ATLANTA – Antonio DaShawn Daniels has been indicted on federal charges related to possession with the intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. 

“The quantity of drugs, money, and firearms allegedly controlled by Daniels highlights the scale of heroin and cocaine trafficked into this community by local drug dealers with high-level ties to international drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “Daniels allegedly used these ties to flood this district with drugs and reap the financial benefits. We will not tolerate the destruction of lives through the scourge of the drug trade.”

“The arrest of Daniels, along with the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of drugs, dozens of guns, and more than a million dollars in cash, represents a significant victory for DEA, our law enforcement partners, and – most of all – for the people of Atlanta,” said Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea. “This case illustrates the devastating impact that violence fueled by drug trafficking can have on our communities.  Drug traffickers, and the organizations they work with, use fear and violence to enrich themselves with little regard for the communities they destroy in the process. The DEA stands resolute with our law enforcement partners to protect the health, safety, and security of the American people.”

“Our community and our citizens are safer today because of the removal of a massive amount of drugs, weapons and cash that were destined to destroy lives,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI values our partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. These results would not be possible without them.”

“This poly-drug trafficker brazenly continued his drug trafficking activities despite having served time in federal prison for drug distribution. His arrest removes yet another dangerous criminal from our streets and sends a clear message to others who may choose to follow the same perilous path. DEA, its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue and ultimately prosecute criminals like Daniels,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division.

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: In October 2019, federal agents uncovered ledgers from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization showing that Daniels received just over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine between August 2018 and October 2019. The ledgers reflected that Daniels returned more than $31 million in drug proceeds to the organization that were eventually transported to Mexico.

During the investigation, federal agents identified multiple apartments and homes in the metro-Atlanta area that Daniels allegedly used to prepare and distribute drugs. On July 27, 2020, agents executed federal search warrants at those locations, which resulted in Daniels’ arrest and the seizure of a large amount of drugs, money, and weapons.

• Inside a studio apartment in Atlanta, agents found approximately 28 kilograms of heroin, six kilograms of cocaine, eight kilograms of marijuana, and more than $1 million in cash. There were 41 firearms stashed throughout the apartment, along with kilo-presses, scales, strainers with white powder residue, and a money counter.

• Inside a home in Atlanta, agents found 142 kilograms of heroin and four kilograms of cocaine.

In total, agents seized approximately 170 kilograms of heroin, 10 kilograms of cocaine, eight kilograms of marijuana, more than $1 million in cash, and 41 firearms.

Antonio DaShawn Daniels, a/k/a Freckleface Shawn, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia was indicted on August 11, 2020.  Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges.  The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Hartigan is prosecuting the case.

This case is presented as a part of Operation SCOPE (Strategically Combatting Opioids through Prosecution and Enforcement), which is an initiative launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to partner with federal and local law enforcement to fight the devastating effects that illegally-prescribed painkillers, heroin, and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl have on our neighborhoods.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Physician’s Mobile X-Ray has agreed to pay the United States $49,759 to resolve potential liability under the False Claims Act. Physician’s Mobile X-Ray is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and provides mobile imaging services, including x-rays, ultrasounds and cardiac services.

According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Physician Mobile X-Ray improperly billed Medicare for the transportation component of X-Ray equipment when x-ray services were provided to more than one Medicare beneficiary at the same location during the same trip.  While Medicare will reimburse providers for a transportation component associated with mobile imaging services, that transportation component should be apportioned when more than one patient at the same location receives an x-ray during the same visit.  The United States alleged that Physician’s Mobile X-Ray failed to apportion its charges between 2014 and 2019, leading to overcharges to Medicare.

“Federal Medicare funds provide vital assistance to citizens in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and across the entire country every day,” said U.S. Attorney Freed.  “A primary function of our ACE Unit is to ensure that providers are only reimbursed for authorized activities.  When our monitoring function uncovered the issue in this matter, Physicians Mobile X-Ray cooperated in reaching a resolution that is fair to the taxpayers and the business alike.”

