St. Croix, USVI – Kieantia Thomas-Okeke, 38, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty on June 24, 2019, in District Court to one federal count of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.

This offense carries a possible sentence of incarceration of up to 5 years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000 dollars, and a term of supervised release of at least 2 years. Sentencing is set for October 23, 2019.

According to court documents, on March 5, 2018, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) canine alerted on Thomas-Okeke after she exited inbound American Airlines flight #2317 from Miami, Florida, at the Henry E. Rohlsen airport in St. Croix. The defendant was then handcuffed and escorted to the designated secondary inspection room. There CBP officers searched the defendant along with her carry-on suitcase. Inside the carry-on suitcase, a green leafy substance inside plastic wrapped brick shaped packages was discovered along with stacks of cash. The substance field-tested positive for marijuana. The marijuana weighed 9.11 kilograms and the confiscated currency totaled $39,980. Travel records for the defendant showed that she was traveling from Dallas, TX, with a layover in Miami and had planned to return to Dallas, TX, the next day. When asked about her compensation for traveling to St. Croix with the drugs and cash, the defendant advised that her flight to St. Croix was paid for and she was going to receive $1,500 when she returned to Dallas, TX.

The case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. The DEA Southeast Laboratory in Miami analyzed the marijuana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Martin, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Theft of Firearms, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.  

Sidney Marshall, age 25, was charged on April 16, 2019.  Marshall appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 6, 2019, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges relate to Marshall, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, breaking into a business in Martin and stealing multiple firearms in August 2018.  The charges are merely an accusation and Marshall is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its 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 local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Martin Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.

Marshall was detained pending trial.  A trial date has not been set. 

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a White River, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child was sentenced on June 18, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Roger Moran, age 66, was sentenced to 186 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Moran was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 14, 2018.  He pled guilty on March 21, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from incidents that occurred between February 25, 2014, and August 23, 2018, when Moran knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a minor female with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, and arouse or gratify his own sexual desire.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.

Moran was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on June 24, 2019, United States District Court Judge James Munley sentenced Adam Kamor, age 44, to seven years of imprisonment and three years of supervised release, for committing money laundering and tax evasion.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Kamor worked as a Certified Public Accountant and operated the accounting business Decker Accounting LLC in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.  From October 2014 to January 2018, Kamor embezzled approximately $1,384,000 from one of his clients, a non-profit organization, by shifting the funds through a series of accounts under his control.  Kamor used the embezzled funds for his own personal benefit, primarily to gamble at the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino.        

Kamor also failed to report a total of $804,365.73 in income between tax years 2014 ($110,607.08), 2015 ($315,224.71), and 2016 ($378,533.94).  Kamor filed false Form 1040 Individual Income Tax Returns for each of those tax years.

The United States seized $32,443 of the remaining embezzled funds, which will be returned to the victim of Kamor’s crimes.  Judge Munley ordered Kamor to pay additional restitution of $1,353,244.56 to his victim, and $241,623 to the IRS, to satisfy his outstanding tax obligation.  In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Munley highlighted the serious nature of the offense, and interests in sending a deterrent message to like-minded criminals.

“Not only did this defendant willfully fail in his duty as a citizen to pay his fair share, he further enriched himself by stealing from an organization that existed for the benefit of others,” said U.S. Attorney Freed.  “We were able to aggressively prosecute this white collar criminal because of the hard work and dedication of our partners at IRS Criminal Investigation.  If tax cheats in the Middle District of Pennsylvania are not on notice, then they are not paying attention.”

“Money laundering is tax evasion in progress,” stated Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco of the IRS’s Criminal Investigations Division. “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to unraveling complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes where individuals attempt to conceal the true source of their money. Rest assured that IRS-CI will continue to protect the integrity of the tax system by ensuring everyone pays the right amount of tax.”

The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

# # #

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Yehuda Belsky, the owner of Brooklyn-based Y Trading, LLC, pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud, one count of failure to register as a commodities trading advisor and one count of misappropriation of customer funds.  The plea was entered before United States District Court Judge Allyne R. Ross.   When sentenced, Belsky faces up to 40 years in prison, restitution in the full amount of each victim’s losses, forfeiture of $800,000 and a fine of up to $5 million. 

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and James McDonald, Director, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), announced the guilty plea.

“With his guilty plea today, Belsky is held responsible for deceiving and defrauding investors, and hiding behind an alias to conceal his permanent ban from trading by the CFTC,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “This Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to protect the integrity of the financial marketplace from dishonest operators like the defendant.”

In 2008, Belsky was permanently barred by the CFTC from trading in commodity futures transactions and options.  Nevertheless, from March 2014 to October 2018, Belsky presented himself to potential investors – using an alias – as an experienced securities and commodities trader.  Belsky promised his victims that he would invest their money by trading securities or binary options, a type of investment in which investors are promised an opportunity to be paid predetermined amounts based upon the price of securities, commodities or other investments at particular points in time.  Instead of doing as promised, Belsky misappropriated his victims’ investments for his personal use and to reimburse investors who had demanded repayment.

 The government’s case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sarah Wilson Rocha of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section under the supervision of the United States Attorney’s Office, Business and Securities Fraud Section.  The Office’s Civil Division is handling forfeiture matters.

The Defendant:

YEHUDA BELSKY (also known as “Jay Bell”)
Age:  47
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-504 (ARR)

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Arson was sentenced on June 17, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Shane Taken Alive, age 28, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release.  The Defendant was ordered to pay $572,506.50 in restitution to the victim of the arson, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Taken Alive was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 18, 2017.  He pled guilty on March 19, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on April 12, 2017, when Taken Alive got into an argument with an individual and walked to the school in Takini, South Dakota, where he broke a window to get inside and set fire to one of the school buildings. 

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.

Taken Alive was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.  

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  

Jaime Walking Bull, age 38, was charged on May 21, 2019.  Walking Bull appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 6, 2019, and pleaded not guilty to the charge.  The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The charge relates to Walking Bull, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, unlawfully being in possession of a semi-automatic pistol in April 2019 at Rapid City.  The charge is merely an accusation and Walking Bull is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its 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 local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.

Walking Bull was detained pending trial.  A trial date has not been set.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux City, Iowa, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact by Force was sentenced on June 24, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Michael Weddell, Jr., age 29, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Weddell was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 6, 2018.  He pled guilty on April 5, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from incidents between June 1, 2015, and July 10, 2015, in Wagner, South Dakota, when Weddell knowingly engaged, and attempted to engage in, sexual contact with a child who had not attained the age of 12. Weddell used force to arouse and gratify his own sexual desire.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.

Weddell was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

LAKE CHARLES, La. –United StatesAttorney David C. Joseph announced that Buddy Keith Myers, 24, originally from Simms, Texas, and an inmate at Allen Correctional Center in Kinder, Louisiana, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to serve three years and one month in federal prison for making threats against the President of the United States.  Summerhays also ordered Myers to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

Myers wrote a series of letters from February 12, 2018 to March 10, 2018, while he was an inmate at the Allen Correctional Center, threatening death or bodily injury against President Donald Trump.  Myers drafted most of the letters on inmate request forms and submitted them to prison officials, and mailed at least one of the letters to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.  According to court documents presented during his guilty plea on August 28, 2018, Myers acknowledged to law enforcement officers that his threats were serious.

The U.S. Secret Service and Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips prosecuted the case.

Fargo – First Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced that on June 24, 2019, U.S. District Judge James M. Moody, Eastern District of Arkansas, sitting by designation, sentenced Calvin Keith Delorme, age 30,Belcourt, ND, to 30 years confinement in a federal prison on the charge of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 12 Years, to be followed by lifetime supervised release.

This case came to the attention of law enforcement in March 2014, when a child under Delorme’s care disclosed that he had sexually abused her over a period of several years.  The victim stated the abuse occurred on many occasions when the victim was left in the defendant’s care. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Greenley and Lori Conroy prosecuted the case. 

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HAMMOND –Travis Barrett, 39, of Lafayette, Indiana was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.   

Barrett was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison, 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a total of $25,000 in restitution ($5000 to each of the five victims).

According to his plea agreement, Barrett admitted to possessing more than 15000 images and 2450 videos of child pornography

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Lafayette Police Department and the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary T. Bell.

# # #

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 33-year-old man from Guatemala has entered a guilty plea to assaulting a Border Patrol (BP) agent and for illegally entering the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

In the early morning hours of March 27, 2019, authorities encounters Lorenzo Perechu-Tziquin and others attempting to circumvent the U.S. BP Checkpoint near Falfurrias. The majority of the group complied with commands. However, Perechu-Tziquin, in an effort to prevent arrest, shoved and kicked a BP agent multiple times in the chest area through a barb-wire fence. In the course of the struggle, he caused multiple lacerations to the agent’s hands and arms, which required medical attention. 

Perechu-Tziquin was eventually subdued and apprehended with the assistance of another BP agent. 

Perechu-Tziquin was previously convicted of illegal entry into the United States in August 2018 and subsequently deported.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept.18, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. At that time, Perechu-Tziquin faces up to 20 years for each count as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.  

The FBI and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yifei Zheng is prosecuting the case.   

LAREDO, Texas – A 50-year-old Mexican national is set to appear in federal court on charges he imported methamphetamine and heroin into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Fernando Anaya-Bautista is also charged with one count of conspiracy.  

A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment June 18, 2019, against Fernando Anaya-Bautista. He is set to appear for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga at 1:00 p.m. today.

Originally charged by criminal complaint, Anaya-Bautista allegedly attempted to enter the United States at the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge in Laredo May 23, 2019, driving a tractor-trailer. Following a positive K-9 alert and x-ray examination, authorities located 12 bundles of methamphetamine weighing approximately 11 kilograms along with one package of heroin with a weight of 1.06 kilograms, according to the charges. They were all allegedly located in a speaker box inside the truck.

If convicted, Anaya-Bautista faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from CBP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Three people were indicted in federal court for firearms violations.

Indicted are: Jaquar Keyshore Latimer, 42, of Akron; Alfred Werman, 27, of Garfield Heights, and Brittney N. McTier, 31, of Cleveland.

Latimer is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He allegedly possessed cocaine on February 9, 2018, as well as a Sig Sauer 9 mm handgun, a Dan Wesson .357-caliber revolver and a Browning Arms .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, despite previous convictions for sexual battery, aggravated assault, drug possession and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the indictment.

Werman is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He allegedly possessed a Sig Sauer .40-caliber pistol and 45 rounds of ammunition on May 20, 2019, despite a previous conviction for burglary, according to the indictment.

McTier charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. McTier allegedly possessed two rounds of 9 mm ammunition despite a previous conviction for bank fraud, according to the indictment.

These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cleveland Division of Police (McTier). They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Kane, Brendan O’Shea and Scott Zarzycki.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Four people were indicted for two separate armed robberies in Elyria this spring.

Joseph L. Geiger and Michael A. Ward are accused of using a firearm to rob the Marathon gas station at 503 Huron Street on May 5.

James A. Jackson and Demario J. Horton are accused of using a firearm to attempt to rob the Rally’s at 711 Cleveland Street on June 11.

The cases are otherwise unrelated.

Geiger, 31, of Cleveland, and Ward, 31, of Lorain, are charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Ward is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Geiger and Ward are accused of brandishing a firearm while robbing the Marathon gas station on May 5. Ward also allegedly possessed a Valor .325 revolver and three live rounds of .325-caliber ammunition on May 5, despite previous convictions for domestic violence and burglary.

Jackson, 27, of Wickliffe, and Horton, 29, of Cleveland, are charged with one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery and one count of using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Horton is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Jackson and Horton are accused of brandishing a firearm on June 11 while attempting to rob the Rally’s restaurant. Horton also allegedly possessed a Glock .45-caliber pistol and ammunition, despite a previous conviction for aggravated robbery.

“Anyone who uses a firearm to threaten people who are just trying to earn a living is adanger to our community,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “These cases are another example of federal and local law enforcement working together to make us all safer.”

“Customers were simply utilizing their community businesses when these individuals brought danger in the door,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. “The FBI will continue to partner with Elyria PD and our other law enforcement partners to rid the streets of gun toting criminals.”

Elyria Police Chief Duane Whitely said: “These two cases are perfect examples of how the federal government is helping local municipalities make the cities a safer place to be.  The Elyria Police Department and the FBI worked together to solve these crimes and then took the cases to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the indictments.”

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated 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.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Elyria Police Department. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

SOUTH BEND – Howard Fleming III, age 24, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced before United States District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio upon his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

Fleming was sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, Fleming was in a car in South Bend, and had a .40 caliber handgun along with less than five grams of cocaine when stopped by police. He had planned to sell the cocaine while using the firearm for protection while drug dealing.  Fleming also has a prior felony conviction from April of 2014 in St. Joseph County, Indiana, for which he was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.

This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the South Bend Police Department.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly E Donnelly.

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WASHINGTON – Drew Yeates, an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Salt Lake City, received the Attorney General’s Volunteer Award for Community Service Monday recognizing his significant efforts to reduce the rate of domestic violence in Utah. U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr announced the awards Monday.  Yeates was honored at a ceremony at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Yeates, a career city, county, and federal prosecutor, was one of three U.S. Department of Justice employees recognized for exemplary community service efforts and the only prosecutor. The Attorney General also presented two Attorney General’s Citizen Volunteer Service Awards to members of the public recognizing their outstanding contributions to the Department’s mission.

“Today we honor these exceptional men and women for their remarkable contributions to protecting and improving their communities,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “To take only a few examples, they have strived to keep schoolchildren safe, empowered victims of domestic violence, provided inmates with re-entry life skills, and fostered trust between law enforcement and youth. Our awardees’ communities have been made immeasurably better for their efforts. The Department of Justice and a grateful country thank them for their work.”

Although Utah’s homicide rate is one of the lowest in the nation, a disproportionately high number of them involve domestic violence.  Domestic violence-related deaths account for approximately 30 percent of murders across the nation.  In Utah, it is 44 percent.  Women are the most likely victim.

As a prosecutor, Yeates has played a significant role in addressing domestic violence by prosecuting perpetrators of domestic violence, including those in possession of firearms.

Recognizing that most domestic violence criminal prosecutions occur after a victim has been harmed, Yeates was motivated to find a way to protect victims earlier in the process. Since 2012, Yeates has volunteered at the Safe Harbor Crisis Center in Layton, Utah.  In his seven years of pro bono service, Yeates has represented more than 200 victims of domestic violence – assisting them in obtaining permanent protective orders in approximately 160 cases.

“We are very proud of the efforts Drew is making to protect victims of domestic violence in Utah communities.  He is using civil litigation tools in his pro bono work and his experience as a prosecutor in our office,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said today. “He represents the highest values of the Department of Justice in his professional work and exemplary community service efforts.”

Yeates is Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City.

     PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Oliver Hurley, of Inscription House, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 18 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Hurley had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.

     On November 5, 2018, Hurley attacked the victim with a piece of firewood, striking her several times and causing lacerations to her arm and head.  The assault happened on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation and Hurley is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

MACON – A Florida man who was caught moving 2,980 grams of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on I-75 admitted his guilt in federal court Monday, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.  Daniel Carachure, 31, of Bradenton, FL pleaded guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine before the Honorable Marc Treadwell on June 24, 2019. Mr. Carachure faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, or both, and up to three years supervised release.

According to the facts in his signed plea agreement, Mr. Carachure was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over during a routine traffic stop along I-75 in Butts County on January 14, 2019. A Butts County deputy smelled marijuana, and during a legal search of the vehicle, the smell of burnt marijuana grew stronger and marijuana residue was seen on the floor of the vehicle. The officer then found a red shopping bag with three bundles wrapped in plastic wrap. The bundles were later tested by the DEA laboratory and confirmed to be 2,980 grams of d-Methamphetamine Hydrochloride with a purity of 100%. Mr. Carachure admitted the narcotics belonged to him and that he was moving three kilos of methamphetamine from Atlanta to Florida, where he had a buyer waiting to purchase the illegal drugs.

“The defendant was caught moving a large quantity of methamphetamine for his profit, at the ruin of many others who are hooked on this drug, and will now have to pay the price for his crime,” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney. “Getting illegal, deadly drugs out of our communities is a constant battle for the law enforcement community. I want to thank the Butts County Sheriff’s Office for their work protecting our citizens.”

The case was investigated by the Butt’s County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Howard prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.

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CAMDEN, N.J. – A North Carolina woman today admitted her role in an illegal scheme to buy weapons in Georgia and transport them to New Jersey for resale, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Anastacia Thomas, 26, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph Rodriguez in Camden federal court to an information charging her with conspiring to illegally traffic firearms.

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

On Jan. 25, 2018, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop in Deptford, New Jersey, of a car registered to Anthony Doyle, 28, also of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Doyle was riding as the front seat passenger while Thomas was driving. The officers observed a Glock handgun in plain view on the front seat passenger floor. This gun was loaded with 14 hollow tip bullets. The officers also observed a firearm box in the backseat of the car, next to a backpack. A search of the car and backpack revealed four additional handguns and two additional firearm boxes.

Law enforcement officers subsequently learned that Thomas had purchased the four handguns in the backpack on Jan. 22, 2018, from a pawnshop in Jonesboro, Georgia. Thomas had purchased several additional firearms from that same pawnshop over the course of multiple visits, and Doyle accompanied Thomas to the pawnshop on at least two of those visits.

Law enforcement officers learned that from Nov. 30, 2017, to Jan. 25, 2018, Doyle and Thomas conspired and worked together to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Thomas was responsible for purchasing firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers; Doyle used social media to advertise firearms for sale, negotiate pricing, and arrange transactions. Doyle discussed the various firearm transactions in great detail over the course of hundreds of pages of online messages that were analyzed by law enforcement officers.

The charge of conspiring to engage in gun trafficking carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 7, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson, Newark Field Division, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara A. Aliabadi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

Charges against Doyle remain pending. Those charges are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defense counsel:
Doyle: Christopher O’Malley Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden
Thomas: Paul A. Sarmousakis Esq., Avalon, New Jersey