Armed Trafficker Pleads Guilty

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Billy B. Sanders, 37, of Rochester, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to being a felon in possession of ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested on May 2, 2019, after New York State Parole officers went to Sander’s residence on Saratoga Avenue in Rochester, for a compliance check. During that check, parole officers found a Polymer 80 semiautomatic pistol loaded with eight rounds of ammunition inside a backpack. The handgun did not have a serial number on it. During his plea, Sanders stated that he had the handgun and ammunition because he had been shot and needed the handgun for protection. The defendant admitted he also possessed a small amount of cocaine.

Sanders was previously convicted in April of 2004 in Federal Court of possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine and carrying and brandishing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and was sentenced to serve 105 months in prison. In addition, the defendant was convicted in May of 2004 in Monroe County Court of Robbery in the First Degree, and received a 12 year prison sentence. As a result of those felony convictions, Sanders is legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

The matter was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2020, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.

Rochester Man Charged with Production and Possession of Child Pornography

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Anthony Davis, 43, of Rochester, New York, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 30 years, a $500,000 fine or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in July 2012, city of Rochester Police received a report from a cooperating witness who found a sexually explicit video of a 7-year-old minor on a smartphone belonging to Davis. The complaint alleges that the witness was able to identify the minor victim and Davis’s voice from the video. Rochester police executed a search warrant and seized the defendant’s telephones. Hundreds of suspected images of child pornography were found on two telephones that were seized, including the video of the 7-year-old minor that Davis allegedly produced. The defendant is currently facing state charges, including sexual abuse, in Monroe County.

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

The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the FBI Cyber Crime Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; the city of Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Sheppard; and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Sandra Doorley.

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.

New Jersey Man Indicted for Making Online Threats Against Wegmans CEO and President

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced that Hans Ni, 31, of Trenton, New Jersey, was charged in a two-count indictment with transmitting interstate threats against the CEO and president of Wegmans Food Market. Each of the charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000, fine or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant, a New Jersey resident and former Wegmans employee, is accused of sending threats to kill and murder both the chief executive officer and the president of Wegmans. The threats were sent over the Internet from a fictitious e-mail account from a library in New Jersey. The fictitious e-mail account was in the name of the defendant’s former supervisor at Wegmans, who had been involved in the defendant’s termination from Wegmans in 2005.

A date for the defendant’s arraignment on the charges has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; Cyber Crimes Task Force officers from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn; and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Shephard.

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.

Buffalo Sector Border Patrol Agent Graduates From FBI National Academy Program

Grand Island, N.Y. – Buffalo Sector Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Lawrence J. Jay graduated on June 8, along with 263 law enforcement officers, from the FBI National Academy Program at Quantico, Va. The 249th Session of the National Academy consisted of men and women from 48 states, Washington D.C., and 24 countries. 

Internationally known for its academic excellence, the National Academy Program, at the FBI Academy, provides selected officers the opportunity to support, promote, and enhance their personal and professional development within their agencies.

While there, Agent Jay participated in 10 weeks of advanced investigative, management, and physical fitness training provided by FBI instructional staff and special agents, many of whom are recognized internationally in their fields of expertise.

Attending the academy along with Agent Jay were officers from five other local law enforcement agencies including the Brighton, Niagara Falls, and Rochester Police Departments, and the Ontario Provincial Police.

Today, Agent Jay, along with his five local classmates, attended the concluding academy event, an “In/Out” luncheon hosted by the FBI Executive Team at the FBI building in Buffalo. The annual luncheon serves as a forum for recent graduates to speak on their knowledge and experiences gained from attending the academy. The graduates were also provided the opportunity to meet with and brief the local candidates selected to attend the 250th Session.

“The FBI National Academy is a platform that promotes life-long learning and fosters an environment of networking among a vast array of domestic and foreign law enforcement entities at the federal, state, and local levels,” said Agent Jay. “For example, when a cross-border event transpires, I can seamlessly reach out to a colleague and collaborate with that official in order to obtain the necessary assistance to effectively deal with the matter at hand.”

Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling (800) 331-0353 toll free.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Douglas Bedient, 45, of Rochester, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa, to two felony charges, namely the receipt/distribution and possession of child pornography. Receipt and distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison. The possession of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison. The defendant may also be sentenced to a fine of $250,000 on each charge.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Miller, who handled the case, stated that the defendant came to the attention of law enforcement during an undercover investigation into online trading of child pornography. The defendant pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing images of child pornography in May 2009 and to possessing images of child pornography in December 2011. This is the second child pornography conviction for the defendant, who was convicted of possessing child pornography in 1999 in United States District Court for the Western District of New York.

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

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher Piehota; members of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn; and members of the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Sheppard.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 24, 2012 at 3:45 p.m. EDT in Rochester, New York in front of Judge Siragusa.