LAREDO, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for attacking a Border Patrol (BP) agent with a flashlight, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Melecio Lopez-Hernandez pleaded guilty April 30, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed Lopez-Hernandez a 70-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following the sentence. At the hearing, the defense attempted to convince the court he thought the officer was a cow and was startled when he appeared. Judge Marmolejo was not persuaded. She further found the flashlight he used was a dangerous weapon under the law and noted Lopez-Hernandez had a clear intent to harm the agent based on the evidence.

Authorities arrested Lopez-Hernandez Feb. 7, 2019, after a BP agent encountered him walking through the brush south of Freer. He began to struggle as the agent attempted to detain him, during which time Lopez-Hernandez dislodged a flashlight that was clipped to the agent’s outer vest.

After verbally threatening him, Lopez-Hernandez then struck the agent in the head with the flashlight. The agent sustained injuries from the impact. 

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI and Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting the case.

Assistant U. S. Attorney Larry Casper (619) 546-6734    

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY– September 16, 2019

SAN DIEGO – Gibran Rodriguez-Mejia, a lawyer from Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced in federal court today by U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez to eight years in custody for laundering millions of dollars of drug proceeds for the Sinaloa Cartel.

Rodriguez, who has a Mexican law degree with a specialization in business and civil law, pleaded guilty in April, admitting that he operated a currency exchange house that received the proceeds of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin smuggled into the United States by the Sinaloa Cartel.  Rodriguez, who was extradited from Mexico to San Diego in September 2018, is the fourth Mexico-based defendant in this case to be sentenced.    

In his plea agreement, Rodriguez admitted to laundering $3.5 million in drug proceeds. He coordinated with couriers, primarily located in Southern California, who smuggled the bulk U.S. currency from the United States to Mexico.  Rodriguez also admitted that he arranged for currency to be smuggled to an exchange house in Tijuana, Mexico that was owned and operated by co-defendant Cesar Hernandez-Martinez, who has also pleaded guily and is set to be sentenced on December 2, 2019.  After the money was converted to Mexican pesos, Rodriguez provided financial accounts in Mexico into which the money was deposited for the benefit of the Mexican-based drug traffickers.

According to court records, in one instance in April 2014, Rodriguez and an individual referred to as “Doc” arranged for a southbound money courier to pick up $100,000 dollars from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and transport that sum to Mexico. “Doc” provided the courier’s identity to Rodriguez, who arranged the purchase of a plane ticket for the courier to travel to Philadelphia to make the pick up. When the courier landed, law enforcement conducted surveillance and then seized the $100,000 in cash on the courier’s person and in his hotel room.

“Those who launder proceeds for the world’s most violent drug trafficking organizations will continue to be targeted and brought to justice no matter where they may be located,”  said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer.  “We will continue to combat efforts to further the flow of dangerous narcotics across the border into and through Southern California by every means at our disposal.”

In addition to the six defendants in U.S. custody in this case, approximately 20 other individuals have entered guilty pleas and have been sentenced previously in related cases.  Those cases have involved individuals based in the United States or who frequently crossed into the United States and served as money couriers, drug couriers and drug stash house operators and who were part of, or related to, the same money laundering and drug trafficking organization.

Three other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas in this case and been sentenced (Omar Ayon-Diaz; Osvaldo Contreras-Arriaga; and Joel Acedo-Ojeda) and two others (Cesar Hernandez-Martinez and Oscar Rodriguez-Guevara) have entered guilty pleas.  Hernandez-Martinez entered his plea on April 4, 2019 and will be sentenced on October 21, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Benitez and Rodriguez-Guevara entered his plea on August 22, 2019 and will be sentenced on December 2, 2019 at 9:00 a.m., also before Judge Benitez.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case with the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.

DEFENDANT                                   Case Number 15-cr-950                                                                   

Gibran Rodriguez-Mejia                     Age:    31                    Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico     

SUMMARY OF CHARGE

Hernandez-Martinez

Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) and (h).

Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $500,000 fine or twice the value of the funds involved.

