LOS ANGELES– A Santa Barbara County man was sentenced today to 36months in federal prison for orchestrating a years-long scheme that defrauded investors out of more than $3.4 million with false promises to use their money to purchase shares of Facebook and Twitter prior to the companies’ initial public offerings.

          Efstratios “Elias” Argyropoulos, 73, of Montecito, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him to pay $3,416,628 in restitution to his victims. Argyropoulous pleaded guilty in June 2019 to one count of wire fraud.

          From October 2010 to October 2015, Argyropoulos was the president and sole shareholder of Prima Ventures Corp., a Santa Barbara-based financial services firm. Argyropoulos represented to investors that he had access to “amazing” investment opportunities that would provide a high rate of return on any money invested.

          During the course of the scheme, Argyropoulous misled investors by telling them that he would pool their money to purchase pre-IPO shares of companies such as Facebook and Twitter. He also falsely told investors he had access to good investment opportunities in companies such as Alibaba, Etsy, and E-Waste.

          Argyropoulos further told investors that he and Prima Ventures were licensed brokers, when, in truth, neither he nor Prima Ventures was licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory authority to sell securities.

          Instead of purchasing the stocks, Argyropoulos diverted the investor funds for other uses, such as day-trading in stocks unrelated to the promised investments, and personal expenses such as gambling, cars, insurance bills, travel, and his legal expenses arising out of an investigation into his activities conducted by the SEC.

          Some of Argyropoulous’s victims met him at church gatherings, where he forged relationships with them and then used these relationships to recruit other unsuspecting investors, such as the victims’ work colleagues.

          Argyropoulos also admitted to willfully violating a January 2015 court order in a lawsuit brought by the SEC, which was based on the fraudulent Facebook and Twitter scheme. The injunction prohibited Argyropoulos from selling fraudulent investments and acting as an unlicensed broker.

          In total, Argyropoulous cheated 130 victims out of more than $3.4 million.

          The FBI investigated this matter. The SEC provided substantial assistance.

          This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section.

            CONCORD - Martin Sheehan, 28, of Nashua, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for fentanyl trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

             According to court documents and statements made in court, in October of 2018, Sheehan sold fentanyl on two occasions to a cooperating individual at locations in Nashua.  In February of 2019, law enforcement officers arrested Sheehan at a motel.  Officers recovered over 13 grams of fentanyl, which Sheehan admitted belonged to him. 

             Sheehan previously pleaded guilty on May 13, 2020.

             “Fentanyl has caused substantial damage throughout New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “Through Operation S.O.S., we are fighting back against the drug dealers who peddle fentanyl and other opioids.  We will continue to work closely with Nashua Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners to identify, prosecute, and incarcerate the drug traffickers who have threatened public health and safety by selling these deadly drugs.”

             This matter was investigated by the Nashua Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.

             This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.).  In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts.  The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.   In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua. 

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            WASHINGTON – Yang Ban Corporation, a company established in the British Virgin Islands in 2014 that operated in South East Asia pleaded guilty today to conspiring to launder monetary instruments in connection with evading sanctions on North Korea and deceiving correspondent banks into processing U.S. dollar transactions.  The company will pay a financial penalty totaling $673,714.04. 

            In pleading guilty, Yang Ban admitted and accepted responsibility for its criminal conduct.  Yang Ban also agreed to implement rigorous internal controls and to cooperate fully with the Justice Department, including by reporting any criminal conduct by an employee.

            “Evasion of the United States sanctions laws allows North Korea to continue its dangerous and persistent proliferation activities and to develop weapons of mass destruction,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.  “This defendant utilized dual invoicing practices and provided false statements to conceal the ultimate destination of commodities it purchased for North Korea, duping U.S. correspondent banks into processing U.S. dollar transactions that they would not otherwise have authorized.  The disruption of this activity demonstrates that the Justice Department will leverage its significant investigative assets to uncover and punish North Korean efforts to engage in fraud, money laundering, and sanctions violations all to bolster its oppressive regime.”

