogram that Arias had delivered to JuanValdez four days earlier. The Maestro agreed to accept return of the heroin because Valdezwas not satisfied with the quality of the drug.

Lab testing confirmed that Arias had 858.81 grams of heroin in his possession at the time of his arrest. A court-authorized search of his Massachusetts residence resulted in the seizure of $33,959 that was found hidden in a couch. The $33,959.00 converts to the value of 606.41 grams of heroin.

Arias's sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

During the course of the investigation, dubbed by law enforcement as Operation Triple Play, which the FBI Safe Streets Task Force launched in September 2016,the investigation into the Valdez Drug Trafficking Operation resulted in the purchases or seizures of laboratory tested and confirmed controlled substances totaling approximately 142g of crack cocaine, 1,654g of cocaine, 3,836g of heroin (of which 2,183.3g contained fentanyl), 3,493g of fentanyl, and more than 137 lbs. (62 kilograms) of cutting agents.

Operation Triple Play is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation initiated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Under the direction of the FBI, the participating agencies in this investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration (Providence and Boston Resident Agencies), Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, Central Falls Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Warwick Police Department, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.

Claudio Valdez was sentenced on November 28, 2018, to 20 years in federal prison. Juan Valdez was sentenced on December 14, 2018, to 20 years in federal prison. Hector Valdez was sentenced January 18, 2019, to 108 months in federal prison.

The Valdez brothers, all Dominican nationals, reentered the country illegally after having been previously convicted of felony drug crimes and deported. Juan Valdez reentered the country illegally on at least four occasions. Immigration detainers have been lodged against all three.

Arias admitted to law enforcement that he had entered the country through Mexico illegally. An immigration detainer has been lodged against him.

Operation Triple Play cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Ferland, Ronald A. Gendron, and Richard W. Rose.

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WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today reached a settlement agreement with Honda Aircraft Company LLC (Honda Aircraft), a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co. Inc., and subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. Ltd., that manufactures and sells business jet aircrafts. The settlement resolves a claim that Honda Aircraft, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, refused to consider or hire certain work-authorized non-U.S. citizens because of their citizenship status, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act’s (INA) anti-discrimination provision.

The Department’s independent investigation determined that between August 2015 and December 2016, Honda Aircraft published at least 25 job postings that unlawfully required applicants to have a specific citizenship status to be considered for the vacancies. The Department concluded that the company’s unlawful practice of restricting job vacancies to U.S. citizens and in some cases, to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPR), was based on a misunderstanding of the requirements under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The discriminatory job postings were published on Honda Aircraft’s website and several third-party websites.

“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that employers do not unlawfully exclude non-U.S. citizens because of their citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “Employers who are subject to the ITAR or the EAR should carefully review their responsibilities under anti-discrimination statutes.”

The ITAR regulates specific exports of defense articles and services, and – absent State Department authorization – limits access to certain sensitive information to “U.S. persons,” which are defined as U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, asylees, and refugees. The EAR similarly regulates commercial goods and technology that could have military applications. The EAR limits access to export-controlled technology and information to “U.S. persons” absent authorization from the Department of Commerce.  Neither the ITAR nor the EAR requires or authorizes employers to hire only U.S. citizens and LPRs. Employers that limit their hiring to U.S. citizens and/or LPRs without legal justification may violate the INA’s anti-discrimination provision.

Under the settlement agreement, Honda Aircraft will pay a civil penalty of $44,626, and remove all specific citizenship requirements from current and future job postings unless they are authorized by law. The agreement also requires certain employees to attend training on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision and ensure that trained personnel review future job advertisements.  

The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from discriminating in hiring or recruiting or referring for a fee based on a person’s citizenship, immigration status, or national origin.  In the absence of a legal basis (such as a law, regulation, or government contract that requires U.S. citizenship restrictions), employers, recruiters and referrers for a fee may not limit job opportunities or otherwise impose barriers to employment based on an individual’s citizenship or immigration status. By requiring a specific citizenship status as a condition of employment, Honda Aircraft’s job postings created discriminatory barriers for work-authorized individuals and unlawfully excluded U.S. nationals, asylees, refugees, and, in some cases, LPRs.

The Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.

