COLUMBUS, Ohio – Scott W. Atway, 44, of Powell, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to filing a false tax return.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, announced the plea entered into today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.

According to the Statement of Facts in this case, for several years, including 2010 through 2013, Atway owned multiple Verizon Wireless stores in Central Ohio aside from being a self-employed attorney who operated his own law practice. In 2013, he also generated income from a real-estate holding company for his rental properties.

Atway provided incomplete or false documents to his tax-return preparer. He further made false statements to her when asked to justify how he paid for his lifestyle.

During this timeframe, Atway was building and improving upon a luxury home in Powell. He paid more than $800,000 to contractors for additions including an enclosed tennis court, basketball court, in-ground pool, six-car garage and an elevator. These expenses could not have been covered by the amount of taxable income Atway reported to the IRS.

He was also buying high-end cars, including a $99,000 Land Rover, a $50,000 Porsche 911, a $24,000 Lexus IS250, a $71,000 BMW X6 and a nearly $143,000 Audi R8. For these cars, he either received no financing or paid off the loans early, and the income he reported to the dealerships was much greater than what he reported on his tax returns.

For 2010 through 2013, Atway caused a tax loss to the United States of between $250,000 and $1.5 million.

“Scott Atway is well-educated and seemingly a successful businessman, but he chose to lie to the IRS and now he is a convicted felon,” said Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.

Filing a false tax return is a federal crime punishable by up to three years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate, who is representing the United States in this case. 

# # #

A Port St. Lucie resident was sentenced to life in prison for producing and distributing child pornography, coercing minors to produce child pornography, and possessing child pornography.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), made the announcement.

Scott Joseph Trader, 32, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, previously pled guilty to enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b); distribution of material containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) & (b)(1); possession of matter containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) & (b)(2); and production of material containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C §§ 2251(a) & (e) (Case No. 17-CR-14047-Middlebrooks).   

            According to court records, since at least November 2014 through May 31, 2017, Trader video recorded himself sexually abusing two minor girls entrusted to his care, one of whom was two years old.  Trader also coerced dozens of minor victims online to send him child pornography using social media applications and collected vast amounts of child pornography from the internet, including the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, sadism and masochism, and bestiality.  Trader distributed large amounts of child pornography over the internet to adults and to minor victims as young as eight years old, which included the videos/images of the defendant’s own sexual abuse of children.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigation efforts of ICE-HSI, ICE-HSI in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and the Port Saint Lucie Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marton Gyires.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Quavon Melik Bellamy, age 22, of Longs, SC, pled guilty in federal court in Florence to Possession of a Stolen Firearm and Ammunition and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana.  United States District Judge Bryan Harwell, of Florence, heard the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on February 14, 2017, law enforcement responded to a call about a man with a gun.  The female 911 caller provided officers with Bellamy’s name and a vehicle tag number.  Officers ran the tag and identified the address on the vehicle’s registration.  Officers responded to the address and located the vehicle in the front yard.  When the officers arrived at the residence, Bellamy exited the house and officers informed him of the victim’s report.  Bellamy stated that he ran into the victim and they had “words,” but he denied possessing or presenting a firearm.  Officers confirmed the vehicle was registered to Bellamy and inquired about firearms in the vehicle.  Bellamy responded there were no firearms in the vehicle and gave consent to a search of the vehicle.  Upon opening the vehicle door, the officer immediately smelled marijuana.  Officers searched the vehicle and located a black purse on the back seat that contained two glass jars of marijuana and a scale.  Officers also found a Springfield Armory 9mm handgun on the rear floorboard, fully loaded with fifteen rounds of ammunition including one in the chamber.  After being advised of his rights and agreeing to speak with law enforcement, Bellamy initially claimed he did not know anything about the firearm, only later to admit it was his and that he presented it to the victim.  After running the firearm’s serial number through dispatch, officers confirmed that the firearm was stolen. 

US Attorney Drake stated that Bellamy faces a maximum penalty ten years in federal prison. The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Horry County Police Department, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina Highway Patrol.  Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office handled the case.

#####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              ContactELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                        at (410) 209-4855

Baltimore, Maryland –Marco DeCamillo, age 41, of Reading, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to one count of mail fraud stemming from the sales of misbranded body armor.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning, Special Agent in Charge Marlon V. Miller of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia andSpecial Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

 According to his plea agreement, De Camillo was a former police officer in West Reading, PA. During his tenure as a police officer, DeCamillo also owned and operated a business called Mad Dragon Tactical (MDT).  MDT sold law enforcement tactical gear, including body armor rifle plates, primarily on auction and shopping websites.  DeCamillo, through MDT, sold approximately $169,000 worth of body armor that was falsely classified as certified by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The NIJ conducts ballistic testing on body armor.   

DeCamillo falsely claimed that certain MDT body armor shields would protect against armor piercing rounds, and that certain products were made with the more robust HY80 and A4600 Steel. DeCamillo used his status as a police officer to sell the misbranded body armor rifle plates, understanding that several of his buyers were in law enforcement and/or military or defense and were relying on DeCamillo’s representations regarding the quality and safety of his products.

According to the plea agreement, on December 17, 2015, a defense contractor and NIJ accredited laboratory (“victim lab”) contacted the FBI with a complaint regarding the misuse of one of their ballistic data test sheets by MDT.  The FBI verified that DeCamillo, through MDT, had advertised online a set of body armor plates with altered ballistic test sheet from the victim lab that had been completed in 2013.  The original 2013 test sheet provided the results of ballistic testing on a ballistic test shield, not steel body armor plates as advertised by MDT.  FBI agents viewed several MDT listings online and observed photographs of altered ballistic test sheets uploaded to each listing. 

In January and February 2016, the FBI in Maryland set up controlled purchases of the body armor online from MDT through an undercover identity.  All three shipments purchased listed DeCamillo’s home address in West Reading, PA as the return address and were delivered from Pennsylvania to Maryland via US Mail.  Inside each package was a hard copy of the altered ballistic test sheet (originating from the victim lab).  On the HY80 altered ballistic test sheet there was an additional hand-written note in the bottom margin stating, “Note-During testing Armor plate stopped (2) .308 Armor piercing Black Tip AP and (3) 7.62x39 Chinese Steel Core Armor Piercing AP rounds.” 

A search warrant was conducted on DeCamillo’s residence and numerous ballistics sheets that had been fraudulently altered with “white out” or other redactions were recovered from the residence.

DeCamillo was interviewed by the FBI and admitted that he knew that his MDT body armor was not NIJ certified. 

DeCamillo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2018 at 9:15 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the HSI and FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Yasser who is prosecuting the case.

Fayetteville, Arkansas – Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Jeremy Lynn McGrew, age 36, of Springdale, was sentenced today to 75 months in federal prison followed by fifteen years of supervised release on one count of Receipt of Child Pornography. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court records, in December of 2016, members of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) identified an IP address that was making files of child pornography available for download. As a result, members of the ICAC Taskforce executed a federal search warrant on April 5, 2017, at the residence of Jeremy Lynn McGrew, which is located in the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville Division. At that time, law enforcement confiscated multiple items of digital evidence that contained child pornography. While on the scene, law enforcement also encountered McGrew. After being informed of his Miranda rights, McGrew admitted viewing and accessing child pornography for fourteen years.

McGrew was indicted in June 2017 and pled guilty in August 2017.

This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC).  Assistant United States Attorney Amy Driver prosecuted the case for the United States.

            WASHINGTON – Antwon D. Green, 29, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of felony murder, first-degree murder while armed, and a related weapons charge in the killing of a man in 2014 at a Southeast Washington barber shop, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Green was found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Feb. 16, 2018 by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. He remains in custody pending sentencing.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014, at about 11 a.m., Green walked by the front of the Kutt n’ Up barber shop in the 1400 block of Good Hope Road SE, and pointed at Breond Keys, a customer who was getting his hair cut inside. 

            Roughly 16 minutes later, Green, wearing different clothes and dressed in a dark-colored hooded jacket, ran into the barber shop, holding what appeared to be a pistol in his right hand. Green immediately raised the pistol with both hands, pointed it at Mr. Keys, and began firing, hitting Mr. Keys multiple times. Once Mr. Keys fell to the floor, Green dug into his front pants pocket, pulled an item out of it, and fled. Mr. Keys, 38, was taken to a hospital, but pronounced dead a short time after the shooting.

            Following an investigation by MPD, Green was charged in the murder in July 2015.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner, the Glendale Verdugo Regional Crime Laboratory, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences.  They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Meridith McGarrity; Criminal Investigators John Marsh, William Hamann, and Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard DiZinno, Glenn Kirschner and Allessandra Stewart, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Enfield Police Chief Carl Sferrazza announced that grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment today charging CHRISTOPHERBARRETO, 28, of Hartford, with one count of distribution of heroin and fentanyl.

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,at approximately 9:52 a.m.,on August 26, 2016, the Enfield Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in Enfield and found an unresponsive 31-year-old male slumped over a coffee table in the upstairs bedroom of the residence.  The victim was pronounced deceased.  Officers searched the immediate area and seized one empty white wax fold and six full white wax folds that contained suspected heroin.  Officers also seized the victim’s iPhone.  An analysis of text messages revealed that the victim had ordered heroin from an individual in the evening of August 25, 2016.

The State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death to be “acute fentanyl and ethanol intoxication.”

At approximately 8:23 p.m., on October 27, 2016, the Enfield Police Department and emergency personnel responded to another residence in Enfield and found an unresponsive 36-year-old man outside the house.  The victim was transported to the hospital for medical attention and pronounced deceased.  Officers subsequently recovered the victim’s cell phone and 20 white wax folds that contained suspected heroin.  Analysis of the victim’s cell phone revealed that the victim had purchased heroin from the same individual two days before his death.

The State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death to be “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, and heroin.”

It is alleged that BARRETO supplied heroin/fentanyl to an individual who, in turn, sold the drug to both overdose victims.

BARRETO was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on August 10, 2017.  At the time of his arrest, investigators seized approximately 2,000 wax folds of heroin from his residence.

The indictment alleges that BARRETO distributed heroin and fentanyl between April 2016 and August 2017.

The charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

BARRETO has been released on a $150,000 bond since October 24.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Enfield Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.

Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Zebedee Cleo Adams, age 37, of Saluda, South Carolina was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Greenville for Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks of Charleston sentenced Adams to 71 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release.

Evidence presented at the change of plea and sentencing hearing established that on September 5, 2015, the Saluda Police Department attempted to stop Adams for speeding.  Adams drove his vehicle at high speeds through a neighborhood.  Adams was apprehended when he wrecked his car into a ditch.  Adams was arrested, and had a loaded  Beretta .32 caliber pistol in his pocket.  Adams had prior felony convictions for which he had not received a pardon and was prohibited from carrying a firearm.

The case was investigated by agents of the ATF and Saluda Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

#####
 

Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Justin Bailey Rhodes, age 27, of Greenville, South Carolina was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Greenville for Possessing a Firearm In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks, of Charleston, sentenced Rhodes to 100 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on March 25, 2016, South Carolina Department of Probation and Parole were conducting a home visit on parolee Justin Bailey Rhodes at his residence.  Officers searched Rhodes apartment and found bags of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a Bersa Model Thunder .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with four rounds of ammunition.   A trace was conducted on the firearm, which was found to have been stolen.  Rhodes was arrested and has remained in custody since.

Rhodes’s case was expedited for federal prosecution pursuant to Operation “Real Time.”  The goal of this program is to identify individuals for federal prosecution with significant criminal histories who continue to actively possess firearms in the Upstate community.  “Real Time” is a working collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement as well as state and federal prosecutors. 

The case was investigated by agents of the ATF, South Carolina Department of Probation and Parole, and Greenville Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

#####
 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma– HARRY DEAN WHEELER, JR., 67, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty today to attempting to entice a minor to have sex, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint, an undercover agent with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs posted an advertisement on Craigslist on September 19, 2017, in which he claimed to be a boy looking for a "daddy" who would be "willing to teach me about sex."  The affidavit explains that through the Craigslist email reply function, Wheeler used explicit sexual language to indicate he wanted to meet the boy for a sexual encounter.  He also included three nude photos of himself.  According to the affidavit, the undercover agent responded: "Wow, your [sic] hot and sound really cool.  Just to get it out of the way, I’m 14, but I’m very mature for my age, that’s why I don’t mind older guys."  The affidavit states Wheeler then replied by email: "We must keep it a secret as what we will be doing is not legal."  Wheeler allegedly arranged to meet the person he thought was a 14-year-old boy in the parking lot of a business at 5501 North May Avenue in Oklahoma City, with the intention of driving him to his own residence.  When Wheeler arrived at the parking lot and identified himself to the undercover agent as "daddy," federal agents arrested him.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against Wheeler on September 21, 2017.  On November 8, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted him on one count of using a facility and means of interstate commerce to attempt to persuade, induce, and entice an individual he believed to be under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity.  This afternoon, Wheeler pleaded guilty to that offense before U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti.

At sentencing, Wheeler faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison.  He could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison.  He will serve at least 5 years and up to life on supervised release after incarceration and could be fined up to $250,000.  He may also be required to pay a $5,000 special assessment.  The court ordered Wheeler to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until sentencing, which will take place in approximately 90 days.

This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale is prosecuting the case.  Reference is made to court filings for further information.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Tyler C. Amon, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in New England, announced that STEPHEN CRAIG, 66, of Essex, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to six months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for falsely certifying the completion of a lead abatement course.  Judge Bryant also ordered CRAIG to pay a $20,000 fine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, STEPHEN CRAIG owned Boston Lead Company LLC (BLC), a Connecticut corporation that provided industrial hygiene and safety services.  Doing business as Environmental Training and Assessment (ETA), BLC offered a variety of training courses to individuals working with lead paint and asbestos.  STEPHEN CRAIG was the training manager and a primary instructor for those courses, and his son, Matthew Craig, provided hands-on instruction and assisted with course administration, including the grading of examinations.

ETA’s lead and asbestos training courses were subject to regulation under the training provider accreditation requirements of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  TSCA allowed states to obtain U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorization to administer and enforce the standards, regulations and other requirements of the TSCA’s lead and asbestos programs, including the approval of training courses.  The State of Connecticut received such authorization for all lead and asbestos programs except the lead program that covered renovations, repairs and painting.  Individuals in Connecticut who perform lead abatement activities must be certified by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH).  To obtain certification, an individual must successfully complete an approved 32-hour lead abatement worker initial training course.  ETA applied for and received approval from CT DPH to offer a wide range of lead and asbestos training courses, including lead abatement worker initial and refresher courses.

In August 2011, ETA offered a lead abatement training course at its Middletown facility.  STEPHEN CRAIG was the training manager and primary course instructor, and Matthew Craig provided the hands-on training and graded the exams.  An undercover EPA agent attended the course under the fictitious identity, seeking a lead abatement worker initial course completion certificate.  The agent skipped the first two days of the course, and was two hours late on the third day.  Thereafter, the agent attended the course for a total of approximately 15 hours, including approximately three hours of hands-on training.  STEPHEN CRAIG was aware that agent did not attend the full training course.

At the conclusion of the course, the agent paid STEPHEN CRAIG $525 in cash and was allowed to sit for the lead abatement worker examination, which was proctored and graded by Matthew Craig.  The agent intentionally failed the examination.  Although Matthew Craig knew that the agent had failed the examination, Matthew Craig completed questions that the agent had left blank and corrected a sufficient number of incorrectly answered questions to bring the examination grade to a passing grade of 80 percent.

On August 12, 2011, ETA issued a false Certificate of Completion to the agent that stated that the agent had successfully completed a 32-hour lead abatement worker initial training course and passed an examination in accordance with CT DPH standards. 

On August 3, 2017, STEPHEN CRAIG pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the federal government.

Matthew Craig previously pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement and, on March 14, 2013, was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.

James Gillis, 60, of Maryville, IL, pled guilty to a charge of government procurement fraud in federal court in East St. Louis, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.

Gillis was the Chief of Project Management for the 375th Civil Engineering Squadron at Scott Air Force Base. He admitted to knowingly disclosing confidential information to private companies bidding on contracts at Scott Air Force Base. This information gave an unfair competitive advantage to the companies receiving the information. Gillis received lunch and baseball tickets in connection with providing the confidential information.

Gillis’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 23, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis, Illinois. The crime of government procurement fraud is punishable by up to five years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, not more than three years of supervised release, and restitution.

The investigation was conducted by agents from the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Procurement Fraud Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Quinley.

SALT LAKE CITY – A Salt Lake City, Utah, man was sentenced to four years in prison Thursday for dealing in firearms without a license and filing fraudulent tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg, of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney John W. Huber for the District of Utah.
According to documents and evidence presented to the court, Adam Michael Webber reached an agreement with the United States in 2007 that barred him from applying for a federal firearms license or engaging in the business of dealing firearms.  Between 2007 and 2008, Webber was the sole owner of HK Parts, an Internet gun parts business. In 2008, Webber added firearms to his product line and primarily sold them on the Internet at hkparts.net.  He also sold firearms and firearm parts out of the basement of his residence.
Webber never held a federal firearms license and, from 2009 through May 2012, illegally sold firearms under the auspices of a company owned by another Utah resident.  Webber also sold firearms to undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents on two separate occasions, including selling one firearm for cash in a parking lot.  In May 2012, approximately $180,000 in cash, a 70-pound silver bar, silver coins, and firearms were found at Webber’s residence during the execution of a search warrant.
From 2007 through 2010, Webber earned more than $10 million in gross receipts from the sale of illegal firearms and his firearm parts business.  For those years, he reported only a total of $183,397 in gross receipts, underreporting his earnings on his 2007, 2008 and 2009 individual income tax returns and underreporting gross receipts on his 2009 and 2010 corporate tax returns.  In 2010, Webber paid $670,000 in cash for a new home in Salt Lake County.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Court Judge Dee Benson ordered Webber to serve three years of supervised release.  Webber paid $1,817,887.05 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service prior to sentencing.  He was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.  A jury convicted Webber of the tax offenses in September 2016. He later pleaded guilty to the firearms count. He agreed to forfeit more than 300 seized firearms.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Huber commended special agents of ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security, who conducted the investigation, and AUSAs Cy H. Castle and J. Drew Yeates and Paralegal Heather Nielson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Kathleen M. Barry of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.

Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jesus Torres, age 39, of Pasco, Washington, was sentenced on two counts of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge Edward Shea found that Torres was a career offender based upon his extensive criminal history and sentenced him to an180-month term of imprisonment and a five-year term of court supervision following release from Federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Jesus Torres was released from his third 5-year sentence in state court in May 2016. By January 2017, the METRO Drug Task Force in Tri-Cities learned that Torres, a confirmed Soreno gang member, was back in the business of distributing methamphetamine and heroin, utilizing multiple residences and recruiting young adults to work for him to include a 20 year old family member. The METRO Drug Task Force partnered with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in Tri-Cities during the investigation which culminated in the execution of multiple search warrants and the arrest of Jesus Torres. During the search warrants, law enforcement identified that one of the locations was utilized as a heroin den in the Tri-Cities area, sourced by Torres as well as a loaded firearm that was found to be in Torres’ possession during the investigation.

Joseph H. Harrington said, “Prosecuting drug-trafficking and firearms-related crimes continues to be a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. In addition to mandatory terms of imprisonment for methamphetamine-trafficking offenses, previously convicted felons, gang members and violent felons should be aware that there are serious criminal penalties for repeated offenders who have no respect for the law and that this Office is committed to prosecuting aggressively those offenders who remain a danger to the communities in the Eastern District of Washington.”

This case was investigated by the METRO Drug Task Force and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in Tri-Cities Washington. This case was prosecuted by Stephanie Van Marter, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

Spokane– Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Albert Castro, Jr., of Quincy, Washington, was sentenced after having previously pleaded guilty in March, 2017, to patronizing a thirteen-year-old child engaged in commercial sex. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. sentenced Castro to a seven-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release upon release of federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, a thirteen-year-old female contacted Castro at the direction of Eric J. Perez, who was also charged in connection with this case. Castro paid the child $80 for two sex acts at his residence.

Castro’s criminal conduct was discovered while law enforcement officers were independently investigating Perez. The Perez investigation began after a sister of one of the child-victims informed a school counselor that she was concerned about her sister’s Facebook contacts with Perez. The counselor immediately informed the Quincy Police Department. The Quincy Police Department, together with the FBI, discovered that Perez’s Facebook account contained multiple conversations between Perez and multiple 12-15 year old girls. For his part, Perez pled guilty on September 28, 2017 to seven criminal charges -- Production of Child Pornography, Attempted Production of Child Pornography, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, Child Sex Trafficking, Attempted Child Sex Trafficking, and Possession of Child Pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2017.

Joseph H. Harrington said, “The impact of Castro’s crime on his victim cannot be overstated. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington prosecutes crimes against children aggressively, in part because of the extreme vulnerability of the young victims.” Harrington went on to add, “This case is yet another example of the successful investigative efforts that can be accomplished when state and federal law enforcement, such as the Quincy Police Department and the FBI, work in partnership.”

This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:

• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;

• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;

• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;

• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and

• Community awareness and educational programs.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The Quincy Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation of this matter. Scott T. Jones, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, prosecuted the case.

BILLINGS –  Following a four-day trial with testimony from fourteen government witnesses, Dimarzio Swade Sanchez, 20, of Busby, was convicted by a Montana jury of first degree murder.  Sanchez now faces mandatory life in prison for the murder.  He also faces a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided over the trial.

Evidence presented at trial by Assistant United States Attorneys Lori Suek and John Sullivan showed that on April 17, 2016, the victim received a ride from Dimarzio Sanchez, Angelica Jo Whiteman, Frank James Sanchez, and others.  On the way to Crow Agency, an altercation ensued in the vehicle.  The vehicle stopped on Castle Rock Road.

The evidence showed that the victim was beaten when Dimarzio and Frank Sanchez retrieved a gas can from the trunk of the vehicle.  The victim was stripped naked, covered in gas and set on fire.  All the remaining occupants of the vehicle then left the scene.  The victim remained in the field for approximately fourteen hours until discovered and given emergency medical treatment.  The victim, who suffered third degree burns and severe frostbite of the legs, was hospitalized in Salt Lake City until pronounced dead on June 28, 2016. 

U. S. Attorney Kurt Alme stated, “We are pleased with the jury’s verdict.  It is the result of hard work by Assistant U. S. Attorneys Lori Suek and John Sullivan, FBI and BIA law enforcement; and the victim and witness staff and other staff of the FBI and BIA and the U. S. Attorney’s Office.  Our sympathies go out to the victim’s family and the Crow tribal community for their loss.”

Co-defendant Angelica Jo Whiteman, 19 of Lame Deer, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree murder on August 30, 2017.  She is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2018 and is facing life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release.   Co-defendant Frank James Sanchez, 19 of Lame Deer, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and accessory after the fact on March 14, 2017.  Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 18, 2018 and is facing maximum punishment of fifteen years in prison, $125,000 fine and three years supervised release.

The case was a cooperative investigative effort between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A Barberton man will be deported after pleading guilty to lying about his actions during the war in the former Yugoslavia, said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge of HSI’s Detroit office.

Oliver Dragic, 42, pleaded guilty to possessing and fraudulently obtained immigration documents. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he will be deported.

Dragic failed to disclose his paramilitary police service for the Republika Srpska, a rogue state unrecognized by the international community that attempted to create an ethnically pure Serbian nation within the ethnically-mixed territory of the Yugoslav Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Dragic completed police training in Serbia in 1994 and returned to Bosnia, where he voluntarily joined a special police unit that joined in Republika Srpska’s army during military operations, according to court documents.

Dragic applied for refugee status in the U.S. in May 1998, claiming he was a victim of the Bosnian war. He claimed in that application that he had never worked, when in fact he had served in the paramilitary unit, according to court documents.

“This defendant claimed to be a refugee but served in a paramilitary force during the war in the former Yugoslavia,” Herdman said.

“The investigation, prosecution, and ultimate removal of individuals like Dragic are paramount to the mission of Homeland Security Investigations and to the safety our communities,” Francis said.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Cronin is prosecuting the case following an investigation by HSI Special Agent Brett Bangas and Historian Michael MacQueen.

Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are urged to contact HSI by calling the toll-free tip line at 1-866-347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199.  They can also email HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov (link sends e-mail).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                                    at (410) 209-4811

Baltimore, Maryland – Thomas Robert Finnegan, age 38, of Easton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence stemming from a 2014 home invasion robbery of a Baltimore city couple.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

David Kendall Rahim and Rahim’s cousin, Detective Jemell Lamar Rayam, were also charged in the robbery. Rayam was a member of the Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF,) a division of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD). 

According to his plea agreement, on June 27, 2014, police officers with the Gun Trace Task Force, including Detective Rayam, executed a search and seizure warrant at a store that sold birdseed and pigeons.  No illegal contraband or firearms were found at the location.  The storeowners, a married couple, had $20,000 in cash at the store that they intended to use to pay off tax liabilities they owed on two homes.

After the search, Rayam told Finnegan and Rahim about the money and agreed to rob the couple at their residence later that evening.  Using a law enforcement database, the GTTF detective located the home address of the victims. The defendants surveilled the house, then Rayam gave Finnegan and Rahim BPD tactical gear to impersonate the police during the home invasion. Rayam remained outside in the vehicle so that he could intercept any police officers who responded to the home invasion by telling them that he was a BPD officer. Finnegan and Rahim entered the residence and robbed the victims at gunpoint of the $20,000. During the robbery, Finnegan pointed a gun at one of the victims and said to “sit still and be patient,” while Rahim looked on. Rahim, Finnegan, and Rayam split the proceeds.

Finnegan faces up to 20 years in prison for the robbery charge and up to life in prison for the firearm charge. Rayam and Rahim have also pleaded guilty. Sentencing for Rahim has been set for March 9, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. and sentencing for Finnegan has been set for March 9, 2018 at 12 p.m.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, announced that ROY RIVAS-PALMAS, age 34, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Indictment for illegal re-entry of removed  alien.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in investigating this matter.