A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment today charging the former Vice President for Employee Relations for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA) with criminal violations of the Labor Management Relations Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel L. Lemisch.

Joining in the announcement was David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Manny Muriel, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, James Vanderberg, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and Ian Burg, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards.

Alphons Iacobelli, 57, of Rochester Hills, Michigan was charged with taking part in a multiyear conspiracy to pay and deliver prohibited money and things of value to officers and employees of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Workers of America (UAW).

Monica Morgan, 54, of Harrison Township, Michigan was charged with conspiring with Iacobelli and others to violate the Labor Management Relations Act. Morgan is the wife of former UAW Vice President General Holiefield, who died in March of 2015.

The superseding indictment charges Iacobelli and others acting in the interest of FCA with making over $1.2 million in prohibited payments to Morgan and then-UAW Vice President General Holiefield and others. The prohibited payments and things of value included designer clothing, jewelry, furniture, and paying off the $262,219 mortgage on Holiefield and Morgan’s residence in Harrison Township, Michigan. The payments were made using the bank account and credit card accounts of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center located in Detroit, Michigan. The UAW-Chrysler National Training Center was established to provide for the education, training, and retraining of workers.

The prohibited payments were charged to have occurred between 2009 and 2014 during which time FCA Vice President Alphons Iacobelli and UAW Vice President General Holiefield had primary responsibility for negotiating and administering the collective bargaining agreements between FCA and the UAW.

Alphons Iacobelli was also charged with tax violations related to diverting for his own personal benefit over $1 million in funds from the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center. Iacobelli was charged with diverting those funds to pay for: a Ferrari 458 Spider automobile costing more than $350,000; leasing a private jet; two limited edition Mont Blanc pens costing $37,500 each; a pool and hundreds of thousands of dollars in improvements to his residence; and hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal credit card expenses, among other purchases.

Monica Morgan was also charged with using the companies Monica Morgan Photography, Wilson’s Diversified Products, and a third company to conceal payments made by Iacobelli and others acting in the interest of FCA to UAW Vice President General Holiefield and with failing to report the income she received through those companies on her individual tax returns.

Acting U.S. Attorney Lemisch also announced that a separate information was unsealed charging Jerome Durden, 61, of Rochester, Michigan with conspiracy to defraud the United States by impairing, impeding, and obstructing the Internal Revenue Service. Durden was a Financial Analyst in the FCA Corporate Accounting Department who served as the Controller of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center from 2008 through 2015. The information charges Durden with preparing and filing tax returns for the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center which falsely concealed millions of dollars in payments directed to General Holiefield, Alphons Iacobelli and others.

"Today's indictment exposes a disturbing criminal collaboration that was ongoing for years between high ranking officials of FCA and the UAW", said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI. "The funds misapplied deprived working men and women of critical workforce and professional development opportunities and calls into question the integrity of contracts negotiated during the course of this criminal conspiracy. The FBI and our federal partners will remain vigilant in our efforts to expose those who participate in corrupt fraud schemes which jeopardize our region's economic vitality and our faith in honest business practices."

"Today's indictment alleges an outrageous abuse of power and misuse of this Chrysler executive's position of trust. The diverted funds from the NTC could have and should have been used to benefit Chrysler employees," said Special Agent in Charge Manny Muriel. "IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are particularly committed to stopping those individuals who use double fraud schemes to defraud corporate funds, bribe others for their own gains and cushion their personal wallets‎."

“An important mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations relating to Labor Racketeering and prohibited payments between union and company officials. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated James Vanderberg, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

“OLMS places a high priority on combatting financial malfeasance and safeguarding financial integrity in labor unions,” said Ian Burg, Detroit-Milwaukee District Director of the Office of Labor-Management Standards. “This indictment leaves no question as to the agency’s commitment to seek justice when anyone puts personal financial gain ahead of the best interests of union members.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Lemisch commended the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the US Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards in conducting a comprehensive criminal investigation into labor corruption activities involving a vital sector of the local and national economy.

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

BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for passport fraud.

Jose Matos Dasis, 51, a Dominican national formerly residing in Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to eight months in prison, three years of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In April 2017, Dasis pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements on a passport application.

