Leader Of “Mike’s Candyshop” Drug Delivery Service Pleads Guilty To Narcotics Distribution That Resulted In The 2018 Death Of Colin Kroll

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ARIEL TAVAREZ, a/k/a “A,” a/k/a “Mike,” pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and a fentanyl analogue, and to distributing narcotics that caused the 2018 death of Colin Kroll, the co-founder of the video hosting service Vine and the trivia game application HQ Trivia.  TAVAREZ pled guilty before United States District Judge Katherine Polk Failla. 

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “For years, Ariel Tavarez operated a covert on-demand delivery service for the distribution of highly addictive and dangerous drugs.  Tavarez and his underlings peddled their poison, which Tavarez sometimes secretly laced with deadly synthetic opioids, throughout New York City.  Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, Mike’s Candyshop is permanently closed.”           

According to the allegations in the Indictment, and statements made in Court:

TAVAREZ was the leader of a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) that engaged in a drug delivery service, which identified itself as “Mike’s Candyshop.”  The DTO delivered heroin and cocaine (sometimes laced with fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue) on demand to customers in New York City, and distributed numerous kilograms of heroin and cocaine throughout the course of the conspiracy.  Mike’s Candyshop generally operated seven days per week, from approximately 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., with the exception of major holidays such as Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, and Labor Day. 

Customers of the DTO placed delivery orders via text message to a centralized phone number (the “Candyshop Number”).  The operator of the Candyshop Number was usually TAVAREZ.  Using the Candyshop Number, TAVAREZ accepted customer orders and subsequently arranged for a courier working for the DTO to deliver the narcotics to the customer, usually within hours of the customer texting his or her order to the Candyshop Number.  Certain of the DTO members, including Christian Baez, Luis Meson, a/k/a “Sito,” Gregoris Martinez, a/k/a “Greg,” Kevin Grullon, a/k/a “Kev,” a/k/a “JB,” and Jeffrey Urena, a/k/a “Jeff,” a/k/a “Jay,” served as couriers for the DTO, and regularly delivered and sold narcotics to the DTO’s customers in hand-to-hand drug transactions coordinated through the Candyshop Number. 

The DTO stored heroin, cocaine, a fentanyl analogue, and cash from drug sales in various stash locations maintained by the DTO, including in Brooklyn, New York.  In an effort to avoid law enforcement detection, the DTO sold only to customers who had been referred by existing customers, periodically changed the Candyshop Number, used coded language to discuss narcotics, and delivered narcotics directly to customers at locations specified by the customer.  As a means of marketing its cocaine, and to ensure that the DTO’s customers knew the cocaine provided by the couriers belonged to the DTO, the DTO sold its cocaine in vials sealed with different colored tops. 

On or about December 16, 2018, Colin Kroll, a customer of the DTO, died of a drug overdose in New York, New York.  The narcotics that caused Kroll’s death – cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and a fentanyl analogue – were purchased from Mike’s Candyshop on the evening of December 14, 2018. 

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TAVAREZ pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and a fentanyl analogue, the use of which resulted in the death of Colin Kroll on or about December 16, 2018.  This count carries a statutory mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison and maximum penalty of life in prison.  The maximum and mandatory minimum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.

TAVAREZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Failla on November 23, 2021.           

Baez, Meson, Martinez, Grullon, and Urena each previously entered a plea of guilty to participating in the Mike’s Candyshop narcotics trafficking conspiracy.  Martinez was sentenced on June 29, 2021, to 72 months in prison by Judge Failla.  Baez, Meson, Grullon, and Urena will be sentenced later this year by Judge Failla.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.  This prosecution 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.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Mollie Bracewell, Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, and Aline R. Flodr are in charge of the prosecution. 

Fort Bragg Soldier Convicted of Theft of Government Property, Tampering with a Witness, Conspiracy to Commit Marriage Fraud and Naturalization Fraud

 NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Fort Bragg soldier assigned to 2nd SFAB (Security Force Assistance Brigade) Friday on charges of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, aid and abet naturalization fraud, harboring an alien, visa fraud, theft of government property, along with trying to obstruct the testimony of a witness in an official proceeding.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Samuel Manu Agyapong, 34, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Ghana, was indicted on June 3, 2021 in a third superseding indictment. Evidence presented at trial revealed that in February of 2019, a tipster alerted Fort Bragg U.S. Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division) that Agyapong, a U.S. citizen and soldier, was engaged in a sham marriage with Barbara Oppong, a citizen of Ghana who was unlawfully present in the U.S.  Agyapong agreed to engage in the sham marriage in exchange for Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for him and a lawful permanent resident card, commonly known as a green card, for Oppong.  Agyapong and Oppong were married in New York in January 2015. 

Thereafter, Agyapong and Oppong submitted fraudulent applications to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requesting Oppong’s adjustment of status as a lawful permanent resident in the United States, which she received. Based on the marriage to Agyapong, Oppong then filed an application for U.S. citizenship.

Additional evidence presented at the trial showed that Oppong resided in New York, and Agyapong purchased a residence in Fayetteville, and they seldom, if ever, travelled to see each other nor had they engaged in an actual marital union.  Further, evidence revealed that around the time Oppong and Agyapong were married and filed the applications, they omitted the fact that Oppong had two children with another individual.

The jury found Agyapong guilty on nine out of eleven counts including conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, aiding and abetting naturalization fraud, visa fraud, harboring certain aliens, false statements in immigration proceedings, theft of government property and tampering with a witness.

At sentencing, scheduled for the term of court commencing on October 5, 2021, Agyapong faces maximum penalties of twenty-five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

“U.S. Soldiers who continue to engage in marriages to foreign nationals in order to reside off base, obtain BAH, and allow the alien access to military bases and military and immigration benefits jeopardize and erode the critical infrastructure of Government installations, and our national security” said G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Mr. Acker made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) in the Eastern District of North Carolina led by Homeland Security Investigations and assisted by US Army CID investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Diaz is prosecuting the case.

Dickinson County Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy

 Wolthuis caught with three pounds of meth leaving residence where 20 pounds of meth was seized

A Dickinson County man who conspired to distribute meth pled guilty July 7, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Jared Wolthuis, 32, from Milford, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Wolthuis admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed more than three pounds of pure methamphetamine from July, 2018, through approximately March of 2020 in the Dickinson County, Iowa area. On March 17, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a co-conspirators residence and seized 20 pounds of methamphetamine from the residence.  During the course of the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement stopped Wolthuis leaving the residence in a vehicle.  Upon a search of the vehicle, law enforcement seized 3 pounds of pure meth that Wolthuis admitted he planned to distribute to other persons.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Wolthuis remains free on bond previously set.  Wolthuis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 5 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.

