Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”),  Ashan M. Benedict, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), James J. Hunt, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that DOMINICK SHERLAND, a/k/a “D-Nick,” was charged today in a Superseding Indictment with the murder of Jeffrey Delmore, who was stabbed to death on May 15, 2010, at the age of 15.  SHERLAND, along with 62 others, was originally charged on April 27, 2016, with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms offenses in connection with his membership in the “Big Money Bosses” (“BMB”), a violent street gang that operated primarily on White Plains Road from 215th Street to 233rd Street in the Bronx.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “As alleged, Dominick Sherland mistook 15-year-old Jeffrey Delmore for a gang rival, and stabbed him to death in defense of gang turf.  This brutal and senseless murder ended a young life.  Thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, we are one step closer to providing Jeffrey Delmore’s family with the justice they deserve.”

HSI SAC Angel Melendez said:  “Dominick Sherland is already facing trial for a slew of charges including narcotics distribution and racketeering, and now he faces charges of murder for allegedly stabbing a 15-year-old boy to death as he pled for his life.  The alleged heinous act of this individual certifies that our unrelenting efforts to crack down on gang activity and the ensuing violence are necessary, and HSI and its partners will not waiver in that resolve.”

ATF SAC Ashan M. Benedict said:  “The members of BMB, including the defendant, terrorized the streets of the Northern Bronx, committing numerous wanton acts of violence. The alleged homicide of an innocent victim mistaken as a member of a rival gang highlights the depth of the defendant’s alleged depravity and the senselessness of the violence the defendant and his criminal associates allegedly brought to the streets. Today’s charges demonstrate that our investigation has not stopped, and that we will continue to hold these gang members accountable to ensure they face justice for all the crimes they are alleged to have committed.”

DEA SAC James J. Hunt said:  “Drug trafficking and violent crime are synonymous with gang activity. It is not surprising that additional crimes were unearthed as a result of last year’s massive gang takedown targeting the 2Fly YGZ and the BMB. What are shocking and appalling are casualties of this gang war; including the murder of a teenage boy whose identity was mistaken.”

According to the Superseding Indictment[1] and other documents filed in the case, as well as public proceedings in this case:

BMB was a subset of the “Young Bosses,” or “YBz” street gang, which operates throughout New York City.  Between 2007 and 2016, members and associates of BMB committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members in the Bronx – including murders, attempted murders, and armed robberies – and sold crack cocaine and marijuana.  

SHERLAND was a member of BMB.  On May 15, 2010, SHERLAND and a group of other BMB members encountered a group of people in the vicinity of Gun Hill Road in the Bronx who the BMB members believed were members of the rival 2Fly YGz (“2Fly”) gang, which was based at the Eastchester Gardens public housing development.  The BMB members mistook Delmore for a member of 2Fly.  SHERLAND stabbed Delmore to death as Delmore pled for his life.

* * *

SHERLAND, 25, of the Bronx, New York, was arrested on April 27, 2016, and has been detained pending trial.  In the Superseding Indictment, he is charged with murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison; possessing a firearm during the narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed; and discharging a firearm during the racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum of sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the judge.  SHERLAND is scheduled for trial on November 6, 2017, before United States District Judge Alison J. Nathan.

SHERLAND was arrested in this case as a result of a multi-year investigation by the Bronx Gang Squad of the NYPD, the HSI Violent Gang Unit, the DEA, and the Joint Firearms Task Force of ATF into gang violence in the Northern Bronx. On April 27, 2016, Indictment S2 15 Cr. 95 (AJN) was unsealed, charging 63 members and associates of BMB, including SHERLAND, with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, narcotics distribution, and firearms charges.  To date, 49 of these defendants have pled guilty.  Also on April 27, 2016, Indictment S1 16 Cr. 212 (LAK) was unsealed, charging 57 members of 2Fly with the same offenses.  To date, 54 of these defendants have pled guilty.

Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the NYPD’s 49th Precinct Detective Squad, the NYPD’s Bronx Gang Squad, HSI, DEA, ATF, and the Department of Investigation, NYCHA Inspector General’s Office.  He also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their ongoing support in this investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Maimin, Micah W.J. Smith, Hagan Scotten, Jessica Feinstein, and Drew Johnson-Skinner are in charge of the prosecution.

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DELTOINE SCOTT, age 24, and JEROME KIEFFER, age 24, both of New Orleans, were indicted today by a federal grand jury for charges of attempted bank robbery resulting in death, using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence that resulted in death, and making false statements to a federal agent.