            “Yang Ban undermined the integrity of our financial system and harmed our national security by circumventing banks’ sanction and anti-money laundering filters as part of a scheme to launder funds for North Korean customers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sherwin.  “Today’s action demonstrates this office’s commitment to find and punish companies, no matter where they are located, whose actions illegally facilitate North Korean sanctions evasion.”

            “Once again, the Department of Justice has disrupted an effort by North Korea to covertly access the U.S. financial system in violation of U.S. sanctions,” said Alan E. Kohler Jr, Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI will aggressively investigate companies established for the sole purpose of evading U.S. sanctions on North Korea. The sanctity of the U.S. financial system will not be compromised.”

            “Companies making deliberate efforts to launder money through the United States will be shut down,” said Michael F. Paul, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division.  “I commend the hard work of the agents and analysts who investigated this case.”

            “Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the U.S. financial system, leveraging  investigative assets in our combined efforts to expose the North Korean regime’s attempt to evade U.S. sanctions,” said Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.

            U.S. sanctions and banking regulations prevented correspondent banks in the United States from processing wire transfers on behalf of customers located in North Korea.  According to admissions and court documents, beginning in at least February 2017 and continuing until at least May 2018, Yang Ban deceived banks in the U.S. into processing transactions for North Korean customers of Yang Ban.  Yang Ban and its co-conspirators utilized financial cutouts and front companies to conceal the North Korean nexus.  Yang Ban specifically admitted to conspiring with other, including SINSMS, a subsequently designated company, to falsify shipping records. For example, in May 2017, a North Korean co-conspirator notified Yang Ban and its co-conspirators of a company which would ship to Nampo, North Korea, but would require two separate sets of shipping documents. One set of documents would be free of any indication that the shipment was going to North Korea, and a second set of documents would contain the North Korea details for internal record keeping.

            Yang Ban admitted that it was aware that it needed to distance itself from North Korean front companies in order to protect it from additional scrutiny from banks that process U.S. dollar transactions.  For example, in September 2016, Yang Ban caused an employee to inform a North Korean customer that Yang Ban was unable to use a related company for further business with North Korea due to bank restrictions on such transactions

            The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office with support from HSI’s Washington D.C. Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia M. Faruqui and Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers, Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, and Records Examiner Angela De Falco.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former captain in the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department pleaded guilty in federal court today to charges related to illegally selling 77 firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons.

“Our gun laws exist to make it hard for violent criminals to obtain the tools of their trade,” Garrison said.  “Felons, illegal aliens, domestic abusers, drug users, and other prohibited persons cannot purchase or possess firearms — unless someone breaks the law to put guns in their hands.  These criminals may not pull the trigger, but they profit by making violent crime possible in our neighborhoods.”

James Samuels, 54, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, four counts of selling firearms and ammunition to persons prohibited by law from possessing them, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Samuels, who has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018, remains in federal custody until his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

By pleading guilty today, Samuels admitted that he purchased 77 firearms from November 2013 to August 2018. Of those 77 firearms, 57 were Jimenez pistols. Samuels transferred 47 of those 77 firearms to third parties (including 43 Jimenez pistols). During this time, Samuels was not a licensed dealer of firearms.

Samuels also admitted that 10 to 20 of those firearms were sold to persons who were forbidden by law from possessing them. Samuels bought the firearms at a low price and sold them for a $40 to $50 profit.

Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.

Samuels was arrested on Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuels’s residence the same day and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers seized approximately 12,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as firearm parts and accessories.

The Oct. 4, 2018, transaction is one of four instances cited in today’s plea agreement in which the same confidential informant, whom Samuels knew was a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, purchased a firearm and ammunition from Samuels. In each of those four instances, Samuels accompanied the confidential informant and an undercover federal agent to a licensed firearms dealer, where the undercover agent completed the paperwork for the straw purchase of the firearm on behalf of the confidential informant. In each instance, the straw purchase was at the direction of Samuels.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Samuels acknowledges that he has the ability to pay a fine and agrees that $11,282 seized by law enforcement officers during the execution of the search warrant at his residence will be applied to any fine imposed by the court.