Physician’s Mobile X-Ray cooperated with the investigation and updated its internal review protocols to prevent similar overcharges in the future. The settlement agreement is not an admission of liability by the provider. 

This matter was investigated by the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) Unit within the U.S. Attorney’s Office and is assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Brian Simpson.  The Office of Counsel to the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also assisted in this investigation.   

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ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Botsford, age 24, of Troy, New York, was arrested on Monday and charged with attempting to entice or coerce a child.  

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The criminal complaint alleges that between July 14, 2020 and August 10, 2020, Botsford exchanged sexually explicit text messages with an undercover investigator who was posing as a 13-year-old girl.  On August 10, 2020, Botsford traveled from Troy to Cohoes, New York, to meet and have sex with a 13-year-old child at a predetermined location.  Botsford was encountered by law enforcement and arrested. 

Botsford appeared in court yesterday for an initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Christian Hummel.  Today, Botsford waived his right to a detention hearing, subject to renewal of that right upon further notice.

The charge filed against Botsford carries a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. 

This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, including investigators from the Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Williams. 

Anyone with information about this defendant is encouraged to contact the FBI Albany Field Office at (518) 465-7551. 

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/. 

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Goldsboro man was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl and for Distribution of Fentanyl.

According to court documents, Donte Terrill Kornegay, A/K/A “Boston,” 45, of Goldsboro, was involved in the overdose death by fentanyl of a twenty-one year old victim in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina.  Trial testimony and text messages and phone toll records recovered from witnesses’ cell phones established that on the night of April 6, 2016, the victim purchased fentanyl from a coconspirator, at the direction of Kornegay. In addition, the trial testimony revealed that prior to that night, Kornegay had been distributing heroin in the Sneads Ferry area since 2015.

Mr. Higdon commented:  “The United States Justice Department and the United States Attorney’s Office are aggressively pursuing distributors of heroin and fentanyl.  These drugs pose a serious danger to the people of Eastern North Carolina and we intend to remove that danger as part of our effort to ‘Take Back North Carolina’ from the drug traffickers and violent criminals.”

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Wilmington Resident Office investigated the case and  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan Ethan Ontjes and Toby Lathan represented the government.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:18-cr-00100-FL.

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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.

U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced today that Mohammad H. Mohammad, age 56, of Parma, was sentenced to 5 years of probation and ordered to pay $489,189.00 in restitution and a $100,000.00 fine.

According to the indictment, Mohammad understated his income and failed to report gross receipts or sales generated by the business operations of Muhammad Brothers Partners for calendar years 2012 and 2013. In total, Mohammad under-reported his income by $498,189, court records show. Mohammad, along with his brother, established Muhammad Brothers Partners, which, in turn, owned and operated Holyland Supermarket, a grocer in the city of Cleveland. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan R. Miller.

Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSHUA IKEJIMBA, a/k/a “Johnson Ifeanyi Gbono,” a/k/a “Alfred Henshaw,” a/k/a “Peterson Kamara Lawson,” a/k/a “Ganiru Paul Thompson,” pled guilty and was sentenced in Manhattan federal court today for conspiring to commit wire fraud as part of a wide-ranging, international business email compromise (“BEC”) syndicate.  IKEJIMBA was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As he admitted in court today, Joshua Ikejimba played a key role in an international business email compromise conspiracy.  For his admitted crime, Ikejimba will serve a two-year prison sentence and be compelled to make restitution to the victims of his fraud.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment, Complaint, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:

During the relevant time period, IKEJIMBA, his co-defendants, and others engaged in a fraudulent BEC scheme that deceived numerous victims, including international companies, individuals, and an intergovernmental organization headquartered in New York City, into diverting payments to bank accounts controlled by the syndicate.

