Two Defendants Each Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Charges

International Child Pornography Conspiracy Case Leads to Identification of Child Victims and Production of Child Pornography Charges

WASHINGTON – Two defendants were sentenced to prison today for their participation in an online child pornography conspiracy and for child pornography production charges, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett of the Southern District of Indiana, U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler of the District of Alaska, and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag of the Northern District of California.

Charles Neyhart, 34, of Chugiak, Alaska, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for his role in the child pornography conspiracy and for charges of child pornography production.   Richard Schweich, 40, of San Jose, Calif., was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his participation in the conspiracy and for producing child pornography.   Each defendant also was sentenced to lifetime supervised release following their respective prison terms.   Both defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William T. Lawrence in Indianapolis.

Neyhart pleaded guilty on April 7, 2010, to one count of conspiracy to advertise child pornography, one count of conspiracy to distribute child pornography, 13 counts of advertising child pornography and two counts of distributing child pornography.   Neyhart also pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with three counts of producing child pornography between February and June 2009.   According to the criminal information filed in the District of Alaska, Neyhart produced sexually explicit photographs of a 10 year-old girl in West Virginia and transported the photographs to his home in Alaska.

On June 15, 2010, Schweich pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to advertise child pornography, one count of conspiracy to distribute child pornography, 13 counts of advertising child pornography and two counts of distributing child pornography in conjunction with the child pornography conspiracy.   Schweich also pleaded guilty to a criminal information filed in the Northern District of California, charging him with one count of producing child pornography.   According to the criminal information, Schweich produced sexually explicit photographs of an 11 year-old girl in January 2008.

The charges against Neyhart, Schweich and 24 co-defendants are a result of “Operation Nest Egg,” an ongoing and joint investigation led by the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).   Operation Nest Egg, launched in February 2008, targeted 26 defendants charged in the Southern District of Indiana, as well as approximately 500 additional individuals located throughout the world for their involvement in an online group dedicated to trading images of child pornography.

According to court documents filed in the Southern District of Indiana, the 26 co-conspirators participated in a sophisticated, password-protected Internet bulletin board group, which existed to allow members to meet like-minded individuals with a sexualized interest in children, to discuss that interest and to trade images of child pornography.   The defendants are charged with conspiring to advertise and distribute child pornography, along with substantive counts of advertising and distributing child pornography.   Twenty-two of the 26 defendants charged in the conspiracy have been arrested and 20 of the 22 individuals arrested have been convicted or have pleaded guilty.   Seventeen defendants have been sentenced to prison on previous dates

Four of the 26 individuals charged in the conspiracy remain at large and are known only by their online identities.   Efforts to identify and apprehend these four individuals continue.

To date, as a result of Operation Nest Egg, more than 80 searches have been conducted in the United States.   In total, more than 50 individuals have been arrested and 43 individuals have been convicted.   The investigation is ongoing.   Numerous members of the Internet-based bulletin board were found to have been personally sexually abusing children and to date, 16 child victims have been identified through Operation Nest Egg.   For example, the 10 year-old child depicted in the sexually explicit photographs recovered from Charles Neyhart’s home was identified through an extensive investigation conducted by ICE, the Anchorage Police Department, the Alaska State Troopers and the West Virginia State Police.   An extensive investigation conducted by USPIS and the San Jose Police Department led to the identification of the 11 year-old girl depicted in the sexually explicit photographs produced by Richard Schweich.

Additionally, lead administrator Delwyn Savigar of the United Kingdom, was identified and arrested in partnership with the U.K.’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, for his involvement in the conspiracy.   After his initial arrest, Savigar was identified through DNA testing as the perpetrator of a previously unsolved sexual assault against a minor female in Great Britain, to which he pleaded guilty.   Following this discovery, Savigar was linked to additional incidents of sexual assaults.   Ultimately, he pleaded guilty to either abusing or attempting to abuse three minors from 1999 to 2002.   He was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the United Kingdom.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. DeBrota of the Southern District of Indiana, Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey J. Renschen of the District of Alaska, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hanley Chew of the Northern District of California and CEOS Trial Attorney Alecia Riewerts Wolak.   The investigation was conducted jointly by CEOS’ High Technology Investigative Unit, USPIS and ICE, with assistance provided by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce, Indiana State Police, the Anchorage Police Department, the Alaska State Troopers, the West Virginia State Police, the San Jose Police Department and numerous local and international law enforcement agencies across the United States and Europe.

Cherokee County to benefit from ICE strategy to use biometrics to identify and remove aliens convicted of a crime

CANTON, Ga.-On Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began using a federal information sharing capability in Cherokee County that helps federal immigration officials use biometrics to identify aliens, both lawfully and unlawfully present in the United States, who are booked into local law enforcement's custody for a crime. This capability is part of Secure Communities-ICE's comprehensive strategy to improve and modernize the identification and removal of aliens convicted of a crime from the United States.

Previously, biometrics-fingerprints-taken of individuals charged with a crime and booked into custody were checked for criminal history information against the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). Now, through enhanced information sharing between DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), biometrics submitted through the state to the FBI will be automatically checked against both the FBI criminal history records in IAFIS and the biometrics-based immigration records in DHS's Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).

If fingerprints match those of someone in DHS' biometric system, the new automated process notifies ICE. ICE evaluates each case to determine the individual's immigration status and takes appropriate enforcement action. This includes aliens who are in lawful status and those who are present without lawful authority. Once identified through fingerprint matching, ICE will respond with a priority placed on aliens convicted of the most serious crimes first-such as those with convictions for major drug offenses, murder, rape and kidnapping.

