A Mexican national was sentenced today by United States District Judge Beth Bloom to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for drug trafficking and firearms violations.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Michael W. Meade, Acting Field Officer Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), Miami Field Office, Matthew A. Zetts, Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, and Peter J. Forcelli, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. 

Felipe Benitez Aguilar, 44, of West Palm Beach, previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine, felon in possession of a firearm, and alien in possession of a firearm.  

On September 19, 2017, a West Palm Beach Grand Jury returned a five-count indictment charging Aguilar with possession with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine, felon in possession of a firearm, alien in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and illegal re-entry after deportation or removal.  According to court documents, Aguilar was found in possession of over 30 kilogram-sized packages of cocaine, an UZI rifle, a revolver, and multiple rounds of ammunition.  Aguilar had been previously removed from the United States in February 2004 and again in July 2012.  Aguilar’s July 2012 removal followed his 37-month federal sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine.

Judge Bloom sentenced Aguilar to the mandatory-minimum term of 20 years in prison for the drug count, and concurrent terms of 10 years in prison on each firearms count.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the DEA, ICE-ERO, Border Patrol, and ATF.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rinku Tribuiani.

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer was arrested last night on charges of unlawful retention of national defense information.

Jerry Chun Shing Lee, aka “Zhen Cheng Li”, 53, was arrested after arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. Lee, who is a naturalized United States citizen, currently resides in Hong Kong, China. According to court documents, Lee began working for the CIA as a case officer in 1994, maintained a Top Secret clearance, and signed numerous non-disclosure agreements during his tenure at CIA.

According to court documents, in August 2012, Lee and his family left Hong Kong to return to the United States to live in northern Virginia. While traveling back to the United States, Lee and his family had hotel stays in Hawaii and Virginia. During each of the hotel stays, FBI agents conducted court-authorized searches of Lee’s room and luggage, and found that Lee was in unauthorized possession of materials relating to the national defense. Specifically, agents found two small books containing handwritten notes that contained classified information, including but not limited to, true names and phone numbers of assets and covert CIA employees, operational notes from asset meetings, operational meeting locations and locations of covert facilities.

Lee made his initial appearance this afternoon in the Eastern District of New York. He is charged with unlawful retention of national defense information and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Hammerstrom and Deputy Chief Elizabeth Cannon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section 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. 1:18-mj-18.

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

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MANUEL ANTONIO GUAMAN, 34, a citizen of Ecuador last residing in Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to six months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for passport fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, GUAMAN is a native and citizen of Ecuador.  On or about August 2, 2006, he submitted in person an application for a U.S. passport, in the name of another individual, at a U.S. Post Office in Waterbury.  Claiming to be this individual, GUAMAN presented to the passport acceptance agent a Puerto Rican birth certificate and a Connecticut identity card.  Neither the birth certificate nor the identity card reflected the defendant’s true identity.  GUAMAN signed the passport application under oath claiming to be this other individual.  This passport was issued and used by GUAMAN to travel between the U.S. and Ecuador in 2012. 

On October 23, 2014, GUAMAN submitted a passport renewal application, and provided the previous passport as proof of his identity and U.S. citizenship.  On December 31, 2015, after conducting an investigation, law enforcement interviewed GUAMAN while he was incarcerated in a Connecticut Department of Correction facility.  GUAMAN admitted that he had signed and submitted the above-referenced passport renewal application, and that he was not the person whom he had claimed to be in the application.

On July 11, 2017, GUAMAN pleaded guilty to one count of use of a passport secured by false statement and one count of making a false statement in a passport application.

GUAMAN is currently serving a state sentence for assault in the first degree.  He will be removed to Ecuador after serving his state and federal prison terms.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.

     FLAGSTAFF – Last week, Gary Cody Francis, 55, of Chinle, Ariz., was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen M. McNamee to 156 months in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release.  Francis had previously pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact with a minor.

     On Sept. 8, 2016, Francis, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, knowingly engaged in sexual contact with the minor victim, who is also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Division of Public Safety Criminal Investigations. The prosecution was handled by Christina Covault, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-16-8267-PCT-SMM

RELEASE NUMBER:    2018-002_Francis

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Jose Donaldo Vasquez-Santelis, 33, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Benton to a term of five months in prison for being illegally present in the United States after having previously been removed by immigration officials, announced Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Vasquez-Santelis was charged by a Federal Grand Jury on September 6, 2017, with being an illegal alien unlawfully present in the United States and pled guilty to that offense on October 26. Vasquez-Santelis was arrested by Immigration agents on August 7, 2017, in Marion, Illinois.

Evidence supporting the guilty plea and sentence showed that Vasquez-Santelis had previously been removed or deported from the United States on two prior occasions. Vasquez-Santelis claimed that he last re-entered the country illegally in 2010.

In addition to the five-month term of imprisonment, Vasquez-Santelis was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. After serving his term of imprisonment, Vasquez-Santelis will be removed or deported to Honduras by immigration officials.

Following his sentencing, Vasquez-Santelis was returned to the custody of the United States Marshal who will hold him until Immigration agents take him into their custody.

The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.

NEWARK, N.J. – An Elizabeth, New Jersey, man today admitted robbing four banks in January 2017, including a TD Bank in Bergen County, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.  
                        
Israel Cosme, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an information charging him with four counts of bank robbery. Cosme was originally arrested Jan. 24, 2017 in connection with two of the bank robberies committed in Maryland.

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

Cosme admitted that on Jan. 15, 2017, he robbed a TD Bank in Little Ferry, New Jersey. During the robbery, Cosme verbally demanded money and told a teller that he would shoot her if she didn’t comply.

Cosme also admitted robbing a TD Bank in New York on Jan. 12, 2017; a TD Bank in Essex, Maryland, on Jan. 22, 2017; and a TD Bank in Baltimore, Maryland, on Jan. 23, 2017. During all three of these robberies, Cosme handed tellers a note demanding money and stating that he had a gun.
    
Each bank robbery charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2018.
            
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked the Little Ferry Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ralph Verdi, for its assistance.
    
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
    
Defense counsel: K. Anthony Thomas Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
 

Vicente Santiago-Castro, 40, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Benton to a term of 16 months in prison for being illegally present in the United States after having previously been removed by immigration officials, announced Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Santiago-Castro was charged by a Federal Grand Jury on September 6, 2017, with being an illegal alien unlawfully present in the United States and pled guilty to that offense on October 26. Santiago-Castro was arrested by Immigration agents on September 2, 2017, in Harrisburg, Illinois.

Evidence supporting the guilty plea and sentence showed that Santiago-Castro had previously been removed or deported from the United States on seven prior occasions.

In addition to the 16-month term of imprisonment, Vasquez-Santelis was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. After serving his term of imprisonment, Santiago-Castro will be removed or deported to Mexico by immigration officials.

Following his sentencing, Santiago-Castro was returned to the custody of the United States Marshal pending his designation to a facility by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.

PHILADELPHIA – Matthew Maffei, aka “Uncle Matt,” of Aston, Delaware County, PA, was sentenced today to 90 years in federal prison for his manufacture of sexually explicit images of the 7-year old daughter of his childhood friend, and the transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography.  The Honorable Mitchell S. Goldberg, United States Disitirct Judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, also imposed lifetime supervised release, a $20,000 assessment pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, $5,000 in restitution, and a $400 special assessment.  Maffei, a first time offender, previously pled guilty to all charges in the federal indictment.

The Government sought the statutory maximum sentence of 90 years based on the defendant’s horrific sexual abuse of the young victim.  Maffei sexually abused the 7-year old child in the victim’s own home, as her parents slept in the next bedroom.  He also forced the victim’s 5-year old brother to witness his abuse of the 7-year old on one occasion, and threatened to kill both children if they told their parents what Maffei had done.  As part of the sexual assaults on this child, the defendant defecated on her face.  Calling the sexual assaults “unspeakable,” the District Court imposed a prison sentence of 90 years, asking the parents to assure the victim and her brother that “this defendant will never in this lifetime be released from custody.” 

The case was investigated by the FBI in conjunction with the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC), as well as the Middleton Township, DE Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Christopher D. Barker, of Columbus, Ohio, has admitted today to failing to update his sex offender registration, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Barker, also known as Christopher D. Cooper, age 29, pled guilty to one count of “Failure to Update Registration as a Sex Offender - SORNA.” Barker, having previously been convicted as a sex offender, admitted to changing addresses without updating his sex offender registration. The crime occurred from August to October 2017 in Ohio County, West Virginia and elsewhere.

Barker faces up to ten years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshal Service is investigating. 
 
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.

ALBUQUERQUE – Nicolas Robert Muniz, 26, of Monahans, Tex., pled guilty this afternoon in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to violating federal drug trafficking and firearms laws under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Muniz was charged by criminal complaint on June 5, 2017, after law enforcement officers seized approximately 504 grams of methamphetamine, 50 grams of marijuana, and firearms and ammunition from Muniz’s vehicle following a routine traffic stop.  During the traffic stop, Muniz allegedly acted suspicious and nervous causing the officers to deploy a drug detection canine on the vehicle, and the canine allegedly alerted the officers to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle.

Muniz and his codefendant Michael Dwain Samples, 26, also of Monahans, Tex., were subsequently charged in a six-count indictment on Sept. 13, 2017.  Muniz and Samples were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  Muniz was charged individually with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  Samples was charged individually with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  According to the indictment, the offenses took place on May 16, 2017, in Lea County, N.M.  Samples was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he was previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance.  Muniz was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he was previously convicted of theft of property.

During today’s proceedings, Muniz pled guilty to a four-count felony information charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  In entering the guilty plea, Muniz admitted that on May 16, 2017, he agreed to drive Samples from Monahans, Texas to Carlsbad, N.M., to purchase approximately 469 grams of methamphetamine.  Muniz further admitted that there was a firearm loaded with several rounds of ammunition under Muniz’s seat in the vehicle Muniz was driving.  Muniz admitted that he possessed the firearm and ammunition despite his status as a convicted felon on May 16, 2017, for protection and in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.

On Oct. 31, 2017, Samples pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  In entering the guilty plea, Samples admitted that on May 16, 2017, he traveled from Monahans, Texas, to Carlsbad, to purchase approximately 469 grams of methamphetamine with the intention of distributing the methamphetamine to other people in exchange for money.  Samples further admitted that on May 16, 2017, he was in possession of a firearm and ammunition despite his status as a convicted felon. 

At sentencing, Muniz faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison and a mandatory penalty of five years in federal prison which must be serviced consecutive to any other sentence imposed.  Samples faces a statutory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.  Muniz and Samples remain in custody pending sentencing hearings which have yet to be scheduled. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brock E. Taylor and Joni L. Autrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Dorchester man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a $4 million bank fraud scheme.

Charles Washington, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf to 126 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $1,836,819 and a fine of $30,000.  In August 2017, Washington pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy and four counts of bank fraud for his role in coordinating unauthorized withdrawals from federally insured banks.

Washington obtained bank account information, personally identifiable information, and sample signatures from bank customers with high balances. He then recruited runners to impersonate the account holders in order to make unauthorized withdrawals by obtaining and distributing fake driver’s licenses to the runners that bore the runners’ photographs with the account holders’ personal information. Washington instructed the runners on how to forge the victims’ signatures.  To avoid detection, runners withdrew money from victims’ accounts at several different bank branches.

Washington and others also recruited runners to open bank accounts (known as drop accounts) in the name of non-existent businesses (known as shell business).  The shell businesses were registered and named as if they were title companies, property management companies, contracting businesses, and other businesses for which incoming large-dollar wire transfers would not be unusual.  Washington provided the shell businesses’ information to co-conspirators who made unauthorized wire transfers in the hundreds of thousands of dollars into the drop accounts. Once the drop accounts were funded with unauthorized wire transfers, Washington and the co-conspirators accompanied runners to bank branches to withdraw the money -- in cash, by check, or by wire transfers to other drop accounts -- before the victims of the unauthorized wire transfers realized that their accounts had been compromised.

Washington and the co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to approximately $4 million - either in bank accounts that they took over, or in proceeds unlawfully wired to drop accounts for withdrawal - and successfully withdrew approximately $2 million. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit prosecuted the case.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man who worked as an emergency medical technician and volunteer firefighter today admitted enticing a child to produce sexually explicit images, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Zachary Motta, 23, of Iselin, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

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

Beginning in October 2016, Motta communicated with an underage boy who told Motta he was 12 years old. Motta used a computer and internet connection to ask the victim to send a picture of himself nude, which he did.

The count to which Motta pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for May 10, 2018.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Newark Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

BOSTON – A leader of MS-13’s Hollywood Loco Salvatrucha (HLS) clique was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for racketeering conspiracy.

Henry Santos Gomez, a/k/a “Renegado,” 32, a Salvadoran national who previously resided in Revere, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to six years in prison and three years of supervised release.  Santos Gomez will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence.  In October 2017, Santos Gomez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.

After a multi-year investigation, Santos Gomez was one of 61 individuals named in a superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13.  The investigation revealed that Santos Gomez was a leader and “homeboy,” or full member, of the HLS clique.  A search warrant executed at Santos Gomez’s residence resulted in the seizure of MS-13 paraphernalia and weapons. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; Somerville Police Chief David Fallon; and Herndon (VA) Police Chief Maggie A. DeBoard made the announcement. 

HAMMOND – The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced that John Buncich, age 72, of Crown Point, Indiana was sentenced before District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody.  Buncich was sentenced to 188 months imprisonment, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $800 in restitution along with a $250,000 fine. 

In August of 2017, following a 14-day jury trial,  Buncich was convicted of all 6 counts of a superseding indictment.

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

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

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

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

United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II states, “Today’s sentence sends a strong message that betrayal of public trust will not be tolerated.  All citizens deserve public officials who act honestly and who work for the public interest and not their own interest.  My Office will continue to vigorously pursue public officials who use there office as a means for illicit personal gain.”