More information on how employers can avoid unlawful citizenship status discrimination is available here.  For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.  Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.

Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; or discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify) based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin; or retaliation can file a charge or contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.

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“Our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors continue to target violent crime and drug distribution networks that threaten our communities,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “As these indictments demonstrate, last year’s announcement of major arrests in CBV wasn’t the end of those efforts; it was just the beginning – and we won’t stop until every law-abiding resident is free from fear.”

“ATF considers Savannah Police Department a critical partner in its long-term mission of removing violent criminals and narcotics traffickers from our communities,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Pennington and Joe McCool are prosecuting the cases for the United States. 

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

OKLAHOMA CITY – MARTIN ROCHA, 56, a resident of Caddo County, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Robert J. Troester of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  The sentence took into account Rocha’s having used the firearm to shoot a woman in Indian Country.

According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed in federal court on May 19, 2018, officers with the Binger Police Department and the Caddo County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Law Enforcement after a 911 call reported Rocha’s shooting of a woman with a Winchester 30-30 rifle.  According to the affidavit, Rocha was estranged from his wife and was not allowed to live with her.  The investigation determined that Rocha drove up to the residence, got out of his car, and fired a single shot that caused life-threatening injuries to the victim, a neighbor.  The woman survived but suffered permanent injuries.  Rocha has been in custody since May 18, 2018, the day of the shooting.

On June 20, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Rocha.  He was charged with assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and using a firearm during a crime of violence.  The assault charges were federal crimes because the indictment alleges the victim is an Indian and the shooting took place in Indian Country.  More specifically, the affidavit identified the victim as an Indian and also stated that Rocha is not an Indian.

On September 6, 2018, Rocha pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum punishment of ten years in prison.  In a plea agreement, he acknowledged he used the firearm to commit another crime.  He also stipulated to advisory sentencing guideline calculations that took the circumstances of the incident and the victim’s injuries into account.

Chief U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Rocha yesterday to 108 months, or nine years, in federal prison.  He will be on supervised release for three years after his prison term.  The court ordered him to pay $67,747.71 in restitution for medical expenses and announced that further restitution proceedings will take place on April 29, 2019.

These charges are the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with assistance from the Binger Police Department and the Caddo County Sheriff’s Office.  Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvo Mikkanen, the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on the most violent offenders and partners with local prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  To enhance local effectiveness, the Western District of Oklahoma has emphasized prosecution of federal gun crimes connected to domestic violence.

Reference is made to public filings for further information.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to nearly three years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

According to court documents, Brendyn J. Andrew, 27, of Gaithersburg, aided by a co-conspirator, used hundreds of stolen credit and debit card accounts to steal more than $150,000. In one part of the fraud scheme, Andrew obtained a full-size snack vending machine and created multiple bogus shell companies to pose as a legitimate snack-vending merchant. He then used his computer to encode stolen credit and debit card numbers onto blank cards, and executed fictitious transactions by swiping the newly encoded cards through the vending machine’s credit card payment terminal. Since the fictitious transactions appeared to be legitimate vending charges, Andrew caused the victim financial institutions to charge customers and electronically transfer the proceeds into accounts Andrew controlled. 

Court documents also show that Andrew and his co-conspirator used stolen credit and debit card numbers and customer account information to make numerous fraudulent purchases from various merchants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Those fraudulent purchases included a 50-round ammunition drum from a Northern Virginia firearms retailer.

Andrew carried out the scheme while on probation, and he continued the fraud despite multiple fraud arrests in Maryland and Virginia.

In addition to the sentence of 33 months in prison, Andrew was ordered to forfeit a 2013 Mercedes Benz, a handgun, and firearms accessories, items he had purchased with proceeds from the fraud.  Andrew also was ordered to pay restitution.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and M. Jay Farr, Arlington County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard O. Evans prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-378.

SAN JUAN, P.R. – After five days of jury trial, Dr. Guillermo Tirado-Menéndez entered a straight guilty plea to Count one - conspiracy to distribute and dispense at least 70,000 units of Oxycodone (Percocet) and at least 40,000 units of Alprazolam (Xanax) and Count three - possession with intent to dispense at least 70,000 units of Oxycodone (Percocet) and at least 40,000 units of Alprazolam (Xanax) outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. United States District Court Judge Francisco A. Besosa presided over the case.