Springfield Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child Pornography

 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for sexually exploiting a minor to produce child pornography.

Anthony Thompson, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Thompson to spend 10 years on supervised release following incarceration.

On Oct. 19, 2020, Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor. Thompson admitted that he victimized a minor in to produce child pornography on July 1, 2018.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

Tampa Woman Sentenced To Twenty Years For Distribution Of Heroin And Fentanyl Resulting In Death

 Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Leslie Pagan (40, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in death. The court also ordered Pagan to forfeit $105,932, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. A federal jury had found her guilty on March 24, 2021.

According to testimony presented at trial, Pagan supplied coconspirators with heroin and fentanyl that was distributed in Hillsborough County. On December 19, 2019, a Tampa woman obtained a substance containing fentanyl from one of Pagan’s distributors, Jackylin Bonifacio. The victim used the fentanyl and shortly thereafter she collapsed and died. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigated the overdose death and identified Bonifacio as the person who had distributed the fentanyl to the victim. On December 20, 2019, Bonifacio was arrested and had 25 baggies of fentanyl, packaged for distribution in her possession.

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined that the victim had died from ingestion of substances, including heroin and fentanyl. Baggies recovered from Bonifacio and residue from a syringe found near the victim at the time of the overdose were analyzed and identified to contain fentanyl. Lab analysis also determined that the fentanyl mixtures were all very similar and, based on the circumstances of the death and the toxicology from the autopsy, the victim’s use of the fentanyl caused the victim’s death. 

A joint investigation led by the FBI identified Pagan as Bonifacio’s supplier. During a series of covert operations, Pagan distributed fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant and received payments from that informant. Pagan was arrested on September 1, 2020, and investigators recovered 97 grams of fentanyl and more than $105,000 from her residence.

On February 12, 2021, Bonifacio pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl, resulting in death. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 31, 2021.

This investigation is the result of a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.

This investigation is the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

Buffalo Sex Offender Sentenced to 24 Years for Child Pornography

 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Buffalo, Missouri, man who is a registered sex offender has been sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography.

Eddie Feck, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark on Thursday, July 1, to 24 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Feck to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.

On Feb. 11, 2021, Feck pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. Feck has a prior conviction for sodomizing an 11-year-old child (for which he served the entirety of his sentence because he refused to participate in sexual offender treatment), as well as an extensive criminal history.

The investigation began when a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper received a Cybertipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Jan. 13, 2020. That report was generated after Feck uploaded five images of child pornography to BingImage.

Law enforcement officers identified Feck as the BingImage account holder and executed a search warrant at Feck’s residence on Feb. 11, 2020. Upon arrival, the investigators located Feck’s computer, which was in the process of downloading suspected child pornography from the internet. Investigators found approximately 35 images of child pornography on Feck’s digital storage devices.

Feck confessed that he employed a variety of programs to access and view child pornography.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Jury Convicts New Jersey Man of Essex County Drug Conspiracy

 James Kerns Found Guilty of Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Charges

ALBANY, NEW YORK - James Kerns, age 30, of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, was convicted on June 30, 2020, following a four-day jury trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, announced  Acting  United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.  

The trial evidence showed that on November 2, 2020, Kerns conspired with co-defendant Ibn Spivey and others to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine from a local residence in Westport, New York, in Essex County.  It was established during trial that on November 2, 2020, Kerns and Spivey travelled from New Jersey to a residence in Westport and began to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.  On November 3, 2020, DEA Special Agents executed a search warrant at this location where they found Kerns sitting across from a large brick of cocaine and drug packaging materials along with a large knife and a video surveillance monitor.  Beside Kerns was a lunchbox filled with crack cocaine and powder cocaine. DEA Special Agents found Spivey sitting across from Kerns, with a bag of crack tucked in his (Spivey’s) trousers. Both Spivey and Kerns were arrested.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 4, 2021. As a result of his trial conviction, Kerns faces a minimum of 5 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and term of supervised release of at least 4-years and up to life, when he is sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

Ibn Spivey, 29, also from Elizabethtown, New Jersey, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine just prior to the commencement of trial.  Spivey is scheduled to be sentenced on October 28, 2021.  As a result of his conviction, Spivey faces a minimum of 5 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. 

This case was investigated by the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy Anderson and Katherine Kopita.

Dry Ridge Man Sentenced to 264 Months for Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking

 COVINGTON, Ky. – A Dry Ridge, Kentucky, man, Paul Stapleton, 48, was sentenced Friday to 264 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a short-barreled shotgun in furtherance of his drug trafficking.            

Stapleton led a conspiracy that distributed more than 1.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine throughout Northern Kentucky.  Agents seized significant amounts of methamphetamine in Campbell and Grant Counties, on October 21, 2019, and seized multiple firearms, including two short-barreled shotguns from the Grant County residence that was the focus of the conspiracy.  Stapleton had four prior felony convictions for drug offenses and committed these crimes while on parole. 

Several of Stapleton’s co-conspirators have already been sentenced to prison terms:  Steven Green (96 months); Steven Ballard (15 months); Lee Grimm (72 months); Donald Kaylor (54 months); A.J. Phillips (120 months); Dewey Phillips (36 months); George Pickett (37 months); Crystal Prewitt (54 months); Joseph Dylan Smith (50 months); Morgan Smith (12 months and one day); April Stapleton 60 months; Jeremy Thomas (54 months); and Amber Turner (18 months).

Stapleton pleaded guilty in April 2021.              

Under federal law, the defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences.  Upon his release, Stapleton will also be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. 

Carlton S. Shier IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Christopher Conners, Director of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force; and Colonel Lee Estepp, Chief of the Bellevue Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.

The investigation was conducted by ATF, the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, and the Bellevue Police Department.  The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.

Caretaker of Senior Couple Charged with Stealing Hundreds of Thousand from Couple’s Bank Accounts

 Miami, Florida – A federal indictment unsealed yesterday in the Southern District of Florida charges the caretaker of two seniors with accessing to their bank accounts to steal nearly $300,000.   

