HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Mexican national men were sentenced for the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz, 26, and Huber Rodriguez-Diaz, 24, both received a sentence of “time served.”  They had both been in custody since December of 2018, nearly four months of federal incarceration.  The Court ordered both men remanded to ICE custody to begin administrative deportation proceedings.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“These two brothers, both in their twenties, had four prior removals between them,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “If they want to live and work in our country, they need to enter our country legally and follow our immigration laws.”

On December 19, 2018, both men were found in Hurricane, Putnam County, West Virginia.  Federal agents with ICE had received a tip that a person was working illegally at a Hurricane restaurant.  ICE agents investigated and located the Rodriguez-Diaz brothers walking to the restaurant.  Believing one of the men to be the target of the investigation, ICE agents requested identification.  Both men immediately admitted that they were not in the United States legally and had no identification documents.  ICE agents took Carlos and Huber Rodriguez-Diaz into federal custody.

Fingerprinting matched Carlos to three prior removals from the United States in 2014, 2015, and 2018.  Huber has one prior removal from the United States in 2014 that his fingerprints matched.   In all cases, the Rodriguez-Diaz brothers were found by immigration judges to be in the United States illegally and they were deported to Mexico.  Neither man had obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Both Carlos and Huber Rodriguez-Diaz further admitted to ICE agents that they were Mexican citizens.

Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for both of the prosecutions.  United States District Judge Robert C Chambers imposed the sentences. 

Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNewsand @USAttyStuart 
 

 
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BOSTON – An MS-13 member pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to racketeering conspiracy.

Nelson Cruz Rodriguez Cartagena, a/k/a “Inquieto,” 24, a Salvadoran national illegally residing in Everett, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.  U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2019. Rodriguez Cartagena was arrested in Everett and charged in June 2018 after law enforcement determined that he had reentered the United States.

According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent, transnational criminal organization whose branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the group.  It is alleged that most of the MS-13 cliques in Massachusetts, including the Everett Locos Salvatrucha (ELS) clique, belonged to MS-13’s East Coast Program, and that these cliques worked both independently and cooperatively to engage in criminal activity and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement.

Rodriguez Cartagena is a full member, or “homeboy,” in MS-13’s ELS clique. On recorded prison calls with a detained ELS clique leader, Rodriguez Cartagena discussed buying guns for the Everett clique; maintaining and supervising the clique’s marijuana trafficking business; the need to collect dues from clique members; the need to send money to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador due on the 13th of each month; and reporting on the clique’s day-to-day racketeering activities. When the clique leader began to suspect that a member of the ELS clique had cooperated with law enforcement leading to his arrest, he enlisted Rodriguez Cartagena’s help to ferret out the informant. Rodriguez Cartagena provided the true names of two young Everett clique members, and the leader concluded that one of them, Jose Aguilar Villanueva, a/k/a “Fantasma,” was the clique member responsible for his arrest. Once ELS (incorrectly) identified Villanueva as an informant, members of the Everett clique, including Rodriguez Cartagena, met at the clique’s “destroyer house,” – a residence where clique members stored knives, machetes, marijuana, and money – to plan the murder of Villanueva. Ultimately, on the night of July 5, 2015, two young ELS probationary members, or “chequeos,” lured Villanueva into a park in Lawrence and stabbed him to death. Villanueva was 16 years old.

The charge of RICO conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Rodriguez Cartagena will face deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Carol A. Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Gross; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.

Gary DeVoe, Branch Manager for the New England Division of an insulation contractor, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for his role in schemes to rig bids and engage in fraud on insulation installation contracts, marking the first conviction in this investigation, the Department of Justice announced. 

According to court documents, from at least as early as October 2011 and continuing until as late as March 2018, DeVoe, of Bethlehem, Connecticut, conspired with other insulation installation contractors to rig bids and engage in fraud on insulation installation contracts in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts.  Insulation installation contractors install insulation around pipes and ducts on renovation and new construction projects at universities, hospitals, and other public and private entities.  In addition to his guilty plea, DeVoe has agreed to pay restitution. 