Tirado would use his license to prescribe Percocet and Xanax to individuals who would come to his office seeking Percocet and Xanax without performing a medical examination. He commonly referred to his patients as “Los Cristianos” because they were methadone addicts seeking more drugs. He would typically charge $100 per script. With these convictions, this doctor will no longer be able to use his medical license and DEA controlled substances license to serve as a drug pusher. Both will be forfeited as a result of the conviction.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marc Chattah and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadia Y. Pineda. The defendant faces a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years, a fine not to exceed one million dollars and a term of supervised release of not less than three years. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 2, 2019.

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United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that two additional individuals have been sentenced to federal prison following their convictions in Operation Dirty Bird, an extensive federal, state, and local investigation aimed at dismantling a large scale heroin trafficking network based in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas. The indictment charged individuals with significant drug trafficking, racketeering, firearm, and conspiracy charges.  To date, investigative efforts have resulted in the seizure of over one and a half kilograms of heroin, substantial amounts of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and oxycodone. As a result of this operation, authorities have also seized seven firearms, over $314,000 in drug proceeds, and three vehicles allegedly used in the drug trafficking venture: a 2013 Porsche 911, a Mercedes CLS550, and a GMC Hummer. To date, 11 defendants have been sentenced, two defendants are pending sentencing, and two defendants are awaiting trial.

U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced JABLONSKI HANKTON a/k/a “Blossy,” “Blasky,” and“Blosky,” age 37, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to 95 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and unlawful use of a communications facility.  The Court also sentenced HANKTON to 4 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, HANKTON bought heroin from Jason Muse to sell to others in and around Ascension Parish.  Furthermore, HANKTON used a telephone on numerous occasions to discuss the distribution of heroin with Jason Muse. 

DENMOND SMITH, age 39, of St. James, Louisiana was charged by indictment in the Middle District of Louisiana for conspiracy to distribute heroin, and unlawful use of communication facilities.  SMITH was also charged by indictment in the Southern District of Mississippi, Northern Division for conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.  SMITH was sentenced in both matters by U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to 120 months in federal prison in each case, to run concurrently.  The Court also sentenced SMITH to 5 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.   

According to admissions made as part of his guilty pleas, SMITH admitted to buying heroin from Jason Muse to sell to others in and around Ascension Parish and traveling to McComb, Mississippi, from Louisiana with an accomplice for the purpose of purchasing methamphetamine. 

U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “The success of this operation demonstrates what federal authorities, working across state boundaries and alongside our state and local partners can accomplish.  We will continue to use all available resources to stop the flow of these deadly drugs to our streets.  The people of this District, and in this case the people of Ascension Parish, deserve nothing less. I want to thank our prosecutors and our federal, state, and local partners for their efforts.”

“Federal and local law enforcement has successfully collaborated in order to put these drug dealers in jail as a result of their desire to supply the citizens in the greater Baton Rouge area with heroin and methamphetamine, said DEA Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Arnett.  “DEA will remain relentless in our efforts to cripple these dealers and remove them from our neighborhoods, keeping our communities safe.”

This operation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Baton Rouge City Police Department, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, and the Gonzales Police Department.  This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kleinpeter, who also serves as a deputy criminal chief.

The investigation is another effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program that was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers.  Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.  The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. 

            WASHINGTON – Ronnie Bryant, 54, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for a series of incidents in which he stole or attempted to steal wallets at hotels and office buildings, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Bryant was found guilty by a jury in November 2018 of a total of 12 theft and credit card fraud charges. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable José M. López. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, for years, Bryant has dressed professionally and entered hotels, office buildings and conference centers in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia and stolen unattended wallets and purses. In this case, he was found guilty of three such incidents between January 25, 2016 and February 3, 2016: stealing a wallet from a private office at a downtown Washington hotel, stealing a wallet from an office at the Georgetown University Law Center, and attempting to steal a purse from beneath a conference table at another downtown hotel. A hotel security guard spotted him in that incident, leading to Bryant’s arrest.