The indictment alleges that from 2016 to 2019, Sherri Lynn Smith worked as a caretaker for an elderly couple in Broward County.  As part of her duties, Smith had access to the victims’ bank accounts to assist them with paying their monthly bills.  Smith used her access to the victims’ bank accounts to embezzle approximately $300,000 out of the victims’ accounts without their knowledge or consent, according to the indictment.  She accomplished this by writing and forging the victim’s signature on a number of checks made payable to herself, her family members, and her creditors; initiating Zelle electronic money transfers from the victims’ accounts to her own bank account; and making electronic payments from the victims’ accounts to her and her husband’s numerous credit card accounts, it is alleged.

The indictment returned by a federal grand jury on June 8, 2021, charges Smith with 16 counts of bank fraud and 5 counts of aggravated identity theft.

Smith made her initial federal court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart, who sits in West Palm Beach.  If convicted, the maximum prison sentences on each bank fraud count is 30 years.  The maximum sentence on each aggravated identity fraud charge is two years.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who sits in Ft. Pierce.

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.  

FBI Miami investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Bergstrom.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.

An indictment is merely a charging document.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. The mission of the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s seniors. To learn more visit https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.  The public is encouraged to report victimization and suspected fraud schemes by calling the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD 11 (1-833-372-8311).  

You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14023.

Maricopa Man Sentenced to Prison for Shooting Death

 PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brent Edwin Justin, 32, of Maricopa, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to nearly 17 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Justin previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.

On March 1, 2020, Justin shot the victim multiple times on the Gila River Indian Community, resulting in the victim’s death. Justin is  an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community.

The Gila River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Raynette Logan, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-00557-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2021- 041_Justin

Tulsa Man Sentenced for Coercing a Minor to Engage in Prostitution

 A Tulsa man was sentenced today in federal court for coercing a 16-year-old to engage in sexual acts as part of a sex trafficking ring, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Dominique Laron Morgan, 25, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison followed by 25 years supervised release for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.

In a blind plea, Morgan admitted that from April 10 through April 20, 2020, he used his phone and internet to knowingly entice the minor victim to engage in prostitution. He also admitted that he knowingly possessed a firearm to further his marijuana distribution activities.

Also charged in the sex trafficking case were Rontaysha Leann Cox, 27, of Wichita, Kansas, and Treveon Marquise Cato, 23, of Tulsa. In March, Cox pleaded guilty to the sex trafficking of children, and Cato pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On April 17, 2020, officers with the Tulsa Police Department’s Human Trafficking Vice Unit discovered advertisements for the teenager on a website promoting prostitution and soliciting sex acts in exchange for money. An officer, acting as a john, contacted the victim using the phone number listed and arranged to meet her on April 20. During the appointment, the officer revealed his identity, and the minor victim was taken into protective custody.

Officers learned that Rontaysha Cox had rented the room, and that Cox and two other men left the hotel room in a silver sedan shortly before the scheduled appointment. Cox, Cato, and Morgan were later stopped and ordered out of the sedan. A semi-automatic pistol could be seen from outside of the vehicle wedged between the driver’s seat and center console. Officers subsequently arrested the three, and during a search of the vehicle and the occupants, officers recovered marijuana, phones and the firearm.

An analysis of the phones found conversations between Cox, Morgan and the victim discussing prostitution as well as photos of the victim that constituted child pornography. Also found, were conversations between Morgan and the victim where she told him she was 16 years old.

The Tulsa Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Snow is prosecuting the case.

ATF, NSSF Offers up to $2,000 Reward On Red State Arms Theft

 Tulsa — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Tulsa Police Department and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), have announced a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the identification and/or arrest of the suspect responsible for the theft of a handgun from gun dealer, Red State Arms, during the Oklahoma Gun Show in Tulsa.

        

On Saturday, June 26, 2021, the suspect entered the Oklahoma Gun Show at the Tulsa Expo Center and as protocol requires, checked in one firearm with the gun show security. The unidentified suspect is described as a black male, wearing a jacket, black shorts, black slip on shoes and carrying a dark green bag. Through video surveillance, the suspect can be seen looking at a pistol at the Red State Arms table, and after a short time, the suspect takes the firearm from the table and walks away. It appears that he places the stolen firearm into the bag. Video surveillance captures the suspect leaving the gun show immediately and getting into a small silver vehicle. See following link for surveillance video.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h_TjjJm_lt_bZNk401S3DEM-Dqo08pay?usp=sharing

“This case is being jointly investigated by ATF and the Tulsa Police Department. The City of Tulsa has seen a recent spike in shootings and violent crime, and our goal is to get viable information quickly as to the identity of the suspect, with the hopes of recovery before it is used in a crime. We are asking the public to please let authorities know if you recognize this individual” said ATF Dallas Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.

Anyone with any information about this crime should contact ATF at 1-888-ATFTIPS. Information can also be sent to ATFTips@atf.gov, through ATF’s website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips.

The reward is part of a larger national cooperative initiative between the NSSF and ATF, in which NSSF matches ATF rewards in cases involving the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms retailers. ATF works closely with members of the firearms industry to curb the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms.

ATF is the lead federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction involving firearms and violent crimes, and regulates the firearm industry. More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.

A Pilot Program Expands to Reach More Vulnerable People

 We know that the way to achieve safety for everyone starts with the community. It does not start with police or jails or the justice system. That simple idea is behind Community First, which we launched in January as a pilot program. Created through a partnership with local non-profits in and around Times Square, Community First meets the needs of vulnerable individuals experiencing trauma, joblessness, living with mental illness, and/or substance use disorders who have ended up living on the streets. Our Community Navigators do this by working on meeting people's immediate needs, learning about their lives, building trusting relationships with them, and then making connections to services people say they want over time. The initiative focuses on prevention and providing support before individuals may have contact with police or the justice system.

The pilot has been a success, reaching hundreds of people with food, clothes, shelter, and access to an array of community-based services. We’ve just learned that New York City is providing funding to extend the program, allowing us to hire a team of outreach workers who have personally experienced involvement in the justice system, homelessness, mental health challenges, substance use disorder, or poverty. Their lived experiences will make this team of Community Navigators uniquely able to build trusting relationships with our most vulnerable community members.

 

The Center for Court Innovation launched Community First in partnership with the Times Square Alliance, Breaking Ground, and Fountain House so that law enforcement will no longer have to be the only response to mental health crises and homelessness. We are committed to co-creating solutions with community partners to achieve fairness and equity for everyone. P.S. Read our piece in City Limits

Bridgeton Police Officer Charged with Civil Rights Violation and Filing False Police Report

 CAMDEN, N.J. – A City of Bridgeton police officer has been indicted for offenses arising from an assault on the streets of Bridgeton, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.