According to the Superseding Indictment, SCOTT and KIEFFER attempted to take money belonging to Campus Federal Credit Union on May 31, 2017, using force, violence, and intimidation. The Superseding Indictment alleges that SCOTT and KIEFFER used firearms in committing the robbery and charges them with death of James McBride. If convicted of the attempt bank robbery, SCOTT and KIEFFER face a mandatory life sentence or death. The Superseding Indictment also charges SCOTT and KIEFFER with using a firearm during and in relation to the robbery, which carries a penalty of up to life in prison or death. Finally, the Superseding Indictment alleges that SCOTT, about a week after the robbery, lied to federal agents about having lost his phone and about his whereabouts on the day of the robbery. If convicted, SCOTT faces up to five years in prison on each of the false statement counts.

“Our fellow citizens deserve to be safe and to feel safe,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. “We can achieve that goal only if law enforcement and the community continue to work together. The men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will make every effort to prosecute violent offenders to the fullest extent of the law. Special thanks to the men and women of the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Field Office and the New Orleans Police Department for their hard work and dedication in investigating this matter.”

“Today’s federal grand jury Superseding Indictment clearly demonstrates that the people of New Orleans, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement will not tolerate violence in our city,” stated Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent in Charge, New Orleans Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Through the dedicated efforts of the FBI New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force and the NOPD Homicide Section, the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be brought to justice.”

"We are proud of the collaborative effort our department's homicide unit and the FBI made to solve this case, to work with the U.S. Attorney's office to secure a Superseding Indictment, and to see justice done," stated New Orleans Police Superintendent Michael Harrison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the Superseding Indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller and Michael McMahon who are in charge of the prosecution.

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, announced that JULIO SANTIAGO JUAN-MATEO, age 28, a citizen of Guatemala, pled guilty to a one-count Indictment for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.

According to the court documents, on April 1, 2017, JUAN-MATEO was stopped by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services agents while in possession of a Hi-Point Model C9 firearm, 9 mm, bearing serial number P1903457 in Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in Chalmette. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services agents contacted the Department of Homeland Security as they suspected JUAN-MATEO was an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in investigating this matter.

U.S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced AGATON-VAZQUEZ to time served (7 months), followed by one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. AGATON-VASQUEZ will be surrendered to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.

According to court documents, on January 3, 2017, AGATON-VASQUEZ was found in the United States after having been previously deported from the United States on April 4, 2013.

BOISE — John Matthew Caviness, Jr., 35, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for his role in helping to distribute methamphetamine and other drugs throughout the Treasure Valley, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Caviness and ten others were indicted on December 8, 2015, by a federal grand jury in Boise. On February 23, 2017, Caviness pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute controlled substances. Caviness’ sentencing brings the case to a close as the other ten defendants were already sentenced.

The case began in January 2015 when Elizabeth Gaytan sold methamphetamine to undercover police officers on numerous occasions. Investigators later learned that Stacy Duane Wilfong was Gaytan’s source of supply and the leader of a larger group of individuals who distributed drugs throughout the Treasure Valley. Investigators applied for and received a court order that authorized the interception of Wilfong’s telephone communications. During the course of approximately twenty days, Wilfong made hundreds of calls to his co-conspirators related to the distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, pills including oxycodone and hydromorphone, and a synthetic controlled substance Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone, known as "a-PVP."

The other ten defendants who already pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise are:

• Stacy Duane Wilfong, 40, of Nampa, leader of the conspiracy, sentenced on October 4, 2016, to 220 months in prison;

• Elizabeth Ann Gaytan, 37, Nampa, sentenced on July 28, 2016, to 100 months in prison;

• Jason Lee Burgess, 44, of Garden City, sentenced on February 22, 2017, to 84 months in prison;

• Adam William Dillon, 28, Nampa, sentenced on March 8, 2017, to 74 months in prison;

• Anthony “Tony” Kitchen, from Nampa, sentenced on October 5, 2016, to 71 months in prison;

• David Anthony Wales, 31, Boise, sentenced on June 14, 2017, to 60 months in prison;

• Isela F. Garza, 36, Nampa, sentenced on November 10, 2016, to 48 months in prison;

• Regina Wade, 50, Boise, sentenced on August 9, 2016, to 41 months in prison;

• Jocelin Jessica Gonzalez, 19, Nampa, sentenced on July 28, 2016, to 40 months in prison; and

• Breeannyn Nicole Pederson, 25, Parma, sentenced on November 15, 2016, to 18 months in prison.