On Feb. 9, 2016, Dasis, using a false name, date of birth and social security number, applied for a United States passport at a U.S. Post Office in Massachusetts.  The investigation revealed that the defendant knowingly assumed the identity of another individual when he applied for the passport.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and David Hall, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

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

Greenbelt, Maryland – On Monday, July 24, 2017, Terry Terrell Clipper, age 27, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland was sentenced to nine years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm. On Thursday, July 20, 2017, Andre Denan Sanders, age 28, of Upper Marlboro, and Clipper’s cousin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm to 84 months and one day in federal prison. Both Clipper and Sanders pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in February.

The sentence 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; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s Police Department; and Chief Douglas Holland of the Hyattsville Police Department.

On April 7, 2016, at approximately 10:02 a.m., Clipper and Sanders entered the T-Mobile store located at 3601 East West Highway, in Hyattsville, Maryland. Upon entering the store, Clipper brandished a firearm, pointed it at store employees, and demanded cellular telephones. Clipper and Sanders forced the employees to a stockroom in the rear of the store. Sanders then locked the store entrance, and returned to the stockroom. Clipper and Sanders demanded cellular telephones and other electronic items. The store employees complied and put various electronic items into two plastic bags. Clipper and Sanders then fled the scene in a vehicle at a high rate of speed with two large clear plastic bags containing approximately $16,900 worth of cellular telephones, tablets and watches.

One of the electronic devices stolen by Clipper and Sanders contained a Global Positioning System (“GPS”) device. Law enforcement was alerted that the GPS tracking device was traveling in the vicinity of Jefferson Street and 42nd Avenue in Hyattsville, Maryland. When law enforcement officers arrived, they observed Clipper and Sanders fleeing from the area of the getaway vehicle.

After a brief foot chase, Clipper and Sanders were taken into custody. Officers recovered a clear plastic bag containing cellular telephones and other electronic items from the ground along the path that the suspects took during the foot chase. Law enforcement also recovered from the vehicle in which the defendants fled a large clear plastic bag containing multiple cellular telephones, tablets and watches, along with a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI’s Cross-Border Task Force, the Hyattsville Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department, for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, who prosecuted the case.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Nevada, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.

Ben Culbertson, 56, of Nevada, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 262 months in federal prison without parole. Culbertson has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in October 2016.

On March 22, 2017, Culbertson pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.

According to court documents Culbertson, came to the attention of law enforcement after distributing images of child pornography (including some victims likely under the age of 8 years old) over the Internet. Culbertson, who was previously convicted of two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child, admitted to investigators that he received and distributed images of child pornography on multiple occasions.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood

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

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that two previously deported aliens were indicted separately today by a federal grand jury with illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Eutimio Chavez-Jose, age 40, a citizen of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico on four prior occasions, June 2007, twice in June 2011, and June 2012. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after June 2012, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers. In June 2012, he was convicted in the Western District of New York of illegal reentry, an offense that subjects him to enhanced penalties in the current case.

Because of Chavez-Jose’s previous conviction, under federal law he faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

Javier Miguel-Martinez, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico on four prior occasions in July 2006, October 2006, November 2009, and February 2012. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after February 2012, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.

Under federal law, Miguel-Martinez faces a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian G. McDonnell is prosecuting the cases.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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HARRISBURG –The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Ernest Dyer, age 44, of York, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony.

According to U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Dyer had a firearm in his possession in his home in York, Pennsylvania, when he was arrested on a local warrant on July 7, 2017. During the investigation, agents and detectives seized a Hi-Point .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, loaded with ten .40 caliber cartridges in the magazine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Northern York County Regional Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law is 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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BOSTON - A Honduran national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a federal immigration crime.

Ivan DeJesus Lopez-Lopez, 29, a Honduran national residing in Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris, who immediately sentenced Lopez-Lopez to time served. Lopez-Lopez will be subject to deportation.

Lopez-Lopez was previously deported in November 2009. In May 2017, federal agents in Boston discovered Lopez-Lopez and found him to be illegally present in the United States.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A former employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) based in Afghanistan pleaded guilty today to soliciting approximately $320,000 in bribes from Afghan contractors in return for his assistance in U.S. government contracts.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Hansen of the Central District of Illinois; Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox of the FBI’s Springfield Field Office; Special Inspector General John F. Sopko for Afghanistan Reconstruction; Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s (CID) Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU); and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) made the announcement.

Mark E. Miller, 48, of Springfield, Ill., was charged in an Information filed on July 18, in the Central District of Illinois with one count of seeking and receiving bribes. He pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins in Springfield, Illinois. Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, by U.S. District Judge Richard H. Mills.

During the hearing, Miller admitted that he worked for the USACE from 2005 until 2015, including in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012. During that time, Miller maintained a residence in Springfield. From February 2009 to October 2011, Miller was assigned to a military base, Camp Clark, in eastern Afghanistan. While in Afghanistan, Miller was the site manager and a contracting officer representative for a number of construction projects.

Miller further admitted that on Dec. 10, 2009, the USACE awarded a contract worth approximately $2.9 million to an Afghan construction company for the construction of a road from eastern Afghanistan to the Pakistani border. This contract later increased in value to approximately $8,142,300. Miller admitted that he oversaw the work of the Afghan company on this road project, including verifying that the company performed the work called for by the contract and authorizing progress payments to the company by the USACE.

Miller admitted that, in the course of overseeing the contract with the Afghan company, he solicited approximately $280,000 in bribes from the owners of the company, in return for assisting the company in connection with the road project, including making sure the contract was not terminated. Miller further admitted that, after the contract was no longer active, he solicited an additional $40,000 in bribes in return for the possibility of future contract work and other benefits.

This matter was investigated by the FBI, DCIS, SIGAR and Army CID-MPFU. Trial Attorney Daniel Butler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris of the Central District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A member of MS-13’s Enfermos Criminales Salvatrucha clique in Chelsea was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for RICO conspiracy involving the attempted murder of a rival gang member.

Angel Pineda, a/k/a “Bravo,” 21, a Honduran national who resided in Revere, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 93 months in prison and will be subject to deportation after completion of his sentence. In April 2017, Pineda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. He also admitted responsibility for an attempted murder of a rival gang member.

Pineda was a member of the Enfermos Criminales Salvatrucha clique in Chelsea. On Sept. 8, 2014, Pineda and another MS-13 member, Jose Vasquez, a/k/a “Little Crazy,” attempted to murder an 18^th Street gang member by stabbing him in Chelsea.

After a three-year investigation, Pineda was one of 61 defendants named in a January 2016 superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches or “cliques” operate throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence against rival gang members to gain promotions and to maintain membership and discipline within the group. Specifically, MS-13 members are required to attack and murder rival gang members whenever possible.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Truco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.

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

BOSTON – A New Bedford seafood manager was charged today in federal court in Boston for failing to report $75,000 in earnings on his tax returns.

Orlando Cardoso, 44, of New Bedford, was indicted on two counts of filing a false income tax return.

It is alleged that Cardoso swore on his 2012 and 2013 tax returns that the only income he had received was from his employer. However, Cardoso had received over $75,000 in cash and checks from his employer’s supplier and failed to report the income on his tax returns.

The charge of filing a false income tax return provides for a sentence of no greater than three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States William D. Weinreb and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen P. Heymann of Weinreb’s Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

Today, a federal jury convicted a West Palm Beach resident of conspiring with his brother, a United States Postal Service Letter Carrier, to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Maximo Eamiguel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, and Cissy Proctor, Executive Director, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), made the announcement.

Mikel Clotaire was convicted following a three-day trial in West Palm Beach, Florida of conspiring to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for October 12, 2017, before United States District Court Donald M. Middlebrooks.

According to the court record, including evidence introduced at trial, Clotaire engaged in a scheme to obtain fraudulent re-employment benefits from DEO. Clotaire’s brother was working at the time as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. At least eight fraudulent unemployment applications, using stolen identities, were then submitted to DEO and resulted in the issuance of Florida Visa debit cards. The debit cards were mailed through interstate commerce to the residential addresses on the postal route. The cards were ultimately transferred to Clotaire and at least two other co-conspirators and used to make withdrawals from ATMs. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the State of Florida sustained approximately $25,000 in financial losses.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the DOL-OIG, USPS-OIG, USPIS and DEO. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McMichael.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment today charging Dr. BHARAT PATEL, 70, of Milford, and Dr. RAMIL MANSOUROV, 47, of Darien, with narcotics distribution, health care fraud and money laundering offenses.

PATEL was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on July 12 and is detained. MANSOUROV was apprehended by the Canada Border Services Agency on an immigration offense on July 13 and is currently detained in Canada.

