NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Alfredo Martinez, 51, was identified in an online undercover operation as sharing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In May 2017, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at his house in Norfolk. Martinez was found in possession of numerous items of electronic media that contained images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including a cell phone, external hard drives, and three different computers. Martinez was arrested at the time of the search warrant and was later by indictment by a federal grand jury.

Martinez faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on November 21. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi is prosecuting 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-98.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Willie L. Lee to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered him to pay $32,933 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on May 17, 2017.

According to court documents, during 2012 and 2013, Lee was employed at an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) where he conspired with another individual to defraud the United States by stealing personal identifying information (PII) from ALF patients and deceased individuals. The PII was then used to file fraudulent income tax returns that were electronically deposited into an account that Lee had opened and maintained.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Columbia, South Carolina-------United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today that a hearing for Brandon Michael Council, age 32, of Wilson, North Carolina, has been set for Thursday afternoon, August 24, 2017, at 2:00 P.M. in the federal courthouse in Greenville, North Carolina, 216 S. Evans St.

Council has been charged in a criminal complaint with Armed Bank Robbery with a Deadly weapon Resulting in Death and with Use, Carry, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. 

The case was investigated by Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Conway Police Department,  South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Horry County Police Department, Horry County Sheriff’s Office,  Myrtle Beach Police Department, Wilson North Carolina Police Department, Greenville North Carolina Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the United States Marshal’s Service. 

The United States Attorney stated that all charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

#####

NORFOLK, Va. – The former owner of a Virginia Beach investment company was arrested today for his alleged role in leading an investment fraud scheme that caused losses of at least $20 million.

Daryl Gene Bank, 47, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, and Raeann Gibson, 45, of Palm City, Florida, were previously residents of Virginia Beach. Each have been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail and wire fraud, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. According to the allegations in the indictment, Bank created, owned and operated dozens of Virginia limited liability companies, including Dominion Investment Group (DIG), and Dominion Private Client Group (DPCG), with offices in Virginia Beach and in Port St. Lucie.

According to allegations in the indictment, Bank and Gibson engaged in a conspiracy by which they operated several investment fraud schemes from approximately January 2012 through July 2017. For example, in one fraud scheme, Bank caused numerous material misrepresentations and omissions to be made to several investors, including BC, who was blind and in his late 70s at the time he invested $20,000 of his retirement funds in an investment fraud called Prime Spectrum. Immediately upon receipt of BC’s funds, Bank and Gibson misappropriated 70 percent investment funds and sent BC a statement reflecting his investment in Prime Spectrum was fully invested.

During the various fraud schemes, Bank and Gibson prepared materially false and misleading investment offerings, and knowingly omitted information and made material misrepresentations to at least 300 investors, causing his victims to lose at least a combined $20 million.

According to the indictment, in 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil complaint against Bank and entities he controlled accusing him of running a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud investors. That same year, the Virginia State Corporation Commission filed a civil enforcement action against both Bank and Gibson to enjoin them from the fraudulent sale of unregistered securities.

If you believe you may be a victim in this case, please call the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office at: 757-609-2514.

Bank faces a maximum penalty of 260 years in prison if convicted, and Gibson faces a maximum penalty of 240 years in prison if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, Kimberly Lappin, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa E. O’Boyle and Elizabeth M. Yusi are prosecuting the case.

The FBI’s Miami Field Office provided significant assistance with the execution of the arrest and search warrants.

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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-126.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

SAN JUAN, P.R. – U.S. District Court Senior Judge Daniel R. Domínguez sentenced Carmelo Velázquez-Aponte a.k.a. “Boty,” to two terms of life in prison for one carjacking and murder of Richardson Mieses-Pimentel, and a consecutive 130-year imprisonment term for the other three carjacking counts, carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence (carjacking), and possession of a stolen firearm, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.

On July 19, 2016, Velázquez-Aponte was found guilty by a jury of four counts of carjacking, one including the murder of Richardson Mieses-Pimentel, four counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and two counts of possession of a stolen firearm.

