ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge woman who was recently convicted of aggravated sexual battery of a child family member was found guilty today of illegally reentering the United States.

“Terrazas Siles not only disregarded our immigration laws, she also sexually abused an innocent child while residing in the United States illegally,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We are committed to prosecuting criminal immigration cases, especially when the illegal alien presents a serious danger to children and other vulnerable victims in our community.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Lourdes Terrazas Siles, 39, is a native and citizen of Bolivia. Terrazas Siles had been previously removed from the United States in 2000, after she attempted to enter the United States with a fraudulent passport. Sometime thereafter, Terrazas Siles reentered the United States without permission to do so. She was found in the United States in August 2016, when she was arrested for felony aggravated sexual battery by a parent, step-parent, grandparent, or step-grandparent of a victim at least 13 but less than 18 years of age. She was convicted in Virginia on aggravated sexual battery charges in June 2017.

Terrazas Siles faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison when sentenced on October 11. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema found Terrazas Siles guilty after a bench trial. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh are prosecuting the case. This case was previously handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Kraft.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-127.

St. Louis, MO – Ahmaad Ali, 24, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 132 months in prison for carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a federal crime of violence and robbery charges.  He appeared in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White.

According to court documents, on October 17, 2017, officers of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department responded to 3880 Meramec after a report of a robbery and carjacking at that location.  Specifically, the female victim was driving a 2002 Pontiac Aztek and had stopped at the curb to make a phone call.  As she did, co-defendant Jevante Phillips approached the driver’s side door pointing a military style weapon at her.  The victim opened the car door and attempted to hand over her purse; the co-defendant Jevante Phillips refused the purse, and ordered her out of the vehicle.  The victim complied.  As co-defendant Jevante Phillips entered the driver’s seat, Ali entered the passenger side of the vehicle.  Ali and Phillips fled in the vehicle. 

On October 18, 2017, Ali, along with co-defendants Jevante Phillips and Travion Lindsey -- all armed with firearms -- entered the 7-11 store located on Christy Avenue in South St. Louis.  The three arrived at the 7-11 in the stolen Pontiac.  They entered the store brandishing their firearms and wearing masks.  Phillips walked around the counter and began stealing lottery tickets and money from the cash register.  He was armed with a black long barrel pistol grip firearm.  Ali jumped over the counter and began removing the cash register.  He was armed with a black handgun, containing an extended magazine.  Travion Lindsey stood guard at the door and eventually walked over the counter and assisted in removing currency.  He was armed with a black handgun, which he held in his left hand the entire time.  After two minutes inside of the store, the three ran out of the store taking liquor bottles, cigarettes, and candy on their way outside.  The males then re-entered the Aztec and fled the area.   

Co-defendants Lindsey and Phillips were previously sentenced to 108 and 132 months in prison, respectively.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and assisted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Mehan is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Greenbelt, Maryland –Michael Nana Baako, age 50, a native of Ghana residing in Fulton, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal charge of passport fraud.  Baako was a physician who practiced in hospitals in Maryland and maintained his own clinic, Biazo Healthcare.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Edwin Guard of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Washington Field Office.

According to the plea agreement, since at least 2001, Baako and R.A.A. have lived together in Howard County, Maryland and are the parents of two minor children.  Baako and R.A.A. married in Ghana in 1995. Months later, Baako entered the United States legally after obtaining a visitor’s visa.  In 1996, Baako applied for certification of his Ghanian medical education in the United States.  In 1998, Baako married a U.S. citizen in Virginia, who filed a petition for Baako to become a naturalized United States citizen three weeks later.  The petition was denied in 2000 after immigration officials concluded that Baako’s marriage was a “sham” marriage entered into for the sole purpose of obtaining immigration benefits.  In 2001, Baako was licensed to practice in Maryland as a physician.

On November 29, 2005, Baako registered to vote in Maryland, swearing that he was a United States citizen, and subsequently voted in 10 federal elections between November 7, 2006 and November 6, 2018.  

