Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AURELLE HUCKABEE, 22, of Waterbury, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to one count of distribution of heroin. This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of July 7, 2016, Naugatuck Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a Naugatuck residence on a report of a suspected overdose. The victim, a 31-year-old male, was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Investigators seized two bags of suspected heroin and/or fentanyl, as well as the victim’s cellphone, from the scene.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently determined that the victim died as a result of “acute fentanyl intoxication.”

The victim’s cellphone contained hundreds of text messages between the victim and HUCKABEE. The text messages revealed that HUCKABEE regularly supplied heroin to the victimin the weeks preceding the victim’s death.

HUCKABEE has been detained since his arrest on January 4, 2017.

Judge Thompson scheduled sentencing for June 1, 2017, at which time HUCKABEE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

This matter is being investigated by the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Naugatuck Police Department, with support and assistance of the Middlesex State’s Attorney’s Office. The Tactical Diversion Squad includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon, Wilton, Milford, Monroe, Fairfield and Manchester Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick F. Caruso.

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DON MEEKER, 30, of West Haven, was arrested today on an indictment charging him with a carjacking offense.

A federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday alleging that, on January 1, 2016, MEEKER used threats of violence to steal a 2015 Volkswagon Passat from two victims in Meriden.

After his arrest, MEEKER appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis in New Haven and was ordered detained.

The indictment charges MEEKER with one count, of taking a motor vehicle from a person by force and violence or by intimidation, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

Elbert Llorens and Kyle Valentine, both of New Haven, previously pleaded guilty to charges related to their roles in this carjacking. Both are detained and await sentencing.

As to MEEKER, U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the East Haven, Meriden, Milford, New Haven and West Haven Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), today announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging eight members of a Bronx-based street gang, the Beach Avenue Crew, with various racketeering, firearms, and narcotics offenses, including the attempted murders of a rival gang member and rival drug trafficker.

Five of the eight defendants, JEAN BAPTISTE LESSAGE, DAVID BUCKHANON, JAMMAL LINDO, JALEEL BARON, and KYLE MULLINGS, were taken into federal custody yesterday or this morning and will be presented and arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Ellis today.  ALI HAMILTON, is currently incarcerated in federal custody on related charges, and was arraigned today before Judge Ellis.  NORMAN EDWARDS was taken into federal custody this morning in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and will be presented later today before a magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  MAURICE SIMMONS remains at large.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.             

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, through the sale of crack cocaine and their violent conflict with rival crews, the Beach Avenue Crew wreaked havoc on the streets of the Bronx.  We and our law enforcement partners are determined to combat alleged gang and drug violence in the Bronx through charges like those brought today.”

HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said:  “The Beach Avenue Crew has allegedly tormented our city streets for nearly a decade.  These arrests mean there are fewer alleged gang bangers wreaking havoc, dealing drugs and committing crimes in our communities.  HSI is committed to working closely with its law enforcement partners to keep violent street gangs at bay and our neighborhoods safe.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt said: “Shootings, turf wars and murders are means to an end for drug crews controlling their distribution strongholds.  Allegedly, the Beach Avenue Crew were the bullies of the neighborhood selling crack and imposing domineering threats on rival drug gangs and innocent neighbors in the Bronx.  These arrests have taken more violent criminals off the streets in order to make our communities safe from drug and gun violence.”                                         

Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “The defendants attempted to control their drug turf through gun violence allegedly carried out across the Bronx, endangering the lives of everyone around them, as alleged in the indictment.  We will be relentless in pursuing those who carry out violence.  I commend the detectives, agents and prosecutors whose work resulted in these arrests and the unsealing of this indictment.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

The Beach Avenue Crew was a criminal enterprise that operated principally in and around the Bronx, New York, from at least 2009 up to and including February 2017.  One of the Beach Avenue Crew’s principal objectives was to sell cocaine base, commonly known as “crack cocaine,” primarily in and around Beach Avenue in the Bronx.  The Beach Avenue Crew controlled crack cocaine sales within this area by prohibiting and preventing non-members, outsiders, and rival narcotics dealers from distributing crack cocaine in the area controlled by the Enterprise.