Under federal statutes, Samuels is subject to a sentence of up to 60 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Detroit man pled guilty to a federal drug charge today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Kwaine Brengettcy, 34, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“100% pure meth-- this Detroit drug dealer was bringing 100% pure meth into Beckley and distributing it. This may be the most powerful and potent meth that has been identified in the district. It cannot get more powerful,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Compare the potency of today’s meth with the meth of just a few short years ago. Today’s meth is potent and powerful- 100% pure in this case- but the meth that wreaked havoc on our communities 10 or 15 years ago was comparatively weak at 15-25% purity and that weaker meth did plenty of damage to our communities and families. This meth is exponentially stronger. With poison peddlers like Brengettcy coming into our communities, it’s of no surprise that meth-related overdose deaths are on the rise in the Mountain State. With every successful prosecution of a drug dealer, we’re taking back our streets and fighting for the families who have lost loved ones to overdose.”

On February 28, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on a residence in Beckley. As the officers entered, they observed Brengettcy jump up and flee to the back room. They later located 21 grams of methamphetamine inside his jacket pocket. Brengettcy also had rented a hotel room nearby, which also was searched by law enforcement. Inside, they discovered $10,576 in U.S. currency. Some of the bills in that sum of cash were marked as being used in previous controlled drug buys by law enforcement.

Brengettcy was interviewed and admitted to bringing methamphetamine from Detroit to Beckley, and that he had been selling methamphetamine in the area for at least four months prior to his arrest. The methamphetamine that was recovered was sent to a Department of Homeland Security laboratory, where it was tested and proved to be 100% pure methamphetamine.

Brengettcy faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on December 14, 2020.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00067.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley woman was sentenced to federal prison for her participation in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating between California and Raleigh County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Stephanie McClung, 48, of Beckley, was sentenced to 151 months in prison, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine.

“Operation Shutdown Corner took down 17 drug traffickers and was operating from California to West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “151 months in prison for her work with a drug trafficking organization. My question is, ‘Was it worth it?’ Great work by the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force and our partners at the federal, state and local levels.”

At her plea hearing in January, McClung admitted that between June 2018 and September 17, 2019, she worked with other members of a DTO operating in Raleigh County to distribute methamphetamine. McClung admitted that during this time period she was supplied with distribution amounts of controlled substances from various members of the DTO. She also admitted to selling the controlled substances, which included methamphetamine and heroin, to individuals that she now understands were working with law enforcement as confidential informants. She further admitted to allowing another member of the DTO to have controlled substances delivered to her address. She admitted to allowing this on at least two separate occasions. On one occasion, approximately one pound of methamphetamine was delivered and on a second occasion a quantity of heroin was delivered to her address. 

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Beckley Police Department and the West Virginia State Police. 

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecution.  

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00237.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Stewart Williams, age 37, of Baltimore, to 77 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a federal robbery charge in connection with a series of four robberies of video game stores committed over a 12-day period.  Judge Bredar previously sentenced co-defendant Kelvin McFadden, age 27, also of Baltimore, to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for the same charge.  Williams and McFadden admitted that they brandished what appeared to be a firearm during each of the four robberies. 

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Interim Chief William Lowry of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

According to their guilty pleas, between August 21, 2018 and September 1, 2018, Williams and McFadden robbed four video game stores, stealing electronic retail goods, such as video game systems, and cash.  In each robbery Williams and McFadden entered the store, brandished what appeared to be a gun while accosting the victim employees, stole money from cash registers and/or safes, and forced the victim employees in the store’s “backroom” which contained the more expensive electronic goods, including video game systems, which they also stole.  Each of the four robberies was captured on store security cameras.