"The Secure Communities strategy provides ICE with an effective tool to identify criminal aliens in local custody," said Secure Communities Assistant Director David Venturella. "Enhancing public safety is at the core of ICE's mission. Our goal is to use biometric information sharing to remove criminal aliens, preventing them from being released back into the community, with little or no additional burden on our law enforcement partners."

With the expansion of the biometric information sharing capability to Cherokee County, ICE is using this capability in nine Georgia jurisdictions. Across the country, ICE is using this capability in 788 jurisdictions in 34 states. By 2013, ICE plans to be able to respond nationwide to all fingerprint matches generated through IDENT/IAFIS interoperability.

"We are pleased to be participating in this program and will aggressively pursue all efforts to identify persons who are in this country illegally and have them removed in accordance with all state and federal laws," said Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison.

Since ICE began using this enhanced information sharing capability in October 2008, immigration officers have removed from the United States more than 50,600 aliens convicted of a crime. ICE does not regard aliens charged with, but not yet convicted of crimes, as "criminal aliens." Instead, a "criminal alien" is an alien convicted of a crime. In accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, ICE continues to take action on aliens subject to removal as resources permit.

The IDENT system is maintained by DHS's US-VISIT program and IAFIS is maintained by the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS).

"US VISIT is proud to support ICE, helping provide decision makers with comprehensive, reliable information when and where they need it," said US-VISIT Director Robert Mocny. "By enhancing the interoperability of DHS's and the FBI's biometric systems, we are able to give federal, state and local decision makers information that helps them better protect our communities and our nation."

"Under this plan, ICE will be utilizing FBI system enhancements that allow improved information sharing at the state and local law enforcement level based on positive identification of incarcerated criminal aliens," said Daniel D. Roberts, assistant director of the FBI's CJIS Division. "Additionally, ICE and the FBI are working together to take advantage of the strong relationships already forged between the FBI and state and local law enforcement necessary to assist ICE in achieving its goals."

9 North Carolina counties to benefit from ICE strategy to use biometrics to identify and remove aliens convicted of a crime

CONCORD, N.C.-On Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began using a federal information sharing capability in nine additional North Carolina counties that helps federal immigration officials use biometrics to identify aliens, both lawfully and unlawfully present in the United States, who are booked into local law enforcement's custody for a crime. This capability is part of Secure Communities-ICE's comprehensive strategy to improve and modernize the identification and removal of aliens convicted of a crime from the United States.

Previously, biometrics-fingerprints-taken of individuals charged with a crime and booked into custody were checked for criminal history information against the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). Now, through enhanced information sharing between DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), biometrics submitted through the state to the FBI will be automatically checked against both the FBI criminal history records in IAFIS and the biometrics-based immigration records in DHS's Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).

If fingerprints match those of someone in DHS' biometric system, the new automated process notifies ICE. ICE evaluates each case to determine the individual's immigration status and takes appropriate enforcement action. This includes aliens who are in lawful status and those who are present without lawful authority. Once identified through fingerprint matching, ICE will respond with a priority placed on aliens convicted of the most serious crimes first-such as those with convictions for major drug offenses, murder, rape and kidnapping.

"The Secure Communities strategy provides ICE with an effective tool to identify criminal aliens in local custody," said Secure Communities Assistant Director David Venturella. "Enhancing public safety is at the core of ICE's mission. Our goal is to use biometric information sharing to remove criminal aliens, preventing them from being released back into the community, with little or no additional burden on our law enforcement partners."

Today's announcement includes the following nine North Carolina jurisdictions: Anson, Davie, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Scotland and Stanly counties. With the expansion of the biometric information sharing capability to these counties, ICE is now using this capability in 68 North Carolina jurisdictions. Across the country, ICE is using this capability in 788 jurisdictions in 34 states. By 2013, ICE plans to be able to respond nationwide to all fingerprint matches generated through IDENT/IAFIS interoperability.

"Local law enforcement agencies welcome this addition of technology in our ongoing efforts to take illegal aliens off our streets and better protect our citizens," said Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten.

Since ICE began using this enhanced information sharing capability in October 2008, immigration officers have removed from the United States more than 50,600 aliens convicted of a crime. ICE does not regard aliens charged with, but not yet convicted of crimes, as "criminal aliens." Instead, a "criminal alien" is an alien convicted of a crime. In accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, ICE continues to take action on aliens subject to removal as resources permit.

The IDENT system is maintained by DHS's US-VISIT program and IAFIS is maintained by the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS).

"US VISIT is proud to support ICE, helping provide decision makers with comprehensive, reliable information when and where they need it," said US-VISIT Director Robert Mocny. "By enhancing the interoperability of DHS's and the FBI's biometric systems, we are able to give federal, state and local decision makers information that helps them better protect our communities and our nation."

"Under this plan, ICE will be utilizing FBI system enhancements that allow improved information sharing at the state and local law enforcement level based on positive identification of incarcerated criminal aliens," said Daniel D. Roberts, assistant director of the FBI's CJIS Division. "Additionally, ICE and the FBI are working together to take advantage of the strong relationships already forged between the FBI and state and local law enforcement necessary to assist ICE in achieving its goals."

