PHOENIX – On Feb. 11, 2019, Ryan Patrick Michell, 39, of Phoenix, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Hon. G. Murray Snow to 30 months’ incarceration, followed by three year supervised release.  On Sept. 27, 2018, a federal jury found Michell guilty of two counts of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

     In October 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began to investigate Michell after an attempted suspicious purchase of potassium cyanide from an online marketplace. 

     The testimony at trial showed that on Nov. 27, 2017, Michell sold a Norinco SKS 7.62 x 39 rifle, along with four high-capacity round magazines, and one-hundred rounds of 7.62x39 ammunition to a buyer on backpage.com. On Dec. 1, 2017, the FBI served a search warrant on Michell’s Phoenix home and discovered four rounds of .338 Lapua ammunition.  Michell was not legally permitted to possess firearms or ammunition due to three prior felony convictions in the State of Arizona.

     The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Service, Tempe Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Brook, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:          CR-17-01690-PHX-GMS 

RELEASE NUMBER:    2019-014_Michell

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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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Steven Weaver, II (38, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Weaver had pleaded guilty on November 1, 2018.

According to court documents, over the course of several months, Weaver sold undercover agents cocaine, ammunition, and at least 11 firearms. Weaver had reason to believe that the firearms would be trafficked to and resold in other markets, including New York City. Weaver’s criminal history includes cocaine trafficking, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and other firearm-related offenses. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

This case was brought as part of 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 for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

DES MOINES, IA—On January 25, 2019, Jay Robert Sebben, age 41, of Waukee, appeared before United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger and was sentenced to 130 months in prison for receipt of child pornography. Sebben pleaded guilty in June 2018 to receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2).

Sebben admitted in 2017 he received child pornography over the Internet. The child pornography he obtained included visual depictions of children being sexually assaulted. The collection of over 10,000 images and 400 videos included prepubescent children as young as three years of age. Sebben was ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the child pornography. Sebben had been an IT systems administrator for the Iowa Air National Guard prior to being charged in this case.

This investigation was conducted by the Urbandale Police Department, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A man and a woman from Kansas were indicted Wednesday on federal charges of crashing a car into a Cabela’s store and stealing guns, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Kyle Mendez, 29, Kansas City, Kan., and Brenda Tosh, 27, Kansas City, Kan., were charged with one count of conspiring to steal guns from a federally licensed firearms dealer. In addition, Mendez was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of firearms by a convicted felon and one count of transporting a stolen 2014 Dodge Challenger across state lines. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Nov. 6, 2018, in Kansas City, Kan.

The indictment alleges the defendants entered the Cabela’s store in Kansas City, Kan., by crashing a car through an exterior door. Mendez smashed through a locked door to get into the store’s Gun Library. The defendants took long guns from the firearms section of the store and placed them into a shopping cart. The guns included two 12-gauge shotguns, a .22-caliber rifle, a .308-caliber rifle and a .223-caliber rifle.

Before the defendants could get away with the guns, however, law enforcement officers arrived at the store. Tosh was arrested at the scene. Mendez fled from the store and was arrested later.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Unlawful possession of firearms by a felon (count one and count two): Up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Theft from a federally licensed firearms dealer (count three): Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Transporting a stolen car (count four): Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

OTHER INDICTMENTS
 

Salvador Veleta-Sinola, 33, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with assaulting law enforcement officers who were attempting to arrest him.

Veleta-Sinola is charged with two counts of assaulting law enforcement officers with a dangerous weapon and one count of assaulting another officer.

The indictment alleges he bit an FBI agent and tried to stab him with a ballpoint pen. In addition, the defendant is alleged to have attacked two members of an FBI task force.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred Jan. 3, 2019 in Wyandotte County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the two counts of attacking officers with a dangerous weapon and up to eight years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other assault charge. The FBI investigated. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister is prosecuting.

Cristian Maese-Solano, 22, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 12, 2018, in Wyandotte County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.

Ramon Alejandro Magallanes-Carta, 24, who is in custody, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Jan. 16, 2019, in Hutchinson, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Department of Homeland Security investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty plea of DONTAY LAVARICE REESE, 37, for kidnapping. REESE entered his guilty plea yesterday afternoon before Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, in the early morning hours of August 6, 2017, REESE met the victim, T.M., in downtown Minneapolis. REESE offered T.M. a ride home; however, instead of driving her home, he drove in the wrong direction into Wisconsin. The defendant told the victim that he was going to take her “several states away” and use her to make money as a prostitute. The victim attempted to escape multiple times - each time she was captured and violently restrained by REESE. A family witnessed one of the escape attempts and called 911.