On December 15, 2006, Baako obtained a new Ghanaian passport in Accra, Ghana, as a Ghanaian national.  On April 17, 2007, and September 16, 2009, respectively, Baako and R.A.A. submitted passport applications on behalf of their minor children, in which Baako falsely claimed that he was a citizen of the United States, born in Hillsborough, North Carolina.  On April 22, 2008, Baako submitted an application for a United States passport for himself in which he falsely claimed that he was born in North Carolina, as were both of his parents.  As part of his passport application, Baako provided an affidavit purporting to be from a family friend, falsely stating that this person was one of the first people to see Baako after his birth and was present at a subsequent naming and baptism ceremony for Baako at a Hillsborough, North Carolina church.  Baako was issued a U.S. passport on April 29, 2008, which he used for international travel on several occasions. That passport included the false information that Baako was a citizen of the United States born in North Carolina.  On July 31, 2012, Baako and R.A.A. submitted a passport renewal application on behalf of their first child, in which Baako falsely stated that he was a citizen of the United States.  On February 20, 2018, Baako filed a passport renewal application for his own passport, again falsely stating that he was a U.S. citizen born in North Carolina.  Baako was interviewed by Department of State officials on April 22, 2010, and on June 12, 2018.  In both interviews Baako falsely stated that he was born in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

On May 8, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Baako’s home and located his Ghanaian passport and plans for  the three-bedroom home Baako purchased in Accra, Ghana in August 2012. Investigators also obtained a number of documents related to Baako’s ongoing efforts to fraudulently obtain documentation establishing that he was a U.S. citizen born in North Carolina, including: a false affidavit purporting to be sworn by the Defendant’s mother—claiming that he was born in North Carolina; a page from family Bible falsely stating it had been presented to the Defendant at his birth in North Carolina; a falsified baptism certificate purporting to be from a North Carolina church—certifying that the defendant was born in North Carolina; and several draft petitions to the Circuit Court for Howard County seeking to fraudulently establish the fact of his birth in North Carolina.

Baako has been ordered detained in the custody of the United States Marshal since his arrest on May 8, 2019.  U.S. District Judge Debroah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for September 27, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the State Department’s DSS for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Daniel A. Loveland, who are prosecuting the case.

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BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Alejandro Yoel Diaz Diaz, 28, a Dominican national formerly residing in Lawrence, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Nov. 1, 2019.

On Aug. 1, 2017, Diaz Diaz applied for a Massachusetts identification card using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a Puerto Rican born United States citizen. At the time of his arrest in April 2019, Diaz Diaz was on probation out of Lawrence District Court for distribution of heroin in the United States citizen’s identity. Diaz Diaz was identified, among other things, from a fingerprint match with a Dominican Republic identification document issued to him and bearing his photo. 

The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Diaz Diaz will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. 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; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

CINCINNATI – Rodney Anderson, 35, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 72 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black.

According to court documents, in July 2018, Narcotics Unit investigators with the Cincinnati Police Department were working overtime targeting citywide drug hotspots. While conducting surveillance near the 1600 block of Race Street, they observed Anderson in his vehicle. Anderson violated a traffic law at West Liberty and Elm streets.

During the traffic stop, officers discovered more than 60 bindles containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a pistol.

Anderson pleaded guilty in January to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by ATF and Cincinnati Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Springer, who is representing the United States in this case. 

This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Christopher Kofi Noble, 41, of Anchorage, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to serve 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition.  Noble was linked to five separate shootings in Anchorage during a three-month period of time.  10 years in prison is the maximum sentence for this crime.

According to court documents, Noble was originally charged with five counts of felon in possession of ammunition, representing five separate events where different types of .45 caliber ammunition were used from the same firearm.  The Anchorage Police Department (APD) used the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) in order to link the shell casings from the five shootings to the same firearm.  The NIBIN system is a database that catalogues shell casings found at crime scenes and makes comparisons to other shell casings at other crime scenes.  It allows the Anchorage Police to compare shell casings and determine if the same firearm was used on different occasions during different shootings. 

The shootings where Noble possessed the firearm were an April 3, 2018, shooting where he shot at a female that owed him money; an April 18, 2018, shooting where he shot at an apartment building; a May 30, 2018, shooting where he shot at a man he had a verbal argument with; and a June 14, 2018, shooting where he handed a firearm to another man who shot and killed an individual.  After a May 18, 2018, report of gunshots near the Sullivan Arena, APD found .45 caliber shell casings on a trail behind the Arena that matched the .45 caliber shell casings from the other four shootings.  This type of ammunition or shell casings were found at each scene that all traced back to being shot from the same firearm.

