KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Two Kansans were sentenced Thursday for operating a synthetic drug business that generated $16 million in sales in less than two years, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Tracy Picanso, 61, Olathe, Kan., and Roy Ehrett, 59, Olathe, Kan., were sentenced to 54 months in federal prison. Picanso and Ehrett each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, one count of producing and selling misbranded drugs, one count of producing and selling counterfeit drugs and one count of conspiracy to launder money.

An indictment returned in 2014 alleged Picanso and Ehrett owned an Olathe-based business producing and selling dangerous controlled substances and controlled substance analogues of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) and methcathinones (stimulants).

They sold products under exotic names including Pump It, Head Trip, Black Arts, Grave Digger, Voodoo Doll and Lights Out. Some of the drugs were manufactured in buckets with drill-powered immersion mixers and tried out on “testers” who helped tweak the recipes by reporting on the drugs’ effects.

The operation stretched from Kansas to Missouri, California, Texas, Georgia and Colorado, involving more than 15 companies with more than 40 financial accounts at more than 10 financial institutions. Businesses owned and operated by the defendants included Retailing Specialists, Innovative Products 4U, The Outer Edge, Lakeridge Holdings, Monster Warehouse, Monster Distribution, Monster, 3P Distribution and Life Source.

“Without FDA oversight, unapproved and counterfeit drugs that are produced and marketed outside the Federal system present the prospect of serious harm to the public’s health,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer E. Morrison, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “FDA-OCI appreciates the coordinated efforts of DEA and other law enforcement agencies to bring to justice all those who evade federal drug laws.”

Beall commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, the Overland Park Police Department, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Olathe Police Department, the St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway, and Michael Varrone, associate chief counsel at the Food and Drug Administration for their work on the case.

LAS VEGAS, Nev.– A Nevada physician practicing as a specialist in pain management was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distribution of large quantities of highly addictive prescription opioids, including oxycodone, and other controlled substances without a medical purpose, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson ordered a fine in the amount of $2.5 million.

Following a 10-week jury trial, on March 23, 2017, Dr. Henri Wetselaar, 93, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (oxycodone); distribution of controlled substances; money laundering; and structuring of money transactions. Co-defendant, David A. Litwin, 58, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 5, 2017.

According to the indictment, Wetselaar performed house calls and maintained a medical practice on the east side of Las Vegas. He prescribed large amounts of prescription drugs, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, Xanax and Soma, to persons for no legitimate medical purpose. Wetselaar and Litwin conspired with each other and local drug dealers to distribute the prescription drugs prescribed by Wetselaar in and around Las Vegas. Additionally, Wetselaar wired $105,000 for the purchase of a house using money obtained from the drug distribution activities. He also attempted to evade the bank reporting requirements by making dozens of cash deposits less than $10,000 in a 12-month period to three different banks.

The case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Nevada Department of Public Safety, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Department of Labor-OIG, and the U.S. Human and Health Services-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina Silva and Andrew Duncan.

The Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to combat the prescription opioid epidemic and continues to charge local physicians who illegally sell or distribute prescription opioids for a non-medical purpose. Wetselaar is the fifth doctor sentenced for illegal distribution of drugs in recent years. Other cases include:

• In April 2016, Dr. Robert Rand and eight others were charged with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute prescription drugs. Rand is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23, 2017.

• In December 2015, Dr. Sebastian Paulin Jr. was sentenced to 24 months in prison for selling prescription pain medications and Dr. Mahesh Kuthuru was sentenced to 28 months in prison for the unlawfully distributing prescription painkillers.

• In October 2014, Dr. Victor Bruce was sentenced to 46 months for unlawfully writing oxycodone prescriptions for persons with no medical need for it.

• In September 2014, Dr. Vinay Bararia was sentenced to 44 months in prison for unlawfully selling hydrocodone and oxycodone, both prescription opioids.

The overdose rates for synthetic opioids and pain relievers have continued to rise over the past several years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 144 drug overdose deaths every day and 63% of those deaths are pharmaceutical opioids or heroin related. Approximately 75% of new heroin users report having abused prescription opioids before using heroin. Heroin-related overdose deaths have more than quadrupled since 2010. For information on opioid overdose and how you can manage pain without prescription drugs, go to http://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/opioids/index.html. If you have a tip or information about illegal sales or distribution of prescription opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc., by doctors and pharmacies call the DEA at 1-877-RX-Abuse (1-877-792-2873).

