NYPD: Worms in the Big Apple

The December 22, 2011, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with retired NYPD Detective Joe DeCicco. 

Program Date: December 22, 2011

Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC

Topic: NYPD: Worms in the Big Apple

Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2011/12/22/nypd-worms-in-the-big-apple 

About the Guest

Joe DeCicco is a retired New York City Detective who originally attended college to practice Electrical Engineering. After working a lighting designer for several years, life circumstances decreed that he join the New York City Police Department in 1973, spending more then half his service in plainclothes, including over four years as an Organized Crime Control Bureau narcotics investigator, then year with Brooklyn Central Robbery and more than three years with the Brooklyn South Detective Division assigned to the 62nd Squad in Bensonhurst. After spending twenty years on the streets of New York, Joe happily retired in on July 4th 1993, truly celebrating his own Independence Day, with over twenty awards and decorations.  

Joe explains that his writings come from an inner need to share his experiences with others while fulfilling the public’s ongoing interest with police work. In his novels, the series main character, Michael Romano, is a dedicated police officer who sometimes, while performing his duties, inadvertently becomes involved with people who have no business being on any police force. The author feels that while still entertaining, his writings show all facets of the sometimes complex personalities of those who choose to be the daily guardians of our society.  

Joe DeCicco is the author of Worms in the Apple, Angel With A Gun and Dirty Baggs.  

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting. 

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2011/12/22/nypd-worms-in-the-big-apple

Listen from the Archive:

http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/nypd_worms_big_apple.html 

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

CBP Highlights 2011 Workforce Improvements

Washington - In fiscal year 2011, Customs and Border Protection strengthened its workforce by expanding and adding diversity to the ranks. Through diversity recruitment initiatives and promoting inclusion throughout the workforce, the agency strives to value, understand and incorporate the uniqueness each employee brings to the workplace.

In FY 2011, CBP grew its workforce, increasing its total employees to 59,820. CBP also exceeded its hiring goal of 21,370 Border Patrol agents before the end of the fiscal year. The percentage of females in the Border Patrol rose 2.2 percent and military veterans accounted for almost 20 percent of newly hired agents.

Within our workforce, diversity and inclusion remain priorities and important themes that run throughout the agency. CBP experienced growing diversity this fiscal year as more than one in three employees is of Hispanic origin. CBP’s 35 percent Hispanic labor force outpaces the relevant private sector labor force, at 9 percent. As a result of targeted outreach to underrepresented groups and focused recruitment activities, CBP reached a total minority workforce population of 29,013.

CBP remains focused on eliminating barriers that restrict equal employment for all individuals and promoting an environment of cultural appreciation and awareness which supports the diversity and inclusiveness of our workforce. In FY 2011, the agency continued to implement its diversity-driven National Recruitment Strategy that included sponsoring more than 340 U.S. military veteran hiring events, 124 events at minority serving institutions, 90 disability and special emphasis events, and more than 650 other events to increase workplace diversity for underrepresented groups.

Furthering this commitment, the agency created a gateway for veterans who have been wounded while serving in the military to connect with hiring officials for fast-track placement within CBP. As a result of this program, five individuals were placed into permanent positions with CBP.

Xenia Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Unlawful Sexual Contact with Minor

DAYTON—Allen Yun Johnson, 27, of Xenia, was sentenced in United States District Court here to 18 months in prison for engaging in sexual contact with a child he was babysitting.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), announced the sentence handed down today by United States District Judge Thomas M. Rose.

Johnson pleaded guilty in September to one count of knowingly engaging in sexual contact and causing sexual contact with a child who had not yet attained the age of 12 years. Johnson was arrested on August 1, 2011 following his July 26, 2011 indictment on the charge. He was released on bond shortly after his arrest and ordered not to associate with children under the age of 18 nor associate or loiter in any place where minor children congregate.

According to the statement of facts filed with Johnson’s plea, on the evening of April 16, 2011, he engaged in and caused abusive sexual contact with a six-year old child he was babysitting on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Johnson put a blindfold over the child’s eyes, exposed himself, and instructed the child to reach out and feel what was in front of the child.

A subsequent search of Johnson’s computer revealed seven pictures containing child pornography and 12 pictures containing cartoon depictions of child pornography.

Johnson’s sentence calls for him to be enrolled in the Bureau of Prisons’ Sex Offender Treatment program. After he serves his prison time, he must also register as a sex offender for five years in compliance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) and keep his registration current wherever he resides, is employed, or is a student. While under supervised release, the court will also monitor his activities on his computer.

Stewart commended the cooperative investigation of this case by AFOSI and FBI agents, and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Schenck and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Segev Phillips, who prosecuted the case.