This case was the result of a joint investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), includes the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.

The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.

          SHAWN N. ANDERSON, Acting United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant VINCENT JOHN QUITUGUA, age 47, from Piti, was sentenced on July 6, 2017, in District Court to a 57-month concurrent term of imprisonment for possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) with intent to distribute, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The Court also ordered QUITUGUA to pay a mandatory $200 assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.

          On July 6, 2106, QUITUGUA entered a guilty plea to both crimes. The investigation revealed that QUITUGUA, a public school teacher, was selling methamphetamine and conducting an extensive marijuana grow operation from his Piti, Guam residences. QUITUGUA was discovered with over ten grams of methamphetamine with a purity level of 99%, approximately 121 living marijuana plants, 429 grams of processed marijuana, four firearms, $72,922.50 in U.S. currency as well as four scales, glass pipes and paraphernalia.

          The District Court noted that QUITUGUA is a public school teacher with over 20 years of experience in Guam’s middle school. Court expressed concern that QUITUGUA had four firearms in close proximity to the drugs, and noted that the sales of methamphetamine and the marijuana grow occurred in close proximity to a middle school. Court ordered that the currency, firearms and ammunition be forfeited to the U.S. government.

          The Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Rosetta San Nicolas, an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Guam.

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A federal inmate at United States Penitentiary at Lee County faces additional federal prison time after being sentenced this afternoon for resisting and assaulting a corrections officer, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

Darren Wall, 24, was sentenced this afternoon to imprisonment for a term of 60 months. He also was ordered to pay 24,714.32 in restitution. Wall previously pled guilty to one count of forcibly assaulting and resisting an officer and employee of the United States while that officer was engaged in the performance of official duties and during the commission of such offense did inflict bodily injury.

On May 9, 2016, Wall, while an inmate at USP Lee, resisted and assaulted a corrections officer while the officer performed his official duties. That assault caused bodily injury to the officer. Wall was also found in possession of a shank, an improvised knifelike weapon at the time of the incident.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bristol, Virginia, office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney AUSA Randy Ramseyer is prosecuting the case for the United States.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ronald Allen Meadows, 46, of Chillicothe, Ohio was sentenced to 120 months in prison for illegally possessing firearms, including machine guns, and dealing heroin from his house.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Ross County Sheriff George W. Lavender and the U.S. 23 Pipeline Major Crimes Task Force announced the sentence handed down today by Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.

Undercover task force officers bought drugs at Meadows’ Wilson Run Road house in 2015 after receiving complaints about drug trafficking taking place there. Agents executed two search warrants at Meadows’ home in 2016, seized 40 firearms including two machine guns, and almost 90 grams of heroin. ATF agents and task force officers arrested Meadows in August 2016 following a grand jury indictment.

Meadows pleaded guilty on March 16, 2017 to three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of possession of a machine gun and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin.

“There’s one less heroin dealer on the streets in Ross County today because people came forward and worked with law enforcement,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “The machine guns the agents seized also show that drugs and violence continue to be a deadly duo.” Glassman also commended the investigation by the U.S. 23 Pipeline Major Crimes Task Force and the ATF. Glassman also commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Prichard who represented the United States in this case.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Aaron Travis Daniels, 20, aka Harun Muhammad, aka Abu Yusef of Columbus pled guilty in U.S. District Court to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B. Daniels faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman of the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and agencies participating in the Columbus Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) announced the plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.

JTTF agents arrested Daniels on November 7, 2106, as he attempted to leave Columbus with the intent to join ISIS in Libya. A federal grand jury indicted him on November 10, 2016 Daniels has been in custody since his arrest.

“This case demonstrates how terrorist activities abroad can reach into our local communities,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “Our office and agencies in the JTTF will continue to cooperate as we work to protect our national security.”

The Columbus JTTF is made up of officers and agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Columbus Division of Police, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, The Ohio State University Police Department, the Ohio Investigative Unit, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the John Glenn International Airport Police Department, Westerville Police Department and Columbus Division of Fire.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica W. Knight, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Gibson with Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office, and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

DAYTON – Michael Stathas, 33, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months in prison for robbing two banks in Montgomery County in December 2016.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.

Stathas pleaded guilty on April 3, 2017 to two counts of robbery. According to the Statement of Facts filed with his plea agreement, Stathas jumped the teller counter at a Fifth Third Bank in Kettering, Ohio on December 23, pepper-sprayed the teller and stole the teller’s station money. On December 29, Stathas vaulted a bank counter at Key Bank in Centerville, Ohio. Once on the other side of the counter, he stole cash from the teller’s station.

Stathas fled the second robbery in his vehicle. Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies and detectives in marked vehicles attempted to stop him, but rather than complying with their demands, he fled at a high rate of speed, ultimately crashing his car near Moraine, Ohio.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation of this case by the FBI, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Kettering Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Brent G. Tabacchi, who represented the United States in this case.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged E. Stanley Hoff, 68, of Westerville with one count of threatening to assault and murder a United States official, a crime punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and the United States Capitol Police announced the indictment returned today.

The indictment alleges that Hoff threatened to assault and murder U.S Representative Steve Stivers and a member of Stivers’ family.

Hoff was charged by a criminal complaint on June 21, 2017 and arrested. An affidavit filed in support of the complaint alleges that Hoff left a threatening voice mail on Rep. Stivers’ Hilliard office phone. Hoff is being held without bond.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the U.S. Capitol Police and Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Kelley and Brian Martinez, who are prosecuting the case.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Wife filed forged documents in Bankruptcy Court and stole from husband’s retirement account

PRESS RELEASE

Evansville – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today the sentencing of an Evansville woman for her role in an elaborate bankruptcy fraud scheme in which she stole thousands of dollars from her husband’s retirement account. Patricia Bippus-Allen, 58, was sentenced to 60 months (five years) imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud, subornation of perjury, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

“Using the bankruptcy system and government resources to further one’s own selfish and fraudulent scheme will not be tolerated,” said Minkler. “If you intentionally waste the government’s limited judicial resources, you can expect to spend time in federal prison.”

In September 2010, Bippus-Allen filed a joint Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition in both her and her husband’s name in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana. This was done without her husband’s consent, knowledge or authorization. During the course of the bankruptcy proceedings, Bippus-Allen created several documents bearing the forged signature of her husband of over 25 years.

Bippus-Allen also provided her bankruptcy attorney with a letter from a doctor stating her husband was under his care and would be hospitalized for at least 30 days during which he could not see visitors or take phone calls. The doctor who purportedly signed the letter stated it was a forgery and that he had never provided services for her husband.

In March 2011, Bippus-Allen attended a meeting of creditors which her husband was required to attend as well. David Bippus, her brother, attended the meeting with Bippus-Allen and posed as Bippus-Allen’s husband. Bippus-Allen and David Bippus both stated under oath that he was the husband and that all schedules and documents filed in the bankruptcy proceedings were true and correct.

Based on the representations made by Bippus-Allen and David Bippus, a bankruptcy plan was confirmed requiring monthly payments to Bippus-Allen’s for 60 months. Pursuant to this plan, approximately $74,000 was deducted from the direct deposit paychecks of Bippus-Allen’s husband without his consent or knowledge.

Bippus-Allen was convicted of wire fraud stemming from her transferring money from her husband’s 401(k) account into her own personal bank accounts without his consent, knowledge, or authorization. Bippus-Allen made multiple calls to the 401(k) service center purporting to be her husband while also faxing supporting documentation to the service center for a 401(k) hardship withdrawal. In sum, Bippus-Allen made multiple unauthorized withdrawals from her husband’s 401(k) account for a total of over $24,000. Bippus-Allen also took out over $16,000 in loans on her husband’s 401(k) account without his consent, knowledge, or authorization.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Southern District of Indiana Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group, which includes the U.S. Trustee Program.

"For honest individuals who find themselves overwhelmed by debt, filing for bankruptcy can be a lifesaver. But then there are others who try to get out of paying their debts and line their pockets through illegal actions," said W. Jay Abbott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Division. "The FBI takes our responsibility to pursue those who commit bankruptcy fraud and corrupt the process through deceit very seriously."

“Criminal bankruptcy fraud threatens the integrity of the bankruptcy system, as well as public confidence in that system,” stated Nancy J. Gargula, U.S. Trustee for Indiana, Central Illinois and Southern Illinois (Region 10). “I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Minkler and our law enforcement partners for their strong commitment to combating bankruptcy related crimes, as demonstrated by today’s sentencing.”

The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the U.S. Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. Region 10 is headquartered in Indianapolis, with additional offices in South Bend, Ind., and Peoria, Ill.

According to Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle M. Sawa and Todd Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case for the government, Bippus-Allen must pay $112,354 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release following her sentence. Her co-defendant brother, David Bippus, was sentenced in May 2017 to two years of probation and $10,000 in restitution for conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud and making false statements in bankruptcy court.

Roanoke, VIRGINIA –Five members of a Roanoke-based drug conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine in the city and to places as far west as Lynchburg and Amherst, pled guilty yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

Yesterday in District Court, Lewis Cheresnowsky Jr., 35, of Roanoke, Brian Edward Roden, 37, of Roanoke, Joy Lynne Mason, 35, of Evington, Va., and Adam Royal McElvy, 34, of Roanoke, each pled guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Brandi Ann Doss, 35, of Roanoke, pled guilty yesterday to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute a detectable amount of methamphetamine and one count of distributing methamphetamine.

According to evidence presented at yesterday’s guilty plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley B. Neese, the conspiracy operated in and around the City of Roanoke from spring 2015 until late 2016. While a majority of the activity involved in the conspiracy was focused in the Roanoke-area, members of the conspiracy did distribute methamphetamine within the Lynchburg and Amherst regions of Virginia during part of the conspiracy.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Roanoke City Police, the Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Roanoke HIDTA. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley B. Neese prosecuted the case for the United States.

A federal grand jury indicted Dean Nikolaides, 63, of Warren, for theft of government funds, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Nikolaides fraudulently received approximately $82,000 in benefits over 14 years from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to which he knew he was not entitled. The PBGC is a federal agency that protects the retirement incomes of American workers in private-sector defined benefit pension plans, according to the indictment.

The PBGC Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service aided in the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa J. Sanniti is prosecuting the case.

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

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

JULY 7, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                                             at (410) 209-4855

Greenbelt, Maryland – On July 6, 2017, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Andre Barbins, age 46, formerly of Solomons, Maryland, to 72 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography. Barbins pled guilty to the charge on January 26, 2017.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Sheriff David Clague of the Knox County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Department.

According to his plea agreement, Barbins used experienceproject.com, a social media application accessible through the internet, to chat with and exchange pictures with a 12-year-old victim located in Illinois. The victim told Barbins directly that she was only 12 years old, nevertheless, Barbins continued chatting and exchanging pictures with the victim over the course of five days. Barbins persuaded the victim to send him pictures containing child pornography. Barbins also sent pornographic pictures of himself to the child. When a search warrant was executed at Barbins’ residence in Solomons, Maryland, officers located several items of furniture that were visible in the photographs that Barbins sent to the victim.

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

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin, who prosecuted the case.

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Tazewell woman, who illegally purchased firearms for her son and lied about the purchases, pled guilty yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon to a pair of federal charges, Acting United States Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

Glenna Elswick, 50, pled guilty yesterday to one count of making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm from a licensed dealer and one count of providing a firearm to a prohibited person.

According to evidence presented at yesterday’s guilty plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, between October 2016 and February 2017, Elswick purchased at least seven firearms for her son, Matthew Elswick, who is prohibited from owning firearms due to his status as a previously convicted felon. In the process of purchasing the firearms, Elswick made false statements on ATF forms stating she was buying the firearms for her own use.

The investigation of the case was conducted by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee prosecuted the case for the United States.

Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced the sentencing of GREGORY VERNELL BENTLEY, 32, CRAIG VERNARD BENTLEY, 29, and VANESSA LYNNE BROWN, 24, for their roles in a violent heroin distribution ring. All three defendants entered guilty pleas and were sentenced before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis in U.S. District Court.

According to their guilty pleas and documents filed in court, between August 26, 2015 and August 14, 2016, BROWN and CRAIG BENTLEY conspired with others to possess and distribute heroin on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. On August 14, 2016, CRAIG BENTLEY met with BROWN at the Red Lake Casino and dropped off 350 grams of heroin, which BROWN intended to sell. As part of the heroin distribution conspiracy, CRAIG BENTLEY and BROWN made regular trips between the Twin Cities and the Red Lake Indian Reservation to pick up and drop off heroin and cash.

According to his guilty plea and documents filed in court, on August 14, 2016, during an attempt to collect a drug debt in relation to the heroin distribution conspiracy, GREGORY BENTLEY shot an adult male with a 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol, causing serious bodily harm.

To learn more about the Justice Department’s Tribal Safety program, visit http://www.justice.gov/tribal/.

This case resulted from an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw.

Defendant Information:

GREGORY VERNELL BENTLEY, 32

St. Paul, Minn.

Convicted:

• Assault with a dangerous weapon, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 77 months in prison
• Three years of supervised release

CRAIG VERNARD BENTLEY, 29

St. Paul, Minn.