The defendants executed this fraudulent scheme by, among other things, obtaining fraudulent passports in false names, registering and incorporating shell companies, and opening fake bank accounts at various banks throughout the United States.  A substantial number of victims were tricked by fake emails and fraudulent wiring instructions into sending funds to the syndicate’s bank accounts, and those amounts were then withdrawn by members of the conspiracy and dissipated.  During the period from about 2016 through about July 2018, it appears the defendants obtained approximately $8 million by defrauding numerous victims.

IKEJIMBA had a multi-faceted role in the BEC scheme, which included using fraudulent identities and false identification documents to open bank accounts; using those accounts to receive funds from victims; and forming a shell corporation to launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional fraud proceeds, principally by purchasing or depositing cashier’s checks that represented stolen funds.  Through his participation in the scheme, IKEJIMBA was personally responsible for receiving and laundering approximately $1.25 million in fraud proceeds.

*                *                *

IKEJIMBA, 25, of Houston, Texas, pled guilty to, and was sentenced on, one count of with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  In addition to the 24-month prison term, IKEJIMBA was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  IKEJIMBA was further ordered to forfeit $1,250,766.03, and to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $1,238,748.93.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Olga I. Zverovich and Jarrod L. Schaeffer are in charge of the prosecution.

TULSA, Okla. – A man who committed murder in Osage County in 2015 was sentenced today in federal court, announced United States Attorney Trent Shores.

Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell sentenced Jeremy Keith Reece, 36, to 45 years in federal prison for murder in the second degree. Following his prison sentence, he will serve 5 years on supervised release.

“Justice was served today in the form of a 45 year federal prison sentence. I pray it brings some measure of peace to Rick Holt’s surviving family and friends,” said United States Attorney Shores. “Our pursuit of justice for Rick Holt does not end today. We won't rest until all those responsible for this heinous murder are held accountable.”

On Feb. 6, 2020, Reece, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree. Reece admitted that he intentionally shot and killed the victim in Osage Nation Indian Country in 2015. During the change of plea hearing and according to the plea agreement, Reece took the victim from his residence then transported him to Osage Nation Indian Country where Reece shot the victim three times. Reece then dug a shallow grave, placed the victim in the grave, and set the victim’s body on fire.

The murder case was originally filed in state court but in 2017, following an adverse ruling at the district court level that the State of Oklahoma did not have jurisdiction to prosecute the case, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals issued a ruling staying the case until jurisdictional issues were resolved.

Reece will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

This prosecution is the joint effort of the Osage County District Attorney and the United States Attorney’s Office. The investigation was conducted by the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, Pawhuska Police Department, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Osage Nation Police Department, and the FBI.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Logan County, Kentucky, man, who previously received a commuted sentence for a felony drug conviction by former Gov. Matt Bevin has today been federally charged with armed drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Russell Coleman.

“This is the type of collaboration that those we serve should expect from the new U.S. Attorney’s Office Bowling Green Branch working alongside our partners in the recently federally-designated South Central Kentucky Drug Task Force in Logan and Simpson Counties,” said United States Attorney Russell Coleman. 

Kenneth S. Embry, 33, of Russellville, Kentucky, has been charged via a three count federal indictment with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to a criminal complaint, on or about April 1, 2020, Agents with the South Central Kentucky Drug Task Force learned Embry was trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine. Utilizing investigative techniques task force agents obtained a warrant for a motel room occupied by Embry. A search of his car revealed approximately 166 grams of crystal methamphetamine and a Colt .380 semiautomatic pistol. A search of the motel room produced numerous items of drug paraphernalia including: digital weight scales, unused clear plastic baggies and smoking devices. Agents also uncovered a plastic baggie containing a brown powder substance, suspected to be heroin.

Embry is a convicted felon with convictions for possession of a controlled substance in Logan County Circuit Court cases 13-CR-00009 and 19-CR-00054. 

