Montgomery, Alabama – Kevin Wayne Taylor (40), a resident of Phenix City, Alabama and former Lee County Deputy Sheriff, was sentenced on Thursday, July 27, 2017 to 240 months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced A. Clark Morris, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. There is no parole in the federal system.

       The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) arrested Taylor on these charges in August 2016 following an investigation that began when a 10-year-old victim reported that he had inappropriately touched her and taken pictures of her genital area with a cell phone. After receiving the report, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office immediately forwarded it to the SBI who executed a search warrant at Taylor’s residence and seized several computer devices. Some of the devices contained images and videos of child sexual abuse. Evidence indicates that Taylor had been collecting these images for approximately eleven years. When learning of the evidence in this case, Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones promptly terminated Taylor’s employment.

       The cell phone used to take pictures of the child victim was not located during the search. Taylor told law enforcement that he had lost the phone and it was damaged. Prior to the investigation, Taylor had applied for a position as a School Resource Officer.

       Following his 20-year prison sentence, Taylor will be subject to supervised release for the remainder of his life. Taylor remains in the custody of the United States Marshals pending placement by the Bureau of Prisons.

       “Kevin Taylor was a child predator disguised as a law enforcement officer who was charged with protecting our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris. “Taylor not only failed to protect our community, but infected our community by preying on children. I thank the agents and prosecutors in this case for their hard work in obtaining such a strong sentence. This prosecution should send a message to others that the protection of our children will always be a priority, and those that victimize our children will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

       “No matter who you are, ALEA will pursue criminals that target children,” stated Alabama’s Secretary of Law Enforcement Hal Taylor. “While the vast majority of our law enforcement serve with honor and integrity, those officers that break the law will be treated like every other criminal we investigate.”

       Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones stated, “My office will continue its work to identify threats to the community and we will not tolerate anything but professional conduct from those who serve in our ranks. When matters such as this are brought to our attention, we will take swift action and assist agencies in any way possible to ensure these types of crimes are dealt with properly.”

       This case was investigated by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Hollie Worley Reed and Curtis Ivy, Jr., prosecuted the case.

BOSTON - A Brazilian national was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with a federal immigration crime.

Josilei DeCastro, a/k/a Marcos Santos, a/k/a Marcos Augusto Dos Santos, 37, was charged with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers discovered DeCastro in Billerica on Dec. 9, 2016, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. DeCastro was previously deported on July 17, 2000.

DeCastro faces a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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 Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

Marshall Neely, III, 58, of Franklin, Tenn., was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury and charged with reckless aggravated assault; lying to a federal agent; and obstruction of justice, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith of the Middle District of Tennessee.

The federal indictment is a result of an incident on July 8, 2017, on the Natchez Trace Parkway, where a bicyclist was struck by a vehicle and injured. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Marshall Neely, III, failed to stop and left the scene of the incident.

“Middle Tennessee is an area where bicycle traffic is abundant and growing daily,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith. “Our roads are used both by recreational bicyclists as well as a growing number of citizens who use alternative methods of transportation to get to and from their workplaces. To achieve the sense of community that we all want for our area we must respect the rights of others in our community to live and move about the area. That means drivers of automobiles respecting the right of bicyclists to use our roads and bicyclists respecting the right of drivers to use our roads as well. The wanton recklessness exhibited by this defendant could easily have taken the life of the victim in this case. Such indifference to human life cannot be tolerated as it places all our bicycling citizens in grave danger. Whenever such blatant disregard for our citizen’s safety occurs on roadways under federal jurisdiction, you can expect that this U.S. Attorney’s Office will move swiftly to seek the appropriate avenue of justice.”

According to the indictment, on the morning of July 8, 2017, two individuals were riding bicycles along the Natchez Trace Parkway in Williamson County, Tennessee, when a black Volvo struck one of the individuals from behind. The impact caused the bicyclist to be thrown from his bicycle and he sustained injuries which required him to be transported by ambulance to the Williamson County Medical Center for treatment. Despite the impact, the driver of the Volvo did not slow down or stop but instead, continued on.

As the indictment alleges, the incident was captured on video by a helmet-mounted camera being used by the other bicyclist. This video was later posted to the internet and used to identify the owner of the vehicle as Marshall Neely, III.