Convicted:

• Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 120 months in prison
• Five years of supervised release

VANESSA LYNNE BROWN, 24

Red Lake, Minn.

Convicted:

• Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 40 months in prison
• Four years of supervised release

###

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

July 7, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                               Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                        at (410) 209-4885

Baltimore, Maryland – On July 7, 2017, Dr. Jean-Francois Geschwind, age 53, of Westport, Connecticut, pled guilty to four counts of mail fraud arising from a multi-year scheme to unlawfully obtain travel expense reimbursements from his former employer, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Geschwind was employed as a physician in the Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology between 1998 and 2015.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Baltimore Field Office; and Marilyn J. Mosby, the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City.

According to his plea agreement, between 2007 and July 2015, Geschwind made material misrepresentations and omissions in travel expense statements that he submitted or caused to be submitted to the JHU-SOM, for the purpose of obtaining travel expense reimbursements to which he was not entitled. During this time period, Geschwind submitted multiple travel expense statements for purported business expenses, when he knew that the claimed expenses were personal, such as family vacations and meals. For example, during the summer of 2013, Geschwind obtained reimbursement from the JHU-SOM for a 13-day vacation to the United Kingdom and France by falsely representing that the he traveled to those locations to give lectures in connection with his work for the JHU-SOM. As a result of Geschwind’s material misrepresentations, the JHU-SOM issued three separate checks that included reimbursements for his family vacation.

Geschwind also obtained reimbursement from the JHU-SOM for expenses that he knew had already been paid, or would later be paid, by a second (and in some cases a third) entity. In seeking reimbursement for such expenses, Geschwind did not disclose to the JHU-SOM that he was seeking two (and in some cases three) reimbursements for the same expense.

For example, between July 1 and July 5, 2015, Geschwind traveled to Japan to attend the Asia Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert (APPLE) meeting. By the time he attended the APPLE meeting, Geschwind had joined the Yale School of Medicine faculty as Chair of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology. Prior to his departure for the APPLE meeting, Geschwind arranged for reimbursement of his round-trip airfare to Japan by Company No. 1, a life-sciences company based in France. Notwithstanding this arrangement, on May 8, 2015, Geschwind sought reimbursement for the same expense from the JHU-SOM but did not disclose that he had already sought reimbursement for his round-trip airfare from Company No. 1. As a result of this material omission, the JHU-SOM issued a check to Geschwind that included reimbursement for his round-trip airfare to and from Japan.

On or about June 22, 2015, Geschwind sought reimbursement from the Yale School of Medicine for the above-referenced round-trip airfare to Japan. Geschwind did not disclose to Yale that he had already arranged for payment of the same expense by Company No. 1, or that he had in fact been reimbursed for that expense by the JHU-SOM. On or about July 21, 2015, as a result of Geschwind’s material omissions, Yale University issued a check to Geschwind for the cost of the round-trip airline ticket.

In July of 2015, Company No. 1 initiated a wire transfer to Geschwind’s Bank of America checking account that included reimbursement for his round-trip airline ticket to Japan. Accordingly, as a result of the material omissions, Geschwind obtained three separate payments, from three separate entities, for the round-trip airfare to Japan in July of 2015.

Through the various methods identified above, Geschwind obtained money with an aggregate value of hundreds of thousands of dollars, in the form of travel expense reimbursements by the JHU-SOM.

Johns Hopkins investigators in the Office of Hopkins Internal Audit (OHIA) conducted an extensive audit of Geschwind’s reimbursement requests and upon discovering he had requested and received significant sums of inappropriate payments, they referred the case to law enforcement. Hopkins investigators worked closely with authorities to assist with their investigation.

Geschwind faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz has scheduled sentencing for September 7, 2017 at 12:00 p.m.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorney Peter J. Martinez and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Huggins, who are prosecuting the case.

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Three St. Marys, West Virginia men were indicted by a federal grand jury on June 28, 2017 on methamphetamine distribution charges, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.

Glenn Edgor Pryor, age 60, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine” and four counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” 

Dale Wesley Jenkins, Jr., also known as Buddy, age 56, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine,” one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine,” and two counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine - Aiding and Abetting.”

Roger Dale Doehring, age 54, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine” and two counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine - Aiding and Abetting.”

The crimes are alleged to have taken place from July 2016 to December 2016 in Pleasants County, West Virginia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police and the Pleasants County Sheriff’s Office are investigating. 

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