LOS ANGELES– A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced today to 108 months in federal prison for leading a conspiracy to distribute powerful prescription opioids via sham medical clinics that hired corrupt doctors who wrote fraudulent prescriptions to black market customers.

          Minas Matosyan, a.k.a. “Maserati Mike,” 40, of Encino, was sentenced by United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez. Matosyan pleaded guilty in April 2019 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

          Matosyan was arrested in August 2017 pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment charging him and 12 other defendants with scheming to divert at least 2 million controlled prescription pills for sale on the black market. According to his plea agreement, Matosyan and his co-conspirators controlled the sham clinics and hired corrupt doctors who allowed their names to be used on fraudulent prescriptions in exchange for kickbacks. Matosyan also admitted that he and his co-conspirators stole the identities of other doctors and then issued prescriptions in those doctors’ names, either by personally acquiring prescription pads in the doctors’ names or by arranging for other co-conspirators to do so.

          As part of the scheme, Matosyan staffed receptionists at the clinics who would falsely verify the phony prescriptions to pharmacists who called to check on their veracity. He also sold narcotic prescriptions to black market customers – either directly or through couriers – and bulk quantities of hydrocodone and oxycodone he had acquired from phony prescriptions filled at pharmacies by other customers.

          In May 2016, Matosyan offered a doctor a “very lucrative position” where the doctor would “sit home making $20,000 a month doing nothing,” according to Matosyan’s plea agreement. After the doctor declined the offer, Matosyan stole the doctor’s identity, sending a co-conspirator a text message containing the doctor’s full name, medical license number and national provider identifier number that the co-conspirator used to order prescription pads in the doctor’s name. Over the next two months, Matosyan and his co-conspirators sold fraudulent prescriptions, purportedly issued by the victim doctor, for at least 9,450 pills of oxycodone and 990 pills of hydrocodone.

          Matosyan also admitted in the plea agreement that he conspired with others, including a lawyer, Fred Minassian, 53, of Glendale, to obstruct justice, by providing falsifying medical records to police to thwart an investigation into the seizure of a load of Vicodin from one of the conspiracy’s major customers.

          This case so far has resulted in 11 convictions. Minassian is scheduled to go on trial on July 7.

          The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration; IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General; the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit; and Homeland Security Investigations. Substantial assistance was provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the California Department of Justice, and the Orange Police Department.

          This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin R. Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Office.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for a bank fraud conspiracy in which he and others used stolen mail to create dozens of counterfeit checks that they attempted to cash at area banks.

Shannon Western Fields, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to two years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Fields to pay $21,279 in restitution to four banks that were victimized by the conspiracy. 

On Nov. 19, 2019, Fields pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud from February to May 7, 2018, in Greene, Christian, Jasper, and Newton counties. Fields admitted that he and others stole mail from individuals and businesses in order to obtain checks and personal identity information. Conspirators purchased blank check stock and magnetic ink from office supply stores to create counterfeit checks by using the stolen checks (typically business checks) as templates. They created checks payable to the conspirators, or used stolen identity information to create counterfeit identification such as Social Security cards and Missouri driver’s licenses, to cash the checks.

In addition to Fields, 11 unidentified co-conspirators were listed as the payees on the forged and counterfeit checks. Along with Fields, they attempted to cash dozens of checks at various financial institutions in Springfield and Branson, Missouri. Many of those attempts were unsuccessful.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.

PITTSBURGH - An Allegheny County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotic and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The three-count Indictment, returned on May 19, named Traevon Rasha Nicholson, age 24, of Verona, Pennsylvania, (Penn Hills) as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on January 26, 2020, Nicholson possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The Indictment further alleges that on the same date, Nicholson possessed a firearm, an IMEZ/Baikal pistol, in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. The Indictment further alleges that Nicholson possessed that firearm, the IMEZ/Baikal pistol, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a felony, namely, Murder in the Three Degree on July 21, 2015. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a felony from owning firearms.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of $1,500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

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

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

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

            CONCORD - Michael Mowry, 43, of Acton, Maine pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

             According to court documents and statements made in court, in May of 2018, a New Hampshire State Police trooper pulled over a vehicle on I-95 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for multiple traffic violations.  Mowry was a passenger in the vehicle.  The trooper developed suspicions about drug activity and called for a narcotics detection dog. The dog alerted to the odor of narcotics.  After the trooper advised the driver of the detection of narcotics, Mowry admitted to the trooper that there was methamphetamine in a backpack in the rear seat.  The backpack contained  755 grams of methamphetamine.