Late in the afternoon on July 8, 2017, the indictment alleges that Neely’s son went to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department and reported that the vehicle that struck the bicyclist belonged to his father and stated that he recognized the “Dartmouth, “Rice,” and “Boston” stickers on the back windshield, as depicted in the video. When law enforcement officers arrived at Neely’s home that evening, the indictment alleges that the Volvo was parked in the grass behind the garage and the “Dartmouth” and “Rice” stickers had been removed from the back windshield. Officers also noted that residue from a cleaning agent was visible on the right front of the vehicle where it had struck the bicyclist.

The indictment further alleges that shortly after observing the condition of the Volvo, officers found Neely in his home and unconscious on the floor. After being roused by law enforcement officers, Neely told the officers that while he was driving on the Parkway, earlier that morning, a bicyclist threw his bicycle at him. The indictment also alleges that Neely admitted to removing the stickers from his vehicle to prevent him from being identified.

Neely was arrested at his home earlier today by U.S. National Park Service Rangers and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate later today.

If convicted, Neely faces 2-12 years in prison on the reckless aggravated assault charge; up to 5 years in prison for lying to a federal agent; and up to 20 years in prison for obstructing justice.

This case was investigated by the National Park Service and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Beth Myers.

PROVIDENCE – Robert Wilkins, 26, of West Warwick pleaded guilty today to federal heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine trafficking charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.

Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Wilkins pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to deliver heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin, conspiracy to deliver 28 grams or more of cocaine base, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine base, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, three counts of delivery of heroin, fifteen counts of delivery of cocaine base, and one count of bank fraud.

A codefendant in this matter, Christian M. Domenech, 23, of West Warwick, pleaded guilty on July 14, 2017, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, to one count each of conspiracy to deliver heroin, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base, three counts of distribution of heroin, fifteen counts of delivery of cocaine base, and one count of bank fraud.

According to court documents and information presented to the court, a three-month investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force into the defendants’ drug trafficking activity included numerous purchases from the defendants of between one gram and seven grams of crack cocaine and heroin for between $80 dollars and $350 dollars. Each transaction was monitored by law enforcement.

Additionally, a Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit investigation determined that beginning in December 2015, the defendants created and deposited bogus checks into bank accounts each established, and withdrew some of those funds. The investigation determined that Christian Domenech deposited a total of $10,000 in bogus checks and withdrew $2,000 in cash. Robert Wilkins deposited a total of $10,000 in bogus checks and withdrew a total of $2,099.55.

On July 12, 2016, FBI Safe Street Task Force agents, with the assistance of the West Warwick Police Department and the DEA, executed a court authorized search of the defendants’ West Warwick residence. Varying quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin was seized, along with approximately $800 in cash. Law enforcement also seized two vehicles.

Robert Wilkins and Christian Domenech, who have been detained in federal custody since their arrest, are scheduled to be sentenced on October 20, 2017.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.

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Lori Desiree, 45, a former Spring Hill, Tennessee resident, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Nashville, Tenn., and charged with seven counts of wire fraud for executing a $120,000 fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith of the Middle District of Tennessee.

According to the indictment, between 2011-2013, Desiere stole over $120,000 from her former employer, Connect Hearing, a retail network of hearing care centers with locations across the country. The indictment alleges that Desiere used her position as the billing and account manager at the Brentwood, Tenn. billing and call center, to fraudulent process and divert customer refunds to bank accounts under her control.

Desiere faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count, and other monetary penalties.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan R. Raybould of the Middle District of Tennessee is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

BATON ROUGE, LA – Acting United States Attorney Corey R. Amundson announced that LUCILLE WILLIAMS, age 54, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Shelly D. Dick to stealing funds of a Federal agency, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. During the guilty plea hearing yesterday, WILLIAMS admitted that as the authorized payee for Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits to her mother, she continued to collect SSA benefits after her mother’s death. As part of her scheme to steal SSA benefits, WILLIAMS submitted reports to the SSA falsely stating that her mother was still alive and that she used the benefit payments for the care and support of her deceased mother. WILLIAMS admitted that, as a result of her fraudulent scheme, she illegally collected almost $80,000.

