Bloomfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Charge

ALBUQUERQUE – Season Smith, 41, of Bloomfield, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge.

Smith and co-defendant Jeffrey Kline, 45, of Farmington, N.M., were charged on in a two-count indictment filed on April 11, 2017, with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  The indictment alleged that the defendants committed the offenses on Feb. 10, 2017, in San Juan County, N.M.

During today’s proceedings, Smith pled guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  In entering the guilty plea, Smith admitted that on Feb. 10, 2017, law enforcement officers stopped Kline and her while they were traveling from Arizona to New Mexico after they picked up methamphetamine from a source of supply.  Smith further admitted that the officers seized approximately 511.7 grams of methamphetamine, 13.6 grams of heroin and drug paraphernalia when they executed a lawful search of her purse.

At sentencing, Smith faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison.  Her sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Kline previously pled guilty on July 26, 2017, to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and was sentenced on April 9, 2018, to 120 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Farmington Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez is prosecuting the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution.  Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target for federal prosecution violent or repeat offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.

Citizen of Ukraine Pleads Guilty to Participating in Wire Fraud Conspiracy

  CONCORD - Yuriy Khalabuda, 37, a citizen of Ukraine, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Khalabuda and another person used scanned images of Best Buy gifts cards on their cell phones to buy Apple products from the Best Buy store in Salem, New Hampshire, in April and May 2017.  On May 13, 2017, an employee of the Salem store observed Khalabuda use scanned images of gift cards to buy merchandise worth more than $2,200 and notified the Salem Police Department.   Later that day, Khalabuda was arrested by the Salem Police Department for driving without a driver’s license.  While investigating Khalabuda’s use of the gift cards, the Salem Police Department obtained a warrant to search a cell phone he possessed at the time of his arrest.  During the search, investigators found text messages showing that Khalabuda knew that the gift cards he used at the Salem store had been obtained fraudulently.

Khalabuda will be sentenced on September 12, 2018.

“Unfortunately advances in technology provide more opportunities for fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “Prosecuting individuals who fraudulently obtain money and property is an important priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  The prosecutors in this office will continue to work diligently with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute fraudulent conduct in its many forms.”

"Individuals like Mr. Khalabuda who defraud local businesses drive up prices for all consumers,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division. “This case should serve as a warning to others that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate those who commit financial fraud and take advantage of others through their criminal behavior."

The case was investigated by the Salem Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella.

New York Man Arrested and Charged with Extensive Cyberstalking Campaign

A New York man was arrested today and charged in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York with conducting an extensive cyberstalking and threats campaign that targeted a woman he dated for several months in 2013 and 2014.  The victim’s name is being withheld to protect her privacy.

Acting Assistant Attorney John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman of the Southern District of New York made the announcement.

David Waldman, 50, of New York, New York, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of cyberstalking and two counts of sending interstate threats.  Waldman will have his initial court appearance later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in courtroom 5A in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, Waldman is charged with engaging in an extensive cyberstalking campaign targeting a woman he briefly dated.  The campaign began in April 2014, shortly after Waldman and the victim ended their relationship, and continued intermittently until the date of Waldman’s arrest.  Over the course of almost four years, Waldman sent the victim hundreds of text messages, voicemail messages, and e-mail messages, and made voluminous posts on a variety of online platforms, in which he claimed, among other assertions, that she had been diagnosed with bipolar and narcissistic personality disorder, used drugs, and fabricated claims that she had been a victim of child sexual abuse.  In his online communications, Waldman also repeatedly threatened to show up at the victim’s apartment and office and threatened to injure, torture, and sexually assault her.  Waldman also sent email messages to the victim’s employers, accusing her of being a “habitual drug user” and claiming that he would sue her for defamation, theft, illegal trespass, violating HIPAA, and engaging in other “illegal behaviors.”

Over the course of the alleged cyberstalking campaign, the victim obtained multiple state court orders of protection against Waldman.

The case was investigated by special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Chiuchiolo of the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.