             Mowry is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2020.

            “Interstate drug trafficking threatens the health and safety of citizens throughout New England,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “Those who sell methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs are putting our friends and neighbors in jeopardy.  In order to protect our community, we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who participate in the drug trade.”   

            This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Hampshire State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Dronzek.

###

          LOS ANGELES– A Texas woman who helped lead an interstate narcotics trafficking ring pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges arising out of an opioid buy-back scheme in which a doctor at a Los Angeles clinic prescribed opioids to putative patients that the clinic bought back and sold on the black market in California and Texas.

          Angela Gillespie-Shelton, a.k.a. “Boss Lady” and “Angotti”, 54, of Houston, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

          According to her plea agreement, from October 2012 to January 2015, Gillespie-Shelton and her co-conspirators ran Southfork Medical Clinic, located in the Harvard Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. At the time, Gillespie-Shelton primarily was based in Texas, but she frequently traveled to California.

          At the clinic, Gillespie-Shelton’s co-conspirator – Dr. Madhu Garg, 69, of Glendora – saw “patients” and regularly prescribed them narcotics. The drugs included oxycodone and hydrocodone (commonly sold under the brand names Vicodin, Norco and Lortab), alprazolam (best known by the brand name Xanax), carisoprodol (a muscle relaxant sold under the brand name Soma) and promethazine with codeine (a cough syrup sold on the street as “purple drank” and “sizzurp”). After the “patients” filled the prescriptions, Gillespie-Shelton and her co-conspirators bought the drugs from their “patients” and shipped them to Texas, where they were sold on the black market. Gillespie-Shelton’s co-conspirators also stole a physician’s identity to issue falsified prescriptions to obtain additional narcotics.

          In Texas, Gillespie-Shelton used two pharmacies that she controlled as a front to sell the drugs shipped from Southfork on the black market. Under Gillespie-Shelton’s control, the pharmacies in Texas also filled false or fraudulent prescriptions and received kickbacks from the fake prescriptions.

          Gillespie-Shelton also laundered more than $1 million from the diversion schemes through numerous accounts. She used some of the money to further the narcotics trafficking conspiracy, which included paying rent for the Southfork Clinic and a stash house in Los Angeles, as well as paying Garg more than $200,000 for writing the illegal prescriptions.

          Garg pleaded guilty in February 2016 to illegally distributing oxycodone and money laundering, and she served an 18-month prison sentence.

          United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt has scheduled an October 1 sentencing hearing, at which time Gillespie-Shelton will face a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.

          The case against Gillespie-Shelton was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the California Department of Justice, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. This investigation was conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

          The prosecution of Gillespie-Shelton is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.

RALEIGH– United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, BRENDA JOYCE HALL, 51, of Godwin, NC, had an initial appearance on an indictment charging her with, among other things, Conspiracy to Commit Student Loan Fraud and Wire Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft.

United States Attorney Higdon stated, “This defendant is charged with helping to orchestrate a long-standing fraud upon one of our institutions of higher learning by fabricating high school transcripts.  A scheme that is alleged to have resulted in in substantial federal education funding being used by Hall for her own personal interests and gain.”

“Per the indictment, Ms. Hall seems to have viewed Federal student aid as a private slush fund rather that what it is – funding to help students make their dream of a higher education a reality,” said Neil Sanchez, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Southern Regional Office.  “As the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Education, we are committed to fighting student aid fraud and ensuring that those who steal student aid or game the system for their own selfish purposes are stopped and held accountable for their criminal actions.”

The Indictment alleges that HALL and various others resided at a place referred to as “The Ranch” in Cumberland County, that was owned and operated by a tent revival preacher.  According to the Indictment, The Ranch consisted largely of several related families, but outsiders and their children were also invited to, and did, reside there over time.  The owner of The Ranch also owned various fish markets in the same area.  HALL, who is alleged to have worked at The Ranch and at the fish markets, also operated a non-public home school, known as “Halls of Knowledge”, from The Ranch.

The Indictment further alleges that HALL and others carried out a scheme to fraudulently acquire hundreds of thousands of dollars in Federal Student Aid to fund the operations of the Ranch, the fish markets, and to make other purchases.  To carry out the scheme, Hall and others would approach individuals residing on the Ranch and solicit their enrollment in an online course of college-level studies at Wake Tech.  The individuals solicited are referred to in the Indictment as the “Student Participants.” 

To attend the online course of college level studies at Wake Tech, the Student Participants were required to have successfully completed their high school level of education.  But most of the Student Participants never graduated from high school, and none completed their high school education through HALL’s home school, the Halls of Knowledge.  Many of the Student Participants had no genuine desire nor intention to attend college courses and graduate from Wake Tech.  None had the financial means to attend college without federal student aid.

Nevertheless, the Indictment charges that HALL and others provided various assurances to the Student Participants to get them to agree to be enrolled at Wake Tech.  For example, various Student Participants were told: (1) they would receive a high school diploma; (2) would receive a laptop or would get to keep some money; (3) they would not have to actually do the coursework; or (4) they would not be responsible for the student loans.

The Indictment then alleges that HALL fabricated high school transcripts for the Student Participants.  The transcripts represented that each of the Student Participants successfully completed four years of high school education through Halls of Knowledge.  The transcripts also fraudulently represented, for each year of study, the courses allegedly taken by the Student Participant, and the grade the Student Participant received in each course.  HALL directed another resident of The Ranch to notarize these transcripts.

The Indictment alleges that HALL assisted the Student Participants to become enrolled at Wake Tech by, among other things, causing the fake transcripts and other documents to be delivered to Wake Tech.  In addition to becoming enrolled in Wake Tech by fraud, Federal Student Aid was also awarded to the Student Participants based on the fraud.  As much as $700,000 in federal student aid was awarded based on the fake transcripts.

The Indictment alleges that funds left over after the payment of tuition were supposed to support other educational costs for the students.  But the students were not permitted by HALL and the Ranch owner to keep all of the funds.  Instead, the Student Participants were directed, in some instances, to cash out the remaining funds and pay them over to The Ranch.  The remaining student aid monies were then used to fund the operations of the Ranch, the fish markets, and other ventures.

The Indictment further alleges that after the Student Participants were enrolled at Wake Tech, the Students did not, in fact, attend all of the courses in which they were enrolled.  Instead HALL, and others at The Ranch, would fraudulently attend and complete online courses for the Student Participants.  This allowed the scheme to go on, undetected, for several years.

For her role in the conduct, HALL is charged with various federal offenses, carrying different maximum penalties.  Conspiracy to Commit Student Loan Fraud, and Student Loan Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and Title 20, United States Code, Section 1097(a), are punishable by up to five years in prison.   Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, and Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1349 and 1343, are punishable by up to twenty years in prison.  Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1), is punishable by not less than 2, nor more than two, years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence. 

An indictment is an allegation of a crime.  The defendant is presumed under the law to be innocent until proven guilty. 

The investigation of this case is being conducted by the United States Department of Education Office of the Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represents the United States.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role as a member of a drug trafficking conspiracy and his possession of multiple semiautomatic firearms in furtherance of his unlawful drug-trafficking activities, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jubri West, 20, of Trenton, pleaded guilty by teleconference before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to a superseding information charging him with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin; possession with intent to distribute heroin; and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

In October 2018, West and 25 other individuals were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin; West and others also were charged with firearms offenses relating to their drug trafficking. On Feb. 27, 2020, a grand jury returned a 10-count third superseding indictment charging West and six other defendants with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and various other drug and firearms offenses. Of the 26 defendants originally charged in the criminal complaint, West is the 22^nd defendant to plead guilty. The charges in the third superseding indictment remain pending against four defendants.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From as early as October 2017 to October 2018, West and others engaged in a large drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in the areas of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Sanford Street, Middle Rose Street, Southard Street, Hoffman Avenue, Chambers Street, and Coolidge Avenue in Trenton, and which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin and numerous other controlled substances. Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that Jakir Taylor and Jerome Roberts obtained regular supplies of hundreds of “bricks” of heroin from David Antonio, whom they referred to as “Pop” and “Papi,” and that they distributed those supplies of heroin to other dealers and end users in and around Trenton.