Specifically, Williams and McFadden robbed: a store located in the 3600 block of Washington Boulevard in Halethorpe, Maryland, on August 21, 2018, stealing $874 in cash and three video game systems; a store located in the 6900 block of Security Boulevard in Baltimore City on August 25, 2018, stealing $2,839.58 in cash and three video game systems; a store locate in the 1000 block of Taylor Avenue in Towson, Maryland, on August 28, 2018, stealing $414 in cash and six video game systems; and a store located in the 6700 block of York Road in Baltimore, on September 1, 2018, stealing $968 in cash and 12 video game systems.

After the last robbery, responding police officers located McFadden’s car as he and Williams fled the scene of the robbery.  Police dispatched a helicopter that was able to locate McFadden’s car and follow it.  The officer in the helicopter saw Williams and McFadden stop the car near North Stricker Street in Baltimore, flee from the car, bang on the back door of an apartment, and enter the apartment.  Police secured the location and knocked on the apartment door.  The resident allowed the police to come inside, where police located Williams and McFadden.  Search warrants were obtained for the vehicle and for the apartment.  Law enforcement recovered numerous video game systems matching those that were stolen in the last robbery, hats that matched those worn by McFadden and Williams in several of the robberies as captured on the store security cameras, cash recovered inside a black trash bag, a black air pistol that matched the apparent handgun used during the four robberies, and wallets and cell phones belonging to Williams and McFadden.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the Baltimore City, the Baltimore County, and the Anne Arundel County Police Departments for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Loveland, Jr. and Clinton J. Fuchs, who prosecuted the case.

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A Claremore man was sentenced today in federal court for distribution and receipt of child pornography and for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Daniel Nathan West, 48, to 78 months in federal prison, where he will receive sex offender treatment. Judge Frizzell further ordered West to pay $12,000 in restitution to victims depicted in the videos and identified by the  National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Following his prison sentence, West will spend seven years on supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.

“The sexual exploitation of children is both despicable and criminal. Victims of child pornography are exploited time and again when explicit images of them are produced, shared, and viewed on the internet. This is why the work of investigators, prosecutors and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is so critical,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “We will never stop our duty to identify and recover victims of sexual abuse. And we will never stop pursuing criminals like Daniel West who exploit our children. We will bring them to justice for their heinous crimes.”

In his written plea agreement, West admitted that from May 17 through Dec. 17, 2019, he knowingly possessed, received and distributed child pornography using computer devices, social media applications and the internet. The files contained images of at least one prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. On his cell phone, investigators discovered 100 video files of child sexual abuse, including the rape of infants and bestiality.

West was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

The Tulsa Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Nassar and Ryan Heatherman prosecuted the case.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Putnam County man pled guilty today to stealing fentanyl and morphine, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Kelly Keene, 49, entered a guilty plea to obtaining controlled substances by fraud and deception.

“Narcotics housed in EMT trucks are there for a purpose – to treat victims of trauma or acute illness while they are being transported to a medical facility,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Keene abused his position to steal fentanyl and morphine – narcotics needed for critical care – for his own use. It is unconscionable conduct by any measure.”

Keene admitted that while he was employed as a Putnam County Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in May 2019 he took vials of fentanyl and morphine from the narcotics safes located on the EMS trucks. He admitted to taking the controlled substances when he was not authorized to do so. He further admitted to stealing these substances for his own use.   

Keene faces up to four years in prison when he is sentenced on December 7, 2020.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.  

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00135.

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WASHINGTON – Over the past year, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has charged more than 9,500 cases, which include more than 2,500 felony cases.  Specifically, with regard to the spike in protest-related violence throughout the District this summer, the Office aggressively charged 121 criminal cases from May 28, 2020 to August 1, 2020.  These cases included assault and battery on local police officers and federal agents, arson cases, and the destruction of both private and government property.  Most recently, over this past weekend alone, the Office brought criminal charges against five individuals linked to protest-related violence – two of those cases involved assaults on police officers. 