During the 14-day trial, the government presented pictures and witness testimony that narrated the criminal incidents of carjacking and robbery that the defendant perpetrated against innocent victims. According to the testimony, on June 18, 2011, the defendant stole the licensed firearm belonging to Richardson Mieses-Pimental and his vehicle, and then executed him. After that event, Velázquez-Aponte committed other carjackings. During his attempt to escape his arrest on June 20, 2011, he also stole a police officer’s gun and shot a Police officer. The defendant also stole a police cruiser and engaged in two other shootouts with police officers, before he was arrested. The defendant fired the stolen weapons at the police officers.

“I hope that these life sentences help the victims to find closure and continue the healing process,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I commend the prosecution team, the FBI, the Carolina Municipal Police and the Puerto Rico Police Department for their excellent work in bringing this defendant to justice. We will continue to work diligently to prosecute violent criminals to the fullest extent of the law.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Veronda.

# # #

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DANIEL GUILLEN, 28, of Wallingford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and fentanyl involved in an overdose death last year. This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 31, 2016, the Wallingford Police Department and medical personnel responded to a residence after a report of an untimely death of a 30-year-old male. At the scene, officers seized 12 wax paper folds, eight of which contained a powdery substance. The State of Connecticut Forensics Laboratory subsequently reported that the substance tested positive for the presence of fentanyl and heroin. The investigation revealed that GUILLEN had provided the drugs to the victim shortly before the victim’s death.

GUILLEN has been detained since his arrest on January 19, 2017. On April 19, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, Wallingford Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and State of Connecticut Department of Parole and Community Services. The Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon, Wilton, Milford, Monroe and Fairfield Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.

HAMMOND-Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Clifford D. Johnson, announced that John Buncich, age 71, of Crown Point, Indiana was convicted of all 6 counts of the superseding indictment, after a 14-day jury trial before District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody.

John Buncich, Timothy Downs and William Szarmach were indicted in November 2016 on multiple federal charges. Buncich, the current Lake County Sheriff, served as sheriff from 1994-2002, and was re-elected in 2010 and again in 2014. Timothy Downs, formerly the Chief in the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, was the second person in command at that Department; Downs was appointed to that position by Buncich. William Szarmach owns and operates CSA Towing in Lake Station, Indiana.

Pursuant to a Lake County ordinance, the sheriff has exclusive authority to determine who would do vehicle towing as required by the sheriff’s department. From February 2014 continuing into October 2016, Buncich devised a scheme to deprive the citizens of Lake County of their right to the honest services of the sheriff’s office. The scheme was designed to enrich Buncich personally and his campaign committee, known as Buncich Boosters. The trial evidence established that a number of checks and cash payments, often collected by Downs, from Szarmach and Scott Jurgensen were exchanged for Buncich awarding them county towing business and towing in the City of Gary for ordinance violations. Mr. Jurgenson, a former Merrillville Police Officer, is the owner of Sampson Relocation and Towing. Mr. Jurgenson provided significant assistance to the United States during the course of this investigation.

The jury convicted Buncich of 5 counts of Honest Services Wire Fraud in connection with this scheme. The jury also convicted Buncich of a charged violation of the federal bribery statute in connection with corruptly soliciting, demanding, and receiving over $25,000 in cash and $7,000 in checks in exchange for favorable actions by Buncich regarding the towing contracts.

Both Szarmach and Downs, who both testified at trial, await sentencing on their guilty pleas to the following charges in the indictment: Timothy Downs entered a plea of guilty to one count of Honest Services Wire Fraud and; William Szarmach entered a plea of guilty to three counts of Honest Services Wire Fraud, Bribery and Failure to File a Tax Return.

Acting United States Attorney Clifford Johnson states that “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to vigorously prosecute public officials who use their public office as means for personal enrichment. All citizens deserve public officials who work for the public interest and not their own interest.”

"Public officials who abuse their positions for personal financial gain at the expense of the taxpayers will not be tolerated. The FBI and our federal, state, and local partners will continue to aggressively pursue those across Indiana who corrupt their office for self-serving motives," said W. Jay Abbott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Division. "Also instrumental in these investigations are the honest and patriotic citizens who come forward and assist in uncovering the truth as was the case in Lake County."

Gabriel Grchan, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge stated, "Taxpayers expect their elected officials to protect and improve their communities. Rather than serve his community Buncich abused his position and devised a pay-to-play towing scheme that benefited him and few others financially. Today's verdict reminds us that public corruption will not be tolerated and no one is above the law."

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip C. Benson and Maria N. Lerner.

# # #

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ERIC MUNOZ, 21, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 31 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2014, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force received information that David Alvarado, also known as “Flaco,” was distributing heroin to street-level dealers and drug customers in the vicinity of his residence on Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford. Between August 2014 and May 2015, investigators made eight controlled purchases of heroin from Alvarado.

A wiretap investigation revealed that Alvarado was being supplied with heroin by MUNOZ and other individuals. At times, MUNOZ also obtained distribution quantities of heroin from Alvarado when Munoz’s sources were “dry.”

On May 26, 2015, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Alvarado’s residence and seized raw heroin, bagged heroin, heroin stamps, digital scales, thousands of wax folds, and other items used to process and package heroin. Investigators also seized a 9mm Beretta pistol with a loaded magazine, and numerous rounds of ammunition.

On May 11, 2017, MUNOZ pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Louisiana State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration - New Orleans Division Office, and the New Orleans Police Department, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Long is in charge of the prosecution.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Trenton man was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that allegedly distributed hundreds of grams of heroin in Trenton and the surrounding areas, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.

Thomas Rogers, a/k/a “Herb,” a/k/a “T-Rod,” 23, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. As part of his guilty plea, Rogers admitted possessing at least one firearm during the conspiracy. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

In December 2016, Rogers and nine other members of a drug trafficking organization operating in Trenton were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin. The complaint referred to the drug trafficking organization as the “Abdullah DTO,” after its leader, Ishmael Abdullah. Since then, six of the 10 defendants, including Abdullah, have pleaded guilty.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From June 2015 through December 2016, Rogers and others engaged in a drug trafficking organization that operated in the area of Spring and Passaic Streets in Trenton. Through the authorized interception of telephone calls and text messages, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative means, law enforcement learned that defendant Ishmael Abdullah was a leader of the Abdullah DTO and was responsible for obtaining significant quantities of heroin from multiple suppliers, including from defendants Jose Joaquin Torres-Mezquita and Ileana Sanchez. Abdullah and Keith Hunter coordinated the organization’s distribution of heroin through themselves and other conspirators, including Rogers.

Members of the Abdullah DTO used temporary prepaid phones, stash houses and cars, and spoke in code to avoid detection by law enforcement. In connection with their narcotics conspiracy, Rogers and other members of the Abdullah DTO maintained joint access to multiple firearms.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Rogers to five years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited agents and officers with the Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force, including special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Newark Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Director Ernest Parrey Jr.; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief Nicholas Sutter; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief John P. Stemler III; and detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri, with the investigation.

He also thanked special agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Debra Parker; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Joseph R. Fuentes; and officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John A. Kemler, for their assistance in the case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Brendan Day of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

The charges and allegations against the remaining defendants are merely accusations and those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defense counsel: David R. Oakley Esq., Princeton

DAVENPORT, IA – On August 22, 2017, Dr. Paul Matthew Bolger, 45, of Bettendorf, Iowa, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of false statements relating to health care matters and five counts of introduction of misbranded drugs. He also pleaded guilty to one count of false statements relating to health care matters for conduct occurring in California and transferred from the Central District of California to the Southern District of Iowa, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Bolger will be sentenced by Chief United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey on January 9, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. at the Davenport Federal Courthouse.

Bolger knowingly and willfully made false statements by signing multiple prescription forms authorizing prescription drugs and indicating prescriptions were medically necessary. Bolger signed and attested to the validity of each prescription based only on an intake form recorded by non-medical staff (generated by call centers outside of the United States), and an accompanying prescription form. Bolger signed each of the prescription forms without talking to the patient, conducting a physical examination, or reviewing medical records. These signed prescription forms were then faxed to DCRX, a Florida pharmacy; or Haoeyou, a California pharmacy; the pharmacies filled the prescriptions, mailed them to the patients, and billed Tricare. Tricare is a federal health care benefit program providing medical care for U.S. military members and their dependents. Tricare reimbursed the pharmacies for the fraudulent compounded medication prescriptions.

Bolger authorized a total of 1,375 prescriptions for compounded medications from March through April of 2015. Based on 284 patients and 763 prescriptions Bolger authorized and filled by DCRX, Tricare paid approximately $2,920,354. Based on 32 patients and 112 similar prescriptions filled by Haoeyou (or its designee), Tricare paid approximately $566,836.

Bolger additionally wrote prescriptions for patients in 16 states where he was not licensed and misbranded those prescriptions. Bolger issued misbranded prescriptions for 11 Alabama patients, costing Tricare $268,000. Approximately 105 patients, located in states where he was licensed, received prescriptions authorized by Bolger, costing Tricare approximately $681,000.

The maximum penalty for counts related to false statements is five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 per count. The maximum penalty for misbranding charges is one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, one year of supervised release, and a special assessment of $25 per count. Bolger agreed to pay at least $10,000 in restitution to Tricare.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense conducted the investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa and the Central District of California.

-END-

Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at Rachel.Scherle@usdoj.gov.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On August 23, 2017, Jeffrey W. Porterheather Jean Reekr, 41, and Gregory T. McCoy, 62, both from Council Bluffs, Iowa, were sentenced individually by Senior United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Porter was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release following his imprisonment. McCoy was sentenced to 57 months in prison and to three years of supervised release following his imprisonment.

This case resulted from a large-scale law enforcement investigation of methamphetamine trafficking occurring in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area for approximately one year. Beginning at least as early as November of 2014, and continuing through September of 2015, these defendants conspired with other individuals who, as a group, distributed nearly 40 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Southern District of Iowa and elsewhere.

Last year, on June 27, 2016, a jury convicted co-defendants Jose Luis Tizoc and Manuel Espinoza at trial, finding them guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and prohibited persons in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Jose Luis Tizoc to 300 months of in prison and five years of supervised release and Manuel Espinoza to 240 months of in prison and five years of supervised release.

Other defendants who pleaded guilty for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and have been sentenced by Senior United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner included the following:

• Richard Hull, Jr., 150 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;

• Salvador Nunez Trejo, 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;

• Jessica Moreno, 35 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release;

• Jaime Castillo Gomez, 168 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;

• Kristopher Hatch, 151 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;

• Jane Song, 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;

• Grant M. Carman, 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;

• Greg M. Price, 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release; and,

• Amelia J. Lesemann, 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Greater Omaha Safe Streets Task Force and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force conducted the investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

-END-

Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at Rachel.Scherle@usdoj.gov.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On August 23, 2017, Ivan Wade Diaz-Rodrigues, 26, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced by Senior United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner to 70 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Diaz-Rodrigues will serve three years of supervised release following his imprisonment.

Diaz-Rodrigues pleaded guilty to these charges on April 3, 2017, and admitted he offered to sell methamphetamine to a confidential source in Council Bluffs in February of 2017. Diaz-Rodrigues was apprehended by authorities after arranging the methamphetamine sale, and was found in possession of methamphetamine and a loaded .40 caliber handgun.

The case resulted from an investigation by Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, which consists of the Council Bluffs Police Department, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted with the firearm investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

-END-

Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at Rachel.Scherle@usdoj.gov.

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOHN VIBBERT, 37, of Fairfield, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to one count of distribution of heroin and fentanyl.

This prosecution is part of an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early hours of May 31, 2016, Connecticut State Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in Deep River and found an unresponsive 35-year-old male. Although CPR was performed and Narcan was administered, the man was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The investigation, which has included analysis of the victim’s cellphone and a witness interview, revealed that, on May 30, 2016, the victim contacted VIBBERT to purchase heroin. The victim then drove to a restaurant near I-95 in Bridgeport where he met VIBBERT to complete the purchase.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has determined that the cause of death to be “acute heroin and fentanyl toxicities.”

VIBBERT was arrested on a criminal complaint on March 27, 2017.

VIBBERT is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on November 15, 2017, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is released on a $50,000 bond.

This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Monroe Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Runowicz.

SAN JOSE – Robert Stephens was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.  The sentence was handed down today by the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, U.S. District Judge, after Stephens pleaded guilty to the charges on June 15, 2016.

