FORT WAYNE – The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced that Danurell M. Blair, age 39, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was charged by way of complaint with bank robbery.     

According to documents in this case, the complaint alleges that on December 16, 2017 Blair entered a bank in Kendallville, Indiana, demanded money from the bank teller.  The teller provided money from the top drawers of two teller stations and Blair stuffed it into bags he brought with him.  At approximately 10:01am, a law enforcement officer observed Blair exiting the bank walking fast.   The law enforcement unit also observed Blair driving evasively through area business parking lots.  The unit attempted to stop Blair, however he fled creating a high speed chase.  The police were able to stop the vehicle and take Blair into custody. 

“My Office is committed to working with our state, local and federal law enforcement partners to reduce bank robberies on the streets of Northern Indiana,” U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirsch II said in a statement. 

"The FBI's Fort Wayne office worked hand in hand with our state and local law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion," said W. Jay Abbott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Division. "Working together we are able to get violent offenders off of the streets and make our communities a safer place for all."

The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that a Complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.

If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the: Allen County Sheriff’s Department; Auburn Police Department; Churubusco Police Department; Fort Wayne Police Department; Kendallville Police Department; Indiana State Police; and Whitley County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

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Charlottesville, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury, sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, have indicted a husband and wife and charged them with a variety of crimes related to health care fraud, United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

The grand jury has charged Dennis Lewis Gowin, 66, of Dillwyn, Va., with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, twelve counts of making false statements relating to health care matters, twenty-eight counts of wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information, four counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of being a previously convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm.

In addition, the grand jury has charged Cheryl Gowin, 65, of Dillwyn, with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, two counts of making false statements relating to health care matters, twenty-eight counts of wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information and three counts of aggravated identify theft. Both defendants were charged in an indictment returned last week and made their initial court appearances today in federal court.

According to the indictment, it was the goal of the defendants to unlawfully enrich themselves by submitting false and fraudulent claims to Virginia Medicaid. They allegedly attempted to accomplish this goal by filing and attempting to file multiple false applications with employers and Medicaid providers.

The indictment alleges that during these application processes, the defendants conspired to provide false information about their backgrounds to gain employment. Once employed, the defendants fraudulently billed Medicaid. Upon termination of their employment, both defendants took possession of personal health information of patients, without their consent.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Office of the Virginia Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Virginia State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Huber and Special Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Riordan will prosecute the case for the United States.

A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Augusta, GA – Vicky Vinson Capetillo, from Grovetown, Georgia, pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall to two federal felonies related to her embezzlement of nearly $900,000 from the City of Grovetown. 

According to the factual basis presented for her guilty plea, Capetillo worked for the City of Grovetown as the City Clerk.  Her duties as Clerk included the preparation of the regular bank deposits of the City.  Capetillo developed a scheme to steal the cash from the deposits:  first, she   intercepted checks sent in by citizens as payment for utility bills; then, after developing a cache of checks, she would pocket cash from the regular deposit and replace the stolen cash with the intercepted checks to make the deposit ticket balance. 

Between January 2011 and April 2016, Capetillo stole and deposited $890,000 in cash into her and her family’s accounts.

Capetillo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, and five years of supervision following release from prison.  Capetillo was released on bond pending sentencing, which will be set after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation. 

U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine said, “The citizens of this district should be able to rely on the honest service of their public officials.  Corruption and embezzlement by those in positions of government trust will be met with federal prosecution and jail time.”

The charges against Capetillo resulted from an investigation led by IRS Special Agent Jeff Hale and FBI Special Agent Charles McKee.  Assistant United States Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes prosecuted the case for the Government.  For any questions, please contact Appellate Chief R. Brian Tanner at (912) 652-4422.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TREVON TERRY, also known as “B.J.,” 39, of Newington, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release, for his role in a cocaine and crack cocaine distribution ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department that targeted a drug trafficking organization operating in Hartford’s North End that was distributing crack and powder cocaine.  The investigation revealed that David Gil-Grande, of Manchester, received shipments of cocaine, secreted in sealed coffee cans, from Puerto Rico.  He then supplied the cocaine to TERRY, Anthony Shelton, also known as “Pretty,” and Gerard Brown, also known as “Goldie,” who converted much of the cocaine into crack and distributed both forms of the drug in the area of Barbour Street in Hartford. 

Twenty individuals were charged and convicted as a result of the investigation.