John Grier III, 49, of Cedarville, New Jersey, is charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of violating an individual’s civil rights and one count of falsifying a record for submitting a false police report about the assault. A federal grand jury returned the sealed indictment on June 30, 2021. Grier surrendered this morning and was arraigned by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio. He was released on $50,000 bond.

“One of the most important responsibilities we hold at the Department of Justice is the responsibility to investigate and prosecute police officers who abuse their power and deprive our citizens of their civil rights,” Acting U.S. Attorney Honig said. “This Office will continue to charge officers, like this defendant, who dishonor their badges by using force when it is neither reasonable nor necessary and thereby fail to live up to their duty to protect the public they serve.”

“Civil Rights violations are of great concern, particularly when the allegations involve a member of law enforcement,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. said. “The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve and keep them safe. When that trust is violated, it makes it more difficult for our fellow police officers and federal agents to maintain the community's confidence.”

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

On June 18, 2017, Bridgeton Police Department (BPD) officers were dispatched to a Bridgeton gas station following a report of two males sitting at the gas station yelling at passersby. When an officer arrived, he found the victim in the driver seat of a car parked by the gas pumps, and another man was sitting in the passenger seat. In response to the radio call, Grier arrived as a back-up officer.

Eventually, the driver and passenger were issued summonses, and Grier departed the gas station. Within minutes, an officer who remained at the gas station radioed for assistance because the driver and passenger had gotten out of the car and approached him before he could drive off. As Grier drove back to the gas station, he grabbed a large can of OC spray and pulled out the pin allowing its use.

Upon Grier’s arrival, the driver was yelling at officers. Grier ordered the driver to get back into his vehicle and warned him that if he approached the officers again that he would be arrested. The driver and passenger returned to their car and drove to the side of the gas station. At that point the police officers had probable cause to arrest the victim for driving while intoxicated.

The officers approached the car in order to arrest the victim. Grier got out of his car with the large can of OC spray in his hand and told another officer to “step back,” despite the fact that the officer had nearly finished handcuffing the victim. While holding the OC spray, Grier asked the victim “do you want to feel pain, sir?” Other officers were able to handcuff the victim without incident. 

As an officer attempted to the place the handcuffed victim into the rear of a patrol vehicle, Grier sprayed the victim in the face. The victim doubled over. An officer helped the victim up and sat him on the edge of the rear seat of the police SUV. Grier then sprayed the victim for a second time. After the second burst of OC spray to the face, Grier asked the driver “there, how do you like it now? Now get in the goddamn car.”

Grier returned to the police station to prepare his report in connection with the victim’s arrest. Grier prepared and submitted a false and fraudulent police report in which Grier falsely stated that the victim “refused [to enter the police vehicle] and continued to forcefully remain outside the vehicle,” and, in an effort to falsely justify the use of the OC spray a second time, stated that the “spray did not strike [the victim] in the face and that it did not take immediate effect[.]”

The violation of civil rights count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The false records count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The maximum fine for each charge is $250,000.

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

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Crouch in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment. Acting U.S. Attorney Honig also thanked the Internal Affairs Unit of the Bridgeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael A. Gaimari Sr.; investigators and detectives of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Attorney General Gurbir Grewal; and the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McCray.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney=s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

Lead defendant admits guilt in Georgia dog-fighting operation

 Sixty-three dogs rescued in 2018

AUGUSTA, GA:  All of the defendants charged in connection with a dog-fighting ring broken up in 2018 in Dodge County have admitted guilt to federal charges now that the operator of the dog-fighting facility has pled guilty.

James Lampkin, a/k/a “Pookie,” 46, of Eastman, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Welfare Act, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The plea subjects Lampkin to a statutory sentence of up to five years in prison, along with substantial fines and up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Animal fighting is cruel and barbaric, and has no place in our society – and it is particularly unwelcome in the Southern District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our vigilant law enforcement partners shut down Lampkin’s brutal operation and rescued dozens of animals from a life of pain and misery.”

“This investigation and prosecution should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those individuals involved in the inhumane torture of animals for the purpose of entertainment,” said Jason Williams, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General.  “We appreciate the partnership with our law enforcement partners in pursuing these purveyors of death and senseless suffering.”

Five of Lampkin’s co-defendants – Benjamin Shinhoster III, 41, of Augusta; Deveon Hood, 34, of Tennille, Ga.; Andre Archer, 23, of Sandersville, Ga.; Xavier Simmons, 34, of Sandersville, Ga.; and Joe Ford, 33, of Elgin, S.C. – also await sentencing in federal court after pleading guilty to related felony charges.

The remaining co-defendant, Dwight McDuffie, 44, of Eastman, Ga., pled guilty to Attending an Animal Fighting Venture, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to two years of probation, 150 hours of community service, and prohibited from owning animals.

In March 2018, Georgia State Patrol troopers and Georgia Department of Natural Resources game wardens conducted traffic stops in Eastman after receiving reports of a dogfighting operation at Lampkin’s property. During those traffic stops, officers discovered a dog in one of the vehicles that appeared to have been injured while fighting. Investigators later seized 63 dogs at Lampkin’s residence while serving a search warrant after finding the animals chained in the back yard. Investigators also discovered a disassembled pit where fights were held, and equipment used to train dogs for fighting.

While the Asset Forfeiture Unit of the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated a civil forfeiture action, an animal rescue operation took custody of the dogs.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Rock and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro V. Pascual IV.

Officials from Two Louisiana Healthcare Companies Indicted for Multi-Million Dollar Bank Fraud Scheme

 MONROE, La. – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Charlie L. Simpson, 48, of Downsville, who worked as Chief Operating Officer of United Home Care, Inc. (“United”) and Trinity Home Health Care, Inc. (“Trinity”), and Charles R. Gardner, 53, of West Monroe, who worked as Chief Financial Officer/Controller of United and Trinity. Simpson and Gardner were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of bank fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.

The indictment alleges that from April 2016 until March 2017, Simpson and Gardner were involved in a scheme to defraud Origin Bank, Peoples Bank, and Louisiana National Bank (“LNB”) by fraudulently obtaining money and credits from the three banks. It is alleged that Simpson and Gardner orchestrated and executed a check kite between accounts at Origin Bank and LNB wherein they deposited hundreds of checks between multiple accounts they controlled at both banks and took advantage of the float when they passed the checks, timing the exchanges to artificially inflate the account balances. In so doing, Simpson and Gardner caused Origin Bank and LNB to honor checks and payments drawn against accounts with insufficient funds and put the financial institutions at risk.

