A Chicago man and a Cedar Rapids man who conspired with each other and others to sell heroin in Cedar Rapids were recently each sentenced to ten years in prison. 

Devontae Horton, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison sentence on August 27, 2020, after he was found guilty during a February 2020 jury trial.  The jury found Horton guilty of conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and distribution of heroin. 

Sean Jarel Williams, age 31, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison sentence today after a January 21, 2020 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 1,000 grams of heroin.

Evidence at Horton’s trial, and at both men’s sentencing hearings, showed that between approximately June 2015 and April 2019, Horton, Williams, and up to eleven others, conspired to distribute heroin in the Cedar Rapids area.  The group was known as the “Ferrari” group.  The members used one phone number, known as the “Ferrari phone”, to arrange and conduct heroin transactions.  At times, ten to twenty people a day called the phone for the sole purpose of purchasing heroin. 

In October 2018, Cedar Rapids police officers attempted to stop a vehicle occupied by Horton and another member of the Ferrari group.  Horton tried to get away from police but was eventually apprehended.  Officers located over $3,000 in cash in Horton’s front pocket.  The cash was drug proceeds.  In October 2018, Horton sold heroin directly to a confidential source.  Investigators had arranged the transaction by calling the “Ferrari” phone.

Williams also used the “Ferrari” phone to arrange heroin transactions.  Williams was also stopped by police in July 2017 travelling from Chicago to Cedar Rapids.  At the time, Williams had approximately 350 grams of heroin in his vehicle that he intended to distribute in the Cedar Rapids area.  

Bother Horton and Williams were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Each was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“The ‘Ferrari’ group was a menacing source of deadly opioids in our community for far too long,” said United States Attorney Peter Deegan.  “With these most recent sentencings, seven members of this criminal enterprise have now been brought to justice.  This is a significant law enforcement achievement, but the battle against opioids continues.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement and community partners to take the fight to the dealers and support those who struggle with addiction.”

Horton and Williams are the last of seven men who were charged together on April 24, 2019, for their role in the “Ferrari” group.  The following have already been sentenced for their roles in distributing heroin for the “Ferarri” group: 

Walter Malano Collins Murray, Jr., age 19, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment on December 30, 2019, following a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin. 

Cortez Nelson, age 30, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment on May 20, 2020, following a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 1,000 grams of heroin.  

Dewon Earl Meeks, age 30, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced to 71 months’ imprisonment on May 20, 2020, following a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin. 

Anthony Ricks, age 31, from Chicago, was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment on July 10, 2020, following a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin.

Jarel Shawn Williams, age 23, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 127 months’ imprisonment on June 1, 2020, following a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 1,000 grams of heroin.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Marion Police Department, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 19-CR-45.

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St. Louis, MO –Joshua Matthew Spencer, 30, of Franklin County, MO, was sentenced today to ten years' imprisonment by United States District Judge John R. Ross after pleading guilty to his involvement in conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

According to court documents, Spencer and his co-defendant Reanna Danielle Campbell were engaged in the sale of crystal methamphetamine in the St. Louis Metropolitan area, as well as in Franklin and Jefferson Counties.  Investigators conducted controlled buys of methamphetamine from Campbell and Spencer in and around the area.  Also during the course of the investigation, Spencer and Campbell crashed a vehicle while fleeing from police near the Interstate 44 entrance at South Elm Avenue in Webster, Missouri, and fled on foot.  Two handguns were recovered by law enforcement near the scene of the crash and investigators seized five other firearms from the crashed vehicle, along with knives and additional firearms magazines and drug paraphernalia. Following the federal indictment in this case, Spencer was apprehended by the United States Marshals Service and found in position of additional narcotics and another firearm.

Co-defendant Reanna Danielle Campbell was previously sentenced to sixty-four months’ imprisonment for her role in the offenses.

The Multi-County Narcotics and Violent Crimes Enforcement Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, with assistance from the Kirkwood and Webster Police Departments.  Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Yemm handled this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Cory D. Preitauer, 30, formerly of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for conspiracy and production of child pornography. Preitauer was sentenced to 40 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. 

In March of 2019, a state search warrant was served at the home of a target living in Kansas City, Missouri. During a forensic examination of the computer seized in the Kansas City investigation the examiners located screenshots of a chat between the Kansas City target and Preitauer’s co-defendant Mathew Goad.  During the chat, Goad indicated he had sexually assaulted a child and recorded that assault. Goad then sent the recording to the target. Further investigation revealed that Goad and Preitauer were both involved in the production of the video. After his arrest, Preitauer admitted to law enforcement that he and Goad created the video of the sexual assault. The child was four years old at the time the video was created. Goad was previously sentenced by this Court.

After today’s sentencing, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Kristi Johnson said, “The FBI takes an active role in protecting children.  The sentencing of Cory Preitauer is an example of our commitment to removing sexual predators from children’s lives.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

St. Louis, MO –Tammy Fox, 49, of Carrolton, Illinois, was sentenced today to twenty months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Audrey Fleissig after pleading guilty to 2 counts of wire fraud related to her former position as Office Manager of Explosive Professionals Midwest, Incorporated, also known as ExPro Midwest.  Fox was also ordered to make restitution to the victim company in the amount of $402,213.76.

According to the Indictment and Plea Agreement, Fox served as the Office Manager for ExPro Midwest in St. Louis County, Missouri.  From January, 2011 through February, 2018 Fox schemed to steal approximately $420,000 from the company.  During that time, Fox issued approximately 215 unauthorized ExPro Midwest checks to herself, which she deposited into her personal bank account.  Fox forged the signature of one of the owners of ExPro Midwest to those unauthorized checks.  Fox spent the stolen funds on personal items and services such as clothing, automobile payments, rent payments, as well as making numerous cash withdrawals.  Fox also issued unauthorized ExPro Midwest company checks to a close personal friend, and deposited those checks into her personal bank account as well.  Fox also used the ExPro Midwest corporate credit card to make unauthorized purchases of personal items, such as airline tickets, general retail items, clothing, and sporting goods.  As Office Manager, Fox caused the company to pay the monthly ExPro Midwest corporate credit card bills, knowing that her unauthorized personal charges were contained in the billings.  In order to conceal her fraud scheme, Fox altered the company’s internal financial records, which she then sent to the company’s outside accountants.  Altogether, Fox’s fraud scheme netted her approximately $420,000 in funds stolen from ExPro Midwest.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO –Larry Arnowitz, 66, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Steven R. Clark to eighteen months imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of mail fraud related to his illegal use of campaign funds for his personal use and expenses. The Court ordered Arnowitz to serve twelve months within the Bureau of Prisons, and six months of home confinement following release from prison.  Arnowitz was also ordered to make restitution to the victims in the amount of $21,197.85.

According to the Indictment and Plea Agreement, Arnowitz served as the Alderman for the 12^th Ward of the City of St. Louis, having first been elected during 2011.  Arnowitz maintained his political campaign account under the name “Friends of Larry Arnowitz.”  Numerous individuals and organizations contributed to the Friends of Larry Arnowitz based upon representations that their political donations would be properly and legally used for campaign and reelection purposes.  From June, 2015 through February, 2019, Arnowitz instead used donated campaign funds for personal expenses, unrelated to any legitimate campaign or reelection purpose.  Arnowitz used funds from the Friends of Larry Arnowitz campaign account to make payments towards his personal residential mortgage and for other personal expenses, and he made substantial cash withdrawals from the account for his own personal use and expenses. 

Further, during 2018 and 2019, Arnowitz held fundraising events at the Sugar Creek Golf Course, where participating players donated funds to the “Friends of Larry Arnowitz” campaign committee, either by check or cash.  Following those fundraising events, Arnowitz failed to deposit any cash donations and one or more checks into his campaign committee account, spending those donated proceeds instead on personal expenses unrelated to any legitimate campaign or reelection purpose. 

In order to conceal his fraud, Arnowitz filed false reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission, which reports failed to identify the many cash withdrawals from the Friends of Larry Arnowitz campaign account, and which failed to identify payments made directly from the Friends of Larry Arnowitz campaign account which were made for his own personal use, unrelated to any campaign or reelection purpose.  As one example, on February 13, 2019, Arnowitz withdrew $5,000 from his Friends of Larry Arnowitz campaign account in the form of a cashier’s check, which he then mailed to Ocwen Financial Services in partial payment of his personal residential mortgage. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

(Seattle)—A 19-year-old Tacoma man who attended a Seattle protest armed with an improvised explosive device is now charged federally, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran.  SAMI C. HORNER is charged with unlawful possession of a destructive device.  HORNER made his initial appearance on the charge today in U.S. District Court in Seattle. 

According to the criminal complaint, on Wednesday night, August 26, 2020, HORNER was identified in a group of people that first assembled at Volunteer Park on Seattle’s Capitol Hill.  As the group marched on 15^th Avenue East, HORNER was observed smashing windows at a bank branch.  HORNER was chased down and arrested.  In his backpack law enforcement found a glass bottle with a wick, filled with flammable material.  HORNER also carried two lighters, a helmet, a mask with filters, and a walkie-talkie.  The glass bottle, more commonly referred to as a Molotov Cocktail, fits the legal definition of an incendiary device.

Possession of an improvised explosive device is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Seattle Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Woods. 

horner_complaint.pdf

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Senior U.S. District Judge Graham C. Mullen sentenced to prison the leader and members of a methamphetamine trafficking ring on drug conspiracy charges, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Judge Mullen sentenced the defendants as follows:

• The leader, Cheng “Cam” Yang, 34, of Claremont, N.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
• Cheng “Cam” Young’s brother, Peng Yang, 35, of Claremont, N.C, was sentenced to 156 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
• Cheng “Cam” Yang’s younger brother, Nicholas Yang, 21, of Claremont, N.C., was sentenced to three years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
• Cheng “Cam” Yang’s aunt, Susan Yang, 37, of Claremont, N.C., was ordered to serve 42 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
• Cheng “Dawb” Yang, 38, of Morganton, N.C., who bears no familial relationship to Cheng “Cam” Yang, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and five years of supervised release. 
• Austin Litchfield, 31, of Los Angeles, was ordered to serve 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. 
• Randy Martinez, 27, also of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release. 
   

In related cases, Cheng “Cam” Yang’s distributors were sentenced as follows:
 

• Belden Watson, 59, of Rutherford College, N.C., was sentenced to 97 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
• Rex Eversole, 30, of Morganton, was sentenced to 110 months in prison and five years of supervised release; and
• Ashley Vaught, 30, of Lenoir, N.C., was sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release.

 
According to filed court documents and statements made in court, from March 2019 to September 2019, Cheng “Cam” Yang led a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy operating in Caldwell County and elsewhere. Litchfield, assisted by Martinez, was Cheng “Cam” Yang’s California-based source of supply of methamphetamine. Yang distributed the methamphetamine in Caldwell County assisted by his local drug network of distributors. According to court records, over the course of the conspiracy, Cheng “Cam” Yang and his co-defendants distributed more than 45 kilograms of high-purity methamphetamine, with a street value of over $4 million.
During the arrests of the defendants on September 10, 2019, law enforcement seized three and a half kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and seven firearms from the defendants’ homes.
 
The defendants were prosecuted as part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed “Dixie Crystal.” Since 2015, the investigation has led to the prosecution of more than 200 individuals, and the seizure of more than 100 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, $1,000,000 in U.S. currency and other assets, and dozens of firearms. 
 
OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
 

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the following agencies for their investigative efforts which led to the prosecution of this case: ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Charlotte; the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Charlotte Field Office; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Charlotte; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives in Charlotte; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office; the Burke County Sheriff’s Office; the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office; the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office; the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office; the Hickory Police Department; the Mooresville Police Department; the Newton Police Department; the Longview Police Department; the Huntersville Police Department; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; and the Morganton Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is prosecuting the case.                           

          LOS ANGELES– Providence Health System – Southern California, which operates Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, has entered into a settlement with the United States, agreeing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by ensuring effective communication for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing.

          The settlement, which was finalized today, resolves allegations that Providence failed to provide a qualified sign language interpreter or other appropriate assistance to an elderly deaf patient who went to the San Fernando Valley facility on four consecutive days for medical tests and procedures. The patient’s adult children had to take time off work – and one had to fly across the country – to interpret for the patient, including during consultations that included complex medical terms the patient’s children struggled to interpret. One of the patient’s children even had to wear a hairnet and surgical mask to interpret just before a procedure.

          The settlement requires Providence to do the following:

• Provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including qualified interpreters, where necessary to ensure effective communication to patients and their companions who are deaf or hard of hearing;
• Advertise the availability of auxiliary aids and services;
• Designate an ADA Coordinator to ensure access to appropriate auxiliary aids and services necessary for effective communication;
• Train staff on the appropriate and timely use of auxiliary aids and services, including qualified interpreters, to ensure effective communication;
• Conduct individualized assessments for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing to determine what auxiliary aids and services are best suited for their needs; and
• Pay $100,000 in compensation to the patient and his family.

          Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Nickell of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section handled this matter.

          Providence cooperated with the government’s investigation.

          This year marks the ADA’s 30th anniversary. The Justice Department will continue to use its enforcement and technical assistance tools to eliminate unlawful discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

          For more information on the ADA, please call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov.

COEUR D'ALENE – Christopher William Bounds, 37, of Lind, Washington, was convicted by a federal jury in Coeur d'Alene on six federal drug and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. The jury found Bounds guilty of:

1. Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin;
2. Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
3. Possession with intent to distribute heroin;
4. Unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon;
5. Unlawful possession of a firearm by a drug addict; and
6. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

During the four day trial, the jury heard evidence that on August 15, 2018, Quad Cities Drug Task Force detectives were conducting surveillance on Bounds who had just brought a load of methamphetamine and heroin from Washington. During their surveillance, detectives observed Bounds make a hand to hand drug transaction. Bounds’ vehicle was pulled over, just outside Lewiston, by a Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Deputy assisting the task force. Officers searched Bounds’ vehicle and seized two pounds of pure methamphetamine, 490 grams of heroin, and sixteen firearms. Testimony at trial showed that the drugs were valued at over $32,000. Bounds’ cell phone was also seized and searched. Communications showed that Bounds was tied into drug traffickers also under federal indictment in the Eastern District of Washington.

Bounds faces a sentence of 15 years to life in federal prison, and up to a $20,000,000 fine, for the drug trafficking charges. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine for unlawfully possessing firearms. A five year consecutive sentence must also be imposed for his possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Sentencing is set for November 17, 2020, before U.S. District Judge David C. Nye, at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.

Multiple law enforcement agencies contributed to the prosecution of this case including the Lewiston Police Department, Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office, Clarkston Police Department, Whitman County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, who are all part of the Quad Cities Drug Task Force, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration, who are not part of the task force but participate with it on a regular basis. The Quad Cities Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional group of law enforcement officers working together to target drug trafficking in Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho, and Clarkston and Pullman, Washington.

This indictment is the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state 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. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.

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BOSTON – A Taunton woman was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on cocaine possession charges.

Kiyanna Ambers, 42, was indicted on one count of possessing with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and cocaine. Ambers was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of cocaine on June 29, 2020. 

According to charging documents, Ambers was found in possession of at least 28 grams or more of cocaine on June 29, 2020. Investigators also seized approximately $11,462 from Ambers.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base provides for a minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren A. Graber of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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.

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

OKLAHOMA CITY – Cesar Alzuarte-Rodriguez, 43, an illegal alien from Mexico, has been sentenced to serve a federal prison term of 420 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and spearheading an international and multi-state drug trafficking organization, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.  Alzuarte is the latest of 23 defendants sentenced in federal court so far, with a collective total sentence of 168 years in prison.  

According to an Indictment filed on March 17, 2018, and the Superseding Indictment on June 5, 2018, Alzuarte-Rodriguez (Alzuarte) and other defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, maintaining drug involved premises, and felons and illegal aliens in possession of a firearms and money laundering.  The Indictment alleged that Alzuarte was the head of an organization that illegally imported methamphetamine from Mexico through sources of supply in Arizona, Colorado, and California.  The organization maintained houses in Oklahoma City where methamphetamine was brought and stored for re-distribution.  When Alzuarte and other co-defendants were arrested on March 8, 2018, agents to that date had seized 248 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $1,000,000, more than $275,000 in cash, and 10 firearms. 

On March 4, 2019, Alzuarte pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy.  Alzuarte further agreed to forfeit the aforementioned firearms and cash, a house located on 639 SE 10^th Street used in the drug trafficking enterprise, and multiple vehicles used by his drug trafficking organization. 

On August 26, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Alzuarte to serve 35 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release following his release from prison.  In announcing Alzuarte’s sentence, Judge Palk emphasized Mr. Alzuarte’s illegal alien status, his leadership of a multi-state and international methamphetamine trafficking organization, and the large amount of “poison” Alzuarte pumped into impacted communities.

Twenty-two of Alzuarte’s co-defendants in the drug trafficking enterprise have already been sentenced:

• Miguel Berzosa-Flores, Age 52, was sentenced to 168 months in prison, on February 4, 2020.
• Federico Rios-Aranda, Age 46, was sentenced to 144 months in prison, on October 17, 2019.
• Monica Bojorquez, Age 38, was sentenced to 84 months on in prison, on February 20, 2020.
• Armando Herrera-Garcia, Age 38, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, on September 25, 2019.
• Mayra Medina, Age 36, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, on August 6, 2019.
• Elias Sotelo-Tena, Age 26, was sentenced to 3 years of probation on August 20, 2019.
• Albino Gonzalez-Gandarilla, Age 43, was sentenced to 156 months in prison, on June 10, 2020.
• Enoc Ricado-Santiago, Age 21, was sentenced to 96 months in prison, on October 16, 2019.
• Guillermo Cardona-Figueroa, Age 24, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, on August 1, 2019.
• Christian McKinney, Age 23, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, on September 5, 2019.
• Carlos Estrada-Mojarro, Age 22, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, on September 9, 2019.
• Luis Vega Maldonado, Age 41, was sentenced to 144 months in prison, on January 10, 2020.
• Jesus Manuel-Lopez, Age 24, was sentenced to 204 months in prison, on August 12, 2019.
• Erik Osualdo Montelongo, Age 36, was sentenced to 30 months in prison, on December 10, 2019.
• Zephyran Shawn Hayes, Age 41, was sentenced to 180 months in prison, on August 6, 2019.
• Jeremy Wright, Age 42, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, on June 20, 2019.
• Brandon Ramirez-Garcia, Age 23, was sentenced to 108 months in prison, on June 12, 2020.
• Jazmine Altamarino, Age 48, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, on November 19, 2019.
• Mayra Cabello-Tierablanca, Age 32, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, on August 7, 2019.
•  Kyle Shropshire, Age 46, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison, on September 12, 2019.
• Jessica Lissette Mar, Age 28, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, on August 15, 2019.
• Angel Ricardo Gonzalez-Martinez, Age 29, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, on August 12, 2019.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Oklahoma City District Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Denver, San Diego, and Phoenix Field Division Offices, City of Edmond Police Department, City of Norman Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigations Division, Canadian County Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations Oklahoma City Office, District 21 Task Force, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and DEA offices in Tulsa and McAlester. Assistant United States Attorney David Petermann prosecuted the case.

Reference is made to court filings for further information.  To download a photo of U.S. Attorney Downing, click here.

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty plea and sentencing of TYRONE ANTHONY LAMAR STEWART, 35, to 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. STEWART pleaded guilty and was sentenced earlier today before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery in U.S. District Court, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

According to STEWART’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, on October 9, 2019, law enforcement with the South West Hennepin County Drug Task Force executed a state search warrant at STEWART’s residence in Minneapolis. Law enforcement found approximately 60 grams of heroin, a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, and two digital scales. Because STEWART has previous felony convictions, under federal law, he is prohibited at any time from possessing a firearm or ammunition.  

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez is prosecuting the case.

Defendant Information:

TYRONE ANTHONY LAMAR STEWART, 35

Minneapolis, Minn.

Convicted:

• Possessing a firearm as a felon, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 120 months in prison
• 3 years supervised release

###

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

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Daniel Logan Mock, 34, of Albuquerque, New Mexico was sentenced in federal court in Albuquerque on Aug. 27 to 14 months on two counts of transmission of threatening communications in interstate commerce.

            Mock previously pleaded guilty to this offense on May 13. According to his plea agreement, Mock admitted to committing these offenses in Bernalillo County, New Mexico on March 2 and March 13.  Mock posted messages on Facebook threatening to kill Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, law enforcement officers, and other government officials. 

            Mock must also serve a two-year supervised release term after completing his sentence.

            The FBI investigated this case with the U.S. Marshals Service, the New Mexico State Police, and the Albuquerque Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Two brothers from the Dominican Republic who lived in Lawrence were indicted yesterday in federal court in Boston on fentanyl distribution charges.

Guillermo Aybar-Guerrero, 28, and Luis Aybar-Guerrero, 24, were indicted on one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The defendants were previously charged in criminal complaints and arrested in June 2020.

According to charging documents, investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Guillermo on June 10 and 17, 2020. On June 25, 2020, investigators set up a third controlled purchase, at which time Guillermo was arrested in possession of approximately 30 grams of suspected fentanyl. It is alleged that Guillermo retrieved these 30 grams of fentanyl from his brother, Luis. A search of Luis’ residence resulted in the seizure of an additional 263 grams of fentanyl as well as a scale, baggies and other drug-distribution paraphernalia.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute of 40 grams or more of fentanyl carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison; at least four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit.  

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

         LOS ANGELES– A Chinese national and researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles has been arrested on federal charges of destroying evidence to obstruct an FBI investigation after he was observed throwing a damaged hard drive into a dumpster outside his apartment, the Justice Department announced today

         Guan Lei, 29, of Alhambra, was arrested pursuant to a one-count criminal complaint unsealed this afternoon during his initial appearance in United States District Court.

         The criminal complaint alleges that Guan, who was in the U.S. on a J-1 non-immigrant visa, threw a damaged hard drive into a trash dumpster near his residence on July 25. The FBI recovered the damaged hard drive after Guan was not allowed to board a flight to China and after Guan refused the FBI’s request to examine his computer. The affidavit in support of the complaint notes that the internal hard drive “was irreparably damaged and that all previous data associated with the hard drive appears to have been removed deliberately and by force.”

         According to the complaint, Guan is being investigated for possibly transferring sensitive U.S. software or technical data to China’s National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) and falsely denying his association with the Chinese military – the People’s Liberation Army – in connection with his 2018 visa application and in interviews with federal law enforcement. Guan later admitted that he had participated in military training and wore military uniforms while at NUDT. One of Guan’s NUDT faculty advisors in China was also a lieutenant general in the PLA who developed computers used by the PLA General Staff Department, the PLA General Armament Department, Air Force, military weather forecasts, and nuclear technology. NUDT is “suspected of procuring U.S.-origin items to develop supercomputers with nuclear explosive applications” and has been placed on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List for nuclear nonproliferation reasons, according to the affidavit.

         In addition to destroying the hard drive, the complaint alleges that Guan concealed digital storage devices from investigators and falsely told federal officials that he had not had any contact with the Chinese consulate during his nearly two-year stay in the U.S.

         During his initial appearance this afternoon, Guan was ordered detained by a United States Magistrate Judge, who scheduled an arraignment for September 17.

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

         The felony offense of destruction of evidence carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

         This case is being investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service has provided substantial assistance during the investigation.

         This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Will Rollins and George Pence of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section.

A Broken Arrow woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for stealing $654,579 from her employer. Brandy Okey, 40, previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to signing a false tax return in March 2020.

Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell sentenced Okey to 41 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court further ordered the defendant pay $654,579 in restitution.

“Brandy Okey fraudulently pocketed more than $650,000 as chief financial officer when she embezzled from the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority box office sales at Expo Square. Because of her greed, she now gets to spend more than three years in federal prison and pay back the ill-gotten funds to her employer,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “White collar criminals don’t get a pass for the financial fraud they inflict on businesses. Like all criminals, they will be met by a federal prosecutor to bring them to account for their crimes.”

In her position with Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority, Okey was responsible for accounting and financial management. Okey admitted that she used her access to the Expo Square box office cash collections to take cash funds. She then deposited a portion of the embezzled cash funds into personal bank accounts for her own use. Okey further used a portion of the cash funds to directly pay for personal expenses without depositing the funds. In order to conceal her scheme, Okey shredded the original deposit slips or prepared new slips showing a lower deposit amount. To further hide her scheme, Okey admitted that she did not accurately record box office collections on TCPFA financial statements. The fraudulent statements were emailed to the company’s Board of Directors.

Okey also admitted that she made and signed a false tax return for the year 2017 when she knowingly failed to report approximately $294,450 of income acquired through the scheme that year.

The FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Roberts prosecuted the case.

COVINGTON, Ky. – A Maysville, Kentucky man, Shane A. Fox, 39, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine and possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute.  

According to his plea agreement, Fox was the leader of a conspiracy that obtained approximately 15 kilograms of powder cocaine, converted the bulk of it to crack cocaine, and then distributed the substance in the Maysville, Kentucky area, between 2017 and June 24, 2019.  Fox had five prior felony convictions for drug offenses at the time of these offenses and committed his current offense of conviction while on parole. 

Other members of the conspiracy have already been sentenced for their roles:  Jackson Bennett was sentenced to 120 months; Demarcus Gibbs was sentenced to 120 months; Robert Turner was sentenced to 66 months; Demetrius Morton was sentenced to 60 months; Lyric Holmes was sentenced to 24 months; Melanie Johnson was sentenced to 24 months; And Aireus Johnson was sentenced to 18 months.    

Fox pleaded guilty in February of 2020.           

Under federal law, Fox must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and, will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years after his release from prison. 

"Shane Fox was the ring-leader of a drug trafficking organization whose purpose was to distribute crack cocaine in and around Maysville,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The thorough investigation conducted by law enforcement led to the dismantling of Fox’s organization, to its members being held accountable for their criminal acts, and Maysville being made safer.  The sentence imposed on Fox was warranted because of his leadership role in the organization and his lengthy criminal history.”

U.S. Attorney Duncan, and Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division, jointly announced the sentences.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Weinhold and Tony Bracke.

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Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 25, 2020, a federal grand jury indictment was issued against Jeffrey R. Jones (age: 35) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The indictment alleges that Jones distributed heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, and that he possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, all in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). If convicted of these charges, Jones faces a mandatory ten years of imprisonment and up to a lifetime of imprisonment. He is additionally charged with being a felon in possession of eight firearms and possessing fivefirearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(c)(1)(A). He faces up to ten years of imprisonment for possessing a firearm as a felon, and a mandatory five years of imprisonment up to a lifetime of imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug distribution. 

The case was brought under Operation Legend, a Department of Justice initiative to fight violent crime in Milwaukee and other cities that have experienced an increase in crime rates.  Operation Legend has directed significant additional federal funding and agents from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service to the Milwaukee area to work with state and local officers to combat violent crime.

This case was investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as part of the Safe Streets Task Force. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth M. Monfils.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

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

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Miami, Fl. – Federal prosecutors have charged two Florida residents with bank fraud conspiracy for allegedly using synthetic identities to commit crimes, including defrauding banks and stealing over $3 million from Covid-19 relief programs.  

Synthetic identities combine real (albeit stolen) identity information, such as stolen social security numbers, with fraudulent identity information, such as fake names and dates of birth. Criminals create these synthetic identities and use them to open fraudulent bank and credit card accounts, and to make fraudulent purchases.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kyle A. Myles, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General – Investigations (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region, Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, Kevin A. Kupperbusch, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Investigations Division, Eastern Region, Rod Owens, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, and James S. Jackson, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) made the announcement.

According to the criminal complaint affidavit, beginning around 2017, Jean Fleuridor, 41, of Broward County, Florida and Hasan Brown, 44, of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and their co-conspirators were involved in a scheme to defraud a bank located in San Antonio, Texas. They allegedly used approximately 700 synthetic identities, in addition to stolen identities, to create bank accounts and shell companies. According to the criminal complaint, fraudulent payments were made from accounts registered to these synthetic identities to accounts registered to defendants Brown and Fleuridor.

From about April through July of 2020, members of the conspiracy allegedly utilized the already-established synthetic identities and associated shell companies and accounts to fraudulently apply for assistance under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a program established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act to help small businesses financially survive the pandemic. According to the complaint, defendants Brown and Fleuridor fraudulently sought and received over $3 million dollars in PPP relief, paid into accounts associated with the synthetic identities.  

Defendant Fleuridor had his initial appearance on August 26, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia M. Otazo-Reyes. Defendant Brown had his initial appearance on August 28, 2020, before the same judge. A copy of the criminal complaint and affidavit is attached to this release.

FDIC-OIG, USSS Miami, SBA-OIG, SSA-OIG, USPIS, and TIGTA are handling the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Watson, of the Southern District of Florida, is prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole S. Grosnof, also of the Southern District of Florida, is handling asset forfeiture. Trial Attorney Louis Manzo, from the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Elbert, of the Eastern District of New York, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Trenton Reichling, of the Middle District of Florida, provided assistance.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent.  PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities.  The PPP allows the interest and principal to be entirely forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated time after receiving the proceeds and uses a certain amount of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.  

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Related court documents and information appear on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 20-mj-03472-AOR.

Attachment

20-mj-03472-signed_complaint_and_affidavit.pdf

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Charlie Lee Wright, Jr. (52, Summerfield) to 17 years and 7 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A federal jury had found Wright guilty in December 2019. Because of Wright’s extensive criminal record, he qualified as an Armed Career Criminal and was subject to a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. In addition, five firearms—three rifles and two handguns—were also administratively forfeited.

According to court records, on January 16, 2019, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Wright’s home pursuant to an investigation into missing jewelry. During the search, detectives located numerous firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition inside the home and in a car registered in Wright’s name. Wright subsequently admitted to federal investigators that he had handled at least two of the recovered firearms.

According to evidence presented during the trial, Wright has 28 prior felony convictions in Florida. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. 

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.