TERRY has been detained since his arrest on January 21, 2016.  On that date, investigators seized $19,487 in cash from a safe in his Newington residence.

On August 31, 2017, TERRY pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

TERRY’s criminal history includes several state drug convictions, including a 2008 conviction for sale of narcotics for which he was sentenced to 11 years of incarceration, suspended after four years, and five years of probation.  He was on probation for that narcotics offense while he was engaged in the criminal conduct that led to this federal conviction.

Gil-Grande, Shelton and Brown have pleaded guilty to related charges.  On January 31, 2017, Gil-Grande was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment.  Shelton and Brown await sentencing.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and the Drug Enforcement Administration have provided valuable assistance to the investigation. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond doctor was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for conspiring to distribute Oxycodone.

According to court documents and evidence and testimony at trial, Clarence Scranage, Jr., 62, was the supplier to a drug trafficking organization that, at various points in time, had more than 40 participants. The participants were recruiters, pill fillers, and dealers who sold to addicts. During the course of the conspiracy, which began in January 2011, Scranage dispensed 1,257 fraudulent prescriptions amounting to more than 223,000 30-mg Oxycodone pills distributed into the underground stream of commerce. Scranage represented himself at trial, and was convicted by a jury on all 19 counts charged in the indictment on August 10. During the trial, one expert testified that Scranage was “a one-man opioid epidemic.”

In addition to the prison sentence, the Court also entered a forfeiture order in the amount of $628,500 which represents the proceeds Scranage received as a result of this drug trafficking conspiracy.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:17-cr-23.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury found Jeanine Jeanty guilty of one count of conspiracy to steal tax refunds, five counts of theft of tax refunds, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge, up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the theft charges, and a mandatory minimum of two years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft charges. The sentencing hearing will take place on March 16, 2018.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Jeanty conspired with others to steal federal tax refunds by filing false tax returns using stolen personal identifying information. She also purchased fraudulently-obtained tax refund checks from others for half of the face value of the checks. In less than two years, Jeanty and her co-conspirators stole more than $2.7 million in tax refunds from the Department of the Treasury.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.

            WASHINGTON – Steven Talmadge Jones, 65, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a felony charge stemming from the shooting of his neighbor, which occurred in October 2017 on their block in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            Jones pled guilty on Dec. 15, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of aggravated assault while armed.  The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for April 20, 2018.  The charge carries a mandatory minimum term in prison of five years and a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

             According to the government’s evidence, Jones and the victim are neighbors and have known each other for several years.  The two men had prior arguments related to the Homeowner Association rules for their gated community.

             On Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, at approximately 2:20 p.m., the victim was waxing his car in the driveway outside his home in the 2200 block of Retta Gilliam Court SE. Jones was at his own home on the same street. Jones opened a window and shot the victim once in the chest. The victim fell to the ground bleeding.  After the shooting, Jones took his dog, got into his car, and drove away.  He was arrested on Nov. 1, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.

            The gunshot entered the victim’s back, exited his chest, and pierced his heart.  As a result of the shooting, the victim sustained serious bodily injuries that required surgery and hospitalization, including at least nine days intubated in an intensive care unit. He is in ongoing rehabilitation and treatment.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON – Canaan King, 18, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a four-year prison term for a robbery that occurred near the Fort Totten Metro Station in April 2017, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            King pled guilty in August 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of robbery.  The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of three to five years in prison.  The Honorable Juliet McKenna accepted the plea and sentenced King on Dec. 15, 2017, to four years in prison.  Following the prison term, King will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Monday, April 24, 2017, at approximately 6:10 p.m., the victim was walking from the Fort Totten Metro Station near the 700 block of Gallatin Street NE. King approached the victim from behind and placed her in a chokehold. A struggle ensued, and King demanded the victim’s iPhone 6S and told her to “be quiet” and “delete your iCloud.”  He choked the victim tighter as she tried unsuccessfully to access her iCloud. He then took the iPhone and fled.  

            The victim’s iPhone 6S was recovered during the execution of a search warrant on King’s residence in Northeast Washington. Following his arrest on April 28, 2017, King admitted robbing the victim, indicating that he grabbed her from behind and took her phone before fleeing.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and Rizwan Qureshi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 14, 2017, Manish Patel (age: 26) was sentenced to 38 months imprisonment, and ordered to pay $1,101,901.61 in restitution for committing wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.  Additionally, Nikita Shukla (age: 26) was sentenced to one year and one day imprisonment, and ordered to pay $149,531.28 in restitution for committing wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.

According to the plea agreements and other court documents, unknown members of the scheme located in India called victims and made material misrepresentations to them, which caused the victims to send a MoneyGram, which is an electronic, interstate transfer of money to a specific location and to a specific, fictitious name. One misrepresentation that the callers made was that they were from the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and that the individuals (legal immigrants) had to pay for new passports or other items in order to avoid being sent to jail or deported.  The caller would then instruct the victim to send a MoneyGram for a certain amount of money to a specific location and to a specific, fictitious name.  The callers made numerous other misrepresentations to the many victims of this scam.    

Manish Patel and others possessed fraudulent driver’s licenses that included the fictitious names of the MoneyGram recipients, but contained a photo of themselves.  They used these fraudulent driver’s licenses to pick up MoneyGrams throughout the country.  Patel frequently picked up several MoneyGrams a day from various locations using fraudulent driver’s licenses.  For at least part of the scheme, Nikita Shukla drove Manish Patel throughout the country, including in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  Patel and Shukla were allowed to keep a certain percentage of fraud proceeds, but then deposited the remaining cash into various bank accounts or handed the cash off to unknown individuals. 

Using 134 different fraudulent identifications, Patel picked up $1,101,901.61 in fraud proceeds in 1,081 transactions, from 780 victims from September 28, 2016 through May 10, 2017.  Shukla aided and abetted by driving Patel to pick up $149,531.28 in fraud proceeds from 100 victims.  When they were arrested in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Patel and Shukla possessed 147 fraudulent driver’s licenses with fake names and Patel’s photo in them.  Law enforcement also found $21,672 in cash in the car.       

The case was investigated by the Greenfield Police Department, the United States Secret Service Financial Crimes Unit, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Digital Forensics and Analysis Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Corey. 

The public should be aware that neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the Internal Revenue Service (or any other federal government agency) will ever ask you to pay money to them via MoneyGram, RIA, Western Union, or especially iTunes or Steam (online gaming) gift cards.  

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For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

LAS VEGAS, Nev.– A Las Vegas man who pleaded guilty to robbing an armored vehicle and stealing 18 firearms, including a silencer, from a gun store, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.

Anthony Jovan Greene, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan. He pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of theft from a Federal Firearms Licensee.

According to the plea agreement, Greene admitted that on Oct. 5, 2012, both he and at least one other co-conspirator used baseball bats to rob approximately $210,889 from a Garda Cash Logistics armored truck at the Las Vegas Outlet Mall in downtown Las Vegas. Greene further admitted that on Sept. 8, 2016, he stole a total of 18 handguns, rifles, and a silencer from 2^nd Amendment Gun shop at 4570 N. Rancho Drive in Las Vegas.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip N. Smith Jr. prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide commitment by the Department of Justice to reduce gun and gang crime in America by networking local programs that target gun and gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Wayne County man who assisted others in distributing oxycodone in the Fort Gay area in 2015 and 2016 was sentenced today to a year and a half in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Dennis Ransbottom, Jr., 32, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.

Between November 2015 and November 2016, Ransbottom participated in the conspiracy with others, including an oxycodone source from Detroit. During the conspiracy, the source frequently transported oxycodone pills from Michigan to Fort Gay to distribute, and would notify Ransbottom upon arrival in West Virginia. Ransbottom agreed to introduce individuals to the source, or otherwise arrange for customers to meet the source to buy pills. On November 29, 2016, Ransbottom was arrested along with another individual while they were meeting outside of the Pit Stop gas station in Fort Gay. Investigators located and seized a total of 382 thirty mg oxycodone tablets during the arrest.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.

This case was brought as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Beckley woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Detria S. Carter, 33, entered her guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Carter is one of 23 defendants indicted in June 2017 after a comprehensive investigation of drug trafficking in Southern West Virginia.

Carter admitted that between October 2016 and June 28, 2017, she took part in a drug trafficking conspiracy with multiple participants. During this time period, she was assisting her brother, Velarian Carter, a codefendant who previously pleaded guilty, in maintaining a drug trafficking organization while he was incarcerated on unrelated drug charges. The drug trafficking organization was responsible for distributing cocaine, crack, and heroin in and around Raleigh County. Carter admitted to having other participants in the conspiracy cook cocaine into crack at her house and to distributing the drugs in and around Southern West Virginia. 

Additionally, Carter admitted that on May 25, 2017, she was stopped by the Beckley Police Department. Law enforcement discovered that Carter possessed 996 grams of cocaine, approximately 454 grams of crack, and a quantity of fentanyl. Carter admitted that it was her intent, and the intent of the drug trafficking organization, to distribute these controlled substances in Raleigh County. Law enforcement also seized two firearms from the same bag where the drugs were found.   

Carter faces at least five and up to 40 years federal prison when she is sentenced on April 24, 2018.

Other individuals implicated as a result of this drug investigation have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. Cheyenne Fragale and Macon Fragale, two brothers from Boomer in Fayette County, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of oxycodone, and a quantity of heroin. They both face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison when they are sentenced on March 14, 2018. Dominic Copney, of Beckley, previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 100 grams of heroin. He faces a mandatory minimum of five and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 17, 2018. Velarian Carter, the brother of Detria Carter, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 280 grams of crack, and more than 100 grams of heroin. He faces at least 20 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 17, 2018.

This prosecution was made possible through the cooperative efforts of several investigating agencies. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Beckley Police Department, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service provided assistance throughout the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of these prosecutions. The plea hearing was held before Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber.

These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.

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SHREVEPORT, La. –Acting U.S.Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Shreveport man who was previously convicted of two felonies pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded revolver.

Kevin Anthony Dison Jr., 21, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to the guilty plea, Shreveport Police officers stopped the vehicle Dison was driving on April 11, 2017. Police searched the vehicle and found a loaded Rossi revolver, model .38 caliber, which was located on the floorboard partially under the driver’s seat. The revolver could be seen by anyone driving the vehicle. Dison was previously convicted of felony theft in April 2015 in Caddo Parish and simple burglary in April 2016 in Bossier Parish.

Dison faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of March 23, 2018.

This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.

Today, federal authorities arrested 35-year-old Evelyn Gonzalez of Glendale Heights, IL, on federal drug trafficking charges, bringing the total number of those arrested over the past week in connection with this distribution operation to 14, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and Special Agent in Charge Karen I. Flowers, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, El Paso Division.

The other 13 defendants include:

Name                                                                                                  Age                 Residence

Veronica Martinez Carrera-Perez (aka “Comadre,” “Luna”)             41                    El Paso

Sergio Serra (aka “Flaco”)                                                                  35                    Edinburg, TX

Fernando Chavez-Rolon (aka “Raco”)                                               24                    Woodstock, IL

Crystal Aguilar (aka “Betty”)                                                             33                    El Paso                       

Ricardo Martinez (aka “Richie”)                                                        32                    El Paso

Roberto Clemente                                                                               41                    El Paso

Esperanza Corpus de Escalona (aka “Espy”)                                     45                    Alton, TX

Cristal Glore-Guzman                                                                         33                    Mission, TX

Julio Ferreyra                                                                                      33                    Cicero, IL

Kevin Martinez                                                                                   24                    Clint, TX

Julio Mota (aka “Gordo,” “Gordito”)                                                 26                    Sunland Park, NM

Jesus Galindo                                                                                      29                    El Paso

Rene Alvarez                                                                                      19                    El Paso

A federal grand jury indictment, returned in El Paso, charges all of the defendants except Rene Alvarez with one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.  Carrera-Perez, Serra, Roberto Clemente, Corpus de Escalona, Glore-Guzman, Martinez, and Mota are charged with a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  All but Jesus Galindo are charged with one or more substantive drug possession charges.  Carrera-Perez, Serra, Aguilar, Roberto Clemente, Corpus de Escalona, Ferreyra and Martinez are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Authorities allege that these defendants were responsible for the smuggling into the United States of large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin.  The narcotics would be transported to areas across the United States, including Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago, Illinois, and Wichita, Kansas, for further distribution.  Defendants would also collect, transport and launder cash proceeds derived from the sale of narcotics. 

During this investigation, authorities seized approximately 48 kilograms of cocaine, 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of heroin, and over $500,000 in U.S. currency attributed to this drug trafficking operation.

All of the defendants remain in federal custody pending detention hearings expected to occur in U.S. Magistrate Court in El Paso beginning this week.  Upon conviction on the drug charges, Veronica Martinez faces a mandatory life imprisonment sentence; Roberto Clemente and Sergio Serra face between 20 years and life imprisonment; Rene Alvarez faces up to 20 years imprisonment; and, the remaining defendants face between ten years and life imprisonment.  Defendants convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering face up to 20 years imprisonment.

“The individuals arrested and charged in this indictment are allegedly responsible for distributing cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin without regard to the countless people suffering from drug addiction,” stated DEA El Paso Division Special Agent in Charge Karen I. Flowers.  “The Western Texas law enforcement community banded together to stop this organization from doing further harm and to save lives.”

These federal charges resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration together with the United States Border Patrol, El Paso Police Department, Socorro Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Norman (OK) Police Department and the Arkansas State Police.

The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering operations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

HONOLULU – United States District Court Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi sentenced Beei-Huan Chao, age 62, to 80 months in prison today for transporting child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(1). Chao, who was formerly employed as a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, pled guilty to the offense on May 30, 2017.

Elliot Enoki, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that according to court documents and information presented in court, in February of 2016, Chao was using a file sharing program called Vuze to obtain child pornography over the internet and share it with others. On February 11, 2016, a FBI agent working in an undercover capacity connected with Chao’s computer and downloaded 14 videos from Chao, all of which depicted child pornography. Agents executed a search warrant at Chao’s residence in June of 2016 and found more than 500 images of child pornography on his electronic devices.

At today’s sentencing, Judge Kobayashi commented that Chao’s conduct helped fuel a business that exploits minors and subjects them to humiliation. Judge Kobayashi also noted that the amount and type of child pornography Chao transported was an aggravating factor. In addition to sentencing Chao to 80 months in prison, Judge Kobayashi also imposed a ten-year term of supervised release and ordered Chao to pay a $35,000 fine. Chao must also register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction where he resides.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Nammar.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Avelarto Lopez Garcia, age 22, and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to time served (29 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States. 

The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

As part of his guilty plea, Lopez Garcia admitted that he is a citizen of Mexico, and that he illegally returned to the United States after he was removed to Mexico on December 12, 2015.  Lopez-Garcia had previously been removed from the United States back to Mexico on December 15, 2012, October 27, 2015, October 30, 2015, and December 9, 2015. 

On November 16, 2017, ICE officers arrested Lopez Garcia in Latham, New York. 

Following the sentencing, Lopez Garcia was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, for removal proceedings.

The case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted an Alexandria pastor and his wife last night for a $2 million fraud scheme that victimized members of their congregation and prospective investors in a Nigerian oil scheme.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Terry Wayne Millender, 53, the former senior pastor of Victorious Life Church in Alexandria, and his wife Brenda Millender, 57, operated Micro-Enterprise Management Group (MEMG), a Virginia company that alleged to help poor people in developing countries by providing small, short-term loans to start or expand existing businesses by working with a network of established micro-finance institutions. The Millenders were founding members of MEMG, while Terry Millender served as chief executive officer. The Millenders recruited investors by emphasizing its Christian mission and use of the funds to help the poor, promising guaranteed rates of return, assuring investors that the loans’ principal was safe and backed by the assets of MEMG. The jury found that these representations were false and fraudulent, and that the money was actually used by the Millenders to conduct risky trading on the foreign exchange currency market, options trading, payments towards the purchase of a $1.75 million residence for the Millenders, and other personal expenses. To conceal how they had actually used the money, the Millenders falsely assured investors that they would get their money back and blamed delays in repaying investors on the 2008 financial crisis, among other things. 

In addition, after MEMG failed, the Millenders created another entity called Kingdom Commodities Unlimited (KCU), which purportedly specialized in the brokering of Nigerian oil deals. Multiple victims entered into loan agreements with the Millenders, totaling over $600,000. Like the MEMG agreements, the KCU agreements lured prospective investors into giving the Millenders money by promising high rates of return and short term loans. The Millenders used the KCU lenders’ money to pay for their rent and golf trips, as well as a birthday party and other personal expenses.

The Millenders face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on March 30, 2018. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Co-conspirator Grenetta Wells, 56, of Alexandria, who served as chief operating officer at MEMG, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 12, 2018.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Kimberly Lappin, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine L. Wong, Jamar K. Walker, and Kimberly R. Pedersen are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-239.

PRESS RELEASE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA
Laura A. Briggs, Clerk
46 East Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (November 17, 2017): The Honorable Jane E. Magnus-Stinson, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is pleased to announce the selection of attorney Doris L. Pryor as United States Magistrate Judge. Ms. Pryor’s appointment will be made upon completion of a Federal Bureau of Investigation background check, a process that can take several months. Once appointed, she will fill the vacancy created by the untimely death of Magistrate Judge Denise K. LaRue, who passed away on August 2, 2017.

Ms. Pryor is presently employed as the National Security Chief for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana and has served in that role since September 2014. From August 2006 until her appointment as National Security Chief, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. From August 2005 through August 2006, Ms. Pryor served as a Deputy Public Defender in the State of Arkansas Public Defender’s Commission. She also has served two terms as a law clerk, for Judge J. Leon Holmes in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas (August 2004-August 2005), and for Chief Judge Lavenski Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (August 2003-August 2004).

Chief Judge Stinson said, “The court eagerly anticipates welcoming Ms. Pryor to the bench. She has demonstrated ability to handle complex cases in her varying assignments as an Assistant United States Attorney. She has also demonstrated her commitment to the principle of equal justice under law during her laudable career with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and, before that, as a deputy public defender. My fellow judges and I know that Ms. Pryor will serve the litigants who appear before her in court with the same fairness and equanimity for which she is already renowned.”

The duties of Magistrate Judges in the Southern District of Indiana are demanding and wide-ranging. Ms. Pryor will conduct various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings in civil cases on delegation from a district judge, and preside over trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants. After a period of recusal, she will also conduct preliminary proceedings in criminal cases, and preside over trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases. Ms. Pryor will primarily serve in the Indianapolis Division of the Southern District and travel to the other divisional offices of the Court to hold proceedings and conduct settlement conferences.

Ms. Pryor was born in Hope, Arkansas, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1999 from the University of Central Arkansas, where she majored in political science. She obtained her law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2003 and was admitted to the bar the same year. Ms. Pryor has since been admitted to practice in numerous state and federal courts, including Indiana. Ms. Pryor is active in Indiana’s legal community. She is currently serving as the program chair for the Indianapolis branch of the Federal Bar Association and has previously served as the secretary and newsletter chair of that organization. Ms. Pryor is active in a number of other bar associations and chaired the Indianapolis Bar Association Diversity Job Fair’s Student Workshop in 2016 and 2017. Ms. Pryor was also instrumental in the development and growth of the Southern District of Indiana’s Re-entry And Community Help (REACH) federal re-entry courts, which give formerly incarcerated individuals access to resources, law enforcement officials, community leaders, and other experts to help the returning citizens transition successfully back into the community.

Ms. Pryor also serves her community as a board member of Goodwill Education Initiatives, Inc., and as the Young Adult Ministry Co-Director for the Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church. She is also passionate about the Just the Beginning Foundation, which is committed to developing and nurturing interest in the law among young persons from various socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds underrepresented in the legal profession.

Ms. Pryor lives in Carmel with her husband and son.

Magistrate Judges are appointed by the Judges of the United States District Courts for terms of eight years, and are eligible for reappointment to successive terms.

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Alin Madalin Munteanu, 37, of Romania, pleaded guilty, before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, to using a false passport. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that on August 12, 2017, in the Town of Webster, NY, Munteanu was encountered by local police and asked for identification. The defendant provided a forged Hungarian passport that had been issued to someone else but had been altered to include Munteanu’s photograph.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Charles Brandeis, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the Webster Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Rieger.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 23, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. before Chief Judge Geraci.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Tammy J. Lamere, age 46, of Granby, New York, pled guilty yesterday to crimes related to her sexual exploitation of a child, committed together with co-defendant Clif Seaway from 2010 – 2013, announced Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II, and Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Division of Homeland Security Investigations.

Lamere appeared yesterday before Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue, and admitted that from 2010 – 2013 she and Seaway conspired to sexually abuse a child, and that she and Seaway engaged in various sexual acts with that child, for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that abuse.  The child was between the ages of 6 and 11 during the time of the offenses, and images and videos of Lamere and Seaway took of their sexual abuse of the child were recovered in the investigation into their crimes.  Seaway was convicted of these and other offenses last week, following a jury trial. 

Sentencing is scheduled for April 18, 2018 in Syracuse. The defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years for each count of conviction, for a maximum possible sentence of 60 years in prison. The defendant will also be sentenced to serve a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life when released from imprisonment and will be required to register as a sex offender.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case was investigated by the New York State Police and Homeland Security Investigations with assistance provided by the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being  prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York, and Assistant United States Attorney Carina Schoenberger. 

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.