            After the first two thefts, Bryant traveled quickly to an area where he could make as many charges as possible in a sort time. From purchasing gift cards to gas, he racked up hundreds of dollars in charges within an hour or two. All told, over an eight-day period, his crimes led to $2,000 in missing cash and fraudulent credit card charges.

            Not counting this case, Bryant has been convicted of crimes stemming from at least 21 separate incidents. He most recently was incarcerated for similar crimes in Virginia.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department officers and detectives who investigated the case. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Elizabeth Trosman, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cynthia Walicki-Chan, Lauren Bates, and Chrisellen Kolb; Liaison and Operations Manager Linda McDonald; Paralegal Specialist Tierra Nanches, Rochelle Mills, Donice Adams, Crystal Waddy, and Lynda Randolph; former Law Clerk Caroline Quill; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim; Victim/Witness Service Coordinators La June Thames and Tonya Jones.

            Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Floyd and Kaitlin Vaillancourt, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that multiple Project Safe Childhood (PSC) defendants appeared in federal court this week. 

“Project Safe Childhood cases are a significant priority for my office,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “These crimes are horrific and we will do everything within our power to protect children from the likes of the defendants that appeared in court this week. Crimes against children are epidemic in the nation today. The children of this district have no better champion than my office. We will continue to fight for them every single day and we will do all we can to protect our kids from the monsters that prey upon them.” 

Douglas James Allmon, 51, of Canton, Ohio, pled guilty before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin to attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.  Allman admitted that during August and September 2018 he communicated via text message with a minor he believed to be a 14-year-old girl in Parkersburg, West Virginia. During the conversations, Allmon attempted to persuade and entice the minor to meet him in order to engage in sexual intercourse. On September 7, 2018, Allmon traveled from his home in Ohio to Parkersburg, West Virginia, in order to have sex with the minor. Only then did Allmon discover that the minor was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.  The investigation was conducted by the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia States Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Parkersburg Police Department. 

Allmon faces at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 17, 2019. Upon his release from prison, he will be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Richard Gerald Caudill, Jr., 46, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, pled guilty before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.  Caudill admitted that during August 2018 he communicated via the cell phone messaging app Kik with a minor he believed to be a 14-year-old girl from the Ashland, Kentucky area. During the conversations, Caudill attempted to persuade and entice the minor to meet him in order to engage in sexual intercourse. On August 28, 2018, Caudill traveled from his home in Kentucky to a location in Kenova, Wayne County, West Virginia, in order to have sex with the minor. Only then did Caudill discover that the minor was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. The investigation was conducted by the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Ashland Police Department. 

Caudill faces up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 20, 2019. Upon his release from prison, he will be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

David Wayne Young, 48, of Ashland, Kentucky was sentenced by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. to 188 months in federal prison, followed by 25 years on supervised release for a sex trafficking crime.  He also will be required to register as a sex offender.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Ashland Police Department, and the Boyd County Sheriff’s Department.

Young previously admitted that in March 2017, he communicated with his codefendant, Misty Dawn Baisden, and asked Baisden to provide him with a minor under the age of 14 for the purpose of engaging in commercial sexual activity. Young additionally admitted that the communication involved discussion of exchanging money, items, or other things of value for sexually explicit photographs of the minor. He further admitted that subsequent communications with Baisden included discussions that involved Young offering to provide Baisden with a minor for sexual activity in exchange for her providing him with a minor for sexual activity.  Baisden previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor and was sentenced to 72 months in prison.

Nathan Kelley, 22, of Vienna, West Virginia, was sentenced by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. to six years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for child pornography crimes.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender.  Kelley previously entered his guilty plea to one count of distribution or attempted distribution of child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.  Stuart commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Police Department and the West Virginia State Police. 

Kelley admitted to using his phone to send images depicting child pornography through Twitter to another person on November 18, 2017, at his residence in Wood County. He also admitted to possessing about 220 images and one video depicting child pornography on December 27, 2017, also at his residence in Wood County.  He indicated that he acquired all of the images and the video from the Internet and stored them on his phone in an app called Keepsafe.  Many of the images involved prepubescent children being subjected to sexually explicit conduct. The Court also found that on at least two prior occasions Kelley had sexually abused a toddler by touching her bare genitals for his own sexual gratification.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecutions.

These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc.