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s public statement today related to the United States Attorney’s Office reluctant to prosecute “68 outstanding arrest warrants” is patently false and serves no purpose other than to pass blame and foster innuendo.  Since the protests began, this Office has never turned down a single case for prosecution in which there was sufficient evidence to support probable cause.

The Office remains committed to keeping the community safe, but also holds true to the rule of law and constitutional protections for all citizens.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Luis Eduardo Martinez-Torres, 23, from Mexico, pled guilty today to aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.

“Heroin and meth. A deadly duo. Too many victims. Far too many, all as a result of making an easy buck and greed. We are taking our streets back from the drug dealers who have sought to destroy them for their own financial gain,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

Officers executed a search warrant on June 5, 2019 in Huntington. Martinez-Torres and other individuals were in the home at the time of the search warrant. Officers found methamphetamine and heroin in the home. Martinez-Torres admitted that he aided and abetted other individuals in possessing with the intent to distribute 340 grams of methamphetamine and 453 grams of heroin in Huntington. 

Martinez-Torres faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on December 7, 2020.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.  

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00281.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man was sentenced to federal prison for a sex crime involving a minor, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Gary Wayne Lilly, 40, of Josephine, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for traveling in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor. Upon release from prison, Lilly will serve a term of supervised release of 10 years and will be required to register as a sex offender.

“The depravity of these types of cases is difficult to fathom,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “But make no mistake, my office protects children. It is my top priority to hold these predators accountable.”

Lilly previously admitted that beginning in late May 2019 he communicated via a social messaging application and telephone with a minor he believed to be a 13-year-old girl in Bluefield. During the conversations, Lilly discussed meeting the minor female to engage in oral sex and sexual intercourse. On June 1, 2019, Lilly traveled from Josephine to Bluefield, Virginia, to meet the purported 13-year-old minor. Lilly stopped in Princeton on his way to Bluefield, Virginia in order to purchase condoms. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. United States District Judge Frank Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald handled the prosecution.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00161.

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BOSTON – A Connecticut man who held positions involving facility maintenance at three collegiate institutions pleaded guilty today in connection with receiving bribes in exchange for directing contracts to favored contractors.

Floyd Young, 50, of Shelton, Conn., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Feb. 1, 2021. In March 2019, Young was charged by criminal complaint and arrested.

Young held positions involving facility maintenance at three collegiate institutions, including one located in Massachusetts. Young steered contracts for construction, repair, maintenance, and other work for the collegiate institutions to favored contractors who paid him bribes, typically in the amount of 15% of the contract. The contractors inflated the amount of the invoices submitted to the collegiate institutions in order to be repaid the cost of the bribe payment made to Young. In addition, as contractors received payments for work done at the collegiate institutions, they paid Young bribes on a periodic basis. On occasion, Young and the contractors arranged for no-work invoices to be submitted to the collegiate institutions and then split the payment.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Young has agreed to pay restitution of $919,066 – the amount he received in bribes.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. 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 Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

           ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  – Mark Anthony Hill, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation residing in of Smith Lake, New Mexico, appeared in federal court in Albuquerque today on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.  A U.S. magistrate judge ordered him held in custody pending trial. 

           According to the complaint, Hill committed the alleged assault on Aug. 23 in McKinley County, New Mexico.  Hill allegedly got into an argument with his brother while drinking alcohol.  Hill allegedly struck the victim with his fists and knocked him to the ground.  Hill then allegedly retrieved a baseball bat and struck the victim in the head and torso causing serious injuries, including fractures to the victim’s skull and jaw, a dislocated shoulder and a torn left ear.   

           The Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations arrested Hill on Aug. 26.  If convicted, Hill faces up to ten years in prison on each assault charge.  A criminal complaint is only an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

           The Crownpoint District of the Navajo Nation Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Aliberti is prosecuting the case.

A Plainview man was charged today with assisting a meth trafficker’s prison escape, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Juan Anthony Cordero, 25, was arrested by United States Marshals Service’s North Texas Fugitive Task Force (NTFTF) on Saturday. He made his initial appearance in court today.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed today, Mr. Cordero spoke with Mark Lucio, a prisoner in federal custody at the Bailey County Jail to allegedly plan and assist with his escape. Mr. Lucio was in federal custody following his June 3rd guilty plea for possession to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On August 28, Mr. Cordero was seen on a video call with Mr. Lucio allegedly discussing the details of a prison escape that was to occur the next day. Mr. Cordero and Mr. Lucio allegedly discussed the time for the escape and the vehicle Mr. Cordero would be driving.

On the morning of August 29, Mr. Lucio called Mr. Cordero minutes before the planned prison escape was to take place to advise Mr. Cordero with last minute instructions. Mr. Lucio made his escape through a sally port door at the Bailey County Jail and ran to Mr. Cordero’s car and they fled the area together.

Shortly after the escape, the Hale County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the NTFTF to be on the lookout for Cordero’s vehicle. Deputies with the Hale County Sheriff’s Office located Cordero’s car at a residence in Plainview, Texas. NTFTF members, along with deputies with the Hale County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety made contact with Mr. Cordero at the residence.

Following an interview with NTFTF officers, Mr. Cordero admitted to helping Mr. Lucio escape from the Bailey County Jail. Mr. Cordero allegedly said that he also gave Mr. Lucio a 9mm pistol and he dropped Mr. Lucio off at a residence in Abernathy, Texas. NTFTF members found Mr. Lucio at that residence and took him into custody without incident.

A criminal complaint is formal accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted of the charged offense, Mr. Cordero faces up to 5 years in federal prison.

The United States Marshal Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, Bailey County Sheriff’s Office, and Hale County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag is prosecuting this case.

SAN JOSE – James Gould, Jr. was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, and ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.

Gould pleaded guilty on February 3, 2020, to Possession of Child Pornography.  According to the plea agreement, Gould admitted that on June 15, 2019, while on supervised release from a prior child pornography conviction, a probation officer conducted a random inspection of Gould’s cell phone, revealing that it had child pornography images on it.  As a result, a search was conducted of Gould’s residence, located in San Jose, California.  In his bedroom were 26 electronic devices capable of accessing the internet or processing or storing data, which Gould was prohibited from possessing as part of his supervised release conditions.  As part of his plea agreement, Gould further admitted that on one of his devices he possessed 556 child pornography images and 169 child pornography videos.  The images and videos that Gould possessed depicted infants and toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including sadistic or masochistic conduct and sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler. 

Gould, 32, of San Jose, was charged by an Information filed on January 30, 2020.  He was charged with Possession of Child Pornography.

The sentence was handed down by The Honorable Edward J. Davila, U.S. District Court Judge, following a guilty plea on one count of Possession of Child Pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B).  Judge Davila also sentenced the defendant to an 8 year period of supervised release.  The defendant has been in continuous custody since his initial appearance on the related supervised release violation (CR 12-00464 EJD) on June 27, 2019. 

Chinhayi Cadet is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessica Leung.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA – Daniel McMahon, 32, was sentenced today in federal court in the Western District of Virginia to 41 months of imprisonment for threatening an African-American Charlottesville City Council candidate because of his race and because he was running for office, and for cyberstalking a separate victim through Facebook messenger, the Justice Department announced today.  Following his term of incarceration, McMahon will be placed on three years of supervised release, during which time he will be prohibited from using internet-capable devices without prior court approval.

“Americans have the right to run for office in this country without facing racially-bigoted threats of violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “Furthermore, no American should have to live with hateful threats of sexual violence for opposing white nationalism. The Justice Department will continue vigorously to prosecute anyone who attempts to infringe on these civil rights and thereby undermine our democracy.”

“The hallmark of our Nation’s democracy is the right to peacefully protest and engage in an effective exchange of ideas via the political process,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. “When either of these rights are infringed, and individuals are targeted, intimidated, or threatened because of their race/ethnicity or beliefs, the cornerstone of our system is put at risk. Today’s sentence demonstrates our intent to work together to preserve our Nation’s founding principles and ensure that all citizens are protected under the law.”

“This defendant weaponized social media to threaten and intimidate his perceived political enemies and propagate a violent white-supremacist ideology,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen of the Western District of Virginia. “Because his online activity crossed the boundary between protected First Amendment expression and unlawful threats and harassment, he will spend considerable time in federal prison.” 

“The FBI applauds the sentencing in this case and remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge David W. Archey of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “We also commend the courage of the victims who come forward to report these threats. We are grateful for our partners with the Department of Justice, the FBI Tampa Division and the U.S. Attorney's Offices in Virginia and Florida for their support during this investigation.”

On April 30, 2020, the defendant pled guilty to one count of racially-motivated threats to interfere with an election, and one count of cyberstalking. At the plea hearing, the defendant admitted that he uses the online pseudonyms “Jack Corbin,” “Pale Horse,” “Restore Silent Sam,” and “Dakota Stone,” to promote white supremacy and white nationalist ideology, and to express support for racially-motivated violence. The defendant admitted that in January 2019, upon learning that D.G., an African-American resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, planned to announce his candidacy for city council, the defendant used his Jack Corbin account on the social media platform Gab to threaten violence against D.G. because of D.G.’s race and because D.G. was running for office. The defendant admitted that his posts used racial slurs and invoked long-standing racial stereotypes, and that he intended for D.G. to understand his posts as threats to his safety. 

In addition, the defendant admitted to using his “Restore Silent Sam” Facebook account to cyberstalk a person identified in court documents as Victim 2. In connection with this charge, the defendant admitted that he used Facebook to send Victim 2 numerous intimidating and threatening messages that placed Victim 2 in reasonable fear of harm to Victim 2’s minor child. The defendant acknowledged that Victim 2 has been active in countering white nationalist rallies in her community. The defendant admitted that, because of Victim 2’s activism, he began an online campaign to intimidate her and to extort information from her about her fellow activists. This included sending Victim 2 numerous messages over the course of twelve days in which he threatened to sexually assault Victim 2’s minor daughter, who has autism. The defendant admitted that, at around the same time that he sent these messages, he also used the internet to conduct searches relating to sexual contact with girls who have autism. The defendant admitted that his messages reasonably caused Victim 2 serious emotional distress and fear for Victim 2’s child’s safety.

This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen of the Western District of Virginia; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia; Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George of the Middle District of Florida; and Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Kittery man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Portland to two counts of interstate travel to violate a protection order, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

According to court documents, in April 2016, Nelson Jean Dion, 53, who resided in Maine, was arrested for felony aggravated assault involving his former live-in girlfriend, who was by then living in a domestic violence shelter in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A few days later, Dion was released on bail and was subject to a protection order that prohibited his contact with his former girlfriend.

Between April and June 2016, Dion traveled from Maine to New Hampshire, and then from New Hampshire to Maine, to have contact with the girlfriend in violation of the protection order. On June 30, 2016, the girlfriend jumped from the Piscataqua River Bridge on Interstate 95 and died the next day.

Dion faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.  

The Kittery, Berwick, and Eliot, Maine Police Departments; the York County District Attorney’s Office; the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department; and the FBI investigated the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY– August 31, 2020

SAN DIEGO – U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded $800,000 in grant funding to the Center for Community Solutions (CCS), which has three San Diego locations (in Mission Bay, Escondido and El Cajon) that provide legal services to survivors of sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence and dating violence.  

“Addressing the many needs of women who are threatened by or subjected to violence is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer.   “This award will help to ensure that all victims are able to access the assistance and support they need to seek the recourse and protection afforded by our legal system.”

The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant (LAV) Program, which is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 20121, is designed to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance programs for adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who are seeking relief in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence, at minimum or no cost to the victims. Eligible applicants are private nonprofit entities, Indian tribal governments and tribal organizations, territorial organizations, and publicly funded organizations not acting in a governmental capacity, such as law schools.

The $800,000 award to CCS will fund provision of comprehensive bilingual legal services to survivors of sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, and dating violence. Funding from this award will enable the collaborative to support additional attorneys, provide legal assistance in nine areas of law, and serve additional clients. Founded in 1969, CCS served more than 17,000 adults and children last year to heal and prevent relationship and sexual violence. CCS operates the only rape crisis center in the city of San Diego along with a countywide 24-hour bilingual crisis helpline. The nonprofit agency also provides emergency domestic violence shelters, hospital and court accompaniment, as well as legal and counseling services for those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Individuals in need of help can reach CCS through its 24-hour, confidential hotline: 1-888-385-4657.  In addition to providing services, CCS collaborates with community partners to offer prevention programs that promote healthy relationships and peaceful communities. 

OVW currently administers 19 grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 and subsequent legislation. These grant programs are designed to develop the nation’s capacity to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by strengthening services to victims and holding offenders accountable.

HONOLULU – Hamada Suisan Co. Ltd., the owner of a Japanese-flagged fishing vessel, was charged in federal court today with aiding and abetting the attempted export of shark fins out of Hawaii in violation of the Lacey Act.

The charge arose from the November 2018 discovery of approximately 962 shark fins weighing approximately 190 pounds from the checked luggage of fisherman working aboard the Japanese-flagged fishing vessel, M.V. Kyoshin Maru No. 20 (“Kyoshin Maru”). The Kyoshin Maru had engaged in longline tuna fishing in the southern Pacific Ocean for approximately one year prior, utilizing a crew of officers who were Japanese nationals and fishermen who were Indonesian nationals. In the course of the voyage, crew members harvested fins from approximately 300 sharks.

On or about November 6, 2018, the Kyoshin Maru traveled near Hawaii, and its Indonesian crew members legally entered the United States in order to board return flights departing from Honolulu International Airport. During routine screening, Transportation Security Administration officers discovered the shark fins in 10 of the fishermen’s checked luggage. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seized the shark fins, which it later determined were worth as much as $57,850 on the black market.

Some of the shark fins were from oceanic whitetip sharks, which are listed as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an international convention with over 180 parties, including the United States, Japan and Indonesia. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the oceanic white tip shark has declined by approximately 80-95% across the Pacific Ocean since the mid-1990s. Other fins were from silky sharks and bigeye thresher sharks, which are also protected under the CITES Convention.

The charge filed today accuses Hamada Suisan Co. Ltd., of unlawfully trafficking shark fins. The charge in the Information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii, Kenji M. Price stated: “Shark finning is inhumane, intolerable, and takes a very real toll on our precious ocean ecosystem. My office is committed to combatting this cruel practice by prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law anyone found to be trafficking in these types of shark fins.”

“Shark finning is a cruel practice, prohibited by federal law, numerous states, including Hawaii, and multilateral bodies to which both the United States and Japan belong,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey B. Clark for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The charge filed today reflects the United States’ serious commitment to enforcing these bans and ending this practice.”

United States laws prohibit, within U.S. jurisdiction: the removal of any fins of any shark at sea; the possession of such fins aboard a fishing vessel that are not attached to the corresponding carcass; and the transfer or landing of any such detached fin. Some of these laws implement U.S. obligations under international conventions. In addition, the laws of the State of Hawaii make it unlawful for any person to possess, sell, offer for sale, trade, or distribute shark fins. Due in part to the over-harvest of sharks, some species of shark—including three species found among the fins at issue in this case—are protected under the CITES Convention.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, with assistance from: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Coast Guard. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc A. Wallenstein, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii, and Senior Counsel for Wildlife Programs Elinor Colbourn, Environmental Crimes Section, and the U.S. Department of Justice. The prosecution team is coordinating with the U.S. Department of State on this matter.