Stephens, is a 65 year-old resident of Petaluma, California.  According to his guilty plea, since at least 2009 and continuing through December of 2015, he defrauded scores of victims of at least $5.6 million.  Stephens admitted that along with his four co-defendants, Laurence Miles, 76, now living in Arizona, Shirley Molina, 70, of Hawthorne, Calif., Munsif Shirazi, 49, of Bell Canyon, Calif., and Rayan Lakshmanan, 48, of Davis, Calif., he told people that an heiress to a billion-dollar estate was very ill and was in need of medical attention.  Stephens and his co-defendants convinced their victims that the heiress’s money was tied up in a secret probate case and that, in return for money to help pay for the heiress’s medical costs, Stephens and his accomplices would return to their victims $1,000 for every $1 they invested in the heiress’s estate.  Stephens and his accomplices promised their victims that they would see the returns on their investments after the money was released from probate.  In truth, there was no dying heiress with a large estate.  Instead, Stephens and his codefendants used the victims’ money to support their own lifestyles.  On December 3, 2015, a federal grand jury indicted Stephens and charged him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; 22 counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; and 1 count of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957.  Pursuant to his plea agreement, Stephens pleaded guilty to one count of each of the charges and the remaining charges were dismissed.  Each of Stephens’s co-defendants has pleaded guilty to their respective roles in the conspiracy.  Judge Koh sentenced Miles to 108 months in prison and sentenced Lakshmanan to 18 months in prison.  Shirazi and Molina will be sentenced later this year.  

In sentencing Stephens, Judge Koh found that he had been conducting the scheme since 2007.  The Court concluded that Stephens and his co-defendants obtained almost $8 million dollars from the scheme and that Stephens was responsible for recruiting most of the victims. 

In addition to the 42-month prison term, Judge Koh ordered Stephens to serve a three-year period of supervised release, to pay restitution in the amount of $7,901,081, and to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $5,628,765.  Judge Koh ordered Stephens to begin serving his sentence October 20, 2017.  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber Rosen and Patrick Delahunty prosecuted the case with the assistance of Nina Williams and Susan Kreider.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS.
 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old resident of Corpus Christi has admitted he attempted to meet an underage girl for the purpose of sex, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. David Lee Vann pleaded guilty April 27, 2017.

Today, U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle handed Vann a term of 120 months in federal prison. Vann was further ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

In June 2016, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Corpus Christi Police Department - Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (CCPD-ICAC) conducted a joint investigation targeting individuals involved in online solicitation of minors. Vann was communicating with a person he believed was the mother of a 14-year-old female. In reality, he was talking to an undercover agent. Vann made arrangements to meet and engage in sexual activity with the mother’s minor female child.

Vann was apprehended as he arrived at the designated meeting place, at which time he was in possession of a box of condoms and lubricant. He also admitted to authorities that he had sent messages indicating his intention to engage in sexual acts with the child. Vann was also in possession of a cellular telephone. A forensic examination of the phone resulted in the discovery of 35 images and 20 videos of child pornography.

Vann was arrested on the federal charges in November 2016. He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez and Elsa Salinas, 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/pscand click on the tab "resources."

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 25-year-old woman has been ordered to prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin through the Sarita checkpoint, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Ma Dolores Martinez, of Hurst, pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2016, to possession with intent to distribute 6.28 kilograms of heroin.

Today, U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle ordered Martinez to serve 70 months in federal prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

On Sept. 15, 2016, Martinez drove a vehicle into the primary inspection area of the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint located near Sarita. During a search of her vehicle, agents discovered four bundles of heroin concealed within a new car battery located inside the trunk. The drugs had a gross weight of 6.28 kilograms.

Martinez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be designated in the near future.

Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Gould is prosecuting the case.

St. Louis, MO – Jessie Hampton, 26; and Malcom Johnson, 26, both of St. Louis City, pled guilty to one felony count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, resulting in murder. Hampton appeared today before United States District Judge E. Richard Webber. Johnson pled guilty on August 11, 2017. The sentencings have been set for November 8, 2017.

According to court documents, during 2012, Hampton and Johnson were engaged in drug trafficking. In the early morning hours of July 15, 2012, Hampton, Johnson and two others robbed Scipio Vaughn. During the course of the robbery, Hampton shot and killed Vaughn.

Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, resulting in murder carries a penalty of life in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney John Bird is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.