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GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On July 11, 2017, a federal Grand Jury in Greeneville returned a 49-count indictment against the following individuals for their roles in the distribution of methamphetamine:

David Byron Jones, 60, of Chatsworth, Georgia;

Jonathan Delph, 50, of Rogersville, Tennessee;

Clay Seals, Jr., 50, of Surgoinsville, Tennessee;

Stephanie Bailey, 49, of Hawkins County, Tennessee;

Donna Strong, 53, a.k.a. Donna Dunbar, of Surgoinsville, Tennessee;

Curtis Carpenter, 42, of Whitesburg, Tennessee;

Jerry Robinette, 49, of Rogersville, Tennessee;

Edward Smith, 51, of Rogersville, Tennessee;

Tyler Delph, 24, of Rogersville, Tennessee;

Scottie Delph, 48, of Rogersville, Tennessee;

James Michael Whitaker, 54, of Rogersville, Tennessee;

Paul Bledsoe Jr., 43, of Morristown, Tennessee;

William West, 57, a.k.a. Bump, of Rogersville, Tennessee;

Frankie Benton, 33, of Hawkins County, Tennessee;

James Dwayne Byington, 49, of Rogersville, Tennessee;

Leonard Brad Eidson, 42, of Bull’s Gap, Tennessee;

Phillip Burton, 48, a.k.a. Burger, of Rogersville, Tennessee; and

Toby Jones, 39, of Chatsworth, Georgia.

Trial before the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Court Judge, has not yet been set.

The indictment, on file with the U.S. District Court, alleges that each of these individuals was involved in a conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Tennessee and elsewhere. Carpenter, Robinette, Smith, Burton, Tyler Delph, and Seals were also each charged with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment also alleges other charges related to the distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine as well as the unlawful possession firearms.

If convicted of the methamphetamine conspiracy charge, each faces a minimum mandatory prison term of at least 10 years and up to life, at least five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $10,000,000, any applicable forfeiture, and a $100 special assessment. The punishment for the firearm charges returned against Carpenter, Robinette, Smith, Burton, Tyler Delph, and Seals is a minimum mandatory term of at least five years and up to life in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed, up to five years supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 special assessment.

The on-going investigation leading to the indictment was the product of a partnership between Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department, Third Judicial Drug Task Force, Hamblen County Sheriff’s Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, Conasauga (Georgia) Safe Streets Task Force, U.S. Marshal Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Lampe will represent the United States.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until his or her guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation is a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Topeka, Kan., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to a conspiracy that attempted to obtain nearly $445,000 in fraudulent federal income tax refunds.

Orville Frame, Jr., 24, of Topeka, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the government.

By pleading guilty today, Frame admitted that he participated in a conspiracy, from March 2013 to April 2014, to obtain federal income tax refunds by filing false and fraudulent claims to the IRS. The tax refund scheme involved the creation of false W-2 forms, which reported fictitious employer information, fictitious income and fictitious income tax withholdings. Frame and co-defendant Byron Meeks, 37, of Topeka, used the false W-2 forms to fraudulently file for federal and state income tax returns, including Frame’s own federal and state income tax returns for tax years 2012 and 2013 (claiming refunds of a $371,947 and $34,440, respectively).

The tax refund scheme resulted in an attempted criminal federal tax loss of approximately $444,930. The actual loss from the tax refund scheme was $10,945, which was the only federal refund paid out by the IRS. The state of Kansas also paid out a $3,389 state tax refund.

Meeks pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced on April 12, 2017, to five years in federal prison without parole. According to court documents, Meeks threatened his girlfriend and her daughter (in whose names fraudulent returns were filed) and instructed them not to cooperate with the investigation. Meeks also instructed Frame to destroy the computer that Meeks used to create and file the fraudulent tax returns.

Meeks had earlier pleaded guilty in a separate case on Dec. 14, 2010, to filing false tax returns and was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He was released from prison on April 17, 2012, and less than a year later, resumed the exact same conduct. He participated in filing two fraudulent tax returns in March 2013.

Under federal statutes, Frame is subject to a sentence of up to 10 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.

LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Laredoan has entered a guilty plea for his role in recruiting and leading a firearms smuggling ring, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.

Between March 2016 and November 2016, Juan Diego Madrid recruited several individuals, including two of his brothers, to purchase civilian variants of firearms currently issued to military forces from various local firearms dealers. Madrid then conspired to smuggle the firearms into Mexico.

The straw purchasers Madrid recruited bought at least 36 AR-15 and AK-47-type semiautomatic rifles, Beretta 92FS and DPMS AR-type rifles from Academy and Kirkpatrick Guns & Ammo stores in Laredo and San Antonio. Madrid would purchase the firearms from the straw purchasers and then re-sell them at a profit to a co-conspirator who would then arrange for the firearms to be smuggled into Mexico. Madrid, already a convicted felon, is prohibited from purchasing, owning or possessing firearms.

Madrid will be sentenced before United States District Court Judge Diana Saldana at a date to be determined in the near future. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Homero Ramirez and Special AUSA Lisa Ezra are prosecuting the case.

John I. Waltman, 59, of Trevose, Pennsylvania, Robert P. Hoopes, 70, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and Bernard T. Rafferty, 62, of Langhorne, Pennsylvania were charged in a Superseding Indictment^[1] with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of money laundering, one count of honest services wire fraud, three counts of honest services mail fraud, and Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

Hoopes was also charged with one count of witness tampering. In addition, the Superseding Indictment added Kevin M. Biederman, 34, who is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of money laundering, and one count of bank bribery.

From 2011 to December 2016, Waltman was a Magisterial District Judge in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. From February 2016 to December 2016, Hoopes was the Director of Public Safety in Lower Southampton, Pennsylvania. In this position, Hoopes had authority over all police, fire, and emergency operations in the township. Hoopes previously operated a legal practice in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. From 1998 to December 2016, Rafferty was a Deputy Constable in Bucks County. Rafferty controlled Raff’s Consulting LLC, a corporation registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State on May 30, 2011.

According to the Superseding Indictment, in November 2016, Waltman, Hoopes, and Rafferty accepted a bribe of $1,000, as well as the promise of other fees, in exchange for Waltman, Hoopes, and Rafferty to use their positions as public officials to “fix” a traffic case before Waltman in Bucks County Magisterial District Court. In January 2017, Hoopes allegedly tried to influence a witness to falsely testify before the federal grand jury regarding the disposition of this $1,000 bribe.

In addition, according to the Superseding Indictment, from June 2015 to November 2016, Waltman, Hoopes, Rafferty, and Biedmeran conspired to launder funds represented to be proceeds from health care fraud, illegal drug trafficking, and bank fraud. Moreover, from June 2016 to August 2016, Waltman, Hoopes, Rafferty, and Biederman laundered $400,000 in cash, represented to be proceeds from health care fraud and illegal drug trafficking, and took money laundering fees totaling $80,000 in cash.

Further, according to the superseding indictment, in June 2015, Biederman, who was then an employee of Philadelphia Federal Credit Union (“PFCU”), solicited and accepted a bribe of $1,600 in exchange for agreeing to influence PFCU’s approval of a loan.

“As alleged in today’s superseding indictment, we have uncovered another instance of public officials -- who should be serving the public good -- subverting justice in order to serve themselves,” said Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. “Our office is committed to investigating and prosecuting public corruption cases at every level. In addition, we will continue to hold accountable anyone who attempts to improperly influence the federal grand jury process or the testimony of witnesses.”

"They must've thought they had a pretty good thing going," said Michael Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. "As alleged in the indictments, these three public officials padded their income with ease, turning a tidy profit as part-time money-launderers. Ostensibly in the service of drug dealers and other crooks, they took steps to conceal the origins of piles of 'dirty money.' Add the allegations of bribery, extortion, witness-tampering -- and you've practically got a playbook of the varied ways to violate the public trust. The FBI is committed to investigating public corruption cases, and bringing corrupt officials to justice."

“The laws of the land apply to everyone, even public and banking officials. The public place a great deal of trust in these officials, and that trust is broken when they commit crimes,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Floyd. "Today's superseding indictment again emphasizes IRS, Criminal Investigation, FBI, HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s office will continue their aggressive pursuit of public and banking officials who use fraudulent methods in an attempt to corrupt our nation."

"Homeland Security Investigations is pleased to have teamed with our federal and local law enforcement partners to hold accountable public officials who betray the trust of the community they are sworn to serve by engaging in criminal behavior. The public places an enormous amount of trust in public officials and activities like those allegedly committed by the defendants in this case erodes the fabric of public trust," said Marlon V. Miller, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. "HSI special agents will continue to vigorously pursue those who think the law does not apply to their criminal acts."

If convicted, Waltman and Rafferty each face a maximum possible sentence of 180 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $2.25 million fine, and a $900 special assessment.

If convicted, Hoopes faces a maximum possible sentence of 200 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $2.5 million fine, and a $1,000 special assessment.

If convicted, Biederman faces a maximum possible sentence of 110 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a $2 million fine, and a $500 special assessment

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vineet Gauri.

Elmer S. McMasters, 28, of Uhrichsville, was charged with receiving, distributing and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

McMasters knowingly received and distributed numerous computer files which contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This took place between October 2016 through March 2017. On April 18, 2017, McMasters possessed a cellular phone which contained child pornography, according to the indictment.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after 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 and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Canton Police Department.

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.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms.

Christopher M. Behn, 40, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Behn was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

On May 4, 2017, Behn pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.

Springfield police officers executed a search warrant at Behn’s residence on Nov. 4, 2015. Officers found a Springfield Armory .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol in a portable trailer in the driveway and a DSA .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle in a metal outbuilding on the south side of the trailer.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Behn has three prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, and prior felony convictions for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, car theft, threatening with a deadly weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon by a previous offender, possession of a methamphetamine precursor drug with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, and resisting arrest.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

An Akron man was indicted on federal firearms charges.

Quincey T. Smith, 26, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The indictment alleges that on or about June 28, 2017, Smith did knowingly possess in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, a 9mm pistol, along with ammunition.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, 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 and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Akron Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Linda H. Barr.

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.

Robert J. Spears, 35, a Nashville resident and tax return preparer, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of preparing a false tax return for his client and one count of filing his own false tax return, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith of the Middle District of Tennessee.

According to court documents, Spears worked as a salesperson and manager at a call-center. From 2010 through 2012, Spears prepared and filed materially false tax returns for his coworkers at the call-center by claiming bogus education credits, student-loan interest deductions, and child-care expenses. Without his clients’ knowledge, Spears diverted a substantial portion of the refunds issued in his clients’ names to bank accounts under his control. Spears did not report the diversions on his own personal income tax returns, which he was required to do, nor did he include any of the money he earned preparing returns on his own tax returns.

In total, Spears caused a tax loss of over $180,000.

Spears will be sentenced on December 13, 2017 and faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison on each false return count, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan R. Raybould of the Middle District of Tennessee is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 55-year-old Brownsville woman has entered a plea to one count of sex trafficking of a nine-year-old girl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.

Maria Candelaria Losoya appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Janice Ellington and admitted she was responsible for the continued sexual assault of a nine-year-old victim which began in Brownsville in 2012. Later, she traveled with the victim so that the assault could continue. She further admitted that she did so in exchange for money.

“Rescuing the children from these situations is our immediate concern,” said Mark Dawson, special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Houston. “While we cannot give back the innocence that's been stolen from them, we can make sure that those who commit these horrible crimes are brought to justice.”

Sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos on Nov. 16, 2017. At that time, Losoya faces a minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,00 maximum fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, Losoya also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which time the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the Internet. Losoya will also be required to register as a sex offender.

She was permitted to remain on bond pending her sentencing hearing. 

HSI, Texas Rangers and police departments in Brownsville and Rockport conducted the investigation.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez, 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."

            WASHINGTON –Branden Dixon, 24, who led police on a pursuit earlier this year with a one-year-old girl in his car, has been sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of pandering and first-degree cruelty to children, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.

            Dixon, of Waldorf, Md., pled guilty in June 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo sentenced him on July 28, 2017 to three years in prison for pandering and an additional four years for the child cruelty charge. Following his prison term, Dixon will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, in October 2016, Dixon took pictures of a woman and posted her on a known prostitution site. He and the woman resided at a motel in Northeast Washington, where several of the commercial sex encounters occurred. Dixon directed the woman to provide commercial sex to customers and he kept all proceeds. Dixon was arrested on Nov. 3, 2016 and charged with pandering. He was released, but then failed to show up for a hearing set for Jan 4, 2017. A judge issued a bench warrant that day for his arrest.

            Later, at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 4, 2017, Dixon picked up a man and the man’s one-year-old daughter from a restaurant in Maryland and drove them to the 1600 block of Morris Road SE. The father left Dixon with the girl in the car while he went inside an apartment building to retrieve some belongings. While the father was away, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) saw Dixon’s Audi and believed its out-of-state tag looked fake.

            The police officers pulled behind Dixon’s car, and at that point, Dixon began to drive away. The child was still in the car and not in a car seat. Officers followed Dixon a short distance, while trying to run the tags on the vehicle. Dixon pulled into the 1800 block of Gainesville Road SE, which is a dead-end street. An officer exited the marked police car to approach Dixon’s car, but Dixon slammed the Audi in reverse, ramming into two police cars and almost striking an officer before he managed to maneuver out of the block.

            The pursuit continued as it traversed into Maryland then into Virginia. During the pursuit, Dixon placed the little girl in the front seat with him and strapped her into the front passenger-side seat belt because she was crying. He crossed the Woodrow Wilson Bridge into Virginia, where he wrecked the vehicle near Exit 176 of I-495 in Fairfax County, Va.

            Dixon and the child were taken to a hospital. The girl was seriously injured, suffering a concussion and a fractured left femur that required multiple surgeries, an almost complete body cast, and weeks of physical therapy.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the cases from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Virginia State Police. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Alexandria, Va. Police Department, and Fairfax County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Marin Hoplamazian. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracy Owusu. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Price and Kenya Davis, who prosecuted the matters.

LAREDO, Texas – A 54-year-old legal permanent resident alien who was living in Alabama has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of importing heroin in to the country, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Baltazar Vazquez-Vargas pleaded guilty April 4, 2017.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia-Marmolejo sentenced him to 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face loss of his legal status and deportation proceedings following his release from prison. During the hearing, Judge Garcia-Marmolejo asked Vazquez-Vargas if he had thought about what would happen to his life before he committed the crime. Later, the defense attorney noted the defendant’s embarrassment at the situation and that his family had to see it. “This is what happens when you get involved in drug trafficking,” responded Judge Garcia-Marmolejo.

On Nov. 12, 2016, Vazquez-Vargas entered the United States via the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge in Laredo as the driver and sole occupant of a grey 2007 Chevrolet Impala. At that time, he claimed ownership of the vehicle. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered an anomaly in the vehicle’s battery. Upon further inspection, officers determined there was a non-factory compartment within the battery containing six bundles, the contents of which tested positive for heroin. The total combined weight was approximately 3.05 kilograms.

Vazquez-Vargas stated that he had recently purchased the Impala and an individual in Georgia had hired him to transport the heroin from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to Peachtree City, Georgia, for $5,000. While in Nuevo Laredo, people he did not know changed out the existing battery for another one containing the heroin. He admitted knowing there were narcotics in the battery.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and CBP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bukiewicz is prosecuting the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka tax preparer pleaded guilty Tuesday to filing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Maurice L. Stewart, 39, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to 13 counts of filing false tax returns causing a tax loss of $93,402.

Stewart filed returns in clients’ names, falsely claiming the returns were self-prepared. He fraudulently reported that clients had suffered business losses. He filed returns electronically using the IP address of a Topeka business where he formerly was employed as an online IT technical services coordinator. He prepared returns using an online program where he had opened an account using another person’s name.

Sentencing is set for Oct. 30. The parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of two years in federal prison and full restitution. Beall commended the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.

Co-defendants admitted to concealing the criminal activities from law enforcement

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. today announced the sentencing of a former Bullitt County, Kentucky, Special Sheriff’s Deputy, to 36 months in prison, followed by a five year period of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, by United States District Judge David J. Hale, for trafficking in marijuana and methamphetamine and concealing the financial proceeds (money laundering). Two co-defendants admitted to concealing the criminal activities from law enforcement during a 15 month period.

Christopher A. Mattingly, 40, of Shepherdsville, Kentucky, admitted that between March 2014 and June 2015, he conspired with other named defendants to knowingly and intentionally distributing more than 1000 kilograms but less than 3000 kilograms of marijuana imported from California and distributed in the Western District of Kentucky and elsewhere. At trial, the United States would have proved these facts by introducing recordings of conversations between the defendant and a co-conspirator, and between the defendant and a reliable confidential informant, wherein the defendant makes statements probative of knowledge and intent to distribute large quantities of marijuana.

Additionally, Mattingly admitted that between March 2014 and June 2015, he conspired with the other named defendants to conduct financial transactions with monetary proceeds derived from trafficking in marijuana, by depositing some proceeds in the bank and by using other proceeds to pay for marijuana shipments. The United States would have proven these facts by introducing the defendant’s bank records and eliciting testimony from a reliable confidential informant.

Finally, Mattingly admitted that between February 2015 and June 2015, he conspired with other persons to knowingly and intentionally distributing more than 500 grams but less than 1.5 kilograms of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. The United States would have proven these facts by eliciting testimony from unindicted co-conspirators and from a reliable confidential informant.

Ronald A. Shewmaker and Eddie Whitfill, both from Bullitt County, previously admitted to concealing their knowledge of Mattingly’s illegal activities from law enforcement between March 2014 and June 2015. They were sentenced to probation. Co-defendants Hector Renato Orozco Landa and Raymond Carillo remain at large. Both are charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and money laundering.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Larry E. Fentress and was investigated by DEA and the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Department.

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           CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley today announced that

two men from the Rochester, New Hampshire area pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges based upon their possession of heroin and cocaine. Timothy W. Kondroski, 42, previously of Rochester and Jason L. Brewer, 34, of Milton each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

            According to court documents and statements made during today’s plea hearings, on July 12, 2016, a New Hampshire State Police Trooper observed Brewer commit multiple motor vehicle violations while driving northbound on Interstate 95. The trooper executed a traffic stop of Brewer’s car near the Hampton tolls. Kondroski was a passenger in the car. During the traffic stop, the trooper observed evidence of drug possession. While the trooper questioned Brewer and Kondroski, Kondroski fled and darted across four lanes of the interstate highway toward the barriers that divided the cash tolls from the open road tolling lanes. The trooper chased Kondroski, yelling at him to stop. The trooper eventually caught up to Kondroski at the barriers, which Kondroski was attempting to climb over. The application of a Taser was necessary to subdue Kondroski. During the chase, Kondroski’s sneakers fell off. When retrieving them from the roadway, the troopers found a bag approximately 35 grams of heroin. A second bag containing approximately one ounce of cocaine was recovered from inside one of Kondroski’s sneakers. Kondroski and Brewer both eventually admitted to buying the drugs in Lawerence, Massachusetts. Kondroski further acknowledged that he paid $2700 for the drugs and intended to sell them.

            Kondroski and Brewer are both scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2017.

            “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are distributing drugs in the Granite State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “I commend the troopers involved in this matter for their quick and decisive actions.”

            This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

ALBUQUERQUE – Tom Begaye, Jr., 28, entered a guilty plea this afternoon to a six-count indictment charging him with murder, aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping offenses arising out of the abduction and murder of an 11-year-old Navajo child on May 2, 2016. Begaye entered the guilty plea under a plea agreement that requires the imposition of a mandatory term of life imprisonment without the possibility of release.

“The Navajo Nation mourned when we learned of the vicious murder of Ashlynne Mike. The Nation has carried this pain ever since. Today, as we learn that her murderer has pleaded guilty to the six charges against him, we have taken one-step forward in healing. We know the pain will be lifelong for Ashlynne’s parents and immediate family,” said President Russell Begaye. “The Navajo Nation is taking every step necessary to strengthen our laws and emergency response communication system. We are furthering the implementation of an Amber Alert System to protect our children from horrendous crimes such as this one. This tragedy reminds us, as Navajo people, that we must adhere to our traditional teachings of K’é and Hozho in respecting each other. We ask our people to continue to love their children, take care of them, and watch them closely. The Navajo Nation will continue to move forward in protecting our children so that no other life is taken in such a tragic manner.”

“Today’s guilty plea, which holds Tom Begaye, Jr.,fully accountable for kidnapping, sexually abusing and murdering Ashlynne Mike, and for the trauma he inflicted on her brother, is the result of the strong evidence developed by our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly on this case to secure justice for the victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney.“Although the guilty plea cannot return Ashlynne to her family or relieve their profound sorrow, we hope that the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment that awaits Begaye will bring a measure of solace to the family and some comfort to a community that was shocked to its core by these brutal crimes. Little in life is more emotionally taxing than losing a child to violence, and we commend Ashlynne’s parents for channeling their grief into advocacy to improve the Amber Alert System on the Navajo Nation and other tribal communities in the hope that other families can be spared the heartbreak they have endured.”

“The death of any innocent crime victim is tragic, but when it’s a child, the impact on law enforcement is doubly hard. We hope today’s plea brings justice and some measure of comfort to Ashlynne Mike’s family, friends and the community that came together to express its sorrow after her death,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “The FBI thanks the U.S. Attorney's Office and our other partners who worked so hard on this case.”

“This case was very unfortunate, as it startled every community within and outside the Navajo Nation. We remain very emotional and devastated over the loss of a little Navajo child from the Shiprock community. It was especially hard for officers of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and other public safety agencies from the surrounding areas who responded and worked this case us. To the citizens of Shiprock who responded and assisted us with the search, I thank each and everyone of you,” said Director Jesse Delmar of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.“The law enforcement response in this case was exceptional. I praise and thank the core investigators from our Division, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office for their excellence and hard work in bringing justice to the victims and their family.”

The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety arrested Begaye, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from Waterflow, N.M., on May 4, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging Begaye with kidnapping, sexually abusing and murdering an 11-year-old Navajo child on May 2, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M. On May 24, 2016, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Begaye with six offenses: first-degree murder, felony murder, kidnapping resulting in death, aggravated sexual abuse resulting in death (two counts), and kidnapping of a minor. According to the indictment, Begaye killed a female child under the age of 12 years by striking her with a tire iron, and caused her death while kidnapping and sexually assaulting her. The indictment also charged Begaye with kidnapping a second victim, a male child under the age of 18 years.

During today’s change of plea hearing, Begaye pled guilty to all six-counts of the indictment. According to the plea agreement, Begaye kidnapped the 11-year-old victim and her nine-year-old brother on May 2, 2016, by tricking the children into getting into his van by offering to drive them to their home. Instead, Begaye drove them to a location near the Shiprock Monument where he led the victim away from the van to an area beyond her brother’s field of view. Begaye sexually assaulted the victim before killing her by strangling her and repeatedly hitting her on the head and face with a tire iron. Begaye then returned to his van, directed the victim’s brother to get out of the van, and drove away, leaving the child behind.

Begaye has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team, U.S. Marshals Service, New Mexico State Police, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the Farmington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niki Tapia-Brito and Jennifer M. Rozzoni are prosecuting the case.

The case is being prosecuted under 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 work 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.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man and a Willard, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Mo., and in a money-laundering conspiracy.

Patrick R. Brigaudin, 55, of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to the charges contained in a Sept. 28, 2016, federal indictment.

Gayla Rochelle Phillips, 42, of Willard, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the same charges.

Brigaudin and Phillips admitted they participated in the methamphetamine conspiracy from October 2013 to Feb. 29, 2016. In total, the amount of pure methamphetamine involved in the conspiracy weighed in excess of 4.5 kilograms.

In March 2015, a shipment of approximately 15 pounds of pure methamphetamine was interdicted by law enforcement officers. Three persons were arrested following a controlled delivery of the methamphetamine to a Springfield hotel. Brigaudin admitted that he attempted to possess some or all of the methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute to others. Brigaudin also admitted to distributing methamphetamine on several occasions in 2015 and 2016.

On Feb. 29, 2016, two individuals transported approximately 12 pounds of methamphetamine to Brigaudin’s residence. While they were removing the methamphetamine from a vehicle, they and Brigaudin were arrested.

Phillips admitted that she obtained methamphetamine from Brigaudin on Feb. 19, 2016, which she then distributed to another person.

Brigaudin and Phillips also admitted they purchased a 2006 Lincoln Mark LT pickup truck by paying an automobile dealer $7,200 in cash and an $8,500 check drawn on Phillips’s bank account. They conducted this financial transaction with drug-trafficking proceeds in order to conceal the nature and source of the funds and to avoid a transaction reporting requirement.

