Fort Smith, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Stephen Mark Cox, age 57, of Beverly Hills, California, was sentenced on May 14, 2020 to 120 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 5 Kilograms of Cocaine and Scott Samuel Green, age 40, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on May 20, 2020 to 46 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. The Honorable Judge P. K. Holmes III presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.

On April 17, 2019, an Arkansas State Trooper was on duty and working on Interstate 40 in Crawford County, Arkansas. The Trooper observed a white SUV commit a traffic offense and initiated a traffic stop. The Trooper made contact with Green (the driver) and Cox (the passenger) and proceeded to interview them.  After the interview and receiving consent to search the vehicle, the Trooper searched the vehicle and located approximately 17 kilograms of suspected cocaine.  The suspected cocaine field tested positive for cocaine.

Cox and Green were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2019 and entered guilty pleas in December 2019. 

This case was investigated by the Arkansas State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Candace Taylor and Aaron Jennen prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging FABIO VARGAS-GONZALEZ, 44, of Wethersfield, with trafficking fentanyl.

As alleged in court documents, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force developed information that Vargas-Gonzalez was involved in narcotics trafficking activities in the Hartford area.  On March 11, 2020, investigators conducted surveillance of Vargas-Gonzalez as he drove a minivan from Connecticut to New Jersey and then back to Connecticut.  In Danbury, investigators stopped Vargas-Gonzalez’s minivan for a motor vehicle violation and, after Vargas-Gonzalez consented to a search, found approximately two kilograms of fentanyl hidden in the minivan’s spare tire compartment.

The indictment charges Vargas-Gonzalez with one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

U.S. Attorney Durham 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.

Vargas-Gonzalez, who was originally charged by criminal complaint, is currently released on a $175,000 bond.

The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Domenick J. DeMuro, 73, of Philadelphia, PA, a former Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division in South Philadelphia, has been charged and has pled guilty to a two-count Information charging (1) conspiracy to deprive Philadelphia voters of their civil rights by fraudulently stuffing the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 primary elections, and (2) a violation of the Travel Act, which forbids the use of any facility in interstate commerce (here, a cell phone) with the intent to promote certain illegal activity (here, bribery). U.S. Attorney McSwain’s video statement providing additional details about this case is available on the Office website here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/video/united-states-attorney-william-m-mcswain-announces-guilty-plea-former-philadelphia.

The Judge of Elections is an elective office and a paid position. In that role, DeMuro was responsible for overseeing the entire election process and voter activities of his Division. The Judge of Elections is charged with overseeing the Division’s polling place in accordance with federal and state election laws and is required to attend Election Board Training conducted by the Philadelphia City Commissioners.

The voting machines at each polling station, including DeMuro’s station, generate records in the form of a printed receipt documenting the use of each voting machine. The printed receipt, also known as the “results receipt,” shows the vote totals, and the Judge of Elections and other Election Board Officials at each polling place attest to the accuracy of machine results.

During his guilty plea hearing, DeMuro admitted that an unnamed political consultant gave DeMuro directions and paid him money to illegally add votes for certain Democratic candidates. These candidates were individuals running for judicial office whose campaigns had hired the consultant, as well as other candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices who were preferred by this consultant for a variety of reasons.

The political consultant would solicit monetary payments from his clients in the form of cash or checks as “consulting fees,” and then use portions of these funds to pay Election Board Officials, including DeMuro, in return for tampering with the election results. After receiving payments ranging from between $300 to $5,000 per election from the consultant, DeMuro would add fraudulent votes on the voting machine – also known as “ringing up” votes – for the consultant’s clients and preferred candidates, thereby diluting and distorting the ballots cast by actual voters. DeMuro would add these fraudulent votes to the totals during Election Day, and then would later falsely certify that the voting machine results were accurate.

“DeMuro fraudulently stuffed the ballot box by literally standing in a voting booth and voting over and over, as fast as he could, while he thought the coast was clear. This is utterly reprehensible conduct. The charges announced today do not erase what he did, but they do ensure that he is held to account for those actions,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If even one vote is fraudulently rung up, the integrity of that election is compromised. I want the public to know that this investigation is active and ongoing, and my Office is taking every possible step that we can to ensure the integrity of the upcoming primary and general elections in the nine counties of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”

“This defendant abused his office by engaging in election fraud for profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s conviction makes it clear that the Department of Justice will do all in its power to protect the integrity of elections and maintain public confidence in all levels of elected government.”

“Domenick DeMuro put a thumb on the scale for certain candidates, in exchange for bribes,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “As public trust in the electoral process is vital, the FBI’s message today is clear: election interference of any kind, by hostile foreign actors or dishonest local officials, won’t be tolerated. This is an active, ongoing investigation and we're asking anyone with information on election fraud to contact the FBI.”

“The citizenry of the City of Philadelphia, as well as this Commonwealth and these United States, needs to be confident in the integrity of our elections,” said Captain Leo Hannon, Director of the Pennsylvania State Police, Special Investigations Division. As this investigation clearly illustrates, the Pennsylvania State Police will relentlessly pursue any breach of the sacred trust bestowed upon our public officials. Our agency is proud to partner with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the United States Department of Justice as a whole to root out corruption at any level of our government. Matters of public corruption and public integrity have been, and shall remain, a top priority of the Pennsylvania State Police.”

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric L. Gibson and Richard C. Pilger, U.S. Department of Justice, Director of Elections Crimes Branch, Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section.

Roanoke, Va. – A Roanoke City man, who federal authorities allege distributed heroin and fentanyl, and possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen made the announcement today following the unsealing of the criminal complaint.

The investigation is being handled by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Roanoke Area High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force [HIDTA], the Roanoke County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Salem Police Department, the Virginia State Police, and the United States Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General.

The criminal complaint charges William Preston Ramey-Woodard, 39, with one count of distribution of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, the alleged criminal activities took place in the Western District of Virginia in March, April, and May 2020.

The investigation of this case is ongoing.  Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford is prosecuting the case for the United States.

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

A criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt.  All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain released a video on May 21, 2020, in which he discussed the charging and guilty plea of former Philadelphia Judge of Elections Domenick J. DeMuro. Below are U.S. Attorney McSwain’s remarks, as prepared for delivery.

*****

Good morning. I am here to announce that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has unsealed criminal charges against Domenick J. DeMuro, a former Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division in South Philadelphia. DeMuro has been charged with two counts: first, for conspiring to deprive Philadelphia voters of their civil rights by fraudulently stuffing the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 primary elections; and second, for a violation of the Travel Act, which forbids the use of any facility in interstate commerce (here, a cell phone) with the intent to promote certain illegal activity (here, bribery). DeMuro has pled guilty to both of these charges.

This prosecution has been a team effort, and before I get into a more detailed description of what happened in this case, there are several people that I want to recognize and thank. First, from the FBI, Mike Driscoll, who is the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, as well as Special Agent Carmen DiMario, who is the lead investigator on the case. I want to thank the Public Integrity Section at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, and specifically Section Chief Corey Amundson, Deputy Chief John Keller, and the Director of the Election Crimes Branch of the Section, Richard Pilger. I also want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Barrett, who is the Chief of our Public Corruption Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gibson, who is the lead prosecutor on the case. And finally, I would like to thank the Pennsylvania State Police for their assistance in this investigation.

The position that DeMuro held, the Judge of Elections, is an elective office and a paid position. The Judge of Elections is responsible for overseeing the entire election process and voter activities of his or her Division. Each Judge of Elections is charged with overseeing the Division’s polling place in accordance with federal and state election laws, and is required to attend Election Board Training conducted by the Philadelphia City Commissioners.

The voting machines at each polling station, including the 39th Ward, 36th Division, generate records in the form of a printed receipt documenting the use of each voting machine. The printed receipt, also known as the “results receipt,” shows the vote totals, among other information. The Judge of Elections and the Election Board Officials at each polling place attest to the accuracy of machine results by affixing their signatures to the last page of the results receipt.

Our election system relies on the honesty and the integrity of its Election Officials. If they are corrupt, the system is corrupt, which creates opportunities for election fraud and for the counting of fake votes.

Domenick DeMuro did not uphold his duties as an Election Official. A political consultant gave DeMuro directions and paid him money to illegally add votes for certain Democratic candidates on the primary ballots in 2014, 2015, and 2016. These candidates were individuals running for judicial office whose campaigns had hired the consultant, as well as other candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices who were preferred by this consultant for a variety of reasons.

The political consultant would allegedly solicit monetary payments from his clients in the form of cash or checks as “consulting fees.” The consultant would then take portions of these funds and make payments to Election Board Officials, including DeMuro, in return for DeMuro and other Election Board officials tampering with the election results.

After receiving payments ranging from between $300 to $5,000 per election from the consultant, DeMuro would add fraudulent votes on the voting machine – also known as “ringing up” votes – for the consultant’s clients and preferred candidates, thereby diluting and distorting the ballots cast by actual voters. DeMuro would add these fraudulent votes to the totals during Election Day, and then would later falsely certify that the voting machine results were accurate. He would add the fraudulent votes by literally standing in the voting booth and voting over and over, as fast as he could, when he thought the coast was clear.

In May 2014, DeMuro stuffed the ballot box with 27 fraudulent ballots during the primary election. In May 2015, DeMuro padded the ballot box with 40 fraudulent votes; in 2016, it was 46 fraudulent votes. These numbers may sound relatively small, but they made up a significant percentage of the total votes cast at the polling place. In 2014, 118 total ballots were reported in the 36th Division of the 39th Ward. That means that DeMuro’s fraudulent votes accounted for over 22% of the total voting in that Division in 2014. In 2015, his fraud accounted for over 15% of the votes in the Division; in 2016, his fraud accounted for over 17% of the votes.

But at the end of the day, the specific numbers don’t really matter. Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If only one vote has been illegally rung up or fraudulently stuffed into a ballot box, the integrity of that election is undermined. Again, the integrity of our elections depends on the honesty of our Election Officials – so we take any dishonesty by those officials very seriously. And I want to make it clear that this is an ongoing and active investigation.

I also want the public to know that my Office is taking every possible step that we can to ensure the integrity of every primary and general election in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2020. For example, earlier this year, I announced that our Office has launched a review of all polling places in the Eastern District to determine if they are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. As this year marks the 30th anniversary of the ADA, there can be no doubt that counties have had more than enough time to ensure that their polling places provide full access to individuals with disabilities. We will work day and night to make sure that every citizen’s civil rights are protected, whether that is through access to the polls or making every legitimate vote count.

If you tamper with anyone’s right to vote or try to fix the results of any election in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, my Office will hold you accountable. If you are an Election Official or work with the polling places in any way, I urge you to do your job honestly and faithfully at every turn. That is what the public deserves, it is what democracy demands, and it is what my Office will enforce.

           ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  – Luke Avery Platero, 29, appeared in federal court today on a criminal complaint charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country. 

           According to the complaint, Platero committed the offense on May 10 in Cibola County, New Mexico.  Platero allegedly threw a rock at the victim hitting the victim in the head.  Platero allegedly then struck the victim in the head, arms, and legs with a baseball bat causing a concussion and internal and external bleeding.  The victim was rushed to the hospital by ambulance following the assault and needed emergency surgery for his injuries.  Both Platero and the victim are members of the Navajo Nation.

           Platero is currently out of custody awaiting trial.  He faces up to ten years in prison if convicted of the charged offense.  Complaints are only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

           The Albuquerque office of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick Mendenhall is prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Raymond Thomas Jordan, age 39, of North Carolina with sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt and distribution of child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint filed in this matter, on January 15, 2020, an Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a semi-truck pulling a trailer on Interstate 80 in Wood County. The defendant was observed driving the vehicle and next to him was a minor who appeared very young. Both the defendant and the minor provided a false date of birth to the Trooper. It was later learned that the minor was under the age of 18 and a runaway from the State of California. Due to this fact, a decision was made to transport both the defendant and the minor to the OSHP Bowling Green Post for further instigation.

According to the criminal complaint, the defendant admitted to possession of child pornography. During a search of the defendant’s vehicle, 21 electronic devices were seized. An investigation into the defendant’s personal cell phone and electronic devices discovered numerous files containing child pornography, including images of the minor found in the defendant’s vehicle.

An indictment is only a charge 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.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation was conducted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the U.S. Secret Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey B. Tangeman.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington man, Billy J. Earls, 35, pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday, before U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, to escaping federal custody.           

In his guilty plea agreement, Earls admitted that he absconded from a residential confinement center, where he had been sentenced to serve 18 months for a supervised release violation. Earls was confined to Dismas Charities, a residential center located in Fayette County, to serve the remainder of his federal sentence.  On February 11, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Service was notified that Earls had left the center, without permission. He was found, three days later, by law enforcement in Campbell County, Kentucky.            

Earls was indicted in March 2020.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Norman E. Arflack, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky, jointly announced the guilty plea.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service.  The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily K. Greenfield. 

Earls is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21, 2020. He faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.  However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. 

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.

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Tampa, Florida– United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging James Jamal Curry (31, St. Petersburg) with perpetrating a biological weapon hoax. If convicted, Curry faces up to 5 years in federal prison. Curry had been initially charged by criminal complaint on April 7, 2020.  

According to court documents, on March 27, 2020, officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department responded to a domestic violence call involving Curry. During Curry’s arrest, he turned to an officer, declared that he was infected with the Coronavirus, and coughed on the officer’s arm. The following day, Curry bonded out of the Pinellas County Jail.

On the evening of March 28, 2020, police were again called to the same residence where they had previously encountered Curry and arrested him a second time. During his arrest, Curry spit on an arresting officer multiple times—hitting the officer in the face, nose, and inside her mouth with blood-filled saliva. Curry again claimed to have the Coronavirus, laughed, and announced that he was spreading the virus around. Law enforcement subsequently obtained and executed a search warrant to test Curry for COVID-19. Curry tested negative. Individuals close to Curry and jail personnel reported that Curry had not shown any symptoms of COVID-19.

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

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Florida Department of Health, the State Attorney’s Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, and the Pinellas County Jail. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Thomas Daniel Johnson, age 34, of Toledo with sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt and distribution of child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the matter, the defendant was believed to have been engaged in the distribution of online child pornography and was attempting to facilitate sexual encounters with a minor who occasionally stayed at his residence. On November 22, 2019, federal investigators and members of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Taskforce executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence.  During the search, law enforcement seized several electronic devices that were later discovered to contain large amounts of child pornography. 

An indictment is only a charge 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.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Toledo Police Department, as part of a state-federal task force on child exploitation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey B. Tangeman.

PITTSBURGH, PA – Ten residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, have been charged in three separate, but related, Indictments with violations of the federal narcotics and firearms laws, following a months-long investigation into narcotics trafficking in the City of Pittsburgh and greater Allegheny County region, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today. The Indictments, returned on May 19, are related to the narcotics trafficking activities of several associates of a neighborhood street gang known as "11 Hunnit" operating in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh and beyond.

The first Indictment charges the following individuals with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (in the form commonly known as "crack") in the Western District of Pennsylvania, from in and around January 2020, and continuing thereafter until in and around May 2020:

• Phillip Robinson (aka "Pape"), age 30, of Pittsburgh, PA;

• Joseph Clancy, age 46, of Pittsburgh, PA;

• Tyree Campbell, age 29, of Pittsburgh, PA;

• Tracy Bullock, age 51, of McKees Rocks, PA; and

• Sanzio Williams, age 31, of Pitcairn, PA.

The second Indictment charges the following individuals with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin in the Western District of Pennsylvania from in and around February 2020, and continuing thereafter until March 2020:

• Andre Moore-Coleman (aka "Drizz"), age 31, of Pittsburgh, PA;

• James Bryant Jr., age 52, of McKees Rocks, PA.

This Indictment additionally charges James Bryant Jr. with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon on May 13, 2020.

The third Indictment charges the following individuals with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine in the Western District of Pennsylvania, from in and around December 2019, and continuing thereafter until January 2020:

• Ronald Lewis III, age 32, of Turtle Creek, PA;

• Victor Simmons, age 24, of Pittsburgh, PA;

• Derek Calloway, age 26, of Pittsburgh, PA.

This Indictment additionally charges Ronald Lewis, III and Derek Calloway with one count each of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon on May 13, 2020.

With respect to Defendants Robinson, Clancy, Campbell, Bullock, Williams, Lewis III, Simmons, and Calloway, each of whom is charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $5,000,000, or both. With respect to Defendants Moore-Coleman and Bryant Jr., both of whom are charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, the law provides for a maximum sentence of not more than 20 years imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $1,000,000 or both. With respect to the firearms/ammunition charges for Defendants Brant and Calloway, the law provides for a maximum today sentenced of not more than 10 years and a fine of not to exceed 250,000 or both. For Defendant Lewis III, the law provides for a sentence of not less than 15 years’ to life imprisonment, and a fine of not to exceed 250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendants.

Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police (Bureau of Narcotics Investigations) led the multi-agency investigation that also included the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.

This Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, known as OCDETF. OCDETF was established in 1982 to support comprehensive investigations and prosecutions of major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. It is the keystone of the drug reduction strategy of the Department of Justice. By combining the resources and expertise of federal agencies and their state and local law enforcement partners, OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations.

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

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Four Oaks, NC man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute one (1) kilogram or more of heroin, aiding and abetting.

According to court documents, Luis Octavio Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 32, was the driver of a car stopped in Nash County for traffic violations.  Officers immediately observed marijuana in the car and Gonzalez-Gonzalez and his two passengers gave conflicting stories about where they had traveled.  Upon a search of the trunk of the vehicle, officers located over 1,400 grams of heroin. 

On September 24, 2019, Gonzalez-Gonzalez pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute one (1) kilogram or more of heroin, aiding and abetting. 

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dena King  prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-CR-48-D.

###

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.

Tampa, Florida –U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Luis David Huerta-Carranza (age 40) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for illegal reentry after removal. On March 5, 2020, Huerta-Carranza was found guilty following a stipulated bench trial.

According to court documents, since 1998, Huerta-Carranza has been removed from the United States to Mexico five times. In 2017, he was charged and convicted for illegal reentry and served two years in federal prison. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement most recently encountered Huerta-Carranza on December 13, 2019, following his arrest for not having a valid driver license and for driving under the influence.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Entry and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David C. Waterman.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Jeffrey Scott Terry, 38, of Mangum, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for his role in a health care fraud scheme, announced Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter and U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.

"Many of our state’s most vulnerable citizens rely on the Medicaid and Medicare systems for healthcare coverage," Attorney General Mike Hunter said. "To defraud it, as Jeff Terry did, is disgraceful. I appreciate U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk for sending him to prison and holding him accountable. I am also thankful for our strong partnership with U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma Tim Downing, whose team was instrumental in bringing Terry to justice. We will continue to combine our resources to ensure taxpayer money and Oklahomans are protected."

"The protection of the integrity of federal and state health care benefit programs is of paramount importance" said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.  "Oklahomans and citizens across the United States rely on Medicare and Medicaid services to maintain a healthy quality of life.  The pilfering by anyone from these programs will not be tolerated.  We appreciate very much the opportunity to work with General Hunter’s capable team on this case."

According to an indictment filed in March 2019, Terry was a licensed pharmacist who began operating Bratton Drug at 109 S. Oklahoma in Mangum in August 2015.  Both the Oklahoma Health Care Authority—which administers Medicaid under the name SoonerCare—and Medicare reimbursed Bratton Drug for prescription drugs that it dispensed.  The indictment alleged that from August 2015 to September 2018, Terry submitted false claims to SoonerCare and Medicare Part D for drugs that had not actually been prescribed or dispensed to patients.  Separately, the United States filed a civil action pursuant to the Anti-Fraud Injunction Statute and obtained an injunction to prohibit Terry from dissipating or alienating assets he accumulated as a result of the false claims. On August 12, 2019, Terry entered a guilty plea before Judge Palk to one count relating to Medicaid and one count relating to Medicare.

At a sentencing hearing today, Judge Palk sentenced Mr. Terry to 37 months in prison, along with three years of supervised released.  Judge Palk also ordered Terry to complete 100 hours of community service.  In announcing the sentence, Judge Palk cited to the nature and seriousness of the offense and the need to deter others from engaging in similar conduct.  Terry was ordered to pay restitution of $328,836.18 to SoonerCare and $753,334.13 to Medicare, for a total of $1,082,170.31.  Judge Palk also ordered Terry to forfeit real property in Greer County and a 2016 Dodge Challenger.

These charges were the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, Office of Audit Services.  Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General Lory Dewey, who also serves as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Maxfield Green prosecuted the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Johnson and Ron Gallegos of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Division handled the civil injunctive component of the case.

Reference is made to public filings for further information.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Kayden James Billings (22, Oxford) with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Billings faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

According to court documents, in February 2020, Billings was released from state following three separate convictions. On April 11, 2020, a female companion drove Billings to an Ocala gas station. She ran inside to ask the clerk to summon police because Billings had been battering her and threatening her with a firearm. Two officers from the Ocala Police Department quickly responded and Billings fled from the gas station on foot. As he ran across Pine Avenue, Billings discarded a loaded .45 caliber handgun, along with his driver license. Billings surrendered after the pursuing officer caught up with him and threated to deploy a Taser. The firearm, which had been previously reported stolen in Marion County, was identified by the victim as the same one Billings had used to threaten and batter her. 

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

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

This case is a 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. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.  

          RIVERSIDE, California– A Riverside County man was arrested this morning on a federal criminal complaint alleging he swindled dozens of his clients, many of them elderly retirees, in a long-running Ponzi scheme that took in more than $10 million in victim-investor money.

          Paul Horton Smith Sr., 56, of Moreno Valley, was taken into custody today by the FBI and is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

          The complaint charges Smith with one count of wire fraud, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

          According to the affidavit filed with the complaint, from at least 2013 until the present, Smith offered 75 clients an investment he called “Northstar,” which he said was a private annuity contract that was a safe alternative to the stock market and provided a generous annual rate of return of between 5 percent and 6 percent. Instead, Smith used his victim investors’ money as lulling payments to earlier investors.

          Smith, who advertised himself on his website as a chartered senior financial planner, is the owner of several businesses in the Riverside area, including Planning Services, Inc. and Northstar Communications LLC.

          He also conducted free seminars via Planning Services at various locations around the Riverside area where he discussed estate planning, trust creation to protect assets, and other financial matters. Smith solicited some of his victims at this seminar, the affidavit states.

          One victim, a 70-year-old woman who had known Smith from their mutual church association in the 1990s, sold a home in Arizona in August 2016 and wrote a $175,000 check to Northstar for investment. Instead of investing the victim’s money, Smith transferred her funds to other investors and he used her money to pay off the other investors’ tax bills with the IRS and the Franchise Tax Board, according to the affidavit.

          In November 2019, another victim, an 86-year-old woman who had known Smith for many years, invested approximately $169,126 in Northstar from the sale of a rental property. The following day, Smith took $134,863 of the victim’s money to pay off another victim investor.

          A review of bank records show that these victims have transferred more than $10 million to Smith’s business entities since 2013 and there is evidence that this scheme goes back to the early 2000s, according to the affidavit.

          A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

          The FBI investigated this matter. The Securities and Exchange Commission provided substantial assistance.

          This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Weir of the Riverside Branch Office.

LEXINGTON, Ky.- A Frankfort, Ky., man was indicted on Thursday for assaulting and threatening to kill special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A federal grand jury in Lexington returned an indictment charging 29 year-old Phillip E. Morris with one count of knowingly and intentionally assaulting, impeding or resisting FBI special agents, in the performance of their official duties. The indictment also alleges that Morris knowingly and intentionally threatened to murder FBI special agents, with the intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with them while they were engaged in the performance of their official duties.             

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the indictment.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West. 

A date for Morris’s to appear in court has not yet been scheduled. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. 

            Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Brent O’Neal McCray (36, Coleman) with five counts of distributing methamphetamine. If convicted on all counts, McCray faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.

According to court documents, on five separate occasions during February and March 2020, McCray sold approximately 7 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant and an undercover officer. Surveillance images captured by the undercover officer showed McCray selling the drugs from a rental vehicle. On at least one occasion, McCray had small children inside the vehicle during the drug sale.

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

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.     

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that John George Medas, 67, of North Royalton, was indicted on 25 counts of failing to pay over taxes from employees and one count of embezzling from his employees’ health plan.

Medas owned and operated various manufacturing businesses and served as President of Guarantee Product Specialties, Inc., Fulton Manufacturing Industries, LLC, and FMI Products, LLC.

According to the indictment, Medas withheld payroll tax from employees but failed to pay these taxes to the IRS.  Medas failed to pay over $760,725 from April 30, 2014, to January 31, 2019.  Medas also withheld $3,807 in pre-tax health contributions and embezzled the funds between July 29, 2016, and September 16, 2016.

An indictment is only a charge 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.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Department of Labor.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian McDonough.

Oxford, Miss. – A United States Magistrate Judge has ordered that an Arkansas woman be held without bond following her arrest last Friday for aiding and abetting the attempted murder of a Deputy U.S. Marshal who was acting in the line of duty.

Xaveriana Cook, 23, appeared in U.S. Magistrate Court on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, for a preliminary and detention hearing on multiple charges stemming from a shoot-out that occurred on South Lamar Boulevard in Oxford on Friday, May 15, 2020, when U.S. Marshals attempted to arrest Cook’s boyfriend, Hunter Carlstrom, on an outstanding murder warrant out of Arkansas. The arrest warrant charged Carlstrom with the May 5, 2020, murder of James Sartorelli, a/k/a “Caveman,” who was killed with a gunshot wound to the head in his Smithville, Arkansas residence.

Testimony revealed that Carlstrom and Cook were together in Cook’s vehicle on Friday when members of the U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle in an attempt to arrest Carlstrom on the outstanding murder warrant. During the lunch-hour traffic stop, Carlstrom shot a Deputy U.S. Marshal, who sustained severe internal injuries as a result of the gunshot wound and required emergency surgery.  Carlstrom was shot by return fire from law enforcement and died on scene. Cook, who had been driving the vehicle, was taken into custody by law enforcement.

Cook is charged by criminal complaint with transportation of stolen firearms, possession of stolen firearms, and aiding and abetting the attempt to kill an officer of the United States while the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties. Evidence was presented at the hearing that Carlstrom told Cook of his plan to kill Sartorelli and rob him of drugs, guns and cash, and that he used Cook’s vehicle to travel to Sartorelli’s house and commit the murder.  Upon returning, Carlstrom told Cook he killed Sartorelli, and Cook observed Carlstrom in possession of firearms, cash and drugs. Testimony established that law enforcement officers in Arkansas located the body of James Sartorelli on May 7, 2020, and an Arkansas County Circuit Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Hunter Carlstrom for that murder on May 11, 2020. However, by that time, Cook and Carlstrom had fled Arkansas, traveling in Cook’s car to Mississippi, where they stayed with acquaintances from May 7, 2020, until May 15, 2020.

An investigating agent testified at Cook’s detention hearing that Cook admitted Carlstrom had told her on multiple occasions that he would not go back to prison and that he would have a shoot-out with the cops if he and Cook were ever stopped by law enforcement.  On May 15, 2020, after the attempt to arrest Carlstrom and the ensuing shoot-out, law enforcement officers searched the scene and found a stolen Glock, 9mm handgun.  In addition, officers searched the residence where Carlstrom and Cook had been staying for the previous week, and located two firearms that had been stolen from James Sartorelli’s house.

After hearing approximately three hours of testimony on Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Magistrate Judge Roy Percy found that Cook presented a risk of flight and ordered that Cook be held in jail without a bond pending trial. The case is being prosecuted by AUSA Clyde McGee and AUSA Clay Dabbs.

The public is reminded that all charges are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.