Noble has five prior felony convictions out of Illinois, Indiana, and Alaska for crimes including assault, eluding law enforcement, and possession of cocaine.  As someone convicted of a felony offense, Noble was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

“This case highlights the use of an important new technology – NIBIN,” said U.S. Attorney Schroder.  “The U.S Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners, in this case ATF and APD, will use every tool at our disposal to bring dangerous armed criminals to justice.”

“NIBIN has proven to be an invaluable tool in the fight against crime,” said Anchorage Police Captain Josh Nolder, Commander of the Detective Division. “Thanks to NIBIN, we can now link seemingly random cases to one firearm and bring the individual behind that firearm to justice.” 

“ATF is committed to working with our partners across the state to protect Alaskans from violent offenders like Mr. Noble, whose contempt for law and order led to his continued criminal use of firearms, placing the community at risk,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Darek Pleasants.  “Sentences like this one serve as a deterrent to others while removing a repeat violent offender from our streets.”

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Burgess noted that Noble has 28 prior criminal convictions, and had over 29 other arrests.  Judge Burgess was concerned about protecting the public from the defendant due to his history of violent and assaultive behavior and the serious nature of the defendant’s conduct.

The Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh.

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).  NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crime involving firearms.  NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles.  For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Blair Strouse, 29, of Warminster, PA, was sentenced today to 30 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Petrese Tucker for charges related to cyberstalking his estranged wife.

In February 2015, the defendant began communicating online with a Brazilian citizen living in Brazil, who eventually travelled to the United States to work for a company that provided au pair services to families in the United States.  When the position did not work out, the woman moved to Pennsylvania in August 2016 to be with the defendant, whom she married about one month later.  Shortly thereafter, in November 2016, the defendant began mistreating the woman, and she moved out of their Warminster residence.  In December 2016, the defendant began a relentless campaign to threaten and harass her and her family members who were still living in Brazil.

Over the course of several months, the defendant sent dozens of electronic communications from his home to his wife’s family members and associates – repeatedly threatening to kill and inflict serious injury upon his victims.  He also offered to pay anyone willing to kill or injure his wife’s family members.  Even after a judge in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas issued a protection from abuse order against the defendant in February 2017, he continued to send harassing messages and stated that his purpose in life was to make members of his estranged wife’s family suffer.

“Threats like these made in any manner, whether via electronic communications or otherwise, are taken very seriously by my Office,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain.  “It’s not an excuse to say that you were just mouthing off; if you threaten serious bodily injury or even death over the internet, that is a federal crime with consequences.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

A federal grand jury in Dallas has indicted a U.S. citizen for traveling to Syria and conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Omer Kuzu – a 23-year-old U.S. citizen born in Dallas, Texas – was detained overseas by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and recently transferred to FBI custody and returned to Texas. He made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez in the Northern District of Texas today.

“The United States continues to demonstrate its commitment to holding accountable those who have left this country in order to join and support ISIS,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.  “As alleged in the court filings, Kuzu traveled overseas and joined ISIS as part of his conspiracy with others to provide material support to the foreign terrorist organization.  He was ultimately detained overseas, turned over to the FBI, and will now face justice in an American courtroom.  We hope countries around the world, including our European allies and partners, will likewise take responsibility for their own citizens who traveled to support ISIS.”

“There are few things more concerning to me than young Americans being radicalized by terrorists’ violent and hateful agendas while in the U.S., and then traveling abroad in order to fight for groups like ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas. “I am grateful for the public servants who helped bring this defendant home to face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”

“Today’s announcement should serve as a warning to those who have traveled, or attempted to travel, to join ISIS that the FBI remains steadfast in ensuring they face justice” said Assistant Director Mike McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “I am proud of the work done by the men and women of the FBI’s Dallas JTTF and Counterterrorism Division, as well as that of our interagency and international partners, which resulted in Omer Kuzu returning to the United States to answer for the crimes he is accused of committing.”

“The FBI remains committed to protecting the United States from all terrorist threats,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno of the FBI Dallas Field Office. “We aggressively pursue anyone who pledges allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization and will hold them accountable for actively supporting their violent agenda.”

According to an earlier criminal complaint that was also unsealed today, Kuzu and his brother allegedly traveled from Houston, Texas to Istanbul, Turkey, in October 2014 to join ISIS.

According to the complaint, Kuzu confessed to agents that he and his brother were smuggled into Syria by ISIS. The defendant said he eventually ended up in Mosul, Iraq, where he received physical and weapons training from ISIS instructors.