Acting U.S. Attorney Amundson stated: “Federal benefit fraud continues to be employed by criminals in the United States. When fraudsters steal funds intended for legitimate purposes, their criminal conduct victimizes not only our federal agencies but also all taxpayers. My office works in conjunction with the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General to aggressively identify and prosecute defendants like this who mistakenly believe that their fraudulent conduct will continue indefinitely and undetected.”

Special Agent-in-Charge Robert G. Feldt stated: “The Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, will tirelessly investigate and bring to justice those who commit fraud against Social Security Programs.”

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Dallas Field Division of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former senior official with the General Services Administration and her husband were sentenced today to 18 months and 1 year in prison, respectively, for engaging in a nepotism hiring scheme.

Helen Renee Ballard (aka Renee Ballard), 52, and Robert S. Ballard (aka Steve Ballard), 56, both of Brandywine, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements on March 23. Renee Ballard was the Director of the Central Office Contracting Division of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) from May 2006 to May 2011 and worked for GSA until 2016. From 2010 through July 2014, Renee Ballard and her husband, Steve Ballard, engaged in a scheme to enrich themselves by obtaining employment with federal contractors and the U.S. government through false and misleading statements concerning Steve Ballard’s relation, education, and qualifications. As part of the more than $200,000 scheme, Renee and Steve Ballard fraudulently induced a federal contractor to hire Steve Ballard. The Arlington based contractor then placed Steve Ballard on a federal contract awarded by GSA and supervised by Renee Ballard. Later, Renee Ballard attempted to hire Steve Ballard for a federal civil service position within GSA under her supervision.

In addition, Renee and Steve Ballard caused over 139 false employment applications to be submitted to federal agencies, including the FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S. State Department, U.S. Transportation and Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Education, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Internal Revenue Service. These applications falsely misrepresented Steve Ballard’s education and qualifications, including that he had earned or taken classes toward a master’s degree and was certified in government contracting at Levels I, II, and III. In order to corroborate these false representations, Renee and Steve Ballard obtained and submitted fake certification documents. Furthermore, the Ballards sent Steve Ballard’s false resume to the Executive Office of the President in an attempt to obtain employment there. Subsequently, Steve Ballard submitted false applications to at least six different private contractors who worked, at times on-site, with the federal agencies, including GSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Co-conspirator Donna C. Hughes, 32, of Lanham, Maryland, who served as a contracting officer at GSA and reported directly to Renee Ballard, pleaded guilty on April 21 in case 1:17-cr-66. Hughes was sentenced today to 1 year of probation for her role in the conspiracy.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General, GSA, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Uzo Asonye and Katherine Wong prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-136.

     TUCSON, Ariz. – This week, Alvin Edison Moreno, 53, of Sells, Ariz., a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collinsto 37 months in prison. Moreno had previously pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact of a minor. The minor victim is also a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Moreno will be placed on lifetime federal supervision and be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by both the Tohono O’odham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Charisse Arce and Micah Schmit, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

CASE NUMBER: CR-16-0636-TUC-RCC-JR

RELEASE NUMBER: 2017-065_Moreno

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

DENVER -- Acting United States Attorney Bob Troyer and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Steven Osborne announced that today a jury found Daryl F. Yurek, age 62, and Wendy M. Yurek, age 62, both of Littleton, Colorado guilty of tax evasion and bankruptcy fraud. The guilty verdicts were the result of a two-week trial before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez. The jury deliberated for approximately 3 hours before reaching their verdict. The Yurek’s, who were indicted by a federal grand jury on October 7, 2015, were allowed to remain free on bond until their sentencing by Judge Martinez. Daryl Yurek’s sentencing is scheduled for December 14, 2017 at 9:30 a.m., and Wendy Yurek’s sentencing is scheduled for December 15, 2017 also at 9:30 a.m.

According to the indictment and evidence presented at trial, Daryl Yurek was a partner in Bolder Venture Partners from 1999 through 2012, and Wendy Yurek was a partner from 2008 through 2012. Daryl Yurek acted as a consultant to start-up and growing companies and provided a variety of services, including temporary management and fundraising. Daryl Yurek also exerted significant control over other companies, including ID Watchdog, and Veracity Credit Consultants.

The Yureks reported tax due and owing for tax years 1999 and 2004 of $624,127 and $53,978, respectively. In 2006, the Yureks submitted an Offer in Compromise to the IRS attempting to settle their tax obligation for $75,000. With the Offer in Compromise, the Yureks indicated the reason for the offer was “Doubt as to Collectability – ‘I have insufficient assets and income to pay the full amount.’”. Later, in September 2010, the Yureks filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court in the District of Colorado a Voluntary Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Petition. During the bankruptcy proceeding, Daryl Yurek testified that their primary reason for pursuing bankruptcy was "the $1.2 million that the IRS wants."

However, during the period the Yureks claimed to be unable to pay their tax liability, the Yureks caused Bolder Venture Partners and Veracity Credit Consultants to pay substantial personal expenses for the Yureks. In March, 2006, the Yureks purchased a downtown Denver loft as their personal residence for $1.3 million in the name of one of their sons. Between 2006 and 2011, Veracity Credit Consultants made mortgage payments of $526,511.99 for the Yureks’ loft, while Bolder venture Partners paid $43,866 for the loft’s Condo Association Fees. Additionally, between 2006 and 2010, Veracity Credit Consultants made $115,719 in rental payments for a vacation home in Tabernash, Colorado used by the Yureks. Daryl Yurek’s Pinehurst Country Club membership and associated expenses paid by Veracity Credit Consultants between 2007 and 2012 totaled approximately $90,810.74.

Furthermore, the Yureks committed numerous affirmative acts of evasion, including submitting false statements to the IRS on IRS Forms 433-A, IRS Collection Information Statement for Wage Earners and Self-Employed Individuals, as well as Daryl Yurek transferring shares he held in ID Watchdog to Veracity Credit Consultants and to his sons while falsely claiming to the IRS that he had not made any transfers for less than full value.

This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Daryl Yurek faces up to 5 years in prison per count for tax evasion, bankruptcy fraud and false oath in connection with bankruptcy, as well as up to 3 years in prison for making and subscribing to a false document. Wendy Yurek faces up to 5 years in prison per count for tax evasion and bankruptcy fraud.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes Section, including Pegeen D. Rhyne, with Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Andrews assisting on the asset forfeiture.

HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Janeski, age 38, of Edison, New Jersey was sentenced on July 27, 2017, by United States District Court Judge Yvette Kane to serve 360 months’ imprisonment for sexual exploitation of a child.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Janeski was a resident of New Jersey and began messaging with a fourteen-year-old child residing in York County through an I-Phone messaging application called KIK Messenger. In the course of the messaging, Janeski persuaded the child to send him sexually exploitative photos and videos. After a few months, Janeski traveled to Pennsylvania to meet with the child and took her to a York area hotel.

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 clickon the tab "resources."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Northern York County Regional Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Schinnour prosecuted the case.

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Memphis, TN – Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced today 19 indictments charging 22 defendants with illegal possession of firearms and use of firearms during violent crimes.

"At the ‘Fed Up’ press conference, held earlier this week, local, state and federal agencies pledged to exhaust every available resource to bring criminals to justice. These indictments represent our stated commitment to aggressively pursue people who illegally possess firearms. Our community is ‘Fed Up’ with mindless violence and we will work tirelessly to ensure safer communities for all of our citizens," said Lawrence Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney, Western District of Tennessee.

These cases were collective investigative efforts of the Safe Streets Task Force, which includes the Memphis Police Department; Shelby County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Task Force includes the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office; Memphis Police Department; the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These organizations all work jointly to address gun-related crimes through aggressive investigation and prosecution. The PSN Task Force meets weekly to examine every gun crime committed in Shelby County as well as gun crimes from other counties submitted by the ATF.

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

BOSTON – A Taunton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a heroin and fentanyl trafficking operation in southeastern Massachusetts.

Philip Malaguti, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In March 2017, Malaguti pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and fentanyl.

After a 15-month investigation, Malaguti and 24 others were arrested and charged in October 2015 in connection with a heroin trafficking ring led by Dedwin Cruz-Rivera operating primarily in southeastern Massachusetts. An April 2016 superseding indictment brought the total number of defendants charged to 26.