The defendant faces no less than 10 years and no more than life in prison for possession with intent to distribute Methamphetamine. He faces no more than 10 years for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and no less than 5 years and no more than life for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Yurchisin of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office. The case is being investigated by the South Central Drug Task Force which was designated last month by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy as part of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

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CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged two men in a narcotics conspiracy that involved the seizure of more than half a million dollars and one kilogram of fentanyl.

Derrick Ferris, 44, of Cincinnati, and Jose Antonio Garcia, 22, of Lynwood, Calif., have been charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and smuggling bulk cash. The narcotics conspiracy is punishable by 10 years up to life in prison.

As part of an ongoing investigation, authorities with the Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Task Force and Southern Ohio Bulk Smuggling-Major Drug Interdiction Task Force seized 1 kilogram of fentanyl and more than $500,000 in U.S. currency. The task forces are part of the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.

According to the indictment, between May 7 and Aug. 5, 2020, Ferris (who is also known as Kelvin Croom) and Garcia smuggled bulk cash out of the United States with the intent to evade a currency reporting legal requirement.

If convicted, the United States seeks to forfeit the more than half a million dollars in cash, along with two gold Rolex watches, two gold chains, three handguns and ammunition.

Bulk cash smuggling is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Vance Callender, FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck and Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil announced the charges. OCDETF Deputy Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy is representing the United States in this case.

The Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Task Force is made up of officers from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Miami Township Police Department, Butler Township Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office.

The Southwestern Ohio Bulk Smuggling-Major Drug Interdiction Task Force is made up of members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office’s Regional Narcotics Unit along with partners from the Cincinnati Police Department, Green Township Police Department and Cheviot Police Department.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

#  # #

BOSTON – A Colombian national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to cocaine trafficking and illegal reentry charges.

Ricardo Lopera-Arteaga, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2020. Lopera-Arteaga has been in federal custody since his arrest on Oct. 9, 2019 with co-defendant Diego Sanchez, 34, who pleaded guilty to similar charges on May 15, 2020.

Sanchez and Lopera-Arteaga conspired together to sell one kilogram of cocaine to a cooperating witness in East Boston in October 2019. Sanchez also engaged in two sales of cocaine to the same cooperating witness on Sept. 10 and 27, 2019 in East Boston. On Oct. 9, 2019, law enforcement agents observed both men meet and walk together towards a spot arranged for the drug transaction. Agents arrested both men a short time later and seized one kilogram of cocaine from Lopera-Arteaga.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Lopera-Arteaga will be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. 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. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.

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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Manuel Chavira, 25, was charged on August 3, 2020 in a recently-unsealed federal criminal complaint.  Chavira was charged with both carjacking and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case with the New Mexico State Police and other agencies that form the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez is prosecuting the case as part of Operation Legend, a new Department of Justice initiative to assist cities with persistently high crime rates.  Operation Legend is a sustained and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with state and local law enforcement to prosecute gun and dangerous crimes arising in the City of Albuquerque.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 18, 2020, Chavira approached two female victims who were parked in their vehicle in the parking lot of a church at the San Jose De Armijo Cemetery in the South East area of Albuquerque.  Chavira initially asked if he could charge his phone in the vehicle. As the phone would not charge, he asked to borrow the driver’s phone, ostensibly to find a tow truck for his vehicle. She complied, and he used the phone to make a number of calls.

After the driver exited her vehicle to remove a sweater from her trunk, however, Chavira brandished a firearm and told her that he needed to take her vehicle.  The passenger protested, but the driver removed her keys from the ignition to give them to Chavira.  Chavira reportedly then racked the slide on the firearm, an indication that he had chambered a round of ammunition.  Chavira then pointed the firearm, shouting, “Do you want me to shoot her?  Do you want me to shoot her?”  Both victims fled, at which point they heard gunshots being fired. 

The victims described the firearm as black and possibly .22 or .25 caliber. The victims were able to identify Chavira from photos as the suspect. Chavira left the scene driving the victims’ blue 2019 Honda Civic SI. 