Prior Guilty Pleas and Sentences

Joel Acedo-Ojeda: Pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) and (h); sentenced to 135 months custody and $20,000 fine.

Omar Ayon-Diaz: Pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) and (h); sentenced to 120 months custody and $15,000 fine.

Osvaldo Contreras-Arriaga: Pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to import cocaine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 960 and 963; sentenced to 132 months custody and $1,000 fine.

Cesar Hernandez-Martinez: Pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) and (h); will be sentenced on October 21, 2019.

Oscar Rodriguez-Guevara: Pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) and (h); will be sentenced on December 2, 2019.

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Homeland Security Investigations

Sherri Walker Hobson (619) 546-6986    

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY– September 16, 2019

SAN DIEGO – Christopher James Stracuzzi entered a guilty plea in federal court today, admitting that he  distributed fentanyl that resulted in the death of a San Diego man.  Stracuzzi will be sentenced on December 2, 2019 at 9 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan.

According to court documents, on July 18, 2018, at approximately 8:43 p.m., the San Diego Police Department received a 911 call about an unconscious male passed out on the floor in his apartment.  His roommate attempted to perform CPR even though she was groggy from have taken a pill herself.   Paramedics arrived on scene and unsuccessfully attempted resuscitation.  The man was pronounced dead at 9:12 p.m.

The roommate of the deceased man told investigators that Stracuzzi sold the deceased 12 tablets that the deceased believed to be oxycodone pills.  Both the roommate and the deceased man took a pill. After learning from the Medical Examiner's Office that her roommate died of a fentanyl overdose, the roommate suspected that the pills they had taken that fateful night were not oxycodone, but were in fact, counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. When the DEA Southwest Regional Laboratory, tested the remaining 10 tablets, chemists determined they contained fentany1. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and California State Department of Health Care Services, along with the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are part of a team that investigates and prosecutes fatal overdose cases.      

“Dealers beware: You will be held responsible for the deaths of your customers,” said U.S. Attorney Robert “But we can’t reverse the tragedy of the shattered lives of the victims and their families. I cannot say this any more strongly or directly: Don’t take these black market pills. You may pay the ultimate price for this terrible mistake.”

“Tragic cases of overdose deaths caused by fentanyl will leave scars on families in our communities for decades to come,” said HSI San Diego SAC Dave Shaw. “HSI is committed to working with our partners to remove this scourge from our streets. We urge everyone to take the time to learn about these deadly drugs and take the steps necessary to protect their families and loved ones.”

“We are living in a world where drug cartels are getting rich from making counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl and we are paying a heavy price, in blood,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers.  “There is no quality control or FDA oversight.  If you didn’t get that pill directly from a pharmacy with a prescription in your name, you won’t be able to tell if the pill is real or counterfeit.  Even the experts can’t tell until it is examined in a laboratory.  When you crush or swallow that blue pill that looks like a 30 mg oxycodone tablet, you are risking your life. I’ll say it again, your dealer, BFF, lover, or classmate may become your murderer and the medical examiner your personal physician.  Life is precious. Don’t gamble yours away for a quick high that sends you home from the party in a body bag.”

These case is  being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sherri Walker Hobson.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 19CR0368W

Christopher James Stracuzzi                                                               San Diego

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a) & 841(b)(1)(C) Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death

Title 18 U.S.C. § 2 Aiding and Abetting

Maximum penalty:  Life in custody, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years

AGENCIES

Drug Enforcement Administration

Homeland Security Investigations

San Diego Sheriff’s Office

San Diego Police Department

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Department of Health Care Services

A man who used another person’s Social Security number to get a job was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.

Rony Sandoval-Ramirez, age 28, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Toledo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 25, 2019, guilty plea to one count of misuse of a social security number.

In a plea agreement, Sandoval-Ramirez admitted that on November 3, 2015, he used someone else’s name and social security number on employment forms and state and federal tax forms when applying for work in Tama, Iowa. 

On September 5, 2016, Sandoval-Ramirez was arrested in Nobles County, Minnesota, and charged with driving while intoxicated.  On September 7, 2016, Sandoval-Ramirez was arrested by immigrations for being illegally present in the United States and then released on an immigration bond.  In July 2017, Sandoval-Ramirez was convicted of driving while intoxicated.