During the investigation of the conspiracy, on Sept. 6, 2018, law enforcement officers stopped a green 2002 Volkswagen Passat driven by, and registered to, Timothy Wimbush, a/k/a “Young Money,” and occupied by West, Taquan Williams, a/k/a Trip,” and a juvenile. Law enforcement officers recovered from West’s pocket a quantity of heroin, and during a subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement recovered from a secret trap compartment under the rear passenger’s seat approximately 57 bricks of heroin, four semiautomatic firearms – including a .223 caliber assault rifle linked with a shooting in Trenton four days earlier – and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Law enforcement officers identified the heroin as having been supplied by other members of the conspiracy. The charges against Wimbush and Williams remain pending.

The drug conspiracy and drug distribution counts to which West pleaded guilty each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $1 million. The firearms count to which West pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison – which must run consecutively to any other sentence West receives – and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. West’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2020.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Nicholas Sutter; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John P. Stemler III; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Bruce Painter; and detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the  direction of Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri; officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of

Sheriff John A. Kemler; and members of the New Jersey State Board of Parole for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case.

The government is represented by Attorney-in-Charge J. Brendan Day and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

The charges and allegations pending in the third superseding indictment against the remaining defendants are merely accusations and those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Kevin Turner was still on parole for his last bank robbery

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced that Kevin Delando Turner, 50, of Benton Harbor, was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff. Turner pled guilty in February to robbing an Old National Bank branch in Kalamazoo with his nephew Draper Turner. Draper pled guilty, cooperated with the government, and was sentenced in November 2019 to 51 months’ imprisonment.

          On March 25, 2019, Kevin recruited and drove Draper to the Old National Bank. On the drive to Kalamazoo, Kevin told Draper how to rob the bank. Kevin waited in his car outside the Old National Bank, while Draper went in, told the teller he had a gun, and obtained $3,150 in cash. A bystander saw Draper run from the bank to Kevin’s car, and gave the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety a description of the vehicle. An off-duty police lieutenant spotted the car, and noted the license plate number before losing the robbers in traffic.

          Police determined the car was registered to Kevin, who was still on parole for a 2009 bank robbery in Kalamazoo. Police found and arrested Kevin in Benton Harbor, in possession of several thousand dollars in cash. Kevin initially denied being near the bank, but when police told him a witness saw the robber getting in his car, Kevin fabricated a story about a carjacker abducting him at gunpoint.

          Police separately found and arrested Draper, whose parole officer recognized him from bank surveillance footage. Draper confessed robbing the Old National Bank with his uncle Kevin, and told FBI agents Kevin had bragged about robbing two other banks in Michigan and two in Indiana. Using surveillance footage and cellular phone location techniques, FBI determined Kevin was responsible for four open robbery cases. When Kevin robbed the two other banks in Michigan, he told showed the tellers a device with wires, and led them to believe it was a bomb he would detonate if they did not comply. Kevin received a longer sentence because of his long history of crimes against people and property, his leadership role in the offense, and because he waited until shortly before trial to plead guilty.

          Steven M. D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan stated, "The sentences imposed on these two defendants reflect the serious nature of bank robberies. The FBI is proud of the role it played alongside our law enforcement partners to get two violent offenders off of the streets, making our community a safer place for all."

###

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Four people have admitted to drug distribution in the Wheeling area, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Kayla Lallathin, also known as “Cat,” of Wheeling, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a Protected Location.” Lallathin, age 29, admitted to conspiring with others to sell crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl from September 2018 to June 2019 in Ohio County. She also admitted to selling methamphetamine near Luau Manor in Ohio County in March 2019.

Duane Green, also known as “Rick,” of Columbus, Ohio, pled guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a Protected Location.” Green, age 34, admitted to selling methamphetamine near Luau Manor in Ohio County in April 2019.

Charles Cesar Ansley, Jr., also known as “Mike,” of Wheeling, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a Protected Location.” Ansley, age 40, admitted to selling methamphetamine near Luau Manor in Ohio County in March 2019.

Audie Fry, also known as “Ott,” of Wheeling, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a Protected Location.” Fry, age 63, admitted to selling methamphetamine near Luau Manor in Ohio County in April 2019.

Lallathin faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the conspiracy charge. Lallathin, Green, Cesar, and Fry each face at least one and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000 for the aiding and a abetting charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. 