Prince George’s County Liquor Store Owner Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Conspiracy

GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Amrik Singh Melhi, age 52, of Clarksville, Maryland, today to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, arising from a scheme involving the transport and distribution of untaxed alcohol. Judge Messitte also entered an order that Melhi forfeit $975,327.32 to the United States.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeannine A. Hammett of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.

“The focus on cigarette and alcohol smuggling is one of several initiatives that the IRS is partnering with local other federal agencies to combat,” said IRS Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeannine A. Hammett. “The state revenue loss in taxes is substantial especially in these tough economic times.”

According to his plea agreement, Amrik and his wife Ravinder Melhi owned and operated several businesses in Prince George’s County, including Tick Tock Liquors located in Hyattsville; Langways Liquors located in Lanham; and Decker’s Liquors located in Bel Air.

Amrik Melhi admits that he conspired with Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson, Prince George’s County Police officer Richard Delabrer and others to obstruct commerce by extortion. Specifically, Amrik Melhi agreed to pay Delabrer in return for official acts involving the transport and distribution of untaxed alcohol in Maryland and Virginia. Amrik also agreed to provide money, campaign donations and other things of value to Jack Johnson in exchange for official acts including obtaining licenses and permit inspections to conduct business in Prince George’s County, and influencing legislation favorable to Melhi’s liquor and restaurant businesses.

In June 2009, co-conspirator Amir Miljkovic began discussing with a source and an undercover agent working with the FBI, the transport and sale of untaxed cigarettes and alcohol across state lines. Shortly thereafter, Miljkovic introduced Delabrer to the source and undercover agent as a police officer who could protect the shipments of contraband goods.

By July 2009, Delabrer began purchasing contraband alcohol from the undercover agent, which he sold to Amrik Melhi for distribution at Melhi’s liquor stores. Delabrer worked part-time for Amrik and Ravinder Melhi, providing security at Tick Tock Liquors. Delabrer initially served as a go-between, coordinating the sale of contraband liquor from the undercover agent to Amrik Melhi. Eventually, Delabrer introduced the undercover agent to Melhi, who began transacting the shipment of illicit goods directly with the undercover agent. Delabrer provided protection for the delivery of the contraband alcohol by following the vehicle transporting the liquor while possessing his police identification and police-issued firearm. Melhi always had Delabrer present for the contraband transactions. Amrik Melhi and others were involved in multiple sales of truckloads of contraband alcohol, and paid the undercover agent $116,505 in cash for the contraband alcohol they purchased.

Richard Delabrer, age 46, of Laurel, Maryland pleaded guilty to the extortion conspiracy and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and agreed to the entry of an order of forfeiture of $2,820,120. Amir Miljkovic, age 39, of Bowie, Maryland, owner of an auto glass store in College Park, Maryland, also pleaded guilty to the extortion conspiracy. Delabrer and Miljkovic have not yet been sentenced.

Ravinder Kaur Melhi, age 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy arising from a scheme to illegally access a protected Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration computer for commercial and personal gain. She was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and ordered to pay a fine of $25,000.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI and IRS for their work in these investigations. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys James A. Crowell IV, A. David Copperthite and Sujit Raman, who prosecuted the case.

Mr. Rosenstein, Mr. McFeely and Ms. Hammett expressed their appreciation to Prince George’s County Chief Mark Magaw for the assistance that he and his department provided.

Chief Investment Officer of New Jersey Hedge Fund Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading Scheme

NEWARK, NJ—The chief investment officer and portfolio manager of the Clay Capital Fund, a hedge fund based in Summit, N.J., admitted today to participating in an insider trading scheme which netted more than $2.5 million in illicit profits, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

James Turner, 44, of Traverse City, Mich., pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with securities fraud. Turner entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh in Newark federal court.

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

Beginning in 2006, Turner received inside information from his brother-in-law, Scott Vollmar, and from Scott Robarge, Turner’s friend and former college classmate. Vollmar, who was formerly employed as a director of business development at Autodesk Inc., a software company based in California, passed inside information to Turner concerning Autodesk’s confidential negotiations to acquire Moldflow Corp. Turner admitted he used that inside information to purchase more than $7 million worth of Moldflow stock for the Clay Capital Fund and for himself and his family members. Following the public announcement of Autodesk’s acquisition of Moldflow, Turner sold the Moldflow shares he had bought, realizing illicit profits of more than $1.7 million. Turner further admitted he received inside information from Vollmar in advance of the public release of Autodesk’s earnings reports, and that he used this information to trade Autodesk stock, resulting in illicit profits of more than $500,000.