Members and associates of the Beach Avenue Crew engaged in acts of violence against rival gang members from nearby crews, and rival drug dealers who encroached on the Beach Avenue Crew’s territory.  These acts of violence included assaults and attempted murder, and were committed to protect the Beach Avenue Crew’s drug territory, to retaliate against members of rival gangs who had encroached on the territory controlled by the Beach Avenue Crew, and to otherwise promote the standing and reputation of the Beach Avenue Crew amongst rival gangs.

The violence perpetrated by the Beach Avenue Crew included at least two attempted murders.  On or about August 2, 2016, JAMMAL LINDO, JEAN BAPTISTE LESSAGE, and JALEEL BARON shot at a rival drug trafficker and another individual (“Victim-1”), resulting in bodily injury to Victim-1.  On or about May 5, 2015, ALI HAMILTON shot at a member of a rival crew on Leland Avenue in the Bronx, causing bodily injury to another individual standing nearby. 

Count One of the Indictment charges ALI HAMILTON, JEAN BAPTISTE LESSAGE, DAVID BUCKHANON, JAMMAL LINDO, MAURICE SIMMONS, NORMAN EDWARDS, JALEEL BARON, and KYLE MULLINGS with participating in a racketeering conspiracy.

Counts Two charges HAMILTON with assault and attempted murder in aid of racketeering activity in connection with the May 2015 shooting at a member of a rival crew.

Count Three charges LINDO, LESSAGE, and BARON with assault and attempted murder in aid of racketeering activity in connection with the August 2016 shooting at a rival drug trafficker.

Count Four charges HAMILTON, LESSAGE, BUCKHANON, LINDO, SIMMONS, EDWARDS, BARON, and MULLINGS with participating in a narcotics conspiracy, in connection with their distribution of crack cocaine in and around Beach Avenue.

Count Five charges HAMILTON, LESSAGE, BUCKHANON, LINDO, SIMMONS, EDWARDS, BARON, and MULLINGS with a firearms offense in connection with the racketeering conspiracy charged in Count One and the narcotics conspiracy charged in Count Four.

Count Six charges HAMILTON with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

*                      *                     *

Charts containing the names, ages, residences, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI, the DEA, and the NYPD. 

This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Lonergan, Scott Hartman, and Jason Swergold are in charge of the prosecution.

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

Federal, state and local authorities have arrested ten members and associates of the Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos gang (HPL) in a coordinated round-up in South Texas announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Western District of Texas; United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas; Bexar County District Attorney Nicholas ‘Nico’ LaHood; Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw; Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; and, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner, Houston Division.

This three-year investigation focused on drug trafficking and members of the HPL and their associates in San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Houston. Those individuals arrested today in San Antonio (WDTX) include: 38-year-old HPL Lieutenant Ricardo Aguilar (aka “Indio”), 31-year-old Stephanie Pacheco, and 42-year-old Jesse Mendoza (aka “Chivo”). Those arrested today in the Southern District of Texas include: 40-year-old HPL Lieutenant Pacino San Miguel (aka Abuelo”) of Houston; 27-year-old HPL Lieutenant Jacob Gonzales (aka “Orbit) of Corpus Christi; 30-year-old Mario Alberto Ramirez of Corpus Christi; 26-year-old Leroy Rocha (aka “Tank”) of Corpus Christi; 55-year-old HPL Lieutenant Oscar Pena (aka “OP”) of Corpus Christi; and, 52-year-old Dorothy Babette Cuello (aka “Tiny”) of Corpus Christi. All of the above-named defendants remain in federal custody awaiting detention hearings in federal court next week.

A federal grand jury in San Antonio last month indicted Aguilar, Pacheco and Mendoza on one count conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The federal grand jury in San Antonio also indicted 36-year-old Robert Hewitty (aka “Looney”) on one count each of felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Hewitty was already in custody prior to today’s arrests. A Bexar County (state) grand jury this week also indicted Mendoza charging him with two counts of possession with intent to deliver 4-200g of methamphetamine.

Aguilar, Pacheco, and Hewitty all face between ten years and life in federal prison upon conviction. Mendoza faces between five years and forty years in federal prison, and up to life in state prison, upon conviction.

Yesterday, a federal grand jury in Corpus Christi (SDTX) indicted: Miguel, Gonzales and Ramirez on three counts, and Rocha on one count, of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The federal grand jury also indicted Pena and Cuello on two counts of conspiracy to distribute heroin.

Gonzalez, Ramirez, Rocha, San Miguel, Pena and Cuello face up to 20 years in federal prison upon conviction.

This investigation was conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the San Antonio Police Department, Corpus Christi Police Department, Houston Police Department, Pasadena Police Department, Texas Department Criminal Justice Division-Office of the Inspector General, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.

It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Norman Ross, 68, of Philadelphia, PA was charged today by Indictment with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen

If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 17 years imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.

The case was investigated by United States Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K.T. Newton.

An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Two Broward County residents were indicted on federal explosives charges.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Peter Forcelli, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.

Bruce McFadden Sr., 50, of Lauderdale Lakes, and Bruce McFadden Jr., 33, of Fort Lauderdale, were charged by Indictment with receiving explosive materials, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 842(a)(3)(A), and improper storage of explosives, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 842(j). Bruce McFadden Sr. was also charged with being a felon in possession of explosives, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 842(i)(1).

According to the court record, including allegations contained in the indictment, on or about June 30, 2016, in Broward County, Bruce McFadden Sr. and Bruce McFadden Jr. did knowingly cause to be transported and receive, and did knowingly store explosives, that is, 1.3G fireworks containing black powder, flash powder, a safety fuse, perchlorate explosive mixtures, pyrotechnic compositions, without the required license and permit and not in conformity with regulations. McFadden Sr. was previously convicted of a felony and as such was not lawfully permitted to possess the explosives.

The defendants had their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick M. Hunt. McFadden Sr. is scheduled to have a pre-trial detention hearing on March 14, 2017. McFadden Jr. is scheduled for a bond hearing on March 10, 2017.

An Indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the ATF in this matter. Mr. Greenberg also thanked the Lauderhill Fire Department, Lauderhill Police Department and Broward County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rilwan Adeduntan.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

An Indictment[1] was returned today charging Larry Joseph Wolfe, 48, of Silver Spring, Maryland with one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

The Indictment alleges that Wolfe posed as an account holder at Beneficial Bank by using the account holder’s means of identification and a false driver’s license in the account holder’s name but containing Wolfe’s photograph to withdraw $424,000 in the form of cashier’s checks from accounts controlled by the account holder, then deposited several of the checks into a Mount Airy Casino account in the name of a person who Wolfe also impersonated, and then withdrew the money in cash from the Mount Airy Casino account.

Wolfe faces a maximum sentence of 32 years’ imprisonment, including a mandatory two-year term of imprisonment, a five-year period of supervised release, a $1,250,000 fine, and an $200 special assessment and restitution of $424,000.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that ALVEREZ SORAPURU, age 40, of Baton Rouge, pled guilty today to a two count Superseding Bill of Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents, from prior to January 2014, and continuing until on or about December 12, 2014, SORAPURU knowingly and intentionally conspired and agreed with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin. He also knowingly and intentionally used a communication facility, to wit, a telephone, in committing that crime.

SORAPURU faces a possible penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million for the Count 1 conspiracy charge. Hefaces up to 4 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the Count 2 phone charge. SORAPURU also faces a special assessment of $200. U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk set sentencing for June 1, 2017.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration for investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Theodore R. Carter, III is in charge of the prosecution.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset, New Jersey, man was convicted by a federal jury today of accepting cash bribes and sex in exchange for providing employment authorization documents and concealing his employment of an undocumented immigrant at a hair salon he owned, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Arnaldo Echevarria, 39, a former deportation officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was convicted of Counts 1-6 and Counts 8 and 9 of an indictment charging him with seven counts of accepting bribes, one count of harboring an undocumented immigrant and one count of making false statements to immigration authorities. He was acquitted on Count 7, one of the bribery counts. Echevarria was convicted following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court. The jury deliberated for one day before returning the guilty verdict.

According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial:

As a deportation officer, Echevarria enforced immigration and customs laws by identifying, locating, arresting and removing undocumented immigrants from the United States and by supervising certain undocumented immigrants who had not yet been deported. Undocumented immigrants subject to a deportation order often were able to obtain employment authorization documents which allowed them to legally work in the United States for a one-year period and which could be renewed annually.

Between 2012 and 2014, Echevarria agreed to obtain employment authorization documents for undocumented immigrants who were not lawfully present in the country. In return, Echevarria demanded and received approximately $75,000 in cash bribes, and demanded and received sex from one individual. In order to conceal them from immigration authorities, Echevarria falsely stated that they had been granted temporary protected status, which allows nationals from certain countries experiencing environmental disaster, ongoing armed conflict, or other extraordinary conditions to lawfully remain in the United States. None of the individuals who bribed Echevarria had actually applied for, or received, temporary protected status.

In December 2012, Echevarria received permission from his superiors at ICE to open a hair salon in West Orange, New Jersey. Echevarria certified to ICE that the hair salon would not conflict with ICE matters and would not involve undocumented workers. However, Echevarria employed his girlfriend at the time, an undocumented immigrant, to manage the salon. Echevarria’s girlfriend had entered the United States illegally, using the name and identification of an individual in Puerto Rico to obtain a Pennsylvania identification card.

Echevarria knew his girlfriend resided in the United States illegally. Prior to opening the hair salon, Echevarria queried the name and date of birth of his girlfriend’s alias in various law enforcement databases. After opening the salon, Echevarria ensured that his girlfriend’s illegal status remained a secret by signing the lease for her apartment and by placing her cable and electric bills in his name. In addition to driving his girlfriend and other employees to and from the salon each day, Echevarria also paid the employees in cash and never asked them to fill out employment eligibility paperwork.

The six bribery counts on which Echevarria was convicted each carry a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, or three times the monetary equivalent of the things of value accepted by the defendant. The charges of harboring and making false statements are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss arising from the offense. Echevarria’s sentencing is scheduled for June 19, 2017.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of ICE, Office of Professional Responsibility, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Keith Barwick, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty verdict.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Agarwal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark, and Barbara Llanes, Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Unit.

          RIVERSIDE, California– Two men who were allegedly operating a “honey oil” lab in Cherry Valley when it exploded and severely burned one of them now face federal charges of operating an illegal drug manufacturing facility.

          Hector Gallegos, 34, of San Jacinto, surrendered to authorities yesterday and made his initial court appearance.

          The second defendant in the case – James Ray Wallis III, 34, of Cherry Valley – is currently a fugitive who is being sought by authorities.

          The two defendants were named in a criminal complaint filed last Friday that charges both men with endangering human life while illegally manufacturing a controlled substance, a federal felony offense that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

          Wallis and Gallegos allegedly operated a clandestine laboratory where they used butane to extract tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from marijuana. The resulting product is commonly called honey oil or hash oil, and it contains a much higher percentage of THC than found in traditional marijuana products.

          During the early morning hours of February 16, Riverside County fire authorities were summoned to a house fire on Dutton Street in Cherry Valley, just north of Beaumont. CAL FIRE personnel were unable to combat the fire immediately because several 20-ounce butane canisters – which are commonly used in THC extraction labs – were exploding inside the residence, according to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint.

          After the fire was extinguished, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department personnel searched the property and “discovered several black plastic bins containing marijuana, over 1,000 20-ounce butane canisters, extracted THC spread out on wax paper sheets and contained within six small glass jars, a small indoor marijuana grow located in the basement of the residence, a partially burned PVC extraction tube loaded with marijuana, two handguns and three rifles,” according to the complaint.

          Authorities soon learned that Wallis lived at the residence and was seen by neighbors soon after the fire erupted. Wallis’ 10-year-old child was inside the house when the explosion occurred, but the child was not harmed by the explosion or subsequent fire.

          “Using butane to extract the psychoactive agent in marijuana is not only illegal – it is an extremely dangerous process,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “One of the defendants in this case was seriously injured and a small child barely escaped injury. Unfortunately, we are seeing an increase in the number of explosions at household laboratories, which endangers neighborhoods, as well as first responders.”

Wallis fled the scene after the fire, and he remains a fugitive. Gallegos, who also fled the scene after the explosion, was discovered later in the day at Loma Linda Hospital. Gallegos had suffered third-degree burns over 50 percent of his body. Gallegos recently was released from the hospital, and he surrendered himself yesterday.

          “As evidenced in this case, clandestine drug manufacturing labs are extremely hazardous and pose a serious threat of bodily injury – or even death – to would-be operators, as well as innocent bystanders,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Steve Comer. “Fortunately, the child was unharmed and the individuals who put themselves and the entire neighborhood at risk have been removed from the community.”

          At his initial appearance yesterday afternoon in United States District Court, Gallegos was freed on a $50,000 bond and was ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing on March 29 and an arraignment on April 5.

          A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

          The investigation into the clandestine lab was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Special Investigation Bureau, Marijuana Enforcement Team.

          This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tritia L. Yuen of the Riverside Branch Office.

          LOS ANGELES– Rite Aid Corporation has paid $834,200 in civil penalties to the United States to settle claims stemming from alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act.

          Rite Aid paid the civil settlement yesterday as part of an agreement reached last week to resolve allegations that certain Rite Aid pharmacies in Los Angeles dispensed and/or recorded controlled substances using a medical practitioner’s incorrect or invalid DEA registration number. The government alleged that the incorrect or invalid registration numbers were used at least 1,298 times as a result of Rite Aid’s failure to adequately maintain its internal database.

          The settlement also resolves allegations that Rite Aid pharmacies dispensed, on at least 63 occasions, prescriptions for controlled substances written by a practitioner whose DEA registration number had been revoked by the DEA for cause.

          In 1970, the United States Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which created “a closed system” of distribution for controlled substances. The CSA established a regulatory framework to control every facet of the handling of the substances, from their manufacture to their consumption.

          The CSA became law against the backdrop of increasing diversion and abuse of legitimate controlled substances, but the law was also designed to ensure an adequate supply of those substances needed to meet the medical and scientific needs of the United States.

          “Accurate record keeping at retail pharmacies helps ensure that authorities can keep track of how many controlled substances a pharmacy should have and does have on hand,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “These federal regulations were put into place to prevent the abuse of powerful drugs that are dispensed by pharmacies and should only be used under the careful watch of a medical professional.”

          In entering into and paying the settlement, Rite Aid did not admit liability. Prior to entering into the agreement, Rite Aid implemented a DEA registration validation program designed to verify DEA registration numbers for medical professionals who prescribe controlled substances.

          “This settlement demonstrates DEA’s commitment to monitoring and holding accountable all potential sources of diversion for controlled substances and maintaining the safety of our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Steve Comer

          This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Diversion Control, Los Angeles Field Division.

          The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Donald W. Yoo of the Civil Fraud Section.

Mark Anthony Avery, 53, of Buffalo Gap, Texas, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on March 9, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute less than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Avery received 71 months and 21 days of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department.

Leif Bjorn Jourgensen, 31, of Mancos, Colorado, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on March 9, 2017, for travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Jourgensen was arrested in Fort Collins, Colorado. He received 84 months of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Jerry Ray Queen, 30, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on March 8, 2017, for possession of firearm with obliterated serial number. Queen was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. He received 31 month of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $400.00 fine and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

Maureen Hall, 59, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on March 7, 2017, for credit union embezzlement. Hall appeared pursuant to a summons. She received three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $5,180.63 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

David M. Stephens, 30, of North Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on March 7, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Stephens was arrested in Goshen County, Wyoming. He received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Donald Grant, 40, of Binghamton, New York, was sentenced today to serve fifteen (15) months in prison for preparing a false tax return and attempting to interfere with the administration of Internal Revenue Laws.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Shantelle P. Kitchen, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s New York Field Office.

U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Grant to a one (1) year term of supervised release, to begin after his release from prison, and also ordered him to pay $107,045 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

On November 4, 2016, Grant pled guilty to one count of preparing a false tax return and one count of attempting to interfere with the administration of Internal Revenue Laws. As part of his plea, Grant admitted that over the course of four years, he prepared twenty-seven (27) tax returns that contained false information, causing taxpayers to receive more than $100,000 in refunds they were not entitled to. Grant also admitted that he interfered with the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s inquiry into the returns he prepared and filed by providing a client with a counterfeit profit and loss statement, encouraging clients to provide false information to investigators, and providing false information, himself, when interviewed by an IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent.

This case was investigated by the New York Field Office (Syracuse) of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Levine.

SAVANNAH, GA: a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah returned a 176-count indictment yesterday against George Mack Bird, III, 58, a Georgia physician who operated a medical practice in Dodge County and a diet clinic in Laurens County.

According to the Indictment, Bird instructed certain of his employees to dispense and distribute various controlled substances and highly addictive opioids using prescription forms that he had pre-signed in violation of federal law. The Indictment further alleged that, because Bird rarely saw or examined his patients, he directed his employees to utilize pre-printed medical notes to give the appearance that patients had been thoroughly examined, when in fact, they had not. Bird’s unlawful dispensation scheme was remarkably lucrative, generating more than $4.5 million in proceeds, according to the grand jury. The Indictment alleged that Bird and others conspired to illegally launder those proceeds by using them to pay for the operating expenses of Bird’s clinics.

Bird, who is currently being held in state custody, faces up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Additionally, the Government is seeking the forfeiture of Bird’s offices, home, investment properties, and a money judgment of at least $4.5 million. Approximately $1 million in cash was seized from Bird at the time of his arrest, and federal agents have since seized or frozen an additional $3.9 million held in various bank and investment accounts.

U. S. Attorney Edward Tarver cautioned that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it is the Government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case with assistance from the Oconee Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Patricia Green Rhodes and Theodore S. Hertzberg are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

SAVANNAH, GA: A federal grand jury sitting in Savannah returned a 176-count indictment yesterday against George Mack Bird, III, 58, a Georgia physician who operated a medical practice in Dodge County and a diet clinic in Laurens County.

According to the Indictment, Bird instructed certain of his employees to dispense and distribute various controlled substances and highly addictive opioids using prescription forms that he had pre-signed in violation of federal law. The Indictment further alleged that, because Bird rarely saw or examined his patients, he directed his employees to utilize pre-printed medical notes to give the appearance that patients had been thoroughly examined, when in fact, they had not. Bird’s unlawful dispensation scheme was remarkably lucrative, generating more than $4.5 million in proceeds, according to the grand jury. The Indictment alleged that Bird and others conspired to illegally launder those proceeds by using them to pay for the operating expenses of Bird’s clinics.

Bird, who is currently being held in state custody, faces up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Additionally, the Government is seeking the forfeiture of Bird’s offices, home, investment properties, and a money judgment of at least $4.5 million. Approximately $1 million in cash was seized from Bird at the time of his arrest, and federal agents have since seized or frozen an additional $3.9 million held in various bank and investment accounts.

U. S. Attorney Edward Tarver cautioned that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it is the Government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case with assistance from the Oconee Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Patricia Green Rhodes and Theodore S. Hertzberg are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Baltimore, Maryland – Correctional Officer Thomas Leimbach, age 32, of Pocomoke City, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 9, 2017, to his participation in a racketeering conspiracy operating at the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, Maryland.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein;Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Postal Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Secretary Stephen T. Moyer of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to his plea agreement and court documents, the Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) is the largest state prison in Maryland, operating near Westover, in Somerset County, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. During the conspiracy, Leimbach was a Correctional Officer (CO) at ECI.

Leimbach admitted that he accepted bribes from inmates to smuggle contraband into ECI, including narcotics, cell phones and tobacco. Leimbach worked with other COs to smuggle contraband into the prison. On June 5, 2014, law enforcement intercepted a call from an inmate to his sister, in which they discuss whether their mother “took care of that today.” That same day, Leimbach was arrested after the inmate’s mother delivered contraband to Leimbach. Leimbach was searched and had in his possession 75 Suboxone strips and $375 in cash.

Leimbach faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the racketeering conspiracy. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for Leimbach on June 29, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.

The U.S. Attorney expressed appreciation to Secretary Moyer whose staff initiated the ECI investigation and who has made the full resources of the DPSCS available to assist the three-year investigation. U.S. Attorney Rosenstein also recognized the efforts of the Maryland Prison Task Force which has brought together federal, state and local agencies in meetings to generate reforms in prison procedures and facilitate joint investigations of prison corruption and prison gangs. Mr. Rosenstein thanked the members of the Maryland Prison Task Force and the other agencies who assisted in this investigation and prosecution.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Baltimore Police Department and Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise, Robert R. Harding, and Daniel C. Gardner, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA– After a three-day trial, Gregory Williams, 29, of Pensacola, was convicted this week of 19 counts of firearm-related offenses, including possession of a machinegun, possession of an unregistered machinegun, and false statement to a firearm dealer. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At trial, the government presented evidence that Williams knowingly sold dozens of auto sear parts to undercover law enforcement officers. Auto sears are conversion parts designed to modify semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic firearms. Auto sears are defined under federal law as machineguns. Williams never registered them in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law.

On nine occasions in 2016, Williams communicated with the undercover officers via text message and then shipped the firearms or met the officers in person. When law enforcement officers searched Williams’s residence, they seized an additional auto sear.

Williams faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on each count. He is currently being detained at the Santa Rosa County Jail. The sentencing hearing will take place at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola on a date to be determined by the court.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Sacramento, California, and Pensacola, Florida, and the ATF Gun Crime Response Team. Assistant United States Attorney Edwin Knight prosecuted the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854, amy.alexander@usdoj.gov

STATESVILLE, N.C. B A federal jury sitting in Statesville convicted Carlos Antonio Flores, age 34, of Statesville, of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, following a three-day trial that ended yesterday, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

U.S. Attorney Rose is joined in making today’s announcement by Nick Annan, Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Atlanta and the Carolinas and Sheriff Darren Campbell of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

According to filed court documents and evidence presented at trial, Flores was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy that operated mainly in Iredell, Alexander, Caldwell, Catawba, and Ashe Counties. Trial evidence established that from at least as early as April 2015 through October 30, 2015, Flores and his co-conspirators distributed more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, which has a street value of more than $1,500,000. According to trial evidence, law enforcement arrested Flores on October 30, 2015, when he and several co-conspirators were caught distributing more than a kilogram of 96% pure crystal “ice” methamphetamine concealed in a cat litter box.

This prosecution is part of an ongoing investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) that has resulted in the conviction of more than 200 defendants on methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges. OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

Flores has been in federal custody October 2015. At sentencing, Flores faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.

The case was investigated by HSI in Charlotte, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, and the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office.

The prosecution of case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven R. Kaufman and Sanjeev Bhasker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

PROVIDENCE – A federal grand jury in Providence has returned a four-count indictment charging Andy Joseph, a/k/a Andrew J. Joseph, 24, of Brockton, Mass., with allegedly trafficking a 15-year-old Rhode Island female across state lines for the purpose of criminal sexual activity.

The indictment, returned on Thursday and announced today by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations for New England; and Pawtucket Police Chief Paul King, charges Joseph with one count each of sex trafficking a child and transportation of minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and two counts of traveling in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

According to court documents, it is alleged that on June 15, 2016, Joseph, who had been communicating with the 15-year-old via an Internet web site, met with the teenager in Rhode Island and drove her to a hotel in Seekonk, Mass. It is alleged that at the hotel Joseph photographed the teenager and posted photographs of her in advertisements on Backpage.com, offering the teenager for commercial sexual activity.

It is alleged that between June 15 and August 13, 2016, Joseph arranged for sexual encounters involving the 15-year-old. It is alleged that following each commercial sexual encounter, most or all of the money was turned over to Joseph, at his insistence.

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

Sex trafficking a child and transportation of minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity are punishable by statutory penalties of a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment to be followed by up to lifetime supervised release; traveling in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity is punishable by up to 30 years imprisonment to be followed by up to lifetime supervised release.

Joseph has been detained in federal custody since his arrest on December 1, 2016, by HSI agents and Pawtucket Police.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terrence P. Donnelly and John P. McAdams. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Pawtucket Police.

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Contact:

Jim Martin (401) 709-5357

email: USARI.Media@usdoj.gov

on Twitter @USAO_RI

A United States Postal Service letter carrier was convicted at trial of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Max Eamiguel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, and Cissy Proctor, Executive Director, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), made the announcement.

Yvenel Clotaire, of West Palm Beach, was convicted yesterday, following a four-day federal jury trial in West Palm Beach, Florida of conspiring to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for May 19, 2017, before United States District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg.

According to the court record, including evidence introduced at trial, Clotaire engaged in a scheme to obtain fraudulent unemployment benefits from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), while the defendant was working as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service. Clotaire provided coconspirators with the residential addresses of approximately 50 to 60 individuals on his postal route, to be used in furtherance of the scheme. Fraudulent unemployment applications, using the addresses and stolen identities of postal customers, were then submitted to DEO and resulted in the issuance of Florida Visa debit cards. The debit cards were mailed through interstate commerce to the residential addresses on the defendant’s postal route. The cards were ultimately transferred to at least one other co-conspirator and used to make withdrawals from ATMs. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the State of Florida sustained approximately $90,000 in financial losses.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the DOL-OIG, USPS-OIG, USPIS and DEO. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McMichael.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.