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Fugitive Arrested in Norwich Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Gun and Drugs

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John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LEWIS CORWISE, 29, formerly of Norwich and New York City, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm in relation to his drug trafficking activity.

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

Corwise has been detained since his arrest.  On August 1, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

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


Lexington Man Sentenced to 97 Months for Buying and Selling Stolen Firearms as a Convicted Felon

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Wayne Russell Fugate, 49, of Lexington was sentenced on Monday, by Chief United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 97 months in federal prison for buying and selling stolen firearms and for being a convicted felon in possession of over 25 stolen firearms.

Beginning in 2017, the eastern Kentucky area, as well as areas in Tennessee and Ohio, experienced a number of vehicle break-ins where firearms were stolen. A law enforcement task force led to the arrest of Dario Adrian Mauriz-Cruz, 27, and Jeremy D. Stidham, 27, as suspects in these break-ins. The investigation determined that Fugate acted as a “fence” for Stidham and Cruz, buying stolen firearms from them.

According to Fugate’s plea agreement, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence in Lexington, in November 2017. There, they located 22 stolen firearms and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Further investigation recovered six more stolen firearms purchased by Fugate. Fugate admitted to selling firearms to at least 11 others. Fugate had a prior federal felony conviction for being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms. 

Both Stidham and Cruz pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges, in August 2019.  Cruz, also a convicted felon, was sentenced to ten years in prison for his role in stealing the firearms. Stidham was sentenced to 100 months.   

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tommy Estevan, Acting Special Agent in Charge for ATF Louisville Field Division; Richard W. Sanders, KSP Commissioner; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff; Matt Sparks, Rowan County Sheriff; Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff; and Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff, collectively announced the sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the ATF, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, the Kentucky State Police, Lexington Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and Rowan County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger W. West. 

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Weakley County Man Sentenced to 140 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses

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Jackson, TN – Wesley Wilson, Jr., 43, has been sentenced to 140 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on April 17, 2018 the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of child abuse. When law enforcement discovered Wilson and his wife Lacy traveling in a red truck, they were stopped and asked to return home. Upon approaching the truck, officers smelled the strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and on Wilson’s person. Wilson acknowledged that he had marijuana cigarettes in his pocket. The defendant gave consent for the officers to search his truck and property, including his house and barn. The officers located a black shaving style kit bag in the bed of the truck that smelled strongly of marijuana. Inside was a large quantity of marijuana and approximately two ounces of methamphetamine, in crystal form. Both Wilsons were taken into custody.

Law enforcement located more methamphetamine inside the residence and barns in numerous small packages, along with scales and packaging materials, 4 ounces of methamphetamine, two ounces of marijuana, and numerous firearms, including an AR-15 and a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol.

On September 24, 2019, U.S. Chief District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Wilson to 140 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release. Wilson is also facing state charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Armed drug dealers are a double threat, and this case demonstrates our focus on the priority areas of firearms and narcotics cases that impact public safety in our rural communities. We are pleased that this dangerous offender has been removed from the streets for over 10 years, and we appreciate the partnerships with our local law enforcement agencies in Weakley County."

This case was investigated by the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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Portland Man Sentenced for Trafficking Cocaine and Oxycodone

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Portland man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute cocaine and oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Ross Thompson, 33, formerly of Rangeley, Maine, to time served (one day) and three years of supervised release. Thompson pleaded guilty in March 2019.

According to court records, between January 2016 and July 2016, Thompson and others conspired to distribute cocaine and oxycodone in Franklin County. Thompson distributed drugs supplied by Jordan Richard, who was sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison in January 2019.

Following an incident on July 28, 2016, when Richard shot and killed one of two men who came to his Rangeley residence to rob him, Thompson spirited a large quantity of drugs out of the residence before law enforcement arrived on the scene. Thompson subsequently distributed the drugs to another dealer Richard was supplying.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine State Police; and the Rangeley Police Department investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General. The case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Eastport Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

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Bangor, Maine:  An Eastport, Maine man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Ryan Mumme, 48, to eight years in prison and supervised release for life. Mumme was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution. He pled guilty in June 2018 after being charged in December 2017.

According to court records, Mumme admitted to agents during an interview at his home that he had child pornography on his laptop computer. A subsequent forensic examination of the laptop revealed images and videos of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the Eastport Police Department investigated the case. The 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. 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.justice.gov/psc.

Federal charges and civil action announced in efforts to combat opioid epidemic

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SAVANNAH, GA:  Pharmacists, a pharmacy, and several individuals have been named as defendants in various criminal and civil actions filed in federal court in the Southern District of Georgia as part of continuing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat the opioid epidemic.

The actions in Georgia and Florida were coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice, and include 67 individuals charged in connection with various healthcare and controlled substance schemes.

For the actions taken in the Southern District of Georgia, U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine announced the following actions:

  • A civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Ga., accuses Darien Pharmacy and Janice Ann Colter, 62, of Darien, Ga., pharmacist-in-charge of Darien Pharmacy, with filling prescriptions for controlled substances that she “knew or should have known were not issued for legitimate medical reasons and by a provider not acting with the regular course of professional practice.” The lawsuit represents the first-ever Controlled Substances Act suit against a pharmacy in the history of the Southern District of Georgia.
  • A federal grand jury in Savannah indicted Jenna Savage, 26, of Port Wentworth, Ga.; Norman Lee Burnsed, 27, of Port Wentworth, Ga.; Tucker Chambers, 21, of Ellabell, Ga.; Macaila Brown, 22, of Rincon, Ga.; and Cameron Hilliard, 26, of Savannah, Ga., with conspiracy charges under the Controlled Substances Act relating to the distribution of oxycodone, Adderall, alprazolam, and clonazepam. Savage was further charged with 50 counts of illegally acquiring a controlled substance.
  • A criminal information charges David L. Williford, 59, of Rincon, Ga., with illegally acquiring oxycodone. Williford, a pharmacist, is alleged in the information to have acquired the oxycodone from a pharmacy where he was employed.

“Nearly 70,000 people in the United States die each year from drug overdoses, and more than two-thirds of those deaths are due to opioid abuse,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “It is beyond outrageous when medical professionals and others fuel this crisis by pouring illegally prescribed drugs into the illicit drug supply pipeline, and our office will continue to take aim at such illegal activity.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, said “Pharmaceutical products that are distributed for non-medical reasons can be just as deadly as illicit drugs. The defendants in these cases endangered the community by their actions. These cases have been a success because of the unified efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement counterparts.”

“Being a healthcare professional in the Medicare program is a privilege, not a right. When physicians and other healthcare providers put their own financial gain above patient well-being and honest billing of government health programs, they violate the basic trust that taxpayers extend to healthcare professionals,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the HHS-OIG Atlanta Regional Office. “These cases put corrupt medical professionals on alert that law enforcement will do everything possible to root out all forms of waste, fraud and abuse in our federal health care programs.”

Criminal indictments and informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The claims asserted against defendants in a civil suit are allegations only and are not determinations of liability.

These cases are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health and Human Resources Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradford Patrick, Jonathan Porter, Katelyn Semales, and Marcela C. Mateo.

Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Gun Charges

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United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Kendrick Hardnett, age 40, of Baton Rouge, to 111 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine base.  The Court further sentenced Hardnett to 4 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and ordered that the firearm involved be forfeited.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on September 6, 2017, Baton Rouge Police Department narcotics detectives executed a search warrant on Hardnett’s residence. Prior to executing the warrant, Hardnett was observed exiting the residence and departing in a vehicle.  The detectives initiated a traffic stop of Hardnett’s vehicle and recovered two clear plastic baggies containing marijuana, one clear plastic containing cocaine base, and $1,100 from his pockets.  Upon further search of the vehicle, the detectives recovered a firearm from the front driver's side floorboard where Hardnett was seated.  At the same time, a second group of BRPD detectives entered Hardnett’s residence and recovered several clear plastic baggies containing marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine base, and a digital scale from the living room.

Prior to possessing the firearm, Hardnett was convicted of aggravated second-degree battery on April 4, 2007, and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana on September 30, 2010, both in East Baton Rouge Parish.

U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “This conviction and sentence is yet another example of how our partnership with Baton Rouge Police Department and ATF can remove dangerous criminals from our streets to make our communities safer for our citizens.”

This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Baton Rouge Police Department, with substantial assistance from the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Demetrius Sumner.

Guatemalan National Wanted for Crimes Against Humanity Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

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BOSTON – A Guatemalan national wanted for his role in the 1980s massacre of indigenous Guatemalans pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston.  

Francisco Cuxum Alvarado, a/k/a Francisco Cuxun-Alvarado, 64, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry into the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2019. On May 29, 2019, Cuxum Alvarado was indicted and has been detained since that time.  

According court documents, beginning in the early 1980s, there were a series of attacks committed against the indigenous Maya Achi people of Rio Negro, in and around the municipality of Rabinal, in Guatemala. During these massacres, Guatemalan armed forces assisted by civilian militias known as the Civil Defense Patrols (PACs), forcibly removed the Maya Achi from Rio Negro and attacked and killed hundreds of them. More than 400 Maya Achi people were killed in the Rio Negro massacres and hundreds of others were forcibly removed from their homes. In addition to the murders, there were mass sexual assaults carried out against Achi-Mayan women.

Cuxum Alvarado was a member of the PAC in Rabinal, and in 1998, was named as a suspect in the March 13, 1982, massacre of women and children at Cerro Pacoxom. In 2018, the Guatemalan government charged Cuxum Alvarado with crimes against humanity for participating in the mass sexual assault of Maya Achi women in and around Rabinal. In connection with the charges, the Guatemalan government obtained an INTERPOL Red Notice for Cuxum Alvarado’s arrest, which is a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest suspects pending extradition to the jurisdiction in which they are charged. Cuxum Alvarado will be subject to extradition to Guatemala following any sentence imposed.

On April 30, 2019, Cuxum Alvarado was located in Waltham and arrested. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Cuxum Alvarado admitted that he was a member of the Rabinal PAC. At the time of his arrest, Cuxum Alvarado was unlawfully in the United States. He previously unlawfully entered the country in March 2004 in Arizona, and was ordered to be removed. 

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant will be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Waltham Police Department and the HSI Attaché in Guatemala City, Guatemala assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George P. Varghese of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.

 


Johnstown Man Sentenced to Prison for Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy

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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pa. has been sentenced in federal court in Johnstown to 66 months in prison and four years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Justin R. Guillarmod, 36. 

On May 2, 2019, Guillarmod pleaded guilty to count one of an indictment which stated that on July 27, 2017, Guillarmod and a co-defendant did possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Mr. Brady commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Guillarmod.

Milwaukee Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearms Possession In Winnebago County

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Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Nicholas O. Nelson (age: 36), of Milwaukee, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 36 months on supervised release, for the illegal possession of a firearm.

The investigation revealed that on February 26, 2017, Nelson possessed a loaded .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun while in a vehicle in the Village of Fox Crossing. Previous felony convictions prohibited Nelson from possessing a firearm. A routine records check on the firearm showed it was reported stolen from a location in the City of Milwaukee. After a 2-day trial in July 2019, a jury in federal court in Green Bay returned a verdict of guilty.

IIn sentencing Nelson, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, and that previous attempts to intervene in Nelson’s criminal activity had failed. Chief Judge Griesbach also cited the need to deter others who might consider similar actions despite legal prohibitions against possessing firearms.

Fox Crossing Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Maier and Benjamin P. Taibleson.

 

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San Antonio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Solicit a Minor for Sex

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In San Antonio today, Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra sentenced Reynaldo Salinas of San Antonio to 15 years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release for attempting to coerce a minor into engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash.   

“I am proud that our office just took another child predator off the streets.  I am also glad that increasing national attention is being focused on the problem of child sexual abuse in the United States.  We need significantly greater efforts nationwide to fight this scourge,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.

On June 27, 2019, a federal jury convicted the 27–year-old U.S. Army mechanic at Camp Bullis of one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.  Evidence presented during trial revealed that in September 2017, Salinas engaged in online communications with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl.  During these online conversations, the defendant transmitted multiple nude photos of himself and expressed his desire to engage in sexual intercourse, as well as other sexually explicit behavior, with the minor.  In reality, the defendant was communicating with an undercover federal agent.

Agents with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bettina Richardson and Eric Yuen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, 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.

Kings County Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearms Trafficking Charges

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FRESNO, Calif. — Alexis Sanchez, 20, of Kettleman City, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute narcotics and conspiring to traffic in firearms by an unlicensed person, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between April 2016 and March 2018, Sanchez participated in a conspiracy to purchase and ship firearms from Tennessee to California. Sanchez assisted in sending firearms that were purchased by co-conspirators in Tennessee to California. The California-based co-conspirators then sold the firearms for a profit. In her plea agreement, Sanchez acknowledged that none of the conspirators were licensed firearms dealers. In addition, from Jan. 2017 to March 2018 Sanchez conspired with some of the same individuals to distribute narcotics.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Lenoir City Police Department in Tennessee, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Newman and Stephanie Stokman are prosecuting the case.
Alexis Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill on Dec. 16. Sanchez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison related to the distribution of narcotics, and a $1 million fine; and a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine related to the conspiracy to traffic in firearms by an unlicensed person. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
 

District Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fatal Stabbing in Southeast

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           WASHINGTON – David A. Hackney, 60, of Southeast, Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of a man in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.

             On September 27, 2019, pursuant to Hackney’s guilty plea, the Honorable Milton C. Lee of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia sentenced Hackney to 15 years in prison. Hackney pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed in the killing of Chester Belfield at a prior proceeding on July 11, 2019. Upon completion of his sentence, Hackney will also be placed on five years of supervised release.

           According to the government’s evidence, on April 13, 2019, at approximately 2:30 p.m., members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were dispatched to 1039 Southern Avenue, Southeast for a stabbing incident. Upon arrival at the scene, MPD located an adult male victim – later identified as Chester Belfield – unresponsive suffering from stab wounds to the body. Mr. Belfield was then transported to the District’s United Medical Center where he later died from his injuries.

           According to multiple witnesses, Hackney and Mr. Belfield engaged in a verbal confrontation. Witnesses then observed Hackney escalating the verbal fight by chasing Mr. Belfield across Southern Avenue, SE with a knife in his right hand. Mr. Belfield was not armed and tried to run away from Hackney. The witnesses then observed Hackney stab Mr. Belfield at least three times. Hackney fled the scene after killing Mr. Belfield. The witness’s testimony was further confirmed by a cellular telephone video that captured the entire incident from start to finish.

           Hackney was arrested on April 22, 2019, where he remains in custody until his sentencing.

           In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the work of Supervisory Victim Witness Coordinator Jennifer Clark and Paralegal Specialist Debra Forte. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nebiyu Feleke and Laura Bach who investigated and prosecuted the case. 

Easton-Area Attorney Charged with Defrauding Estate

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PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Angelo Perrucci, Jr., of Bangor, PA was arrested and charged by Indictment with wire fraud.

The indictment alleges that between on or about March 16, 2016 and on or about May 29, 2019, Angelo Perrucci, Jr., while serving as the administrator of an estate of a deceased Bergen County, N.J. individual, defrauded the estate of more than $300,000. During the more than three-year period in which Perrucci purported to serve as the administrator of the estate, he issued more than seventy checks to himself.

“As alleged in the indictment, this defendant – an attorney entrusted with the care of this estate – committed fraud and stole from the true beneficiaries of the estate,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Attorneys of any kind, public or private, take an oath to act in accordance with the law – not to use their law license to steal. My Office will continue to root out the type of conduct that is alleged here.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 100 years’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Mannion of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Springfield Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Meth Conspiracy

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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy that distributed 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.

Kenneth R. Friend, 48, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 27 years in federal prison without parole.

Friend pleaded guilty on April 5, 2019, to participating in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene, Polk, Christian, Jasper, Laclede, and Webster Counties from June 1, 2013, through Nov. 29, 2014. Friend also pleaded guilty to money laundering by engaging in monetary transactions to promote unlawful activity.

Beginning in 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted by other agencies, investigated one of the largest methamphetamine distribution rings in southwest Missouri. The investigation resulted in the indictment of 29 defendants. Friend is among 28 defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case and have been sentenced.

Friend admitted the conspiracy was responsible for the distribution of more than 45 kilograms of methamphetamine.

During the conspiracy, Friend obtained large amounts of methamphetamine from various sources. For example, Friend paid one source $20,000 in early November 2014 for two pounds of methamphetamine. Friend also intended to purchase a large amount of methamphetamine from one of his sources on Nov. 27, 2014. As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers arrested Friend, his then-girlfriend and one of his suppliers. During the execution of a federal search warrant at the supplier’s residence in Springfield, agents found approximately $20,000 and approximately five and a half pounds of methamphetamine. Friend admitted that he intended to purchase at least two of the five and a half pounds seized from this source of supply. Agents also seized $34,310 from Friend, which he had intended to use to purchase the two pounds of methamphetamine. 

Agents also seized Friend’s 1992 Harley Davidson motorcycle, which he used to distribute methamphetamine and which he purchased with proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine. Friend must forfeit the cash that was seized and the motorcycle to the government.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nhan D. Nguyen and Cynthia J. Hyde. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).


Bucks County Bar and Restaurant Owners Charged with Tax Offenses

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PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Stephen Eckler, 68, of Ivyland, Pennsylvania, and Robert Yost, 52, of Southampton, Pennsylvania, were charged by Information with willful failure to pay employment taxes.

The information alleges that Eckler and Yost, owners of the Kopper Kettle Bar and Restaurant, located in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, did not report $263,340 in cash wages that they paid to dishwasher employees at the Kopper Kettle Bar and Restaurant during the period March 2012 through at least September 2016. As a result of this practice, defendants Eckler and Yost failed to properly collect and pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, including Social Security Tax and the Medicare Tax, commonly referred to as “FICA” taxes, and federal income tax withholdings.

“Our tax system requires businesspeople to truthfully report the wages paid to their employees,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The defendants’ practice of paying their employees in cash, concealing this from the IRS, and failing to collect and pay federal employment taxes, undermines the integrity of the federal income tax system and harms those who play by the rules. My Office will aggressively pursue businesspeople who operate in such an illegal manner.”

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and full restitution paid to the IRS.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard P. Barrett.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Manager of Middletown Mall admits to bankruptcy and tax fraud

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CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dietrich S. Fansler, manager of Pin Oak Properties, has admitted to bankruptcy fraud and tax fraud, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Fansler, of Morgantown, West Virginia, is the managing member of Pin Oak Properties, LLC, which operated Middletown Mall in Fairmont. Fansler, age 59, pled guilty to one count of “Fraudulent Concealment of Bankruptcy Estate Assets” and one count of “Willful Failure to Pay Over Tax.” 

Fansler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2017. Between June 2017 and January 2018, Fansler collected rent from the tenants of the mall and was required to deposit that money into the debtor-in-possession account of Pin Oak Properties. Fansler admitted to using some of that collected rent, approximately $225,000, for expenses unrelated to Pin Oak Properties and concealing it from the creditors of the bankruptcy estate.

Fansler also admitted to failing to pay the withheld income taxes from employees of Pin Oak Properties and another one of his companies, Villa Rentals, Inc. He admits, too, that he did not pay personal income taxes for years 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. The total loss to the IRS is more than $880,000.

As a part of the plea, Fansler agrees to pay $225,000 in restitution to the bankruptcy trustee, as well as $880,446.82 in restitution to the IRS.

Fansler faces up to five years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.

Berkeley County man admits to role in cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl distribution operation

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MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shavon Craig, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Craig, age 35, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base.” Craig admitted to distributing cocaine base in Berkeley County in December 2018.

Craig is facing up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S Attorney Timothy D. Helman, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Martinsburg Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Ranson Police Department 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.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.

Wetzel County man sentenced for firearms charge

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WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Lee Lemasters, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced 15 months for a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Lemasters, age 56, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in July 2019. Lemasters, who is prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a 9mm caliber pistol and 16 rounds of ammunition in Wetzel County in October 2018.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, West Virginia State Police, and the Paden City Police Department investigated. 

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.

Montgomery County Attorney Charged with Mail Fraud

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PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Craig A. Cohen, age 55, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania was charged by Information with one count of mail fraud. Cohen was an attorney who worked for approximately eight years for a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania law firm (“the Law Firm”). Cohen specialized in representing insurance companies in subrogation matters, particularly those matters involving losses generated by water damage. As a subrogation attorney, Cohen filed claims on behalf of insurance companies to obtain recoveries against product manufacturers and class action settlement funds after insurance companies covered losses of insured individuals due to water damage resulting from defective products.

Over the course of approximately four years, from 2015 through 2019, Cohen engaged in a fraudulent scheme to obtain financial recoveries from product manufacturers and class action settlement funds for his own benefit, based on (1) entirely fabricated subrogation claims; and (2) legitimate subrogation claims to which an insurance company client of the Law Firm, and not Cohen, was entitled to the financial recovery.

Cohen operated the scheme primarily from his home in Blue Bell where he created a legal entity, WLSP, PLLC (“WLSP”), which he used to file the fabricated claims. He also opened a post office box in Philadelphia and created internet domains and email addresses for his company so that his fraudulent business could function effectively and appear legitimate.

Cohen created fake subrogation claims by modifying the paperwork from legitimate claims that he and other attorneys had already successfully resolved on behalf of clients of the Law Firm. His fake paperwork for each claim made it falsely appear that losses to the insured were caused by one manufacturer’s defective product, when in fact, a different manufacturer’s product caused those losses. Where necessary, Cohen would physically damage products and take pictures of them to submit with his fraudulent claim. He also engaged an expert engineer to examine the defective product and issue a report describing the defect that would entitle Cohen’s purported client to a recovery against the product manufacturer or settlement fund.

In addition to submitting entirely fake claims, Cohen also used legitimate, unresolved claims from insurance company clients of the Law Firm and submitted those claims through WLSP, generating financial recoveries entirely for himself. In each of these cases, Cohen convinced the Law Firm’s client and the Law Firm that the claims were not viable and should not be pursued, when in fact, the claims were viable. In converting these legitimate claims to his own company’s name and pursuing them solely for his own benefit, Cohen defrauded the insurance company clients of the Law Firm that were entitled to a recovery as well as the Law Firm that was entitled to a contingency fee on those matters.

In total, Cohen submitted dozens of fraudulent claims, causing losses to numerous victims, including product manufacturers, class action settlement funds, insurance companies, and the Law Firm, for an alleged loss of at least approximately $3.4 million.

“Attorneys of any kind, public or private, take an oath to act in accordance with the law – not to use their law license to steal,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The allegations here are particularly disturbing, as the defendant went to great lengths to deceive and defraud his employer and its clients of millions of dollars, which is illegal conduct for an employee in any line of work, but is especially egregious for a lawyer.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.

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

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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