After the 911 call, Wisconsin State Patrol found the victim running out of a wooded area, with her wrists bound together, and screaming for help. REESE came out of the same wooded area shortly after, fully naked and attempted to cross the interstate on foot. He was taken into custody.

“The victim endured a terrifying experience, and has shown incredible courage throughout this process. Because of her courage a violent offender is no longer in our community,” said United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald.   

"Thoughts today are with the victim in this case who courageously helped put her assailant in prison for many years,” said Jill Sanborn, Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis Division of the FBI. “Thanks to the victim and diligent work of law enforcement from Minnesota and Wisconsin working with the FBI, justice was served and Mr. Reese was held accountable for his actions."

Sentencing has been scheduled for June 4, 2019, at 9:00 am in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Jackson County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Department, Eau Claire County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Department, and Minneapolis Police Department. 

Assistant U.S Attorneys Angela Munoz-Kaphing and John Docherty are prosecuting the case.

Defendant Information:

DONTAY LAVARICE REESE, 37

Burnsville, Minnesota

Convicted:

• Kidnapping, 1 count

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United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a federal indictment charging ERIC WILLOR, 69, with 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. WILLOR will make his initial appearance in United States District Court at a later date.

According to the indictment, WILLOR, also known as “Papa Eric,” ran a tax preparation business called Willor’s Tax Preparation and Planning out of his home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. WILLOR regularly prepared and filed tax returns using false and fraudulent itemized deductions in order to fraudulently obtain large tax refunds to which his clients were not entitled. Specifically, WILLOR regularly prepared and filed returns falsely claiming that his clients had significant tax-deductible charitable contributions, medical expenses, and educational expenses. In reality, WILLOR knew that these claimed deductions were fraudulent. Between 2012 and 2017, WILLOR prepared and filed approximately 100 fraudulent tax returns that fraudulently claimed a total of approximately $316,000 in tax refunds to which his clients were not entitled.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

Defendant Information:                                                                                                                     

ERIC WILLOR, 69

Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Charges:

• Aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, 15 counts

###
 
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – John C. Fortner, 44, of Chillicothe, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 240 months in prison for attempting to coerce a minor while registered as a sex offender.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, as well as members of both the FBI’s Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.

According to court documents, a task force officer with the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force was posing undercover online as the mother of minor children. In August 2017, the officer posted a web advertisement stating he was looking to chat with people interested in “taboo fetishes.”

Fortner emailed the officer asking “can we do your daughter or son?”

Fortner asked to be connected to “any other that would let me f***” and began communicating with a second undercover officer, who investigates cyber crime with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. He told that officer he heard the persona had a nice daughter who was 13 years old. He asked “you and your daughter play with guys much?” Fortner also asked if the daughter was cute and offered to meet with them.

Fortner and the officer planned to meet in a public place, and, if the meeting went well, to later meet in a hotel for sexual purposes.

On August 21, 2017, Fortner asked the officer to pick him up at a gas station in Chillicothe for their meeting. Fortner was subsequently arrested.

Fortner was convicted in 2015 in Texas for possession of child pornography and in 2016 in Belmont County, Ohio for importuning and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. As a result, he was a registered sex offender at the time of his new offense.

Fortner pleaded guilty in this current case in May 2018.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Franklin County ICAC, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and Noah R. Litton, who are representing the United States in this case. 

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            WASHINGTON – Jeremiah Woodfork, 33, of District Heights, Md., has been sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison on a federal cocaine trafficking charge stemming from his apprehension after he fired multiple gunshots from his car at another motorist in Northeast Washington. At the time of his arrest, Woodfork was awaiting sentencing in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Md., for an attempted robbery conviction, for which he failed to appear.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Woodfork pled guilty in September 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced on Feb. 13, 2019, by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. Following completion of his prison term, Woodfork will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 18, 2017, at approximately 9:40 a.m., Woodfork was driving in a teal-colored Mercedes-Benz with his pregnant girlfriend when he cut off another vehicle.  The driver of the other vehicle began to follow Woodfork’s vehicle in an effort to obtain the license plate number to call in a report of a reckless driver.

            As the other motorist followed Woodfork, Woodfork abruptly stopped the Mercedes in the 1900 block of 3^rd Street NE, rolled down the driver’s side window, and fired multiple gunshots at the other vehicle.  The driver of the other vehicle called 911 and provided a description of the Mercedes Woodfork was operating. 

            Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) spotted Woodfork’s Mercedes a short time later and attempted to stop him. However, Woodfork fled at a high rate of speed through parts of Northeast and Northwest Washington.

            Officers eventually cut Woodfork off near Fifth and T Streets NW, at which time Woodfork crashed the Mercedes into a parked vehicle and fled on foot.  Woodfork was apprehended a short distance away. In a search of his pockets, police found cocaine and $1,290. Police also recovered additional quantities of cocaine and marijuana in a vest lying next to the driver’s seat of the Mercedes, as well as a Taurus .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol in an alleyway a short distance from where Woodfork crashed the Mercedes. 

            At the time of his arrest, Woodfork had failed to appear for sentencing in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Md., after his conviction for attempted robbery, first-degree burglary, and second-degree assault in an unrelated case. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham, commended the work of the MPD officers who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman and Paralegal Specialist Rommel Pachoca.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging MICHAEL SZWARC, 31, last residing in Hartford, with one count of receipt of child pornography.

The indictment was returned on February 5, 2019.  Szwarc, who had been detained in state custody since September 8, 2018, appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.  He is detained pending trial.

As alleged in the indictment, between June and September 2018, Szwarc received images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The indictment further alleges that, in October 2013, Szwarc was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of possession of child pornography.

If convicted of the federal charge, due to his alleged prior conviction, Scwarc faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Office of Adult Probation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler today announced federal criminal charges against 24 individuals for a methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine distribution conspiracy and a federal firearms related charge.

On February 13, 2019, agents and officers from various law enforcement agencies executed arrest and search warrants in numerous locations centralized to the Haughville community in Indianapolis, Indiana. This operation led to the arrest of 22 individuals. During the investigation approximately 40 firearms, $155,000 in currency, 3 vehicles, and quantities of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana were seized.

Those charged include:

Jshaun Trice, 31, Indianapolis

Terrence Stum, 35, Indianapolis

Demetrick Holder, 20, Indianapolis

Darryl Allen, 35, Indianapolis

Eric Bard, 33, Indianapolis

Dustin Manuel, 30, Indianapolis*

Kelvin Washington, 34, Indianapolis

Gerald Hoskins, 23, Indianapolis

Devin Jones, 28, Indianapolis*

Adrian Myles, 40, Indianapolis

Christopher Hill, 30, Indianapolis

Robert Hadley, 48, Indianapolis

Danny Jenkins, 47, Indianapolis

Antonio McClure, 37, Indianapolis*

James Gibson, 33, Indianapolis

Carlo Payne, 39, Indianapolis

Thomas Acord, 30, Bloomington

Alton Brown Sr., 53, Indianapolis*

Steven Savage, 29, Indianapolis

Derrick O’Connor, 52, Indianapolis

Melissa Kidwell, 39, Indianapolis

Jacqueline Huffman, 40, Indianapolis

Jacob Jones, 30, Indianapolis

Sheridan Sisk, 37, Indianapolis

*Remains a fugitive

According to the indictment, Jshaun Trice and Terrence Stum directed the activities of a methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine trafficking organization in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jshaun Trice, Terrence Stum, Demetrick Holder and Gerald Hoskins coordinated their activities by receiving methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine from diverse sources, sharing controlled substances with each other, and distributing the controlled substances to customers. Individuals in the conspiracy distributed methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine on the 700 block of Arnolda Avenue, in the Haughville neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana, among other locations.

“Utilizing the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force model, the Justice Department works collaboratively to target, investigate and prosecute organizations engaged in dangerous and harmful drug trafficking activity in our community,” said Josh Minkler. “This year, the United States Attorney’s Office created a standalone OCDETF Unit led by Senior Litigation Counsel Bradley A. Blackington to tackle and unearth individuals and organizations operating to the detriment of communities like Haughville. The challenges we face are not insurmountable when we pair criminal prosecution as a deterrent with wraparound services like those being offered by the City in this instance.” 

 This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Indiana State Police.

“These arrests disrupted a violent drug trafficking ring and sent a clear message – if you are involved in illegal drug activity and violent crime in our city you will wake up one morning with law enforcement at your door. This case is at the heart of our collective mission to rid our communities of violent drug offenders and the destruction their activities create,” said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “The FBI, along with our federal, state and local partners, remains strongly committed to identifying and investigating those responsible for harming our communities.”

“Our community and the Haughville neighborhood deserve better than to be re-victimized by the crime and violence they have endured,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “This means the illicit economy and criminal infrastructure that existed here must be replaced with hope and opportunity. And so our Office of Public Health and Safety will be convening community and City resources to help fill the needs of a neighborhood in recovery.”

“The individuals removed from our community account for thousands of reported violent crimes. These arrests will reduce not only the amount of illicit drugs in our city, but also the violence that accompanies the drug trade,” said IMPD Chief Bryan Roach. “To break the cycle of drug-related crime and violence, we must fill the economic vacuum left behind, which is why the wraparound services that will be available are critically important to the safety of our city. The dedicated women and men of the IMPD will continue to work alongside our local and federal partners to improve the safety of our neighborhoods and the quality of residents’ lives.”

“As violence and drug trafficking tactics evolve, so does the strategy we implement with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies as well as our community partners,” Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry stated. “We are your neighbors, and we are committed to improving public safety in every neighborhood of our county.”

“This is a great example of the synergy that can be gained when law enforcement pools resources and works together to bring down criminal drug organizations,” said Inspector in Charge Patricia Armstrong of the Detroit Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 

Gabriel Grchan, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation said, “IRS Criminal Investigation is charged with disrupting the money flow of criminal organizations. Our agents trace criminal proceeds and work to deprive criminals of their illicit spoils. Together with our OCDETF partners we dismantle illegal drug and money laundering enterprises that try to take root in Indiana.”

Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said, “Partnerships like this are what put criminal organizations out of business and their operators in prison.” Carter continued, “For those who are addicted, there is help, but for those who are contributing to - and profiting from - the addiction and misery of others; we have prison cells waiting.”

An indictment is merely a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendant are considered innocent until proven guilty in federal court.  

                        In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is utilized to target, investigate, and prosecute more violent criminal organizations, with a goal of detaining and sentencing more violent offenders to significant prison terms. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan  Section 2.1

The decision to withdraw the Portland Police Bureau from the Joint Terrorism Task Force is a mistake that defies logic. It’s disappointing that in spite of the overwhelming evidence presented of JTTF successes in Oregon and across the nation, a majority of the city council chose a politically-expedient broadside against the federal government over the safety and well-being of their constituents. The law enforcement community’s duty and commitment to ensuring public safety and protecting civil rights will not be deterred by the politics of the moment.

-- Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon

URBANA, Ill. – An initial trial date in March has been scheduled for a St. Joseph, Ill., man, William M. Bell, 39, who has been arrested and indicted on federal child pornography charges. Bell, a former information technology employee of Monticello, Ill., community unit school district 25, was arrested on Feb. 8, on charges returned by the grand jury on Feb. 5. The indictment had remained sealed pending Bell’s arrest. Following his arrest, Bell was ordered to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending a detention hearing which was held this morning.  

At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Harold A. Baker ordered Bell to remain detained in law enforcement custody. Trial for Bell is scheduled on March 5, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, in Springfield.

The indictment alleges that in July and August 2018, Bell used a computer or device to send visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and in November 2018, that Bell possessed images of child pornography.

If convicted, the statutory penalty for each count of transportation of child pornography (two counts) is five to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000; possession of child pornography carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Champaign County Sheriff’s office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Mexican man today admitted his role in conspiring to traffic approximately 300 grams of fentanyl into New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Angel Santo Jerez Matos, 60, a/k/a “El Colonel,” pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.

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

Matos was a supplier of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine to a drug trafficking organization operating in and around New Jersey.

Matos and a member of a New Jersey drug trafficking organization were heard, on intercepted communications, discussing the pricing of “cars,” meaning kilograms of narcotics to be shipped from Mexico into the United States through California. The drugs would then be shipped to New Jersey. Additional communications among members of the New Jersey drug trafficking organization revealed that 300 grams of fentanyl that had originated with Matos in Mexico made its way to users in Newark in May 2017.

The conspiracy charge to which Matos pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 19, 2019.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari B. Fontecchio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

This case is being conducted under the auspices of the OCDETF. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

Defense counsel: Robert Galuccio Esq., Paterson, New Jersey

DENVER – John Bruce Fifield, age 47, of Sedalia, Colorado, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week on charges of distributing methamphetamine and marijuana to students at Woodland Park Middle School, U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn and DEA Denver Division Special Agent in Charge William McDermott announced.  Fifield made his initial court appearance where he was advised of his rights and the charges pending against him.  He was later released on a $25,000 unsecured bond with home detention.  His case is now pending. 

Fifield was first charged by Criminal Complaint on January 18, 2019.  He was indicted on February 7, 2019. The defendant was arraigned and entered a not guilty plea on February 8, 2019. 

According to the facts contained in the affidavit in support of the Criminal Complaint, on November 18, 2018, an investigation began after the Teller Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Team (TNT) received information that Fifield was supplying drugs to Woodland Park Middle School students.  The marijuana the defendant provided to students was allegedly coated with methamphetamine.  On November 15, 2018 it was reported by local police that multiple students had been found with drug paraphernalia that allegedly was provided by Fifield.

“In a case like this involving young children, we will aggressively pursue federal charges and mandatory minimum sentencing every time,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. 

“The nature of this investigation is very disturbing for the youth of our Country.  The DEA is committed to protecting our children from cycle of drug abuse,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge William McDermott. 

This matter is being investigated jointly by the DEA Colorado Springs Resident Office and the Teller Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Team.  The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Winslow.

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

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Jose Anico 69, of Allentown, PA was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with one count of false statements in connection with an application for a passport, one count of aggravated identity theft, five counts of wire fraud, and four counts of health care fraud.

The indictment charges the defendant with acquiring the identifying information of a United States Citizen who was a resident of New York City and who died on August 13, 1999. Anico used the victim’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number for various purposes, including applying for and receiving Social Security Administration benefits, Medicare benefits, a Pennsylvania driver’s license, and a United States passport.

From May 2002 through November 2018, Anico received more than $475,000 in government benefits that he was not entitled to receive under his assumed name.   

“Aggravated identity theft and fraud are serious crimes,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “My Office is committed to making sure that the personal identifying information of our citizens is protected and not stolen or abused. We are also committed to ensuring that no one steals money or services from the federal government.”

Robert Castro, Resident Agent In Charge of the DSS Philadelphia Resident Office said, “Today’s indictment demonstrates how our presence at more than 275 diplomatic missions worldwide positions us well to target passport fraud and other related crimes with a transnational nexus.”

If convicted, Anico faces a maximum penalty 152 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, forfeiture and restitution, a $2,750,000 fine, and a $1,100 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Philadelphia Resident Office in partnership with the DSS Regional Security Office in Santo Domingo, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everett Witherell.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SHREVEPORT, La. –U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment yesterday afternoon charging Glenn Frierson, 38, of Shreveport, with felon in possession of a firearm, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Local authorities arrested Frierson on January 15, 2019, in connection with the death of Shreveport Police Officer Chateri Payne.

According to the indictment, Frierson possessed a Smith & Wesson, model SD40, .40-caliber pistol, ammunition and methamphetamine on May 3, 2018.  The indictment also alleges that Frierson possessed the Smith & Wesson in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime related to the methamphetamine possession charge.  Frierson is a convicted felon and under federal law, it is illegal for him to possess a firearm or ammunition.

If convicted, the defendant faces 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, 20 years in prison for the drug distribution and 20 years in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He also faces five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $2 million.

The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cadesby B. Cooper is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

NEWARK, N.J. – A former civilian employee at Picatinny Arsenal and a former official of a defense contractor with a branch office in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.

Robert Dombroski, 63, of Branchville, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of making false statements. Indra Nayee, 51, of Metuchen, New Jersey, is also charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Both men are scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court.

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

Dombroski worked at Picatinny Arsenal for over 30 years, retiring as a federal employee in 2015. He was then hired as a civilian, serving as a Senior Products Manager for advanced weapons. Prior to retiring, Dombroski held the position of senior associate for advanced weapons and worked on and supervised contract projects with a defense contractor, identified in court papers as “Company A,” which is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, and has a branch office in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey. In that capacity, Dombroski had influence over the awarding of government contracts to this company and influenced how the money was allocated.

Nayee was the former Picatinny Arsenal division director of Company A, and had direct oversight and control over how his company executed the government contracts it had with Picatinny Arsenal. He supervised and directly managed all branch employees. Nayee was the primary point of contact at Company A for Picatinny Arsenal employees, including Dombrowski.

From 2010 through 2018, Dombroski and Nayee conspired with other federal employees at Picatinny Arsenal and employees of Company A to seek and accept gifts and other items of value, such as Apple products, luxury handbags, Beats headphones, and tickets to a luxury sky box at professional sporting events, valued at $150,000 to $250,000, in exchange for government contracts and other favorable assistance for Company A at Picatinny Arsenal.

The count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The false statement charges each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey; and the U.S. Army, Major Procurement Fraud Unit, Criminal Investigation Command, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland, with the ongoing investigation.

The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Margaret Ann Mahoney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defense counsel:
Dombrowski: John Reilly Esq.,
Nayee: Mauro Wolf Esq., New York

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that Manhattan art gallery owner MARY BOONE was sentenced to 30 months in prison for filing false tax returns as part of a multi-year tax fraud scheme that cost the U.S. Treasury over $3 million.  BOONE previously pled guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns in 2011 before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, who imposed today’s sentence.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As Manhattan art gallery owner Mary Boone has admitted, her personal tax returns were more a work of impressionism than realism.  Seemingly in order from afar, the picture Boone painted of her profits, losses, and expenses was, upon closer inspection, a palette of lies and misrepresentations mixed together to avoid paying over $3 million in taxes.  Today, Boone was sentenced to 30 months in prison for failing to pay her fair share in taxes.”

According to allegations in the Information to which BOONE pled guilty, court filings, and statements made in public court proceedings:

BOONE, the owner of Mary Boone Gallery (the “Gallery”) in Manhattan, engaged in a multi-year scheme to evade paying millions of dollars in federal income taxes for the calendar years 2009 through 2011.  During each of these years, BOONE regularly provided false records to her accountant and thereby caused the accountant to prepare false tax returns for BOONE and the Gallery. 

BOONE’s tax fraud scheme had two principal components.  First, BOONE converted the Gallery’s funds to her own personal use and then falsely claimed these personal expenses as business deductions.  In 2011, BOONE used business funds to pay approximately $1.28 million in personal expenses, including $793,003 to remodel BOONE’s Manhattan apartment; $120,856 for rent and expenses for a second Manhattan apartment; and approximately $300,000 in personal credit card charges.  To evade paying federal income taxes on this personal income, BOONE fraudulently characterized these expenses as tax-deductible business expenses on the handwritten check registers that BOONE provided to her accountant.  For example, BOONE falsely characterized a $500,000 payment to a contractor for remodeling BOONE’s apartment as a “commission.”  In addition, BOONE withdrew over $560,000 in cash from the Gallery’s accounts between 2009 and 2011.  BOONE either falsely reported the withdrawals as business payments to a printing company or failed to report them at all.

Second, BOONE artificially inflated the Gallery’s stated expenses and, to a lesser degree, the Gallery’s stated income, in order to fraudulently generate business losses when, in reality, the Gallery was generating profits each year.  In furtherance of this aspect of the tax fraud scheme, BOONE engaged in complex financial machinations and further falsification of the check registers that BOONE provided to her accountant.  For example, in 2011, BOONE transferred approximately $9.5 million from one business bank account to another, and falsely characterized these transfers as tax-deductible business expenses, such as commissions to artists, on the check registers that Boone provided to the accountant.

In all, BOONE caused the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) to incur losses of over $3 million, not including penalties and interest.

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In addition to the prison term, Judge Hellerstein ordered BOONE to serve one year of supervised release, including 180 hours of community service.  Boone previously paid court-ordered restitution to the IRS in the amount of $3,097,160, which represents the additional tax due and owing as a result of BOONE’s filing of false individual and corporate income tax returns for calendar years 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of IRS Criminal Investigation in this case.

This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga I. Zverovich is in charge of the prosecution.

Gulfport, Miss. –Tyler Bachtel, 23, of Saucier, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, to 78 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Bachtel was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

On November 18, 2017, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department arrested Bachtel after he refused to yield to a deputy who initiated a traffic stop. During the deputy’s pursuit of Bachtel’s vehicle, Bachtel threw a shotgun out of the window. Bachtel jumped out of the vehicle while it was still moving, and was arrested while he attempted to flee. Bachtel had been previously convicted of felony possession of a controlled substance in Harrison County Circuit Court.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Nobile.

Gulfport, Miss. –Aaron Rouleau, 32, of Moss Point, Mississippi, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola to 178 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, and 120 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The sentences will run concurrently. Rouleau was also sentenced to 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

On February 26, 2018, the South Mississippi Metropolitan Enforcement Team (MET) executed a search warrant at a residence in Moss Point, where Rouleau was found in a parked vehicle with 99 grams of methamphetamine and two firearms. Rouleau had been selling methamphetamine from that location during the weeks prior to his arrest.

The Jackson County Metropolitan Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Nobile.