The indictment further alleges that on March 8, 2017, Simpson learned that accounts under his control at LNB had an overdraft and the bank would only accept a certified check to cover the deficit. To cover the overdraft and prevent the kite from collapsing, Simpson and Gardner allegedly added a third bank, Peoples Bank, into the scheme by issuing over 20 checks for approximately $4 million drawn from different accounts at that bank and deposited them into multiple accounts at Origin Bank. However, the accounts used at Peoples Bank did not have sufficient funds to cover the checks deposited into Origin Bank. In fact, the accounts at Peoples Bank had less than $2,000 available. The following day, March 9, 2017, the defendants used the artificially inflated balances to obtain four certified checks totaling $2.1 million from Origin Bank and deposited them into different accounts at LNB to cover the overdraft.  Origin Bank suffered a financial loss when it discovered that Simpson and Gardner had used the inflated accounts to obtain certified funds.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The FBI is conducting this investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten is prosecuting the case.

Martin County Resident Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation

 Miami, Florida -- Today, Nikolas Cook, 22, of Stuart, Florida, pled guilty in federal district court in Ft. Pierce to production, distribution, and possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, on September 10, 2020, Cook communicated with others in a social media group created for individuals interested in child sexual abuse material.  While participating in the chat group, Cook produced and distributed multiple pornographic images of a three-year-old girl.  An investigation led agents to Cook’s residence. Agents arrested Cook within 12 hours of learning of his activity in the chat group.  During a search of Cook’s residence, agents located electronic devices containing multiple sexually explicit images and videos of minor children being sexually abused. 

The court will set a date for Cook’s sentencing hearing.  Cook faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of 70 years.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez and Special Agent in Charge for FBI Miami George L. Piro announced the guilty plea.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Funk and Luisa Berti are prosecuting it.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Judge sentences St. Louis man on drug and weapon charges

 ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Corey Clark to 50 months in prison today. The 52-year-old St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty in March to one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In January 2020, Carter made four separate sales of fentanyl to an individual during the course of an undercover police operation.  Carter was arrested on January 28, 2020, as a result of his illegal drug sales.    

At the time of Carter’s arrest, Carter was in possession of approximately 20 grams of fentanyl.  Law enforcement also recovered a loaded firearm from Carter’s vehicle.  Prior to January 28, 2020, Carter was convicted of at least one felony crime.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case.

Judge sentences Fairview Heights man for being a felon in possession of a firearm

 ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Darryl Lewis today to 37 months in prison and ordered Lewis to pay $2,250 in restitution. The 22-year-old Fairview Heights, Illinois resident pleaded guilty in April to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On June 5, 2019, Lewis stole multiple items from a car parked in a garage in the 1100 block of  Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis. One of the items was a camouflage-colored DPMS Panther 5.56 caliber A15 firearm with a 30-round magazine. Garage surveillance cameras captured Lewis carrying the firearm out of the garage. The firearm was reported stolen to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department two days later.

Police detained Lewis, on June 12, 2019, after encountering him near the crime scene and recognizing Lewis as the person in the surveillance video carrying the stolen firearm. Lewis initially denied ever being in the garage, but later admitted he was the individual in the surveillance video holding the firearm stolen from the car.

Police seized Lewis’s cell phone.  A search warrant was issued to obtain the phone's content. A search of the phone revealed photographs, created on the same day the firearm was stolen, of a rifle matching the description of the stolen firearm.

Prior to June 5, 2019, Lewis had been convicted of at least one felony crime.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case.

North Las Vegas Woman Pleads Guilty To Stealing Over $200,000 In Social Security Retirement Benefits

 LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A North Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty today to unlawfully collecting over $200,000 of her deceased mother’s Social Security retirement benefits. She also admitted to wrongfully taking over $20,000 of her deceased mother’s annuity payments from a life insurance company.

According to court documents and admissions made in court, Inez Baker Cone, 74, held a joint bank account with her mother. The Social Security Administration (SSA) directly deposited her mother’s retirement benefits into the joint account. When her mother passed away in 1995, Baker Cone did not inform the SSA that her mother had died and was accordingly no longer eligible to receive retirement benefits. Instead, nearly two years after her mother’s death, Baker Cone changed her mother’s mailing address with the SSA to her own home address.

Similarly, Baker Cone changed her mother’s mailing address with Transamerica Life Insurance Company to her own home address in order to wrongfully collect her mother’s annuity payment checks mailed by the company. Baker Cone deposited the checks by forging her late mother’s signature. From April 1995 to September 2020, Baker Cone unlawfully obtained approximately $200,244 of SSA retirement benefits and $22,763 of annuity payments from Transamerica Life Insurance Company.

Baker Cone pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property. She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II on October 14, 2021, and she faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Acting U.S. attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Inspector General Gail S. Ennis for the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA OIG) made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the SSA OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Schmale is prosecuting the case.

Judge sentences St. Louis man on drug and weapon charges

 ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Corey Clark to 50 months in prison today. The 52-year-old St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty in March to one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In January 2020, Carter made four separate sales of fentanyl to an individual during the course of an undercover police operation.  Carter was arrested on January 28, 2020, as a result of his illegal drug sales.    

At the time of Carter’s arrest, Carter was in possession of approximately 20 grams of fentanyl.  Law enforcement also recovered a loaded firearm from Carter’s vehicle.  Prior to January 28, 2020, Carter was convicted of at least one felony crime.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case.

Tehama County Woman Pleads Guilty in Refund Fraud Scheme

 SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sabrina Raylene Toilolo, 26, of Corning, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for her participation in a refund‑fraud scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

In June 2020, a federal grand jury returned a 14-count superseding indictment against her and her previously charged co-defendant Johnathon Ward, charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, between July 2017 and September 2019, Sabrina Toilolo, Johnathon Ward, Monica Nunes, and Talalima Toilolo conspired to defraud financial institutions using a scheme that exploited the merchant refund process used by businesses and retail establishments to refund customers for returns, reimbursements, and erroneous charges.