Following his release from immigration custody, Sandoval-Ramirez continued working under the false name in Tama, Iowa.  He updated his employment forms in October 2018, again using the name and social security number of the other person.  Sandoval-Ramirez worked under that person’s name until he was again arrested by immigration officials after he was charged with domestic assault with injury and two counts of child endangerment on May 25, 2019.  These charges are currently pending in the Iowa District Court for Tama County.  

Sandoval-Ramirez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Sandoval-Ramirez was sentenced to 98 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Sandoval-Ramirez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 19-CR-61.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today 
that on September 12, 2019, David Herron, 48, of Centralia, Illinois, pleaded guilty to an 
indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine and heroin, 
possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a 
felon. The conspiracy took place from March 2018 to April 2019.

Court documents revealed that an FBI Task Force investigated Herron’s narcotics trafficking 
activities in the Centralia area for several months leading up to his arrest in April 2019. During 
that time, Herron was out on bond in two separate pending drug-related cases in Marion County. 
Herron was distributing methamphetamine and heroin from 2 locations in Centralia: a residence and a 
mobile home.

At the time of his arrest, Herron was in possession of methamphetamine and heroin packaged for sale 
as he left his residence on Hardin Street in Centralia. A search of his residence revealed over 200 
grams of 98% pure methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. As a convicted felon, Herron is prohibited 
from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

The conspiracy and drug charges each carry a penalty of 10 years to life imprisonment and not less 
than 5 years of supervised release. The firearm charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years’ 
imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release. Federal inmates typically serve 85% of their prison 
term. Supervised release follows completion of imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for December 
19, 2019 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. Herron has been detained in the federal 
system since his April arrest.

The FBI’s Task Force continues its investigation into narcotics trafficking and related activities 
in the Marion-Clinton-Washington County areas. Law enforcement agencies participating in the FBI 
Task Force include the Centralia Police Department, the Carlyle Police Department, and the Marion, 
Clinton, and Washington County Sheriffs’ Offices. This case is being
prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.
 

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that the last defendant in a Calcasieu Parish cocaine distribution ring was sentenced last week. United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced Derrick Harrison, 41, of Houston Texas, on September 9, 2019, to 151 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.  Harrison previously pleaded guilty on September 24, 2018.

Harrison was one of six defendants named as part of an indictment filed December 14, 2017.  From January 2016 to August 2016, Harrison conspired with four co-defendants to distribute cocaine in the Calcasieu Parish area.  Harrison lived in the Houston area and supplied cocaine to Vanchiese Green, who served as a middleman for Eric Beloney, Anthony Celestine and Donnie Lewis for distribution of cocaine in Calcasieu Parish.

Beloney acquired 9 pounds of cocaine on July 26, 2018, using Green as a conduit to acquire the narcotics in Houston.  On his return to Lake Charles from Houston, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Beloney’s car and found 9 pounds of cocaine and 16 grams of cocaine base.  Following the traffic stop, officers executed a search warrant at Beloney’s residence and recovered additional controlled substances, approximately $3,432 in cash and a Hi-Point .40-caliber handgun that had been reported stolen.  Tramicke Taylor was a courier of cocaine and cash for the Vanchiese Green Drug Trafficking organization.  Altogether, the group was responsible for distributing from 50 to 150 kilograms of cocaine.

All six defendants have now been convicted and sentenced for their part in the conspiracy:

The FBI and Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Team conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. McCoy and David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Salvadoran national residing in Worcester was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for passport fraud.

Neemias Pacheco-Santamaria, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 13 months in prison and will face deportation upon completion of his sentence. Pacheco-Santamaria pleaded guilty in June 2019 to knowingly making false statements in applying for a U.S. passport. 

In July 2018 Pacheco-Santamaria entered a Worcester Post Office and falsely used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a United States citizen from Puerto Rico to apply for a United States Passport. 

The charge of passport fraud provides for a sentence of up to10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of  the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 17, 2019 – Franklin Pineda-Caceres, 18, of Honduras, was charged yesterday with illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee. 

According to charging documents, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and officers of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) first encountered Pineda-Caceres in October 2017, during the execution of an arrest warrant on another individual at a Nashville residence.  Pineda-Caceres was taken into custody at that time by the MNPD and charged with drug crimes.  HSI agents determined that Pineda-Caceres unlawfully entered the United States in 2014 and a final order of removal was issued in June 2016.  

In February 2018, Pineda-Caceres was transferred to the custody of HSI and on May 3, 2018, he was placed on a plane and deported from the United States. 

In July, HSI and MNPD learned that Pineda-Caceres had returned to the United States and attempted to arrest him at a residence in Nashville on an outstanding warrant for aggravated kidnapping.  Pineda-Caceres was able to evade arrest but officers found cocaine, marijuana and digital scales inside the car he abandoned. 

On September 15, Pineda-Caceres was involved in an automobile accident in Nashville and MNPD officers recovered a substantial amount of cocaine from his vehicle.  Pineda Caceres was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital where MNPD officers subsequently identified him and arrested him on the outstanding kidnapping warrant. 

If convicted, Pineda-Caceres faces up to 2 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah.

The charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.              

# # # # #

“Tuscaloosa PD Investigator Dornell Cousette’s end of watch has come too soon.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, fiancé, children, and fellow officers.  This is yet another heartbreaking reminder of the dangers our brave men and women of the badge face daily.”

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the arrest of JONATHAN SKOLNICK on charges of child enticement; production, receipt, and possession of child pornography; and sending extortionate communications.  SKOLNICK was arrested Saturday, September 14, 2019, presented the same day before United States Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman, and detained on consent pending a detention hearing on Wednesday, September 18, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As an associate principal of a Bronx private school, one of Jonathan Skolnick’s primary responsibilities was the well-being and education of students.  Instead, Skolnick allegedly preyed on his underage victims in a heinous plot to fool them into sending him nude photos of themselves.  Skolnick allegedly falsely identified himself as several different teenage girls – and when his victims refused to continue to send more photos, he unconscionably threatened to publicly release the ones they had already sent. This arrest exemplifies law enforcement’s ability to detect those attempting to use the ‘anonymity’ of the internet to prey on young children.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “A principal at a school plays a significant role in the lives of children, and is charged with protecting and educating them.  Now Mr. Skolnick faces criminal charges for his alleged attempts to illegally extort a vulnerable child in a manner that should shock and anger every parent in this community.  Members of our FBI New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force got information Mr. Skolnick might be engaged in this illicit activity, and acted as quickly as possible to protect other children.  We believe Mr. Skolnick may have victimized other teens, and we ask that they call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI.  Speaking directly to parents, have a conversation with your children, and please let us know any information you can that will help this investigation.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “Today’s charges serve as a warning to individuals who prey upon some of our society’s most vulnerable population – you will be arrested and held accountable for your actions.  I thank the NYPD detectives, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, and the FBI for their work in this investigation.  The NYPD will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to end the exploitation and abuse of children in our city and nation and work to bring justice to victims of these heinous crimes.”

According to allegations in the Complaint and statements made in public court proceedings^[1]:

Between at least March 2019 and September 2019, SKOLNICK, who was an associate principal at a private school located in the Bronx, New York, communicated online with a 14 year-old male victim (“Victim-1”) while posing as several teenaged girls.  SKOLNICK used several purported names in these communications, including “Molly Dejmal,” “Tina Warner,” and “Anna Freed.”  In response to requests from SKOLNICK, posing as the “girls,” Victim-1 emailed nude and sexually explicit photographs of himself to at least two email accounts, including to “mollydejmal@gmail.com” and “girlwholikesyou@protonmail.com”.   

In or about June 2019, Victim-1 stopped communicating with SKOLNICK.  In or about September 2019, SKOLNICK, using the name “Molly Dejmal,” texted Victim-1 from a spoofed telephone number.  SKOLNICK’s messages became increasingly threatening in nature, causing Victim-1 to fear that the person he was communicating with would release the sexually explicit photographs that Victim-1 previously sent.  Internet Protocol addresses associated with certain of the messages directed to Victim-1 were registered to SKOLNICK’s home in the Bronx.   

SKOLNICK, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of child enticement, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of making extortionate communications, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Any individuals who believe they have information that may be relevant to this investigation should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or https://tips.fbi.gov.

Mr. Berman praised the FBI and NYPD for their outstanding investigative work. 

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Espinosa is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Jason Gatlin, 42, of Miami, was convicted on all three counts of the superseding indictment, including Sex Trafficking of Minor, Production of Child Pornography, and Witness Tampering, by a federal jury on September 16, 2019, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith in Ft. Lauderdale.  

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Juan J. Perez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), made the announcement.

According to the court record, in October of 2018, the defendant met the 17-year-old victim through another 17-year-old girl.  Gatlin knew the victim had a history of running away and being trafficked by others for prostitution.  Over the course of the next two months, the defendant tricked the victim into believing that he loved her and wanted to marry her.  He enticed her with his attention and drugs, gave her money for sex, took photos of them having sex, and lied to her.  Gatlin made the victim believe that he wanted to marry her, that he did not want her to prostitute, and that he wanted her to get a real job.  Instead, after gaining her trust, Gatlin bought the victim a cell phone that was used to set up prostitution dates, transported her to motels, and rented motel rooms for her so that she could commit prostitution, and harbored her for days in the Keys while she was advertised on an escort website.  Then, at the end of November, when Gatlin felt that victim was not living up to his rules, he beat her up and left her at a gas station down in the Keys with a swollen face, and bloody, ripped clothes.  The victim called the police and the defendant was arrested a few days later.

While incarcerated, Gatlin began bribing the victim into committing perjury.  Gatlin had a relative give the victim money and Gatlin promised more money if the victim told the authorities that she was never trafficked by the defendant and never had sex with him.  At trial, the jury heard how Gatlin’s relative housed the victim for a short period and then drove her to a defense attorney’s office for her to recant her statement in a sworn statement. The government presented recorded evidence at trial to prove the witness tampering.

Gatlin is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale, before Judge Rodney Smith (Case No. 19cr20163).  He faces a statutory sentence of up to life in prison.

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

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, in partnership with MDPD’s Human Trafficking Squad, and assistance from Monroe County Sherriff’s Office, Plantation Police Department, FBI Chicago, and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI Miami Child Exploitation Task Force, MDPD, and all those who assisted in this matter.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Kahn Obenauf and J. Mackenzie Duane.

To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org.  The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages.  The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration or an investigative agency.  Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.

To learn more about the National Resource Hotline visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.  To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

BOSTON – Spanish authorities arrested a Chinese woman last night in connection with her role in using bribery and other forms of fraud to facilitate her son’s admission to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) as a purported soccer recruit.

Xiaoning Sui, 48, of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, was arrested in Spain and charged in an indictment unsealed today in federal court in Boston with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Sui is currently detained in Spain, and authorities will seek her extradition to Boston to face charges.

According to the indictment, Sui agreed with William “Rick” Singer to pay $400,000 to facilitate her son’s admission to UCLA as a purported soccer recruit. It is alleged that during a phone call in August 2018, Singer explained that Sui’s son could be “guaranteed” admission to UCLA, in exchange for $400,000. Between August and October 2018, Sui allegedly provided Singer with her son’s transcript and photographs of her son playing tennis. Co-conspirator Laura Janke then fabricated a soccer profile for Sui’s son, which described him as a top player for two private soccer clubs in Canada. On Oct. 24, 2018, Singer instructed Sui to wire Singer $100,000 which would be “paid to the coach at UCLA” in exchange for a letter of intent from the UCLA soccer coach. Two days later, Sui allegedly wired $100,000 to a bank account in Massachusetts in the name of Singer’s sham charitable organization, the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF). On Nov. 5, 2018, UCLA admitted Sui’s son as a recruited soccer player, and awarded him a 25% scholarship. In February 2018, Sui allegedly wired an additional $300,000 to the KWF account as final payment for her son’s fraudulent admission to UCLA. 

Janke previously pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government’s investigation.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A South Florida securities lawyer and former outside counsel for 1 Global Capital, LLC has been charged with securities fraud in connection with an investment fraud scheme that impacted more than 3,600 investors in 42 different states. 

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.  

Jan Douglas Atlas, 74, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was charged today by information with one count of securities fraud, in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Sections 77q(a) and 77x, in Case No. 19CR60258.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Beth F. Bloom in Fort Lauderdale.  If convicted, Atlas faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.  

            According to the information, 1 Global Capital LLC (1 Global) was a commercial lending business based in Hallandale Beach, Florida, that made the equivalent of “pay day” loans to small businesses at high interest rates.  To fund these merchant cash advance loans, 1 Global obtained funds from investors nationwide, offering short-term investment contracts.  The investors would supposedly receive a proportionate share of the principal and interest payments as the loans were repaid.  1 Global raised money using investment advisors and other intermediaries, with promises of significant commissions.  In many cases, the commissions were not fully disclosed to investors.   According to court records, 1 Global operated from early 2014 through approximately July 27, 2018, when it filed for bankruptcy.  As of that time, 1 Global had more than 3,600 investors and had raised more than $330 million, and its own internal documents showed a $50 million cash deficit. 

            Substantial questions arose during 1 Global’s operations as to whether 1 Global was offering or selling a security and subject to federal and state securities laws, and whether the offering was required to be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  These questions were raised by investors, investment advisors, and regulators.  Atlas acted as outside counsel for 1 Global and allegedly knew that if 1 Global’s investment offering were determined to be a security, it would undermine the ability of 1 Global to raise funds from retail investors and to continue to operate without substantial additional expenses and reporting requirements.  Such a classification would undermine the profits and fees that 1 Global and its principals would be able to obtain from 1 Global’s operations.

            Atlas was a long-time South Florida securities attorney who, in addition to his role as outside counsel for 1 Global, was a partner at Law Firm #1.  The information alleges that at the request of 1 Global’s principals, Atlas authored two opinion letters in 2016 containing false information that Atlas allegedly knew would be used by 1 Global to operate the business unlawfully.  The opinion letters falsely described how the 1 Global investment actually worked, describing the 1 Global investment inaccurately in order to achieve the opinion that Individual #1 and others at 1 Global desired.  The opinion letters falsely described the duration of the investment, among other things, omitting the automatic renewal aspect and that the investment was being targeted toward retail, non-sophisticated investors (such as IRA account holders).  Atlas intentionally made false and misleading statements in these opinion letters, according to the information, to give 1 Global, and its employees and agents, false legal cover to continue to conduct business unlawfully.

            Atlas’s opinion letters were used and relied upon by 1 Global employees and agents to continue to raise money illegally.  At or around the time that Atlas executed these letters he received payments from Attorney #1, an attorney who worked at Law Firm #1 and also had a fundraising role at 1 Global.  Atlas allegedly understood that the payments he received from Attorney #1 constituted a percentage of commissions received by Attorney #1 of money raised by 1 Global from new investors.  The funds totaled approximately $627,000 and were paid to Atlas’s personal checking account.  These funds were not disclosed to Law Firm #1, and Atlas and Attorney #1 allegedly knew that they were required to disclose and share all fees paid by clients of Law Firm #1, with Law Firm #1.

            Previously, on August 23, 2019, former 1 Global Chief Financial Officer Alan G. Heide entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in connection with the 1 Global fraud scheme, in Case No. 19-60231-CR-RKA.  Sentencing for Heide is set for December 12, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman in Ft. Lauderdale.

            In connection with a parallel civil enforcement action, the SEC today announced the filing of civil fraud charges against Atlas.  In related cases, the SEC previously has filed civil fraud actions, SEC v. 1 Global Capital LLC and Carl C. Ruderman, Case No. 18-61991-CV-BB (S.D. Fla.), and SEC v. Alan G. Heide, Case No. 19-62047-CV-FAM (S.D. Fla.).  The bankruptcy case, In re: 1 Global Capital LLC, et al., No. 18-19121-RBR (S.D. Fla.), remains pending.

An information is a charging instrument containing allegations.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.  She also thanked the SEC’s Miami Regional Office, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Miami Field Office, and Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation for their assistance.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerrob Duffy and Lisa H. Miller, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture related to this matter.

            Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez-Covington has sentenced Alfredo Milan Caceres-Lopez (44, Colombia) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. On June 12, 2019, his brother, and co-defendant, Juan Carlos Caceres-Lopez (50, Colombia) was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his involvement in the conspiracy.

According to court documents, since at least 2013, Alfredo Milan Caceres-Lopez, with the assistance of his brother, planned, organized, and coordinated the smuggling of almost four tons of cocaine into the United States from the Guajira region of Colombia and Venezuela, through the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean Sea. Alfredo Milan Caceres-Lopez dispatched seven cocaine smuggling ventures, three of which were interdicted by the United States Coast Guard.

This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Richard P. Frey, D.O., and Physicians Alliance Ltd. (“PAL”) have agreed to pay $178,398.35 to resolve liability under the False Claims Act for the alleged improper billing of “P-Stim” devices.

From May 2013 through June 2014, Frey and PAL billed Medicare for the implantation of neurostimulator electrodes, a surgical procedure typically necessitating an operating room for which Medicare reimburses thousands of dollars. Frey did not conduct surgery, however. Instead, he applied a “P-Stim” device in an office setting without surgery or anesthesia.

P-Stim is an electric acupuncture device that, pursuant to manufacturer’s instructions, is affixed behind a patient’s ear using an adhesive. Needles are inserted into the patient’s ear and affixed using another adhesive. Once activated, the device then provides intermittent stimulation by electrical pulses. It is a single-use, battery-powered device designed to be worn for approximately four days until its battery runs out, at which time the device is thrown away. Medicare does not reimburse for acupuncture or for acupuncture devices such as P-Stim, nor does Medicare reimburse for P-Stim as a neurostimulator or as implantation of neurostimulator electrodes. Other brand names for this device include Stivax, NeuroStim, ANSiStim, E-Pulse, and NSS-2 Bridge.

“P-Stim is an acupuncture device that was billed here as a surgically implanted neurostimulator,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Medicare does not reimburse a dime for acupuncture devices, but it paid these defendants thousands of dollars because of their alleged improper billing. We appreciate Dr. Frey and PAL’s willingness to promptly negotiate a resolution in this matter, and we will continue working closely with our partners at CMS’s Center for Program Integrity, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and sister U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country to hold accountable any other providers who inappropriately billed for this device and any distributors or marketers who carried out such a billing scheme.”

“Every dollar saved is critical to the sustainability of our Medicare program and the needs of our beneficiaries,” said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma. “We thank our partners at the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General for working hard with us to identify, investigate, and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in our federal healthcare programs.”

“Accurately billing for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries is required of all health care providers,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “HHS-OIG, CMS’s Center for Program Integrity, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to evaluate and pursue inaccurate billings of P-Stim and similar devices.”

The settled civil claims are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. It was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew E. K. Howatt, Civil Chief Gregory B. David, and Auditor Dawn Wiggins.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHARLES WILKERSON, 37, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.

According to court documents and statement made in court, in May and June 2018, law enforcement made four controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Wilkerson in Waterbury.  One of the crack cocaine sales involved approximately 34 grams of crack.

Wilkerson was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on August 16, 2018.  On May 2, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).

Wilkerson, who is released on a $200,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 7.

Wilkerson’s criminal history includes several state convictions, including five convictions for distributing narcotics.  At the time of the drug sales in May and June 2018, he was released on bond after being arrested in Torrington for distributing crack and other offenses.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Waterbury Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth.

BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office reached an agreement today with Athena Health Care Systems (Athena), operator of 16 skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts, to resolve allegations that they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by turning away patients because they were being treated for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).

According to two complaints filed with the United States Attorney’s Office, individuals seeking admission at Athena facilities were denied because they were being treated with buprenorphine, a medication used to treat OUD. The individuals were seeking admissions to the facilities for health issues unrelated to their addiction, but required that the facilities administer their buprenorphine as they would administer any other medication. Individuals receiving treatment for OUD are generally considered disabled under the ADA, which, among other things, prohibits private healthcare providers from discriminating on the basis of disability.  

Under the terms of the agreement, Athena will, among other things, adopt a non-discrimination policy, provide training on the ADA and OUD to admissions personnel, and pay a civil penalty of $10,000 to the United States.

“The opioid epidemic is a battle in which victory is measured by the number of lives saved,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Medically-assisted treatment is a powerful tool for helping people in recovery to avoid relapse. To that end, my office will continue to identify and eliminate illegal barriers to treatment. We commend Athena for cooperating with our investigation and working with us to modify its policies for compliance with the ADA. We encourage other entities to proactively do the same.”

This matter is part of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to enforce the Title III of the ADA and to eliminate discriminatory barriers to treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). In May 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reached the first settlement of this kind with Charlwell House, a rehabilitation center that provides skilled nursing services. Today’s settlement marks the second resolution in the District of Massachusetts.

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Dorchak of Lelling’s Civil Rights Unit.

The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2015 with the mission of enhancing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights. 

LAREDO, Texas – A 42-year-old resident of San Antonio had pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport 76 undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

On June 11, 2019, Nelson Vargas-Torres attempted to drive a tractor-trailer through the Border Patrol checkpoint located at mile-marker 29 on Interstate Highway 35, north of Laredo. Authorities became suspicious when Vargas-Torres stated he was transporting plastics, when his bill of lading actually stated “clutch parts.” A trained K-9 subsequently alerted to the possible presence of concealed humans inside the locked trailer he was hauling. Law enforcement then used wire cutters to break the seal for the trailer and eventually rescued 76 undocumented aliens from Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras who were hidden inside.

Today, Vargas-Torres pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga to conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Vargas-Torres faces up to 10 years imprisonment. Vargas-Torres has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

Roanoke, VIRGINIA – An illegal alien from Mexico, who was removed from the United States on April 2, 2018 and reentered the country without permission, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to illegally reentering the United States without permission and transporting illegal aliens. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen made the announcement.

Eliezer Ramos-Arriola, a.k.a. Francisco Gaitan-Arreola, a.k.a. Francisco Gaitan Arreola, a Citizen of Mexico, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today to an Information.

“Human smuggling – particularly when it involves unaccompanied children – is a serious federal crime,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today.  “I appreciate the commitment and hard work of our partners at the Department of Homeland Security in investigating this case and other criminal violations of our immigration laws.”

“Individuals cannot expect to repeatedly flout our immigration laws without consequence,” said Lyle Boelens, acting field office director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C. “This individual had already been afforded due process in our nation’s immigration courts and not only again defied our laws but facilitated the illegal entry of countless others.”

“As the lead federal agency investigating alien smuggling, HSI is committed to employing the full range of our unique law enforcement authorities and techniques,” said Raymond Villanueva, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. “Human life may not be treated like a commodity.”

According to court documents, Ramos-Arriola is a citizen of Mexico who was removed on April 2, 2018 from El Paso, Texas. The defendant never sought nor obtained authorization to reapply for admission into the United States.

However, On April 4, 2019, Ramos-Arriola was the driver of a vehicle stopped by law enforcement in Christiansburg, Virginia. Inside the vehicle, officers located seven illegal aliens, consisting of six adult males and one, unaccompanied, minor female. These individuals were citizens of Mexico and Honduras and not authorized to be in the United States.

In exchange for assistance in illegally crossing into the United States, Ramos-Arriola had agreed to work for a smuggling service to transport passengers to various locations throughout the United States, including within the Western District of Virginia. The defendant picked-up the seven passengers in Phoenix, Arizona and was paid $600 to feed the passengers and to pay for fuel. In addition, the mother of the juvenile female entered into an agreement with the smuggling service to pay an additional $4,000 to the driver who delivered her daughter to the Western District of Virginia.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Virginia State Police, and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day is prosecuting the case for the United States.