“Today’s conviction is the result of a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to root out collusion and fraud that undermined the competitive process and defrauded hospitals, schools, and other victims out of millions of dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.  “Contractors who conspire to deceive and defraud their customers will be prosecuted.”

“This defendant participated in a long-running conspiracy among insulation contractors in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York,” said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham.  “They cooked up collusive bids, shared bid numbers with their competitors and communicated with co-conspirators via encrypted messaging apps, all in an effort to line their own pockets and their companies’ bottom lines.  The real victims are the hospitals, universities and businesses that were duped into paying corruptly inflated bids on $45 million worth of insulation jobs throughout New England.  I commend the FBI, DCIS and the Antitrust Division for uncovering this brazen scheme and their ongoing efforts to bring its perpetrators to justice.”

“Free and open markets are the foundation of a vibrant economy.  For years, the defendant illegally coordinated bids on construction projects in order to enhance his own profits, eliminate competition, and ultimately steal from both public and private customers,”  said Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s New Haven Field Office.  “The FBI is committed to preventing this conduct that restricts all construction firms from receiving an opportunity to bid and receive contracts.  Consumers deserve the benefits of competitive prices, higher quality products, services, and greater innovation.” 

“Collusion and bid rigging seriously undermine the integrity of public contracting processes,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Northeast Field Office.  “DCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who deprive the benefits of competitive contracts and divert tax payer funds.”

The antitrust charge announced today carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million for individuals.  The fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  The fines for the antitrust and fraud conspiracy charges may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. DeVoe will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims. 

DeVoe also agreed to resolve civil forfeiture cases connected to the criminal charges.  DeVoe agreed to settle the pending forfeiture action on his home for $131,000 and to forfeit all of his seized bank accounts.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s New York Office, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, the FBI’s New Haven Division, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.  Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s New York Section at 212-335-8035, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  Two Huntington men were sentenced to prison today in federal court in Huntington, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  The sentences were imposed by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. 

“Add two more to our list of prosecutions for heroin or fentanyl related offenses,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We’ve made great progress, but there is still much work to do.”

Dahran Montgomery, also known as “Daedog”, 42, was sentenced to 52 months in prison.  Montgomery previously pled guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin and one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin.  He admitted that on February 16, 2017 and May 1, 2017, Quandale Turk directed him to distribute heroin to a confidential informant in Huntington.  Montgomery also admitted that on May 3, 2018, officers with the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant at his residence at 920 Eutaw Place in Huntington.  Officers seized approximately 80 grams of suspected heroin in the kitchen. 

David Paul, 38, was sentenced to 46 months in prison.  Paul previously pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute heroin that contained fentanyl.  Paul admitted that on January 10, 2018, officers with the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant at his residence at 528 8^th Avenue in Huntington.  Officers found approximately 96 grams of heroin and approximately 63 grams of heroin that contained fentanyl in a safe.    This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a focused enforcement effort that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas. 

The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigations.   Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecutions.

Follow us on Twitter:SDWVNews  
 

 
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POCATELLO – John Alan Mahler, 37, of College Station, Texas, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 22 years in prison followed by 15 years supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  Mahler was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill.  Mahler pleaded guilty on January 8, 2019.

According to court records, between June and October 2017, Mahler communicated with a 15-year old minor child from Idaho.  He used a variety of internet-based communication platforms, including Google Hangouts and Kik Messenger.  During the online communications, Mahler sent numerous messages attempting to persuade, induce, and entice the minor child to engage in sexual activity.  During the course of the communications, Mahler engaged in video calls with the minor child and instructed the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  Additionally, during the video calls, Mahler exposed his genitalia to the minor child.

At sentencing, Judge Winmill ordered Mahler to forfeit the laptop computer and cell phones used in the commission of the offense.  As a result of his conviction, Mahler will be required to register as a sex offender.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls and the Pocatello Police Department.