The defendants committed this scheme by stealing or purchasing point-of-sale (POS) terminals used by businesses to process bankcard transactions. The defendants programmed each terminal to make it appear as if it was authorized by a particular retail merchant, connected the terminals to payment processing intermediaries, and executed refund transactions even though no purchases had been made. The payment processors, falsely believing the terminals were authorized, approved the refunds and caused the merchants’ payment processors to transfer funds to the defendants’ fraudulent accounts. The defendants then drained the stolen funds from the accounts and distributed them among members of the conspiracy.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Regional Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT) Task Force, which includes investigators from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.

Sabrina Toilolo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on September 23, 2021. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

On April 2, Nunes was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison.  On February 11, Talalima Toilolo was sentenced to10 years in prison. Charges against Ward are pending. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Pittsburgh Felon Admits Illegally Possessing Multiple Drugs and Violating Firearms Laws

 PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to violating federal narcotics and firearms laws Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

Che Williams, age 34, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn Horan.

According to information provided to the court, on November 19, 2019, Williams conspired to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl and valeyrl fentanyl, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and possessed with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possessed firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. As a conviction felon, it is in violation of federal law to possess any firearms and/or ammunition. Williams also pleaded guilty to knowingly participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl from September 2017 to November 2019.

Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for Nov. 10, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. As to Count One of the Information, the law provides for a total sentence of not more than 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine or both. As to Count Two of the Information, the law provides for a total sentence of not more than ten years, a $250,000 fine or both. Under the law, Count One of the Indictment provides for a total term of imprisonment of not less than ten years with a fine not to exceed $10,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court ordered Williams to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Che Williams.

Federal Jury Convicts Local High School Janitor Of Secretly Filming Students In Bathroom Stall

 Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces that a federal jury has found Derremy Jerrell Walker (31, Sanford) guilty of two counts of using, or attempting to use, children to produce sexually explicit videos. Walker’s sentencing hearing has been set for September 21, 2021. 

According to evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, Walker was a contracted janitor at Oviedo High School in November 2019, when two 15-year-old female students discovered an actively recording cellphone hidden under the sink inside a toilet stall in a student bathroom. The girls took the phone to school administrators, who then contacted the Oviedo Police Department.

Forensic analysis of the cellphone revealed Walker had placed the phone in the same location on two prior dates in November 2019, each time creating a one-hour video of students in that stall. On the date the girls found the phone, it had been recording video for about 15 minutes before they discovered it. In each of the three instances, Walker had angled the cellphone’s camera in an effort to capture the genitalia and pubic areas of those in the stall.  School administration officials and law enforcement officers were able to identify six of the ten students unknowingly captured in the videos Walker created.

Further analysis revealed Walker had also set up a surreptitious cellphone camera to record in the school’s faculty bathroom earlier that month.  

This case was investigated by the Oviedo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

Judge sentences St. Louis man for being a felon in possession of a firearm

 ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge John A. Ross sentenced Joe Lea, 34, of St. Louis, to 48 months in prison today. Lea pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On July 30, 2019, two members of the North County Police Cooperative were on patrol in the area of the Wellston Food Market when the officers observed Lea exit a vehicle and drop what appeared to be controlled substances to the ground.  Lea retrieved the suspected controlled substances and placed them in a satchel that Lea was wearing.  

The officers approached Lea to investigate further.  Lea refused to cooperate and initiated a struggle with the officers.  During the struggle, Lea struck one of the officers in the face and ran. As Lea fled on foot, Lea tossed a firearm and his satchel to the ground.  After doing so, Lea eventually stopped running and was arrested. 

Lea’s nine-millimeter firearm was seized.  It was loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition.  Inside Lea’s satchel, officers seized 17 capsules containing fentanyl; two additional loaded nine-millimeter firearm magazines, and additional loose rounds of ammunition.  

Prior to July 30, 2019, Lea was convicted of at least one felony crime.

The North County Police Cooperative investigated the case.

Federal Gun Trafficking and Drug Dealing Charges Filed Against Chicago Man

 CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been charged in federal court with trafficking a loaded submachine gun and dealing cocaine in the city.

JOSUE CANALES, 28, knowingly transferred a loaded Israeli Military Industries Model submachine gun to another individual on Dec. 15, 2020, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The indictment also accuses Canales of distributing cocaine in Chicago on four occasions in 2019.

Canales was arrested Wednesday and has made an initial appearance in federal court in Chicago.

The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mower represents the government.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

One of the four drug counts against Canales carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum of 40 years.  The three other drug counts are each punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years, while the firearm count carries a maximum sentence of ten years.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

Harahan Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography

 NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CHARLES A. LOPEZ (“LOPEZ”), age 28, of Harahan, Louisiana, pled guilty on June 30, 2021 to receipt of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1).

The case against LOPEZ developed as a result of an undercover child exploitation investigation conducted by special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”). On April 30, 2019, HSI agents and special agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation executed a federal search warrant at LOPEZ’s Harahan home and determined LOPEZ received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.

LOPEZ faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment up to twenty (20) years, followed by up to a life term of supervised release, a $250,000.00 fine, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for September 29, 2021, before United States District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle.

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 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.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.

Federal Indictment Accuses Three Men of Unlawfully Dealing or Possessing Firearms in Chicago

 CHICAGO — Three men have been charged in a federal indictment with unlawfully dealing or possessing firearms in Chicago.

JOHNATHAN BURGOS, 28, of Chicago, illegally dealt firearms in Chicago from January to March of last year, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Burgos also illegally possessed handguns and a semiautomatic rifle on seven occasions last year and this year, the indictment states.  As a previously convicted felon, Burgos was not lawfully allowed to possess the firearms.

Two other convicted felons – ALEJANDRO DAVIS, 29, of Chicago, and DAMIAN REYES, 23, of Chicago – are also charged in the indictment with illegally possessing firearms in the city.

All three defendants were arrested Wednesday and have made initial appearances in federal court in Chicago.

The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mower represents the government.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison, while dealing firearms without a license is punishable by up to five years.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

Extradited Ghanaian National Sentenced To Nearly 6 Years In Prison For Multimillion-Dollar Money Laundering Conspiracy

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DEBORAH MENSAH was sentenced to 70 months in prison for her participation in a conspiracy to launder millions of dollars of fraud proceeds from business email compromises and romance scams that targeted the elderly from at least in or about 2014 through in or about 2018.  MENSAH was extradited from the Republic of Ghana (“Ghana”) to the United States on August 21, 2020.  She pled guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering on April 2, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, who imposed today’s sentence. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Deborah Mensah was a member of an international criminal enterprise that stole millions of dollars from businesses and vulnerable individuals across the United States, and laundered that money through a network of bank accounts in the Bronx.  Having previously been extradited from Ghana, Deborah Mensah has now been sentenced to a term in a U.S. prison for her crime.” 