Under federal statutes, Brigaudin is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in prison without parole. Phillips is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life 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. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Garrison. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Ozark, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, COMET (the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team) and the South Central Drug Task Force.

            WASHINGTON – Eugene Sickle, the former deputy executive director of a South African research institute, was sentenced today to seven months of incarceration and ordered to pay $206,250 in restitution for a scheme in which he stole grant funds originating with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

            The sentencing, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by Channing D. Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Jonathan Schofield, Special Agent in Charge for the USAID Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations.

            Sickle, 47, a chemist and a citizen of South Africa, pled guilty in May 2017 to a charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of six months to 12 months and a day of incarceration. The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson accepted the plea today and sentenced Sickle accordingly. In addition to the restitution order, the judge issued a forfeiture money judgment of $206,250. Following his release, Sickle will be subject to deportation proceedings.

            Based in Washington, D.C., USAID is a U.S. government agency that provides international development assistance and humanitarian aid worldwide. It implements and administers foreign assistance programs and funds, including those supporting global health, from dedicated offices (“missions”) around the world. USAID’s South Africa mission is one such office that works with local organizations in that country. USAID’s Office of Inspector General bases investigators in 11 countries outside the United States, including South Africa, and provides oversight of USAID programs and operations around the world.

            According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Sickle was deputy executive director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, a South African research institute focusing on sexual and reproductive health as well as vaccine-preventable diseases. Its primary source of funding is USAID, and Sickle administered grant funds for projects. One such project involved a mobile electronic device software application, in connection with the South African National Department of Health, which would help facilitate safer childbirth deliveries in South Africa.

            On Oct. 2, 2015, according to the statement of offense, Sickle and the institute’s chief executive officer signed a contract with a company called Alzar Consulting Services Ltd. to develop the childbirth app. Likewise, an individual named “Dr. Carla Das Neves” Alzar’s purported director, signed the contract. Pursuant to this contract, the institute made two payments to Alzar totaling $206,250. However, the childbirth app has never been developed.

            Subsequent investigation revealed that Sickle created Alzar in the British Virgin Islands. Unbeknownst to anyone at the research institute, he was the sole owner of the company. Sickle also created e-mail accounts for Alzar and fake Alzar employees, including “Carla Das Neves.” He created a fake LinkedIn page for “Carla Das Neves,” which had a beach scene for a picture, and falsely claimed that “Carla Das Neves” was a trained expert in aid/relief work.

            Sickle shepherded the research institute’s contract with Alzar through the approval and compliance process. He signed the contract both as himself and also as “Carla Das Neves.”

            According to the statement of offense, Sickle did not perform any of the work required under the contract, nor did anyone else. None of the USAID money was used for its intended purpose to facilitate safer childbirth in South Africa. Instead, Sickle diverted the money to himself personally, and an associate.

            Sickle resigned from his position last year. Agents with the USAID Inspector General’s Office arrested him in Washington, D.C., in February 2017. He has been in custody ever since.

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Marston and Denise Simmonds and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vesna Harasic-Yaksic of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

EUGENE, Ore. – On Tuesday, August 1, 2017, United States District Court Judge Michael J. McShane sentenced Florentino Ambriz-Banderas, 49, to 140 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegal reentry. Following his prison sentence, Ambriz-Banderas will be on supervised release for 5 years.

On April 7, 2016, a traffic stop in California led to the discovery of 15 pounds of methamphetamine in a vehicle. The driver admitted to transporting the methamphetamine for Ambriz-Banderas, and making multiple similar trips in the past several months. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and California law enforcement officers transported the vehicle and driver to Springfield, Ore., where Ambriz-Banderas arrived to meet him and was arrested. Ambriz-Banderas had $5,303 on his person and two digital scales with methamphetamine residue at his house.

Ambriz-Banderas has a 2011 federal conviction in Oregon for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and was deported in 2015 after serving his sentence. He subsequently reentered the United States unlawfully prior to being arrested for this offense.

This case was investigated by the DEA, the California Highway Patrol, the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigations Team and the Lane County Interagency Narcotics Team and prosecuted by Jeffrey Sweet, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.