As alleged in court documents, PATEL and MANSOUROV are physicians who operated out of Family Health Urgent Care, located at 235 Main Street in Norwalk. The medical practice was formerly known as Immediate Health Care, which was owned by PATEL. In approximately 2012, MANSOUROV purchased the practice from PATEL and renamed it Family Urgent Health Care, and PATEL continued to work at the practice. PATEL and MANSOUROV have been participating providers with Medicare and the Connecticut Medicaid Program. Beginning in approximately 2013, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information that PATEL and MANSOUROV may be writing prescriptions for controlled substances outside the scope of legitimate medical practice.

It is alleged that PATEL regularly provided prescriptions for narcotics, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, to patients that he knew were addicted or had been arrested for distributing or possessing controlled substances. On numerous occasions, PATEL provided prescriptions to patients who paid him $100 in cash for each prescription. In certain instances, PATEL would write prescriptions for individuals who were not his patients in exchange for cash. At times, when PATEL was not available, MANSOUROV provided PATEL’s patients with unnecessary prescriptions. PATEL and MANSOUROV also regularly provided post-dated prescriptions to individuals, sometimes with dates that matched future dates when the doctors would be out of the country.

It is alleged that certain individuals who paid PATEL cash for prescriptions paid for the filled prescriptions by using a state Medicaid card, and then illegally distributed the drugs. The investigation revealed that in 2014 alone, more than $50,000 in cash deposits were made into PATEL and his wife’s bank accounts, and that some of these funds were used to purchase PATEL’s current residence.

It is further alleged that between November 2013 and December 2016, MANSOUROV defrauded the state’s Medicaid program of more than $4 million by billing for home visits that he never made, billing for nursing home visits that he never made, billing for office visits that never happened, and billing for visits that he claimed took place on dates on which he was actually out of state or out of the country. Billing records also reveal that, on some occasions, MANSOUROV and PATEL billed Medicaid for the same patient on the same day at two different locations.

It is alleged that MANSOUROV moved some of the stolen funds to a bank account in Switzerland.

The five-count indictment charges PATEL and MANSOUROV with one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and hydrocodone, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count health care fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. The indictment also charges MANSOUROV with two counts and PATEL with one count of money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of PATEL’s Milford residence, MANSOUROV’s Darien residence, $16,521.25 seized from a safe deposit box rented by PATEL, and money judgments equal to the proceeds of PATEL and MANSOUROV’s alleged criminal conduct.

U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Norwalk Police Department, with the critical assistance of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad includes officers from the Bristol, Greenwich, Hamden, Milford, New Haven, Shelton, Vernon and Wilton Police Departments.

U.S. Attorney Daly thanked the Canada Border Services Agency and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine for their assistance in this matter.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.

ALBUQUERQUE – Luis Mejia, 32, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 70 months in prison for violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition. Mejia will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.

Mejia was arrested on Dec. 12, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm on Nov. 29, 2016. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers located a firearm and ammunition on Mejia incident to his arrest after executing a traffic stop on Mejia’s vehicle.

Mejia was subsequently indicted on Dec. 20, 2016, and was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Nov. 29, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. At the time, Mejia was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm and possession of a controlled substance. Mejia pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement on April 20, 2017.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh prosecuted the case.

Anchorage, Alaska – Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that an Alaskan couple was charged in federal court in Juneau, Alaska, today with four counts of willful failure to pay their individual income taxes.

According to the Information, Archie W. Demmert III and Roseann L. Demmert, of Klawock, Alaska, earned income from commercial fishing. The Information alleges that Archie Demmert owned Vetta Bay LLC, which owned the Demmerts’ fishing vessel, the Emerald Beauty. The Information further charges that the Demmerts have a long history of not paying their taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It alleges that the Demmerts did not pay their taxes for 13 separate tax years, for which they owed over $400,000, excluding penalties and interest.

The Demmerts face a statutory maximum sentence of one year in prison on each separate count, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

Acting U.S. Attorney Schroder recognized special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Steward and Trial Attorney Lori Hendrickson of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case.

An Information is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Brandon, South Dakota, man convicted of transfer of obscene material was sentenced on Monday, July 24, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schrier.

Ryan Jervik, age 30, was sentenced to 6 months in custody, followed by 3 years supervised release, which includes 6 months of home confinement. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Jervik was indicted for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor and attempted enticement of a minor using the internet by a federal grand jury on October 4, 2016. He pled guilty on April 25, 2017.

On August 29, 2016, Jervik used his cell phone to communicate with an individual he believed to be a minor female that was 13-years old. The defendant knowingly used his cell phone to transfer a digital nude photo of himself, to the individual he believed was 13-years old. Unknown to the defendant, the individual receiving the obscene images was an undercover law enforcement officer.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

Jervik was given a date to self-surrender to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on July 24, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Joseph Marshall, age 38, was sentenced to 24 months in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $99.65, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Marshall was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 19, 2016. He pled guilty on May 2, 2017.

The conviction stems from Marshall failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between February 1, 2016, and March 10, 2016, and March 20, 2016, and April 10, 2016. Marshall has previously been convicted of a sex offense in federal court which requires him to register for the rest of his life.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.

Marshall was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Walthill, Nebraska, woman was charged in federal district court with False Statement.

Wehnona Stabler, age 59, was charged on June 20, 2017. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on July 21, 2017, and pleaded not guilty to the charge. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 5 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The charge relates to Stabler making a false statement in January 2014 on a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report while an employee of Indian Health Service (IHS) at Pine Ridge, related to a $5,000 payment she received from Dr. Stanley Patrick Weber. Weber is currently under indictment for multiple counts of sex abuse with minors arising when he was a pediatrician at IHS Pine Ridge.

The charge is merely an accusation and Stabler is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Office of Inspector General, Health and Human Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.

Stabler was released pending trial. A trial date has not been set.

CHICAGO — A Chicago trader was sentenced today to more than five and a half years in federal prison for defrauding clients out of more than $1.7 million by pocketing their money instead of investing it.

RANDALL RYE, the owner of Faster Than Light Trading LLC, promised substantial profits from his proprietary trading program. Rye claimed that he would invest his clients’ money in options and futures contracts using a computer algorithm. In reality, Rye misappropriated the investors’ funds for his own personal use. He made large cash withdrawals and spent heavily on travel expenses to St. Lucia and Bali. Rye also used investor funds to purchase expensive tickets to several events, including $47,000 for five tickets to the 2016 Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, $110,000 for 14 tickets to the 2016 World Series, and $75,000 for one premium package ticket to the 2016 Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

As a result of the scheme, Rye fraudulently misappropriated a total of $1.72 million from approximately 20 investors.

Rye, 26, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman imposed the 70-month sentence in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“Randall Rye is a con man,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunil Harjani argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “His brazen scheme, executed with little regard for his victims, is truly appalling. His victims, many of whom gave him part of their retirement savings, are suffering the consequences of his fraud.”

According to the charges, Rye attempted to conceal the fraud by sending his investors false account statements purporting to show that their funds were invested and profitable. In reality, there was no proprietary algorithmic trading program, and the client funds were not actually maintained at any financial services companies. Rye often spent his clients’ funds soon after they were invested with him.

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

Daniel Tobacco, age 24, was indicted on July 18, 2017. Tobacco appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on July 19, 2017, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The charge relates to Tobacco failing to register and update his registration as a convicted sex offender between May 9, 2017, and May 25, 2017.

The charge is merely an accusation and Tobacco is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman is prosecuting the case.

Tobacco was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been not been set.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert F. Stout, age 51, and Kasey N. Riley (a/k/a Kasey Stout), age 33, of Windermere, Florida, were charged today with conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to the sale of illegal activation keys for Microsoft products.

The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to a criminal information, Stout and Riley advertised Microsoft software products for sale online, using a variety of sham business names. Stout and Riley purchased unauthorized activation keys from various websites – including wholesaledwindows8key.com, buy2010key.net, cheapkeyoffer.com, godkey.net, and Alibaba – and provided those unauthorized activation keys, in exchange for PayPal payments, to customers throughout the United States. Stout and Riley received at least $1,480,227 from customers in exchange for providing them with the unauthorized, and often invalid, activation keys.

Stout and Riley each face up to 20 years in prison, up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss caused by the offense. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case was investigated by the Albany Field Office of the FBI and the Orlando Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers and Middle District of Florida Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina R. Downes, on assignment from the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, ICE.