Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Rody L. Bowden, age 41, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 22 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, on the charge of sex trafficking of a minor.  Bowden was a registered sex offender at the time of the offense and will be required to continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

“This is an egregious case because the defendant was already a twice-convicted sex offender and his victim was a 14-year old child,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Rody Bowden will now serve 22 years in federal prison, where there are no suspended sentences and no parole – ever.  This sentence sends a powerful message that the sex trafficking of children will not be tolerated in Maryland.”

“This man—already a two-time sex offender—exploited and trafficked a child,” said John Eisert, HSI Baltimore special agent in charge. “HSI is committed to finding and investigating predators like him so they can no longer harm our communities’ most vulnerable members—its children.”

According to Bowden’s plea agreement, in late 2016 and early 2017, Bowden engaged in commercial sex acts with a 14-year-old ninth-grade student, including in Anne Arundel County motel rooms.  On January 4, 2017, Bowden recorded a video of the victim engaged in oral sex with him.  The next day, Bowden created an account on a streaming pornographic website and uploaded the video to his account, where it could be viewed by all of Bowden’s followers on the site.  On September 4, 2017, Bowdene-mailed a copy of the video to another account that he controlled.

Bowden was previously required to register as a sex offender, stemming from two convictions for third-degree sex offenses in Prince George’s County and Charles County.  Bowden has been detained since his arrest.

This case was investigated by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders.  Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members.  For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.

Report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form.  Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, announced today that RICHARD GAFFEY, a/k/a “Dick Gaffey,” pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman to wire fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and other charges.  GAFFEY, a resident of Massachusetts, is charged along with Harald Joachim von der Goltz, Ramses Owens, and Dirk Brauer in connection with a decades-long criminal scheme perpetrated by Mossack Fonseca & Co. (“Mossack Fonseca”), a Panamanian-based global law firm, and its related entities.  Harald Joachim von der Goltz pled guilty to his role in the scheme on February 18, 2020.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Richard Gaffey went to extraordinary lengths to circumvent U.S. tax laws in order to maintain Harald Joachim von der Goltz’s wealth and hide it from the IRS.  Using the specialized criminal services of global law firm Mossack Fonseca, Gaffey assisted others in violating U.S. tax laws for decades.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictments[1], other filings in this case, and statements during court proceedings, including GAFFEY’s guilty plea hearing:

Since at least 2000 through 2018, GAFFEY conspired with others to defraud the United States by concealing his clients’ assets and investments, and the income generated by those assets and investments, from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) through fraudulent, deceitful, and dishonest means.  During all relevant times, GAFFEY assisted U.S. taxpayers who were required to report and pay income tax on worldwide income, including income and capital gains generated in domestic and foreign bank accounts.  GAFFEY helped those U.S. taxpayers evade their tax reporting obligations in a variety of ways, including by hiding the beneficial ownership of his clients’ offshore shell companies and setting up bank accounts for those shell companies.  These shell companies and bank accounts made investments totaling tens of millions of dollars.  For one U.S. taxpayer, GAFFEY advised how to covertly repatriate approximately $3 million to the United States by reporting to the IRS a fictitious company sale that never actually occurred to evade paying the full U.S. tax amount.  GAFFEY was assisted in this scheme through the use of Mossack Fonseca, including Ramses Owens, a Panamanian lawyer who previously worked at Mossack Fonseca.

GAFFEY was the U.S. accountant for Harald Joachim von der Goltz.  From 2000 until 2017, von der Goltz was a U.S. resident and was subject to U.S. tax laws, which required him to report and pay income tax on worldwide income.  In furtherance of von der Goltz’s efforts to conceal his assets and income from the IRS, GAFFEY falsely claimed that von der Goltz’s elderly mother was the sole beneficial owner of the shell companies and bank accounts at issue because, at all relevant times, she was a Guatemalan citizen and resident, and – unlike von der Goltz – was not a U.S. taxpayer.  In support of this fraudulent scheme, GAFFEY submitted the name, date of birth, government passport number, address, and other means of identification of von der Goltz’s elderly mother to a U.S. bank in Manhattan.

*                *                *

GAFFEY, 75, a U.S. citizen and resident of Medfield, Massachusetts, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit tax evasion and to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; four counts of willful failure to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, FINCEN Reports 114, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison. 

GAFFEY is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Berman on is June 29, 2020, at 11:00 a.m.  Von der Goltz is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Berman on June 24, 2020, at 11:00 a.m.

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

*                *                *

U.S. Attorney Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of IRS-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, and thanked the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their significant assistance in the investigation.  Mr. Berman also thanked the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs as well as law enforcement partners in France, the United Kingdom, Panama, and Germany for their assistance in the case.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit, working in partnership with the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Eun Young Choi and Thane Rehn, along with Trial Attorneys Michael Parker and Parker Tobin of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, are in charge of the prosecution.

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Rodney Mondell Coby, a/k/a “Cuz,” age 31, of Waldorf, Maryland, on the federal charges of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. 

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron; and Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Rodney Coby knew that the fentanyl he was distributing was killing people, but he continued anyway.  Drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution—especially when they use guns to ply their trade.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop the tragic deaths resulting from opioid overdoses.”

“Coby was dealing fentanyl, a dangerous drug that is killing far too many people in the DMV,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jesse Fong.  “Cases like this are a great example of the work we are doing, side-by-side with our local law enforcement partners and federal prosecutors, to send a resounding message that drug dealers who callously profit by distributing deadly drugs in our neighborhoods will be held accountable.”

According to the evidence presented at his seven-day trial, Coby and his co-defendant, Steven Jerome, distributed fentanyl to an individual on September 6, 2017, resulting in the death of the victim.  According to Steven Jerome’s plea agreement, after meeting with Coby for the drug transaction, Jerome and the individual used the fentanyl that Coby distributed. The individual immediately showed signs of overdosing. Because there was an unrelated warrant for Jerome’s arrest, however, Jerome did not call first responders or otherwise seek help for the individual. Instead, Jerome drove the individual from Waldorf to the St. Clement Shores neighborhood of St. Mary’s County, and walked to his mother’s house. Jerome’s mother then called first responders, who were unable to resuscitate the individual. 

Further, the evidence introduced at trial also proved that Coby distributed fentanyl on November 29, 2017, resulting in the death of a second victim. 

On April 13, 2018, law enforcement recovered five firearms from Coby’s apartment, including a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol from Coby; a .357-caliber semi-automatic pistol; a 5.7x28mm semi-automatic pistol; a .300-caliber semi-automatic AR type pistol, a 7.62x39 caliber semi-automatic AK type pistol, as well as 159 rounds of various types of ammunition.  The .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol was found in a backpack next to 121 individual baggies of fentanyl and a bag of cocaine base. As such, the jury determined that Coby possessed the .45-caliber pistol in furtherance of his drug trafficking.  During the execution of a search warrant at Coby’s apartment, law enforcement officers recovered a total of over 200 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 40 grams of cocaine base, 12 cell phones, a money counter, four digital scales, over $22,000 in U.S. currency, and jewelry including a Rolex, gold chain and gold and diamond grills.  Moreover, Coby had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.  

Coby faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.  Coby also faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; a maximum of life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has not yet scheduled sentencing for Coby.  Coby has been in custody since his arrest on April 13, 2018.  

Steven Jerome, age 33, of Leonardtown, Maryland, pleaded guilty before trial to distributing fentanyl.  As detailed in his plea agreement, two individuals, including Jerome’s mother, died as a result of his distributing fentanyl to them.  Jerome admitted to one of his associates that he worked with Coby to distribute narcotics.  Jerome and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Jerome will be sentenced to 150 months in federal prison.  Judge Hazel has scheduled sentencing for Jerome on June 15, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Erin Pulice, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

PITTSBURGH – Two defendants accused of running a large-scale cross-country drug trafficking organization have pleaded guilty to federal narcotics and firearm charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Don Juan Mendoza, 42, formerly of Atlanta, GA, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute 5 kilogram or more of cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Pedro Blanco, 38, a former resident of Jacksonville, FL, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute 5 kilogram or more of cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Both defendants pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak. In all, both defendants accepted responsibility for between 50 kilograms and 150 kilograms of cocaine. Judge Hornak scheduled Blanco’s sentencing for June 16, 2020. Mendoza’s sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2020. Both defendants have been detained since their initial appearances and will remain detained pending sentencing.

According to information presented to the court, from April 2017 to November 5, 2017, both defendants conspired with others to import large quantities of cocaine and marijuana into Western Pennsylvania. Today, both defendants admitted that they personally sourced the cocaine and marijuana from out of state sources, including Los Angeles on at least one occasion. Mendoza and Blanco would arrange for the narcotics to be driven to 146 Harvest Drive, the home of co-defendant Jamie Lightfoot, Jr., from out of state in a Mercedes Sprinter ‘Sno Cold’ Van, with a picture of Don Juan Mendoza’s wife covering the outside, and eventually a large RV. On different occasions, Blanco would actually travel in the van or the RV. Once the drugs came into Western Pennsylvania, other co-conspirators would use the Harvest Drive residence and other locations to break down, repackage, and distribute the drugs. The drugs would then be distributed to co-conspirators in almost every region of Western Pennsylvania.

Later on November 5, 2017, an FBI and Pennsylvania State Police Task Force executed a search warrant at 146 Harvest Drive after the RV arrived at the location with Blanco inside the RV. The search netted 52 kilograms of cocaine and heroin, 85 pounds of marijuana, illegal steroids, three firearms, and nearly one million dollars in cash. Mendoza arrived at the scene in another vehicle and was also taken into custody at the time.

Later on November 19, 2017, FBI executed a search warrant at Don Juan Mendoza’s home in Atlanta, GA and recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, a hydraulic kilogram press, and other drug paraphernalia and drug packaging material. As part of his plea, Mendoza agreed to forfeit all of these items.

The law provides for a maximum sentence of not less more than 20 years in prison and/or a fine of not more than $10,000,000. 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 the defendants.

Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni and Shaun Sweeney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police, with assistance from the South Strabane Police Department, the Elizabeth Borough Police Department, the Penn Hills Police Department and the Perryopolis Police Department, conducted the investigation that led to the Indictment in this case.

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

RALEIGH— The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that yesterday, Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle, sentenced CHRISTOPHER THOMAS WARD, 37, of Cary, NC to 70 months imprisonment, followed by a ten year term of supervised release.  WARD pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement on September 25, 2019 to one count of receipt of child pornography. 

A 2017 investigation into a file sharing network identified WARD’s IP address as advertising known child pornography files, which were directly downloaded from WARD’s IP address on multiple dates.  Law enforcement identified WARD’s residence, and a search warrant was obtained.  Investigators executed the search warrant on December 15, 2017 and seized numerous electronic devices.

WARD agreed to speak with investigators and, during the interview, admitted to searching for, downloading and storing child pornography.  A forensic review of the seized devices determined that WARD had amassed hundreds of thousands of files containing child pornography images and videos.    

This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.  For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The Cary Police Department (CPD), Cary, North Carolina, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation of this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Bryan M. Stephany represented the government.

***

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to sex trafficking.

William Coleman, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and nine counts of sex trafficking. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2020. Coleman has been in custody since his arrest on Dec. 23, 2018.   

Coleman ran a prostitution business in the Springfield area, the greater Hartford, Conn., area, and other parts of Connecticut, from 2016 to 2018. Coleman used violence and the drug addictions of eight female victims to coerce them into engaging in commercial sex acts with paying customers. The victims were typically required to turn over all of their earnings to Coleman, and their daily lives were tightly controlled by him. Most of the women were not allowed to keep any of the money they earned, and they were only to obtain their drugs – in most cases, heroin – from Coleman. Victims who did not engage in prostitution for Coleman, or who did not follow his rules, were subjected to physical assaults, sexual violence and the withholding of drugs. Coleman used websites to post prostitution advertisements for the victims working for him.

The maximum sentence for sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking is life in prison, up to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of sex trafficking provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, up to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. According to the terms of the plea agreement, Coleman will be sentenced to 186 months in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi; Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

This case is the result of the efforts of the Western Massachusetts Human Trafficking Working Group which was established in August 2015 to investigate and prosecute crimes involving commercial sex trafficking.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – U.S. Chief District Judge Sara Darrow today sentenced Dana Frye, former executive vice president and chief loan officer of the failed Country Bank of Aledo, Ill., to five years in prison, the maximum prison term for conspiring with others to make materially false statements to the Country Bank Board of Directors. Judge Darrow ordered Frye to immediately pay $23.5 million in restitution.

On Oct. 10, 2019, Frye admitted that he conspired with others to influence Country Bank to make loans to projects in which he held a personal financial interest, including the “Fyre Lake Project,” a development including a golf course and surrounding residential lots in Sherrard, Ill. Frye, 66, currently of Bettendorf, Iowa, helped found Country Bank and served as executive vice president and chief loan officer for Country Bank from its formation in March 2000 to Dec. 31, 2010. In October 2011, Country Bank failed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as receiver, covered losses in excess of $70 million.

Frye held ownership in multiple companies that either directly participated in real estate developments or provided services to persons and entities engaged in developments. One company, known as Webgem, Inc., owned by Frye and his son, Andrew Frye, provided accounting and other services to developers. Dana Frye did not disclose to the bank board of directors his full interest in Webgem and allowed Webgem to receive proceeds from loans issued by Country Bank.

Andrew Frye pleaded guilty to a related misdemeanor offense concerning a loan he received from Country Bank and was sentenced to six months of probation and ordered to pay $15,375 in restitution. As a condition of their respective sentences, both Dana Frye and Andrew Frye are prohibited from ever working in the banking or financial industry again.

In May of 2009, Country Bank received $4.1 from the U.S. Government through the Department of Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program known as TARP. On Oct. 14, 2011, Country Bank failed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took over as receiver. Other victims included Greenwoods State Bank, Burlington, Wis.; Blackhawk Bank & Trust, Milan, Ill.; and Citizens Bank of Mukwonago, Wis.

The FDIC Office of Inspector General and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) conducted the investigation. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey and Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Damon Daniels, 49, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced today to 24 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release by the United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick for his participation in a conspiracy to produce and sell counterfeit tickets to sporting events and concerts. One of his co-defendants, Rahiem Watts, 31, also of Bronx, New York, was sentenced last week to 41 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release, also by Judge Surrick for his role in the same scheme.

Daniels pleaded guilty in September 2019 to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, and Watts pleaded guilty to similar charges in November 2019. The charges stem from both defendants’ participation in a scheme with others to create counterfeit tickets to sporting events and concerts held in Philadelphia and throughout the country. The counterfeit tickets bore the authentic trademarks of the respective organization or agency that was registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Specifically, Daniels and Watts printed counterfeit tickets for events, sold the counterfeit tickets at various venues, and also distributed the counterfeit tickets to other sellers nationwide for resale to victims. The defendants and their associates advertised the fake tickets on websites like Craigslist, tricking unsuspecting fans into paying hundreds of dollars with nothing to show for it.

High-profile games for which the group created counterfeit tickets include Super Bowl LI (51) in Houston, Texas between the Patriots and the Falcons; the September 2017 Eagles v. Giants NFL game in Philadelphia; and the March 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball ACC Conference Championship game between Duke and Notre Dame at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

High-profile concerts for which the group created counterfeit tickets include the September 2016 Adele show at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, and the June 2017 U2 “The Joshua Tree Tour” at Lincoln Financial Field, also in Philadelphia.

“Big games and concerts obviously draw the interest of fans, but unfortunately, they also draw the interest of scammers,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “These criminals try to use these events to make a quick buck at the expense of unsuspecting fans. In order to protect against fraud, I encourage event-goers to purchase tickets through authorized vendors and to be skeptical when it comes to ticket deals that seem too good to be true.”

“Watts and Daniels peddled their fake tickets for real profit and burned a lot of innocent people in the process,” said Tara A. McMahon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Victims lost not only their money, but their shot to attend some very special events. Know that the FBI will keep cracking down on counterfeiters trying to sell the public a false bill of goods.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the New York City Police Department, and the Duluth, Georgia Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joan E. Burnes and Anita Eve.

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Jose Mendoza, 32, and Natalie Mendoza, 35, of Medanales, New Mexico, Ryan Rodriguez, 27, of Chamita, New Mexico, Andrea Rodriguez, 28, and Edvardo Carlson, 39, of Espanola, New Mexico, and Bridget Archuleta, 31, of San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico appeared in federal court today for arraignment on an indictment charging them with various drug trafficking offenses involving crack cocaine (cocaine base) in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico from Oct. 2, 2019, to Feb. 25, 2020. 

            A grand jury returned an indictment against the defendants on Feb. 25. Federal agents arrested them on Feb. 27 with assistance from state and local law enforcement.  According to public court records, Jose Mendoza, and his wife, Natalie Mendoza, allegedly were high-level suppliers of cocaine in the Espanola Valley of New Mexico.   Natalie Mendoza allegedly kept records of drug sales and collected proceeds from drug transactions.  Ryan Rodriguez allegedly acted as a mid-level cocaine distributor.  He allegedly received supplies of cocaine from Jose and Natalie Mendoza, converted it to crack cocaine, and distributed it by the ounce to customers, including an undercover agent posing as a lower level drug trafficker. 

            Ryan Rodriguez’s girlfriend, Bridget Archuleta allegedly participated in drug sales with Rodriguez.  Ryan Rodriguez’s sister, Andrea Rodriguez, allegedly delivered drugs to customers on Ryan Rodriguez’s behalf.  Edvardo Carlson allegedly conducted drug transactions at Ryan Rodriguez’s direction.  The defendants allegedly communicated extensively by telephone and text message about their drug trafficking business.  According to court records, Jose Mendoza and Natalie Mendoza also laundered proceeds from their drug trafficking by making large cash payments on auto loans and large cash deposits into accounts at credit unions.

Summary of the Charges

            Count 1 of the indictment charges all six defendants with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.    The maximum penalty on conviction varies for each defendant.

            Counts 2, 5, 7, 9, and 11 charge certain defendants with use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.  The maximum penalty on conviction is up to four years in prison.

            Count 3 of the indictment charges certain defendants with distribution of cocaine base.  The maximum penalty on conviction is up to 20 years in prison.

            Counts 4, 6, 8, and 10 of the indictment charge certain defendants with distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base.  The maximum penalty on conviction is from five to 40 years in prison.

            Count 12 of the indictment charges certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base.  The maximum penalty on conviction is from 10years to life 40 in prison.

Charges Against Defendants

            Jose Mendoza is charged in Counts 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, and 12.  He was arrested on Feb. 27 and is in custody pending a detention hearing on Mar. 2.

            Natalie Mendoza is charged in Counts 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 12.  She was arrested on Feb. 27 and is in custody pending a detention hearing on Mar. 2.

            Ryan Rodriguez is charged in all 12 counts of the indictment.  He  was arrested on Feb. 27 and is in custody pending a detention hearing on Mar. 2.

            Andrea Rodriguez is charged in Counts 1 and 3.  She was arrested on Feb. 27 and is in custody pending a detention hearing on Mar. 2.

            Edvardo Carlson is charged in Counts 1, 6, 7, and 8.  He  was arrested on Feb. 27 and is in custody pending a detention hearing on Mar. 2.

            Bridget Archuleta is charged in Counts 1, 4, 11, and 12.  She was arrested on Feb. 27 and is in custody pending a detention hearing later today.

            An indictment is only an accusation.  Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

                This indictment is the product of a joint federal investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Region III Narcotics Task Force which includes members of the BIA, New Mexico State Police, the Santa Fe Police Department, the Santa Fe County Sheriff and the Taos Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Eicker and Matthew Nelson are prosecuting the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has sentenced Nevone McCrimmon, age 48, of Edgewood, Maryland to 14 years in federal prison; and sentenced co-defendants William Elijah, age 52; and Terrance Mobley, age 51, both of Baltimore, Maryland, each to 10 years in federal prison, all followed by five years of supervised release, for the federal charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.  

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Baltimore City Sheriff John Anderson; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.

“Fentanyl is one of the most lethal threats facing Maryland right now.  As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose, and the 20 kilograms of fentanyl seized in this case to date is enough to kill 10 million people—more than one and a half times the population of Maryland,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We are working with our partners to attack the sources of supply, as well as the street dealers who are committing the most violence in our neighborhoods.”

“Fentanyl exacts a deadly toll in our community and in communities across the country,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge John Eisert. “This problem crosses state and international borders and requires partnership between law enforcement agencies. We’re grateful for our allies in this battle against the opioid scourge.”

According to their plea agreements and other court documents, beginning in about May 2017 through October 2018, Nevone McCrimmon was the leader of the McCrimmon drug-trafficking organization (DTO), and William Elijah and Terrance Mobley were associates of McCrimmon, assisting with the day-to-day operations of the McCrimmon DTO, including the collection of money for and the distribution heroin and fentanyl to the DTO’s customers.  The McCrimmon DTO obtained its heroin and fentanyl from Mexican drug cartels.  The DTO would order kilograms of heroin and fentanyl from members and associates of the Jesus Prieto DTO, located in Miami. Florida.  

As detailed in their plea agreements, members of the Prieto DTO would travel to the mid-Atlantic area to collect large sums of cash from the McCrimmon DTO, which would then be conveyed directly to members of various Mexican drug-trafficking cartels.  The cartels would then facilitate the transportation of heroin and fentanyl to co-conspirators in California.  The narcotics would then be transported from California to Baltimore for delivery to the McCrimmon DTO.

In August 2018, federal law enforcement agents intercepted a shipment of 20 kilograms of fentanyl in Ventura, California, that was intended for delivery to the McCrimmon DTO in Maryland.  Law enforcement transported the fentanyl to Maryland and conducted a “controlled delivery” to a member of the McCrimmon DTO.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 20 kilograms of fentanyl and over $500,000 in cash.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Threat Assessment, Mexican DTOs pose the greatest crime threat to the United States. The cartels use drug trafficking and other criminal activities, such a money laundering, bribery, and gun trafficking, to obtain power, influence, and money, while protecting its activities through a pattern of violence and corruption.  To combat this threat, the Department of Justice has formed a Transnational Organized Crime Task Force to coordinate and optimize the Department’s efforts to dismantle the cartels and other priority targets.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department; and HSI-Baltimore for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Sippel, Jr., LaRai Everett, and Lauren Perry, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

# # #

WASHINGTON - A Bloomington, Illinois, man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison followed by lifetime supervised release for production and possession of child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser of the Central District of Illinois. U.S. District Court Judge James E. Shadid pronounced the sentence.

Tyler Watson, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley on Aug. 19, 2019.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Watson came to the attention of the Bloomington Police Department while home on leave from active duty in the U.S. Navy.  Information from an acquaintance of Watson’s led police officers to discover sexually explicit pictures Watson had taken of a 6-year-old boy on Watson’s cellphone, as well as other child pornography images.  Watson was subsequently interrogated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and admitted to possessing, distributing and producing child pornography.  A forensic examination of his electronic media subsequently revealed that he had communicated with and received sexually explicit images from other minors via the internet.

The investigation was conducted by the Bloomington Police Department and NCIS with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section’s (CEOS) High Tech Investigative Unit and the FBI.  This case was prosecuted by CEOS Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Morris and Adam W. Ghrist of the Central District of Illinois.

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 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.justice.gov/psc.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

BOSTON – A Lancaster man was arrested yesterday and charged in connection with a series of unarmed robberies committed in Massachusetts and New Hampshire between November 2019 and February 2020.

Matthew Alden, 26, was charged in a criminal complaint with two counts of interference with commerce by threats or violence. Alden was arrested yesterday evening and detained pending a detention hearing set for March 5, 2020.

According to charging documents, on Feb. 4, 2020, Alden robbed a TD Bank on Main Street in Athol, Mass., and on Feb. 21, 2020, Alden allegedly robbed an Avidia Bank on Maple Avenue in Shrewsbury. During both robberies, Alden wore a black ski mask and black gloves and demanded cash from the bank tellers. Alden is allegedly connected to the eight other robberies listed below:

•     Nov. 21, 2019: Enterprise Bank on Littleton Road in Westford;

•     Dec. 2, 2019: TD Bank on Main Street in Athol;

•     Dec. 11, 2019: Honey Farms on Leominster-Shirley Road in Lunenburg;

•     Dec. 12, 2019: Cornerstone Bank on South Main Street in Leicester;

•     Dec. 27, 2019: Avidia Savings Bank on Maple Street in Marlborough; 

•     Jan. 10, 2020: Metro Credit Union on Worcester Road in Framingham;

•     Jan. 10, 2020: TD Bank on Central Street in Foxborough; and

•     Feb. 13, 2020: Citizens Bank on North Eastern Boulevard in Nashua, N.H..

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 on each count. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Westford, Athol, Lunenberg, Leicester, Marlborough, Framingham, Foxborough, Shrewsbury, Clinton, Lancaster, Millbury and Nashua (N.H.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Ware man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield on sex trafficking and sexual exploitation charges.

Walter Brown, 74, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2019, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and two counts of sex trafficking. Brown was arrested on July 14, 2017 and has been detained since that time.

On Oct 11, 2019, co-defendant Claire Poole was sentenced to 125 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and two counts of sex trafficking.

Poole moved to the Springfield area in early 2017 and later helped Brown have sex with a teenage girl. Brown induced the girl to provide pornographic videos and to have sex with him on two occasions by paying her money. Poole acted as a go-between, first by conveying Brown’s initial offer to the girl and then by relaying Brown’s messages to the victim, which included negotiations about what Brown would pay. Poole also provided a cell phone to produce the pornographic videos, and Poole transported the minor to Brown’s house in Ware for sex on two occasions.

United States Andrew E. Lelling; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Ware Police Chief Shawn Crevier; Monson Police Chief Stephen Kozloski; and Amherst Police Chief Scott Livingstone made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case. 

This case is the result of the efforts of the Western Massachusetts Human Trafficking Working Group which was established in August 2015 to investigate and prosecute crimes involving commercial sex trafficking.

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of HURIAH KAREEM BLEDSOE, 40, to 120 months in prison for illegally possessing five firearms and quantities of marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. BLEDSOE, who pleaded guilty on October 15, 2019, was sentenced today before Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald said, “Mr. Bledsoe, a convicted felon with an extremely violent criminal history, was in possession of multiple firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a variety of dangerous drugs – all in the presence of young children. His actions showed no regard for the safety of those children or the broader community.”

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on January 2, 2019, and January 6, 2019, law enforcement received complaints from two separate callers stating that BLEDSOE was staying at the Extended Stay Hotel in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and he had guns in the hotel room. The callers also stated that there were minors in the hotel room.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, law enforcement obtained search warrants for BLEDSOE’s hotel room and on January 17, 2019, law enforcement executed the warrants and seized five firearms, namely, a North American Arms, model NAA-.22LR, .22LR caliber revolver, a Stoeger, model M3500, 12-gauge short-barreled shotgun, a Ruger, model SR40, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, an Imperial Metal Products, model 8, .22 caliber revolver, and a Ceska Zbrojsvka, model 50, 7.65 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Law enforcement also seized hundreds of rounds of ammunition, several high-capacity gun magazines, body armor, a digital scale, $2,320 in cash, and quantities of marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Brooklyn Center Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat violent crime. This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.

Assistant United States Attorneys Emily A. Polachek and Thomas M. Hollenhorst prosecuted the case.

Defendant Information:

HURIAH KAREEM BLEDSOE, 40

Brooklyn Center, Minn.

Convicted:

• Possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, 1 count
• Felon in possession of firearms, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 120 months in prison
• Three years of supervised release

###

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

             WASHINGTON – Lamont Alvester Johnson, 43, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty after a jury trial of conspiring to traffic in large quantities of Phencyclidine (PCP), possessing with the intent to distribute large quantities of PCP, possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea, FBI Assistant Director Timothy Slater,  ATF Special Agent in Charge Ashan Benedict, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham, U.S. Park Police Chief Gregory Monahan, United States Chief Marshal Lamont Ruffin, and Prince George’s County Police Chief  Henry Stawinski. 

            Johnson was found guilty on February 27, 2020, following a trial in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Thomas F. Hogan.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2020.  Johnson faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment in light of his extensive criminal record, including prior convictions for crimes of violence while armed and drug trafficking. 

            According to the government’s evidence, which included court-authorized wiretaps, search warrants, GPS trackers, and undercover purchases of narcotics, Johnson was the main supplier of PCP to a drug trafficking ring that was indicted in an eight-co-defendant, 55-count indictment.  Johnson was supplied gallon-quantities of PCP from West Coast suppliers, and he redistributed the PCP to other wholesale-level PCP suppliers in the District of Columbia.  The evidence established that Johnson used threats and intimidation in his PCP trafficking operation, including with an AR-15 assault rifle that was seized from him along with over a kilogram of PCP and related drug trafficking paraphernalia.  During the investigation, federal law enforcement officers seized approximately 2.5 kilograms of PCP; ¼ kilogram of heroin; ½ kilogram of cocaine; 50 grams of crack cocaine base; assorted drug trafficking paraphernalia; and firearms, including Johnson’s AR-15 assault rifle, laser scopes, ammunition, and high-capacity magazines. 

            In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Shea, FBI Assistant Director Timothy Slater,  ATF Special Agent in Charge Ashan Benedict, U.S. Park Police Chief Gregory Monahan,  United States Chief Marshal Lamont Ruffin, Chief Peter Newsham of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Prince George’s County Police Chief  Henry Stawinski commended the work of the many dedicated people who worked tireless hours on the case, including Special Agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the ATF’s Washington Field Division, Deputy U.S. Marshals, and officers with the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Park Police. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney George Eliopoulos and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty, who prosecuted the case, as well as Paralegals Rommel Pachoca and Katie Thomas and Legal Assistants Emma Atlas and Kate Abrey.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KURTIS GASKINS, 46, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 1992, Gaskins was convicted in Massachusetts of sexual assault offenses.  Gaskins failed to register as a sex offender in Connecticut when he moved to Connecticut in November 2018, and failed to update his sex offender registration in Massachusetts.

On October 9, 2019, the U.S Marshals Service located and arrested Gaskins in Waterbury.

Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for May 18, 2020, at which time Gaskins faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Gaskins is released on a $10,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that DONALD CARIATI, JR., 44, of Meriden, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to obstructing the IRS.

According to court documents and statements made in court today, Cariati owns and operates Cariati Developers Inc. (“CDI”), a snowplow and hauling business based in Wallingford.  Between 2013 and 2017, Cariati paid several CDI employees with company checks asserting that they were independent contractors or subcontractors in order to evade the responsibility to withhold and pay over taxes to the IRS.  However, Cariati and CDI failed to issue Forms 1099 to these “subcontractors” for particular years.  Cariati also informed certain individuals that they were being paid off the books, meaning that their pay was not reported to the IRS.

In late 2015, the IRS began an audit of CDI.  During the course of this audit, Cariati caused fraudulent invoices to be made available to an IRS revenue agent.  The invoices were purported to have been created in 2013 and purported to substantiate that individuals were appropriately considered subcontractors.

The investigation also revealed that, in 2014, CDI paid an invoice related to products for Cariati’s cigarette boat.  During the IRS audit, Cariati caused his accountant to provide to the IRS a false invoice to make it appear that the purchase was a business expense and not a personal expense.

As part of his plea agreement, Cariati agrees that the tax loss in this case is between $550,000 and $1.5 million.

Cariati pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing or impeding the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on June 4, 2020.

This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Laraia. 

DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Jonathan Estrada, age 21, of Denver was sentenced yesterday to serve 96 months (8 years) in federal prison followed by 3 years on supervised release for carjacking and robbery of two gun stores.  Estrada appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody and was remanded at its conclusion.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Denver Field Division joined in this announcement.

Estrada and others were involved in violent “smash and grab” burglaries of two gun stores, stealing at least 30 firearms.

According to the stipulated facts from the plea agreement, on September 19, 2017, Estrada and another person burglarized Reloader’s gun store in Arvada, Colorado, after throwing a rock through a glass window.  They stole seventeen firearms and left in a stolen vehicle. 

On the morning of December 26, 2017, Estrada committed an armed carjacking in Arvada, where he fired a shot at an individual, then stealing the victim’s 2008 BMW. 

On January 18, 2018, the defendant and five others burglarized Murdoch’s gun store in Littleton.  They entered the store after throwing a rock through a glass window.  They spent 3 minutes in the store, stealing 13 AR-15 style firearms.  That evening, the ATF executed a search warrant at Estrada’s address.  Agents found evidence related to the September 19, 2017 and January 18, 2018 gun store burglaries, as well as the armed carjacking.

“Gun crime is a top priority for the Department of Justice and our office,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn.  “Seizing these weapons and putting this defendant in prison for 8 years will unquestionably make our communities safer.”

“The community is safer as a result of this investigation,” said ATF Denver Field Division Special Agent in Charge David Booth.  “ATF will combat violent crime with every resource as its disposal.”

This case was investigated by the ATF.  The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Treaster.  The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.            

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Chicago, Illinois, man was sentenced to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Maurice Bellafonta Cathey, a/k/a “Short,” age 39, was convicted of two counts of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, one count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death, and two counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in a November 2019 trial. 

On February 24, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced Cathey to 30 years in federal prison on each conspiracy count and life in prison for the death and serious bodily injury counts, all to run concurrently.  Cathey was also ordered to pay $500 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

On January 5, 2018, first responders reported to a fatal overdose of a 22-year-old man at an apartment in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  The victim was unresponsive and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.  A friend of the victim who was with him said that the victim had injected himself with heroin.  The victim obtained heroin from his friend that had been distributed by Cathey.  Minnehaha County Coroner Dr. Kenneth Snell ruled that the victim’s cause of death was heroin and cyclopropyl fentanyl toxicity.

On February 9, 2018, first responders were dispatched to a fast food restaurant on South Minnesota Avenue for a report of cardiac arrest, where they found a 20-year-old woman who was unconscious and not breathing due to a heroin overdose.  The victim was revived by first responders with Narcan.  Cathey sold the heroin to the victim minutes before her overdose.

On April 23, 2018, first responders were dispatched to an overdose call at an apartment in Sioux Falls.  First responders encountered a 24-year-old man who had overdosed on heroin laced with tramadol, 4-ANPP, and fentanyl, ultimately distributed by Cathey and his co-conspirator, Corrod Phillips.  The victim was unconscious and not breathing when first responders arrived, but was revived by Narcan.

On May 16, 2018, a 23-year-old man overdosed on heroin in the bathroom of a grocery store in Sioux Falls.  First responders found him unconscious and breathing poorly, and were able to awaken him with Narcan.  The victim said he purchased the heroin from Phillips less than an hour before his overdose.

Testimony at trial revealed that multiple other overdoses, including at least one additional death, were caused by heroin distributed by Cathey and Phillips.

The Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force executed multiple search warrants during the investigation at residences connected to Cathey and Phillips.  During the execution of these warrants, SFADTF members located dozens of bindles of crack cocaine and heroin, thousands of dollars in U.S. Currency, and numerous items of drug distribution paraphernalia.  

“The sentencing of this career felon to life in prison brings a fitting end to one of the saddest chapters in the history of Sioux Falls,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “But the story of how our community came together to defeat the opioid crisis is not yet finished, and we all have much more work to do.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case.

Cathey was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Corrod Phillips awaits sentencing.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on February 24, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Joel Boe, age 38, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Boe was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 10, 2019.  He pled guilty on December 5, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy that occurred between June 2017 and September 2019, in which Boe, knowingly and intentionally, conspired and agreed with others to knowingly and intentionally distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in and around the Pierre and Ft. Pierre communities.

This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Pierre Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

Boe was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.