1103 Police Officers

With the addition of Sergeant Jody Kasper of Northampton Police Department (Massachusetts), Police-Writers.com now lists 1103 state and local police officers from 471 departments and the 2414 books they have written. The Website maintains separate listings of federal law enforcement officials, correctional officials, civilian police employees as well as law enforcement officials in foreign countries. Sergeant Jody Kasper is the author of Progressive Police Supervision.

According to the book description of Progressive Police Supervision, “Confront the unique leadership challenges of 21st century policing with confidence commitment and success! The book features: Proven solutions to PR problems & tips for maintaining a positive image; A practical perspective on policing: Where we've been, where we're going and why; Successfully implementing changes for improvement; The challenge of working with schools and the rewards of doing it well; Step-by-step instructions for getting your agency accredited; and, How "Total Quality Management" improves supervisors, officers & agencies.”

More Information
http://www.police-writers.com/

Interactive Defense System aids police in securing fugitives

DUNWOODY, GA -- Interactive Defense, LLC, today announced that its communications platform for public-safety agencies has helped the Dunwoody Police Department to locate and arrest two fugitives who are suspects in recent crimes.

More than 1,300 households, roughly 10 percent of Dunwoody’s total, have registered themselves as users on the Interactive Defense SystemTM since the department launched it in early October. Two suspects were taken into custody after their pictures appeared on the system and in local television news reports about the department’s use of IDS.

An Atlanta-area woman suspected of counterfeiting surrendered to authorities last week after an acquaintance saw her picture and a “wanted” notice on Dunwoody’s IDS network.

Separately, a 20-year-old male fugitive turned himself in after a local television news station showed an image of him as it appeared on IDS. Authorities had issued arrest warrants for the man in connection with two burglaries.

“These two cases are clear evidence of Interactive Defense’s power to help citizens and city agencies work together in a successful fight against crime,” said Paul Campbell, chief operating officer for F3 Technologies, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: FTCH), which co-owns Interactive Defense, LLC, in a joint venture with Noble Heroes, Inc. “Real-life incidents like these demonstrate the system’s capabilities for the numerous other public-safety agencies now seeking to harness the power of social networks.”

IDS helps Dunwoody police officers to stay in closer contact with local residents and businesses. It allows police to give community residents immediate notification of missing children and criminal suspects who pose a threat. It allows users to share crime tips more directly with officers and with each other, request officer assistance, notify officers when their homes will be vacant due to moves or vacation, and register vehicles and other valuables for easier identification in the event of theft.

“Interactive Defense is part of our strategy to fight crime on all fronts,” Dunwoody Police Officer William Furman said. “It’s crucial to our goal of keeping citizens involved in community policing, and they love it.”

IDS is a specialized version of F3’s Interaction Community Systems networking solution for homeowners associations and other member groups. One IDS module, the Safety Center, is for both officers and residents. A second, HeroSpace, is for officers and other municipal employees.

In the Safety Center, a feature unique to IDS, police and residents can trade up-to-the-minute information on important safety issues. Another feature, HeroSpace, is a professional network for firefighters, police officers and other municipal employees that helps improve departmental efficiency, improve collaboration with residents, and limit environmental impact by reducing the need for paper documents.

Furman said officers from a much larger metro-Atlanta law-enforcement agency recently contacted Dunwoody to explore the possibility of adopting IDS.

“Other law-enforcement agencies are considering Interactive Defense for the same reasons that led Dunwoody Police to adopt it,” Campbell said. “They want to engage citizens by providing a more personal experience, for example by communicating directly and immediately with citizens in targeted areas, by giving access to officers’ background information, by allowing citizens to communicate directly with specific officers. They want to improve residents’ confidence in police service. And they want to provide their officers with a professional networking solution.”

Interactive Defense System: http://www.interactivedefense.com/
F3 Technologies, Inc.: http://www.f3technologies.com

Culdesac Man Convicted for Nez Perce Reservation Assault

Ricardo Daniel Rodriguez, 39, of Culdesac, Idaho, was convicted today by a federal jury in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, of assault, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

During the two-day trial, the jury heard evidence that on May 18, 2009, Rodriguez assaulted Jeffory Talbott by striking, beating and wounding Talbott. Talbott is an Idaho State Trooper. The charge arose from a traffic stop that Talbott initiated on a county highway within the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. Rodriguez was a passenger in the pickup truck that Talbott stopped. The assault occurred shortly after the traffic stop. During the incident, Talbott fired his service weapon. Vern Ellenwood was killed and Rodriguez was wounded.

“The FBI conducted a detailed and thorough investigation of these tragic events,” said United States Attorney Wendy Olson. “This office and the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, conducted a complete review of the investigative materials and did a comprehensive analysis of the evidence before deciding what charges, if any, to pursue.”

The charge carries a maximum prison term of six months, supervised release of one year, probation up to five years, and a fine of up to $5,000.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2010, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mikel H. Williams in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

The case was investigated by the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office, Nez Perce Tribal Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The United States Attorney’s Office has jurisdiction over cases involving a non-Indian victim and an Indian defendant that occur within the boundaries of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.

FORMER EXECUTIVES FROM TWO JAPANESE AIRLINES INDICTED IN CONSPIRACY TO FIX RATES ON AIR CARGO SHIPMENTS

Former Executives from Japan Airlines International and Nippon Cargo Airlines Charged

WASHINGTON — An Atlanta grand jury returned an indictment today against a former executive of Japan Airlines International Co. Ltd. (JAL) and two former executives of Nippon Cargo Airlines Co. Ltd. for participating in a conspiracy to fix and coordinate components of rates for air cargo shipments to and from the United States, the Department of Justice announced today.