Malaguti purchased heroin from co-defendant Will Rodriguez for personal use, and at times, Malaguti shared the heroin he purchased with other users.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas E. Kanwit and Karen Beausey of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the cases.

Memphis, TN – A man charged with fatally shooting Memphis Police Department Officer Sean Bolton was sentenced today for being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition and armed carjacking. The defendant, Tremaine Wilbourn, 31, has pending state charges for capital murder. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentencing today.

On August 1, 2015, Wilbourn was in the passenger seat of a vehicle parked on a street in East Memphis when Officer Bolton approached the vehicle. Officer Bolton attempted to detain Wilbourn before the defendant pulled a 9mm pistol and shot Bolton several times.

Facts from hearings in the case outline that shortly after the shooting, Wilbourn used a firearm to carjack a man of a 2002 Honda Accord.

On July 28, 2017, the Honorable U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Wilbourn to 25 years’ imprisonment and 3 years supervised release. Wilbourn also received an additional 30 months of incarceration for violating his supervised release, which is to run consecutive to his 25-year sentence.

The state charges against Wilbourn for the murder of Officer Bolton are pending.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in conjunction with the Memphis Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

A Broward County, Florida tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to conspiring to file and filing fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

According to documents filed with the court, Frantz Petit-Dos, 41, owned two tax preparation businesses in Lauderhill, Florida: Imperial Taxation and Multi-Services Corp. and Aleluya Universal Accounting Services Inc., with Luczor Fertilien, 39, and David Joseph, 37. From approximately 2010 through 2016, Petit-Dos, Fertilien and Joseph filed fraudulent returns for their clients seeking refunds to which the clients were not entitled, by reporting fictitious business income, fraudulent education and fuel tax credits and claiming deceased individuals as dependents. They also filed returns in the names of individuals whose identities had been stolen. Petit-Dos did not report the illegal proceeds he received from this scheme on his personal tax returns and admitted to causing a tax loss of more than $550,000. On July 14, Fertilien and Joseph pleaded guilty to their involvement in this scheme.

Petit-Dos is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6before U.S. District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy count and a maximum sentence of three years in prison on the false return count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Fertilien and Joseph are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22.

Acting U.S. Attorney Greenberg and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Karadbil and Assistant Chief Greg Tortella of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.

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.

ALBUQUERQUE – In Aug. 2016, a multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) concluded with the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. To date, 68 of the 104 defendants charged as the result of this investigation have entered guilty pleas and 30 of them have been sentenced.

Juan Jose Rivas, 33, and Guajira Maya Lovato, 44, both pled guilty yesterday in federal court to methamphetamine trafficking charges. Lovato, who was charged in three indictments filed as the result of the investigation, pled guilty under a plea agreement requiring a five-year prison sentence.

The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

One indictment charged Rivas, Lovato and their co-defendants Janet Bowman, 40, and Anthony Barela, 34, with a methamphetamine trafficking offense. The indictment was superseded to add a fifth defendant, Maria Citlaly Beltran-Ahumada, 37, and another methamphetamine trafficking charge. The superseding indictment charged the five defendants with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from June 21, 2016 through Aug. 9, 2016, and with distributing methamphetamine on June 22, 2016.

A second indictment charged Lovato and co-defendant Desiree Otero, 24, with conspiracy to distribute heroin from July 20, 2016 through Aug. 9, 2016 and with distributing heroin on July 20, 2016. A third indictment charged Lovato and co-defendants Daniel Loya, 31, and Richard Cortez, 37, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from July 21, 2016 through Aug. 9, 2016, and with distributing methamphetamine on July 21, 2016.

During yesterday’s proceedings, Rivas pled guilty to an information charging him with distributing methamphetamine, and admitted that on June 22, 2016, he participated in the sale of two ounces of methamphetamine to another individual. At sentencing, Rivas faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Lovato entered a guilty plea in the same case to a methamphetamine distribution charge, and admitted that on June 22, 2016, she communicated with a drug purchaser regarding the price for two ounces of methamphetamine and later helped to complete the transaction. Her sentencing hearing also has yet to be scheduled.

The remaining defendants have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Presiliano Torrez.

Three Florida residents were found guilty by a Miami jury on July 26, 2017, for participating in a sweepstakes mail fraud scheme.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, made the announcement.

Matthew Pisoni, 44, of Fort Lauderdale, Marcus Pradel, 41, of Boca Raton, and Victor Ramirez, 37, of Aventura, were found guilty of conspiring to commit mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, after a five-week trial. Pisoni, Pradel and Ramirez face a maximum statutory penalty of twenty years in prison at their sentencing on October 13, 2017, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Gayles. John Leon, 49, of Wilton Manors, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2017.

The trial evidence established that the four defendants, Pisoni, Pradel, Ramirez and Leon, falsely notified individuals by mail that they had won a substantial prize. The letters the defendants sent fraudulently represented that the recipients needed to pay the defendants a fee ranging from $20 to $50 to redeem their purported winnings. During the course of the mail fraud conspiracy, more than one hundred thousand victims in the United States and abroad were fraudulently induced to pay the fees by the defendants’ misleading claims that they had won a prize. The fraudulent letters directed victims to pay the fees in cash or by check or money order payable to fictitious companies. The defendants then either processed the victims’ payments through independent payment processors or deposited them into shell bank accounts controlled directly and indirectly by the defendants and their co-conspirators. In total, over $25 million in victim payments went into the defendants’ and co-conspirators’ bank accounts.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the IRS-CI, USPIS, Federal Trade Commission, the Aventura Police Department, and other local and international law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elijah Levitt, and H. Ron Davidson.

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.

PROVIDENCE – According to signed documents filed today in U.S. District Court in Providence, Evan Speck, 34, of Charlestown, has agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with possession with the intent to distribute steroids, distribution of a misbranded drug, and money laundering.

According to a plea agreement filed in this matter, in addition to pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute steroids, distribution of a misbranded drug, and money laundering, Speck will forfeit to the government 3 firearms and a total of $17,954 in cash seized during a court authorized search executed on March 20, 2017, during the investigation into this matter; and will, based on his narcotics trafficking, as charged in the information, forfeit a sum of money equal to the total value of forfeitable assets, in the amount of $536,000.

According to court documents, the government and Speck have agreed that for the purpose of calculating the appropriate sentencing guideline range, the amount of steroids relevant to count one of the information is the equivalent of 79.99 kilograms of marijuana; the defendant possessed a dangerous weapon in connection with drug trafficking; and the defendant distributed an anabolic steroid to an athlete.

An information is merely an allegation 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.

Today’s court filings are announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; Shelly A. Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for New England.

Possession with the intent to distribute steroids is punishable by statutory penalties up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of 3 years. Distribution of a misbranded drug is punishable by statutory penalties up to 3 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of 1 year. Money laundering is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $500,00, and a term of supervised release of 3 years.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dulce Donovan and Mary E. Rogers.

The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Task Force, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations.

The Rhode Island FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Task Force is comprised of agents and officers from the FDA, IRS, DEA, HSI, Rhode Island State Police and the East Providence, North Providence and Westerly Police Departments.

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Jackson, TN – A Lake County man has been indicted on federal drug charges. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the indictment today.

Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department arrested Will Jones in the early morning hours of July 27, 2017, in Lake County, Tennessee.

A federal grand jury in Jackson, Tennessee returned a three count indictment against Jones for distributing actual methamphetamine ("ice") on July 17, 2017, but the indictment remained under seal until yesterday’s arrest.

This arrest was the result of an approximately 10-month investigation in which law enforcement officials have seized over a kilo of actual methamphetamine, approximately $148,000 dollars in cash, a loaded handgun and three vehicles.

If convicted, Jones faces up to life imprisonment and $20,000,000 fine.

This case is being investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Lake County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Powell and Beth Boswell are prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.

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

DALLAS — Kamyar Jahanrakhshan, aka “Kamyar Jahan Rakhshan,” “Andy or Andrew Rakhshan,” “Andy or Andrew Kamyar,” and “Kamiar or Kamier Rakhshan,” 32, of Seattle, Washington, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with extortion by threats to cause damage to the Dallas, Texas hosting company for Leagle.com, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

According to the affidavit filed with the complaint, on December 30, 2014 Leagle.com, an aggregator of case law from Federal and certain State courts, was contacted by an individual by the name of Andrew Rakhshanby e-mail requesting that a URL linking to a court decision involving Rakhshanbe deleted. Claiming that he was the plaintiff in the case, Rakhshanstated that he did not want the opinion available on the internet as it was tarnishing his reputation and violating his privacy. Rakhshanoffered to pay a fee to have the post removed.

Between December 30, 2014 and January 16, 2015, Leagle.com received multiple e-mails signed by Andrew Rakhshanoffering to pay for the removal of a court opinion in which Rakhshan was a party to. On January 24, 2015 Rakhshanagainsent an e-mail claiming that he met a group of hackers online whom were willing to launch a massive cyber-attack on Leagle.com. Rakhshanclaimed that he had no other options to resolve the matter. He threatened to use these hackers to conduct a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack to force Leagle.com to comply with his demands. On January 25, 2015, a large amount of traffic targeted the IP address for Leagle.com. The actions the company took could not mitigate the attack traffic. The attack subsided once the company removed the link to the court opinion.

Similar DDoS attacks were carried out by Rakhshan on Fairfax Media5, a media company in Australia and New Zealand; The Metro News, a daily newspaper; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; and Canada.com, a social media discussion site. At times Rakhshanescalated his threats from DDoS attacks to threats of bomb attacks.

A criminal complaint isa written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The government has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment. The maximum statutory penalty for the offenses as charged is 5 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Dallas cyber squad, Seattle cyber task force, Toronto police department, and the Australian federal police. Assistant U.S. Attorney C.S. Heath is in charge of the prosecution.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former St. Joseph, Mo., business owner pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in a nearly $1.5 million tax fraud scheme.

Dinorah Lynn Stoll-Weaver, 49, of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to failing to pay over employee payroll taxes to the IRS.

Co-defendants Dawn Langlais (Stoll-Weaver’s sister), 59, and Langlais’s daughter, Jennifer Sturgis, 38, both of St. Joseph, have also pleaded guilty. Langlais pleaded guilty to failing to pay over employee payroll taxes to the IRS. Sturgis pleaded guilty to making false statements on a tax return. All three defendants also admitted that they failed to report their income on their personal federal income tax returns.

From 2001 through early 2010, Stoll-Weaver owned and, with the assistance of Langlais, operated Homeward Bound Health Services, Inc., a home health provider located in St. Joseph. In 2010, Homeward Bound’s name was changed to Silver Linings, Inc., and nominee owners were put in place who signed the checks but made no business decisions. Stoll-Weaver and Langlais continued to operate Silver Linings until it closed in 2013.

Langlais employed her daughter, Sturgis, and other relatives at Homeward Bound and Silver Linings.

Homeward Bound and Silver Linings withheld and collected federal income taxes, Social Security taxes, and Medicare taxes from employees and then kept those withheld taxes instead of paying them over to the IRS. The total criminal tax loss attributed to Homeward Bound and Silver Linings for failure to pay employment taxes due and owing from 2001 to 2012 is $1,459,727.

Homeward Bound and Silver Linings also withheld from employee paychecks and kept child support payments, employee IRA contributions, and medical and dental insurance payments. The theft of these payments had negative collateral consequences for their employees.

Stoll-Weaver, Langlais and Sturgis admitted they received income from Homeward Bound and Silver Linings, which they failed to report on their individual federal income tax forms, and as a result, underpaid their federal income taxes.

Stoll-Weaver willfully failed to make an income tax return or pay personal income taxes from 2009 to 2012, for a total personal tax loss of $34,264.

Langlais willfully failed to make an income tax return or pay personal income taxes from 2010 to 2012, for a total personal tax loss of $56,860.

Sturgis willfully failed to make an income tax return or pay personal income taxes from 2007 to 2012, for a total personal tax loss of $148,347, including relevant conduct.

Additionally, from 2009 to 2012, Stoll-Weaver and Sturgis each claimed personal federal income tax refunds, knowing that Homeward Bound and Silver Linings had not paid any income taxes to the IRS.

Under federal statutes, Stoll-Weaver and Langlais are each subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. Sturgis is subject to a sentence of up to three 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 Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigation.