Statement of Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig Regarding Bias-Motivated Violence and Other Civil Rights Violations

 NEWARK, N.J. – Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig and FBI Newark Field Division Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., today reiterated federal law enforcement’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting all acts of bias-motivated violence and other deprivations of individuals’ civil rights, including crimes committed on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. 

“Some of the darkest hours that we have lived through recently as New Jersey residents have involved the horror of violence based on hate,” Acting U.S. Attorney Honig said. “We have seen anti-Semitic violence in Jersey City and a gender- and race-based attack at the home of a federal judge. Now, we face a rising tide of hatred directed at Asian-Americans.  New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the country, and this kind of hate should find no home here. We urge the community to report hate-based crimes to the FBI and to contact our office’s civil rights hotline with information about discrimination in housing, employment, education, or public accommodations.”

“Hate crimes are not only an attack on an individual, but an entire community,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Crouch said. “Investigating these crimes is one of the FBI’s highest priorities. We will work diligently with our law enforcement partners to protect the rights of all Americans.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey employs four Assistant U.S. Attorneys dedicated full-time to federal civil rights enforcement: three in the Civil Rights Unit of the Civil Division, and one Senior Civil Rights Counsel in the Criminal Division. The Office works closely in these matters with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. In the past several years, the Office has brought multiple civil and criminal cases based on federal civil rights laws and has been recognized by the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys with two Director’s Awards for its work in this area. These Assistant U.S. Attorneys also conduct frequent community outreach, including outreach focused on organizations serving women, people of color, religious groups, and the LBGTQ+ community. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig and Special Agent in Charge Crouch urged all New Jersey residents to report hate-based crimes to law enforcement. Members of the public who have a civil rights concern or complaint should contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office through its civil rights hotline, which can be reached at 855-281-3339, or by filling out the following form on the Office’s website:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/page/file/1073316/download. The FBI’s Newark Field office can be reached at (973) 792-3000.

The most recent statistics maintained by the FBI on hate crimes are available here:  https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2019/hate-crime. Additional resources regarding hate crimes and bias incidents can be found by visiting these links: https://civilrights.justice.gov/#your-rights and https://fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes#FBI-Resources.

For additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey visit: www.justice.gov/usao-nj/.

Marshalltown, Minnesota, and Kansas City Residents Sentenced to Prison for Methamphetamine Offense

 DES MOINES, Iowa — On Wednesday, March 25, 2021, United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger sentenced Rachel Ann Danielson, age 42, of St. Paul, Minnesota, to 144 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine announced acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Following her prison term, Danielson was ordered to serve five years of supervised release, as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund. At the time Danielson committed the offense, she was serving a term of federal supervised release for a prior drug conviction in the District of North Dakota. Judge Ebinger sentenced Danielson to two years in prison for the violation of supervised release, to be served consecutively to her 144 month sentence.

Danielson was the last individual to be sentenced of the five defendants charged in the methamphetamine conspiracy. In November 2021, Judge Ebinger sentenced Michael Roy Marsh, age 43, of St. Paul, Minnesota, to 150 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Judge Ebinger also sentenced Jeremy Travis Beason, age 28, to 240 months of prison, and Tiffany Carol Wagner, age 26, to 96 months of prison, for the same offense. Both Beason and Wagner are from Marshalltown. Following their prison terms, Marsh and Beason were ordered to serve five years of supervised release and Wagner was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Marsh, Beason, Wagner were also ordered to pay $100 each to the Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund.

In November 2021, Judge Ebinger sentenced Marco Antonio Hernandez Lopez, age 35, of Kansas City, Missouri, who was charged in a separate indictment, to 198 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Following his prison term, Hernandez Lopez was ordered to surrender to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings. Hernandez Lopez was ordered to serve five years of supervised release, as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund.

The 2019 investigation of this drug conspiracy revealed Hernandez Lopez was supplying Marsh and Danielson with kilogram quantities of methamphetamine for distribution. Hernandez Lopez was receiving this methamphetamine from Mexico. Marsh and Danielson drove to Kansas City to obtain methamphetamine from Hernandez Lopez. Marsh and Danielson met Beason and Wagner on multiple occasions in Iowa to deliver kilogram quantities of methamphetamine. Beason and Wagner distributed the methamphetamine in Marshalltown and elsewhere. In total, Hernandez Lopez is responsible for the distribution of 45 kilograms of methamphetamine.

This matter was investigated by the Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Iowa.

Stratford Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution and Gun Possession Offenses

 Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that LUIS COLON, also known as “Big Lou” and “Hitman,” 50, of Stratford, pleaded guilty yesterday to fentanyl distribution and gun possession offenses.

Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector occurred via videoconference.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between July and December 2020, Colon was involved in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl disguised as oxycodone.  Investigators seized approximately 300 fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone that had been sold by Colon to a co-conspirator.

Colon was arrested on December 16, 2020, after a court-authorized search of his residence on Dover Street in Stratford revealed 11 firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, approximately 60 fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, approximately 61 grams of cocaine with packaging, items used to process and package narcotics for distribution, and approximately $24,800 in cash.

Colon’s criminal history includes state convictions for conspiracy to commit murder, assault, weapons, robbery and larceny offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Colon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on June 22, 2021.

Colon is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, which includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Brian Leaming, through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Acting U.S. Attorney Addresses Increasing Danger of Counterfeit Prescription Opioids

 Illicitly Manufactured Pills Sold as Oxycodone Can Lead to Overdose and Death

BOISE – Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino today highlighted the danger that counterfeit prescription pills pose to our community. Opioid and prescription drug abuse is at an all-time high. In 2019, 70,630 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States and more than 70 percent of those deaths involved an opioid.

Historically, the opioid epidemic began with a rapid increase in the prescribing of opioids starting in the 1990s. It continued when those addicted to opioids began to use heroin because it was cheaper and more readily available. Now, the most recent part of this epidemic is the increase in availability of counterfeit pills. Counterfeit pills are illicitly manufactured in clandestine labs, mostly using fentanyl as the active ingredient, and are made to look like legitimate prescription opioids commonly prescribed to alleviate pain or anxiety. These counterfeit pills are then illegally sold by street drug dealers as Oxycodone, Xanax, Percocet, or other similar drugs. Counterfeit pills are also being sold over the internet and delivered by mail. These counterfeit pills have led to increased overdoses and deaths across the country but particularly here in the Western region of the United States where there was a 67 percent increase in such death rates from 2018 to 2019. It is important to note that there is no concern of counterfeit pills entering the legitimate prescription supply chain.

“Prescription opioid abuse has already taken a devastating toll on our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez. “But we have also seen a terrifying rise in the prevalence of counterfeit prescription pills being sold on the street and online. The public must be aware that while these pills may look like prescription drugs, they likely contain the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.” He went on to emphasize that, “a lethal dosage of fentanyl is just two milligrams, equivalent in size to a few grains of salt, as compared to a lethal dose of heroin at 30 milligrams, and that’s why communities everywhere have tragically experienced more fatal overdoses. That pill you bought off the street could be the last one you ever take.”

Counterfeit pills are incredibly dangerous because these imitation pills often look exactly like prescription Oxycodone in size, shape, color, and markings. In other words, there is no way to tell whether a pill purchased illicitly on the internet or the street is actually Oxycodone or a more powerful drug. The picture below on the left is an image of a legitimate Oxycodone pill. The picture on the right is an image of counterfeit Oxycodone pills.

“Between 2017 and 2019, there was great cause for concern when Idaho experienced a gradual increase in the number of drug related overdoses and deaths due to the misuse and abuse of prescription opiates and the increased availability of heroin,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “Alarmingly, in the last six months, the availability and seizure of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills has exploded in the region. Law enforcement and public health officials have also noted a sharp increase in overdoses and deaths from fentanyl. The DEA and our law enforcement partners are committed to stemming the tide of this surge of lethal pills on our city streets by targeting the criminal networks who are profiteering while causing death in our communities,” SAC Tarantino concluded.

In 2019, synthetic opioids caused more overdose deaths than any other opioid including heroin. Synthetic opioids accounted for approximately 73 percent of all opioid-involved deaths. Based on a sampling of tablets seized nationwide in 2019, DEA found that 27 percent contained potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. “Frankly, if it weren’t for the outstanding work of first responders administering naloxone (an opioid antagonist that rapidly reverse opioid overdose) and saving lives of those who have overdosed, the number of deaths would be much, much higher,” Mr. Gonzalez said.

Unless prescription drugs are obtained from an authorized medical provider or pharmacy, the public should not consume or even handle these pills. The synthetic opioids contained in them are often lethal if consumed even if in the smallest amounts. All Idahoans are urged to only use prescription drugs prescribed to them by legitimate health care providers and obtained from their pharmacy. “I’m urging you to share this potentially life-saving message with friends and family today. Help us save a life,” Mr. Gonzalez said.

Gregg County Man Guilty of Federal Drug Trafficking Violations

 TYLER, Texas – A Kilgore, Texas man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Christopher Marcell Mumphrey, 43, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.

“As evidenced by this plea and a co-defendant's plea last week, local and state law enforcement, partnering with the FBI, are making a difference in shutting down the flow of illegal drugs in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

According to information presented in court, on Feb. 5, 2020, Mumphrey was a passenger in a vehicle which was used to transport and distribute methamphetamine in Smith County, Texas.  Mumphrey exited the vehicle and signaled to the buyer to approach the vehicle to complete the transaction.   

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Mumphrey with federal drug trafficking crimes on Nov. 6, 2020. Under federal statutes, Mumphrey faces up to 40 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety-CID and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson.

Connecticut Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Liquid Morphine

 BOSTON – A Connecticut nurse pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield to tampering with liquid morphine prescribed to a patient. 

Danielle Works, 42, of Stafford Springs, Conn., pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product before U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni, who scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2021. Works was charged in Oct. 2020.

On Jan. 27, 2018, Works tampered with a bottle of morphine prescribed to a patient at Governor’s Center, a nursing facility in Westfield, by removing the morphine from the bottle and diluting the remaining morphine with another substance. The morphine was prescribed to a hospice patient, who subsequently received diluted doses of the medication shortly before her death. After ingesting the morphine, Works was observed to be significantly impaired while providing care to patients at the nursing facility.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Looney of Mendell’s Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges and Misuse of a Social Security Number

 BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and misusing a Social Security number.    

Bladimir Sanchez Soto, 29, formerly of Methuen, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of false representation of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for July 27, 2021. Sanchez Soto was indicted in May 2020.

As stated during court proceedings, Sanchez Soto helped arrange four sales of approximately 65 grams of fentanyl in November 2019 and January 2020. In February 2020, Sanchez Soto and a co-defendant were arrested and additional fentanyl was seized. Sanchez Soto was previously indicted in the Western District of Michigan in connection with using a false name and Social Security number to obtain a Michigan driver’s license in Nov. 2016. The matter was transferred to the District of Massachusetts for plea and sentencing.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $5 million fine. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore B. Heinrich of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

Silver Spring Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

 Violated His Supervised Release on Previous Federal Conviction for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography Less than Six Weeks After His Release from Prison

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced John Michael Raley, age 51, of Silver Spring, Maryland to 10 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.  Raley was ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution.  Judge Xinis also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Raley must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, in 2012 Raley was convicted in U.S. District Court in Maryland of one count each of distribution and possession of child pornography.  Raley was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.  Raley was released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons on February 15, 2019.

On March 27, 2019, during the administration of a court-ordered polygraph, Raley admitted that after he was released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, he obtained his personal effects from another individual to whom he had entrusted the effects during his imprisonment.  Raley admitted that among the effects was a secure digital memory card (SD card).  Raley had purchased an SD card adapter to plug into his television in order to allow him to view the contents of the SD card on the television at his home in Maryland.  Raley admitted that the SD card contained images and videos of child pornography, which Raley had viewed three to four times since his release from prison. 

Raley then spoke with his U.S. Probation Officer by telephone in the presence of the polygraph examiner and admitted the same conduct.  The Officer advised Raley to go to his home, where the Probation officer met him and confiscated the SD card.  A federal search warrant was obtained for the card and a forensic examination was performed by an FBI examiner.  The memory card contained thousands of images of child pornography, including boys under the age of 12 and depictions of sadistic conduct and violence. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.         

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, Jr. who prosecuted the federal case.

Two Men Plead Guilty To Fraudulent Scheme To Evade Payroll Taxes And Workers’ Compensation Requirements In Construction Industry

 Jacksonville, Florida – Gregorio Jose Fuentes-Zelaya (27, Orlando) and Dennis Alexander Barahona (38, Chelsea, MA) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. Fuentes-Zelaya has pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and two counts of tax fraud. Barahona has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax fraud. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and each tax fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. The United States also will seek forfeiture of $1,367,625, the approximate amount of proceeds obtained as a result of the wire fraud offenses, as well as funds seized from two bank accounts utilized during the scheme, with balances totaling $230,764. Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona also owe a total of approximately $5,766,286 in restitution for the tax fraud offenses.

Fuentes-Zelaya is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2021. A sentencing date for Barahona has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona established shell companies that purported to be involved in the construction industry. They obtained workers’ compensation insurance policies in the name of the shell companies to cover a minimal payroll for a few purported employees. They then “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance to work crews who had obtained subcontracts with construction contractors on projects in various Florida counties. Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona sent the contractors a certificate as “proof” that the work crews had workers’ compensation insurance, as required by Florida law. By sending the certificate, the defendants falsely represented that the work crews worked for their companies. Over the course of the scheme, the Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona “rented” the certificates to hundreds of work crews.

The contractors issued payroll checks for the workers’ wages to the shell companies and the conspirators cashed these checks, then distributed the cash to the work crews after deducting their fee, which was typically about 6% of the payroll. During the period of the scheme, the conspirators cashed payroll checks totaling approximately $22,793,748, with their fees totaling approximately $1,367,625. Neither the shell companies nor the contractors reported to government authorities the wages that were paid to the workers, nor did they pay either the employees’ or the employers’ portion of payroll taxes – including Social Security, Medicare, and Federal Income tax. According to the IRS, the estimated amount of payroll taxes due on wages totaling $22,793,748 is $5,766,286.

The scheme also facilitated the avoidance of the higher cost of obtaining adequate workers’ compensation insurance for the hundreds of workers on the work crews to whom Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance. Had workers’ compensation insurance policies been purchased for a payroll totaling $22,793,748, the policy premiums would have totaled about $3,600,000. The policies that Fuentes-Zelaya and Barahona purchased, and then “rented” out, were for estimated payrolls of $80,800 to $100,800. The insurance company issued those policies for premiums ranging from $15,206 to $31,268.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Manchester Pair Plead Guilty to Participating in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

            CONCORD – Jovan Callaghan, 25, and Chrystal Callaghan, 42, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, in the spring of 2020, investigators received information from confidential sources that Jovan and Chrystal Callaghan and a co-defendant were selling crack cocaine and fentanyl from their residence in Manchester. Law enforcement officers learned that Chrystal Callaghan and a co-conspirator would travel to New York to purchase crack cocaine. On three separate occasions, officers conducted lawful traffic stops of their vehicle returning from New York and seized over 300 grams of crack cocaine. In late 2020, confidential sources conducted six controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from the three co-defendants.

           On December 24, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence and seized over one kilogram of fentanyl and a firearm, along with large amounts of cash and drug use and packaging materials.             

           Jovan and Chrystal Callaghan are scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2021.

           Charges against a third defendant, Melissa Gazaway, remain pending.

           “Drug traffickers endanger our citizens and damage our neighborhoods,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “We are working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the drug dealers who are peddling fentanyl and other deadly drugs in the Granite State.  Thanks to the hard work of our federal, state, and local partners, these individuals will no longer be selling deadly drugs in Manchester.”                       

            This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Hampshire State Police, the Manchester Police Department, and the Nashua Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. MacDonald.

Former Honduran Congressman Tony Hernández Sentenced To Life In Prison And Ordered To Forfeit $138.5 Million For Distributing 185 Tons Of Cocaine And Related Firearms And False Statements Offenses

 Hernández Participated in the Importation of At Least 185,000 Kilograms of Cocaine; Secured Millions of Dollars in Bribes to Honduran Officials; Used Heavily Armed Security Including Members of the Honduran Military and National Police; and Coordinated Tw

Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Wendy C. Woolcock, the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today that JUAN ANTONIO HERNÁNDEZ ALVARADO, a/k/a “Tony Hernández” (“HERNÁNDEZ”) was sentenced to life in prison for cocaine-importation, weapons, and false-statements offenses.  HERNÁNDEZ is a former Honduran congressman and the brother of Juan Orlando Hernández, the current president of Honduras.  HERNÁNDEZ was convicted on October 18, 2019, following a jury trial before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who also imposed today’s sentence. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “Former Honduran congressman Juan Antonio Hernández Alvarado was involved in all stages of the trafficking through Honduras of multi-ton loads of cocaine destined for the U.S.  Hernández bribed law enforcement officials to protect drug shipments, arranged for heavily armed security for cocaine shipments, and brokered large bribes from major drug traffickers to powerful political figures, including the former and current presidents of Honduras.  Hernández was complicit in at least two murders.  Today, Tony Hernández was rightly sentenced to life in prison.”

Special Agent in Charge Wendy C. Woolcock said:  “Exploiting a high-ranking position in government to wield the power of the state to support drug trafficking is as nefarious as it comes.  The conviction and sentencing of Tony Hernandez is a reminder there is no position powerful enough to shield you from facing justice when you violate U.S. drug laws by sending tons of cocaine to our country.  As important as this conviction is to the people of the United States, it is also important to the citizens of Honduras who Hernandez purposely put in harm’s way for his own personal gain.  Today’s sentencing is a victory for the rule of law and we are grateful to our federal and international partners who made this possible.”

As reflected in the Superseding Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, evidence at trial, and statements made in court proceedings:

HERNÁNDEZ played a leadership role in a violent, state-sponsored drug trafficking conspiracy.  Over a 15-year period, HERNÁNDEZ manufactured and distributed at least 185,000 kilograms of cocaine that was imported into the United States.  HERNÁNDEZ commanded heavily armed members of the Honduran military and Honduran National Police; he sold machineguns and ammunition to drug traffickers, some of which he obtained from the Honduran military; he controlled cocaine laboratories in Colombia and Honduras; he secured millions of dollars of drug proceeds for Honduras’s National Party campaigns in connection with presidential elections in 2009, 2013, and 2017; and he helped cause at least two murders.  HERNÁNDEZ made at least $138.5 million through his drug trafficking activities, money he was ordered to forfeit in connection with today’s sentencing. 

Hernández’s Drug Trafficking Conduct

HERNÁNDEZ’s drug trafficking career started in about 2004 when he began providing sensitive law enforcement and military information to major Honduran drug traffickers Victor Hugo Diaz Morales, a/k/a “El Rojo,” and Hector Emilio Fernandez Rosa, a/k/a “Don H.”  HERNÁNDEZ provided Diaz Morales with information about, among other things, operations of the Honduran Navy; efforts by the United States to train Honduran Air Force pilots to fly at night to conduct anti-narcotics operations; military radar capabilities so that cocaine plane shipments could avoid detection; and interdiction efforts by certain Honduran National Police officials.  Over the course of their relationship, HERNÁNDEZ helped Fernandez Rosa and Diaz Morales distribute approximately 140,000 kilograms of cocaine. 

By 2008, HERNÁNDEZ’s narcotics trafficking had expanded, and he was also manufacturing his own cocaine in a laboratory he controlled near El Aceitico, Colombia.  HERNÁNDEZ told his co-conspirators that some of the cocaine manufactured at his laboratory was stamped with his initials “TH,” and a photograph of a kilogram of “TH” stamped cocaine was intercepted during the course of the investigation.  HERNÁNDEZ supplied his co-conspirators with tons of cocaine that was produced at his laboratory.    

Beginning in about 2008, HERNÁNDEZ partnered with Amilcar Alexander Ardon Soriano, a former Honduran drug trafficker and mayor, under the protection of members of the  National Party leadership.  Testimony at trial established that HERNÁNDEZ and Ardon Soriano secured protection from investigation, arrest, and extradition through massive bribes paid to high-ranking politicians, including, among others, Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo Sosa and Juan Orlando Hernández.  In connection with the 2009 national elections, drug proceed bribes paid in exchange for protection included:  (i) Ardon Soriano paying $2 million to support Lobo Sosa’s campaign for presidency and Juan Orlando Hernández’s reelection campaign for a position in the Honduran congress; (ii) Diaz Morales paying $100,000 to HERNÁNDEZ to support National Party campaigns; and (iii) Ardon Soriano bribing three congressmen at the direction of Juan Orlando Hernández so that the congressmen would support Juan Orlando Hernández’s efforts to become president of the congress.    

Juan Orlando Hernandez was named president of the congress in early 2010.  HERNÁNDEZ, Ardon Soriano, and their co-conspirators, including co-defendant Mario Jose Calix Hernández, a Honduran deputy mayor, and codefendant Mauricio Hernández Pineda, a then-member of the Honduran National Police and HERNÁNDEZ’s cousin, took advantage of National Party protection to continue transporting huge quantities of cocaine.  Once or twice a month in 2010, HERNÁNDEZ sent Ardon Soriano cocaine shipments consisting of approximately 300 kilograms; and once a month in 2011 and 2012, HERNÁNDEZ sent Ardon Soriano maritime cocaine shipments ranging in size from 700 to 1,600 kilograms.    

   In 2013, HERNÁNDEZ was campaigning to become a congressman and Juan Orlando Hernández was campaigning to become president.  Around this time, according to testimony at trial, Juan Orlando Hernández solicited $1.6 million in drug proceeds from Ardon Soriano to support himself and National Party campaigns.  Also during the 2013 campaign, HERNÁNDEZ accepted $1 million from former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, a/k/a “Chapo,” to support Juan Orlando Hernández’s presidential campaign.  During meetings with Chapo in Honduras, HERNÁNDEZ promised to provide protection for members of their conspiracy and their cocaine shipments through Honduran territory if Juan Orlando Hernández was elected president. 

In November 2013, HERNÁNDEZ was elected to the Honduran congress and Juan Orlando Hernández was elected president.  Between 2015 and 2017, per trial testimony, HERNÁNDEZ and Juan Orlando Hernández continued to secure large sums of drug proceeds for National Party campaigns in exchange for protecting drug traffickers.  For example, there was testimony at trial that approximately six months before the November 2017 national elections, HERNÁNDEZ and Juan Orlando Hernández met with Ardon Soriano in Copán, Honduras.  During that meeting, HERNÁNDEZ and Juan Orlando Hernández solicited $500,000 and 1.6 million Lempira in drug proceeds from Ardon Soriano to “finance” the National Party’s campaign in the Copán and Lempira Departments.    

In 2018, HERNÁNDEZ continued to engage in large cocaine shipments with Nery López Sanabria, another significant Honduran drug trafficker.  Honduran authorities arrested and detained López Sanabria in connection with a traffic incident and recovered, among other things, several drug ledgers in a secret compartment of his car.  One of the ledgers was labeled “Hard Work” 2018, and reflected a 650-kilogram cocaine shipment with HERNÁNDEZ.  At least one of the other ledgers seized by Honduran law enforcement in 2018 contained references to “JOH,” initials used by Juan Orlando Hernández.  López Sanabria was murdered in a Honduran prison, as described below, shortly after his drug ledgers were introduced at HERNÁNDEZ’s trial. 

Hernández’s Weapons Possession and Acts of Violence

HERNÁNDEZ used firearms throughout his drug trafficking.  HERNÁNDEZ’s personal weapons included a modified AR-15, an Uzi inscribed with the name of Juan Orlando Hernández, “Presidente de la República,” and an M60 belt-fed machinegun.  HERNÁNDEZ also sold machineguns and ammunition to drug traffickers.  In 2010, Diaz Morales obtained between 4,000 and 6,000 rounds of assault rifle ammunition from a member of the Honduran National Police who told Diaz Morales he obtained the ammunition from HERNÁNDEZ.  In 2012, HERNÁNDEZ supplied 40 M16s to another drug trafficker.   

HERNÁNDEZ also coordinated at least two drug-related murders.  In 2011, HERNÁNDEZ and Ardon Soriano caused the murder of a rival drug trafficker named Franklin Arita in the Copán Department.  HERNÁNDEZ directed Juan Carlos “Tigre” Bonilla Valladares, the regional Honduran National Police chief responsible for the Copán Department at the time, to arrange for Arita’s murder, which was executed by assassins using two 40-millimeter grenade launchers, M16s, and Israeli-made Galil assault rifles.  In 2013, HERNÁNDEZ worked with other drug traffickers, including Ardon Soriano, to murder a drug trafficker named Chino because HERNÁNDEZ was concerned that Chino might cooperate with law enforcement.    

   Hernández’s Obstruction and Other Efforts to Influence the Investigation

HERNÁNDEZ made false statements to law enforcement and the Court during the course of this investigation and prosecution, and he obstructed justice.  HERNÁNDEZ (i) traveled to the United States in 2016 and made false statements to law enforcement about his drug trafficking activities; (ii) made false statements about his assets during a January 2019 bail hearing; (iii) caused sensitive witness information to be disclosed in Honduras in violation of a protective order in October 2019; and (iv) made false statements about his assets during an application for appointed counsel in February 2020.

