DENVER – Jorge Loya-Ramirez, age 49 of Denver, and a citizen of Mexico was convicted late yesterday of nine counts of various drug charges following a jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI Denver Division and the Metro Gang Task Force announced. The trial lasted seven days, and the jury deliberated for three hours before reaching their guilty verdicts. Loya-Ramirez is the last defendant of multiple defendants charged under the case name Operation Black Rhino. All other defendants had previously pled guilty and have or await sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Loya-Ramirez and 27 others were indicted by a federal grand jury on June 23, 2015. Of the 27 other defendants, most have pled guilty, some have been sentenced, and others had their cases dismissed. The nine counts of conviction include: one count of Conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine; five counts of Possession and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of Possession and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and three counts of Use of a telephone during the commission of a drug offense.

According to the facts presented at trial, the defendant claimed to be a man who sold tacos from a food truck. However, the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Loya-Ramirez was the “El Jefe” or “The Boss” of a large-scale drug trafficking organization. He was responsible for importing nearly 200 pounds of methamphetamine, which was then distributed in the Denver metro area, Ft. Morgan, Greeley and southwest Kansas. Additionally, the defendant dealt with kilogram quantities of cocaine.

Further, the prosecution established that the defendant used violence and intimidation in order to make his drug organization function. His tactics included acts of violence and assaults on workers in Colorado as well as threat against family members of his associates here and in Mexico. While claiming to be a taco salesman, he built two high priced homes in Mexico during the course of the conspiracy.

At sentencing, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for his crimes.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer praised the trial team, Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Edmonds and Zachary Phillips for their hard work. He also recognized the FBI and the Metro Gang Task Force for their outstanding work investigating this complex drug trafficking organization.

Anchorage, Alaska – Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that six Anchorage residents were charged in a 29-count indictment alleging that the six conspired to obtain checks stolen from the mail and vehicle break-ins, and then they negotiated the stolen checks at different banks and stores in Anchorage.

Sara James, 30, Jonathan James, 34, David Gonzales, 36, Brandon Madrid, 28, Braden Asbury, 20, and Karri Embach, 34, all of Anchorage, were charged in a 29-count indictment that includes charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, possession of stolen mail, aggravated identity theft, and passing counterfeit money.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward, who presented the case to the grand jury, from August 2016 to May 2017, Sara James and Jonathan James conspired together with Gonzales, Madrid, Asbury, and Embach to negotiate checks stolen from the mail and from vehicle break-ins that were falsely altered. Most of the stolen checks were falsely altered to make the payee a separate stolen identity that was used by the defendants to negotiate the stolen checks. The defendants negotiated the stolen and falsely altered checks at banks and stores throughout Anchorage. Sara James and Jonathan James also passed counterfeit money to make a purchase on Craig’s List.

Sara James and Jonathan James are scheduled to appear in court today on the charges, at 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively. Gonzales, Madrid, Asbury and Embach remain fugitives at this time.

The law provides for a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million or both. Under federal sentencing statutes, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

The Anchorage Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case, with assistance from the Palmer Police Department, investigators from the State of Alaska Department of Revenue, and the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

POCATELLO – Murray James Plentywounds, 30, of Fort Hall, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to assault with a dangerous weapon, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez, announced. Plentywounds was indicted in February 2017 by a federal grand jury in Pocatello.

According to the plea agreement, on November 29, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was advised that a stabbing had occurred on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. The female victim was in the Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello. An FBI agent met her there. The agent found that the victim was being treated for a stab wound to her left shoulder. The victim stated that she had been with friends on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation when she got into a vehicle with another female driving and Plentywounds in the back seat. As they were driving around, Plentywounds became angry at the victim and punched her in the left shoulder. At that time, the victim saw that Plentywounds was holding a knife and she realized that her clothing was cut, she was bleeding and she had been stabbed. The victim was treated at the hospital and has since recovered from her injuries.

The charge of assault with a dangerous weapon is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

Sentencing will be November 20, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Tribal Police.

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that former executive board members of the Big Coulee District of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe were sentenced in federal court on August 21, 2017.

Gerald German Jr., 46, of Peever, South Dakota, was sentenced to 3 months of imprisonment, ordered to pay restitution in the total amount of $79,960, and ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $5,000. German’s restitution amount includes $63,000 to the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, which is from a separate case in which he was indicted. That case was dismissed pursuant to the plea agreement.

Gerald Heminger Jr., 58, of Sisseton, South Dakota, was sentenced to 3 months of imprisonment, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5,337.50, ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $2,000, and to serve 3 years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence.

Colette White, 57, of Peever, was sentenced to 3 years of probation, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5,160, and ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $3,000.

According to court documents, from approximately June 2010, through March 2013, each of the defendants conspired to embezzle, steal, and knowingly convert to their own use funds from the Big Coulee District of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe, an Indian tribal organization. The Big Coulee District is a political subdivision of the Tribe. The defendants were all elected executive board members or employees of the District at the time.

During the conspiracy, they stole a total of $81,542.50 from the District. German Jr. received $16,960 of the stolen funds, Heminger Jr. received $5337.50 of the stolen funds, and White received $5,160 of the stolen funds. Each defendant used the funds for his or her own purposes.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.

The case was brought pursuant to The Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspector Service; U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.

For additional information about The Guardians Project, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (605)330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Christopher L. Crawford, 36, of Houston, Texas, charging him with online enticement of a minor and traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minor, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to the indictment, between March 7, 2017, and April 21, 2017, Crawford enticed a minor online to engage in sexual activity, and between April 18, 2017, and April 21, 2017, Crawford traveled from Harris County in Texas to Sacramento County for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Against Crimes Against Children Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosanne Rust is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the federal charges, Crawford faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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.

          Eight people tied to a ten-state theft and bank fraud scheme were indicted today by a grand jury in Seattle on 18 federal crimes including bank fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. Five of the eight defendants have been arrested, and another is already serving a prison sentence in Nevada and will be arraigned on the indictment on August 31, 2017, and September 7, 2017.

          According to the indictment and other records filed in the case, the theft ring was led by ALEXANDRA SHELBURNE, 24, and DARRYL KILGORE, 55, who used the proceeds of their scheme to buy and flip homes in the greater Los Angeles area, further laundering their stolen money. Between July 2014, and July 2017, the couple would prowl the aisles of grocery stores throughout the country, including the greater Seattle area. After creating a distraction, they would steal the victim’s wallet and immediately use the credit and debit cards, the identification documents, and blank checks for fraud. The couple, who were arrested at their home in Las Vegas, Nevada, recruited other co-conspirators to pose as the victims at area banks to make large cash withdrawals or obtain cash advances. In western Washington alone the fraud totaled more than $230,000. In the states of Minnesota, Oregon, California, Michigan, Texas, New Jersey, Colorado, Ohio, and Utah the fraud totaled more than $500,000.

          Other defendants indicted in the case are ROBIN PERRY, 54 of Las Vegas, Nevada, AMBER OKHOMINA, 35 of Ontario, Canada, FREDERICK JACKSON, 62 of Los Angeles, California, SUSAN KOLLER 49, of Toronto, Canada, STACIA QUARTO, 63 of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and ELIZABETH EVANS, 43, of Las Vegas, Nevada.

          All of the defendants are charged with Conspiracy to commit bank fraud which is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. KILGORE and SHELBURNE are charged with eight counts of bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and five counts of money laundering. KILGORE and SHELBURNE are both charged with three counts of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year sentence per count on top of any sentence imposed on the other charges. ROBIN PERRY, AMBER OKHOMINA, STACIA QUARTO and SUSAN KOLLER are each charged in one count of aggravated identity theft.

          The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

          The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Kirkland Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marie Dalton.

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Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ANTWON SEYMORE, age 19, pled guilty yesterday to theft of firearms from a premises owned by a federally-licensed firearms dealer and aiding-and-abetting.

According to the court documents, on or about April 8, 2016, SEYMORE, and a juvenile broke into The Tickfaw Auction Company, located at Hwy. 51, Tickfaw, a business owned and operated by a federally-licensed firearms dealer, and stole 25 handguns. All those guns were manufactured outside of Louisiana and necessarily had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.

SEYMORE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, and/or a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk set sentencing on November 16, 2017.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. McMahon is in charge of the prosecution.

According to court documents, in October 2015, KERMERIC JOHNSON received a jail phone call from heroin dealer and co-conspirator, FOSTER, wherein FOSTER informed JOHNSON that a confidential informant had caused him and MAROLD to be arrested. FOSTER then told JOHNSON where to locate a firearm and instructed JOHNSON to “take care” of the informant. JOHNSON agreed to do so and, in subsequent jail calls, stated that he was attempting to locate the informant.

On October 29, 2015, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies surveilled JOHNSON’s residence, and observed JOHNSON exit the residence. Deputies observed JOHNSON carrying two items, one wrapped in a blue shirt, and the other in a red blanket. JOHNSON placed both items inside the trunk of a vehicle before he and the other male drove away. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and obtained a search warrant for the vehicle. In the trunk of the vehicle, deputies found a Smith and Wesson, 9mm caliber semi-automatic handgun wrapped in the shirt and a Marlin Model Glenfield 65, .22 caliber rifle, wrapped in the blanket.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the ATF New Orleans Division Office, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office and New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nolan D. Paige was in charge of the prosecution.

ALBUQUERQUE – Pascual Cerpa-Coy, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 60 months in prison for his conviction on a cocaine trafficking charge. Cerpa-Coy will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence.

Cerpa-Coy was arrested in Jan. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on Jan. 19, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Cerpa-Coy subsequently was indicted on the same charge on Feb. 7, 2017.

According to court documents, Cerpa-Coy was arrested after the Crimes Against Children Unit of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) found approximately one kilogram of cocaine and drug paraphernalia at his residence while executing a state search warrant as part of an investigation into another matter.

On May 25, 2017, Cerpa-Coy entered a guilty plea to the indictment and admitted possessing more than 500 grams of cocaine on Jan. 19, 2017, that he intended to distribute to others.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and APD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Loan AMimi@ Nguyen is in charge of the prosecution.

PITTSBURGH – A resident of Costa Rica made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh this afternoon to face multiple charges involving conspiracy to import prescription drugs from India for distribution, without prescriptions, to consumers throughout the United States, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

The five-count indictment, returned on October 13, 2015, charged Costa Rican Ramiro Navarro Quesada, 42, with three counts of mail fraud and one count each of conspiracy to misbrand and smuggle Schedule II and Schedule IV and erectile dysfunction drugs and money laundering. Quesada was arrested in Madrid, Spain, earlier this year. He was extradited to the United States yesterday.

According to the indictment, Quesada used a Costa Rican website to advertise the Internet sale of Schedule II and IV controlled substances and erectile dysfunction drugs, which were exported from India and received in the United States by co-defendants Sylvia and Miguel Cruz. The latter two then mailed the drugs to U.S. consumers who had ordered them through the Costa Rican website. The consumers were falsely led to believe that the drugs were “FDA approved,” that the counterfeit drugs were genuine Adderall and Viagra, and that it was legitimate to distribute such drugs without prescriptions.

"Ordering prescription drugs online from illegal websites can lead to dangerous consequences for U.S. consumers. Such websites, while they may look professional and legitimate, often sell drugs that have not been checked for safety or effectiveness," said Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations' Metro Washington Field Office. "We will continue to pursue and bring to justice criminals who operate outside of FDA's oversight and place the public's health at risk."

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the mail fraud and money laundering counts, and 5 years on the conspiracy count; as well as a $250,000 fine on each count except money laundering, which carries a potential fine of $500,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Shardul Desai is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

POCATELLO – Thomas Wayne Anderson, 57, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to accessing with intent to view child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on February 28, 2017.

According to the plea agreement, Anderson was initially apprehended in connection with a series of vandalism at recreational sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Pursuant to a search warrant, authorities searched Anderson’s laptop computer and found screen captures of child pornography that appeared to be from videos depicting child pornography. In court, Anderson admitted to using online video-conferencing services to view child pornography with other individuals.

The charge of access with intent to view child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to a life-term of supervised release.

Sentencing is set for November 20, 2017, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.

The case was investigated by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Bureau of Land Management.

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

          SANTA ANA, California– A Palm Desert man who is accused of running a stock investment scheme that allegedly defrauded more than 90 victims out of more than $1 million has been arrested on federal fraud charges.

          Robert Mark Seibert, 64, was arrested in Bermuda Dunes Wednesday afternoon by FBI agents.

          The arrest of Seibert was announced today by Acting United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown and Danny Kennedy, the FBI’s Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office.

          Seibert, who allegedly used the alias “John Grey” when communicating with his victims, was arrested pursuant to a 16-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on August 16.

          Seibert had an initial appearance yesterday afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana, where a United States Magistrate Judge ordered him held without bond. Seibert pleaded not guilty to the charges in the indictment, and a trial was scheduled for October 17.

          According to the indictment, Seibert operated his scheme through a series of businesses, including Universal Stock Transfer, National Discount Marketers, and New Global Productions. Seibert allegedly offered to sell victims stock in other companies – Intertech Solutions; Radio Shack; New Global Energy; SnackHealthy, Inc.; Uranium Energy Group; and Organovo Holdings – often at a discount from current market prices. After victims made investments, Seibert issued certificates as evidence of stock ownership and advised that if they did not earn a profit, he would return their money within 30 days.

          The indictment alleges that Seibert did not hold or control any stock in other companies for sale, the victims’ money was not used to purchase stock, and they did not receive their money back after 30 days – or any time thereafter.

          Investigators allege that Seibert defrauded at least 90 victims, who collectively sent more than $1 million to the defendant. According to the indictment, victims either mailed or wired amounts ranging from $2,000 to $21,000 to the companies operated by Seibert.

          The indictment charges Seibert with 14 counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud.

          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.

          The maximum statutory penalty for each of the 16 counts in the indictment is 20 years in federal prison.

          This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

          The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory W. Staples of the Santa Ana Branch Office.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Omar Kabiljagic, 46, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to four years and three months in prison for filing fraudulent tax returns, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to evidence presented during a four-day trial, Kabiljagic submitted a series of fraudulent tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service falsely reporting that in 2008 and 2009, he earned interest from “original issue discount” (OID) bonds. He falsely reported that this interest income had been withheld by various financial institutions, and claimed that this entitled him to hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax refunds. The IRS repeatedly warned Kabiljagic that his filings were frivolous and that he risked criminal charges if he persisted. Nevertheless, on June 25, 2009, Kabiljagic filed two more tax returns that falsely claimed refunds totaling $863,520.

Kabiljagic’s co-defendant, Suvada Mahmutovic, 67, pleaded guilty to filing a false claim using the same scheme. One of Mahmutovic’s claims resulted in a fraudulent refund of more than $263,000, which Kabiljagic helped her cash. On July 6, 2017, Mahmutovic was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

“Despite being warned several times, Mr. Kabiljagic repeatedly and persistently filed false tax returns with IRS,” said Michael T. Batdorf, Special Agent in Charge IRS Criminal Investigation. “When his scheme finally worked, he helped his co-defendant open a bank account, carried the cash home in a duffle bag, and wired it overseas through his own bank accounts. Once again this shows the severe nature of fraudulent tax refund schemes perpetrated against the IRS. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those involved in these types of schemes will be held accountable for their crimes.”

On April 4, 2017, a jury found Kabiljagic guilty of two counts of filing fraudulent tax returns. In sentencing Kabiljagic, Judge Burrell found that Kabiljagic had obstructed justice by testifying falsely at trial.

This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew G. Morris and Amy Schuller Hitchcock prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON – Saul Castillo, 20, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to kidnapping and sexually abusing an intoxicated stranger in the stairwell of his apartment building in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.

            Castillo pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of kidnapping and second-degree sexual abuse. After completing any term of incarceration imposed by the court, Castillo will be subject to deportation proceedings, lifetime registration as a sex offender, and a period of supervised release. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff ordered that Castillo be detained pending sentencing on Nov. 3, 2017.

            According to the government’s evidence, Castillo found the victim in the early morning hours of May 7, 2017 on a sidewalk near Lafayette Square in downtown Washington. She was extremely intoxicated, unable to walk, and told Castillo that she wanted to go to her home. Castillo hailed a passing taxi and brought her back to his apartment building in the 1700 block of Seventh Street NW.

            Once inside, the victim refused to enter Castillo’s fourth-floor apartment and repeated that she wanted to go home. On multiple occasions, she fell and laid down on the hallway floor due to her intoxication. She tried to push Castillo away and return to the elevator to leave the building, but Castillo blocked her and pulled her back toward his apartment. Because of the commotion this was causing in the hallway, Castillo lifted her and carried her to the fourth- floor staircase, where Castillo sexually assaulted her. His conduct inside the building was captured on building surveillance cameras, and Castillo was arrested on May 12, 2017.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris and Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa West and J. Matt Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

GREAT FALLS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced a federal court convicted Deborah Joy Durand of False Statements to Obtain Federal Employees’ Compensation Benefits, Wire Fraud, False Claims Relating to Workers’ Compensation Benefits, and Theft of Government Property.   U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided over the 3-day trial.

At trial, the government presented evidence that Durand had a back injury from her job at the Post Office.  She had back surgery and was unable to work for a period of time.  Instead of returning to work when capable, Durand lied to her doctors, embellished her symptoms, and ultimately obtained total disability.  Agents from the Post Office conducted surveillance and saw that Durand was feeding horses, lifting hay bales, jogging in the mornings, clearing land, running chainsaws, removing stumps from fallen trees, building fences, mowing the lawn every week, riding horses twice a week, and many other physically challenging activities. 

All total, Durand received over $693,403.63 based on her claims for workers’ compensation.  Of that amount, she received $268, 892.18 for wages, despite having the ability to work at least a desk job at the Post Office. 

In order to further prove the case, undercover federal agents called Durand and told her she won a free kayaking trip.  During the ruse kayaking trip, Durand paddled approximately 30 miles in open ocean water over a three-day period.  During the trip, Durand hiked, lifted heavy objects, and karate-kicked and judo-chopped an object held by an undercover federal agent.  All of these activities were captured on video. 

Two months after the kayaking trip, agents conducted a follow-up appointment with Durand to identify if she could work for the Post Office.  Durand had no idea that the appointment was an undercover operation.  During the interview, Durand claimed she could not sit or stand for long, and she was “totally sedentary.”  She even claimed she was unable to work in any capacity. 

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.  Executive Special Agent in Charge Joanne Yarbrough said, “The majority of Postal Service employees are dedicated, hardworking, and trustworthy professionals who would never consider engaging in criminal conduct.  However, when attempts to defraud the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program arise, those acts will not be tolerated, and they will be vigorously investigated by the USPS Office of Inspector General.  The Workers’ Compensation Program is designed to ensure that individuals injured during the performance of their duties receive appropriate medical care and compensation. The conviction in this case is a result of the commitment between the United States Attorney’s Office, and the USPS Office of Inspector General, to ensure the integrity of the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program, and to hold those accountable for defrauding the program.”

Sentencing is set for November 30, 2017, at 1:30 p.m., at the Missouri River Courthouse, in Great Falls, Montana.

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Sullivan County was recognized today as the newest county in east Tennessee to become a member of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). U.S. Attorney Nancy Stallard Harr, along with Second Judicial District Attorney Barry Staubus and Appalachia HIDTA Tennessee State Coordinator Joel Reece, made this announcement at a press conference in Blountville.

The HIDTA Program began in 1988 when Congress authorized the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to designate areas within the United States which exhibited serious drug trafficking problems and harmfully impacted other areas of the country as HIDTAs. The HIDTA Program provides additional federal resources to those areas to help eliminate or reduce drug trafficking and its harmful consequences. Appalachia HIDTA, which consists of counties in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, was created in 1998.

In the Eastern District of Tennessee, HIDTA funds DEA and FBI led drug task forces in Johnson City, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, as well other initiatives to reduce drug crime in the HIDTA. Most recently, to battle the overdose epidemic, the Knoxville Police Department teamed up with the Knox County District Attorney’s Office, Knox County Medical Examiner's Office, Sheriff's Office and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to form the Overdose Death Investigation Task Force, which is funded by Appalachia HIDTA.

The Appalachia HIDTA mission is to use a multi-disciplinary approach to deal with the ongoing threats to public health and safety, particularly as it regards prescription drug diversion, the emerging threat of heroin, as well as the continued threats of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and synthetic drugs. The Appalachia region is arguably the epicenter of this crisis, and requires unprecedented multi-disciplined cooperation to effectively address the many faceted health and public safety problems that result from this daunting threat. The Appalachia HIDTA will serve as the conduit for this cooperation.

In addition to Sullivan County, other previously designated Appalachia HIDTA counties in east Tennessee include Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hawkins, Jefferson, Knox, Marion, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Unicoi and Washington. An additional eight Tennessee counties in the middle district, including Cumberland, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White, are also designated as members.

U.S. Attorney Nancy Stallard Harr said, “Sullivan County’s designation as an Appalachia HIDTA county will allow resources for the critical fight against opioids, including heroin and fentanyl, as well as other illegal substances that drug dealers are bringing into our communities every day. Appalachia HIDTA and the Rocky Top Task Force are national award winning programs that are making an impact against the spread of illegal drugs in eastern Tennessee. The District Attorney’s Office and Sullivan County law enforcement agencies have shown the initiative and ability to use these HIDTA resources to stop the ravaging effects of opioid addiction in our Appalachian area. We salute their past efforts and look forward to their success in the future.”

“Having Sullivan County designated as a member of HIDTA has been an important goal of this office since my becoming the District Attorney General in 2011. HIDTA can assist my office, and local law enforcement agencies, in investigating and prosecuting serious drug trafficking by providing much needed federal resources to combat our methamphetamine and opioid epidemic as well as the sale and distribution of cocaine and marijuana,” said Barry P. Staubus, District Attorney General, Second Judicial District

“We are very excited to receive this designation. This will go a long way, in our fight against illegal drugs in Sullivan County!” said Wayne Anderson, Sullivan County Sheriff.

Please visit http://ahidta.orgfor more information about the Appalachian HIDTA.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Joshua D. Chapman-Sexton, 31, of Buckeye Lake, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 292 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for receiving and possessing child pornography while on supervised release.

Chapman-Sexton was convicted of all counts charged following a four-day trial in February. He had been previously convicted of similar federal charges in 2010 and had been released from prison after serving his sentence.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer, Buckeye Lake Police Chief Jimmy Hanzey and members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the sentence handed down Friday by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.

According to court documents and testimony, a thumb drive and PlayStation gaming console taken from Chapman-Sexton's home contained more than 700 images of children engaged in sexual activity and evidence of online searches for child pornography and other sites related to sexual activity with children.

Despite the defendant’s claim that he had been set up and the child pornography was planted on the device when it was stolen on February 28, 2016, forensic evidence revealed that the child pornography had been downloaded continuously from July 2014 until February 27, 2016.

Chapman-Sexton was indicted by a federal grand jury of two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography in July 2016.

“Only a few months into his term of supervised release for his possession of child pornography conviction, the defendant began searching for child pornography again,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “Some of the files that he accessed and saved to a thumb drive were identical to the videos he had possessed on his computer in 2010. Many others depicted prepubescent boys suffering unimaginable sexual abuse. The circumstances of Chapman-Sexton’s offenses clearly demonstrate the need to protect the public through the significant period of imprisonment received today.”

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and Jessica W. Knight, who represented the United States in this case.

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CONTACT:  Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX #:            (716) 551-305

BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Briana Fugate, 27, of Cheektowaga, N.Y., who was convicted of bribery, distribution of marijuana, and delay of mail, was sentenced to 12 months by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Wei Xiang, who handled the case, stated that Fugate accepted bribes to help deliver what she believed to be drug shipments from the west coast, and that, as she learned to recognize drug parcels, she opened some and sold their contents herself.  Fugate was a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service and had worked out of the Central Park Station Post Office in the City of Buffalo. The defendant was arrested following an undercover operation in 2015, when she distributed a pound of stolen marijuana out of her mail truck, while working her postal route.  After law enforcement agents arrested Fugate, they discovered over 1,500 pieces of mail in her car that had not been delivered. Fugate was on probation for a state larceny conviction during this conduct.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen; the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski; the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Monica Weyler, Eastern Area Field Office, Philadelphia, PA; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.

CONTACT:  Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX #:            (716) 551-305
 
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a three-count indictment charging Armando Ernesto Abarca, 21, of Modesto, California, and Raul Everado Ledesma Abarca, 34, of San Diego, California with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.   

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between September 2014, and September 2016, the defendants conspired with others to possess and distribute cocaine. The defendants are also accused of renting a storage unit in Amherst, NY to store the cocaine.

The defendants were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and are being held.

The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office. Additional assistance was provided by ICE-HSI in Los Angeles, California.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.