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Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Shamar Lajuan Thomas (26, Clearwater), a/k/a “Baby,” to 35 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and using or carrying a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. A federal jury found Thomas guilty on October 11, 2018. Thomas was the last member of the Polk County-based criminal organization to be convicted of conducting armed robberies of other drug dealers.

According to evidence presented at trial, from at least April 2007, and continuing through July 20, 2017, Marion Dwight, Jr. conspired with Thomas and others to commit multiple armed robberies and burglaries of several local drug dealers. During each of the incidents, they discharged or brandished firearms. To date, the FBI has identified at least 14 armed robberies and 4 armed burglaries that were committed by Dwight and his co-conspirators.

In June 2016, Thomas and his co-conspirator, Fredrick James Burney, Jr. a/k/a “Frido,” forced their way inside of a home in Lakeland in search of narcotics and cash. While inside, they held a male victim at gunpoint, shot at a female victim, and stole cash and a firearm from the victims. During the robbery, Thomas physically attacked the woman and repeatedly hit her in the head with his firearm, causing her to bleed profusely. 

Seven others have pleaded guilty to various offenses. Each faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, as noted below:

 This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

CHICAGO — A west suburban musician pleaded guilty today to a federal child pornography charge and admitted enticing several underage girls, many as young as 14 years old, to produce sexually explicit videos of themselves.

AUSTIN JONES, 26, of Bloomingdale, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.  He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years.  U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee conditionally accepted the guilty plea and set sentencing for May 3, 2019, at 1:30 p.m.

The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The Illinois Attorney General’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Bloomingdale Police Department provided assistance in the investigation.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Neff Welsh.

Jones is a musician with a significant following on social media, including Facebook and YouTube.  His online music videos have been viewed millions of times. 

Jones admitted in a plea agreement that in 2016 and 2017 he chatted with six underage girls on Facebook and enticed them to produce pornographic videos of themselves and send them to him.  Jones told some of his victims to send him the videos as a way to “prove” that they were his biggest fans, the plea agreement states.  He also told some of his victims that the videos were part of a modeling opportunity, and that he could assist them in gaining followers on the social media site Instagram, the plea agreement states.

In addition to the six victims whom he enticed to send videos, Jones further admitted in the plea agreement that he used Facebook on approximately 30 other occasions to attempt to persuade minor girls to send him sexually explicit videos and photographs.    

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.  The hotlines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that KENDALL BARNES, age 22, of New Orleans, and DERRICK GROVES, age 21, of New Orleans, were charged in a eight-count superseding indictment on January 31, 2019 by a federal grand jury.

The Indictment charges KENDALL BARNES and DERRICK GROVES with conspiracy todistribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin.  If convicted of these counts, KENDALL BARNES and DERRICK GROVES face a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release. The Indictment also charges KENDALL BARNES and DERRICK GROVES with conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  If convicted of this count, KENDALL BARNES and DERRICK GROVES face a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years, a fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

The Indictment charges KENDALL BARNES, a convicted felon, with one count of felon in possession of a firearm.  If convicted of this charge, KENDALL BARNES faces a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

The Indictment charges KENDALL BARNES and DERRICK GROVES each with separate counts of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  If convicted of these counts, KENDALL BARNES and DERRICK GROVES face a minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release.  The term of imprisonment on these counts must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.

Additionally, the Indictment charges KENDALL BARNES with obstruction of justice.  If convicted of this count, KENDALL BARNES could face up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Strasser reiterated than an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. 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.

U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Violent Crimes Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni is in charge of the prosecution.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPH DANIELS, also known as “Sean,” 36, of Norwalk, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Norwalk Police arrested Daniels on May 15, 2018, after officers had made multiple controlled purchases of narcotics from him.  On that date, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of Daniels’ residence, car, and storage units he rented, and seized approximately 190 grams of heroin, other drugs, drug paraphernalia, and more than $59,000 in cash.

Daniels has been detained since his arrest.

Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for April 26, 2019.  The charge carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.  However, because Daniels has a prior conviction for a felony drug offense, he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Daniels’ criminal history includes a federal conviction for distributing crack cocaine.  In June 2003, he was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 43 months of imprisonment for that offense.

This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Norwalk Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.