Chavira remains at large. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking information to help ascertain his whereabouts and bring about his arrest. He is 5’10”, weighs between 150 and 194 lbs. and has brown hair and eyes. Chavira has a bullet wound scar on his nose. Chavira has the following tattoos: "Josefina" on his left arm; "C.V." on his right arm; "Ceci" in a heart on his chest; and three dots on his right wrist.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1000 for information leading to Chavira’s arrest. Persons with information regarding Chavira’s location should contact the FBI at https://www.fbi.gov/tips.

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/additional/manuel-alejandro-chavira/download.pdf

Criminal complaints are only accusations.  Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, Chavira faces up to 15 years in prison for the carjacking offense and a consecutive sentence of 10 years to life in prison for the firearm offense. 

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DAYTON – Melody Hudson, 38, of Dayton, appeared in U.S. District Court today to face charges in an indictment alleging that she stole the identity of a 72-year old retired man and redirected his $919 monthly pension benefits to a bank account she controlled.

The indictment alleges that Hudson used the victim’s personal information to divert his pension benefits from his bank account into an account she controlled and withdrew money for her personal use. The alleged crimes took place between April and November 2019. On one occasion, she allegedly called the agency that was paying the pension, identified herself as a relative of the victim, and had someone impersonate the victim on the phone call with the agency.

The indictment charges Hudson with one count of bank fraud, which is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, one count of aggravated identity theft that carries a mandatory two-year prison term which must be served consecutive to any other prison time, and one count of use of another person’s Social Security number, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

Michigan State Police arrested Hudson in Lansing, Mich. on July 30. The U.S. Marshals Service transported her to Dayton to face the charges against her.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, along with the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Office of Inspector General announced the indictment unsealed today following Hudson’s initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Newman.

Hudson is scheduled to appear in court again tomorrow for a detention hearing.

U.S. Attorney DeVillers also gratefully acknowledged the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Michigan State Police in apprehending Hudson. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.

The case is being prosecuted as part of the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud initiative. The Department launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline in March to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. The Hotline’s toll free number is 833-FRAUD-11. Statements contained in indictments are allegations only. Defendants should be presumed innocent unless convicted in a court of law.

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CHICAGO — An Indiana man has been arrested on a federal fraud charge for allegedly scheming to sell expensive artwork stolen from a storage facility in a north suburb of Chicago.

From February 2020 to earlier this month, JOHN GARCIA engaged in a scheme to sell various items, including paintings, sculptures, and rugs, which were stolen from a storage facility in Deerfield, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Garcia, also known as “John Adams,” “John Adamino,” and “Michael Chapman,” 53, of Schererville, Ind., is charged with one count of wire fraud.  He was arrested Aug. 7, 2020, and remains in federal custody.  A detention hearing is set for Aug. 13, 2020, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah.

The complaint and arrest were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Guzman.

According to the complaint, the victim who owned the artwork noticed that approximately 159 items were missing from the storage facility and reported it to the FBI in May.  An FBI investigation revealed that Garcia had schemed with another individual to steal the items and then broker their sale to dealers in art, antiques, and collectibles, in exchange for thousands of dollars, the complaint states.  Garcia and the other individual allegedly represented to the buyers that they owned the items.

The FBI has recovered many of the stolen items, the complaint states.  Some of the stolen items were discovered after court-authorized searches of a residence in Highland Park and a storage facility leased by Garcia in Orland Park.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Joseph LaForte, 49, of Haverford, PA, was arrested and charged by Indictment with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

The Indictment alleges that on July 28, 2020, the defendant, a twice-convicted felon, knowingly possessed seven firearms in his home: two shotguns, four loaded handguns, and a loaded rifle.

