BOSTON – The owner of a Hyde Park auto body shop was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with preparing false tax returns for his company, Automotive Specialties Inc. 

Richard Poillucci, 62, of Easton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to four months of home confinement, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and restitution of $215,522, which Poillucci has already paid. In October 2018, Poillucci pleaded guilty to three counts of aiding the preparation of false tax returns. 

Poillucci was the owner of Automotive Specialties Inc. (ASI), an auto body shop specializing in repairing high-end vehicles. Between Sept. 30, 2012 and Sept. 30, 2015, Poillucci cashed millions of dollars of checks from the business at check cashing establishments in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and willfully failed to report that income, or expenses that he paid for in cash with the proceeds from those checks, on ASI’s tax returns. As a result, Poillucci failed to report approximately $569,367 to the IRS, thereby avoiding the payment of approximately $215,552 in federal income taxes. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Revere man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Jassiel Ramirez, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2020. Ramirez was arrested in October 2018 and charged by criminal complaint; he was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 19, 2018. 

According to court records, between September and October 2018, Ramirez engaged in four separate drug sales of fentanyl to a witness cooperating with the government. Those sales totaled approximately 140 grams of fentanyl. 

The charge of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl carries a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Salem Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

PITTSBURGH, PA- A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a violation of federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Melvin Russaw, 38, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about June 6, 2017, Russaw was apprehended by law enforcement on state charges, after attempting to flee in his 2008 Gray Chevy Impala. Upon execution of a search warrant for the vehicle, which was registered to Russaw, investigators discovered a small panel wherein a Glock, model 21, .45 caliber pistol, bearing serial number HVH758, was hidden. Russaw, who has multiple prior felony state convictions, as well as a federal conviction, is prohibited from lawfully possessing a firearm.

Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2020 at 10:00 AM. Due to Russaw’s prior convictions, the law provides for an enhanced sentence of not less than fifteen (15) years and not more than life in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The defendant remains incarcerated pending the sentencing hearing.

Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Russaw. This case was brought under 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.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was convicted by a jury on February 7, 2020, after a four-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.  Juan Lopez-Zuniga, 50, from Denison, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  The verdict was returned following about 3 hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that Lopez-Zuniga was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine from October 2015 through September 2016, out of the Denison, Iowa, area.  Evidence showed that Lopez-Zuniga traveled with fellow coconspirators (some of whom have already been convicted for their participation) from Denison, Iowa, to Worthington, Minnesota to deliver half-pound quantities of meth for further distribution in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. Lopez-Zuniga would then return to Denison with money from the drug sales. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Lopez-Zuniga was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Lopez-Zuniga faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement; Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; Buffalo Ridge Task Force (Worthington/ Nobles County, Minnesota); and the Internal Revenue Service. 

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

The case file number is 17-4009.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Carlisha Williams, age 30, of Aliquippa, PA, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, between September 2016 and July 2017, Williams provided co-conspirators an address to receive packages of fentanyl shipped from overseas into the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

This prosecution is part of a long-term investigation by the FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force (GPSSTF), which targeted a large scale Drug Trafficking Organization operating in Butler, Beaver and Allegheny Counties. The GPSSTF is comprised of dedicated law enforcement professionals from the Wilkinsburg Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the FBI. The GPSSTF and the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Pennsylvania, would like to recognize the significant contributions made to this investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police, United Sates Postal Inspection Service, Cranberry Township Police Department and the New Brighton Police Department. The Department of Homeland Security Investigators also assisted in the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.

This investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint today against the State of New Jersey, Governor Philip Murphy, and state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal challenging two aspects of New Jersey Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive 2018-6.

The complaint seeks to enjoin two aspects of the Directive and for the Court to declare these aspects of the Directive invalid.  Among other things, the Directive prohibits state officials from sharing information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) related to the immigration status and release dates of individuals in their custody. The Directive also requires New Jersey law enforcement to “promptly notify a detained individual, in writing and in a language the individual can understand,” if ICE files an immigration detainer request for the individual.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito stated: “Today’s lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice, seeks to restore the balance of power between the Federal and State governments. The complaint challenges two provisions of the Directive, which limit the situations in which local, county and state officials can provide notice to federal immigration authorities of a detained individual’s upcoming release and mandates that local, county and state officials inform detainees of certain events, including the detainee’s release date. Today’s filed lawsuit presents important legal issues concerning whether the Directive’s prohibitions and restrictions on information sharing and basic cooperation with federal officials violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – February 10, 2020 – U.S. Attorney Don Cochran issued the following statement:

“Today, Attorney General William Barr announced significant actions the Justice Department is undertaking involving several jurisdictions around the country alleging that the policies of these cities and states interfere with lawful federal immigration and enforcement activities and jeopardize public safety.  I applaud the actions of Attorney General Barr and join with him in our quest to make America’s cities safer.

I am grateful that the State of Tennessee enacted a law last year, which prohibits local jurisdictions from enacting sanctuary city policies.  The misguided attempts and efforts of a few to provide sanctuary for illegal aliens would have placed our communities in grave danger and severely hampered the efforts of law enforcement to protect our communities from preventable criminal acts. 

Recent and past examples where dangerous, illegal aliens were removed from our communities and prosecuted by my office during the last year include:

• Douglas Benitez Herrera, of Honduras, was charged with illegal re-entry into the United States after having been deported in 2015 following convictions for first degree manslaughter, robbery, aggravated assault and other aggravated felonies.
• Juan Hernandez-Moreno, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegal re-entry, after being arrested in Clarksville for domestic assault.  Hernandez-Moreno had previously been convicted and deported after having been arrested on numerous occasions for domestic violence offenses.
• Cuauhtemoc Serafin-Benitez, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegal re-entry after having been previously deported five times.  In 2014 he was convicted in U.S. District Court, in Nashville, of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
• Carlos A. Vaquerano-Rodriguez was charged with illegal re-entry after being arrested in Nashville for aggravated assault and robbery, while brandishing a machete.  He had previously been charged in California with serious crimes including robbery, aggravated assault and having sex with a minor.  He had also been previously deported.

• Gerson Serrano-Ramirez, a previously deported illegal alien and MS-13 gang member from El Salvador, was convicted by a jury of torturing a witness, multiple firearms violations and multiple cocaine distribution charges.  Serrano-Ramirez was sentenced last year to 19 years in prison.
• Angel Daniel-Garcia, of Mexico, twice previously deported and convicted of armed robberies, was indicted last fall and is facing new firearm and drug offenses.
• Franklin Pineda-Caceras, of Honduras, previously deported in 2018, was indicted last fall for illegally re-entering the United States and firearms and drug distribution crimes.  He is also accused of kidnapping a local high school student and attempting to force the student to join the MS-13 gang.
• Oscar Degaldo Flores, of El Salvador, and Luis Colindres, of Honduras, also MS-13 gang members, were charged in 2018 with conspiracy; witness tampering; firearms offenses and causing death through the use of a firearm.  They are accused of killing one individual and then killing another individual to prevent them from testifying.
• Jose Lopez-Ruiz, an illegal alien from Guatemala was charged last year with illegally re-entering the United States.  Lopez-Ruiz had previously been deported seven times and had been convicted of five DUI offenses, with a sixth DUI charge pending. 

These are but a few examples of cases in the Middle District of Tennessee where serious crimes have been committed by persons who were in this country illegally.  Without the cooperation of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, it is highly likely that other innocent people would have been subjected to acts of intimidation, torture, and even murdered; more illicit and addictive drugs would have flowed into our neighborhoods; more businesses would have been robbed; other women and children would have been assaulted by an abusive partner; and thousands of motorists would have had to navigate our roadways with another drunk driver. 

Sanctuary jurisdiction policies jeopardize public safety by preventing the federal government from locating, arresting, and prosecuting removable aliens inside the United States.  I am grateful for the cooperative spirt of our law enforcement partners in the Middle District of Tennessee.  Just as it is with all other investigations, we are only able to achieve the best outcomes when we all work together.  Anything less hampers our prevention and enforcement efforts.” 

# # # # #

Isaac Gutierrez-Blandon, Nicaraguan citizen, was arrested in May 2019 in Marquette County for obstructing an officer and operating a vehicle after revocation.  Marquette County Officers transferred Gutierrez-Blandon to Dane County after discovering multiple Dane County arrest warrants lodged against him for repeat operating while intoxicated (OWI) offenses. In 2007, Gutierrez-Blandon was convicted in Wisconsin for homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.  He had been removed from the United States six times, including twice after felony convictions in the Western District of Wisconsin for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.  In September 2019, he was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison after his third felony conviction for illegally reentering the United States.

Rodrigo Miranda-Arias, a Mexican citizen, was convicted in Dane County in April 2018 of sexual assault of a child and incest.  Miranda-Arias was deported in 2008 after being convicted in Iowa of misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury.  In May 2019, he was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States.

Martin Orozco-Lopez, a Guatemalan citizen, was arrested in Monroe County in February 2017 for first degree sexual assault of a child.  He was convicted of a felony domestic violence offense in Monroe County in 2014.  He had been removed from the United States three prior times.  In July 2019, he was sentenced to six months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States.

Ascension Pascual-Rodriguez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested in Trempealeau County for stalking, violating a foreign protection order, and bail jumping.  He had been removed from the United States twice, including after a felony drug conviction in Missouri.  In May 2018, he was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States.

Jose Hernandez-Mendoza, a Mexican citizen, was arrested in Jefferson County in May 2019 for felony bail jumping and an outstanding warrant for delivery of cocaine.  He has prior convictions for offenses that include possession of THC, battery (domestic abuse), failure to support a child, and resisting an officer.  He was removed from the United States in 2017 and 2018.  On January 30, he was sentenced to two years in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States. 

Jose Marcos Torres, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested in Trempealeau County for false imprisonment, substantial battery, OWI, and disorderly conduct (domestic abuse).  He has been removed from the United States twice.  He has pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States and will be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Madison on February 12, 2020. 

“These stark examples demonstrate the need for all law enforcement agencies to work together to protect public safety and ensure that our immigration laws fairly protect the interest of current citizens, as well as those who seek to become citizens,” said United States Attorney Blader.

A superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Ismael Quintero Arellanes with participating in an international conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana and unlawful use of firearms as part of the Rafael Caro Quintero drug trafficking organization, a faction of the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel.  The superseding indictment was returned under seal by a grand jury in July 2018.  Quintero Arellanes was captured in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico on January 29, 2020.  The United States intends to seek his extradition to face charges in the Eastern District of New York.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), announced the charges.

“As alleged in the superseding indictment, the defendant conspired with members of the Caro Quintero drug trafficking organization to flood the United States with large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “This Office, together with our partners on the New York Strike Force, will relentlessly pursue the leadership of violent drug cartels and their associates until they are brought to justice.” 

“This indictment and arrest are indicative that the walls are closing in on members of the  Sinaloa Cartel, like Ismael Quintero Arellanesand DEA’s arch nemesis Rafael Caro Quintero,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan.  “Caro-Quintero remains at large, however we are working hand in hand with our international, local, state and federal law enforcement partners to disrupt the Sinaloa Cartel’s trafficking operations by seizing ton-quantities of heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine, while focusing on those responsible, including Caro-Quintero.”

According to the superseding indictment, between January 1980 and June 2018, Caro Quintero led a drug trafficking organization responsible for importing into the United States and distributing massive amounts of illegal narcotics, and conspiring to murder persons who posed a threat to his narcotics enterprise.  The charged murder conspiracy includes Caro Quintero’s kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in February 1985.

As an associate of the Caro Quintero drug trafficking organization, Quintero Arellanes is charged with participating in an international heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine distribution conspiracy from February 2015 through June 2018, and an international marijuana distribution conspiracy from January 1980 through June 2018, as well as using firearms in support of the drug trafficking organization.

The investigation was led by the New York Strike Force, a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.  The Strike Force is based at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, Quintero Arellanes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Gina M. Parlovecchio, Michael Robotti and Erin Reid are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

ISMAEL QUINTERO ARELLANES (also known as “Fierro”)
Age:  49
Mexico

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-208 (S-3)(FB)

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas farmer was sentenced today to 30 months for federal crop insurance fraud and bankruptcy fraud, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay $604,303 in restitution.

Kevin W. Struss, 63, Wakeeney, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s crop insurance program, which provides government insurance against unavoidable crop losses. He made false statements in which he under-reported his total 2015 corn crop by approximately 23,524 bushels, and his total sorghum/milo crop by 31,208 bushels.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of bankruptcy fraud. He falsely answered “no” to a question in his bankruptcy filing about whether he had transferred property to anyone else recently. In fact he made two transfers of $150,000 and $320,000 to another person in 2018.

McAllister commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

"The Sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties have adopted ‘sanctuary’ policies that endanger our communities and shield criminals from immigration enforcement.

"In 2019, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office alone failed to honor over 200 detainers issued by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE), which means that more than a couple of hundred criminal aliens charged with criminal offenses were released back to the community. And those are the ones we can account for.

"By ignoring federal immigration detainers and administrative warrants, and refusing to simply inform ICE officers when an unlawful alien who has committed a criminal act is due to be released to the community, the Sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties prioritize the protection of criminal aliens above the safety and protection of our communities.

"Rather than uphold our nation’s laws, the Sheriffs compromise the safety of the people they swore to serve and protect. Regardless of the crime the removable aliens have committed; regardless of whether they assaulted women or raped children; regardless of whether they trafficked deadly drugs; and regardless of the likelihood they will commit more crime as soon as they return to the community, criminal aliens are permitted to walk out of prison, free to reoffend in communities they had no right to be in the first place.

"The common-sense approach of removing illegal aliens who have committed a criminal act currently in place in other North Carolina jurisdictions works extremely well. After illegal aliens have been arrested and charged with a crime, they are fingerprinted and booked into jail. When federal immigration authorities learn that a criminal alien who has been arrested is in a jurisdiction’s custody, ICE officers issue a detainer request accompanied by a civil arrest warrant, and ask the sheriff’s office to either notify them before the criminal alien is released, or hold the charged individual long enough to arrange a transfer to federal custody in a safe setting.

"But Mecklenburg and Buncombe County Sheriffs refuse to honor ICE detainers, purporting their hands are tied because these formal detainers are not sufficiently ‘legal’ enough to hold criminal aliens in custody. Their stance is so extreme, that the Sheriffs not only fail to honor a detainer by briefly holding a criminal alien of interest for ICE, they refuse to even make a courtesy call to ICE officers notifying them that a defendant has either satisfied bail conditions or served a jail sentence and is being processed for release.

"So, instead of protecting their communities and cooperating with law enforcement partners, the Sheriffs play the blame-game and instead point their fingers at a flawed judicial system and the absence of federal criminal charging documents for the criminals they have chosen to let loose.

"This blame-game is a complete fallacy. The Sheriffs are well aware that state crimes are not necessarily federal offenses, and even if they are, ICE needs additional time to verify the proper identification of the criminal alien along with prior criminal history and deportations, and gather any additional evidence before presenting a case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Once a case is in the federal prosecutors’ hands, an internal review process, which includes supervisory oversight, ensures federal charges are appropriate and the defendant’s identity and status have been thoroughly vetted.

"The Sheriffs claim that releasing into our communities criminal aliens – many of whom have extensive criminal histories - boosts the confidence of immigrant communities in law enforcement, increases their trust in law enforcement, and sends the message that law enforcement are working hard to make their streets safer. That notion is false and dangerous. Upon release from custody, criminal aliens oftentimes seek a safe harbor by returning to the same immigrant communities, where they are prone to reoffend. Ultimately, the Sheriffs’ misguided stance puts the very communities they purport to respect and protect in increased danger, and puts the lives of our law enforcement officers and the public at large at an increased risk of harm.

"When criminal aliens are released, law enforcement officers are forced to go into unknown and potentially dangerous situations to locate and re-arrest the same criminals that could have been taken into custody in the controlled and weapon-free environment of a jail. Instead, the Sheriffs’ current nonsensical policy protects criminals and needlessly endangers the lives of their fellow law enforcement officers, who simply want to do their jobs well and as safely as possible, so that they, too, can return to their loved ones at the end of their work day.

"Equally noteworthy is the fact that collateral consequences are also a real possibility whenever law enforcement attempts to place someone in custody in a dynamic environment like a vehicle stop or a residential arrest. Innocent bystanders in the vicinity are at risk of harm when a known criminal chooses "fight or flight" rather than peaceful compliance with law enforcement. As we’ve seen in recent months, such dangerous encounters can lead to police stand-offs and shootings.

"I urge the Sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties to do the job they were elected to do, protect every single member of the community from increased risk of harm, and stop needlessly and irresponsibly thrusting fellow law enforcement officers into harm’s way.

"The people of our communities deserve more and have a right to expect their Sheriffs to do all they can to make our streets safe, and our communities a place where we can live, work, and raise our families.

"As a former federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Coast Guard, a former District Attorney for Mecklenburg County, and currently as U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina, I can attest that cooperation and coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement is the only effective strategy that can make our crime fighting efforts successful and stem the tide of increased violence. United we stand and divided we fail.

"I call upon the Sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties to abandon their misguided sanctuary policies that do nothing but shield criminals, put at risk the safety of our neighborhoods, and jeopardize the lives of law enforcement officers.

Let’s work together to make all of our communities as safe as possible and let’s do everything in our power to prevent the loss of innocent life."

               BEAUMONT, Texas – A 35-year-old St. Petersburg, Florida woman has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking crimes in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.

               Erica Ann Lang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin.  Ryan Andrew Davis, 35, of Clearwater, Florida pleaded guilty to the same charge on Jan. 16, 2020.              

               According to information presented in court, on Oct. 24, 2019, Davis and Lang were stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate Highway 10 East in Beaumont, Texas.  A certified narcotics detection dog alerted on the car and a search was performed revealing approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine hidden in the trunk of the vehicle.

               Under federal statutes, Davis and Lang each face at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison at sentencing.  The statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

               This case was investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.

BEAUMONT, Texas – A 44-year-old Houston man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.             

        Curtric DeMaine White pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin.

        According to information presented in court, during the early morning hours of July 31, 2019, White and others burglarized Best Buy in Mobile, Alabama and D’Iberville, Mississippi.  Later in the evening of that same day, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 10 West in Vidor, Texas on a vehicle having a fictitious license plate.  White was identified as one of the two occupants of the vehicle.  While questioning the occupants, the officer noticed a steel security cage in the vehicle.  After getting consent to search, the cage was found to have the Best Buy “Geek Squad” insignia on it and contained approximately 20 new Apple iPhones, all of which were determined to belong to Best Buy.  In total, the two Best Buy stores suffered a combined loss of $117,363.97 in stolen items and damage to their property.

        Under federal statutes, White faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing.  The statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

        This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vidor Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice.

BEAUMONT, Texas – A 30-year-old Vidor, Texas man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown.             

            Taylor Graham Cozart pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin.

            According to information presented in court, on July 30, 2019, law enforcement officers responded to a motorcycle accident on Interstate Highway 10 in Orange County, Texas.  The defendant was the driver of the motorcycle, which was later determined to be stolen.  Cozart was transported to a nearby hospital and the accident scene was cleared, during which time officers located a backpack affixed to the motorcycle.  The backpack contained a pistol, ammunition, $3,000 cash, methamphetamine, Xanax and Hydrocodone pills.  Further investigation revealed Cozart was a convicted felon having three prior felony drug convictions.  As a convicted felon, Cozart is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.

            This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition and body armor, and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

            Under federal statutes, Cozart faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing.  The statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

            This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle S. Englade.

Spokane – The U.S. Department of Justice today filed suit in federal court against King County asking the Court to invalidate and enjoin a King County policy aimed at banning all immigration related flights at Boeing Field in Seattle.  In April 2019, King County announced the executive order designed to ban all deportation flights from the airfield.  Because ICE can no longer use Boeing Field, it has had to transport detainees to and from the Yakima airport via bus – a trip of 150 miles. 

“King County doesn’t get to pick and choose which federal laws it wants to follow,” said Brian T. Moran, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington.  “The federal government transferred Boeing Field to the County in 1948 – and the agreement states that the federal government retains the right to use the field at no cost.  King County is violating the law, the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy clause, and the very agreement it signed to gain ownership of the airport.”

“The vast majority of people being deported from our state have previously committed crimes in this country that lead to their deportation,” said William D. Hyslop, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.  “We don’t refuse to send a criminal defendant to another state to face charges – neither should we fail to return illegal aliens to their country of origin if they have committed crimes that make them inadmissible to the United States and a danger to our communities.”

In order to continue the lawful transport of detainees both to and from the Northwest ICE Processing Center, ICE must subject them to a 150-mile bus trip to Yakima, increasing the cost and lengthening the trip for the detainees.

The litigation charges the restrictions placed on Boeing Field and the contractors that service aircraft there with violating the Airline Deregulation Act (ADA), as well as the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, by obstructing and burdening federal activities.

The litigation in Western Washington was announced today by Attorney General William Barr in a speech to the nation’s Sheriffs.  In addition to the Boeing Field litigation, the Department of Justice filed suit in New Jersey seeking to invalidate laws preventing the sharing of information between state and local law enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security.

The litigation is being handled by Michael J. Gerardi, a Trial Attorney with DOJ’s Federal Programs Branch, in consultation with Assistant United States Attorney Kristin B. Johnson with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.

Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington is Communications Director Emily Langlie at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@usdoj.gov.

PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, provides the below statement on the sanctuary jurisdiction legal action announced today by Attorney General William P. Barr.

“Today, Attorney General Barr announced new legal actions in several states being taken by the Justice Department to address sanctuary jurisdictions. I share the Attorney General’s belief that sanctuary status declarations directly contravene federal immigration law and threaten public safety. In our country, the Congress makes immigration law and has directed federal authorities to enforce it. The notion that states and other jurisdictions can interfere in the sharing of critical public safety information involving criminal conduct ignores the supremacy of federal law. Each year, many preventable crimes are committed when jurisdictions refuse to cooperate with lawful federal immigration enforcement activities.

Oregon sheriffs and other law enforcement officers are caught in the middle of a highly politicized local and national debate over these policies. Many are left to choose whether to violate state or federal law. This is an untenable position for the men and women who work tirelessly to protect our communities. Since 2015, we have worked with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners here in Oregon to cure this impasse. Our work will continue tomorrow when we will again convene a large group of law enforcement partners to discuss these new lawsuits and other related issues.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Efrain Torres was sentenced to 102 months in prison for his role in an extensive Bay Area drug trafficking network, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux.  The sentence was handed down by the Honorable William H. Orrick, III, U.S. District Judge.

Torres, 49, of San Jose, Calif., pleaded guilty on November 21, 2019.  According to the plea agreement, Torres admitted that from January 2017 to April 2017, he conspired with others to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine throughout the Bay Area.  Torres admitted that on April 13, 2017, he was directed to deliver four kilograms of methamphetamine to a co-conspirator.  Torres admitted that he loaded the methamphetamine into his car and started driving north from San Jose to San Francisco.  Torres saw police lights behind him, sped away in an attempt to escape the police, and crashed on the highway.  Torres admitted that he fled, but left the drugs behind at the scene of the crash, where they were recovered by the police.

Torres further admitted that he is a citizen of Mexico, who was deported from the United States to Mexico in January 2011 and again in September 2016.  Following his second removal to Mexico, Torres admitted that he re-entered the United States without permission.  Torres also admitted to possession of a 9mm handgun while he was in the United States illegally.

A federal grand jury originally indicted Torres on May 4, 2017.  On November 19, 2019, the government filed a superseding information, charging Torres with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii); one count of being found in the United States following removal, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(1); and one count of alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5)(A).  After waiving his right to prosecution by indictment, Torres consented to prosecution by information and then pleaded guilty on all counts.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Orrick sentenced Torres to a four-year period of supervised release. 

Thirteen other defendants have pleaded guilty and received significant sentences in this case:

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sheila A.G. Armbrust and Sloan Heffron are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Linda Love and Andy Ding.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department, the Daly City Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Milpitas Police Department, the South San Francisco Police Department, the San Jose Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol, as well as the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (Laredo, Texas Field Office), and the Laredo Texas Police Department.  This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. 

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Spearfish, South Dakota, man convicted of five counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor following a week-long jury trial in September 2019 in Rapid City, South Dakota, was sentenced on February 10, 2020, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Stanley Patrick Weber, age 71, was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences in federal prison for the five Aggravated Sexual Abuse charges, and 15 years on each of the three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor.  All of these sentences are to be served consecutively to each other, and also consecutive to his previous sentence in the District of Montana of 18 years in federal prison.  Weber was also ordered to pay $800,000 in criminal fines and an $800 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Evidence at trial established that Weber, while employed as a pediatrician with the Indian Health Service at Pine Ridge, South Dakota, sexually abused multiple Native American children between 1999 and 2011.

“The district court’s sentence ensures that Stanley Patrick Weber will never roam free again and his remaining days will be spent behind concrete and steel in a federal prison cell,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “Our focus today is on the courage and dignity of Weber’s victims, the men who stared down their worst nightmare to come forward and testify about the horrible abuse by him they suffered when they were boys.  Their bravery brought this predator to justice.  They have our gratitude, and our hope is that the finality of this sentence will bring them some measure of peace.  Now, as one nation, one community, and one family, we must come together and do everything in our power to ensure that nothing like this can ever be done to any of our precious children again.”

“As a pediatrician, Dr. Weber took advantage of Native American children enrolled with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Blackfeet Nation, and betrayed their innocent trust in him.  The sentencing of Dr. Weber today sends a strong and powerful message that those who sexually abuse children will be held accountable and that we will continue to seek justice for all victims of our programs,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  “We will continue working with our State, Federal, and Tribal law enforcement partners as we investigate and seek justice against those who would victimize our programs and their beneficiaries.”

The investigation was conducted by the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Rapid City Police Department, and the Spearfish Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Eric Kelderman prosecuted and tried the case.  

Weber was immediately remanded back to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Singapore) PTE LTD. (“Bernhard”), a vessel operating company, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of bilge waste from the tank vessel Topaz Express, a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, 33 U.S.C. § 1908(a), announced Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark and United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price.

U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson accepted the guilty plea. Chief Engineer Skenda Reddy and vessel Second Engineer Padmanaban Samirajan previously pled guilty to their involvement in the offense.

Judge Watson imposed a total fine of $1,750,000 and a four-year term of probation. This is the largest fine ever imposed in the District of Hawaii for this type of offense. Bernhard further must implement a robust Environmental Compliance Plan, which applies to all 38 tank vessels operated by the company that call on U.S. ports.

According to court documents and information presented in court, the defendants illegally dumped bilge waste from the Topaz Express directly into the ocean, without properly processing it through pollution prevention equipment. Bilge waste typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. The defendants admitted that these illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s oil record book as required by law. Specifically, on three separate occasions between May and July 2019, Bernhard, acting through Chief Engineer Reddy and Second Engineer Samirajan, its employees, used a portable pneumatic pump and hose to bypass the ship’s pollution prevention equipment and discharge bilge waste directly into the ocean. They then failed to record the improper overboard discharges in the vessel’s oil record book. Additionally, during the U.S. Coast Guard’s inspection of the Topaz Express, Reddy destroyed paper sounding sheets and altered a copy of the vessel’s electronic sounding log, in an effort to conceal how much bilge waste had been discharged overboard without being processed through the vessel’s pollution prevention equipment.

“The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice is charged with enforcing federal and international laws designed to protect our oceans from pollutants,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under those laws, vessel operators are required to either properly treat their bilge waste onboard before discharging it into the sea or offload their bilge waste to disposal facilities. This case should serve as a deterrent to individuals and companies that flout our laws and pollute our oceans.”

“Prosecutions like this one are important because, by holding companies accountable for the harm they cause to the ocean’s ecosystem, we do our part to protect the planet and its finite resources. In Hawaii, we are surrounded by the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, and companies that intentionally damage the ocean’s ecosystem must be held accountable for their criminal conduct,” stated U.S. Attorney Price. “My office will continue to bring to justice companies that illegally discharge bilge waste into the ocean and then attempt to conceal their misconduct.”

“This case was built on the hard work of Coast Guard inspectors and investigators and we appreciate the strong partnership with the Department of Justice to hold polluters accountable,” said Captain Arex Avanni, commander, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. “All vessel owners and operators are responsible for maintaining their vessels and preventing illegal discharges of oily wastes into the ocean. We are committed to the people of Hawaii to protect our waters and the Pacific Ocean from the damage caused by pollution from illegal dumping.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc A. Wallenstein of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced to federal prison for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Harold Lee Battle was sentenced to 48 months in prison for distribution of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.  Battle’s federal sentence will run consecutive to the state sentence he is currently serving for malicious wounding. 

“Another meth dealer is going to federal prison,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Week after week, we are convicting more meth dealers and ultimately putting them behind bars.”

On October 31, 2017, detectives with the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit arrested Battle for distributing 60 grams of methamphetamine to a person cooperating with law enforcement on Charleston’s East End.

The Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit conducted the investigation.   Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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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