PHILADELPHIA, PA – Since the United States of America’s filing of a civil complaint in federal district court on February 15, 2017 against Philadelphia retail store J & B Poultry Market, Inc., and its president Johnny Wong, the parties have entered into a Consent Decree to resolve allegations that the defendants sold improperly labeled chickens stored under insanitary conditions, in violation of the Poultry Products Inspection Act. Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen today announced the resolution.

The Poultry Products Inspection Act prohibits companies and individuals from selling “misbranded” or “adulterated” poultry. The Complaint alleges that United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) inspections of the retail store established that chickens stored by the defendants were misbranded because they lacked safe handling instructions and other information required by law, and were adulterated because they were held under unacceptable conditions, including in the back of a pick-up truck outside, and at ambient temperatures in the store as high as 80 degrees.

The Consent Decree, which is not final until accepted by the United States District Court, resolves the allegations in the Complaint, prohibits defendants from committing future violations of the Act, and calls for monetary penalties, and other appropriate relief, in the event of future violations.

“This resolution furthers the Department of Justice’s and the USDA’s goal of educating individuals and companies on safe food handling practices, and ensuring compliance with those practices,” said Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey L. B. Smith. The matter was investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration, with legal assistance provided by Lauren Axley, USDA Attorney Advisor.

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 is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa and the Central District of California.

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

Roanoke, VIRGINIA – A pair of Marion residents were sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke on federal drug conspiracy charges, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

Charles J. Wojciechowicz, 33, of Marion, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison. Wojciechowicz previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a measurable quantity of a mixture containing methamphetamine.

In a separate hearing today in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Danny Douglas Meadows Jr., 41, of Marion, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison. Meadows also previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a measurable quantity of a mixture of methamphetamine.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office and the Claytor Lake Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Mohammed Rizk, age 53, Steelton, Pennsylvania, was convicted of fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits and wire fraud. The jury returned a verdict of guilty after one and a half hours of deliberation following a four-day trial in Harrisburg before Chief United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Rizk obtained approximately $64,000 in benefits under the Social Security Administration’s Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance Program (RSDIP) between 2014 and 2015, by falsely representing that the minor children of his deceased spouse were living with him when in fact they were living elsewhere. Rizk, as representative payee, took the funds that the children were entitled to and converted them to his own use. Rizk was convicted of wire fraud for forging his minor daughter’s signature on insurance surrender documents, submitting the documents to Prudential insurance, and thereby fraudulently obtaining $57,982 in insurance proceeds left to the daughter by her deceased mother. Rizk thereby defrauded his two minor daughters out of approximately $122,000.

The government is also seeking forfeiture of the funds obtained through the fraud.

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorneys William A. Behe and Scott Ford prosecuted the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law is 20 years imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 10 years imprisonment on the theft and Social Security fraud charges, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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BOSTON – A Haverhill man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Boston to robbing a branch of Santander Bank in Boston.  At the time of his arrest, the defendant was on probation for a prior bank robbery conviction in federal court.

Gregory Carter, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of unarmed bank robbery. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for Nov. 16, 2017.  Carter was arrested and charged in May 2017. 

On the morning of March 25, 2017, an individual entered a branch of the Santander Bank on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston and handed a teller a note indicating a robbery.  The perpetrator stated that he had a gun and repeatedly gestured to his pocket.  During the robbery, the perpetrator pulled down a facemask he was wearing and exposed his skin and a thin moustache.  The teller handed the man $6,000 in cash, and the robber exited the bank.

Following the robbery, the teller gave the police a description of the robber, and officers reviewed images from exterior surveillance cameras, which revealed that the robber drove through the area in a black Ford Fusion sedan. Bank surveillance also recorded the robber returning to the sedan and driving away. 

On March 28, 2017, an officer aware of the recent bank robbery observed a black Ford Fusion on Dudley Street in Boston.  The driver, who matched the description of the robber, exited the vehicle and approached a branch of Bank of America.  When a police cruiser stopped in front of the bank, the individual turned around and returned to his vehicle.  The officer queried the vehicle’s registration number and learned that it belonged to Carter, and a criminal record check revealed that Carter was currently on probation for a prior bank robbery conviction in U.S. District Court. 

The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge bases upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Somerville Police Chief David Fallon; Haverhill Police Chief Alan DeNaro; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, made the announcement today.  The investigation was conducted with the assistance of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

LAS VEGAS, Nev.– A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to 135 months in prison and five years of supervised release for robbing a coin and jewelry store while pointing a firearm at the elderly store owner and a customer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.

Noah Patrick Fields, 23, pleaded guilty on May 17, 2017, to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. United States District Judge James C. Mahan presided over the sentencing hearing.

According to the plea agreement, Fields admitted that on Oct. 14, 2016, he and a co-conspirator robbed Fremont Coin Company, a coin and jewelry store at 3375 Glen Avenue in Las Vegas, at gunpoint. Fields admitted that he held the 90-year-old store owner and a customer at gunpoint while his co-conspirator stole $3,500 in cash and approximately $42,424 worth of valuable coins and silver and gold bullion from the front display case.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, as part of the Safe Streets Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kilby Macfadden prosecuted the case.

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PHILADELPHIA – A federal indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Philadelphia Police Sergeant Brian Smith with two counts of bribery and two counts of making material false statements to the FBI, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

According to allegations contained in the indictment, the defendant accepted weekly bribe payments over the course of approximately 11 months in return for providing confidential law enforcement information on accident locations to certain tow truck drivers, in violation of the Police Department’s rotational tow policy. The policy was instituted in 2008 as a public safety and consumer protection measure, following a series of highly-publicized violent encounters between tow truck operators competing for highly lucrative towing work.

The charges of bribery concerning agencies receiving federal funds carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; the charges of making false statements carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States AttorneyMichelle L. Morganof the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Internal Affairs Division.

Koren Jones, a/k/a “Kuron Jones”, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was charged today by Indictment^[1] with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment specifically charges that the defendant Koren Jones committed a gun-point robbery of A & A grocery store, located at 2000 North Gratz Street, on November 4, 2016 and German grocery store, located at 2267 North 16^th Street, on November 5, 2016. During the commission of robbery of the A & A grocery store, a customer was shot in the leg. During the commission of the robbery of the German grocery store, a shot was fired at the employee victim, but no injuries were sustained. Jones is also charged with attempted robbery of Fontain deli, located at 2027 North 16^th street, on November 5, 2016. Additionally, Jones is charged with using and carrying a firearm during the robberies and attempted robbery charged in the indictment.

If convicted of all counts, Jones faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory 60-year minimum sentence, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a $1,500,000 fine, and a $600 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Driscoll.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Since the United States of America’s filing of a civil complaint in federal district court on February 15, 2017 against Philadelphia retail store J & B Poultry Market, Inc., and its president Johnny Wong, the parties have entered into a Consent Decree to resolve allegations that the defendants sold improperly labeled chickens stored under insanitary conditions, in violation of the Poultry Products Inspection Act. Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen today announced the resolution.

The Poultry Products Inspection Act prohibits companies and individuals from selling “misbranded” or “adulterated” poultry. The Complaint alleges that United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) inspections of the retail store established that chickens stored by the defendants were misbranded because they lacked safe handling instructions and other information required by law, and were adulterated because they were held under unacceptable conditions, including in the back of a pick-up truck outside, and at ambient temperatures in the store as high as 80 degrees.

The Consent Decree, which is not final until accepted by the United States District Court, resolves the allegations in the Complaint, prohibits defendants from committing future violations of the Act, and calls for monetary penalties, and other appropriate relief, in the event of future violations.

“This resolution furthers the Department of Justice’s and the USDA’s goal of educating individuals and companies on safe food handling practices, and ensuring compliance with those practices,” said Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey L. B. Smith. The matter was investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration, with legal assistance provided by Lauren Axley, USDA Attorney Advisor.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man who was involved in a shooting at a local gas station was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.

Turbo Lindsey Midgyett, 31, of Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to five years in federal prison without parole.

Midgyett pleaded guilty on April 3, 2017, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Columbia police officers responded to a gas station in the 1400 block of Rangeline in the early morning hours of March 6, 2016, where shots had reportedly been fired. Officers responded to a chaotic scene, with a large crowd (approximately 100 people) of uncooperative witnesses, and reviewed surveillance video to determine what had happened. Officers located two cars with damage from gunfire and found three 9mm casings. Video from the gas station showed a man pulling out a firearm, which appeared to misfire. The video showed Midgyett, the second shooter, racking a handgun and firing several times in the direction of the first shooter.

Officers went to Midgyett’s residence and spoke with his girlfriend, who told officers that Midgyett is allowed to use her gun and vehicle, and that the gun was usually in the glove box. Officers looked in the glove box and found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun, which had three rounds missing. The brand of ammunition in the firearm was the same as the three rounds found at the shooting scene. Midgyett was arrested.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Midgyett has three prior felony convictions for robbery.

According to court documents, Midgyett and an accomplice robbed a Casey’s convenience store in Columbia on July 25, 2003, holding a store employee in a vehicle while another employee was taken inside to access money from the store safe. A few days later, Midgyett robbed a different Casey’s, ordering employees back into the store so that he could steal money. The night after that, Midgyett robbed yet another convenience store in Columbia.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On August 23, 2017, Gina K. Malloy, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, pleaded guilty to the unlawful use of an identification document, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Malloy will be sentenced by Senior United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner on January 24, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the Council Bluffs Federal Courthouse.

According to the plea agreement, in 2014, Malloy applied for a $30,000 loan from Windset Capital Corporation. The loan application was made in the name of Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs, where Malloy was the Executive Director. The promissory note required a second signature from a Habitat for Humanity member. Malloy signed the name of an unknowing victim, used the victim’s name, social security number, and attached the victim’s driver’s license’s copy to the promissory note. The application was then sent to Windset Capital Corporation via an electronic transfer service.

Malloy also admitted she applied for a U.S. Bank business Visa credit card for Habitat for Humanity on or about January 13, 2015. The application was sent to the U.S. Bank by Malloy, and contained the same victim’s personal data. Malloy has agreed to pay at least $13,490 to Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs and $12,100 to U.S. Bank in restitution.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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

A jury found Juan Garcia, also known as "Shorty," guilty of Drug Conspiracy, announced Loretta F. Radford, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma. The jury determined that Garcia conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and elsewhere. The jury also found the scope of the conspiracy involved at least 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

On January 26, 2017, Tulsa Department Police (TPD) officers pulled over a Chevrolet truck in which Garcia was a passenger. The truck had been following a Chevrolet Cruze from Oklahoma City, which was transporting three pounds, or approximately 1400 grams, of methamphetamine. TPD officers pulled the Cruze over and found the methamphetamine. TPD officers seized a phone and $19,915 from Garcia's person. TPD officers also discovered three other cellphones in the Chevrolet truck.

TPD officers and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested and interviewed co-conspirators, and extracted data from all of the cellphones seized in this case. From these interviews and data extractions, law enforcement learned that Garcia was the supplier of the three pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement also learned that Garcia had been supplying methamphetamine to the other co-conspirators at least as far back as November 2016.

Chief Judge Gregory K. Frizzell, of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and will sentence Garcia on December 4, 2017. Garcia faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years supervised release following his release from imprisonment. Garcia also faces deportation to Mexico.

This case was investigated by the Tulsa Police Department's Special Investigations Division, the DEA, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Neal C. Hong.

Georgia man pleaded guilty in federal court today to using dozens of stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns seeking $258,063 in refunds.

Jalen Ortez Gude, 40, of Hillsboro, Ga., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of wire fraud and one count of identity theft.

By pleading guilty today, Gude admitted that, between January 2014 and March 13, 2015, he used the stolen identity information of at least 46 victims (including their names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth) to file fraudulent tax returns and receive tax refunds from both the federal government and the state of Missouri. According to court documents, those victims included residents of Cole County, Mo., whose stolen identity information had been released over the Internet.

The IRS stopped $94,592 in refunds from being processed; as a result, the aggregate amount of restitution due is approximately $163,470 to 10 of Gude’s victims.

Gude opened bank accounts in the names of his identity theft victims so that the IRS and the Missouri Department of Revenue would transfer the refunds to bank accounts he controlled. This process permitted Gude to remain anonymous and to conduct his scheme, in part, from outside Missouri. Gude also used the stolen identity information to submit fraudulent online credit applications at banks and credit card companies.

Under federal statutes, Gude is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for wire fraud, plus a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in federal prison without parole for identity theft. 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 Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri Department of Revenue – Compliance and Investigation Bureau and the Missouri Department of Revenue – Criminal Investigation Bureau.

BOISE – Yesterday, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Fugitive Task Force arrested two convicted sex offenders on separate parole warrants, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. They were arrested together at a residence in Nampa, Idaho.

Corry Williams, 35 years of age, of South Carolina, was convicted in 2010 under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for rape of a child under 12 years, aggravated sexual assault of a child under 16 years and abusive sexual contact with a child under 16. The USMS arrested him on a federal parole warrant.

Dauna Miller, 42 years of age, of Idaho, was convicted in Canyon County in 2005 for lewd conduct with a minor child under 16. The USMS arrested her on an Idaho Parole Commission warrant.

The USMS had been looking for Williams since August 8, 2017. According to Idaho Parole Commission records, Miller also was wanted since August 8, 2017. The USMS believes the two traveled through multiple western states and attempted to cross the Canadian border before returning to Idaho.

The USMS Fugitive Task Force consists of deputy U.S. Marshals working hand-in-hand with deputies and officers from the Ada and Canyon County Sheriffs’ Offices, and the Boise City, Garden City and Nampa City Police Departments. The Task Force focuses on locating and arresting violent federal, state and local fugitives.

BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced a Honduran national to nearly seven years in prison for being in the United States illegally and possessing firearms, one that was used in a 2016 homicide at a Bessemer nightclub, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Ray Parmer.

U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins sentenced WALTER ALONSO MARTINEZ-CHANDIAS, 27, to six years and nine months in prison on one count of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally in the U.S. Martinez-Chandias pled guilty to the charge in March.

Following an Oct. 23, 2016, homicide at a nightclub in Bessemer, Birmingham Police identified Martinez-Chandias as a suspect, according to his guilty plea. Birmingham officers arrested him following a traffic stop near his Bessemer residence when they saw an AR-style .223-caliber pistol on the front passenger seat next to Martinez-Chandias and a Taurus PT-111 Pro 9mm pistol on the driver’s seat next to his leg, according to the plea. Martinez-Chandias was the only person in the car.

He later admitted to detectives that he possessed the Taurus pistol in connection to the nightclub shooting, according to his plea. Immigration records confirmed that Martinez-Chandias was in the country illegally.

Martinez-Chandias faces state charges in connection to the Bessemer homicide. Judge Hopkins ordered that his federal prison sentence run concurrently with any sentence that might be imposed for the state crime.

ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Birmingham Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Austin Shutt prosecuted.

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Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evansannounced that THOMAS GORDON, a/k/a “Ice,”age 33, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced GORDON to 72 months imprisonment, along with five years of supervised release.

GORDON was one of eight defendants charged in a 21-count superseding indictment on September 18, 2015. According to court documents, this indictment sprung from an FBI investigation into a heroin-trafficking organization operating primarily around Loyola Avenue and Harmony Street in Central City, New Orleans. The sources of heroin for this organization traveled via Megabus from Houston to New Orleans, carrying half-kilogram quantities of heroin for distribution in the New Orleans area.

The group’s two Houston-based heroin suppliers,defendantsMARTHA QUINONES and KEVIN GONZALEZ,each pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and were sentenced to 120 months and 57 months imprisonment, respectively. Defendant DONALD EALYpled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment. Defendant REGINALD WASHINGTON pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, and was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment. Defendants EARL BROWN and WILBERT CLARK pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, and were each sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. KENNETH HARRIS has pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and will be sentenced on November 30, 2017.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force (NOGTF), which includes FBI, the Saint Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon S. Long was responsible for the prosecution.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jack Mootz, 63, of Sacramento, formerly of Fresno, was sentenced on Wednesday to nine years in prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd also imposed a term of supervised release of 15 years during which Mootz will be required to register as a sex offender and his access to the internet, computers, and children will be restricted.

According to court documents, a law enforcement officer in Plano, Texas detected that Mootz was sharing thousands of images of child pornography through the BitTorrent network. Most of the images depicted children as young as infants and toddlers being sexually abused by adults.

Mootz had been employed in numerous school districts throughout Central California as a teacher, often working with special needs students. Mootz had been living in Fresno but relocated to Sacramento after a search warrant was executed at his residence. Mootz was indicted on March 9, 2017, and pleaded guilty without a plea agreement on May 31, 2017.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation offices in Dallas, Texas and Fresno, California as well as the Plano Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case.

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

Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the sentencing of LILI HUANG, 36, for withholding documents as well as enslaving, starving and beating the victim in a forced labor case. HUANG, who pleaded guilty on May 31, 2017, was sentenced today before U.S. District Senior Judge David S. Doty in Minneapolis, Minn.

“With today’s sentencing, Lili Huang must accept the consequences of committing such an egregious crime – not only financial repayment, but also the loss of liberty and property,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory Brooker. “I am grateful for the dedicated work of the ACTeam and our local law enforcement partners for their collaborative efforts in bringing this case to a successful resolution.”

“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to investigating and prosecuting all forms of human trafficking, including forced labor,” said Special Agent in Charge Alex Khu of HSI St. Paul. “Lili Huang’s prison sentence, and the forfeiture of her home and other assets, can never fully restore all that she took from her victim, but it shows that her actions will not be tolerated in our community. HSI is proud of the work accomplished in this case with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Washington County Attorney’s Office and the Woodbury, MN Police Department.”

“In February 2016, the Woodbury Public Safety Department received training on investigating human trafficking cases and identifyingtrafficking victims. As a result of this critical training, the responding officers quickly recognized that this individual was a victim of human trafficking and were able to access the appropriate help and resources for the victim,” said Woodbury Police Commander Steve Wills. “The Woodbury Police Department and Washington County Attorney’s Office remain committed to putting resources into combatting all forms of human trafficking.”

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in both state and federal court, on February 25, 2016, HUANG brought the victim (identified as F.L.) from Shanghai, China to her home in Woodbury, Minn. to work as a nanny and housekeeper. Although F.L. had previously worked for the defendant in China where she cooked, cleaned and cared for the defendant’s children, the scope of work and the defendant’s treatment of F.L. was significantly different once she arrived in Minnesota. HUANG forced F.L. to work up to 18 hours a day cooking, cleaning, and providing childcare. HUANG was very demanding about household tasks and became emotionally and physically abusive toward F.L. if she did not do exactly what was asked.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in both state and federal court, on April 23, 2016, due to the repeated physical abuse, F.L. asked HUANG to buy her an airplane ticket so she could return home to China. Instead of buying her a ticket, HUANG took F.L.’s passport and told F.L. that she was not leaving. HUANG continued to physically abuse F.L. by kicking, punching, grabbing F.L. by her hair, and subjecting her to other abuse. F.L. was able to document the physical abuse by using her cell phone to take photographs of the bruises and other injuries. F.L. also hid clumps of her hair under her mattress, which had been grabbed and torn out by the defendant.

On July 13, 2016, F.L. fled the house after HUANG approached her with a large kitchen knife. Just after midnight on July 14, 2016, F.L. was found wandering the streets several miles from the defendant’s home walking in the direction of the airport. F.L., who was visibly shaken and crying, was taken to United Hospital for medical treatment. The victim sustained several bruises and injuries to her face, including two black eyes, significant weight loss, and fractures to her sternum and ribs.

HUANG was also pleaded guilty in Washington County to one felony count of third-degree assault and was sentenced on August 11, 2017.

The District of Minnesota is one of six districts designated through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam), through the interagency ACTeam Initiative of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor. ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Woodbury Police Department, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Washington County Attorney’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Laura M. Provinzino and Manda M. Sertich prosecuted this case.

Defendant Information:

LILI HUANG, 36

Woodbury, Minn.

Convicted:

• Unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of forced labor, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 12 months and 1 day in prison

• Forfeiture of the defendant’s house

• $95,944.80 in restitution paid to the victim

• $27,344.73 in restitution paid for third-party victim services

• Removal from the United States to China following the defendant’s prison sentence

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

ROCKFORD — Two out-of-state residents were sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala for their roles in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana.

DESTINY FREEMAN, 24, of Palmer, Alaska, was sentenced today to 23 months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release.

CASEY S. WILLIAMS, 30, of Great Falls, Montana, was sentenced Wednesday to 57 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The sentencings were announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Celinez Nunez, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Derek Bergsten, Chief of the Rockford Fire Department; and Anthony Scarpelli, Chief of the Skokie Police Department. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit and the Rockford Police Department Narcotics Unit assisted in the investigation.

In 2016, Williams and Freeman pleaded guilty to conspiring with five other individuals to manufacture, possess and distribute marijuana plants. The superseding information alleged that between Jan. 2, 2013, and Jan. 6, 2015, the pair conspired to illegally grow and store marijuana in a warehouse at 1916 11th St. in Rockford. The warehouse was destroyed by fire on Jan. 6, 2015.

The five co-defendants are YOUSIF Y. PIRA, 64, of Chicago, JEREMIAH N. CLEMENT, 39, formerly of Des Plaines, GEORGE H. BACUS, 53, of Niles, JUSTIN T. PAGLUSCH, 36, of Ingleside, and SHLIMON SHIMON, 49, of Chicago.

According to Williams’ and Freeman’s written plea agreements, in August 2014 Williams’ former employer, Jeremiah N. Clement, asked Williams to travel to Rockford to assist Clement with cleaning out a building and some irrigation construction inside a building in Rockford. At the time, Williams was living in Montana and dating Freeman. Clement recruited Williams to join the conspiracy, and Williams in turn recruited Freeman. Williams and Freeman lived in the warehouse while they assisted in the marijuana-growing operation by watering and caring for the marijuana crop and later assisting in harvesting and processing the marijuana.

In July 2017, following a four-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Rockford, Pira was found guilty of conspiring to manufacture, possess and distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants. Pira is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17, 2017, at 2:30 p.m.

Bacus pleaded guilty on July 6, 2016, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22, 2017, at 2:30 p.m.

Clement pleaded guilty and was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment on June 3, 2016.

Paglusch pleaded guilty and was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment on June 23, 2016.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Shimon, who is still at large.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Pedersen.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national pleaded guilty today to an immigration crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Hermino Camacho-Diaz, 41, entered his guilty plea to illegally reentering the United States.

Camacho-Diaz admitted that he was not lawfully present in the United States when he was encountered by Department of Homeland Security agents on June 8, 2017. Camacho-Diaz was living in Nitro when Homeland Security Agents received a tip that he was present in the country unlawfully. Agents conducted surveillance, confirmed his identity, and placed him under arrest. Camacho-Diaz had previously been removed from the United States on three different occasions in 2010. On all three occasions, he was returned to his home country of Mexico. Camacho-Diaz then illegally reentered the United States. Camacho-Diaz had not formally applied for permission to legally reenter the United States, and was not otherwise in the United States by any legal process.

Camacho-Diaz faces up to two years in federal prison when he is sentenced on September 27, 2017. He is also subject to deportation proceedings at the conclusion of the criminal case. 

The Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

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