WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Kenneth R. Beckner, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand today on drug charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Beckner, age 30, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances” and two counts of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Beckner is accused of distributing methamphetamine from July 2018 to January 2019 in Marshall County.

Beckner faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today to his role in a string of grocery store robberies during the Fall of 2018.

According to court documents, Keonte K. Yorkshire, aka Tae, 21, was a member of a six-man robbery squad that robbed three grocery stores across the region in the span of a week last Fall. Yorkshire served as an inside look-out for one robbery and an outside look-out for two others. The armed robberies occurred at a Food Lion in Chesapeake on Sept. 25, 2018, a Food Lion in Virginia Beach on Sept. 29, 2018, and a Harris Teeter in Virginia Beach on Oct. 3, 2018.

The teams included inside and outside look-outs, getaway drivers, and two gunmen. The teams used police scanners to monitor law enforcement activity, encrypted applications, and earpieces to communicate with one another. At each robbery, the gunmen demanded the managers open the grocery store safe. In the final robbery at a Harris Teeter in Virginia Beach, one of the gunmen shot the store manager.

Yorkshire pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years and a maximum sentence of life when he is sentenced on May 6.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division, James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, and Kelvin L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Butler and Andrew C. Bosse are prosecuting the case.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Tidewater Violent Crime Task Force, in partnership with the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake Police Departments.

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. 2:18-cr-177-9.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesterfield man was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for mail fraud and engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property.

According to court documents, Edward Lee Moody, Jr, 47, was a registered investment adviser and the sole owner and operator of CM Capital Management LLC, an investment firm with its principal office located in Virginia Beach. Moody solicited investors on the basis of his representation that he would profitably invest their assets in securities on their behalf and manage those investments on an ongoing basis. In reality, he ran a Ponzi scheme over a 13 year period. He solicited and collected approximately $6.6 million from 55 investors, at least 13 of whom were elderly persons who liquidated assets from their existing, legitimate retirement accounts in order to provide funds to him that they expected he would invest on their behalf.

In most instances, Moody did not manage the accounts of the investors or buy or sell securities on their behalf, and did not even open individual brokerage accounts for them. Instead, he diverted investor monies for his own personal benefit and to enrich himself, using at least $1.4 million for business expenses, to purchase a home, make car loan payments, shop, travel to Las Vegas and other destinations. Moody also used approximately $885,000 of investor monies to buy and sell securities on his own behalf. He perpetuated the scheme by using approximately $1.8 million that he received from new investors to make periodic lulling payments to earlier investors, and he provided investors with fraudulent monthly account statements that falsely indicated that the investors’ funds had been invested in securities and had earned returns.

In addition to the prison sentence, Moody was ordered to pay over $4.8 million in restitution to his victims.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury 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. 2:18-cr-154.

Jonathan P. W. Garrison of Marion, Illinois, has been charged by indictment with unlawful delivery of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2 counts), United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. The four-count federal indictment alleges that the offenses occurred between November 13, 2018, and December 19, 2018, in Williamson and Franklin Counties. Garrison, 28, made his initial appearance in federal court earlier this week and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was ordered held without bond pending an April 8, 2019 jury trial.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The drug offenses carry a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. The firearm offenses carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Marion Police Department, Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, West Frankfort Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Williamson County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.

AUGUSTA, Ga: A former active-duty U.S. Army colonel and his wife have been sentenced to federal prison and fined more than $200,000 for their roles in steering government contracts to co-conspirators in return for cash.

Anthony Roper, 57, of Augusta, pled guilty to Procurement Integrity Fraud and was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $200,000 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen. He also will be subject to three years of supervised release after his sentence is completed, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. There is no parole in the federal prison system. Roper’s wife, Audra Roper, 51, pled guilty to Accessory After the Fact and was sentenced to 28 days in prison, fined $10,000 and placed on five years of probation.

According to evidence presented during guilty pleas and sentencing hearings, Anthony Roper, then in active-duty status at Fort Gordon, accepted bribes from Calvin Devear Lawyer, 60, a retired U.S. Army colonel, to steer Army contracts worth more than $20 million to Lawyer’s company, the CREC group. Based on false representations from Lawyer and Dwayne Oswald Fulton, 58, then an employee of a defense contractor, CREC group had been awarded Small Business Administration (SBA) status as a small, disadvantaged business, and the company used that status to gain competitive advantage in contracting.

The conspiracy also included the creation of fraudulent documents in an attempt to cover up bribes to Anthony Roper after law enforcement agencies discovered the scheme. Lawyer previously pled guilty in the case and was sentenced to 60 months in prison. As part of his sentence, Lawyer also paid a $3 million personal money judgment and a $2 million civil penalty.

The cases were investigated by the United States Army Criminal Investigations Division (CID), the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, and the United States Attorney’s Office.

“Taxpayers deserve above-board behavior from those who do business with the federal government, especially with the military,’” said Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “It is particularly disappointing when members of the armed forces violate their oaths of office to steal from the public, and our office will prosecute those crimes vigorously.”

“These sentencings are the result of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s commitment to ensuring that Department of Defense programs and missions are protected from fraud throughout the procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, DCIS Southeast Field Office. “Through joint investigations with our law enforcement partners, DCIS aggressively pursues criminal prosecutions and all available remedies to hold violators accountable for their fraudulent schemes.”

“These sentencings are proof of the great work our agents, and our law enforcement partners, do on a daily basis,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “These defendants used their business to line their pockets, ripping off taxpayer dollars. The MPFU, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify, investigate those who choose to exploit federal contracts and the people these programs serve.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian T. Rafferty prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alessandra P. Serano (202) 252-5843 or Joseph Orabona (619) 546-7951    

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY– February 4, 2019

SAN DIEGO – Westside Crips gang member William McKinley Bright today became the last of 12 defendants to plead guilty, admitting that he participated in a racketeering conspiracy involving narcotics trafficking, sex trafficking and other violent crimes.

Bright, aka “Slim,” admitted to his membership and association with the Westside Crips, which primarily operated in Oceanside. Sentencing for Bright is scheduled for May 3, 2019. 

In furtherance of the RICO conspiracy, Bright admitted he engaged in multiple narcotics transactions at a local hotel in Oceanside as well as other places in San Diego and Vista, in order to promote the Westside Crips.  Bright admittedly sold gram-quantities of methamphetamine between October 2014 and May 2015.  Bright also acknowledged that he was an active and productive member of the Westside Crips who promoted the gang through use of social media as well as wearing gang colors and displaying gang signs. Bright admitted that the conspiracy in which he was involved resulted in the distribution of at least 150 grams but less than 500 grams of methamphetamine in San Diego County. 

In 2017 and 2018, Bright’s coconspirators pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy. They include: Corey Deshawn Austin (aka “Westwood”), Ameer Fareed Roby (aka “Tiny Dum Dum”), Michael Anthony Sullivan (aka “Du-Low”), Peter Andrew Miranda (aka “Fat Boy,” “Baby Rocks,” and “Lil’ Burger”), Shane Robert Anderson (aka “Tiny Westwood”), Jasiri Malcolm Lacey (aka “Baby Westwood”), Demetrius Montre McFarland (aka Mechii Ruu”),  Travion McHenry (aka “Too Much”), Richard Cleveland (aka “Face”), Larry Darnell Monroe, and Umesh Oza (aka “Kevin”) pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy. All but Corey Deshawn Austin were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 4 months to 180 months.  Austin is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 2019.

“Because of the diligence of investigators and prosecutors, a dozen violent gang members are in prison and no longer a threat to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer Jr., who praised the efforts of multiple agencies who worked together for maximum impact. “We will use all of our legal resources to release our neighborhoods from the grips of gangs that peddle drugs and violence.”

 “Drugs corrupt. Corruption leads to addiction, greed and violence. Utilizing one of the USA’s most powerful tools against violent criminal organizations like the Westside Crips, a RICO conspiracy, united law enforcement agencies banish and destroy whole organizations,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers. “It isn’t easy, it isn’t quick and it takes an incredible amount of work. But, it is the strongest message that can be sent to organized crime.  It might not be today or tomorrow, but we are relentless.  We will come for you and when you are gone, our streets will be safer and our communities stronger.”

“The guilty plea announced today provides a window into a criminal enterprise that appeared willing to do anything and everything illegal to make a profit,” stated IRS Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson.  “The role of IRS Criminal Investigation in narcotics and human trafficking investigations is to follow the money so we can financially disrupt and dismantle these major drug trafficking organizations and protect our communities from the violent behavior of these malicious street gangs.”

“The Oceanside Police Department would like to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office and other law enforcement agencies for their collaboration and hard work during this operation.  It is collective efforts like this that highlight why the San Diego region is a model for other law enforcement agencies to emulate, to keep their communities safe,” said Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy.

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 17cr0270-JAH                                              

William McKinley Bright, aka “Slim”           Age: 53                       Oceanside, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d) - Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity; Title 18, United States Code, Section 1963 - Criminal Forfeiture Maximum Penalties: 20 years’ incarceration, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release

AGENCIES

North County Narcotics Task Force

Drug Enforcement Administration

Oceanside Police Department

Internal Revenue Service

COLUMBUS – A defendant who testified last month that she was duped by an Alabama woman into conspiring to steal money from a Columbus business was sentenced today in Columbus federal court, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. The Honorable Clay D. Land sentenced Darlene Corbett, 65, of Phenix City, Alabama to 24 months in prison on Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, a charge she pled guilty to in July 2018. There is no parole in the federal system.

In her plea agreement, Ms. Corbett admitted she embezzled over $950,000 as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of The Grand Reserve of Columbus, an apartment complex owned by her stepson. Ms. Corbett later testified at the trial of her co-defendant, Dorita Clay, 51, of Selma, Alabama, in January 2019. Under oath, Ms. Corbett testified that the money she embezzled all went to Ms. Clay and was in the service of various schemes that Ms. Clay had convinced her were legitimate, include a pending multi-million dollar estate settlement and a multi-million lawsuit settlement that Ms. Clay claimed she was about to receive. Ms. Corbett further admitted at trial that she had conspired with Ms. Clay to embezzle the money, to then conceal the theft and deceive the FBI with a false story about business loans.

Both at trial and in her signed plea agreement filed with the court, Ms. Corbett admitted that the business loan story was not true and she had been induced to steal from her employer by Ms. Clay, who promised Corbett a future financial windfall. Even after being fired by The Grand Reserve in 2016, Ms. Corbett admitted to giving Ms. Clay her life’s savings, which she estimated was approximately $500,000.  A Columbus jury found Ms. Clay guilty on 21 counts of Wire Fraud and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud on January 9, 2019. Ms. Clay will be sentenced for her crimes on April 9, 2019.

“The scheme of lies and theft concocted by Ms. Clay, and supported by Ms. Corbett, caused great harm to a reputable business and numerous individuals,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “Today, Ms. Corbett has been held accountable for her role in this illegal racket, and soon Ms. Clay will have to face the consequences of swindling large amounts of money from her victims.  I want to recognize the good investigative work of our law enforcement partners in helping bring an end to this fraud.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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.

Earlier today in federal court in Central Islip, New York, Edward E. Bohm, President of Sales and an undisclosed owner of Long Island mortgage lender Vanguard Funding, LLC (Vanguard), pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and bank fraud in connection with the illegal diversion of more than $8.9 million of warehouse loans that Vanguard had obtained to fund mortgages.  The guilty plea was entered before United States District Judge Sandra J. Feuerstein.  When sentenced, Bohm faces up to 30 years in prison, as well as restitution, criminal forfeiture and a fine.

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, and Linda A. Lacewell, Acting Superintendent, New York State Department of Financial Services, announced the guilty plea.

According to court filings and the facts presented at the plea proceedings, between August 2015 and March 2017, Bohm engaged in a scheme in which he and others obtained warehouse, or short-term, loans for Vanguard by falsely representing that Vanguard would use the proceeds of those loans to fund mortgages or provide mortgage refinancing for Vanguard’s clients.  Once Vanguard received the loans, however, Bohm, along with others diverted the monies to pay personal expenses and compensation, and to pay off loans they had previously obtained with fraudulent loan submissions for improper purposes. 

Earlier, in 2018, Vanguard’s Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Financial Officer entered guilty pleas in connection with this fraud and were sentenced to terms of incarceration.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Whitman G.S. Knapp and Elizabeth Losey Macchiaverna are handling the prosecution with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Laura Mantell of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture Section.

The Defendant:

EDWARD E. BOHM
Age: 41
Residence: Nissequogue, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-036 (SJF)

COLUMBUS – A defendant caught in a drug sting with almost 2,000 grams of methamphetamine and more than $11,000 in cash was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Amber Hass, 30, of Columbus, GA was sentenced to 96 months for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute by the Honorable Clay D. Land in Columbus federal court. Ms. Hass pled guilty to this charge in November 2018. There is no parole in the federal system.

Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbus Police Department received information regarding a large delivery of meth that would occur near a local restaurant on Bradley Park Drive in Columbus on December 5, 2017. Agents established surveillance in the general vicinity, and monitored Ms. Hass exiting her vehicle, carrying a bag which contained $11,720 and entering a car occupied by co-defendant Maria Lopez, 22, of Atlanta. Ms. Hass admitted that she attempted to exchange the cash for 1,980 grams of meth, which agents found located inside Ms. Lopez’s center console. Ms. Lopez is charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.

“Methamphetamine is destroying lives in our communities every single day,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “Ms. Hass was directly involved in distributing an enormous quantity of this illegal drug across the Columbus area, and I am grateful our dedicated law enforcement partners were able to stop this significant drug deal. Our office will continue to stand with law enforcement agents who are putting their lives on the line daily to protect our communities from meth, and the terrible harm this drug creates.”

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Columbus Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melvin Hyde 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.

GREAT FALLS – Poplar resident Dennis Lloyd Red Boy, 28, pleaded guilty today in federal court to involuntary manslaughter for the death of a baby, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Red Boy faces a maximum eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing.Morris set sentencing for June 5. Red Boy is detained.

Prosecutors said the evidence would show that on Aug. 15, 2017, Red Boy was taking care of children in Poplar, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, when a six-month-old baby would not stop crying. After several interviews with investigators, Red Boy admitted he put the baby on her back, but she would not stop crying. He then flipped her over, with her face into the bed, and put a heavy blanket on her. He returned to find the baby was not breathing and immediately sought help. He acknowledged that his actions were the proximate cause of the baby’s death.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

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BOSTON – A former Hadley Police Department Officer was found guilty today of using unreasonable force during an arrest and then falsifying a police report of the incident.

Christopher M. Roeder, 49, of Agawam, was convicted by a federal jury after a seven-day trial of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of falsification of a document.

Evidence presented at trial established that, on April 3, 2017, Roeder struck an arrestee in the face without legal justification, while the arrestee was seated on a bench in the Hadley Police Department booking area. The strike fractured the arrestee’s nose in multiple places and required plastic surgery to repair. Roeder subsequently attempted to obstruct the investigation into his assault of the arrestee by falsifying his police report describing the incident.

“Police officers put themselves at risk for the public good every day. The defendant, however, diminished the sacrifices of his fellow officers by violating the constitutional rights of an arrestee,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Law enforcement officers are rightfully held to a higher standard and, on the very rare occasions when officers refuse to meet that standard, they will be held to account.”

“Law enforcement officers are sworn to uphold and defend the laws of our nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “When they abuse their power to violate those very laws, they not only deprive citizens of their individual rights, but they also compromise the public’s trust in law enforcement. The Department of Justice will continue to hold officers accountable for their actions.”

“With today’s conviction, Mr. Roeder finds himself on the opposite end of the very laws he was sworn to uphold. Wearing a badge is a privilege and honor that most law enforcement officers take seriously. It’s not a license to corrupt the administration of justice, but Mr. Roeder clearly forgot that when he broke a man’s nose and tried to cover it up by falsifying his police report. His actions undermined the hard work of the entire law enforcement community,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

The charge of deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in injury provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of falsifying a police report provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Lelling; Assistant Attorney General Dreiband; and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Timothy Visser of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Yonkers, New York, man who was convicted by a federal jury of possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon was sentenced today to 77 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Francisco Vallejo, 29, was previously convicted of possessing a firearm despite his three prior felony convictions in Passaic County Superior Court. Vallejo was convicted on July 26, 2018, following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

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

On June 7, 2015, Vallejo was arrested in Passaic, New Jersey, after reports of a disturbance and gunshots were made to the Passaic Police Department. Responding officers detained Vallejo on the street, and thereafter located a loaded .25 caliber firearm in a nearby garbage can. A nearby security camera captured Vallejo stashing the firearm in the garbage can, and he was later found to have gunpowder residue on his hands. 

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Vallejo to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito, officers of the Passaic Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Luis A. Guzman, and officers of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Brendan Day and Senior Trial Counsel R. Joseph Gribko of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

LAFAYETTE, La. –Kenyatta Edmond, 39, of Lafayette, was sentenced on Monday to 110 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced.  The defendant was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. 

According to the guilty plea, a concerned citizen contacted the Lafayette police on January 22, 2018 to report an unconscious man behind the wheel of a car at the intersection of Evangeline Thruway and Mudd Avenue.  An officer approached the vehicle and saw Edmond slumped forward appearing to be asleep, and noticed a pistol in Edmond’s lap with his hand around the grip.  When questioned, Edmond told the officer that he had a second firearm in the vehicle.  A search of the vehicle revealed a Beretta Model PX4 Storm .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Taurus Model Judge .410 gauge revolver.  After further investigation, it was discovered that the revolver had been previously reported stolen and that Edmond has four prior felony convictions.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  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.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF’s) top enforcement and regulatory priority is to prevent and reduce violent crime involving firearms.  The ATF carefully focuses its resources to ensure that their operations have the greatest impact on reducing firearms violence.  The ATF works closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to collect evidence necessary to convict violent offenders that terrorize our communities and those who illegally supply them with guns.

The ATF Lafayette Field Office and the Lafayette Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.

Great Falls – Former Blackfeet Tribal Chairman Willie Andrew Sharp, who is accused of stealing federal money from the Head Start Program, pleaded not guilty to charges in an indictment today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Sharp, 65, of Browning, pleaded not guilty to theft from an Indian tribal government receiving federal funding and to wire fraud as charged in an indictment. The indictment is merely an accusation. Sharp is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Sharp appeared for arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston in Great Falls. Johnston released Sharp pending trial.

The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris.

Sharp faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the most serious charge. The indictment also is seeking a criminal forfeiture money judgment of $38,711 from Sharp.

The indictment alleges that Sharp, while chairman of the Blackfeet Tribe, ultimately oversaw the Head Start Program and approved and ensured others approved overtime at the Blackfeet Head Start Program, knowing that the overtime was false. In total, individuals at the Blackfeet Head Start Program, including Sharp’s wife, Denise L. Sharp, claimed more than 7,800 hours in overtime and received more than $232,000 in federal funds from the program in a 15-month time period, starting in about April 2013. Denise Sharp pleaded guilty earlier to charges in the case and is awaiting sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

Pacer case reference. 19-03.

Progress on the case can be monitored through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Timothy Holt, 27, formerly of Susanville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release for transportation of obscene matters, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, the father of a teenaged girl reported that Holt, as an adult correctional officer, had been sexually propositioning his daughter over an internet messaging service. Law enforcement officers took over the girl’s messaging account. Posing as the teenaged girl, officers continued to chat with Holt and agreed to meet him. Officers arrested Holt when he arrived at the meet location.

This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Segal prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. — Nicholas Lobkowski, 39, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to seven years and eight months in prison for carjacking, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on September 28, 2017, Lobkowski carjacked a victim at knifepoint. Lobkowski fled in the vehicle and was located by police. Lobkowski drove recklessly, proceeded through a stop sign without stopping, and crashed into two vehicles, causing injuries to several of the occupants.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez prosecuted the case.

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.

AUGUSTA, Ga: A former active-duty U.S. Army colonel and his wife have been sentenced to federal prison and fined more than $200,000 for their roles in steering government contracts to co-conspirators in return for cash.

Anthony Roper, 57, of Augusta, pled guilty to Procurement Integrity Fraud and was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $200,000 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen. He also will be subject to three years of supervised release after his sentence is completed, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. There is no parole in the federal prison system. Roper’s wife, Audra Roper, 51, pled guilty to Accessory After the Fact and was sentenced to 28 days in prison, fined $10,000 and placed on five years of probation.

According to evidence presented during guilty pleas and sentencing hearings, Anthony Roper, then in active-duty status at Fort Gordon, accepted bribes from Calvin Devear Lawyer, 60, a retired U.S. Army colonel, to steer Army contracts worth more than $20 million to Lawyer’s company, the CREC group. Based on false representations from Lawyer and Dwayne Oswald Fulton, 58, then an employee of a defense contractor, CREC group had been awarded Small Business Administration (SBA) status as a small, disadvantaged business, and the company used that status to gain competitive advantage in contracting.

The conspiracy also included the creation of fraudulent documents in an attempt to cover up bribes to Anthony Roper after law enforcement agencies discovered the scheme. Lawyer previously pled guilty in the case and was sentenced to 60 months in prison. As part of his sentence, Lawyer also paid a $3 million personal money judgment and a $2 million civil penalty.

The cases were investigated by the United States Army Criminal Investigations Division (CID), the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, and the United States Attorney’s Office.

“Taxpayers deserve above-board behavior from those who do business with the federal government, especially with the military,’” said Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “It is particularly disappointing when members of the armed forces violate their oaths of office to steal from the public, and our office will prosecute those crimes vigorously.”

“These sentencings are the result of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s commitment to ensuring that Department of Defense programs and missions are protected from fraud throughout the procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, DCIS Southeast Field Office. “Through joint investigations with our law enforcement partners, DCIS aggressively pursues criminal prosecutions and all available remedies to hold violators accountable for their fraudulent schemes.”

“These sentencings are proof of the great work our agents, and our law enforcement partners, do on a daily basis,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “These defendants used their business to line their pockets, ripping off taxpayer dollars. The MPFU, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify, investigate those who choose to exploit federal contracts and the people these programs serve.”

SBA’s General Counsel Chris Pilkerton said, “The resolution of this matter clearly demonstrates the commitment of federal agencies to discover and prosecute procurement fraud undertaken by those seeking to obtain illicit financial benefit through abuse of small business contracting programs. SBA will continue to work closely with federal law enforcement agencies to ensure that the contracting opportunities offered by SBA programs are available solely to businesses entitled to participate in those programs.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian T. Rafferty prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

          MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN— Unites States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Jason Harry Bishop was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker for transporting child pornography from Sault St. Marie, Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Judge Jonker also sentenced Bishop to serve 10 years of supervision following his release from prison, pay a $40,000 fine, and pay $5,100 in special as-sessments.

          On January 27, 2017, Bishop crossed the U.S.-Canada border at Sault St. Marie. While crossing, Canadian Border Patrol (CBP) became suspicious and sent Bishop for a secondary in-spection. During the secondary inspection, CBP located several photos of child pornography.

          CBP forwarded Bishop’s electronic devices to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which recovered child pornography and the following images Bishop took of himself:

Picture of Jason Bishop with I Love Child Porn sign

Picture of Jason Bishop wearing shirt I Am A Child Molester

          A review of Bishop’s criminal history uncovered that he solicited sex with underage chil-dren on at least three prior occasions.

          "Today's significant prison term against a convicted child predator should serve as a clear warning for those who target and prey on children," said Steve Francis, special agent in charge for HSI Detroit. "The aggressive investigation and prosecution of child predators remains among HSI's highest priorities."

          This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Lochner and Davin Reust as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s of-fices, and federal, state, and local law enforcement work closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. Individuals with information or concerns about possi-ble child exploitation should contact local law enforcement. For more information about Project Safe Childhood in West Michigan, including resources for children and parents, visit: http://www.justice.gov/usao/miw/programs/psc.html.

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Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of a 16-count indictment  charging Deborah Pierre (31, Haines City), Billy Altidor (28, Wellington), and Evanie Louis (26, Wellington) with conspiracy to commit theft of government property, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft. Each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each theft charge, 5 years’ imprisonment on each conspiracy charge, and a minimum mandatory consecutive penalty of 2 years for the aggravated identity theft charge. The indictment also notifies the individuals that the United States is seeking a money judgment of $91,749.30, the proceeds of the alleged conspiracy.

According to the indictment, Louis and Altidor conspired among themselves, and with others, to commit stolen identity refund fraud. The conspirators used stolen identities to file false tax returns and then directed the fraudulently obtained tax refunds to be deposited into accounts that they controlled. In addition, they activated debit cards and bank accounts using the stolen identities and received the fraudulently claimed tax refunds in those accounts.

Louis, Alitdor, and Pierre also conspired among themselves, and with others, to use stolen identities to access the MySocialSecurity system and redirect Social Security benefit payments to accounts controlled by the conspirators.

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

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Department of the Treasury Office of the Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.

Gulfport, Miss. – Juan Pablo Zamora Gomez, 32, of Modesto, California, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Keith Starrett to 235 months in federal prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Gomez was also ordered to pay a $20,000.00 fine.

The investigation into Gomez started after agents with the DEA executed a search warrant at Jermaine Newell’s property in Soso, Mississippi. Agents located 951 grams of heroin in Newell’s possession. After Newell’s arrest, agents learned that he received the heroin from Gomez and Vincente Manuel Ruiz. Agents obtained audio recordings of Gomez discussing heroin and setting up a meeting to further the conspiracy. During the investigation, agents also learned that Gomez, Ruiz, and Newell were involved with sending marijuana and methamphetamine from California to Mississippi.

Prior to Gomez’s sentencing, Jermaine Newell and Manuel Ruiz both pled guilty to the conspiracy and were sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $5,000.00 fine.

The case was investigated by the DEA in Gulfport. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk.