John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment today charging KENNETH MIX, 59, of Edensburg, Pennsylvania, with one count of making a false statement. 

According to the indictment, Under Bridge Inspection (“UBI”) vehicles are vehicles that contain a moveable boom with a platform.  The vehicles are used to conduct inspections of bridges by positioning the vehicle on top of the bridge and, using the boom, lifting a platform carrying inspectors alongside or beneath a bridge deck.  “Company A” rents or leases bridge access equipment, including UBI vehicles, to engineering companies and government agencies for use on bridge inspection and bridge maintenance projects.  Company A’s UBI vehicles travel on interstate highways to job locations throughout the U.S.  Company A has several locations, including one in Connecticut.

MIX was the Equipment Supervisor for Company A.  The indictment alleges that, between approximately January 2012 and January 2015, MIX participated in the creation of false or fictitious Certificates of Unit Test/Examination of Material Handling Device for the UBI vehicles in Company A’s fleet.  The Certificates represented that a UBI vehicle was examined and that the examination met federal requirements when MIX knew that, in fact, an examination was not conducted as set forth on the Certificates.

If convicted of the offense, MIX faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

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 U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on March 2, 2018, United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Kassandra Martin, age 36, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to 60 months’ imprisonment, for conspiring to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Martin pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances in Pennsylvania between approximately November 2016 through February 2017.  Martin admitted to transporting controlled substances from New York to Pennsylvania, where she and other members of the conspiracy redistributed them.  On February 8, 2017, Martin and two other individuals were arrested after a traffic stop that recovered 18 grams of heroin and 56 grams of crack cocaine from the vehicle’s occupants.  Martin admitted that she trafficked in excess of 28 grams of crack cocaine and in excess of 100 grams of heroin (which is the equivalent of 4,000 potentially fatal doses of heroin).

Martin was charged in June 2017, with 14 other individuals.  She is the first of the defendants to be sentenced.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kingston Police Department, and by the Luzerne County Drug Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.

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.

This case also was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

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MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – An El Salvador man has admitted to being in the United States illegally, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Norman Enrique Rodriguez, age 37, pled guilty to one count of “Reentry of a Removed Alien.” Rodriguez, having been removed as an illegal alien from the United States in 2011, admitted to being in Jefferson County, West Virginia on January 12, 2018. 

Rodriguez faces up to two 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 Lara K. Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 
 
U.S. Magistrate Robert W. Trumble presided.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A New York man pleaded guilty today to defrauding an automobile dealers association out of more than $1.1 million in an email phishing scam.

According to court documents, Olajide Abraham Eyitayo, 46, of Hempstead, opened three banking accounts in January 2016 using a company that he formed in New York. From January through April 2016, the accounts were essentially dormant, and as of April 25, 2016, the combined balances of the three accounts were less than five dollars. On that day, a Tysons, Virginia-based auto dealers association approved a payment of more than $280,000 intended for a travel vendor, but the payment went to one of Eyitayo’s accounts. The association had changed the payment information for the vendor the month before, when a “spoof” email impersonating that vendor requested the payment information be changed to the account number that belonged to Eyitayo.

Over the next several months, Eyitayo received two more payments into his account that were intended for the association’s travel vendor. In total, Eyitayo received more than $1.1 million in fraudulent proceeds. Eyitayo spent and laundered the money in a variety of ways designed to conceal the scheme and the recipients of the crime’s proceeds. For example, Eyitayo purchased cars that he sent to his brother in Nigeria, wired money to and from various bank accounts and third parties, and spent other proceeds on personal expenses.

When the victim and bank caught on, Eyitayo told a variety of false and misleading stories to bank officials and law enforcement, and claimed that he worked in the lingerie business and falsely claimed that the first fraudulent deposit was for that business.

Eyitayo pleaded guilty to wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on June 15. 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.

Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting 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 after U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamar K. Walker and Ryan S. Faulconer 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. 1:17-cr-269.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man pleaded guilty today to threatening to murder African-Americans at Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C.

According to court documents, on the night of Nov. 11, 2015, John Edgar Rust, 26, entered a restaurant in Alexandria, connected his computer and laptop to the store’s wireless Internet connection, and posted a threat online to murder African-Americans at Howard University the next day. He posted a statement on another Internet bulletin board several minutes later, under the user name “watchouthoward,” that linked to his first post.  He was on probation at the time for committing another crime. 

Rust pleaded guilty to transmission in interstate commerce of a communication containing threats to injure the person of another and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on July 20. 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.

Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting 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 after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas U. Murphy and Maya D. Song 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. 1:17-cr-290.

     TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, Emmanuel Ahumada Flores, 32, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 14 years’ imprisonment.  Flores had previously pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact with a child.           

     Flores admitted to engaging in abusive sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 between January 2013 and August 2015.  Both Flores and the victim are members of the Pascua Yaqui Nation.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pascua Yaqui Police Department, with assistance provided by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.  The prosecution was handled by Matthew C. Cassell and Heather N. Siegele, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

CASE NUMBER:                   CR-16-0638-TUC-JGZ-LAB

RELEASE NUMBER:           2018-022_Flores

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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.

ALBUQUERQUE – This morning, a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., found probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging Joshua Alexander Jimenez, 23, of El Paso, Texas, with a methamphetamine trafficking offense arising out of the seizure of 18 pounds of methamphetamine at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in southern New Mexico on Feb. 26, 2018.  Jimenez was remanded into custody pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled.

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Jimenez on Feb. 26, 2018, after seizing approximately 8.25 kilograms (18.2 pounds) of methamphetamine allegedly concealed in Jimenez’s vehicle.  According to the criminal complaint, the agents found the methamphetamine while inspecting the vehicle at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 54 south of Alamogordo, N.M., in Otero County, N.M.

If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Jimenez faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.  Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Las Cruces office of the DEA.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey is prosecuting the case.

NEWARK, N.J. – Federal and local law enforcement authorities arrested six people today for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin in Newark, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Tyrone Brown, 34, Lamarr Burwell, 22, and Miles McCloud, 37, all of Newark, and Martin Pettiford, 23, of Irvington, New Jersey, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and one or more counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin. Tyrone Brown is also charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue. Omar Wyche, 29, of Newark, and Keyeen Scott, 37, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, were each charged with one or more counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin.

Five of the defendants are scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court today; Keyeen Scott is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kaymani D. West in Florence, South Carolina.

“The activities described in the criminal complaints unsealed today describe an active marketplace where heroin and crack cocaine are sold openly on the streets of Newark and surrounding areas,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “The wiretaps and surveillance provide a glimpse into the violent and dangerous world these defendants have created in one neighborhood. Our office, working together with our federal and local law enforcement partners, is focusing on ridding neighborhoods of just this type of activity, one gang at a time. Today’s arrests signal an important new beginning in our fight to retake our streets from dangerous gangs and drug dealers.”

“Gangs are the mechanism by which drugs are transmitted to the ‘bad seeds’ in our cities, and are at the root of the violent crime problem,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher said. “The FBI Newark Field Office is committed to making Newark, and its surrounding communities, a safe place to be. The most effective way to combat this epidemic of violence is through cooperation; the efforts of all law enforcement agencies with the support and understanding of the citizens whom we protect and serve.”

“We appreciate our partnership with U.S. Attorney Craig Carpentino and Special Agent in Charge, Timothy Gallagher of the F.B.I. in Newark for lending their invaluable law enforcement expertise and resources in the apprehension of these suspects,” Newark Department of Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.  “These arrests represent our commitment to ensuring that the neighborhood in and around New Community Corporation complex is free from individuals who blatantly commit crimes and jeopardize the safety and quality of life of our residents. We will continue working tirelessly with our federal and local law enforcement partners to keep Newark safe.”

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

The defendants are allegedly members of a drug trafficking organization that dealt heroin in and around Newark, specifically the area of Hayes Street and 14th Avenue near the New Community Corp. community development (NCC). The organization also supplied drugs to customers and other distributors elsewhere.

The organization is composed of members of the Brick City Brims set of the Bloods street gang. The investigation revealed that in addition to selling narcotics in and around NCC – primarily in a courtyard area they refer to as “the desert” – the members of the drug trafficking organization alerted each other to the presence of police, rival gang members or drug dealers within NCC; pooled narcotics; shared narcotics proceeds and customers; and raised bail money for each other following an arrest. Members of the organization have also engaged in violence and been the subject of violence in connection with their narcotics trafficking activities.

An investigation led by the FBI used physical and video surveillance, confidential informants, cooperating witnesses, dozens of controlled narcotics purchases, record checks, narcotics seizures, including of heroin, and multiple telephone wiretaps to uncover the operations of the drug trafficking organization.

The count of drug trafficking conspiracy carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. The drug possession counts carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge  Gallagher in Newark, and members of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to the charges.

He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the New Jersey Department of Corrections, New Jersey State Parole, the East Orange Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals for their assistance.

The drug trafficking organization operating out of the NCC was an original focus of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around the Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole Board, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit Division in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officer Michael Mazar, 39, of Hollywood, pled guilty in connection with a mail and wire fraud scheme orchestrated from a Miami federal prison.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Robert A. Bourbon, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

According to information disclosed in court, Mazar was employed as a BOP correctional officer at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, Florida, from July 2009 through April 2017.  In February 2017, Mazar provided co-conspirator James Sabatino, an inmate, with several cellular telephones and other items.  Using the contraband cellular telephones provided by Mazar, Sabatino contacted several retail and jewelry store employees and brand representatives via telephone calls, e-mails, and text messages. Sabatino pretended to be an employee of various film and music companies and convinced the victims to send retail items such as handbags, wristwatches, apparel, and jewelry to various locations in South Florida and elsewhere.

According to the Indictment, the victim companies shipped the retail items and jewelry to Sabatino’s co-conspirators, who then sold the fraudulently obtained items at pawnshops and jewelry stores in South Florida and elsewhere. Mazar received the ill-gotten proceeds, including retail items, jewelry, and U.S. currency, from these co-conspirators and stored them at his residence.

According to information disclosed in court, Sabatino, while in prison, directed Mazar and other co-conspirators to travel to Atlanta, Georgia, from South Florida, in order to transport and sell several pieces of fraudulently obtained jewelry valued at over $3 million. Mazar transported a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the stolen jewelry from Atlanta, Georgia, to South Florida.

Sabatino previously pled guilty to a related racketeering charge in Southern District of Florida case number 16-20519-CR-Lenard. On November 13, 2017, Sabatino was sentenced to a term of 20 years imprisonment.

Mazar pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.  At sentencing, Mazar faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years imprisonment.  Sentencing is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke, on May 30, 2018.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and DOJ-OIG.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Browne and Nalina Sombuntham.

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.

A man whose criminal history includes attempted first degree murder, attempted armed robbery, and being an accessory after the fact to armed robbery, was sentenced today to more than 3 years in federal prison.

Edward Whitney, age 39, from Iowa Falls, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 17, 2017, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

At the guilty plea, Whitney admitted he possessed a Remington Arms .22 caliber rifle in June 2017, at his home in Iowa Falls.  Information disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that police went to Whitney’s residence after receiving a report of a domestic assault.  During the investigation, officers located the .22 caliber rifle hidden under the couch cushions.

Whitney was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Whitney was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Whitney is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Iowa Falls Police Department. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 17-CR-61.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City, New Jersey, woman was charged today with possessing a weapon as a previously convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Shahouna Dutton, 24, is charged by complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Dutton was arrested at her home by special agents of the FBI. She made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court and was detained.

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

On Feb. 22, 2018, investigators from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office executed a search warrant at Dutton’s home to look for further evidence of Dutton’s witness tampering related to a homicide case pending in Hudson County, which was scheduled to begin on Feb. 27, 2018. Investigators found a loaded .22 caliber handgun in Dutton’s bedroom. Dutton has two prior felony convictions in the State of New Jersey and is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.  

The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited FBI special agents, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, with the investigation leading to the arrest. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Department of Public Safety Director James Shea, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Robert Frazer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

ROME, Ga. -- Federal and state agents have arrested 23 members and associates of the Ghostface Gangsters prison gang, which originated in the Cobb County, Georgia jail in 2000, and has since spread through Georgia jails, prisons, and beyond.  A federal grand jury returned a 21-count indictment on Feb. 8, 2018, which was recently unsealed.  The crimes alleged in the indictment range from wire fraud to murder.

“An attack on our law enforcement officers is an attack on all of us and can never be tolerated,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Law enforcement officers are the thin blue line standing between law abiding people and the violent gangs and criminals who peddle poison to our young people, terrorize our communities, and attempt to impose a false sovereignty over our neighborhoods. President Trump has ordered us to improve the safety of our law enforcement officers, and at the Department of Justice, we are carrying out that order. I want to thank everyone who helped make today’s arrests possible, including ATF and the FBI, as well as more than a dozen state and local law enforcement agencies across Georgia and Alabama. Today’s arrests will help us achieve justice for the officers who have sacrificed so much and to follow President Trump’s order to back the men and women in blue.”

“The Ghostface Gangsters gang is very violent and their members will not hesitate to shoot at anyone,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “Members have allegedly committed drug trafficking crimes inside and outside of prisons to make money, while committing violent crimes against each other, innocent citizens, and police officers.  We are partnering with local and state law enforcement agencies, including the Georgia Department of Corrections, to stop this criminal enterprise.  If convicted, the defendants will be removed to federal facilities all across the United States.”

“As a result of this operation, ATF has disrupted a dangerous and pervasive threat to the local community,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge John Schmidt. “The Ghostface Gangsters gang flourished through recruitment, intimidation, and perpetration of heinous crimes, and it is critical that law enforcement agencies take aggressive actions against these criminals.  This investigation is an example of ATF remaining on the frontline of preventing violent crime through excellent cooperation with our law enforcement partners.”

“The recent federal indictments of this dangerous gang demonstrates how effective and important interagency collaboration is between federal, state, and local partners, and also demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement entities at every level to keep the communities across this nation as safe as possible,” said Chief Michael Register, Cobb County Police Department.

“As part of our commitment to ridding our prisons of criminal activity, we maintain a robust plan for identifying and managing those participating in gang activity,” said Corrections Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier.  “The use of contraband cell phones by these individuals as a tool to carry out their crimes, is a fight we continue to battle.  We appreciate the support and assistance of our law enforcement partners on every level, in our efforts to see that justice is being served on those who pose a threat to the safety of the public and the operations of our facilities.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court:  Beginning in the year 2000, the defendants named in the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) conspiracy charge allegedly plotted to commit murders, kidnapping, firearm crimes, drug trafficking, assault, witness tampering, wire fraud and other crimes in furtherance of the Ghostface Gangsters criminal enterprise.  Other members and associates are charged in a drug conspiracy, and with separate counts of Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering, including carjacking, attempted murder, kidnapping, assault with serious bodily injury and maiming.

Ghostface Gangsters are organized into different positions of leadership, including the founding pillars, those having a “seat at the table,” “First Lady,” state-wide positions consisting of security, violator, structure board, education coordinator, living coordinator, communications coordinator, investigator, enforcement coordinator, recruiter, planning and strategy, treasurer, legal coordinator, meeting coordinator and event coordinator. 

Members within the prisons used contraband cell phones to continue their drug sales both within and outside the prison, and used the phones to communicate regularly with other gang members one-on-one and even conducted video conferences with multiple members about decisions to be made by the gang. 

Since the early 2000’s, Ghostface Gangsters and their associates have trafficked methamphetamine, marijuana and illegal pills, both inside and outside prisons throughout Georgia. Some of the defendants in this case have committed multiple violent acts to include:

On July 5, 2016, defendant Victor Manuel Dejesus allegedly violently carjacked a citizen using a firearm and threatened to kill her.  He took the car, then picked up defendant Christopher Marlow, and together they fled from a Cobb County Deputy Sheriff. Dejesus shot at the deputy from inside the car and later threw the gun out the window.  The gun was later turned over to police after a citizen found it lying on the side of the road.

• On December 2, 2016, defendant Cody Ryan Todd, upon receiving an order from defendant David Gene Powell, allegedly joined other GFG members to kidnap one of their own members for violating gang rules. Todd and the other members of the GFG beat the victim badly, including trying to pull out his teeth with pliers.  They videotaped the incident, which showed the victim lying down and pleading for help because he could not breathe.
   
• In December of 2016, defendants Christopher Jarman Davis and Jonathan Stubbs, under the orders of defendant Jeffrey Alan Bourassa, allegedly kidnapped another GFG member, held him at gunpoint and cut off his tattoo with a knife.
   
• On March 8, 2017, defendant William J. Goodman allegedly stabbed another GFG member in the neck and back for violating gang rules, causing severe blood loss, serious bodily injury, and a collapsed lung.
   
• On October 29, 2016, defendant Richard B. Sosebee shot a man in the eye during a drug deal, causing him to lose his eye.
   
• On December 11, 2017, defendant Kevin Scott Sosebee was a passenger in a car pulled over in a traffic stop.  The Cobb County Police officer who pulled the car over was alone.  Before the officer could exit his car, Sosebee allegedly shot at him several times and then fled from the officer.
   

The RICO conspiracy charge names the following defendants:

• Jeffrey Alan Bourassa, a/k/a “J.B.,” “Babyface,” and “Kid,” 35, of Cobb County, Georgia, is a founding pillar of GFG.  Bourassa is also charged with aiding and abetting another person by kidnapping and maiming a fellow GFG member;
• Kevin Scott Sosebee, a/k/a “Sosa,” 27, of Cobb County, Georgia, is also charged with the attempted murder of a Cobb County Police Officer;
• David Gene Powell, a/k/a “Davo,” of Cobb County, Georgia, 40, is a founding pillar of GFG.  He is also charged with aiding and abetting another person by kidnapping and assaulting a fellow GFG member;
• Victor Manuel Dejesus, a/k/a “VG Vic,” 36, of Gwinnett County, Georgia.  Dejesus is also charged with carjacking, attempted murder of a Cobb County deputy sheriff, and using a firearm during a crime of violence;
• Richard Brian Sosebee, a/k/a “Dirty,” 42, of Hall County, Georgia, is also charged with attempted murder and other firearms charges;
• Jonathan Stubbs, 29, of Hamilton County, Tennessee, is also charged with aiding and abetting one other by kidnapping and maiming a fellow GFG member;
• Cody Ryan Todd, 28, of Carroll County, Georgia.  He is also charged with aiding and abetting another person by kidnapping and assaulting a fellow GFG member;
• Toby James Ogletree, 42, of Spalding County, Georgia;
• Cheri Lea Rau, 59, of Cobb County, Georgia.

The following defendants are also named in the drug conspiracy:

• Joseph M. Propps, a/k/a “JP,” 39, of Cobb County, Georgia;
• Marc Avon Lefevre, Jr,  a/k/a “Ghost,” 32, of Cobb County, Georgia;
• Christopher Lasher, a/k/a/ “Retta,” 35, of Marietta, Georgia;
• Genevieve Waits, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio;
• Christopher Steven Jones, a/k/a “Red,” 34, of Cherokee County, Georgia;
• Samantha Miller, 26, of Cobb County, Georgia;
• Hailey Danielle Sizemore, 27, of Douglas County, Georgia;
• Kayli Brewer, 26, of Cobb County, Georgia;
• Brittany Nicole Jones, 30, of Rockdale County, Georgia;
• David Gene Powell, a/k/a “Davo;”
• Jeffrey Alan Bourassa, a/k/a “J.B.,” “Babyface;”
• Cheri Lea Rau; and
• Toby James Ogletree.
   

Additional defendants and their charges are as follows:

• Christopher Marlow a/k/a “Loko,” 28, of Cobb County, Georgia, is charged with attempted murder of the Cobb County deputy sheriff and firearm charge.
• Christopher Jarman Davis, 27, of Walker County, Georgia, along with Jonathan Stubbs and Jeffrey Bourassa, is charged with aiding and abetting one other by kidnapping and maiming a fellow GFG member.
• William J. Goodman, aka “JBeenlivin’good” and “JGood,” 24, of Paulding County, Georgia, is charged with attempted murder of a fellow GFG member.
• Kelly Ray Shiflett, 30, of Floyd County, Georgia, is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm; and
• Randall Arthur Lee Chumley, 36, of Pickens County, Georgia, is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and other drug and firearm charges.

 
Several defendants in the indictment were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Walter E. Johnson.  Twenty gang members were already in custody on state or local charges and will be arraigned in the next few days.  Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges, and that the defendants are presumed innocent of the charges.  It will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
 
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cobb County Police Department with the assistance of the Georgia Department of Corrections and the following agencies:  Marietta Cobb Smyrna/Cobb Anti-Gang Enforcement (CAGE), Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Marietta Police Department, Cobb District Attorney’s Office, Criminal Investigations Division and Criminal Intelligence Unit of the Georgia Department of Corrections, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Ball Ground Police Department, Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office/Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglasville Police Department, Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, FBI, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, Floyd County Police Department, Rome/Floyd Metro Task Force, Floyd County District Attorney’s Office, Carrollton Police Department, Carroll County District Attorney’s Office/Coweta Judicial Circuit, Gainesville Police Department, Hall County District Attorney’s Office, Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Pickens County District Attorney’s Office/Appalachian Judicial Circuit, Jefferson County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office, Metro Area Crime Center,  Jefferson County, Alabama District Attorney’s Office/Alabama Tenth Judicial Circuit, Georgia Department of Community Supervision,  Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Newton County Sheriff’s Office, Covington Police Department,  Walton/Newton County District Attorney’s Office/Alcovy Judicial Circuit, Drug Enforcement Administration – Chattanooga Field Office, Murray County Sheriff’s Office, and the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Hoffer and Jolee Porter, and Trial Attorney John Hanley of the Department of Justice Criminal Division.
 
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

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

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. announced today that Michael Krepp, 58, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and distribution of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between September 9, 2017, and January 22, 2018, an FBI Special Agent, working undercover, discovered multiple files containing videos and images of child pornography. Some of the videos and images depicted prepubescent children in sexual situations. Investigators determined that the IP address connected to the files resolved to one utilized by the defendant. Digital media recovered from Krepp in February 2018 contained child pornography.

The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and is being detained.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Lyons.

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

Tampa, Florida – Colby Isaac Hilleary (24, Greenville, Texas) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with interfering with the duties of a flight attendant. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.   

According to the complaint, on March 2, 2018, Hilleary was a passenger on an American Airlines flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Dallas, Texas. Shortly after takeoff, he left his seat and ran to the front of the aircraft; a flight attendant told him that he needed to return to his seat. Hilleary responded, "the plane is going the wrong way," and "there are no pilots on the plane." A flight attendant then told Hilleary that there were pilots flying the plane and that it was currently over the water, but would turn and head towards Dallas shortly. Hilleary eventually returned to his seat. 

Once seated, Hilleary continued behaving in a disruptive manner. The flight attendant approached Hilleary in his seat in an attempt to address his concerns and calm him down, but he continued his erratic behavior. Hilleary stated, "The plane has been hijacked," and became increasingly agitated. He then jumped up from his seat and physically attacked the flight attendant. During the altercation, the flight attendant was punched in the face before other passengers could subdue him. The flight attendant notified the captain and the plane was diverted for an emergency landing in Tampa.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.  

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that JOEL ROSQUETTE, a/k/a “Rick,” was arrested today for attempting to hire a hitman to murder three intended victims.  ROSQUETTE was presented today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Joel Rosquette attempted to hire a hitman to murder two of his neighbors in Manhattan and the owner of a gas station in Staten Island.  Now, thanks to the dedicated work of our partners at the FBI, Rosquette’s plan has been foiled, he is in federal custody, and his intended victims are safe.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “As alleged, Rosquette commissioned a hitman to carry out three murders on his behalf.  In the end, he was fooled by the merits of his own plan. Today, we foiled this murder-for-hire scheme, sparing three innocent lives a most unfortunate fate.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

ROSQUETTE hired an individual he thought was a hitman to murder two of his neighbors in Manhattan.  Because ROSQUETTE was short on cash, he arranged for the hitman to murder another person first – the owner of a gas station in Staten Island – and rob the gas station’s safe.  ROSQUETTE’s plan was to have the proceeds of the gas station robbery pay for the murder of his two neighbors.  What ROSQUETTE did not know was that the person he thought was a hitman was actually an undercover FBI agent.  This morning, ROSQUETTE was arrested and his plan to commission three murders was foiled.

*                *                *

ROSQUETTE, 50, of Manhattan, New York, is charged with three counts of murder-for-hire, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

U.S. Attorney Berman praised the outstanding work of the FBI.  

This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Adam S. Hobson is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that WILLIAM McFARLAND pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud investors in a company controlled by McFARLAND, Fyre Media Inc. (“Fyre Media”), as well as its subsidiary (“Fyre Festival LLC”), which was formed to hold a music festival called the “Fyre Festival” (the “Festival”) over two weekends in the Bahamas.  McFarland also pled guilty to a second count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud a ticket vendor for the Festival.  McFARLAND pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald. 

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As he admitted today, William McFarland tendered fake documents to induce investors and a ticket vendor to put more than $26 million into his company and the disastrous Fyre Festival.  He now awaits sentencing for his admitted swindle.”

According to the complaint and Superseding Information to which McFARLAND pled, as well as statements made in court:

McFARLAND was the founder and chief executive officer of Fyre Media.  In 2016, McFARLAND started Fyre Media to build a digital application that would allow individuals organizing commercial events, such as concerts, to bid for artist and celebrity bookings at such events.  From at least in or about 2016, up to and including in or about May 2017, McFARLAND conducted a scheme to defraud individuals by inducing them to invest millions of dollars in Fyre Media.  Through this scheme, McFARLAND caused losses to at least 80 victim-investors, totaling more than $24 million dollars.  McFARLAND orchestrated this scheme through several means and methods.

McFARLAND repeatedly made materially false statements to investors about Fyre Media’s revenue and income, and manipulated Fyre Media’s financial statements and supporting documentation to hide Fyre Media’s true financial condition.  McFARLAND represented to investors that Fyre Media had earned millions of dollars of revenue solely from talent bookings; a review of Fyre Media’s records shows that those numbers were significantly overstated.  McFARLAND also provided falsified income statements to investors that purported to show that from approximately April 2016 to February 2017, Fyre Media had earned millions of dollars in income from talent bookings.  In reality, Fyre Media’s income from talent bookings from approximately May 2016 to April 2017 was only $57,443.  In addition, McFARLAND provided falsified documents to investors showing over 2,500 confirmed talent bookings in a single month when, in fact, there were only 60 confirmed talent bookings in the entire year.   

McFARLAND repeatedly made misrepresentations to investors designed to overstate Fyre Media’s financial condition and stability.  For example, McFARLAND told investors that a reputable venture capital firm (the “VC Firm”) had completed its due diligence process and had decided to invest in Fyre Media.  To the contrary, a VC Firm employee communicated to McFARLAND that the VC Firm would not invest in Fyre Media without first completing its due diligence, which the VC Firm had not done due to McFARLAND’s failure to provide many of the requested Fyre Media documents. 

In late 2016, McFARLAND established a subsidiary, Fyre Festival LLC, to hold a music festival called the “Fyre Festival” over two weekends in the Bahamas.  McFARLAND made repeated misrepresentations to investors with respect to their investments in Fyre Festival LLC. McFARLAND overstated the Festival’s receivables that he used as collateral for numerous investments to cover Festival expenses.  McFARLAND also secured numerous investments in Fyre Festival LLC by claiming that investors would have the rights to payouts from Festival event cancellation insurance policies when, in reality, no event cancellation insurance policies had been executed for the Festival.  Ultimately, the Festival was canceled and widely deemed to have been a failure.

McFARLAND also repeatedly made materially false statements to investors about his own financial condition.  For example, in order to induce several investors to make an investment in Fyre Media, McFARLAND provided an altered stock ownership statement to inflate the number of shares he purportedly owned in a publicly traded company, so that it would appear that McFARLAND could personally guarantee the investment.  In addition, despite the fact that McFARLAND’s applications to two banks (“Bank-1” and “Bank-2”) for millions in personal loans had not been approved, McFARLAND misrepresented to investors that the monies from those bank loans could serve as collateral for their investments.  On one occasion, McFARLAND sent an investor a snapshot of an email purporting to be from a Bank-1 banker (“Banker-1”) to McFARLAND approving a $3 million dollar loan.  Not only had Banker-1 not sent that email, Bank-1 had not approved McFARLAND’s loan application.

McFarland also made materially false statements to certain of Fyre Media’s investors about Magnises, a credit card and private club for millennials that was founded and run by McFARLAND as chief executive officer.  McFARLAND told certain of Fyre Media’s investors that he had sold Magnises for approximately $40 million and made a profit of several million dollars personally from the sale, when in reality, McFARLAND had not sold Magnises.  McFARLAND also falsely stated to certain of Fyre Media’s investors that specific individuals were the acquirers of Magnises, when in fact, they were not.  McFarland also falsely stated to certain of Fyre Media’s investors that a group of acquiring partners were forming a new company to purchase Magnises, when in fact, no such group existed.

In addition, in or about April 2017, McFARLAND defrauded a ticket vendor (“Vendor-1”) by inducing Vendor-1 to pay $2 million for a block of advance tickets for future Festivals over the next three years.  McFARLAND also provided Vendor-1 with a fraudulent income statement for Fyre Media that grossly inflated the Company’s revenue and income.

*                *                *

McFARLAND, 26, of New York, New York, pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and consented to a forfeiture order in the amount of $26,040,099.48.

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office, and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance. 

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Kristy J. Greenberg and Dina McLeod are in charge of the prosecution.

BOISE - Michael Jeffrey Sanders, 27, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 58 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Sanders to forfeit the firearms involved in the offense.  On November 7, 2017, Sanders pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. 

According to the plea agreement, on January 19, 2017, Boise Police pulled over a car Sanders was driving for a traffic violation.  In the back seat of the car, wrapped in a shirt, Sanders possessed a short-barreled shotgun under the driver’s seat.  Sanders admitted to having handled the shotgun and placing it under the seat.  The barrel of the shotgun measured less than 18 inches.

According to the plea agreement, on June 24, 2016, Boise Police pulled over a car in which Sanders was a passenger for speeding.  Underneath the passenger seat of the car, Sanders possessed a loaded Sig Sauer P232 9mm handgun, with an obliterated serial number.  Inside the car, in a backpack, Sanders possessed used and unused syringes, Q-tips, baggies, a digital scale, and a box of hollow point ammunition.

According to the plea agreement, Sanders was convicted on May 16, 2014 of possession of a controlled substance, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and thus, could not legally possess firearms. 

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Boise Police Department.

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.

OAKLAND – Quincy Krashna pleaded guilty this afternoon to committing wire fraud as part of a scheme to defraud European concert promoters, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.  The plea was accepted by the Honorable Jeffrey S. White, U.S. District Judge.

According to the plea agreement, Krashna, 49, from Berkeley, Calif., admitted that he misrepresented to concert promoters his connections to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  The victims were interested in promoting Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts in Eastern Europe.  Krashna further admitted he told the concert promoters that he would hold in an escrow account a $450,000 down payment to secure the band’s services and that the money would be returned to the promoters if Krashna was unable to secure the band’s services.  Krashna admitted in the plea agreement that he created a fraudulent “Escrow Agreement” that had the appearance of being an escrow agreement used by Chase Bank, when in fact the alleged escrow account was a personal bank account that he controlled.  The concert promoters wired $450,000 into the fake escrow account after receiving Krashna’s assurances.

Krashna admitted in the plea agreement that he continued to inform the concert promoters that their money was in an escrow account controlled by Chase Bank, when in fact he had transferred the money out of his personal account into other accounts that he controlled.  Krashna admitted that he continued to misrepresent the whereabouts of the victims’ money until March 2012.

On January 12, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Krashna, charging him with seven counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.  Pursuant to today’s plea agreement, Krashna pleaded guilty to Count One of the indictment. Krashna also agreed to make restitution to the victims for their losses. 

Judge White has scheduled Krashna’s sentencing for July 10, 2018.  The maximum statutory penalties for wire fraud are 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Additional fines, forfeitures, restitution, and special assessments also may be imposed.  However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.   

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Green and Michelle Kane are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Noble Hughes and Katie Turner.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Loren Redhead, age 40, formerly of Hastings, New York, pled guilty today to possessing pseudoephedrine, knowing it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt of the New York Division, and New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II.

As part of his guilty plea, Redhead admitted that on approximately 58 occasions between October 2015 and April 2017, he purchased pseudoephedrine pills from different drug stores in and around Onondaga County, New York, with an aggregate weight of approximately 112 grams. On approximately 47 other occasions, Redhead tried to purchase pseudoephedrine but was unable to do so because his attempts were blocked by the pharmacy computers since he had exceeded store purchase limits.  The defendant knew there were restrictions on the sale of pseudoephedrine, and to avoid scrutiny he often rotated the stores where he bought the pills. Redhead further admitted that he purchased the approximately 112 grams of pseudoephedrine knowing and intending it to be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, and he personally manufactured methamphetamine himself with the pseudoephedrine he had purchased.

Redhead’s sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2018, in Syracuse. The charge to which Loren Redhead pled guilty carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.   Redhead was remanded to custody following his plea of guilty. 

This case was investigated by the New York State Police, including the NYSP Contaminated Crime Scene Emergency Response Team (CCERT), the New York State Intelligence Center (NYSIC), and the DEA, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Eurenius.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brennan McNeil, age 26, of Albany, New York, pled guilty yesterday to sexually exploiting a child for the purpose of producing child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As part of his guilty plea, McNeil admitted that, in early 2017, he produced a video of a 10-year-old child being subjected to sexually explicit conduct.  McNeil produced the video in North Carolina, where he lived at the time, and saved it on a thumb drive that he brought with him when he moved, in May 2017, from North Carolina to New York

McNeil, who has been in custody since his arrest on June 21, 2017, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2018, by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy.  He faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least 5 years and up to lifetime post-imprisonment supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine.  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.  McNeil will also have to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison. 

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Colonie Police Department, and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph A. Giovannetti and Katherine Kopita. 

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.