He was then sent back to Syria, where he allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.  The terrorist group issued him a Chinese-made AK-47 and allegedly paid him $125 per month to repair communications equipment for frontline ISIS fighters, he told agents.

Kuzu claimed that, in approximately early 2019, as Kurdish forces advanced, he fled with the ISIS fighters and was ultimately captured, along with other ISIS members, by the SDF.

Indictments and criminal complaints are formal accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence, and Kuzu is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted of the charged offense, Kuzu faces up to 20 years in federal prison. 

The FBI’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation through the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin and Tiffany Eggers and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

           WASHINGTON – Gary Proctor, 41, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           Proctor was found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya Dayson scheduled sentencing for December 13, 2019. Proctor faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole.

           According to the government’s evidence, on July 27, 2015, at approximately 4:40 p.m., Proctor entered the residence of the victim, Jerome “Beanie” Diggs, at 1360 First Street, SW, and fired 8 shots, striking the decedent 7 times. The defendant ran out of the house, leaving the victim for dead. But decedent managed to pick up the phone and call his sister, telling her that their cousin, “Little Gary” Proctor, had just shot him. When his sister asked why he didn’t call for help, he stated that he did not think he was going to make it, and he wanted someone to know what happened to him. The sister hung up with Beanie and instantly called 911, where she relayed what Beanie had told her. Meanwhile, Beanie, still clinging to life, crawled out the back door of his home where he was spotted by several neighbors who also called for help. One of these neighbors heard Beanie state “Lil Gary” was the person who shot him. Diggs lost consciousness shortly thereafter and died later that day from his wounds. Proctor was arrested pursuant to a warrant the very next day and has been held in custody ever since.

           In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Jackson, John Timmer and Chrisellen Kolb; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; Victim/Witness Program Specialist Lesley Slade; Supervisory Security Specialists Laverne Perry, Tanya Via, and Wanda Queen;  Administrative Services Specialist Karen Lee-Putt; Supervisory Paralegal Sharon Newman; Paralegals Kelly Blakeney and Meridith McGarrity; Victim Advocate Marcia Rinker; Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling; Information Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Interns Jared Andre and Jennifer Kenel; and Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin.

           Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler, who investigated the case, and Gilead Light and Alicia Long, who prosecuted the case.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a Fayette County man was sentenced in federal court on his conviction for conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, more than 50 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine, and a quantity of oxycodone.  Eric Coleman, 21, of Scarbro, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.  Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, with the support of the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug Task Force, the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Oak Hill Police Department. 

“Every dad should be a good role model to their kid,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Sadly, this new felon’s dad wasn’t a role model at all, but rather a drug dealer.   Now this 21-year-old is a felon with a two year prison sentence and tough prospects for the future.  It’s a terrible tale and it happens too often. But the lack of a role model and a tough childhood is no excuse for criminal behavior.  If you break the law, I’m going to prosecute you regardless of how sad your tale is or how tough your childhood was.”

At an earlier hearing, it was established that during the time period between October 2017, and July 31, 2018, Coleman assisted his father and other members of a drug trafficking organization in distributing oxycodone, heroin, and methamphetamine.  Coleman previously admitted to law enforcement that he was assisting his father in distributing quantities of oxycodone in Fayette County.  It was further established that during this time period, Coleman also distributed over 100 grams of heroin, and more than 50 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine.  Most of the distributions of controlled substances occurred at the Coleman’s residence in Scarbro.  The prosecution of Coleman culminated from a joint investigation conducted by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies known as Mountaineer Highway.       

Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Andrew J. Tessman handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Buckner, Missouri, woman was sentenced in federal court today for a more than $160,000 embezzlement scheme while employed at the Lake City Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo.

Brooke Brooks, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 18 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Brooks to pay $163,493 in restitution.

On Jan. 18, 2019, Brooks pleaded guilty to stealing government property. 

Lake City is a U.S. Army facility previously operated by Orbital Alliance Tech System, a defense system contractor. Brooks was employed by a company called Fastenal, a subcontractor for Orbital Alliance Tech System engaged in daily operations of the Lake City plant. Brooks was responsible for ordering materials and equipment for the plant.

Brooks admitted that, in her role with Fastenal, she over-ordered equipment – such as power washers, electric drills, and electric saws – paid for by Orbital Alliance Tech System. Brooks re-sold the excess equipment on Craigslist, Ebay, and to other employees working at Lake City. Brooks advertised these items to employees working at the Lake City plant by claiming that it was part of a Fastenal tool sale, where on occasion, the company ordered an excess of certain items and was selling them at discounted prices to reduce inventory. Because the items cost Brooks nothing, and were being sold at prices well under retail, she had no difficulty selling the items.

Brooks engaged in a variety of fraudulent practices to alter invoices for plant equipment, such as changing the description of products, deleting invoices, combining part numbers, and over-ordering. The federal government paid the amount reflected on the doctored invoice, but Brooks only delivered the actual quantity ordered by Orbital Alliance Tech System, thus leaving her with a surplus that she sold on the side.

Brooks fraud scheme resulted in a loss of $163,493. Her scheme was discovered when the plant’s security manager received a complaint from another Lake City employee that he hadn’t received the equipment he ordered from Brooks. The security manager then began an investigation and contacted the FBI.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman. It was investigated by the FBI.

NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that LINDSEY LOPEZ, age 37, of New Orleans, pled guilty today to a methamphetamine-trafficking offense.  Specifically, LOPEZ pled guilty to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release.

            CONCORD - Jeffrey Paul Hatch, 39, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to using a telephone to facilitate drug trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.  

            According to court documents and statements made in court, federal, state and local law enforcement officers conducted an investigation in 2017 of fentanyl traffickers, including an individual in Lawrence, Massachusetts who provided quantities of fentanyl to a Manchester-based fentanyl trafficker.  Couriers assisted the Manchester-based trafficker by transporting drugs and money.

            In pleading guilty, Hatch admitted that on July 25, 2017, he used his cellular telephone to arrange to pick up fentanyl from the Massachusetts-based trafficker on behalf of the Manchester-based trafficker.  

           Hatch is scheduled to be sentenced on November 6, 2019.

          This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Portsmouth Police Department, New Hampshire State Police, and Manchester Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.           

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John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LEWIS CORWISE, 29, formerly of Norwich and New York City, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 5, 2018, Norwich Police arrived at a Norwich residence to arrest Corwise, who had a warrant for his arrest in New York.  Corwise attempted to run from police, resisted and was apprehended.  At the time of his arrest, Corwise possessed a loaded Springfield xD-45 handgun, a zip lock bag containing nearly 60 grams of heroin, a small quantity of marijuana, a digital scale, five cellphones and other items.

Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for October 24, 2019, at which time Corwise faces a mandatory term of imprisonment of at least five years.

Corwise has been detained since his arrest.

This investigation has been conducted by the Norwich Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.

PITTSBURGH – A leader of one of the largest Drug Trafficking Organizations to operate in the Pittsburgh area has pleaded guilty to federal narcotics and firearm charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Jamie Lightfoot, Jr., 27, formerly of Verona, PA (Penn Hills) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime before Chief United States District Court Judge Mark R. Hornak. In all, Lightfoot, Jr. accepted responsibility for between 50 kilograms and 150 kilograms of cocaine. Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.  Lightfoot, Jr. has been detained since his initial appearance and will remain detained pending sentencing.

According to information presented to the court, from January 2015 to November 5, 2017, Jamie Lightfoot, Jr. conspired with others to import large quantities of cocaine and marijuana into Western Pennsylvania. The drugs would be driven to his Harvest Drive home from out of state in a Mercedes Sprinter ‘Sno Cold’ Van and eventually a large RV. Once the drugs came into Western Pennsylvania, Lightfoot and his co-conspirators would use his residence and other locations to break down, repackage, and distribute the drugs to co-conspirators in almost every region of Western Pennsylvania.

On November 5, 2017, an FBI and Pennsylvania State Police Task Force executed a search warrant at Lightfoot’s residence after the RV arrived at the location. The search netted 52 kilograms of cocaine and heroin, 85 pounds of marijuana, illegal steroids, three firearms, and nearly a million dollars in cash. Lightfoot, Jr. pleaded guilty to possessing of one of the firearms, which was found in the house, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. As part of his plea, Lightfoot, Jr. agreed to forfeit all of the US Currency seized at the house as well as any interest in his Harvest Drive residence.

The law provides for a combined maximum sentence of not less than 15 years in prison and up to a maximum of life and/or a fine of not more than $10,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni and Shaun Sweeney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police, with assistance from the South Strabane Police Department, the Elizabeth Borough Police Department, the Penn Hills Police Department and the Perryopolis Police Department, conducted the investigation that led to the Indictment in this case.

The investigation was funded 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.

NEWARK, N.J. – A California couple was arrested today on charges of operating a $7 million advance fee Ponzi scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jason M. Torres, 41, and Jordana Weber, 30, of Lake Tahoe, California, are charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering. They are scheduled to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Barnes in Sacramento, California, federal court.

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

Between April 2017 and the present, Torres, Weber, and others owned and operated several shell companies – one of which employed individuals who lived in New Jersey and performed work while in New Jersey – that falsely purported to offer lending services to customers, typically small business owners seeking high value loans, often in excess of $100 million. As part of the scheme, Torres, Weber and others required customers to pay up to 5 percent of a potential total loan amount as a “fee” prior to the loan being funded. 

After the victim’s “fee” was paid, the defendants and others would engage in a fake “due diligence” period, during which they frequently gave victims bogus explanations for why the funding of their loan was delayed. It was also common to provide the victims with falsified or fraudulent documents, including bank statements that purported to show that the shell companies had sufficient money to fund the loan.  

Torres, Weber, and others used the “fees” paid by the victims for their daily living expenses, as well as for numerous lavish purchases, which included several luxury vehicles, high priced artwork, and vacations. The “fees” were also used to pay back previous victims of the fraud, in the manner of a traditional Ponzi scheme. To date, approximately six victims have been identified with a total of $7 million being transferred to bank accounts controlled by Torres, Weber, and others.

The wire fraud charge carries a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The money laundering charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of not more than $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Torntore of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrimes Unit in Newark.

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

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that HECTOR MAY, the president of Executive Compensation Planners, Inc. (“ECP”), a registered investment adviser and financial planning firm located in New City, New York, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for participating in a conspiracy to defraud certain investment advisory clients (the “Victims”) out of more than $11 million.  MAY was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Vincent Briccetti. 

U.S. Attorney Berman also announced the return of an indictment charging VANIA MAY BELL, MAY’s daughter and former comptroller of ECP, with participating in the conspiracy to defraud certain investment advisory clients.  She was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. District Court Judge Nelson S. Roman.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “For more than two decades, May conceived and orchestrated a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme.  His conduct was marked by extreme cunning, ruthlessness, and utter disregard for the well-being of his victims, including aging couples, close friends, relatives, and an employment pension plan.”  

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Briccetti said that MAY is “a fraud and a thief,” and that his conduct was “appalling, reprehensible, and evil.”

According to the allegations in the Information to which MAY pled guilty, court filings, statements made in court, and the Indictment charging BELL[1]:      

Since 1982, MAY was the president of ECP and provided financial advisory services to numerous clients.  Since 1994, MAY was a registered representative of a broker dealer (“Broker Dealer-1”).  In its role as a broker dealer, Broker Dealer-1 facilitated the buying and selling of securities for clients of Broker Dealer-1’s registered representatives, including clients of MAY.  To that end, Broker Dealer-1 and associated clearing firms maintained securities accounts for ECP’s clients and, through those accounts, held ECP’s clients’ money, executed their securities trades, produced account statements reflecting activity in the clients’ accounts, and forwarded these account statements to ECP’s clients.

In order to obtain money from the Victims’ securities accounts with Broker Dealer-1, MAY advised the Victims, among other things, that they should use money from those accounts to have ECP, rather than Broker Dealer-1, purchase bonds on their behalf.  He further represented that by purchasing bonds through ECP directly, the Victims could avoid transaction fees.  Because MAY lacked the authority to withdraw money directly from the Victims’ accounts with Broker Dealer-1, he persuaded the Victims to withdraw the money themselves and to forward that money to an ECP “custodial” account (the “ECP Custodial Account”), so that he could use the money to purchase bonds on their behalf. 

With the assistance of BELL, MAY guided the Victims, first, to withdraw their money from their Broker Dealer-1 accounts, and second, to send that money to the ECP Custodial Account by wire transfer or check.  At times, MAY falsely represented that the funds being withdrawn from Victims’ Broker Dealer-1 accounts were the proceeds of prior bond purchases MAY had made.  After the Victims sent their money to the ECP Custodial Account, MAY did not use the money to purchase bonds.  Instead, MAY and BELL spent the money on business expenses, personal expenses, and to make payments to certain Victims in order to perpetuate the scheme and conceal the fraud. 

Specifically, in some cases, MAY used Victims’ funds to make purported bond interest payments to other Victims.  In other cases, MAY used Victims’ funds to make payments to other Victims who wished to withdraw funds from their accounts.  MAY and BELL also created phony “consolidated” account statements that they issued through ECP and sent to the Victims.  These “consolidated” account statements purported to reflect the Victims’ total portfolio balances and included the names of bonds MAY falsely represented that he purchased for the Victims and the amounts of interest the Victims were supposedly earning on the bonds.  In order to create the phony consolidated account statements, MAY provided BELL with bond names and false interest earnings, and BELL created ECP computerized account statements and distributed them to the Victims.

To keep track of the money that the co-conspirators were taking from the Victims, BELL processed the Victims’ payments for the purported bonds, entered them in a computerized accounting program, and, through that program, kept track of how MAY and BELL received and spent the Victims’ stolen money.  In this way, from the late 1990’s through March 9, 2018, MAY and BELL induced Victims to forward them more than $11,400,000.

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In addition to his prison term, MAY, 78, of Orangeburg, New York, was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay $8,041,233 in restitution, and forfeit $11,452,185.

BELL, 54, of Montvale, New Jersey, is charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.  Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  He also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which initiated civil proceedings against MAY and BELL, for its assistance.

The criminal case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margery B. Feinzig and Vlad Vainberg are in charge of the prosecution.

SOUTH BEND - Joshua Banks, age 32, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Mr. Banks was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment followed by 1 year of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, Mr. Banks was supposed to be serving a sentence at a community corrections facility in South Bend, but instead stole a pick up and drove it until it ran out of gas.  Police saw Mr. Banks walking along a street with a backpack and a gas can. Police tried to approach him, but Mr. Banks fled. Mr. Banks was eventually caught and arrested. After retracing Mr. Banks’ route, police located the backpack and gas can as well as a stolen handgun.  Banks has five felony convictions, at least four of which involved violence or threats of violence, and eleven misdemeanor convictions.  Banks has four pending state criminal cases when he was sentenced.   

This case was investigated by ATF with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Gabrielse.

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Spartanburg, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Detric McGowan, aka “Fat,” 46, of Piedmont, has entered a guilty plea in federal court to participating in a drug conspiracy involving cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and tramadol; possessing a kilogram or more of heroin with the intent to distribute; conspiring to launder money; obstruction of justice/witness tampering; and obstruction of justice/retaliation. United States District Donald Coggins of Spartanburg accepted the guilty plea and will impose McGowan’s sentence after the United States Probation Office prepares a presentence report. 

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing showed that beginning as early as 2016, law enforcement in Greenwood County began to see a rise in the number of opioid-abuse related cases, drug overdose deaths, and overdose non-fatalities attributed particularly to heroin and fentanyl toxicity.  Commonly found at the opioid overdose incidents and routinely seized by local law enforcement were counterfeit 30 milligram-size blue prescription pain pills laced with heroin and/or fentanyl and scored with a “V” on one side and “4812” on the other side.

Based on human intelligence, advanced electronic surveillance, the execution of search warrants, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement determined that McGowan, working with others, was a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in the Upstate of South Carolina, primarily in Laurens and Greenwood Counties, that was responsible for the distribution of in excess of $1 million dollars’ worth of heroin, cocaine, and/or fentanyl in the Upstate and elsewhere.  Police seized in excess of 20 kilograms of heroin and approximately $1 million during the investigation.  McGowan was indicted along with several co-conspirators in February 2019 and taken into custody.

Recently, McGowan began to discuss with a person who was incarcerated with him having his prosecutor and at least one witness killed. This person alerted law enforcement to the threat and an immediate investigation began. The evidence showed that McGowan had become frustrated with his legal position and desired his prosecutor and a witness killed. McGowan was recorded agreeing to pay the person $10,000 to kill the prosecutor and witness and providing information about how to find the targets. He also provided a telephone number and wrote down the name of the witness, so that upon release the cooperator could carry out the plan. McGowan confessed to the FBI of the plot that he had put in motion.

On the drug and obstruction counts, McGowan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life. 

The drug case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Andy Moorman, Deputy Criminal Chief for the Narcotics Unit, is prosecuting the drug case.

The threat was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the 7th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jim May and Katie Stoughton are prosecuting the threat case, along with Assistant United States Attorney Jason Peavy, Deputy Criminal Chief for the White Collar Unit.

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