Scott Robarge, who was formerly employed as a recruiting technology manager at Salesforce.com Inc., a software company based in California, passed inside information to Turner concerning Saleforce’s quarterly sales results. Turner admitted he used this inside information to trade Salesforce stock, realizing illicit profits of more than $200,000.

Turner, who was released on $300,000 bond, faces a maximum potential term of imprisonment of 20 years and a maximum fine of $5,000,000. Sentencing before Judge Cavanaugh is scheduled for April 16, 2012.

Vollmar and Robarge have both previously pleaded guilty. Vollmar is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2012, and Robarge on March 26, 2012.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Ward in Newark; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Philip R. Bartlett; the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Chicago Regional Office, under the direction of Merri Jo Gillette, for the investigation leading to today’s plea. He also thanked the SEC Market Abuse Unit, under the direction of Daniel M. Hawke, for its important role in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.

Defense counsel: Joseph S. Bush Esq., Muskegon, Mich.

Turner, James Information

Incident at Albuquerque International Sunport

The FBI is investigating a disturbance allegedly caused by a passenger aboard Frontier Airlines Flight 996 as it was getting ready to depart Albuquerque International Sunport for Denver on Monday afternoon.

The passenger, a 17-year-old male, was removed from the plane at about 2 p.m.

Since no federal charges have been filed at this time, the FBI is not releasing the name of the passenger or any other details.

Palisades Park, N.J., Man Sentenced in Large-Scale Identity Theft Ring

NEWARK, NJ—A Palisades Park, N.J., man who admitted his role in a large-scale, sophisticated identity theft scheme that led to dozens of arrests last fall was sentenced today to 51 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Chul-Hoe Choi, 50, of Palisades Park, N.J., previously pleaded guilty to a three-count Information charging him with unlawfully producing an identification document, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden, who handed down today’s sentence in Newark federal court.

Choi was arrested on September 16, 2010, in a coordinated law enforcement takedown of 53 individuals in connection with widespread, sophisticated identity theft and fraud—including 42 other individuals charged along with Choi with participating in one large-scale criminal enterprise.

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

Choi conspired with Sang-Hyun Park, a/k/a “Jimmy,” and others to obtain Social Security cards beginning with the prefix “586.” Social Security cards with that prefix were issued by the United States to individuals, usually from China, who were employed in American territories, such as American Samoa, Guam, and Saipan. Park is alleged to have been the leader of a criminal organization headquartered in Bergen County, N.J., that obtained, brokered, and sold identity documents to customers for the purpose of committing credit card fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, and other crimes.

The Park Criminal Enterprise engaged in the fraudulent “build up” of credit scores associated with the Chinese identities. They did so by adding the Chinese identity as an authorized user to the credit card accounts of various co-conspirators who received a fee for this service—members of the enterprise’s credit build up teams. By attaching the Chinese identities to these existing credit card accounts, the teams increased the credit scores associated with the Chinese identities to between 700 and 800. The members of the build-up teams knew neither the real person to whom the identity belonged nor virtually any of the customers who purchased the identities.

After building up the credit associated with these identities, Park and his co-conspirators directed, coached, and assisted his customers to open bank accounts and obtain credit cards. Park and his co-conspirators then used these accounts and credit cards to commit fraud. In particular, Park relied on several collusive merchants who possessed credit card processing, or swipe, machines. For a fee, known as a “kkang fee,” these collusive merchants charged the fraudulently obtained credit cards, although no transaction took place. After receiving the money into their merchant accounts from the credit card related to these fraudulent transactions, the collusive merchants gave the money to Park and his co-conspirators, minus their “kkang fee.”

On January 12, 2009, Choi and other members of the Park Criminal Enterprise traveled from Bergen County to Chicago. Choi used a Social Security number beginning with the prefix 586 in the name of an individual with the initials “X.J.G.,” a fictitious Chinese passport in the name of X.J.G., and other false documents to fraudulently obtain an Illinois driver’s license in the name of X.J.G. After returning to Bergen County with this fraudulently obtained driver’s license in his possession, Choi used the driver’s license and the identity of X.J.G. to apply for and obtain credit cards from various banks and stores. Through this scheme, Choi and his co-conspirators fraudulently obtained in excess of $70,000 in merchandise and cash.

Choi was also a collusive merchant for the Park Criminal Enterprise and used the X.J.G. identity to open two merchant accounts in the names of For Your Joy and Nora Universal, two fictitious companies that neither sold products nor provided any services. After obtaining the credit card processing machines for these fictitious companies, Park and other members of the Park Criminal Enterprise provided Choi with fraudulently obtained credit cards belonging to customers of the enterprise. Choi charged these credit cards and provided portions of the cash back to Park and his co-conspirators. Through this part of the scheme, Choi, