John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MELISSA MEOLE, 34, of North Branford, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging her with multiple embezzlement, fraud and identity theft offenses.

MEOLE appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was released on a $200,000 bond.

As alleged in the criminal complaint, Meole was employed by Bridgeport Health Care Center Inc. (“BHCC-INC”), a corporation that operates a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Bridgeport known as Bridgeport Health Care Center (“BHCC”).  Prior to November 2018, BHCC-INC also operated a second nursing and rehabilitation facility in Bridgeport known as Bridgeport Manor.  Meole worked in BHCC-INC’s business office and was responsible for processing payroll and for handling the finances of the Bridgeport Manor resident trust account.  Between approximately January and October 2018, Meole embezzled approximately $150,000 from the BHCC and Bridgeport Manor resident trust accounts.

In addition, the complaint alleges that Meole stole more than $29,000 from BHCC-INC in the form of payroll checks, which she deposited into her personal bank account.

It is further alleged that, after Meole’s employment with BHCC-INC was terminated in October 2018, Meole defrauded another employer of more than $9,000, and she defrauded multiple banks in an identity theft and check kiting scheme.

The complaint charges Meole with theft or embezzlement in connection with health care, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year term of imprisonment.

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

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David E. Novick and Neeraj N. Patel.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 17, 2019 – A federal indictment unsealed today, charged Jose Fernando Andrade-Sanchez, 39, a citizen of Mexico, with unlawful re-entry into the United States, after having been previously removed, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee and John Condon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Field Office.

Andrade-Sanchez was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 11, 2019, after encountering U.S. Immigration & Enforcement agents in Nashville on September 5, 2019, and eluding apprehension.  Andrade-Sanchez was arrested by ICE agents in Nashville earlier today.

According to documents filed with the court, Andrade-Sanchez was found and removed from the United States on four prior occasions, most recently on October 13, 2013.  While in the U.S. illegally and living in Nashville, Andrade-Sanchez was charged under the alias of Eduardo Negrete, with domestic assault and aggravated child abuse after striking a three-year old child in the face, while assaulting his then girlfriend and the child’s mother.  Both required transport to a local hospital where the girlfriend was treated for facial injuries and the child was evaluated for a possible broken nose.  Andrade-Sanchez later pleaded guilty to domestic assault and the child abuse charge was retired.

Following his removal to Mexico on July 16, 2009, Andrade-Sanchez illegally returned to the U.S. and on April 21, 2013, he was charged with criminal impersonation after falsely identifying himself to a Metro Nashville Police officer as Erik Valazquez.  He pleaded guilty to that charge in May 2013.

On September 5, 2019, two ICE Enforcement & Removal agents located Andrade-Sanchez in a parking lot in Antioch, Tennessee.  While speaking to Andrade-Sanchez, he refused to exit his truck and drove forward instead.  One of the agents fired his weapon twice and one shot struck Andrade-Sanchez.  Andrade-Sanchez then fled the area.

Andrade-Sanchez will make an initial appearance tomorrow before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.  He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Hannafan is prosecuting this case. 

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Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging three members of the MacBallas street gang with attempted murder, arising out of their role in an assault and attempted murder against a fellow inmate inside a New York City jail in June 2017.

Two of the defendants, KALVIN THWAITES and ANDREW BURRELL, were taken into federal custody last week and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott.  The remaining defendant, KENDALL NEWLAND, was taken into federal custody this morning and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.  An initial pretrial conference is scheduled for September 20, 2019, at 2:00 p.m., before Judge Marrero.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said:  “As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants tried to kill a fellow inmate in order to promote their membership in the MacBallas street gang.  We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to end gang violence, wherever it occurs.”

HSI Special Agent-in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said:  “These MacBallas gang members were already serving time for their criminal acts when they tried to take the life of another inmate.  When it comes to maintaining power and position, these individuals have little regard for human life.  This is why law enforcement remains diligent in its gang enforcement both on and off the streets.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment[1] and statements made in court:

The MacBallas gang is a criminal enterprise that operates principally in and around the New York City area, including within city, state, and federal jails and prisons.  Members and associates of the MacBallas engage in, among other things, narcotics trafficking, as well as acts of violence, to preserve and protect the power of the gang. 

On June 7, 2017, the defendants, who were detained at the Vernon C. Bain Center, a New York City jail in the Bronx, New York, assaulted with a dangerous weapon and attempted to murder a fellow inmate in order to maintain or increase their position in the MacBallas.

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THWAITES, 26, of Queens, New York, NEWLAND, 25, of Mount Vernon, New York, and BURRELL, 28, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of assault and attempted murder in aid of racketeering activity, which carries a maximum sentence of  20 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.    

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the NYPD.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Swergold and Adam Hobson are in charge of the prosecution.  The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.

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

           WASHINGTON – Russell Harrison, 40, of Temple Hills, Md., was sentenced today to nine years in prison for possessing six firearms in furtherance of his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.

           Harrison pled guilty in August 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Judge Richard J. Leon sentenced Harrison to 110 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

           Harrison was arrested with seven other individuals in March 2018 in relation to a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 280 grams or more of cocaine base. Numerous defendants were also charged with possessing and distributing various narcotics, including cocaine base, cocaine, PCP and fentanyl, during the period of the investigation. The charges followed an investigation into narcotics trafficking in the Washington, D.C. area.

           On March 15, 2018, during the execution of a search warrant on Harrison’s residence, FBI agents and members of the U.S. Marshals Service recovered six separate firearms, multiple rounds of ammunition, a 50-round capacity drum, a firearm silencer, and drug paraphernalia. During his plea hearing, Harrison acknowledged that he possessed the firearms in furtherance of his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

           Harrison’s conviction represents his fourth felony conviction. He was convicted twice before for trafficking narcotics and once for committing an assault with a firearm. Harrison was held without bond following his March 2018 arrest. While incarcerated at the D.C. jail, Harrison stabbed a fellow inmate and was subsequently convicted of assault and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon in the District of Columbia Superior Court.

           Five others have pled guilty to charges in the case. They include Darnell Catlett, 46, of Upper Marlboro, Md; Brian Jenkins, 44, of Brentwood, Md.; Everette Reel, 46, of Upper Marlboro, Md; Jamal Curtis, 41, of Washington, D.C.; and Derek Holmes, 54, of Washington, D.C. Catlett, Reel, Curtis, and Holmes are now serving sentences. Jenkins has not yet been sentenced.  Jenkins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration and up to 40 years of imprisonment for his participation in the drug trafficking conspiracy. As the leader of the conspiracy, Catlett was sentenced on August 9, 2019 to 16 years of incarceration and 5 years of supervised release.

           This case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.

           In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Special Agent in Charge Dunham commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Teesha Tobias, Legal Assistant Emma Atlas, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Kevin Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who conducted the underlying investigation, indicted the case, and prosecuted the defendants, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar, who prosecuted Harrison’s prison assault matter.

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Karl Justin Dunn, III, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, was indicted today on multiple drug charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Dunn, age 32, was indicted one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base,” one count of “Distribution of Fentanyl,” six counts of “Distribution of Heroin,” two counts of “Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl,” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin.” Dunn is accused of distributing cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl from May 2018 to February 2019 in Berkeley County.

Dunn faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep.  This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally. 

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

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.

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
 

BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced a Birmingham resident and six-time convicted felon to 105 months in prison for a 2018 carjacking in Homewood, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced CORDERREL DEWAYNE POOLE, 32, on one count of carjacking.  Poole pled guilty in June. 

On November 5, 2018, Poole ran up to the victim as she was getting into her SUV in the parking lot of a Homewood business on Green Springs Highway.  As the victim backed her vehicle out of the parking space, Poole repeatedly banged on her window and screamed for her to get out.  When the victim did not meet his demands, he reached inside the SUV and grabbed her arm in an attempt to pull her out.  Poole then put his hand into a shoulder bag he was carrying and acted as if he was going to pull a gun.  Believing she was about to be shot, the victim gave up her vehicle.  Poole drove off in the SUV and was apprehended the same evening by Lincoln Police Department at the scene of a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 20 in Lincoln, Alabama.

“This career criminal has been brought to justice.  We will not sit idly by and allow criminals to intimidate our citizens with such violence,” Town said.  “We will find you, and we will prosecute you.  The revolving door for Poole is now locked tightly behind him and a warm prison bed awaits him.”

“I want to extend my personal thanks to all of our law enforcement partners whose efforts quickly brought Poole to justice,” Sharp said.  “The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to address violent crimes in north Alabama.”

The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department, the Lincoln Police Department, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan Baty and Kristy Peoples prosecuted the charge.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for defrauding the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) by providing military equipment parts that were not what he had contracted to provide and illegally accessing technical information as a non-United States citizen, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Oben Cabalceta, 53, of Atco, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act. Judge Hillman imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.

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

Cabalceta was the owner of two companies: Owen’s Fasteners Inc. (Owen’s) and United Manufacturer LLC (United), two manufacturing companies in West Berlin, New Jersey.

Cabalceta admitted that between August 2004 and March 2016, Owen’s and United obtained contracts with the DoD by falsely claiming that the military parts it contracted to provide would be the exact product provided by authorized manufacturers. The DoD contracts specified that the military parts were critical application items for military equipment, including aircraft. Contrary to the contract, Cabalceta either used his companies to contract with local manufacturers to supply non-conforming parts or made the parts himself at a significantly reduced cost. The non-conforming parts were shipped from New Jersey to various DoD locations around the country. DoD paid Owen’s and United $1,890,939 for those parts.

Cabalceta also admitted that he was a native and citizen of the Republic of Costa Rica who overstayed his tourist visa in 2000 and was not a United States citizen or lawfully in the United States. To further his fraud on the DoD, in August 2005 and November 2010, Cabalceta caused his brother-in-law, Roger Sobrado, to submit to the DoD a fraudulent application for access to export controlled drawings and technical data on behalf of Owen’s. In 2015, Cabalceta caused an accomplice to submit to the DoD a fraudulent application for access to export controlled drawings and technical data on behalf of Owen’s.

Cabalceta acknowledged that access to the controlled drawings and technical data was limited to citizens of the United States and those lawfully in the United States. He admitted that on July 28, 2011, and at various times between January 2013 and November 2015, while unlawfully in the United States, he accessed or downloaded drawings that were sensitive in nature that required special access.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Cabalceta to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution. He will also be deported to Costa Rica upon completion of his sentence.

On Oct. 11, 2018, Sobrado pleaded guilty before Judge Hillman to a three-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, and income tax evasion. He was sentenced Sept. 4, 2019, to three years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey; special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office; special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur; and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John F. Grasso for the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney=s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin.

“Alexander dumped a significant amount of opioids into our community,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This is a just sentence for Alexander, a defendant with a significant criminal history that includes over 30 previous convictions.”

According to court documents, Barry Jamel Alexander, 33, sold heroin mixed with fentanyl to an undercover police officer at a Norfolk 7-Eleven. He used his cousin as a middle man in an attempt to protect himself from criminal exposure, but the store security cameras caught him handing the drugs to his cousin and, soon after, receiving the drug money.

“Alexander’s distribution of heroin and fentanyl in our Virginia communities carried grave consequences, causing drug overdoses, and potentially ripping away the future of loved ones and leaving families devastated,” said Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division. “The investigation and prosecution of these drug-related crimes that so gravely affect our communities continues to be a top priority for the DEA Washington Division, and we remain steadfast in our pursuit of those who spread this poison across our cities.”

Earlier that month, Alexander sold heroin mixed with fentanyl to a customer who overdosed on the substance and had to be revived with Narcan. At the time Alexander sold the heroin to the undercover officer, he knew that a customer had previously overdosed on his product. Agents later interviewed some of Alexander’s customers, who reported that over an approximately five-year period they had purchased more than two kilograms of heroin from Alexander.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and John F. Butler prosecuted the case.

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. 2:19-cr-5.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 23-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. A federal jury convicted Roman Valdez following a two-day trial and approximately one hour of deliberations May 21, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos handed Valdez a 12-month sentence for the drug charges. He also received an additional 60 months for the firearms offense which must be served consecutively for a total sentence of 72 months in federal prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

During the trial, the jury heard testimony from multiple law enforcement officers.

On Nov. 14, 2018, at approximately 3:00 p.m., they discovered Valdez passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle at a traffic light in front of Flour Bluff Elementary School as students were being released. When the officers opened the door to check on him, he became combative and began reaching around inside the vehicle. During the struggle, officers discovered a loaded handgun between the driver’s seat and the center console.

Law enforcement secured the firearm but Valdez continued to reach behind the driver’s seat. He was ultimately removed from the vehicle and taken into custody.

When officers searched his vehicle, they discovered multiple bags of white powder, a black tar substance, a bag of synthetic cannabinoids, assorted prescription pills, small bags, a digital scale and a second loaded handgun in the back seat.

The controlled substances were sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Laboratory. Testing confirmed the substances were cocaine, heroin and 5F-MDMB-PICA – a synthetic cannabinoid.       

The defense attempted to convince the jury Valdez possessed the cocaine for personal use and the firearms were not related to any of the drugs. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.

Synthetic cannabinoids are chemical compounds that mimic the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. These chemical compounds can be applied to carrier mediums such as plant material and ingested using rolling papers, pipes, vaporizers or otherwise taken orally. Synthetic cannabinoids are usually sold in small, foil or plastic bags containing dried leaves (resembling potpourri) and is marketed as incense that can be smoked. It is commonly sold and known on the street as synthetic marijuana, fake weed, legal and by its popular brand names such as Spice, K2, Kush, Klimaxx and many others.

In custody since his arrest, Valdez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

The Corpus Christi Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Joel Dunn are prosecuting the case.

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

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Theodore Loria, 53, of Irondequoit, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with cyberstalking. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the Buffalo FBI Cyber Task Force was notified in June 2018 of a possible cyber stalking campaign being executed by the defendant.

Subsequent investigation determined that the Victim in the case met Loria in May 2015 at her place of employment. Shortly after that meeting, the defendant expressed an interest in dating, which was not reciprocated by the Victim. In September 2015, Loria contacted the Victim and told her that her life was in danger and they needed to talk. During a conversation, the defendant told the Victim that he had overheard her ex-boyfriend in a restaurant say that the Victim was better off dead and that the ex-boyfriend was going to kill her. Loria then offered to keep an eye on the ex-boyfriend and the Victim to ensure her safety.

On October 31, 2015, the defendant told the Victim that he had seen a mysterious car circling her property and that he chased it away. Loria also said that Halloween is an easy night to commit murder because it was the one night when wearing a mask was not questioned. The defendant told the Victim he would stay on her driveway through the night to ensure her safety.  

Loria and the Victim became romantically involved for approximately three months from late spring to early summer of 2016. During that time, the defendant became protective of the Victim, jealous of any male clients or employees, and routinely monitored her Facebook page, commenting to her about online conversations she had with males on the Facebook page.

In the summer of 2016, the Victim began to distance herself from Loria. In June 2016, the defendant asked to meet the Victim at a local coffee shop, during which he gave her a diamond ring so that people would know the Victim was spoken for. The Victim refused to take the ring. Loria stated “take the (expletive) ring” and “put the (expletive) ring on your (expletive) finger.” The Victim kept the ring and left the coffee shop. The defendant followed the Victim to another location where he apologized. The two did not speak for several months after. Months later the Victim saw Loria in her driveway. He told her, “give me my (expletive) ring back,” which the Victim did.  

In the months to follow, the Victim received threatening phone calls and text messages from the defendant. One text read, “Your DEAD cop calling (expletive) [address of Victim].” And during one phone call, Loria stated he would burn down her place of business. The defendant also told the Victim that he had connections to the mafia and to cold-blooded killers who owed him favors, and who would take care of people who crossed him. 

In February 2017, Loria confronted the Victim and her ex-boyfriend at a restaurant. The defendant approached the ex-boyfriend and told him that he would beat him every day for the rest of his life and that if he went to jail that he would beat him again after he got out. Following this incident, the Victim began receiving escalating threats via phone call, text message, or in person at her place of business. Loria stated that the Victim had crossed him and he had no choice but to teach her a lesson. 

In a series of text messages, emails, and phone calls, the defendant also accused the Victim of plotting with Charlie Tan to murder him. In 2015, Charlie Tan was accused of murdering his father, but a state court jury failed to reach a verdict. However, in November 2018, Tan was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison on federal gun charges. The Victim confirmed to investigators that she allowed Tan to volunteer at her place of business during his legal proceedings.  
 
The defendant made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and was detained. Loria is schedule to be back in court on September 18, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. 
Members of the public who have information related to this case are asked to call the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 585-546-2220.

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary. 

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.  
 
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     PHOENIX, Ariz. – On September 16, 2019, Jordan Lee Manuel, 23, of Casa Blanca, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 36 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for sexually abusing a minor on the Gila River Indian Community. Manuel will also be required to register as a sex offender.

     Manuel used Facebook to befriend the minor victim and pursue a romantic relationship before ultimately sexually abusing the victim.  Both the victim and Manuel are members of the Gila River Indian Community. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Gila River Police Department.  The prosecution was handled by Christine D. Keller, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

TYLER, Texas –A 45-year-old Tyler, Texas man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.

Eleazar Juarez Juarez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce, transfer, and forge false identification documents today before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell.

According to information presented in court, beginning in April 2009, Juarez Juarez was involved in a conspiracy to produce and sell fictitious U.S. identification documents to others.  The false documents included U.S. Social Security cards and Permanent Residence cards. Juarez Juarez admitted to being personally responsible for the transfer of at least 25 false identification documents as part of this conspiracy.  Juarez Juarez was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 23, 2019.

Under the federal statute, Juarez Juarez faces up to 5 years in federal prison at sentencing.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Smith County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Texas Department of Public Safety.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan R. Jackson.

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TRENTON, N.J. – A Maryland man working as a tax preparer in New Jersey was convicted today on charges of conspiracy to defraud the IRS by preparing false income tax returns for clients in order to boost business at tax preparation companies that he and others ran, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Joseph Kenny Batts, 50, of Elkridge, Maryland, was convicted following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court on one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and five counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false federal income tax returns.

According to documents in this case and the evidence at trial:

Since at least 2009 to April 2015, Batts was co-owner, along with conspirator Damien Askew, of Tax Pro’s, a tax return preparation and payroll business in Essex County, New Jersey, where Batts and others prepared tax returns. In order to boost their business, Batts, Askew, codefendants Tony Russell, Angelo K. Thompson and Rudolph Sanders conspired to falsify their clients’ income tax returns for the purpose of generating refunds in amounts that their clients were not entitled to receive. The fraudulent practices used to inflate tax refunds included fabricating and inflating credits for education and child care; deductions, such as charitable contributions and unreimbursed employee expenses; and Schedule C business losses. 

As part of their scheme, Batts, Thompson, Askew, Russell and Sanders also used fraudulent IRS Forms 1098-T to support false education credits that they had claimed on their clients’ false federal income tax returns prepared at Tax Pro’s and Tax Solutions and Associates. 

Batts also used the Paid Taxpayer Identification Number (PTIN) – the identification number that paid tax preparers are required to place on tax returns that they have prepared – of his conspirator tax preparers when preparing tax returns to conceal his identity as the actual tax return preparer, due to, among other things, his prior tax fraud conviction.

By inflating the tax refunds through fraudulent means, Batts and his conspirators caused a total tax loss to the United States in excess of $900,000.

Thompson, Askew, Sanders and Russell have previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and await sentencing.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. The maximum sentence for aiding or assisting in the filing of false returns is three years in prison. Both are also punishable by a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of $250,000 or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims. Sentencing for Batts is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2020.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cari Fais and Jihee G. Suh and of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Mike Stuart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement officials, will hold a press conference in Beckley on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.  to discuss indictments resulting from a long-term investigation.

Where:             Robert C. Byrd Federal Building

                         110 North Heber Street

                        Beckley, WV

When:              Wednesday, September 18, 2019 @ 3:00 p.m.

Follow us on Twitter:SDWVNews  
 

 
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     PHOENIX – Last week, Bo Lane, 36, of Coppermine, Ariz., was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 432 months in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, on seven counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, each count to run concurrently.  Lane was found guilty of those counts by a federal jury on June 14, 2019.                   

     The evidence at trial showed that between 2013 and 2017, Lane sexually abused two minor victims.  The abuse started when the victims were six years old and took place on the Navajo Indian Reservation.  Both Lane and the victims are members of the Navajo Nation.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Police Department.  The prosecution was handled by Christina J. Reid-Moore and Dimitra H. Sampson, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

BOSTON – A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty today to sending a series of violent and threatening e‑mails to a Massachusetts professor and a university.

Matthew Haviland, 29, of North Kingstown, R.I., pleaded guilty today to one count of stalking and two counts of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2019. According to the terms of a plea agreement, the government will recommend to the Court a sentence of 21 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine. Haviland was charged in April 2019. 

Over the span of several hours on March 10, 2019, Haviland sent a Massachusetts professor a string of approximately 28 e-mails containing messages that included such threats as, “I will rip every limb from your body and eat it, piece by piece” and “I will bite through your eyeballs while you’re still alive, and I will laugh while you scream.” The professor to whom Haviland sent the threats has published and spoken in favor of abortion rights, and several of Haviland’s e‑mails made reference to abortion. In two successive e-mails, for example, Haviland wrote, “You will be held accountable for every f****** baby you murdered through your horrible deception of they are not humans” and “You will have your face ripped off and eaten by me, personally. I will enjoy raping your body after you’re dead. And that will only be the start.”

Haviland also sent several e-mails on March 15, 2019 to a professional school at the professor’s university. Those e-mails included the message: “You people are Evil, putrid, and somebody shoudl [sic] BOMB your school for spreading the idea that it’s okay to HATE people because of their race.” A later e-mail to the professional school said only, “You should be Murdered in cold blood.”

Haviland faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greater, and restitution. 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 and Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, made the announcement today. Boston FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of Warwick and North Kingstown (RI) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Pérez‑Daple of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.

          SANTA ANA, California– A Chinese national pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for running an Orange County-based “birth tourism” business that catered to wealthy pregnant clients and Chinese government officials, charging them tens of thousands of dollars to help them give birth in the United States so their children would get U.S. citizenship.

          Dongyuan Li (李冬媛), 41, of Irvine, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and one count of visa fraud. Li was one of 19 defendants named in a series of indictments unsealed earlier this year. She is the first of the charged operators of birth tourism businesses to plead guilty. The remaining defendants either are pending trial or are fugitives.

          Li admitted in her plea agreement that, from 2013 until March 2015, she operated a birth tourism company in Irvine and in China called You Win USA Vacation Services Corp. You Win would assist pregnant foreign nationals – typically from China – to travel to and remain in the United States to give birth so their children would receive birthright U.S. citizenship, according to the plea agreement.

          According to a January 2019 federal grand jury indictment against Li, You Win advertised that it had served more than 500 Chinese birth tourism customers seeking U.S. birthright citizenship for their children. The indictment details that Li used 20 apartments in Irvine, charged each customer between $40,000 and $80,000, and she received $3 million in international wire transfers from China in two years.

          Some You Win customers coached by the company made false statements on their visa applications and to U.S. immigration officials, Li’s plea agreement states. Li also admitted that the customers were advised on how to pass the U.S. Consulate interview in China, including by falsely stating that they were going to stay in the United States for only two weeks, when in reality, they planned to stay for up to three months to give birth.

          Li further admitted that her customers bypassed U.S. immigration controls by booking two flights – the first from China to Hawaii and the second from Hawaii to Los Angeles International Airport – because they thought it would be easier to clear U.S. Customs through Hawaii. Li’s customers also were coached how to trick U.S. Customs at ports of entry by concealing their pregnancies, according to the plea agreement.

          In October 2013, Li made a $30,965 rent payment for Irvine apartments used in her birth tourism operation, and in November 2013, she made a $30,321 rent payment for those apartments, the plea agreement states.

          As part of her plea agreement, Li agreed to forfeit more than $850,000, a Murrieta residence worth more than $500,000, as well as several Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

          United States District Judge James V. Selna scheduled a December 16 sentencing hearing, at which time Li will face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

          This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation. The Irvine Police Department provided substantial assistance.

          This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland political consultant pleaded guilty today to wire fraud as a result of his fraudulent scheme to solicit millions of dollars in political contributions through several scam-PACs that he founded and advertised as supporting candidates for office and other political causes.

“Rogers preyed upon his victims political beliefs with the intent of enriching his companies, his business partners, and himself,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Individuals like Rogers, who engage in sophisticated fraud schemes will be held accountable for their actions. We have a long history of investigating and prosecuting fraud cases here in the Eastern District, and we remain committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who choose to engage in fraud activity are held accountable and brought to justice.”

According to court documents, from August 2012 through 2018, Kelley Rogers, 55, of Annapolis, operated multiple PACs, including Conservative StrikeForce (CSF), Conservative Majority Fund, and Tea Party Majority Fund.  In that role, Rogers engaged vendors to send e-mail solicitations and make telemarketing phone calls to prospective donors seeking political contributions to his PACs.  Rogers approved the text and other content of all solicitations, and determined how CSF spent the contributions individual donors gave in response to the solicitations.

“Rogers defrauded countless citizens across the country who sought to participate in the political process, and instead used the money to benefit himself and to perpetuate his fraudulent scheme,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s guilty plea shows that the Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who undermine the integrity of our democratic institutions, including those who commit fraud to line their own pockets along the way.” 

During the course of his scheme, Rogers solicited contributions from the general public for his PACs based on materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. For example, in or around 2013, Rogers, working with an email vendor, represented through CSF that money contributed by donors would be used to support the campaigns of a candidate for Governor and a candidate for Attorney General of Virginia through, among other things, get-out-the-vote efforts and the hiring of attorneys to ensure the integrity of the elections. In or around 2014, Rogers represented that donations to the PAC would be spent on assistance and support for military veterans. In truth and in fact, Rogers never intended to spend, and never actually spent, any of the money raised by Rogers’ PACs on get-out-the-vote efforts or lawyers to protect the integrity of the 2013 Virginia and Attorney General elections, or on assistance and support for military veterans. Instead, Rogers spent nearly all of the money raised from donors to benefit himself, his associates, and his PACs, including by pouring the majority of donor money into the solicitation of more donations.

 “Rogers swindled millions of dollars from individuals attempting to participate in our democratic process,” said Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.  “Instead of using donations to provide assistance and support to military veterans, as he advertised, Rogers used the money to benefit himself and his associates.  I commend the dedication and hard work of our FBI agents and analysts who investigated this egregious fraud against innocent U.S. citizens.”

In addition to the misrepresentations that Rogers made to donors, Rogers and others fraudulently billed his PACs for services that were not performed, thereby misappropriating donor money that had been contributed to the PACs by individuals across the country. Rogers and his associates also made false statements to the Federal Election Commission about how they were spending PAC money. 

Finally, Rogers admitted that he and several others also participated in a scheme to use conduits (“straw donors”) to make contributions to a candidate running to represent a district in the U.S. House of Representatives that exceeded the limits placed on individual campaign contributions under federal law. 

As part of his guilty plea, Rogers agreed to pay $491,299 in restitution to victims of his fraud scheme, as well as a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $208,954. 

Rogers pleaded guilty to wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17, 2020. 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, Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Pedersen and Trial Attorneys John Taddei and Bill Gullotta of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.

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-270.

Assistant U. S. Attorneys Mark Conover (619) 546-6763 and David P. Finn (619) 546-7342

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY– September 17, 2019

SAN DIEGO – Odish pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he supplied fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of 25-year-old Tiffany Hansen of La Mesa on January 23, 2018.

According to his plea agreement, Odish sold more than 500 grams of what he knew to be fentanyl between 2017 and the day of the fatal overdose. He pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Crawford to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2019 by U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz.

“Every time we have an overdose death, we are going to come looking for the dealer,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We are using every available criminal and civil tool to combat this deadly epidemic and stop these tragic losses.”

“We work every day to save lives and we grieve when we lose a precious soul to drugs,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers.  “We will continue to pursue anyone who deals death.  Is that you?  If so, we are coming and your time will soon be spent behind bars.  We are relentless.”

The United States Attorney’s Office is working closely with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration and our other federal, state and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cases targeting those who supply drugs in fatal overdose cases.

U.S. Attorney Brewer  praised prosecutors Mark Conover and David Finn as well as DEA agents and La Mesa police for their hard work on the case.

For those who suffer from addiction, please know there is help. Call the Crisis line at 888-724-7240; it’s always open.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 18-CR-1812-BTM                                        

Uriah Odish                                                    Age: 28          

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years in prison up to life

AGENCY

La Mesa Police Department

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Narcotics Task Force

BOSTON – A Haverhill licensed practical nurse pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to drug tampering.

Lauren Perrin, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product, specifically the Schedule II controlled substance morphine, which is used for pain relief. U.S. District Court Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Dec. 4, 2019. Perrin was charged in an Information in March 2019.

While working as a licensed practical nurse at Maplewood Care and Rehabilitation Center in Amesbury, Perrin tampered with three bottles of morphine sulfate prescribed to a hospice patient. In an attempt to avoid detection, she replaced the extracted medication with another liquid. Perrin’s tampering lowered the potency of the three bottles of morphine sulfate to only 4-29% of the intended potency.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; and Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Wan of Lelling’s Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.