U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Alvaro Mendez-Flores, age 39,  of Mexico, was sentenced today to 41 months imprisonment and over $4,000,000 in restitution, for conspiring to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering.

According to court records, Mendez-Flores and his co-conspirators stole vast amounts of used cooking oil from numerous restaurants, arranged for the stolen oil to be transported to the northeast, and laundered the proceeds.

As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, used cooking oil, historically viewed as a waste product, has become a valuable recycled commodity over the past decade. The majority of the recycled cooking oil sold is used for biofuel, fluctuating with market demand. It can also be used as a nutritional additive to animal feed and pet food, or in the production of many consumer and industrial products.

Legitimate businesses, known as renderers, collect used cooking oil from restaurants in exchange of compensation and sell it to refineries so that it can be processed and recycled. The rendering industry estimates that there is an annual loss of approximately $45-75 million dollars from the theft of used cooking oil.

United States Attorney Higdon emphasized, “These crimes rob hardworking citizens and restaurant owners of valuable income necessary to their livelihood and it will not be tolerated.”  

“Used cooking oil has become a sought-after commodity by biodiesel companies, and restaurants use the sale of this oil as another source of revenue,” said Ronnie A. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Charlotte, North Carolina. “This organized group of co-conspirators had an elaborate scheme to steal thousands of gallons of cooking oil for their own profit in violation of several U.S. laws.”

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge James C. Dever III. 

The case was investigated by HSI. 

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. 5:19-cr-00220-D-21.

A man who traveled from Minnesota to Iowa to have sex with minors was sentenced today to 27 years in federal prison. 

Terrance Nordwall, age 51, of Faribault, Minnesota, received the sentence after an October 31, 2019, jury verdict finding him guilty of attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted enticement of minors, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. 

The evidence at trial showed that, in March and April of 2019, Nordwall exchanged text messages with a man who he believed was a “pimp” with a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl available.  The man was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.  Nordwall agreed to pay the pimp $200 for a half hour with the two girls, and he drove to the Cedar Rapids area, where he met law enforcement officers.  In 2004, in Minnesota, Nordwall was convicted of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree, two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree, and possession of pornographic work involving minors.

Nordwall was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Nordwall was sentenced to 324 months’ imprisonment.  A special assessment of $300 was imposed, and Nordwall must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release.  He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Hiawatha Police Department. 

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

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 19-57. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that a federal grand jury in Cleveland returned a three-count indictment charging Justin Michl, age 23, of Akron with intent to distribute Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), possession of firearms in furtherance of a federal drug trafficking offense and money laundering.

According to the criminal complaint filed in this matter, On July 12, 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Akron and recovered over 3,500 THC vape cartridges. These cartridges contained a liquid that, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), may contain extraordinarily high THC levels ranging from 40% to 80%. This form of marijuana can be up to four times stronger in THC content than high-grade marijuana, which normally measures around 20% THC levels.

In addition to the THC cartridges, agents recovered four firearms, ammunition, and $85,627 in United States currency.  Agents also discovered that Michl purchased an all-terrain vehicle with drug trafficking proceeds in February of 2019. 

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 FDA – Office of Criminal Investigations in conjunction with the Ohio Attorney General’s Organized Crime Commission Major Crimes Task Force which consists of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Howell.

MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jack Taylor, 35, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James Peterson to 114 months in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Taylor pleaded guilty to this charge on January 9, 2020. 

On July 24, 2019, La Crosse police officers executed a search warrant at Taylor’s residence in La Crosse.  Inside the residence, officers found over 100 grams of methamphetamine, a drug ledger, and a digital scale.  At the time officers executed the search warrant, Taylor was on bond from a felony drug trafficking case in La Crosse County and two separate drug trafficking cases in Houston County, Minnesota.  In addition, Taylor was on supervision in Houston County from a felony conviction for fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. 

In imposing the sentence, Judge Peterson noted that Taylor has a disturbing criminal history, including multiple violent felony convictions, and was involved in selling a large amount of methamphetamine to the La Crosse community.  Judge Peterson also expressed his displeasure that Taylor continued to sell methamphetamine even after an arrest in La Crosse in January 2019 for methamphetamine trafficking.  In total, Taylor’s criminal history includes 14 prior felony convictions.