According to the Indictment and other public filings in the case:

From at least in or about 2014 through in or about 2018, MENSAH was a member of a  criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in Ghana that committed a series of business email compromises and romance scams against individuals and businesses located across the United States, including in the Southern District of New York. 

The objective of the Enterprise’s business email compromise fraud scheme was to trick and deceive businesses into wiring funds into accounts controlled by the Enterprise.  First, members of the Enterprise created email accounts with slight variations of email accounts used by employees of a victim company or third parties engaged in business with a company to “spoof” or impersonate those employees or third parties.  These fake email accounts were specifically designed to trick other employees of the company with access to the company’s finances into thinking the fake email accounts were authentic.  The fake email accounts were used to send instructions to wire money to certain bank accounts and also included fake authorization letters for the wire transfers that contained forged signatures of company employees.  By using this method of deception, the Enterprise sought to trick the victims into transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars to bank accounts the victims believed were under the control of legitimate recipients of the funds as part of normal business operations, when in fact the bank accounts were under the control of members of the Enterprise, including MENSAH.

The Enterprise conducted the romance scams by using electronic messages sent via email, text messaging, or online dating websites that deluded the victims, many of whom were vulnerable older men and women who lived alone, into believing the victim was in a romantic relationship with a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise.  Once members of the Enterprise had gained the trust of the victims using the fake identity, they used false pretenses to cause the victims to wire money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when in fact the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise, including MENSAH.  At times, the members of the Enterprise also used false pretenses to cause the victims to receive funds into the victims’ bank accounts, which, unbeknownst to the victims, were fraud proceeds, and to transfer those funds to accounts under the control of members of the Enterprise.  The members of the Enterprise, posing as the romantic interest of the victims, also introduced the victims to other individuals purporting to be, for example, consultants or lawyers, who then used false pretenses to cause the victims to wire money to bank accounts controlled by members of the Enterprise.

MENSAH and her co-conspirators received or otherwise directed the receipt of over $10 million in fraud proceeds from victims of the Enterprise into bank accounts that she and other members of the Enterprise controlled in the Bronx, New York.  MENSAH opened and maintained multiple business bank accounts in the name of an auto sales company to receive funds stolen from victims and launder them to co-conspirators based primarily in Ghana.  She also recruited and directed one co-conspirator to receive and launder fraud proceeds and instructed that co-conspirator on how to set up a business bank account for this purpose to avoid detection. 

*                *                *

MENSAH, 34, a citizen of Ghana, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.  In addition, MENSAH was ordered to forfeit $202,964 and pay restitution of $1,505,519 to victims. 

Other defendants in this case who have been sentenced include Muftau Adamu, a/k/a “Muftau Adams,” a/k/a “Muftau Iddrissu,” 32, of the Bronx, New York, who was sentenced to 51 months in prison on June 7, 2019; Tourey Ahmed Rufai, a/k/a “Joe Thompson,” a/k/a “Joe Terry,” a/k/a “Rufai A Tourey,” a/k/a “Ahmed Rufai Tourey,” 34, of the Bronx, New York, who was sentenced to 48 months in prison on April 12, 2019; Prince Nana Aggrey, 45, of the Bronx, New York, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison on May 10, 2019; and Assana Traore, 41, of the Bronx, New York, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison on October 8, 2019.   Adamu, Rufai, and Aggrey each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Troare pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money.  Each of the defendants was sentenced by Judge Cote.  

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.  Ms. Strauss also thanked the United States Marshals Service, the FBI Legal Attaché in Accra, Ghana, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Ministry of Justice & Attorney General’s Office of Ghana, and Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office, for their assistance in this case.  The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Ghana.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Sagar K. Ravi and Mitzi Steiner are in charge of the prosecution.

Onondaga Reservation Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug and Money Laundering Charges

 SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Robert Printup, age 36, a resident of the Onondaga Reservation in Onondaga County, New York,  pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute marijuana and launder drug proceeds, and possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute,  announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon, Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Gregory S. Oakes, Oswego County District Attorney.

As part of his guilty plea, Printup admitted that between February 2017 and July 2017, he received bulk quantities of marijuana from a source of supply who illegally imported marijuana from Canada to northern New York. Printup distributed the marijuana he received to customers in the Syracuse area and sent some of the proceeds back to his source of supply. In pleading guilty, Printup admitted he distributed at least 241 kilograms (approximately 530 pounds) of marijuana.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 3, 2021, before Senior District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy in Binghamton, New York, at which time Printup faces a minimum sentence of 5 years, with a maximum of up to 40 years, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life.  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.

This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Syracuse Police Department-Special Investigations Division, and the Oswego County Drug Task Force, comprised of Special Agents of HSI, members of the City of Oswego Police Department, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators from the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, the SUNY Oswego Police Department, and Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.

New Orleans Woman Sentenced to Theft of More Than $280,000 In Federal Student Aid

 NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, announced that ASHLY HOWARD (“HOWARD”), age 34, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 24, 2021 to five (5) years probation in federal court before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon for Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641 and Identity Theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028(a)(7).

According to court documents, beginning in 2018 and continuing through 2019, HOWARD fraudulently submitted Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and/or Master Promissory Notes (MPN) in individual’s names in an effort to obtain federal financial aid. HOWARD facilitated the submission of thirty (30) applications for admission to Nunez Community College in Chalmette, Louisiana in these individuals’ names. HOWARD facilitated the creation of debit cards in these individuals’ names so that the student loan proceeds could be disbursed. HOWARD accepted the grants and student loans and used the federal financial aid funds under the names of these individuals. Some of the financial aid were used with the knowledge and consent of these individuals and some were used without. Accordingly, HOWARD fraudulently received approximately $280,000 in Department of Education funds to which she was not entitled.

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General.  The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn McHugh.

Waterbury Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Role in Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking Ring

 Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FRANCIS AYBAR-PEGUERO, also known as “Grena,” 29, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 87 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a heroin and fentanyl trafficking ring.  Judge Bryant also ordered Aybar-Peguero to pay a fine of $30,000.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department revealed that Nestor Sosa-Ortiz operated a Waterbury-based drug trafficking organization that received large quantities of heroin and fentanyl from suppliers in Connecticut and New York and distributed the narcotics throughout New Haven County.  The organization used an apartment located at 330 Bishop Street in Waterbury to store kilogram-quantities of heroin and fentanyl, and to process and package the drugs for street sale.

On May 18, 2019, Sosa-Ortiz was arrested in New York City on a separate federal heroin and fentanyl trafficking charge.  On that date, law enforcement intercepted a planned drug transaction and seized approximately two kilograms of fentanyl and two kilograms of heroin.  Sosa-Ortiz continued to control his drug network while incarcerated by using smuggled cell phones to communicate with various co-conspirators.

The investigation revealed that Aybar-Peguero received fentanyl and heroin from members of the Sosa-Ortiz organization and sold the drugs out of his business, the Corner Mini market located on East Farm Road in Waterbury.

Aybar-Peguero and several co-defendants were arrested on October 29, 2019.  On that date, investigators executed search warrants at five locations, including the Corner Mini Market, and seized a total of approximately six kilograms of suspected heroin/fentanyl, approximately 100,000 bags of suspected heroin/fentanyl packaged for street distribution, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet pills, one firearm and approximately $50,000 in cash.

Further investigation revealed that the Corner Mini Market was primarily being used by Aybar-Peguero to distribute narcotics and to launder drug proceeds.

Law enforcement seized approximately $98,000 from Aybar-Peguero’s business bank account.

On September 30, 2020, Aybar-Peguero pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of concealment money laundering.

Aybar-Peguero, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on August 25, 2021. 

Sixteen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation.  Sosa-Ortiz has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department.  The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.

Bangor Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearms Charges

 BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

According to court records, on November 12, 2020, agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant on a motel room in Bangor where Nikolas J. Raines, 29, was staying. Upon searching Raines’ motel room, agents found 310 grams of fentanyl, along with a digital scale, a blender and other drug paraphernalia. They also found a loaded .22 caliber revolver close to the fentanyl. Raines was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior Maine felony convictions.

On the drug trafficking charge, Raines faces a minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and a supervised release term of between five years and life. On the charge of possessing a firearm in relation to drug trafficking, he faces a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, in addition to the sentence of imprisonment on the drug trafficking charge. On the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, he also faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.

Leader Of Violent Rochester Drug Ring Convicted By Federal Jury Of Drug Conspiracy, Gun Charge And Murder

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal jury convicted Carlos Javier Figueroa a/k/a Javi, a/k/a Big Bro, 43, of Rochester, NY, of narcotics conspiracy, possession and discharge of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and murder while engaged in narcotics conspiracy. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

“The drug trafficking and violence inflicted on the streets of Rochester by this defendant and his co-conspirators is similar to the violence the city is experiencing today,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Let this conviction of Carlos Javier Figueroa and his co-defendants serve as a warning, ‘we took down their organization, prosecuted its members and convicted them, and we will do the same to any other criminal engaging in similar behavior.’” 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert A. Marangola, Cassie M. Kocher, and Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that the defendant was the leader of a Rochester-based drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing many kilograms of cocaine in the City of Rochester. The organization was involved in the transportation and sale of cocaine and was also responsible for acts of violence in furtherance of the organization’s drug trade. These acts of violence included the September 12, 2016, shooting death of Walter Ross at the corner of Burbank Street and North Clinton Avenue. The Government presented evidence at trial that Figueroa provided the 9mm handgun that co-defendant Jonathan Cruz-Carmona used to murder Walter Ross. The gun was also used by co-defendant Obed Torres Garcia to shoot at police officers on Burbank Street when they attempted to raid Figueroa’s residence on January 29, 2018. 

Various locations throughout Rochester were utilized to receive, store, and sell the supply of illegal narcotics. Figueroa coordinated shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico, which were sent to locations in Rochester via the United States Postal Service (USPS). Once the packages arrived in Rochester, the cocaine was broken down and packaged for sale. On January 29, 2018, during the execution of state search warrants, investigators seized more than $700,000 in cash, six assault rifles, three loaded handguns, over four kilograms of cocaine, and a quantity of suspected heroin and fentanyl.   

A total of 12 defendants were charged in this case, 11 have been convicted. The final defendant, Xavier Torres a/k/a Pistolita, is scheduled to go to trial on October 12, 2021. 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.

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.

The verdict is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan; the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (GRANET), under the direction of Lieutenant Robert Hill; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley; the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Andrew P. Forsythe; and U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Acting Chief Patrol Agent Andrew Scharnweber.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. who presided over the trial of the case.

Des Moines Woman Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Damage the Dakota Access Pipeline

 DES MOINES, IA – A Des Moines woman was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to eight years in federal prison for Conspiracy to Damage an Energy Facility. Jessica Rae Reznicek, age 39, was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow her prison term and pay $3,198,512.70 in restitution.

Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa and FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel made the announcement.

According to court documents, Reznicek, as early as November 8, 2016, and continuing until May 2, 2017, conspired with other individuals to damage the Dakota Access Pipeline at several locations within the Southern District of Iowa, Northern District of Iowa, and the District of South Dakota. Specifically, the defendant admitted to damaging and attempting to damage the pipeline using an oxy-acetylene cutting torch and fires near pipeline instrumentation and equipment in Mahaska, Boone, and Wapello Counties within the Southern District of Iowa.

Acting U.S. Attorney Westphal stated, “This was a federal crime of terrorism. Criminal acts conducted on multiple instances, at multiple locations, over a sustained period of time, resulting in over $3 million dollars in ordered restitution. After which Reznicek sought to encourage others to engage in similar conduct. As this investigation and punishment show, any crime of terrorism will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by the federal government.”

Following the sentencing, FBI Special Agent in Charge Kowel commented, “Protecting the American people from terrorism – both international and domestic – remains the FBI’s number one priority. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring domestic terrorists like Jessica Reznicek to justice. Her sentence today should be a deterrent to anyone who intends to commit violence through an act of domestic terrorism.”

Reznicek’s co-defendant, Ruby Montoya, is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa

Belle Plaine Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Accessing Child Pornography

 A man who accessed child pornography was sentenced on June 29, 2021, to ten years in federal prison.

Jared Daily, age 35, of Belle Plaine, Iowa, received the sentence after a January 11, 2021 guilty plea to one count of accessing child pornography.  At the plea hearing, Daily admitted that, between January and June 2020, he used a cell phone to access child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent children.

Daily was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Daily was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He was also ordered to make $5,000 in restitution to a victim depicted in child pornography he accessed.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term, and he must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.