The indictment, returned today in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, charges Takao Fukuchi, former president of JAL Cargo Sales, and Yoshio Kunugi and Naoshige Makino, both former senior executives for Nippon Cargo Airlines, with conspiring with others to suppress and eliminate competition by fixing and coordinating certain components of cargo rates charged to customers for international air shipments to and from the United States. Fukuchi and Kunugi are charged with entering into and participating in the conspiracy from at least as early as December 1999 until at least February 2006. Makino is charged with joining and participating in the conspiracy from at least as early as June 2001 until at least February 2006.

Air cargo carriers transport a variety of cargo shipments, such as heavy equipment, perishable commodities and consumer goods, on scheduled international flights.

According to the indictment, Fukuchi, Kunugi, Makino and co-conspirators participated in meetings, conversations and communications to discuss and fix certain components of cargo rates and coordinated the timing of changes to those rates. As part of the conspiracy, Fukuchi, Kunugi, Makino and co-conspirators implemented collusive cargo rates in accordance with the agreements reached, and accepted payments for shipments at collusive and noncompetitive rates.

Fukuchi, Kunugi and Makino are charged with price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum penalty for each individual of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

A total of 19 airlines and 17 executives, including Fukuchi, Kunugi and Makino, have been charged in the Justice Department's ongoing investigation into price fixing in the air transportation industry. To date, more than $1.7 billion in criminal fines have been imposed and four executives have been sentenced to serve prison time. Charges are pending against 13 executives, including Fukuchi, Kunugi and Makino.

Today's charge is the result of a joint investigation into the air transportation industry being conducted by the Antitrust Division's National Criminal Enforcement Section and Atlanta Field Office, the FBI's field offices in Washington and Atlanta, the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Service's Office of Inspector General. Anyone with information concerning price fixing or other anticompetitive conduct in the air transportation industry is urged to call the Antitrust Division's National Criminal Enforcement Section at 202-307-6694 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm, or call the FBI's Washington Field Office at 202-278-2000.

Pakistani Man Charged with Immigration Fraud and False Statements

BOSTON—In a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Boston today, Aftab Ali, aka “Aftab Ali Khan,” 28, formerly of Watertown, Mass., was charged with immigration fraud and making false statements. The complaint alleges that Ali, a Pakistani citizen, entered the country in August 2009 to marry his then-fiancé and began working at a Brookline, Mass., gas station despite lacking a work permit. It is alleged that approximately three months later, after marrying a different woman, Ali defrauded the government by filing documents to adjust his immigration status in which he knowingly omitted his unauthorized employment.

The complaint further alleges that following the Times Square attempted bombing on May 1, 2010, investigators obtained evidence that Ali had provided $4,900 to Faisal Shahzad, who was later convicted of carrying out the bombing attempt. The complaint alleges that Ali borrowed the $4,900 from the manager of the Brookline gas station where he was employed and transferred it to Shahzad in February 2010 as part of a “hawala” transaction in which Ali’s family received an equivalent amount of money in Pakistan. The complaint alleges that as part of the investigation into the Times Square bombing attempt, agents searched Ali’s apartment, and agents interviewed Ali to determine his immigration status. It is alleged that during the course of the interview Ali again knowingly concealed his employment at the Brookline gas station and made other false statements. The complaint does not allege that Ali was aware of the intended use of the $4,900 that he allegedly provided to Shahzad.

If convicted, Ali faces up to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three-year term of supervised release and a $250,000 fine on the charge of immigration document fraud, and up to five years in prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release and a $250,000 fine on the charge of making false statements.

U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI - Boston Field Office; and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The investigation was also assisted by members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force which consists of various local, state, and federal agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb in the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Antiterrorism and National Security Unit.

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

Leader of Multi-Million-Dollar Investment Fraud Sentenced to 136 Months in Prison

NASHVILLE, TN—Sheila Kennedy, 59, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was sentenced on Friday, November 12, 2010 to 136 months in prison for her part in an elaborate investment fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin.

Kennedy pleaded guilty in March 2009 to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and two counts of money laundering. At the plea hearing, Kennedy provided extensive details of investment-fraud schemes spanning several years which included several co-conspirators and at least two separate schemes to defraud investors. Kennedy admitted that between 2005 and 2006, she and co-defendant Ann Scarborough solicited investors to invest in fraudulent real estate opportunities in, among other places, Nevada, Kentucky, and Indiana. The real estate scheme required that investors give Kennedy and Scarborough money—often in the form of checks payable to “ASK, LLC,” a company operated by Kennedy and Scarborough, and in return, receive so-called “promissory notes” or “time notes.” At the 2009 plea hearing, Kennedy admitted that, contrary to her representations to the investors, she never intended to invest the funds in real estate and, in fact, no such real estate opportunities had ever existed. She further admitted that, instead of investing the money she received from investors, she converted the funds to her own personal use and for the benefit of her co-conspirators.

Kennedy also admitted that, between 2005 and 2009, she and co-defendant Philip Russell solicited investors to invest in additional fraudulent real estate opportunities. Like the earlier investors, the new investors were induced to provide money based on the investors’ belief that the money would be used to invest in real estate, when in fact, no real estate opportunities ever existed and she never intended to invest any of the funds. Kennedy admitted that she used the funds received from these investors for her own and other’s benefit as well.