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.  As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

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

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Craig Lester, 32, of Buffalo, NY, with narcotics conspiracy; possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin, butyryl fentanyl, U-47700, and cocaine; and using and maintaining a drug premises. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who handled the case, stated that according to the indictment, between March and May 2017, the defendant conspired with others to possess and distribute multiple controlled substances, including heroin, butyryl fentanyl, U-47700, and cocaine. In addition, the defendant is accused of using 28 Echols Lane in Buffalo to store and distribute heroin, butyryl fentanyl, and U-47700. 

The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and is being held pending a detention hearing on April 18, 2019, at 10:30 a.m.

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

          A former engineer employed with technology manufacturing companies in the Vancouver, Washington area was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 27 months in prison for his nearly twenty-year scheme to collect disability benefits under his own identity while working under a false identity, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran.   STEVEN LYNN ROSS, 67, stole $368,458 in government benefits between 2001 and 2017.  ROSS possessed identity documents he had fraudulently obtained in the names of children who died in the 1950s and 1960s.  ROSS used the stolen identities to obtain identity documents in the false names as early as 1987.  At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle imposed an additional $20,000 fine, saying, “Our government depends on the honesty of its citizens to work…. The victims here are future generations… his daughters and grandchildren will be paying.”     

          “By taking this money, the defendant stole, month after month and year after year, from government programs that are stretched to the limit, where every dollar is vital to provide for the community’s most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran.  “These crimes have a corrosive effect on the public’s faith that benefit programs can work as intended. When people lie to obtain benefits, agencies must use their limited resources to detect and investigate fraud, instead of helping the truly deserving.”

            According to records filed in the case, in 1987 ROSS assumed the identities of at least two deceased children in order to apply for Social Security numbers in their names.  One of the children had died in a car accident as a toddler, the other died in a plane crash in 1968 at age thirteen.  ROSS used these identities in various ways, obtaining drivers licenses, bank accounts and passports in different names.  In 2001, ROSS began collecting Social Security Disability payments in his true name, saying he was unable to work due to physical ailments.  In fact, at the same time that he was collecting disability payments, ROSS continued to work under one of the identities he had stolen.  In this way, ROSS collected more than $360,000 in disability payments even though he was able to work and therefore not disabled under program rules.  ROSS even used his false identities as “references” vouching for his disabled status in his submissions to the Social Security Administration.

            The Washington State Department of Licensing began investigating when facial recognition software flagged that ROSS’s image appeared in more than one driver’s license photo.  The case was turned over to the Social Security Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).  The DSS determined that ROSS had obtained passports in his own name as well as the names of three deceased children, and that all four passports contain ROSS’ picture.  Between 1998 and 2011, ROSS traveled out of the country 22 times with one of the stolen identities, even as he also traveled internationally using his own name and passport as well.

            ROSS pleaded guilty on January 15, 2019 to theft of public funds and aggravated identity theft.  He is in the process of paying restitution of $368,458 and now will be responsible for the $20,000 fine as well. Judge Settle imposed three years of supervised release.

          The case was investigated by the Social Security Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and the Washington State Department of Licensing License Integrity Unit (DOL/LIU).

          The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Diggs.  Mr. Diggs is an attorney with the Social Security Administration specially designated to prosecute benefit fraud cases in federal court.

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

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Quondall D. Davis, 24, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking of an adult by force. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the defendant was identified by investigators during an investigation into prostitution in Rochester. Officers were told that Davis, who goes by “Hot Dog,” would place an ad on the website “backpage.com.”  Once a customer responded, “Hot Dog” would reach out to one of his girls and have them picked up by a driver. The complaint further states that “Hot Dog” would use his Facebook account to contact the girls. Following a date, the girls gave half of the profits to “Hot Dog.” Investigators also learned that girls would have sex with different guys in order to receive heroin. If the girls received heroin, they were to give all of it to “Hot Dog” but would not get any money in return.

Investigators reviewed Davis’s Facebook account and observed, among other items, a photo of a contact with the name “LongWay” with a mobile telephone number connected to an advertisement associated with prostitution in the Syracuse, NY.

The investigation has identified three minor victims and one adult victim who have been involved in prostitution activities with the defendant. 

The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and is being held pending a detention hearing on April 11, 2019.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller sentenced Steven Brian Homan, 62, of Benicia, today to six months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, for one count of concealment of bankruptcy assets, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Homan sought protection from and discharge of more than $1.3 million in personal and business debt. He also wanted to preserve a non-exempt cabin in Redding from liquidation. To protect the cabin, Homan arranged to sell it from his bankruptcy estate to a relative for $100,000. However, Homan concealed from the bankruptcy trustee that the cabin had been destroyed by fire before the trustee accepted the offer.

After the fire, Homan filed an insurance claim that settled for more than $258,000 in losses associated with the cabin and personal property contained in the cabin at the time of the fire. That money constituted property of the bankruptcy estate, which Homan concealed from the trustee. After the sale of the cabin was complete, the bankruptcy trustee learned of the fire and concealed insurance settlement.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney André M. Espinosa prosecuted the case.

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

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Stacie N. Yancer, 39, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five grams or more of methamphetamine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Astorga and Emmanuel Ulubiyo, who are handling the case, stated that between November 2017 and June 14, 2018, conspired with others to operate a drug trafficking organization, primarily involving methamphetamine, in the Jamestown area.

On January 10, 2018, and March 8, 2018, the defendant sold methamphetamine to an individual working with the Jamestown Drug Task Force.

On March 12, 2018, a search warrant was executed at 22 Bassett Street in Jamestown. During the search, the defendant was located in the back bedroom of 22 Bassett Street, Jamestown, NY. During the search, investigators recovered quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine; and Suboxone strips.

The defendant was charged along with 14 other defendants. She is the second to be convicted. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.  

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Snellings.  

Sentencing is scheduled for August 16, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo

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LAS VEGAS, Nev.– After a one-day bench trial, a Las Vegas resident was convicted of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Gilbert Davila Jr., 55, was found guilty of one-count of possession of child pornography by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan. At the time of the offense that resulted in his conviction, Davila had been previously convicted in California of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and lewd acts with a minor under 14.

In August and October 2017, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from an online email service provider in reference to possible child pornography uploaded by a user. The report was sent to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, who in turn obtained a search warrant for information regarding the user who had uploaded the child pornography. The search warrant revealed that user account had more than 600 images of child sexual exploitation and child abuse material. A search warrant was also executed at Davila’s home. Davila was interviewed after execution of the warrant at his home, during which he confessed that he had a problem and that he had been looking at child pornography for approximately four to five years. He also stated that he performed a factory reset on his phone on the way to the interview to delete all images and videos of child pornography saved to his phone.

Sentencing has been scheduled for July 11, 2019. The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elham Roohani and Rebecca Clinton are prosecuting the case.

If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, you are urged to make a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.org.

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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

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Assistant U. S. Attorney Robert Ciaffa (619) 546-7748    

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY– April 8, 2019

SAN DIEGO – Jacob Burrell Campos of Rosarito, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Marilyn L. Huff to serve two years in prison and forfeit $823,357 in illicit profits for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business in connection with his sale of hundreds of thousands of dollars in Bitcoin to over 1,000 customers throughout the United States.

Burrell, a U.S. citizen, has been in custody without bail since his arrest on August 13, 2018.  He pleaded guilty on October 29, 2018, admitting that he operated a Bitcoin exchange without registering with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Department of Treasury, and without implementing the required anti-money laundering safeguards.

According to the plea agreement, Burrell advertised his business on Localbitcoins.com, and communicated with his customers through email and text messages, often using encrypted applications.  He negotiated a commission of 5 percent above the prevailing exchange rate, and accepted cash in person, through nationwide ATMs, and through MoneyGram.  Burrell admitted that he had no anti-money laundering or “know your customer” program, and performed no due diligence on the source of his customers’ money. 

Burrell admitted that, at first, he purchased his supply of Bitcoin through a U.S.-based, regulated exchange, but his account was soon closed because of the large number of suspicious transactions.  He then resorted to a cryptocurrency exchange in Hong Kong, where he purchased a total of $3.29 million in Bitcoin, in hundreds of separate transactions, between March 2015 and April 2017. 

Finally, Burrell admitted that he exchanged his U.S. cash, which he kept in Mexico, with Joseph Castillo, a San Diego-based precious metals dealer, and that between late 2016 and early 2018, he and others imported into the United States, on an almost daily basis, a total of over $1 million in U.S. currency, in amounts slightly below the $10,000 reporting requirement.

In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors argued that unlicensed money transmitters pose a serious threat to the integrity of the U.S. financial system by creating a hole in the anti-money laundering regulatory scheme and allowing criminals to launder their cash proceeds without scrutiny.  In this case, Burrell provided his clients with anonymity and privacy, and exchanged over $1 million in unregulated cash.

U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said, “The federal government will continue to investigate and prosecute all white collar criminals who refuse to comply with the anti-money laundering laws of the United States, and who assist others in avoiding scrutiny of their ill-gotten gains. I applaud the excellent work of prosecutor Robert Ciaffa and federal agents who investigated these crimes.” 

 “Today’s sentencing of Burrell is a reminder to those illegal and unlicensed money transmitters that the laws and rules apply to crypto currency dealings just as they do to other types of financial transactions,” said David Shaw, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego.  “HSI Special Agents are proud to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of the U.S. financial system, and we will continue to adapt to enforce laws across all borders, including cyberspace and the Darknet.”

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 18CR3554-H

Jacob Burrell-Campos                                     Age: 22                       Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico

Count 1:  Conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business, 18 USC 1960.

Statutory maximum:  5 years prison, $250,000 fine.

AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

Internal Revenue Service

Postal Inspection Service

Victim Witness Coordinator Polly Montano (619) 546-8921    

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY– April 8, 2019

SAN DIEGO – National Crime Victims’ Rights Week – a time for law enforcement, prosecutorial agencies, victim advocates and community members to come together and support victims of crime – is April 7-13.

Upholding the rights of victims not only protects victims of crime, but enhances public safety and fosters public confidence in our criminal justice system.  Agencies that participate in this weeklong tribute will acknowledge and honor crime victims nationwide.

The San Diego County Victim Assistance Coordinating Council (VACC) and the United States Attorney’s Office in San Diego invite you to attend the 30th annual Candlelight Tribute for Crime Survivors on Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.  The tribute will be held at the San Diego Police Officers’ Association Hall, 8388 Vickers St., San Diego, CA  92111.  The keynote speaker will be U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr. The Tribute is a time to memorialize victims and to hear inspirational words from local law enforcement agencies, victim advocates and personal stories from the victims themselves.

The Tribute is sponsored by the VACC.  VACC is comprised of the following agencies:  Alliance for Community Empowerment; the Crime and Trauma Recovery Program; the District Attorney’s Victim Assistance Program; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Victim Witness Program; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Victim Assistance Program; the Center for Mindful Relationships; Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD); Mothers with a Message; Parents of Murdered Children; San Diego Police Department Crisis Intervention; San Diego County Sherriff’s Department; the United States Attorney’s Office Victim/ Witness Program; the U.S. Marshals Office; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and other victim advocates.

By providing a single, uniform message from these agencies and service providers, we can help increase awareness and improve the assistance provided to all crime victims.

To receive further information about National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, and ideas on how to serve victims in your community please visit www.ovc.gov or www.sdcvacc.com.

     PLANO, Texas – An 18-year-old Plano man has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison for plotting a terrorist attack at a Collin County, Texas shopping mall, announced Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis and United States Attorney Joseph D.  Brown jointly today.

     Matin Azizi-Yarand pleaded guilty to charges of solicitation of capital murder and terroristic threat today in state court before 296th District Court Judge John Roach, Jr.  Pursuant to a plea agreement reached by prosecutors and the defendant, Judge Roach sentenced Azizi-Yarand to 20 years in prison for the solicitation charge and 10 years in prison for the terroristic threat charge. The sentences will run concurrently.

     According to information presented in court, Azizi-Yarand was arrested in May of 2018 after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force discovered he was plotting a mass shooting at the Stonebriar Centre mall in Frisco, Texas.    Inspired by ISIS, Azizi-Yarand was a high school student in Plano when he began actively soliciting other individuals to assist him in the attack, which he had planned for mid-May 2018.   At the time of his arrest, Azizi-Yarand had sent more than $1,400 to an undercover FBI employee for the purchase of weapons and tactical gear, had conducted surveillance on the mall, and had met with undercover federal operatives to plan the attack.  The investigation determined that Azizi-Yarand specifically intended to target police officers and civilians at the mall.

     The case was filed in state district court in Collin County after federal prosecutors determined that Azizi-Yarand’s age - he was 17 at the time of the offense - limited their ability to prosecute the teen in federal court.  Individuals age 17 and above are considered adults under Texas state criminal law, while federal law requires an individual to be 18 to be considered an adult.

     “This was a serious, serious threat,” said United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown.  “There is no doubt that Azizi-Yarand would have carried out what he was planning.  Federal and state law enforcement in this district are committed to working together to combat terrorist activities in this region.   We greatly appreciate all of the law enforcement that moved quickly to prevent what could have been a very bad situation.  The FBI and the Plano, Frisco and Richardson police departments, as part of the regional Joint Terrorism Task Force, just did a great job.  And the cooperation of the Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis and his office was outstanding and allowed us to make sure the consequence reflected the seriousness of the offense.”

     “We are lucky that the vigilant men and women of federal and state law enforcement stopped this ISIS-inspired mass shooting,” said Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis. “This was textbook joint investigation and prosecution that undoubtedly saved lives. I’d like to thank United States Attorney Joe Brown and his prosecutors, the FBI, and all the law enforcement agencies that make up North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force.”

     "Today's plea is the result of the strong collaboration between the FBI and our partners in the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force," said Michael Schneider, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Dallas Division. "We work together 24/7, 365 days a year to detect, investigate, and disrupt terrorist threats in order to protect our communities from harm."

     This case was investigated by the FBI’s North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, Frisco Police Department, Plano Police Department, and Richardson Police Department.  Attorneys from both the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and the Collin County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted Azizi-Yarand, who will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years in prison.

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HONOLULU – Rowenalynn P. Yorkman, 48, of Kekaha, Hawaii, was sentenced today to 30 months of imprisonment for defrauding the United States Department of the Navy and its employees. As part of her sentence, Yorkman must pay $364,838.33 in restitution, and serve 3 years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price announced that, according to court documents and information presented in Court, from January 2011 to June 2015, Yorkman was employed by the Department of the Navy as a travel clerk where she tracked and reviewed travel claims for personnel. Yorkman, without authorization, used a co-worker’s account to enter false information and create fraudulent voucher amendments for expenses travelers did not incur. Yorkman then approved these voucher amendments for payment into her own bank account. She then converted these funds for her personal use. During her scheme, Yorkman defrauded the United States government and travelers of at least $364,838.33.

At Yorkman’s sentencing, Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway remarked, "First of all, this was not a one-time giving into temptation," the 333 fraudulent transactions "was almost like a habit." The fraud involved "wholesale use of other people’s names and information" causing great concern.

The case was investigated by the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren W.K. Ching.

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New Albany – Josh J. Minkler, the United States Attorney, announced today that Ramon Sera-Mastrapa, 40, a Cuban national living in Florida, has been sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment in connection with his role in a massive, years-long cargo theft conspiracy that spanned more than half of the continental United States. 

The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt at a hearing in New Albany, Indiana, Friday morning, represents the culmination of a years-long investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office and agents of the FBI’s New Albany office, in close partnership with the Kentucky State Police Vehicle Investigations Unit. This massive investigative effort also yielded convictions and significant federal prison sentences for 12 other defendants: Carlos Enrique Freire-Pifferrer, Juan Perez-Gonzalez, Eduardo Hernandez, Mario Hernandez-Oquendo, Yoel Palenzuela-Mendez, Orlis Machado Cantillo, Miguel Mompie, Ritzy Robert-Montaner, Roberto Santos-Gonzalez, Carlos Mendez-Rosa, Raico Benitez Castillo, and Daniel Gonzalez-Insua.

During the many court proceedings held in this case, the Court heard voluminous testimony about the sophistication of this theft ring. Specifically, the court heard that the defendants would travel from various locations throughout the United States to Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and other U.S. States to reconnoiter distribution facilities used by various companies to distribute high-value cell phones, electronics, computer equipment, name brand clothing, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, cigarettes, and liquor, among other products. Once the defendants identified a truck leaving a distribution facility, they would follow the truck for hundreds of miles until the driver of the cargo load would stop to rest or refuel. At that point, the defendants would steal the entire semi-tractor and trailer. Typically the group would abandon the tractor portion of the stolen vehicle within 20 miles of the site of the theft, but would hook the stolen trailer up to a tractor operated by another member of the conspiracy and paint over any logos on the stolen trailer in an effort to conceal the identity of the trailer and evade law enforcement detection. Efforts were then made to transport the stolen merchandize to major U.S. cities where the contents of the trailers were sold onto the black market.

Among the truck-loads of merchandise targeted for theft by this group were those transporting T-Mobile cellular telephones, Samsung appliances, Ralph Lauren and Victoria’s Secret clothing, Elizabeth Arden perfume, COTY cosmetics, Nikon cameras, Apple, Dell and HP computers, Pfizer pharmaceuticals, Mead Johnson baby formula, Lorillard cigarettes, and one truckload of LG cellular telephones valued at $11.9 million. All totaled, the FBI and KSP linked these defendants to more than 32 cargo loads, valued at more than $30 million, stolen between October of 2011 and May of 2015. 

The Court also heard evidence that, before getting involved in this conspiracy, at least three members of the group, Roberto Santos-Gonzalez, Juan Perez-Gonzalez, and Eduardo Hernandez, had prior federal convictions for remarkably similar conduct. 

As noted above, Sera-Mastrapa was the final defendant to be sentenced in this case. In prior proceedings, Judge Pratt sentenced the other members of the conspiracy to significant terms of imprisonment, including: Santos-Gonzalez (150 months), Perez-Gonzalez (108 months), Freire-Pifferrer (87 months), Machado-Cantillo (96 months), Mario Hernandez-Oquendo (79 months), Daniel Gonzalez-Insua (72 months), Yoel Palenzuela-Mendez (60 months), Miguel Mompie (57 months), and Carlos Mendez-Rosa (40 months).

According to Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Rinka and James M. Warden, each of the defendants were also ordered to serve a period of supervised release following their incarceration, and ordered to pay millions of dollars in restitution to the victims in this case.

“The arms of federal law enforcement are long and untiring,” said Josh J. Minkler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “These crimes affect everyday Hoosiers and Americans by driving up costs, across-the-board, for businesses and citizens alike.  The conspiracy in this case represented an all-out, nationwide assault on interstate shipping, but it ultimately proved no match for the collaborative efforts and determination of Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, assisted by private sector groups like the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Let the sentences meted out in this case be a stern warning to others:  Those who obstruct or interfere with interstate shipping will be doggedly pursued and brought to justice.”

“The significance of this case, from a national perspective, cannot be overstated. The results represent nearly a decade’s worth of federal, state, and local law enforcement and private sector collaboration,” said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the FBI agents and Kentucky State Police troopers who literally chased these defendants across the United States and stopped them.”

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. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting complex, large-scale fraud schemes. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 5.1.

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Jamie L. Moore, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 87 months incarceration for drug distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Moore, age 47, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine” in February 2019. Moore admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine in 2017 and 2018 in Marshall County.

The judge also ordered the forfeiture of a property located at 1512 Lindsay Lane in Moundsville, West Virginia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office; the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office; the Sistersville Police Department; the Paden City Police Department; and the New Martinsville Police Department investigated. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit assisted in the case. 

The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.

Jackson, Miss – Harold Course, 46, of Jackson, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On October 19, 2018, officers with the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrived at a halfway house in Jackson to serve an arrest warrant on an individual when they observed a man asleep in the driver’s seat of a pickup truck.  Agents identified the man as Harold Course.  Course was not the subject of the arrest warrant, but agents observed, in plain view, a shotgun between Course and the truck’s center console.  Agents determined Course was wanted by Brookhaven Police for robbery and was a convicted felon.  Course had been previously convicted in Hinds County, Mississippi, of attempted business burglary on March 6, 2015.

On February 20, 2019, Course was charged in a federal indictment with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.   He will be sentenced on July 15, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. by Judge Reeves, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness.  EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a scheme to steal credit cards from the mail, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Moussa Dagno, 24, of Harrison, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count each of bribery of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carriers and employees, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Dagno, who was arrested in February of 2018, remains detained pending his sentencing.

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

Dagno recruited several USPS mail carriers and employees to steal credit cards from the mail in exchange for bribes of $100 per stolen card. Dagno activated the cards under false pretenses, and he and others would use the cards to purchase high-end electronics and clothing at various retail stores throughout New Jersey. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement seized six laptops and a smartphone from Dagno’s residence, all of which had been purchased with credit cards stolen by USPS workers involved in the scheme.

Several of the USPS mail carriers and employees who accepted bribes from Dagno and others have already pleaded guilty to bribery charges and are awaiting sentencing. These individuals include: former mail carriers Zenobia Gilmer, Ayesha Trotz and Kyanne Costley, who had delivery routes in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey, East Orange, New Jersey, and Elizabeth, New Jersey, as well as Jennel Williams, who formerly worked as a clerk in the Main Post Office in Newark. All four admitted to stealing credit cards from the mail and delivering those stolen cards to Dagno or another individual working with Dagno. 

The bribery charge to which Dagno pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison; the bank fraud charge to which Dagno pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison; and the aggravated identity theft charge to which Dagno plead guilty carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which will be served consecutively to the sentence Dagno receives on the other charges. The bank fraud charges carries a maximum potential fine of $1 million, while the maximum potential fine for both the bribery and aggravated identity theft is $250,000. Sentencing is currently scheduled for July 17, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the USPS - Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to these charges. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren and Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

Gulfport, Miss. – Marco De La Cruz-Martinez, 22, of Mexico, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Gregory K. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.  

De La Cruz-Martinez will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden, on July 8, 2019.  He faces a potential maximum penalty of two years in prison followed by one year of supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine.  He also faces being removed from the United States following the completion of any prison sentence.

On January 28, 2019, an interdiction agent with the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team conducted a traffic stop on a GMC Yukon XL with South Carolina license plates on I-10 eastbound in Jackson County.  The agent observed eight occupants of the vehicle, including De La Cruz-Martinez.  Border Patrol Agents arrived on the scene shortly thereafter, and interviewed the occupants of the vehicle as to their citizenships, determining that none had proper documents and all were illegally present in the United States.   The occupants (2 drivers and 6 passengers) were arrested and transported to the Border Patrol Station in Gulfport. 

Further investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Border Patrol determined that the 6 passengers were being smuggled within the United States and that De La Cruz-Martinez had previously had been ordered removed from the United States. 

 U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Border Patrol, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team, and the City of Gautier Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.