OKLAHOMA CITY – WENDELL L. REEVES, 32, has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing ammunition after a felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.

According to an indictment filed on March 19, 2019, Reeves possessed 86 rounds of .22 LR ammunition and five spent cartridge cases of .22 LR ammunition in Oklahoma City on June 28, 2018, after he had been convicted of a felony.  He pleaded guilty on May 10, 2019.

According to court filings, Reeves possessed ammunition in connection with a physical altercation with an ex-girlfriend, whom he hit three times before he retrieved a firearm and fired at least six shots at her in an area where children were present.  The shots did not injure the ex-girlfriend, who fled to a relative’s nearby residence and escaped further harm only when bystanders intervened to keep Reeves from forcing his way inside.  Court filings also explain that Reeves spoke belligerently in jail telephone calls after his arrest, including remarking he should have killed the ex-girlfriend.

Today, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Reeves to 120 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn M. Hutzell prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiatives to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see the Attorney General’s announcement here.   The case is also part of "Operation 922," the district’s local implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian.  "Operation 922" prioritizes firearms prosecutions connected to domestic violence, including domestic violence abusers who possess a firearm and are subject to a victim protective order or have been previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Reference is made to court filings for further information.  To download a photo of U.S. Attorney Downing, click here.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – December 18, 2019 – Jennifer Montejo, 31, of Nashville, was charged in a criminal complaint on December 12, 2019,  with possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.

According to the criminal complaint, Montejo and others had been previously identified as targets in a drug trafficking investigation in the Nashville area and at a state prison. Montejo was arrested on December 11, 2019, at a Nashville bus station as she was returning from California, after purchasing a one-way airline ticket to Los Angeles, days earlier.  Approximately four kilograms of a substance believed to contain fentanyl, and about one kilogram of a substance believed to be heroin were discovered in Montejo’s luggage. 

Montejo was on bond for state drug charges in Dickson County, Tennessee, which resulted from an incident in July 2019, where the Tennessee Highway Patrol stopped Montejo on Interstate 40 as she was travelling from California, and subsequently found approximately ¾ of a kilogram of pills containing fentanyl, about one kilogram of heroin, and three firearms. 

If convicted, Montejo faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison,

 The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into substantial drug trafficking which is allegedly being coordinated by a state prisoner.  That investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the Tennessee Department of Corrections – Office of the Inspector General, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, and other partner agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy.

The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – December19, 2019 – Four Nashville men were sentenced to federal prison last week by Chief U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr., for their roles in violent crime incidents connected to Nashville public housing developments, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee. 

The four men were found responsible for a murder, multiple armed robberies and home invasions, shootings, and illegal firearms possession connected to the JC Napier public housing development in Nashville in 2015.

Aweis Haji-Mohamed, aka Son Son, 31, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.  He was responsible for committing three armed robberies, including a robbery of Isaiah Starks a/k/a Blue, in the J.C. Napier Homes public housing development, and later shot and killed Starks in February 2015.  He also committed other shootings, including in January 2015, at a home in east Nashville that was occupied by women and children, including a disabled child.  Haji-Mohamed fired several shots during that incident as part of an ongoing dispute relating to a stolen gun.  Prior to these incidents, Haji-Mohamed had been ordered deported to his home country, Somalia, from the United States and was under an order of supervision by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Marquis Brandon aka Dummy, 25, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted at trial in April 2018, of illegal firearms possession and committing an armed home invasion.  In January 2015, Brandon entered a home in north Nashville and hoisted a male occupant onto the wall while brandishing a pistol.  He took cash and a MAC-10 type firearm in that home invasion which he committed with Santez Bradford. At sentencing, Brandon was found responsible for committing other commercial robberies, including the armed robbery of a Cricket Wireless store near the J.C. Napier community with Haji-Mohamed in January 2015; an armed robbery of a Shell gas station in which he fired shots at a clerk the following week; and a robbery at a north Nashville home construction site in which two construction workers were shot in February 2015.  One of the victims was shot in the throat and the other was permanently paralyzed from the shooting.  Brandon was found to have threatened potential witnesses and also provided Haji-Mohamed the pistol which Haji-Mohamed used to murder Starks.

Santez Bradford a/k/a Wacco, 25, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 22 ½ year in prison for illegal firearms possession and the January 2015 home invasion, which he committed with Brandon.  During that home invasion, Bradford forced a man to his knees at gun point and threatened to shoot him.  He was also responsible for shooting at a group of people at close range in the J.C. Napier area in December 2014 and attempted to prevent a victim whom he had tried to rob from testifying against him.

Charles Braden, aka Manstinka, 26, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 22 years in prison for illegal firearms possession; two drug-related robberies which he committed with Haji-Mohamed in January 2015; and committing an armed home invasion in the J.C. Napier community in March 2015.  In that home invasion, Braden targeted a residence he believed would contain a substantial amount of drugs, which he planned to take, but invaded the wrong home while he was high on heroin.  Braden terrorized the occupants, and threatened to kill a man, two women, and several young children who lived in that home.  He was found responsible for attempting to tamper with one of the victims of that home invasion.  Braden was later arrested after being wounded in a shootout in the J.C. Napier community in March 2015.

The multi-year investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy prosecuted the cases.  More than 70 individuals have been convicted in the probe since 2015.

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 CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Gino Aristoteles Costa, 43, of Matthews, N.C. was sentenced late yesterday to 121 months in prison for transportation of child pornography, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney also ordered Costa to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.

Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Charlotte joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents and information introduced at the sentencing hearing, in November 2017, Costa was using a peer-to-peer network to access and transport multiple files containing child pornography.  HSI agents were able to successfully download multiple files of child pornography from Costa during this time period. During a subsequent search of Costa’s residence, law enforcement seized Costa’s computer.  Costa admitted he downloaded child pornography videos for several months, some depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers. 

Costa pleaded guilty on July 8, 2019, to transportation of child pornography. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.  All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.  

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked HSI for conducting the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Mark Wesley Schmit (50, Jacksonville) to 20 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. Schmit was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

Schmit had pleaded guilty on August 2, 2019.    

According to court documents, during the course of the investigation of an unrelated child exploitation case, the FBI learned that a particular individual had exchanged a series of text messages with Schmit. At one point during that conversation, that individual sent several explicit videos to Schmit, claiming that they depicted his 13-year-old sister. In response, Schmit requested that the individual send him additional graphic sexual videos of that purported child. Schmit then sent an image to that individual, which depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a young girl.

On April 16, 2019, FBI agents arrested Schmit pursuant to a federal arrest warrant. During an interview, Schmit admitted to sending and receiving child pornography, and that he had a sexual interest in looking at images of underage girls.  Schmit also admitted that he had used a fictitious internet persona to portray himself as a teenage boy, for the purpose of meeting underage girls through social media. In some cases, Schmit had cultivated long-term online relationships with his victims so that he could solicit them to send him sexual images of themselves. A subsequent investigation revealed that Schmit had solicited and received sexual images from at least three underage girls. A forensic analysis of Schmit’s cellphone revealed that it contained at least five images depicting the sexual abuse of young children.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.

This is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  

SALT LAKE CITY – A federal jury convicted Gary Mark Hill, age 42, of Salt Lake City of unlawfully engaging in the business of importing and dealing machine guns and illegal possession and transfer of machine guns Wednesday afternoon following a four-day trial in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City.

The jury deliberated less than two hours before returning the verdict.

A two-count indictment returned in May charged Hill with knowingly engaging in the business of importing and dealing in firearms – specifically machine gun conversion devices for Glock handguns without having paid a special occupational tax required and without having registered, both required under federal law.

The indictment alleged that from about February 2017 through March 2017, Hill knowingly possessed and transferred the machine gun conversion devices to others. The machine gun conversion devices, known as Glock auto switches, are machine guns under federal law because they are parts designed solely and exclusively for the purpose of converting a semi-automatic handgun into a machine gun.

“The defendant purchased machine guns at bargain prices from China, and knowingly sold them on Utah’s street corners at a steep markup,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said today. “In this day and age, there are few transactions more dangerous than an anonymous and unregulated exchange of cash for machine guns.  This intentional conduct showed a reckless disregard for our safety at its best, and certainly exposed Utah to risks that the community should not have to bear. The jury had little difficulty in holding the defendant accountable.”

Evidence at trial showed that Hill, a former investment banker, sold multiple illegal machine gun conversion devices for Glock handguns to three undercover ATF agents on February 27, 2017, March 1, 2017, and March 8, 2017. During the execution of a search warrant, agents found five additional machine gun conversion devices in his residence and six conversion devices in his car.

U.S. District Court Judge Dale A. Kimball set sentencing in the case for March 5, 2020.  Hill faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the two counts of conviction.  Hill will remain out of custody and subject to supervision on conditions of release pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Salt Lake City prosecuted the case.  The ATF investigated the case.

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count Indictment, returned on Dec. 17, named Kris Johnson, age 28, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, on August 12, 2018, Kris Johnson possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of 5-F ADB, a synthetic cannabinoid, a Schedule I controlled substance

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Agency conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

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

OXFORD– In two separate cases, an Alcorn County man and a Prentiss County man were each sentenced to approximately 20 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.

Donald H. Hobbs, 39, of Alcorn County pled guilty to one count of production of child pornography on Aug. 21, 2019. Hobbs was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison followed by 15 years of supervised release by District Judge Debra M. Brown in United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.

Jordan Bridges, 28, of Prentiss County pled guilty on July 24, 2019 to one count of production of child pornography. Bridges was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release by Chief Judge Sharion Aycock in United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.

On Sept. 20, 2018, the Alcorn County Sheriff's Department received a Cybertip report of possible online activity involving a 14-year-old being enticed to produce sexually explicit images. During an initial investigation by the Alcorn County Sheriff's Department, it was determined that Hobbs had been enticing a minor for the purpose of producing child pornography. Upon determining that there was evidence of online criminal activity, a request was made that the FBI Jackson’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force assist with the investigation.

On Nov. 3, 2018, the Prentiss County Sheriff's Department received a report of possible child molestation and child pornography. During the initial investigation it was determined that Bridges had been sexually assaulting and photographing a minor for the purpose of producing sexually explicit images of a child. The Prentiss County Sheriff's Department has an officer assigned full time to the FBI Jackson’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and he was contacted to assist with the investigation. 

These investigations were worked jointly by the Alcorn County Sheriff’s Department, Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI Jackson’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is made up of special agents from the FBI and task force officers from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department and Southaven Police Department. The cases were prosecuted by AUSA Paul Roberts.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A federal grand jury returned a third superseding indictment against two residents of Pittsburgh, PA, on charges of violating the federal narcotics, firearms and money laundering laws, United States Scott W. Brady announced today.

The nine-count third Superseding Indictment, returned on Dec. 17, named Lynell Guyton, age 30, and Drevon Woodson, age 22, as the defendants.

According to the third Superseding Indictment, Guyton and Woodson conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute varying quantities of an analogue of fentanyl, from May, 2017, to August, 2017. Guyton is charged with possession with intent to distribute the same. According to information provided to the Court, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE)/ Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), assisted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, including the Pittsburgh Police SWAT Team, executed a federal search warrant at 7 Bond Street in Pittsburgh’s West End. During the entry, a table located near where the individuals were present inside the residence was overturned causing the powder narcotics to become airborne. Several SWAT operators experienced dizziness and numbness. In all, 18 officers were transported to UPMC-Mercy for evaluation before being medically cleared. In the kitchen of the residence, law enforcement located a plate with a significant quantity of white power on it and a number of packaged stamp bags and empty stamp bags. Officers observed stamp bags bearing both the "Ferrari" stamp and the "Louis Vuitton" stamp.

In addition, the third Superseding Indictment charges that Guyton possessed with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue on July 20, 2017, and August 2, 2017, and that he attempted to possess with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue on June 1, 2017. In addition, Guyton is charged with two counts of possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and with two counts of sending international wire transfers to promote the drug trafficking.

The law provides for maximum total sentences ranging from up to 10 years to up to life in prison as well as certain statutory minimum sentences starting at 5 years in prison. Fines ranging from $250,000 to up to $20,000,000 may also be imposed. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant. Guyton and Woodson are currently detained pending resolution of these charges.

Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE)/ Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), assisted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, including the Pittsburgh Police SWAT Team, conducted the investigation leading to the third Superseding Indictment in this case.

A third superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Greeneville, Tenn. – On December 19, 2019, Shain A. Chappell, 48, currently of Helena, Montana, entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.  Sentencing has been set for May 1, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., in United States District Court in Greeneville.                                           

Chappell faces a term of up to 23 years in Federal prison, $500,000 in fines, and supervised release of three years.

As part of the written plea agreement, Chappell waived an indictment by a Federal Grand Jury and agreed to plead guilty to the aforementioned charges.  Chappell admitted to using his position as controller to embezzle over $1 million from his former employer, Greentech Environmental, LLC, in Johnson City.  Chappell began employment as controller in October 2015, and by July 2017, had devised a scheme where Greentech would falsely pay for his personal credit card purchases by showing the payments as purchases of inventory in Greentech’s books and records.

During the two year period, Chappell embezzled money by causing Greentech to pay for lavish lifestyle expenditures.  Chappell’s luxury purchases included clothing, shoes, jewelry, meals, vacations, sports memorabilia, athletic and concert tickets, firearms, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, a hot tub, and significant charitable contributions.  In addition to stealing from Greentech, Chappell filed false tax returns for calendar years 2017 and 2018 that failed to include income from the money stolen from his employer, resulting in additional income tax owed of over $350,000.    

“The federal law enforcement agencies are to be congratulated for their detection, investigation and successful prosecution of this individual.  The devastation caused by economic white collar crimes from embezzlement negatively impacts many people.  Our office will continue in our efforts to uncover these crimes and prosecute the individuals responsible” said United States Attorney J. Douglas Overbey.

"The FBI is committed to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain and we take that responsibility very seriously.  We along with our law enforcement partners will continue to seek justice and hold accountable those who use illegal means and criminal behavior to take advantage of others” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico.

“IRS Criminal Investigation agents play an important role in fraud and embezzlement investigations due to complex financial transactions that can take time to unravel, “said Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Charlotte Field Office.  “Mr. Chappell abused his position as controller and stole from his employer by embezzling company funds for personal gain.  In addition to cheating his employer, Mr. Chappell hid these gains from the IRS and cheated taxpayers by failing to pay taxes on this ill-gotten income.”

The criminal information and plea agreement are the result of an ongoing investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations.

Mac D. Heavener, III, Assistant United States Attorney represented the United States.

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Cody Swinnerton, 25, of Berea, was sentenced to 35 years in prison with 25 years supervised release to follow. He was also ordered to pay $45,900 in special assessments.  He previously pleaded guilty on September 10, 2019 to seven counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children, and one count each of Receipt and Possessionof Child Pornography after he contacted several children between the ages of 12 and 15 and coerced them into sending him sexually explicit images.

According to an affidavit in the case and information presented at sentencing:

Swinnerton began his exploitation of children in 2013 when he engaged in sexual conduct with a sleeping child and then videotaped the assault with his cellphone.  Thereafter, Swinnerton attended athletic events, like the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he would take pictures of the preteen athletes.  He would later contact the young athletes on social media sites like Instagram and Snapchat to congratulate them and share photos.  Simultaneously, he would contact the boys online using a teenage female persona and solicit, entice and coerce them to send sexually explicit images of themselves. 

Swinnerton used this technique to gain access to a young teenage boy and his family in New York.  After an extended period of Instagram chats, Swinnerton moved to New York and gained access to the young athlete’s home by, among other things, befriending the family.  On more than one occasion, Swinnerton sexually assaulted the sleeping minor and recorded the assault.  Swinnerton used memorabilia he acquired during his job with the Cleveland Cavaliers to entice this victim and others to communicate with him.

The case came to the attention of law enforcement when the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a tip that Swinnerton appeared to be enticing and coercing minors to produce sexually explicit images. Swinnerton controlled multiple accounts and targeted minors between the ages of 12 and 15 on Instagram and Facebook.

Swinnerton contacted the victims’ friends and family to coerce the victims into producing more images. He also threatened the victims in an effort to get them to produce sexually explicit images. Further investigation revealed potential victims in Ohio, Tennessee, Iowa, Texas, Australia, Austria and France.

A search warrant was executed at Swinnerton’s Berea residence on January 25, 2019. Relatives said Swinnerton was on vacation in Australia at the time of the search, however, ICAC investigators were able to seize several of Swinnerton’s computer devices.  A forensic review of Swinnerton’s laptop revealed hundreds of sexually explicit images of preteen and teenage boys.  Further investigation revealed that Swinnerton was staying in Australia with another victim and his family.  Swinnerton surreptitiously recorded sexually explicit videos of the Australian boy even after learning that Ohio investigators had executed the search warrant on his house.    

“Let this 35-year prison sentence send a message to those would sexually assault and exploit our children,” said United States Attorney Herdman.  “We will find you anywhere in the world and we will never quit until you are brought to justice and held accountable for the unspeakable harm you have caused.” 

“This case is a disturbing reminder that international borders are no longer a hindrance for online predators,” said Vance Callender, special agent in charge of HSI for Michigan and Ohio. “However, this sentence should ensure victims around the world that Homeland Security Investigations and our partners in the international law enforcement community are committed to aggressively targeting those engaged in these heinous acts.”

“This defendant's conduct should serve as a warning to parents that offenders are creating fictitious identities to groom, threaten and exploit children on today's popular Internet sites and social media apps,” said David Frattare, Commander of the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  “Online child exploitation offenders understand the power that these inappropriate images and videos have when it comes to continuing this victimization.”

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Assistant Commissioner Debbie Platz said alarmingly, the volume of reports concerning the sexual exploitation of children is increasing and the appetite for the vile material can lead to vulnerable children suffering devastating harm.  “Today’s outcome sends a strong message to child sex offenders that you are not anonymous online,” Assistant Commissioner Platz said. “It does not matter where you live, or if you are in a different country to your victims, police will track you down and prosecute you.  The partnership forged between HSI and the AFP in countering child exploitation on a global level was pivotal to the successful outcome in this matter.”

Australian Border Force Commander, Investigations, Graeme Grosse said this result was a great example of international partner agencies, working together to protect children on a global scale.

“The ABF has assisted our international partners in catching and bringing this individual to justice who was actively seeking out children with the intent to exploit and abuse them for his own gratification.” he said.  “Anybody who is involved in this type of activity should know that there is nowhere to hide and the international law enforcement community is actively seeking you out to ensure are stopped and you face the full force of the law.”

This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, HSI-Canberra, the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik.

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CHICAGO — A husband and wife have been sentenced to federal prison for stealing the identities of at least ten people and using the information to file fraudulent tax returns seeking more than $1.3 million in refunds.

TILLMAN LIGGINS III, 50, of Joliet, was sentenced Tuesday to five years and four months in prison.  His wife, CHINITA WILLIAMS-LIGGINS, 39, of Joliet, was sentenced in July to three and a half years in prison.  The couple was also ordered to pay $331,154 in restitution to the IRS. 

U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman imposed the sentences in federal court in Chicago.

The sentences were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.

“Without the compliance of taxpayers with our country’s tax laws, the federal government would essentially cease to function,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalia Coleman argued in the government’s sentencing memorandums.  “The honest taxpayers must shoulder a disproportionate amount of the tax burden, and fewer necessary government services and benefits can be provided when some people cheat the IRS out of substantial sums of money.”

Liggins III and Williams-Liggins each pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.  The couple admitted in plea agreements that they obtained personal identifying information, including names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth, of at least ten individuals without their knowledge or consent.  They used that information to prepare and file false and fraudulent individual federal income tax returns (Forms 1040) for the tax years 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

In total, the pair caused to be filed with the IRS at least 219 false and fraudulent tax returns seeking refunds of approximately $1,323,793.  As a result of the scheme, the IRS deposited approximately $331,154 in fraudulent refunds into bank accounts controlled by the couple and others.

BILLINGS—A Livingston man who led law enforcement on a vehicle chase before getting arrested after a manhunt was sentenced on Wednesday to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release for methamphetamine trafficking crimes, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Shaunesy Alan Cole, 37, pleaded guilty on June to possession with intent to distribute meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

Cole was charged with drug trafficking crimes after Park County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to pull over a vehicle Cole was driving in July 2018, the prosecution said in court records. Cole gave a false name and instead of stepping out of the vehicle as instructed, he sped off. As deputies pursued, Cole fired a gun from the driver’s side window. Law enforcement stopped the chase for safety reasons and because Cole had driven down a dead end road.  Law enforcement set up a road block and a manhunt began.

The next day, deputies got a call from a resident in Quinn Creek that Cole was walking around the balcony of his home. As officers converged, Cole jumped off the balcony and went down a steep embankment. Officers arrested Cole a short time later. During a search of the area, officers found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol. On Cole, officers found a box of 9mm ammunition and about 21 grams of meth.

In an interview with law enforcement, Cole said he was using heroin, meth and acid and that he had traded four grams of meth for the 9mm pistol. Law enforcement determined that the pistol had been reported stolen.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which 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.

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Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EVALDAS RIMASAUSKAS, a Lithuanian citizen, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for participating in a fraudulent business email compromise scheme that induced two U.S.-based Internet companies (the “Victim Companies”) to wire a total of over $120 million to bank accounts he controlled.  RIMASAUSKAS previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels, who imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Evaldas Rimasauskas devised an audacious scheme to fleece U.S. companies out of more than $120 million, and then funneled those funds to bank accounts around the globe.  Rimasauskas carried out his high-tech theft from halfway across the globe, but he got sentenced to prison right here in Manhattan federal court.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment to which RIMASAUSKAS pled guilty, court filings, and statements made in public court proceedings:

From at least in or around 2013 through in or about 2015, RIMASAUSKAS orchestrated a fraudulent scheme designed to deceive the Victim Companies, including a multinational technology company and a multinational online social media company, into wiring funds to bank accounts controlled by RIMASAUSKAS.  Specifically, RIMASAUSKAS registered and incorporated a company in Latvia (“Company-2”) that bore the same name as an Asian-based computer hardware manufacturer (“Company-1”), and opened, maintained, and controlled various accounts at banks located in Latvia and Cyprus in the name of Company-2.  Thereafter, fraudulent phishing emails were sent to employees and agents of the Victim Companies, which regularly conducted multimillion-dollar transactions with Company-1, directing that money the Victim Companies owed Company-1 for legitimate goods and services be sent to Company-2’s bank accounts in Latvia and Cyprus, which were controlled by RIMASAUSKAS.  These emails purported to be from employees and agents of Company-1, and were sent from email accounts that were designed to create the false appearance that they were sent by employees and agents of Company-1, but in truth and in fact, were neither sent nor authorized by Company-1.  This scheme succeeded in deceiving the Victim Companies into complying with the fraudulent wiring instructions.

After the Victim Companies wired funds intended for Company-1 to Company-2’s bank accounts in Latvia and Cyprus, RIMASAUSKAS caused the stolen funds to be quickly wired into different bank accounts in various locations throughout the world, including Latvia, Cyprus, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, and Hong Kong.  RIMASAUSKAS also caused forged invoices, contracts, and letters that falsely appeared to have been executed and signed by executives and agents of the Victim Companies, and which bore false corporate stamps embossed with the Victim Companies’ names, to be submitted to banks in support of the large volume of funds that were fraudulently transmitted via wire transfer.

Through these false and deceptive representations over the course of the scheme, RIMASAUSKAS, the defendant, caused the Victim Companies to transfer a total of over $120,000,000 in U.S. currency from the Victim Companies’ bank accounts to Company-2’s bank accounts. 

            RIMASAUSKAS was arrested by Lithuanian authorities in March 2017, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant, and was extradited to the Southern District of New York in August 2017.

*                *                *

In addition to the prison term, Judge Daniels ordered RIMASAUSKAS to serve two years of supervised release, to forfeit $49,738,559.41, and to pay restitution in the amount of $26,479,079.24.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and thanked the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office and the Economic Crime Investigation Board of Vilnius County Police Headquarters, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Latvia, and the International Assistance Group at the Department of Justice, Canada, for their assistance in the investigation, arrests, and extradition, as well the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eun Young Choi and Olga Zverovich are in charge of the prosecution. 

Aurora Betancourt, a Canadian citizen, will be arraigned today in federal court in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold on an indictment charging her with conspiring to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl.  Betancourt was arrested in Colombia on December 28, 2018, and extradited to the United States on December 18, 2019.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F .Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the extradition and indictment.

 “As alleged in the indictment, Betancourt arranged the transportation of what she and her co-conspirators referred to as heroin, but what was in fact fentanyl, a synthetic opioid substitute even more potent than heroin,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “Thanks to the outstanding work by law enforcement officers, Betancourt’s alleged plan to flood our streets with this extremely dangerous drug was thwarted, and she will now face justice for her actions.”  Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to Drug Enforcement Administration Galveston, Texas office and the United States Marshals Service.

“Narcotics such as fentanyl and heroin are destroying lives and terrorizing communities across the United States, as well as here in New York.  As alleged, the defendant showed a flagrant disregard for human life and public safety, by arranging with her associates to have a significant amount of fentanyl transportedto New York,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.  “Today’s arrest demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to holding accountable anyone who would perpetuate the cycle of addiction contributing to the opioid crisis.”

“Allegedly responsible for attempting to transport 13 kilos of highly addictive fentanyl onto the streets of New York City, Betancourt will now have to answer for her actions that could have resulted in overdoses and deaths in our city,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Fitzhugh.  “Fentanyl has claimed the lives of far too many Americans, and so seizures and arrests like this are an important step to help rid the streets of this deadly epidemic.”

According to court documents, at a meeting in Queens, New York, in July 2017, Betancourt conspired with others to transport narcotics from Houston, Texas, for distribution in the New York metropolitanarea.  The conspirators referred to the narcotics as “grasa,” a code for heroin.  DEA agents seized the narcotics in Texas before they could be transported.  Subsequent laboratory testing revealed that the narcotics were actually fentanyl,a highly potent synthetic opioid that can serve as a substitute for heroin and frequently results in overdoses by users.  The total weight of the seizure was approximately 13 kilos, at the time the second largest seizure of fentanyl by the DEA.  DEA estimated the street value of the fentanyl in New York at approximately $800,000.

If convicted of either count of the indictment, Betancourt faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering section.  Assistant United States Attorney Alicia N. Washington is in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

AURORA BETANCOURT
Age:  35
Canada

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-623 (ARR)

A thirty-three count Indictment unsealed today charges City of Taylor Mayor Richard “Rick” Sollars, businessman Shady Awad, and Taylor Community Development Manager Jeffrey Baum with conspiracy to commit bribery in a scheme spanning from 2015 to 2019, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced.  The Indictment also charges Sollars and Awad with seven counts of bribery each, and charges Sollars and Baum with 18 counts of Wire Fraud.

According to the Indictment, Sollars helped Awad’s real estate development company Realty Transition LLC obtain scores of tax-foreclosed properties owned by the City of Taylor.  In return, Awad lavished Sollars with thousands of dollars in cash and over $30,000 in renovations to Sollars’s home, over $11,000 in renovations to Sollars’s lake house, and over $12,000 in new household appliances.  The appliances included a refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, a $1,600 cigar humidor, a vacuum cleaner, and a clothes washer and dryer.  The free renovations provided to Sollars by Awad include hardwood floors on every level of Sollars’s Taylor residence, hardwood floors at the lake house, a garage door, a new front door, cabinets, and a refurbished lake house deck.  The Indictment also alleges that Jeffrey Baum received bribes from Awad and another developer, in exchange for Baum’s help in obtaining tax-foreclosed properties from the City. 

Text messages between Sollars, Awad, and Baum cited throughout the Indictment document the bribe scheme.  In one text, Awad states as follows: “My relationship with Rick is worth $1 million so whatever it takes I’ll pay for it” in telling a contractor to do free work on Sollars’s lake house.  In another text, the Indictment states that Awad told Sollars that Sollars was Awad’s “silent partner” in Awad’s real estate development business.  Sollars, 45, is a resident of Taylor.  Awad, 39, and Baum, 44, are both residents of Allen Park, Michigan.   

The Indictment also charges Sollars and Baum with 18 counts of Wire Fraud, alleging that Sollars and Baum defrauded donors to Sollars’s campaign fund in three ways.  First, Sollars would take checks from his campaign account and write them payable to a particular market, purporting to pay for catering for one of Sollars’s events.  Instead, the market owner would cash the campaign checks and give the cash back to Sollars, with no catering provided.  Second, Sollars and Baum would direct Sollars’s supporters to write checks directly to the market for events that never occurred.  Sollars would get cash and scratch-off lottery tickets from the market owner.  Third, Sollars and Baum would solicit and accept thousands of dollars in cash contributions to Sollars’s campaign.  Instead of depositing the funds into his campaign account, Sollars would simply keep the cash and use it for personal expenses. 

The Indictment also seeks forfeiture of $205,993 in cash seized from Sollars’s home on February 10, 2019.  

Schneider was joined in the announcement by Steven D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“The unearthing of allegedly blatant corruption at the top levels of government in the City of Taylor should disturb every citizen of our state,” said United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.  “Federal law enforcement will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute any public officials who chose their personal greed over their public oath.”

"Any time an allegation of corruption is brought to our attention, the FBI's Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force will investigate it thoroughly. Public corruption at any level undermines the community's faith in their elected officials and does long-term damage to government institutions," said SAC D'Antuono. "With that in mind, we encourage anyone who believes they have information about corruption to contact the FBI at 313-965-4545 or tips.fbi.gov."

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawn Ison and R. Michael Bullotta.

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

A former certified registered nurse anesthetist was arraigned today on an Indictment charging her with fraudulently obtaining controlled substances, including several opioids, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.

Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Gregg Hirstein of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and Special Agent in Charge Keith W. Martin of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division.

Charged in the indictment is Elizabeth A. Prophitt, CRNA, 38, of Saline, who previously worked at the VA Hospital in Ann Arbor.

As alleged in the Indictment, Prophitt utilized her position as a surgical nurse aesthesis to retrieved vials of controlled substance medications from hospital dispensing machines for purported use on patients.  The purpose of obtaining these controlled substances was not for the legitimate treatment of patients, but rather for her own personal consumption and/or drug diversion. 

It is alleged that Prophitt would retrieve medications on days when she was unscheduled to work or after normal working hours; retrieve medications for patients that were not on her surgery service; retrieve medications for surgeries that had been cancelled or had already been completed; retrieve more medication than required for a patient’s surgery and keep the unused portions; and falsify “waste” records to keep any unused medication instead of properly returning or disposing of the controlled substances.  Prophitt exploited her knowledge of her employer’s internal controls to obtain these controlled substances, which would go unnoticed. From July 2018 to February 2019, she accessed more than 2200 vials of controlled substances such as fentanyl, hydromorphone, morphine and midazolam, which were believed to be obtained by fraud, misrepresentation and deceit.

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

If convicted of a drug charges alleged in the Indictment, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of imprisonment of four years for each count of the Indictment, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

The case is being investigated by the VA Office of Inspector General and the DEA; and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brandy R. McMillion.  McMillion serves as the District’s Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Prosecutor as well as the Deputy-Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit.  The Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit is a Department of Justice initiative designating twelve special prosecutors across the country to focus on prosecuting medical professionals that are contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis. 

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp has sentenced Sheldrick D. Singleton Jr. (20, Orlando) to 13 years and 4 months in federal prison for committing an armed carjacking, and for possessing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Singleton had pleaded guilty on August 26, 2019.

According to court records, on March 21, 2019, Singleton and two other suspects held a pizza delivery driver at gunpoint as the driver attempted to deliver a pizza in the Pine Hills area of Orlando. While holding the victim at gunpoint, Singleton and the other two suspects demanded the keys to the victim’s vehicle and drove away, leaving the victim behind. Approximately 20 minutes later, deputies located the vehicle in Winter Garden and attempted to stop the vehicle. The suspects refused to stop and fled, at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. One of the pursuing deputies performed a tactical maneuver that successfully immobilized the vehicle. Singleton and the other two suspects were then removed from the vehicle and arrested. 

One of the suspects, Anthony Sean Williams Jr., was indicted by a federal grand jury for the same offenses as Singleton and is currently pending trial. The third suspect is a minor and the matter is being handled in state court.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winter Garden Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

HAMMOND, IN – United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II announced today that the Northern District of Indiana collected $4,754,430.93in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2019.  Of this amount, $2,135,723.55was collected in criminal actions and $2,618,707.38 was collected in civil actions. 

Additionally, the Northern District of Indiana worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $2,675,024.32 in civil actions pursued jointly by these offices.             

“Our financial litigation unit is great at using the tools they have available to locate and collect assets in our criminal and civil actions,” said U.S. Attorney Kirsch.  “For individuals who are part of our court cases, that intend to conceal assets, we will do everything we can to make sure your debt to the U.S. is paid.” 

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims.  The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.  While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Northern District of Indiana, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected$588,720 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2019. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

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