Eight days after the jury found HERNÁNDEZ guilty, on October 26, 2019, López Sanabria – the drug trafficker from whom were seized the ledgers bearing HERNÁNDEZ’s name and Juan Orlando Hernández’s initials – was murdered at a maximum security prison in Honduras.  López Sanabria’s attorneys confirmed to the media that: one of HERNÁNDEZ’s family members and an investigator hired by HERNÁNDEZ’s family had made unauthorized visits to López Sanabria prior to HERNÁNDEZ’s trial; López Sanabria had rejected their efforts to obtain information about whether he was cooperating with the DEA; and López Sanabria had planned to cooperate with the DEA against Juan Orlando Hernández and HERNÁNDEZ.  Leaked surveillance video of the murder shows López Sanabria talking to the warden of the facility, Pedro Ildefonso Armas, while a masked man walks past and unlocks a nearby door.  Several individuals who are believed to be prisoners then storm through the door and shoot and stab López Sanabria to death.  On December 9, 2019, a group of unknown assailants murdered Jose Luis Pinto, a lawyer who represented López Sanabria.  Three days later, on December 12, 2019, a group of unknown gunmen on motorcycles murdered Ildefenso Armas, the warden of the facility in which López Sanabria was murdered, in Tegucigalpa.    

Hernández’s Co-Conspirators

On August 8, 2019, Fernandez Rosa was sentenced in this District to life in prison for, among other things, his participation in HERNÁNDEZ’s cocaine importation conspiracy and for committing 18 murders.  Several of HERNÁNDEZ’s other co-conspirators, including, among others, Hernández Pineda, Calix Hernández, Bonilla Valladares, Arnaldo Urbina Soto, Carlos Fernando Urbina Soto, and Miguel Angel Urbina Soto, are also charged in this District with firearms and drug trafficking offenses based on, among other things, their participation in HERNÁNDEZ’s cocaine importation conspiracy.  On February 12, 2020, Hernández Pineda surrendered in this District and he is awaiting trial.  On March 22, 2021, HERNÁNDEZ’s co defendant and co-conspirator Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez was convicted at trial in this District of drug trafficking and weapons offenses.  Fuentes Ramirez’s sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2021.     

*                *                *

In addition to the prison term, HERNÁNDEZ, 42, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, OCDETF New York Strike Force, and Tegucigalpa Country Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda L. Houle, Matthew Laroche, and Jason A. Richman are in charge of the prosecution.

Three men face federal charges in separate child exploitation cases

 All defendants are in custody pending further legal action

AUGUSTA, GA:  Three men face the possibility of substantial terms in federal prison after their indictments stemming from separate child exploitation investigations.

All three men are in custody pending trial following initial appearance hearings in U.S. Magistrate Court, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Those charged are:

• Jasari Hutchison, 20, of Bulloch and Liberty counties, is charged with Production of Child Pornography; and, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity. The indictment alleges that in April 2019, in Bulloch and Liberty counties and in the state of Connecticut, Hutchison persuaded a minor victim “to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction.” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) leads the investigation in the case, and Hutchison also faces charges in the Middle District of Georgia for Possession of Child Pornography.  
• William Voss, 38, of Waynesboro, Ga., is charged with Possession of Child Pornography, a charge that upon conviction carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The indictment alleges that in May 2020 in Burke County, Voss possessed child pornography. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) leads the investigation in the case.
• Robert Paul Synenberg, 21, of Augusta, is charged with Possession of Child Pornography, a charge that carries upon conviction a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The FBI leads the investigation in the case, which came to agents’ attention after a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in November 2020.

“Our law enforcement partners will work relentlessly to protect our most vulnerable citizens from harm and exploitation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “These indictments demonstrate the continued success of those efforts.”

“It takes great partnerships from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, non-government organizations, and the public to make arrests like these,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will always make it a priority to protect children who can’t protect themselves against people who prey on them.”

“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims of online exploitation,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds. We are grateful for the relationships we maintain with our federal partner agencies.”

“Protecting children from exploitation is one of our most important missions, and we will continue to pursue and arrest these violators to ensure their safety,”  said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

HSI, the FBI and GBI are investigating the cases, which are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

Law Firm Bookkeeper Sentenced for Fraud, Identity Theft

 PROVIDENCE – A former bookkeeper/office manager who admitted to embezzling more than $740,000 from a Rhode Island law firm that employed her, fraudulently collecting nearly $20,000 in temporary disability insurance payments, and filing fraudulent documents when applying for a mortgage from a Rhode Island bank, was sentenced today to five years in federal prison.

According to court documents, Sarah Gaulin, 39, a former employee of the law firm of Hamel, Waxler, Allen and Collins (HWAC), devised and executed multiple schemes and forged law firm checks to fraudulently obtain $740,953 in law firm funds.

Gaulin previously admitted to the court that she prepared and cashed HWAC checks made payable to herself, which included the forged signature of a law firm partner; prepared HWAC checks payable to her own creditors; and prepared HWAC checks payable to law firm credit card companies and other third party vendors to pay for personal purchases and expenses, such as her rent, mortgage, automobile lease and repairs, AT&T service, and credit card debts.

Additionally, according to court documents, Gaulin used more than 550 forged HWAC checks to purchase $292,190 worth of gift cards from Staples.

Gaulin also admitted that she submitted fraudulent bank statements to a Rhode Island bank as part of a mortgage application she filed with the bank. Gaulin admitted to submitting personal bank statements reflecting a positive balance when in fact her actual account was routinely overdrawn. Gaulin reflected that among her expenses was rent she paid monthly, when, in fact, she had been using funds she illegally obtained from HWAC to make the payments.

Additionally, as detailed in court documents, from March 26, 2016, to July 23, 2016, and from May 5, 2018, to August 11, 2018, Gaulin fraudulently collected approximately $19,588 in temporary disability insurance payments from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training. Gaulin claimed she was unable to work due to injury or illness, when, in fact, she remained employed during the time she was collecting the benefits.

On October 13, 2020, Gaulin pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud, and one count each of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.

Gaulin was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, Gaulin was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $760,541, to include $740,953 to HWAC and $19,588 to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.

Gaulin’s sentence is announced by Acting United States Attorney Richard B, Myrus, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, and Christina D. Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.

Manchester Man Indicted for Fentanyl Trafficking and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises

             CONCORD – Michael Cicciu, 41, of Manchester was indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and charged with one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

             According to the indictment, on September 3, 2020, Cicciu possessed a quantity of fentanyl with intent to distribute.  The indictment also alleges that between October 26, 2019, and September 3, 2020, Cicciu managed and controlled a property on High Street in Manchester and made the premises available for storing, distributing, and using controlled substances.

             Cicciu was arrested on state charges on September 3, 2020, and currently is being detained.

             The charges in the indictment are only allegations.  The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

             The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department.

             This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.).  In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts.  The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.   In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.

Orange County Man Arrested on Criminal Complaint Alleging He Received Illegal Kickbacks from Corrupt Sober Living Homes

           SANTA ANA, California – Special agents with the FBI this morning arrested an Orange County man on federal charges of soliciting and receiving illegal kickbacks from corrupt sober living homes in exchange for finding them new patients in a process known as “body brokering.”

          Darius Jarell Moore, 27, of Santa Ana, is charged with one count of solicitation and receipt of payment in return for referring a patient to a recovery home or clinical treatment facility. Moore is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.

          An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges Moore received hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks from four Orange County facilities with two separate ownership groups via a shell company – Moore Recovery Solutions LLC, a Santa Ana-based business. The kickbacks allegedly were covered up by bogus contracts for “marketing” services.

          According to the affidavit, “Patient brokering has created a situation where substance abusers with no desire to stop using drugs are able to gain income from their insurance benefits by periodically participating in treatment programs.…The facilities generally know patient brokers pay patients and give patients drugs, but they maintain deniability by discharging patients who admit they were paid and stopping work with particular patient brokers as soon as such actions become overtly known.”

          The complaint specifically alleges that Moore in October 2020 accepted a $16,000 kickback wired to a bank account held in the name of Moore Recovery Solutions from a checking account of a corrupt sober living home. The affidavit further details more than $350,000 in illegal kickbacks that the sober living homes allegedly paid to Moore in exchange for recruiting new patients. The sober living homes then submitted claims to health insurers.

          The affidavit also details a recorded conversation between Moore and a sober living home employee discussing the clients Moore had placed into the facility and the cash value of the clients.

          In December 2020, investigators executing search warrants at Moore’s residence found marketing agreements between Moore Recovery Solutions and two sober living homes that agreed to pay him $70,000 per month and $10,000 per month, respectively, but no other evidence that Moore’s company was a legitimate marketing service, according to the affidavit.

          Investigators also found text messages from patients to Moore asking for money and asking to be placed in treatment. In response, Moore told the patients he would only talk to them through Signal, an encrypted communication application.

          A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

          If convicted, Moore would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

          This matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Office of Personnel Management – Office of Inspector General, and the California Department of Insurance.

          This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin R. Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Office, and DOJ Trial Attorney Justin Givens of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

North Fort Myers Man Sentenced To 14 Years In Federal Prison For Attempting To Entice A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images And Videos

 Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Frederick Charles Trueblood, Jr. (47, North Fort Myers) to 14 years in federal prison for attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Trueblood was also sentenced to a 10-year concurrent prison term for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. In addition, he was ordered to serve a life term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

Trueblood had pleaded guilty on October 30, 2020.

According to court documents, FBI agents began an undercover investigation to identify individuals who approach children in online chat rooms to lure them into sexual activity. Between May 13 and 14, 2019, Trueblood sent an unsolicited chat message to an individual whom he believed to be a 13-year-old girl but was actually an undercover agent. During the chat, Trueblood asked the “child” to send him graphic nude images exposing herself to him. Trueblood also sent multiple explicit pictures of himself to the “child.”

On August 23, 2019, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Trueblood’s home and seized his computers. During an interview with agents, Trueblood admitted that he had used the chat site “just for sexual fun.” He admitted that quickly after meeting kids on the chat site that he would have sexually explicit conversations with them and that he had sent pictures of his penis to many children on the chat site, and that another chat site had actually banned him for sending such pictures to kids. A subsequent forensic examination of Trueblood’s computers revealed numerous images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children that he had been collecting since May 2018.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

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

Judges sentences St. Louis man who brandished weapon during robbery of beauty supply store

 ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Dominic Young to 90 months in prison Monday. The 27-year-old St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm.

On December 10, 2019, Young robbed T.K. Beauty Supply located in the 8500 block of Airport Road in Berkeley. As a T.K. Beauty Supply employee was on the way back inside the store, from taking out the store’s trash, Young tried to have a conversation with the employee. The employee re-entered the store, but Young brandished a firearm by pointing it at the employee and another employee. Young demanded one of the employees give him the money from two cash registers.

Young ordered both employees on the ground before taking more money from one of the employee’s purse. Young left the store, got into a vehicle and left the area. Young’s actions were captured on security surveillance footage inside of the store.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Geoff Ogden is handling the case.

Lakeland Man Pleads Guilty To Receiving Child Sex Abuse Videos From The Largest Darknet Child Pornography Website, Which Was Funded By Bitcoin

 Tampa, Florida – Jack R. Dove, III (41, Lakeland) has pleaded guilty to receiving and possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 29, 2021.

Dove had been indicted on January 29, 2019.

According to court documents, Dove used the cryptocurrency bitcoin to pay for a membership to a Darknet marketplace called “Welcome To Video,” which contained the largest collection of child sexual exploitation materials by volume on the Darknet. In March 2018, the Korean National Police in South Korea seized the server that was used to operate the “Welcome To Video” website, which contained over 250,000 child sexual exploitation videos. The website exclusively advertised child sexual exploitation videos available for purchase and download by members of the website using bitcoin. An analysis of the server revealed that Dove had created multiple accounts. In January and February 2017, Dove used one of his accounts to purchase “points” from the website. Dove then used those “points” to download and received approximately 8,700 megabytes of child sex abuse material. In August 2018, Dove used another account to pay for “VIP” membership to the website granting him unlimited downloads from the website over a six-month period. During his VIP membership status, Dove downloaded and received approximately 38 videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including young children.

On November 30, 2018, federal agents executed a search warrant at Dove’s Lakeland home and seized several electronic devices. A forensic analysis of the devices revealed that Dove had in fact received the child sex abuse videos that he had previously purchased from the “Welcome To Video” website and was in possession of additional child sex abuse material depicting young children, including infants and toddlers, who had been bound and subjected to sadistic and violent acts during the production of the videos.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The international investigation was led by IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, and the Korean National Police of the Republic of Korea. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Ilyssa Spergel, with assistance from Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

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

Middlesex County Man Admits Interfering with Law Enforcement Officers During Civil Disorder

 TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man today admitted attempting to interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder when he attempted to set fire to a police vehicle during a riot in Trenton, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Justin D. Spry, 22, of South Plainfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of attempting to obstruct, impede, or interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder affecting commerce.

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

On May 31, 2020, large-scale protests were held throughout the United States, including in Trenton, in response to the death of George Floyd. Although the May 31st protest in Trenton was peaceful earlier in the day, violence erupted later. A group of individuals proceeded down East State Street in downtown Trenton and began to riot, smashing store fronts, looting stores, and attacking multiple marked Trenton Police Department vehicles parked on the 100 Block of East State Street.

A City of Trenton street camera and other video footage taken by an individual present on the street captured Kadeem Dockery light an explosive device and throw it through the open front driver’s side window of a Trenton Police Department vehicle. Dockery then removed his shirt and handed it to Killian Melecio, who then attempted to stuff the shirt in the gas tank of the police vehicle and ignite it. Melecio was then assisted by Spry in attempting to set fire to the police vehicle. Law enforcement officers on scene arrested Spry, but Melecio and Dockery fled. Law enforcement later identified Melecio and Dockery through analysis of street camera and other video footage. They were arrested on Aug. 5, 2020.

Melecio pleaded guilty on Jan. 26, 2021, to one count of attempting to obstruct, impede, or interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder affecting commerce.

The charge of attempting to interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder to which Spry and Melecio have pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing for Spry is scheduled for Aug. 3, 2021.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. She also thanked officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley; troopers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers of the New Jersey Department of Corrections, under the direction of Commissioner Marcus O. Hicks, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Michelle S. Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

The charges and allegations remaining against Kadeem Dockery are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Boyle County Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Distribution of Child Pornography

 LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Perryville, Ky., man, Kenneth Ray Cook, 42, was sentenced on Tuesday to 324 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, following his conviction for distribution of child pornography.           

According to his plea agreement, on August 28, 2019, Cook admitted to intentionally uploading images of child pornography on the Internet.  Additionally, Cook’s distribution and possession of child pornography involved 600 or more images, including eight videos or similar visual depictions.  Cook had a prior qualifying conviction, further enhancing his sentence.                       

Cook pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2020.

Under federal law, Cook must serve 85 percent of his prison sentences.  Cook will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life, following his release.

Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Lt. Colonel Phillip Burnett, Acting Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; jointly announced the sentence.           

The investigation was conducted by the DHS-HSI and KSP.  The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Marye and James Chapman.

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