"Today’s sentencing emphasizes that public officials who abuse their positions for personal financial gain at the expense of taxpayers will not be tolerated,” said W. Jay Abbott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Division. "The FBI and our federal, state, and local partners will continue to aggressively pursue those across Indiana who corrupt their office for self-serving motives."

Gabriel Grchan, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge stated, "Taxpayers expect their elected officials to protect and improve their communities.  Rather than serve his community Buncich abused his position and devised a pay-to-play towing scheme that benefited him and few others financially. We hope today’s sentence will dissuade others who hold these positions which hinge on the public’s trust from engaging in similar criminal activity.”  

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

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BOSTON - A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for an immigration crime.

Manolo Sosa-Nieves, 45, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release.  Sosa-Nieves will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence.  In August 2017, Sosa-Nieves pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry after deportation.

On April 14, 2017, Sosa-Nieves was arrested in Lawrence on unrelated state charges and determined to be unlawfully present in the United States; he had previously been deported on Aug. 21, 2002.    

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography.  The defendant faced a mandatory minimum sentence due to a prior state conviction for statutory rape.

Alex Germaine, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In September 2017, Germaine pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

After Germaine accessed a Russian child pornography website, law enforcement executed a search warrant on July 29, 2016, and seized Germaine’s cell phone, which revealed multiple images of child pornography, including one involving a sex act perpetrated by an adult male against a prepubescent female. A subsequent search warrant was executed on Nov. 10, 2016, at Germaine’s residence in Springfield, where law enforcement seized computer discs containing child pornography.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and West Springfield Police Chief Ronald Campurciani made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.          

BOISE – Anthony Allen Bernal, 28, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  A federal grand jury indicted Bernal on September 14, 2017.  The indictment alleged that Bernal possessed a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony crime.

According to court records, in June 2017, law enforcement was searching for Bernal due to a failure to appear warrant on an unrelated state case.  An officer observed Bernal in the passenger seat of a vehicle driving in Nampa.  The officer stopped the vehicle and arrested Bernal.  Inside, where Bernal had been seated, officers located a 9mm caliber pistol and a .45 caliber pistol.

Sentencing is set for April 17, 2018, before U.S. District Court Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Boise.

Unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to ten years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. 

 This case was investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force.  The Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. 

This case is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes.  The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.  For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

RALEIGH– Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina joined law enforcement and local area houses of worship in presenting training to security personnel from diverse faith communities on protecting religious institutions and houses of worship from violence.  This one-day Protecting Houses of Worship Seminar was held at Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina and was attended by nearly 450 people representing local churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques.

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. opened the training remarking, “Faith leaders typically have limited contact with local law enforcement agencies.  Yet establishing a partnership before an emergency arises is a key component of a security plan.  We are fortunate in that all across the Eastern District of North Carolina we have well trained and experienced law enforcement who want to help you.  They want to ensure that you have the opportunity to worship and to do the work of your faith without fear of violence, without any difficulty and in complete safety.  They want to partner with you.” 

Through presentations and panel discussions, participantslearned about security awareness for places of worship, as well as the various means by which law enforcement provides support to protecting houses of worship.  Attendees heard from members of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Apex Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and Cary Police Department during this training.  In order to foster continued discussion among the attendees, representatives of local area houses of worship participated in a panel during which they discussed their particular experiences managing security for their respective house of worship.

This training was designed to support one of the Attorney General’s priorities to ensure that all Americans feel free to worship in a place of their choosing without the fear of violence or intimidation.

The United States Attorney’s Office plans to hold additional such trainings in the future throughout the Eastern District of North Carolina.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jason Leroy Geiser, 36, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to two years and four months in prison for conspiracy to possess stolen U.S. mail and the unlawful possession of credit and debit cards, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Judge Drozd also ordered the forfeiture of $85,000.

According to court documents, between October 1, 2016, and March 2, 2017, Geiser conspired with others to steal mail and to use information and credit and debit cards obtained from the stolen mail for their own monetary benefit.

According to the plea agreement, on October 17, 2016, Geiser stole mail from a community mailbox. Based on information from an eyewitness, police officers were able to follow Geiser to an empty house where they found him and another person with stolen mail in plain view. More stolen mail and two unauthorized credit cards were found in Geiser’s vehicle. On December 9, 2016, police officers found Geiser at a local hotel with two other individuals in possession of stolen mail and 18 stolen credit and debit cards.

On January 4, 2017, Geiser stole mail from a community mailbox, and based on information from an eyewitness, officers were able to determine that the thief was Geiser and went to his home. They found a large amount of mail in Geiser’s vehicle, his home, and a shed in his back yard. Eighty-four stolen, unauthorized credit or debit cards were seized in this search. On March 2, 2017, he was arrested by officers with the Bakersfield Police Department on an active warrant and a search of his vehicle resulted in the recovery of a large amount of mail and 64 stolen or unauthorized credit and debit cards.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.