Kennedy also admitted that, as a further inducement, she falsely represented to investors that she was about to receive an extremely large inheritance from which she would guaranty each investor’s investment, thus encouraging investors to extend the deadline for receiving the return of their original real estate investment. In addition, Kennedy promised certain investors that if they made a new investment, their new funds would be used to facilitate Kennedy obtaining her purported inheritance, and that those investors would receive an additional return on their new investment from the inheritance funds. At the plea hearing, Kennedy admitted that she knew the funds she received from investors would not be used to facilitate obtaining the purported inheritance, that the funds were never used to help secure an inheritance, and that instead, she used the funds for her own personal use and the use of her co-conspirators.

In addition, Kennedy admitted using the fraudulently obtained investor funds to pay for hotels, gambling at casinos, spa services, clothing, and other personal purchases in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge William J. Haynes commented about the length of Kennedy’s fraud and noted that her conduct had “ruined many lives.” The court also noted that Kennedy had continued to engage in criminal conduct while on pre-trial release after being arrested. Finally, the court refused to give Kennedy full credit for accepting responsibility because, in violation of her plea agreement, Kennedy refused to submit a financial statement to the court.

Upon learning of the sentence, U.S. Attorney Jerry E. Martin remarked: “Lengthy and elaborate frauds are among the crimes that have the largest number of victims and these victims often lose more than just money; they lose trust and faith. Moreover, these types of crimes are particularly time consuming for law enforcement to investigate and to prepare for prosecution. In light of those hurdles, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is gratified that the court has seen fit to treat this very serious crime with a commensurately serious sentence. This office will continue to work diligently with our federal law enforcement partners to prosecute complex frauds.”

Two of Kennedy’s co-defendants—her husband, Kenneth Kennedy, and her former business partner Ann Scarborough—were recently convicted after a jury trial of multiple counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. They await sentencing which is set for March 2011. third co-defendant, Philip Russell, who was scheduled to be tried with Kenneth Kennedy and Ann Scarborough, failed to appear and remains a fugitive from justice.

The investigation was conducted by agents from the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ty Howard and Sandra G. Moses represented the government.

California Ex-Teacher to Serve 14 Years for Attempting to Entice 8-Year-Old Girl into Sex

OKLAHOMA CITY—Today, ERIC JOSEPH SCHWARTZ, 50, of North Hollywood, California, was sentenced by United States District Judge Tim Leonard to serve 168 months in federal prison for attempting to entice an 8-year-old girl into sexual activity, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

According to the court documents, Schwartz, a former high school English teacher in Sherman Oaks, California, became acquainted with an Oklahoma City-area woman in February 2010 through a social networking website for individuals who are interested in unusual sexual experiences. Schwartz, using the screen name “SirTabu,” made contact with the woman, who said she had an 8-year-old daughter. Schwartz and the woman began corresponding via instant messenger and telephone, and Schwartz made plans to travel to Oklahoma City to engage in sexual activity with the girl. Schwartz was unaware the woman was cooperating with the FBI, recording communications with him, and the 8-year-old girl did not exist. On March 29, 2010, Schwartz flew by airplane to Oklahoma City where the FBI arrested him upon his arrival at Will Rogers World Airport. Schwartz pled guilty on May 6, 2010. 

Following Schwartz’s 168-month prison term, Judge Leonard ordered that he serve the remainder of his life on supervised release and register as a sex offender.

This case is a result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Hale.

Serial Bank Robbers Sought

David W. Welker, Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Division of the FBI; Robert E. Casey, Jr, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Division of the FBI; and Willie L. Shaw, Jr, Shreveport Police Chief, announce the robbery of several banks near the north Louisiana and Texas state line, all of which may have been committed by the same individuals. 

On November 3, 2010, the Sterling Bank located at

2901 North Highway

157, Mansfield, Texas was robbed at approximately 7:45 a.m. Two black males entered the bank and demanded money. One was wearing a hard hat, safety vest, and tool belt and displayed a black semi-automatic handgun, while the other robber had a box cutter. The robbers fled the bank in a bank employee’s silver 2002 Ford Focus which has been recovered. Below are bank surveillance images taken of one of the bank robbers.

Later that day, at approximately 12:45 p.m., the Texas State Bank at 120 North Preston in Joaquin, Texas was robbed by two black males with similar descriptions as the robbers of the Sterling Bank. Again, a black semi-automatic handgun was displayed by one robber. They fled the bank in a bank employee’s red Dodge truck, which was later recovered.

On October 15, 2010, the Red River Bank located at

1020 Bridgewater Avenue

in Shreveport, Louisiana was robbed at approximately 11:10 a.m., and the robbers fled in a bank employee’s dark green 2002 GMC Yukon, which was later recovered. During the robbery, one of the robbers fired a black semi-automatic handgun, hitting a wall.

In each of the above noted robberies, the suspects have been described as one being 6’0”-6’2” and the other 5’8”-5’10” with medium builds. An undisclosed amount of money was taken from each bank.

On July 13, 2010 at approximately 11:00 a.m., the Capital One Bank located at 8386 Highway 171 in Grand Cane, Louisiana was robbed by a black male described as about 6’2” tall, wearing a white hard hat and a green reflective safety vest. He fired a black semi-automatic handgun into the ceiling and fled the bank on foot. It is believed he had an accomplice as a getaway driver.

Authorities are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the bank robber in the above image. Anyone with information should contact the FBI in Shreveport at 318-861-1890, the FBI in Dallas at 972-559-5000, the Shreveport Police Department at 318-673-6955, or the Shreveport-Caddo Parish Crime Stoppers at 318-673-7373.

ICE captures international fugitive residing in Central Florida wanted for rape of a 12-year-old child and extortion

OCALA, Fla. - Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents and officers arrested a Belgian man in Ocala who is wanted in his home country for child rape and extortion.

ICE, assisted by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, administratively arrested Andy Vertoont, 31, a native of Belgium, at his Ocala place of employment for being in violation of U.S. immigration law.

Vertoont remains in ICE custody pending his removal to Belgium, where he is wanted on an arrest warrant for the June 2009 rape of a 12 year-old-boy in Belgium. He had been arrested in Belgium and conditionally released prior to his trial. Shortly thereafter, he fled to the United States to avoid prosecution in Belgium.

He is further accused of extorting 12,000 Euros (approximately $17,000 in U.S. currency) from an individual in Belgium, where he allegedly threatened to physically harm the individual if he did not pay the money.

Vertoont was previously arrested, convicted and sentenced in Belgium in 2001 for raping two children, ages 11 and 12.

"Criminals who think that they can use the United States as a safe haven are sorely mistaken," said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa, Fla. "ICE is committed to ensuring the integrity of our nation's immigration system. As such, it is one of our top priorities to locate foreign fugitives hiding in the United States and turn them over to our foreign law enforcement partners to face justice in their native countries."

ICE HSI special agents in Orlando initiated an investigation as a result of a request for assistance from the Belgian Federal Police and the ICE Attaché office in Brussels.

Vertoont last entered the United States on Oct. 1, 2009, on a visa waiver not to extend beyond 90 days and he remained in the United States beyond 90 days without authorization.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com/.

Three Farmington Men Indicted on Federal Hate Crime Charges Related to the Assault of Disabled Navajo Man

United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales and Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice, announced that a federal grand jury in Albuquerque has indicted Paul Beebe, 27, William Hatch, 29, and Jesse Sanford, 25, all of Farmington, N.M., on federal hate crime charges related to a racially motivated assault of a 22-year-old man of Navajo descent who has a significant cognitive impairment.

Beebe, Hatch, and Sanford have been charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act that was enacted in October 2009. More specifically, the indictment alleges that the defendants branded the victim by heating a wire hanger on a stove and burning the victim’s flesh, causing a permanent swastika-shaped scar on his arm. It is alleged that as part of the plan and purpose of their conspiracy, the defendants further defaced the victim’s body with white supremacist and anti-Native American symbols, including shaving a swastika in the back of the victim’s head and using marker to write the words “KKK” and “White Power” within the lines of the swastika. The indictment also alleges that the defendants took advantage of the victim’s developmental disability to induce him to make a cell phone video in which he purportedly consents to the branding.

This case is being investigated by the Albuquerque Division of the Federal Bureau Investigation in cooperation with the Farmington Police Department and the San Juan County District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto D. Ortega for the District of New Mexico and Special Litigation Counsel Gerard Hogan and Trial Attorney Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Russian couple charged with identity theft, bank and passport fraud

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A Russian national purporting to be an American citizen and his wife, a naturalized American citizen, whose true identities are not known to authorities, were arrested by federal agents and charged Wednesday with identity theft, bank and passport fraud, and false statement of citizenship, according to U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha.

The couple was arrested at their Warwick, R.I., home following an investigation that began after an individual living in Ireland filed a complaint with Warwick Police alleging that he discovered through the Internet that his identity and personal information may have been stolen by a man living in Warwick. The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with the U.S. State Department and Warwick Police Department.

The couple, who identify themselves as Fionghal MacEoghan and Oleysa MacEoghan, made initial appearances Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Providence before U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Martin each charged with one count each of passport fraud; false statement of citizenship; identity theft; and bank fraud.

According to Affidavits on file in the U.S. District Court, an individual with dual citizenships in Ireland and the United States contacted Warwick Police in July alleging that his identity and personal information were being used by a Russian couple living in Warwick, R.I. Fionghal Solomon MacEoghan told police that he discovered the couple through the Internet. He told police that based on his Internet searches, viewing numerous Internet links, and after having several contacts through Facebook and email with a woman identifying herself as Oleysa MacEoghan, he believed that his identity and personal information had been stolen and were being used by an individual in Warwick.

According to the Affidavits, an investigation by federal agents from ICE HSI and the U.S. State Department, assisted by Warwick Police, identified the couple and determined that they allegedly filed for and fraudulently obtained U.S. passports, Rhode Island driver's licenses, and purchased a home in Warwick and obtained a mortgage using Mr. MacEoghan's identity and personal information.

A complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie S. Browne.

Tennessee Man Sentenced for Illegally Accessing Former Governor Sarah Palin’s E-Mail Account and Obstruction of Justice

WASHINGTON – David C. Kernell, 23, today was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for intentionally accessing without authorization the e-mail account of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and obstruction of justice, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney William C. Killian for the Eastern District of Tennessee. U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Phillips also imposed a three-year term of supervised released. In imposing the prison sentence, Judge Phillips recommended service at Midway Sanction Center, but noted that the Bureau of Prisons would decide where Kernell would serve his sentence.

On April 30, 2010, after a week-long trial, a jury found Kernell guilty of one count of misdemeanor unauthorized access to obtain information from a computer and one count of obstruction of justice. The jury found Kernell not guilty of wire fraud. The jury could not reach a verdict on the identity theft charge and the judge declared a mistrial as to that charge.

According to evidence presented at trial, on Sept. 16, 2008, Kernell, a resident of Knoxville, Tenn., obtained unauthorized access to former Gov. Palin’s personal e-mail account by resetting the account password. Evidence showed that after answering a series of security questions that allowed him to reset the password and gain access to the e-mail account, Kernell read the contents of the account and made screenshots of the e-mail directory, e-mail content and other personal information. Kernell posted screenshots of the e-mails and other personal information to a public website. Kernell also posted the new e-mail account password that he had created, thus providing access to the account by others.

Evidence at trial showed that Kernell became aware on Sept. 16, 2008, after the illegal entry into the email account, of a possible FBI investigation. Evidence showed that Kernell began a series of deletions of records and documents with the intent to impede an anticipated FBI investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Krotoski currently detailed to the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Weddle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. CCIPS Trial Attorney Josh Goldfoot provided significant assistance. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Anchorage, Alaska, and Knoxville field offices.

FBI Seeks Public’s Assistance to Locate and Arrest “Operation Eclipse” Fugitive

The FBI and the East County Regional Gang Task Force are seeking the public’s assistance to locate and arrest Manuel Vera, age 37, of Chula Vista, California. Vera is wanted on federal drug charges.

On Tuesday, November 9, 2010, United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced that almost two dozen defendants were in custody on methamphetamine conspiracy charges after the East County Regional Gang Task Force searched locations throughout east San Diego County. The arrests were associated with the unsealing of two indictments.

The indictments and arrests were part of a year-long investigation known as “Operation Eclipse.” This Operation focused on long-term methamphetamine distribution rings operating in east San Diego County. 

The East County Regional Gang Task Force is charged with protecting the public from the criminal and violent acts of street gangs in the East County area. The task force is composed of the FBI, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, the San Diego Probation Department, the Department of Corrections - State Parole, the El Cajon Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

As of Tuesday, November 10, 2010, 21 defendants were in custody, more than $45,000 in drug proceeds recovered, quantities of methamphetamine and five handguns were taken off the streets as a result of “Operation Eclipse.”

Vera is described as follows:

Sex: Male

Race: Hispanic

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Height: 5’6” tall

Weight: 170 lbs.

Anyone with information concerning Manuel Vera is asked to contact the FBI at telephone number (858) 565-1255 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Former Chicago White Sox Executive and Two Former Scouts for Sox in Latin America Indicted for Allegedly Obtaining Illegal Kickbacks from Players’ Signing Bonuses

CHICAGO—A former professional baseball player scouting executive for the Chicago White Sox and two former scouts for the team in Latin America were indicted today on federal fraud charges for allegedly accepting kickbacks totaling approximately $400,000 from signing bonuses and contract buyouts paid to secure 23 prospective players between December 2004 and February 2008. A seven-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that the White Sox baseball team was defrauded of money, as well as the honest services of the defendants, who allegedly concealed the kickbacks from the team and its more senior officials.

Charged with seven counts of mail fraud were David S. Wilder, the White Sox farm system director from late 2003 to 2006, when he became the team’s senior director of player personnel until May 2008, and Jorge L. Oquendo Rivera, the White Sox Latin American scout between November 2004 and October 2007. Victor Mateo, a White Sox scout in the Dominican Republic between November 2006 and May 2008, was charged with three counts of mail fraud. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of unspecified illegal proceeds from the alleged fraud scheme.

Wilder, 50, of San Francisco, and Oquendo, 49, of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, are expected to voluntarily appear for arraignment at a later date to be determined in U.S. District Court in Chicago. A domestic arrest warrant was issued for Mateo, 39, of Arroyo Hondo, Dominican Republic.

“The defendants were supposed to recruit players by paying amounts of money that matched their skills and were no greater than the amount needed to sign the players. Instead, the indictment alleges that the defendants secretly inflated those signing amounts to fund kickbacks for themselves,” said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

“These defendants allegedly defrauded their employer and enriched themselves by taking advantage of vulnerable ballplayers, who were anxious to pursue their dreams of stardom in the major leagues” said Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The investigation began after the Chicago White Sox reported internal findings to Major League Baseball and baseball officials referred the matter to federal authorities. Both the White Sox and Major League Baseball cooperated with the investigation.

To provide for kickbacks, Wilder, Oquendo and Mateo allegedly misrepresented to the White Sox the amount of money necessary to sign certain players and omitted information about the payments, causing the Sox to pay artificially and fraudulently inflated signing bonuses to players and causing the Sox to purchase the contracts of and rights to players from other teams at artificially and fraudulently inflated prices. The indictment does not specify the amounts of kickbacks allegedly obtained from signing certain players, nor does it name specific players.

According to the indictment, the White Sox maintained a Latin American scouting program to identify and recruit prospective players in such countries as Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela, and to sign them to written contracts. The Sox either paid a signing bonus, a one-time, up-front payment made to new players to induce them to sign a contract, or they purchased the contract rights to a player who was already affiliated with a Mexican baseball team by paying that team or its representative an amount necessary to induce the team to release the player to the White Sox.

Wilder was responsible for supervising the team’s scouts in Latin America, and he either authorized payments himself, or obtained authorization from additional Sox personnel, to sign new players based on recommendations made by the scouts. Wilder was authorized to approve recommended signing amounts less than $100,000, but he was required to obtain approval from the team’s general manager to pay signing amounts of $100,000 or more. After Wilder or the team approved a player’s signing amount and a written contract was secured, and Major League Baseball conducted a background check and approved the signing, the White Sox issued a check drawn on a bank account in Chicago, which was made payable either to the player or the Mexican team with which a player was affiliated or the Mexican team’s representative.

If the player was located in the Dominican Republic, the Sox sent the signing bonus check to the Major League Baseball office in Santo Domingo directly, or through its offices in New York, and baseball personnel would then provide the check to the player. If the player was located in another Latin American country, the Sox sent the signing bonus check to the scout who recruited the player and the scout was responsible for providing the check to the player.

As part of the scheme, Oquendo and Mateo allegedly scouted for and identified prospective Sox players in Latin America from whom they could obtain a portion of the players’ signing bonuses. They also allegedly engaged in discussions with these players or their representatives about the amount of signing bonuses, as well as the amount the players were willing or expected to pay in kickbacks to them and Wilder. Oquendo allegedly engaged in these same practices in his negotiations with Mexican teams and their representatives.

After this initial phase, Oquendo and Mateo, directly and indirectly, allegedly informed Wilder of the prospective players’ skill levels, the preliminarily negotiated signing bonus and contract purchase amounts, and whether kickbacks could be obtained from the players’ signings. Wilder then allegedly approved signings under $100,000, knowing that the amounts were inflated to include undisclosed kickbacks for himself and his co schemers, and misrepresented to other team officials the amount that was necessary to sign the players. Similarly, in instances when Wilder obtained authorization from the team’s general manager to sign players for more than $100,000, he allegedly deceived the general manager, knowing that the amounts were fraudulently inflated to obtain undisclosed kickbacks for himself and his co-schemers and were greater than necessary.

The seven mail fraud counts allege the mailing of various checks from the White Sox, in amounts ranging from $30,000 to $525,000, to unnamed players, or teams for the contract rights to players, in various Latin American countries.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher K. Veatch and Michelle Nasser.

Each count of mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and restitution is mandatory. The court may also impose a fine totaling twice the loss to any victim or twice the gain to the defendant, whichever is greater. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

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

Robbery of New Mexico Bank and Trust Branch in Albuquerque

The FBI and Albuquerque Police are investigating the robbery of a New Mexico Bank and Trust branch that occurred today.

Witnesses say a white or Hispanic man wearing a mesh hood over his head entered the bank at

9500 Montgomery Blvd. N.E.

at about 11:46 a.m.

The man, who also was wearing dark clothing and gloves, ordered employees to get on the ground and told two tellers to give him money.

He fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

Witnesses did not report seeing a weapon.

Albuquerque Police may have stopped a vehicle with the suspect inside. The location and other details are not available.

Red Wing Man Indicted for Producing Child Pornography

A 27-year-old Red Wing man was indicted today in federal court in Minneapolis for allegedly producing videos and photos over a three-year period that showed minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment specifically charges Nicolas Ryan Heath with five counts of production of child pornography.

The indictment states that on five separate occasions between December of 2006 through August of 2009, Heath induced and coerced two boys to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Allegedly, on December 31, 2006, Heath used a camcorder to produce a sexually explicit videotape of a boy, and on May 15, 2009, he used a digital camera to produce explicit photos of that same boy. Then, between December of 2006 and December of 2008, he again purportedly involved the boy in the production of child pornography via a laptop computer and a web camera. Moreover, Heath allegedly produced child pornography involving a second boy on December 31, 2008, and again on August 15, 2009. In those instances, he reportedly used a digital camera to produce sexually explicit photos.

If convicted, Heath faces a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each count, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years on each count. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Red Wing Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen B. Schommer.

The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to combating the sexual exploitation of children, particularly via the Internet. For more information about these efforts, please visit the Department’s Project Safe Childhood website, at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.

Camano Island Man Indicted for Multi-State Crime Spree

Colton Harris-Moore Faces Five Count Federal Indictment

COLTON HARRIS-MOORE, 19, of Camano Island, Washington, was indicted today by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Washington in connection with his lengthy crime spree in the Pacific Northwest. HARRIS-MOORE is charged with interstate transportation of a stolen aircraft, interstate and foreign transportation of a stolen firearm, being a fugitive in possession of a firearm, piloting an aircraft without a valid airman’s certificate, and interstate transportation of a stolen vessel. HARRIS-MOORE remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on November 18, 2010.

“The grand jury action today is an important step in holding Colton Harris-Moore accountable for his criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. The indictment follows the criminal complaint which was the basis for HARRIS-MOORE’s arrest in the Bahamas in July 2010.

The first charged criminal act in the indictment is the September 29, 2009 theft and transportation of a stolen Cessna aircraft from Bonners Ferry, Idaho, to near Granite Falls, Washington. The interstate and foreign transportation of a stolen firearm count pertains to a .32 caliber pistol. HARRIS-MOORE stole the pistol in Canada and carried it with him into Idaho and on the stolen plane he flew to the Granite Falls area. HARRIS-MOORE is also charged with possessing another firearm while he was a fugitive between October 1, 2009 and May 6, 2010. That weapon was a Jennings .22 caliber pistol. HARRIS-MOORE is charged with piloting an aircraft without an airman’s certificate for a flight he made in a stolen plane from Anacortes to Eastsound, Washington on February 10, 2010. Finally, he is charged with the interstate transportation of a 34-foot boat he stole from Ilwaco, Washington and sailed to Oregon on May 31, 2010.

Four of the counts in the indictment are punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Piloting an aircraft without an airman’s certificate is punishable by up to three years in prison.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The FBI is the lead federal agency investigating the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Darwin Roberts.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.