The charge against Taylor was a result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department, La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, and Winona (Minnesota) Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the unsealing of a federal indictment charging ARLIN MAURICE THUNDER, 46, with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. THUNDER made his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby in U.S. District Court in Bemidji, Minnesota. THUNDER was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

According to the allegations in the indictment, on May 13, 2019, THUNDER was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and a firearm, specifically a Star Bonifacio Echeverria Firestar M43 9 mm caliber pistol. Because THUNDER has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms at any time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker is prosecuting the case.

Defendant Information:

ARLIN MAURICE THUNDER, 46

Redby, Minnesota

Charges:

• Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 1 count
• Possession of a firearm by a felon, 1 count

###

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today the final sentences have been imposed in the prosecution of a 24-member drug trafficking operation. Darrell Lee-Lamont Summers II, Daryl Kevin Cannon, Timothy Roy Mason, and Tremain Lamar Braxton were sentenced this week following their convictions for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and related crimes after a ten-day trial in November before the Honorable Robert J. Jonker, Chief United States District Judge. The remaining 20 defendants were sentenced between May 2019 and February 2020 for crimes committed as a part of the conspiracy.

          The evidence at trial demonstrated that the leaders of the conspiracy, including Summers, Cannon, Raymond Demetrius Stovall, and Richard Lee James, Jr., brought or sent, in total, hundreds of thousands of dollars to suppliers in California and Arizona, including Kentrell Terome Dunn, who subsequently shipped hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine back to Michigan through the mail to them and others in the organization. The cash deliveries and shipments took place between 2016 and 2018. The organization largely distributed the methamphetamine in southwest Michigan, including in greater Kalamazoo. Law enforcement intercepted three packages during the investigation, which in total contained approximately 14 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, between 96% and 99% pure. At the time of the interceptions, those 14 pounds alone were worth more than $40,000 on the southwest border from which they shipped and nearly $100,000 wholesale in Michigan.  

The Court imposed the following sentences on the conspirators:

          "These substantial sentences, ranging from years to decades, should serve as a stark warning to others who might aspire to become drug dealers, or to provide assistance to them," said U.S. Attorney Birge. "Crystal methamphetamine is a dangerous drug, and these sentences underscore the serious consequences for those who get involved in its distribution."

          "A coordinated effort from multiple law enforcement agencies successfully removed two dozen violent and dangerous drug dealers from southwest Michigan, but the work of protecting these communities continues," said Steven M. D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Division. "The FBI’s resolve to identify criminals who are trafficking these substances and bringing them to justice has not faltered and we will continue to work hand-in-hand with the DEA, SWET, and KVET to achieve this goal."

          This case was investigated by the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, and the Southwest Enforcement Team (a component of the Michigan State Police), who were assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Michigan Department of Corrections, the Portage Police Department, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, and TSA Investigations – Detroit Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin M. Presant, Jonathan Roth, Vito S. Solitro, and retired Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Courtade prosecuted the case.

###

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

The two-count Indictment, returned on May 19, named Dayon Chambers, age 40, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on February 5, 2020, Chambers possessed with the intent to distribute and did distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The Indictment further alleges that on February 19, 2020, Chambers owned a Smith & Wesson shotgun and ammunition, knowing that he had been previously convicted of a felony. Chambers was previously convicted of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine on April 15, 2013. Federal law prohibits those who have been convicted of a felony from owning firearms.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of $8,250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

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

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Western Pennsylvania Opiate Overdose Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

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

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder and U.S. Marshal Rob Heun today issued the following statements in support of the Alaska Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) initiative to enhance 911 services in rural Alaska:

“The primary duty of Alaska’s law enforcement community is to protect all of us in the Great Land,” said U.S. Attorney Schroder.  “In most urban areas of Alaska, if a 911 call is dropped, dispatchers will still have the caller’s location and can send help.  Currently, the same cannot be said for rural Alaska; however, under this initiative, DPS will soon have location information in rural areas covered by cell phones.  For callers off the road system, knowing their location plays a pivotal role in dispatching first responders.”

“The enhanced 911 services will not only save lives for those who live in rural communities, but also for Alaskans and visitors who take part in recreational activities off the road system,” said U.S. Attorney Schroder.  “DPS’s initiative strengthens the Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement Network’s (RAAVEN) ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime and address public safety needs in rural Alaska.  I support and commend Commissioner Amanda Price’s efforts to provide better public safety services to all Alaskans.”

“As active partners with the Alaska State Troopers in rural Alaska, the U.S. Marshals Service appreciates the enhanced 911 services. These services will play a major role in law enforcement, contribute to increased officer safety and the protection to all of Alaska’s citizens and visitors,” said U.S. Marshal Heun.

On May 13, 2020, DPS announced plans to enhance 911 communication services to improve law enforcement services to all Alaskans.  The initiative will improve 911 services across 80 percent of Alaska.

BOSTON – A man identified as a member of the Heath Street Gang pleaded guilty today to charges of distributing crack cocaine in a public housing development.

Michael Pridgen, 36, pleaded guilty during a videoconference hearing to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl, and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in a public housing development. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns will schedule sentencing at a later date. Pridgen has been detained since his arrest on Sept. 10, 2019.

Pridgen distributed crack cocaine in and around the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, formerly known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development, in Boston on June 5, 2019 and July 2, 2019. In the June 5, 2019, incident, Pridgen stored the crack cocaine and a digital scale in an electrical box affixed to the wall in the stairwell of the public housing complex. Both transactions occurred in common stairwells in the complex. At the time of his arrest on Sept. 10, 2019, Pridgen was found on a bench in a courtyard at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, in possession of a distributable-quantity of crack cocaine and fentanyl. Although Pridgen has been identified by law enforcement as a member of the Heath Street Gang, he was living in Westborough at the time of these incidents. 

The charge of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances in a public housing development provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of six years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today.

This case is 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, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

GREAT FALLS—A Browning man convicted by a jury of raping and sexually abusing two women on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation under the guise of offering each  a ride home was sentenced today to 54 months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

A jury in January found Alphonse Bird, 85, guilty of one count of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of sexual abuse.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided.

"American Indian women face far too much violence. The violence must stop, and offenders, regardless of their age, will be held accountable," U. S. Attorney Alme said.

During trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Bird sexually assaulted two women on separate occasions within two months in 2018 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. On Sept. 15, 2018, the first victim approached a Blackfeet Law Enforcement officer near the Town Pump in Browning and reported that Bird had just raped her. Bird had picked her up near the Blackfeet Care Center and she thought he was giving her a ride home. Instead, Bird drove toward East Glacier Park, parked the vehicle and raped her. The victim couldn’t get Bird to stop until she got sick. He dropped her off near Advanced Towing and witnesses helped her. The victim promptly reported the assault.

In the second assault, a witness called law enforcement on Nov. 4, 2018 to report an incident she had just observed south of Browning in which a vehicle was parked on the side of the road. The witness pulled up to the passenger side to see if the occupants needed assistance. Bird was in the driver’s seat and the victim was a passenger. The victim attempted to sit up but was unable to do so. Bird drove away. The witness tried to follow but could not keep up and called law enforcement. A law enforcement officer located the vehicle and when she approached, she saw Bird, who had his right arm in a sling and was putting a glove on his left hand. Bird said he was bringing his passenger home and was just turning around.

The victim told the officer that Bird had picked her up and she thought he was going to take her home. The victim was intoxicated and had trouble recounting what happened, but said Bird sexually assaulted her despite her telling him to stop. The victim said Bird kept telling her she was going to be okay.

DNA analysis linked Bird to evidence collected from both of the victims.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Blackfeet Law Enforcement.

XXX

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Guillermo Torres-Acevedo, 23, of Batavia, NY, who was convicted of enticing a minor to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison and 10 years supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
 
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan A. Tokash, who handled the case, stated that on November 25, 2018, the defendant, then a 22 year old man, had sexual relations with Victim 1, a 14 year old girl. Torres-Acevedo was arrested the following day for, among other charges, rape in violation of New York Penal Law.
 
Following his arrest, the defendant persuaded Victim 1 to travel with him out of state to continue their relationship. On November 29, 2018, Torres-Acevedo picked up Victim 1 from school in Genesee County, NY, and drove her to Pennsylvania, where they had sexual intercourse. Under Pennsylvania law, that constituted the crime of statutory sexual assault.
 
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr.; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton; the Pennsylvania State Police, under the direction of Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel Robert Evanchick; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.

# # # #