After the defendant was arrested on August 7, 2020, the Government moved for his detention on the grounds that he was both a risk of flight and a danger to the community. The Government cited, among other things, death threats that LaForte had allegedly made to the customers of his business, Par Funding, a cash advance company based in Philadelphia. After his appearance in federal court yesterday, United States Magistrate Judge Marilyn Heffley detained the defendant until his trial.

“We’re pleased that the Court recognized that no conditions of release would be sufficient here,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Joseph LaForte is where he belongs – in prison – and will now face the consequences of his alleged criminal behavior.”

“Joseph LaForte is a previously convicted felon who continues to demonstrate that he is a threat to the community,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. "This indictment is just another example of his disregard for the law.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of ten years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service, with assistance from the Lower Merion Township Police and the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Ortiz and Patrick J. Murray.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Fayetteville, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Jay Edward Thompson, age 43, of Winslow, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Attempted Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks, United States District Judge, presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court records, In September 2019, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Arkansas State Police, and local law enforcement, set up an operation to target online predators in Northwest Arkansas. As part of the operation, undercover law enforcement investigators placed multiple advertisements on various online websites and mobile applications.

On September 25, 2019, an undercover investigator (UC), posing as a 13-year-old minor female, was contacted by Thompson after he responded to one of the advertisements using his email address.  The following day, Thompson arranged to meet with the UC and was taken into custody.

Thompson was indicted in November 2019 and was found guilty by a federal jury sitting in Fayetteville, Arkansas on March 3, 2020.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Benton County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Carly Marshall, Assistant United States Attorney Amy Driver and Assistant United States Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case for the United States.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man today admitted using Facebook and other online web forums to cyberstalk victims, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Rino Diamante, 25, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to an information charging him with one count of cyberstalking.

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

Diamante admitted that from January 2016 through August 2019 he engaged in continued online harassment of known and unknown adult victims, including Victims 1-23, by posting semi-nude or nude pictures purporting to be the victims on online web forums such as www.4Chan.com and www.volafile.com. Diamante also admitted to contacting the victims, their friends and their family members to direct those individuals to the online web forums that contained the purported nude or semi-nude photographs of the victims. 

The charge to which Diamante pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 16, 2020.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Denahan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassye Cole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.

ATLANTA – Antonio DaShawn Daniels has been indicted on federal charges related to possession with the intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. 

“The quantity of drugs, money, and firearms allegedly controlled by Daniels highlights the scale of heroin and cocaine trafficked into this community by local drug dealers with high-level ties to international drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “Daniels allegedly used these ties to flood this district with drugs and reap the financial benefits. We will not tolerate the destruction of lives through the scourge of the drug trade.”

“The arrest of Daniels, along with the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of drugs, dozens of guns, and more than a million dollars in cash, represents a significant victory for DEA, our law enforcement partners, and – most of all – for the people of Atlanta,” said Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea. “This case illustrates the devastating impact that violence fueled by drug trafficking can have on our communities.  Drug traffickers, and the organizations they work with, use fear and violence to enrich themselves with little regard for the communities they destroy in the process. The DEA stands resolute with our law enforcement partners to protect the health, safety, and security of the American people.”

“Our community and our citizens are safer today because of the removal of a massive amount of drugs, weapons and cash that were destined to destroy lives,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI values our partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. These results would not be possible without them.”

“This poly-drug trafficker brazenly continued his drug trafficking activities despite having served time in federal prison for drug distribution. His arrest removes yet another dangerous criminal from our streets and sends a clear message to others who may choose to follow the same perilous path. DEA, its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue and ultimately prosecute criminals like Daniels,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division.

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: In October 2019, federal agents uncovered ledgers from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization showing that Daniels received just over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine between August 2018 and October 2019. The ledgers reflected that Daniels returned more than $31 million in drug proceeds to the organization that were eventually transported to Mexico.

During the investigation, federal agents identified multiple apartments and homes in the metro-Atlanta area that Daniels allegedly used to prepare and distribute drugs. On July 27, 2020, agents executed federal search warrants at those locations, which resulted in Daniels’ arrest and the seizure of a large amount of drugs, money, and weapons.

• Inside a studio apartment in Atlanta, agents found approximately 28 kilograms of heroin, six kilograms of cocaine, eight kilograms of marijuana, and more than $1 million in cash. There were 41 firearms stashed throughout the apartment, along with kilo-presses, scales, strainers with white powder residue, and a money counter.

• Inside a home in Atlanta, agents found 142 kilograms of heroin and four kilograms of cocaine.

In total, agents seized approximately 170 kilograms of heroin, 10 kilograms of cocaine, eight kilograms of marijuana, more than $1 million in cash, and 41 firearms.

Antonio DaShawn Daniels, a/k/a Freckleface Shawn, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia was indicted on August 11, 2020.  Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges.  The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Doraville Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Hartigan is prosecuting the case.

This case is presented as a part of Operation SCOPE (Strategically Combatting Opioids through Prosecution and Enforcement), which is an initiative launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to partner with federal and local law enforcement to fight the devastating effects that illegally-prescribed painkillers, heroin, and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl have on our neighborhoods.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Santiago Ordonez Felipe, age 47, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced today to time served (36 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Ordonez Felipe admitted as part of his guilty plea that he is a citizen of Guatemala, and that he was removed from the United States to Mexico on August 18, 2015 after he was arrested by Border Patrol while illegally entering Arizona from Mexico.  On July 7, 2020, he was found by an ICE Officer in Whitehall, New York.  A check of fingerprint records verified the prior removal.  

This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Three men have been arrested for their roles in a $46.8 million money laundering scheme involving the smuggling of cut rag tobacco into Canada from the United States.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent In Charge, New York Field Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CID).

Edgar M. Baker, Jr., age 46, of Southern Pines, North Carolina; Jeffrey Doctor, age 48, of Washington, D.C.; and Carey Terrance, age 39, of Hogansburg, New York, were arrested last week following their indictment on July 23, 2020, on one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

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

The indictment alleges that, from approximately 2013 to 2016, the defendants worked together and with others to acquire cut rag tobacco and smuggle it into Canada, where it was made into contraband cigarettes. Members of the conspiracy sold the contraband cigarettes, making substantial profits by avoiding taxes and duties, and used some of their profits to buy more cut rag tobacco that they sent into Canada.

Funds to purchase the cut rag tobacco were sent from Canada, often through the Northern District of New York, to North Carolina.  Once purchased, the cut rag tobacco was delivered to warehouses and buildings in the Northeastern United States, including on the Akwesasne St. Regis Mohawk Indian Reservation, where it was staged for smuggling into Canada. Each truckload of cut rag tobacco in the scheme (totaling over 18 million pounds) was worth approximately $3 million in lost tax revenue for the Canadian and Quebecois governments.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the funds involved in the conspiracy, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case is being investigated by HSI and IRS-CID, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily C. Powers.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Amber Decker, age 26, of Antwerp, New York, was sentenced in federal court today to serve 264 months (22 years) in federal prison for her part in the sexual exploitation and hands-on abuse of a two year old child, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In June 2019, Decker pled guilty to all counts of a seven-count indictment, admitting that she, together with her husband, Logan Decker, conspired to and sexually exploited the child for the purpose of producing images and videos of the abuse.  Decker admitted that on several occasions in July and August, 2018, while she was living in Jefferson County, New York, and her husband was located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, she videotaped her sexual abuse of the two-year-old, and uploaded the video files to a cloud storage account for her husband to view. 

United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a term of supervised release of 20 years to follow Decker’s term of incarceration, at which time she will also be required to register as a sex offender. 

Logan Decker pled guilty to the same offenses, and is scheduled for sentencing on September 23, 2020. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Syracuse Resident Agency, the New York State Police, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sioux Falls, South Dakota Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York. 

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.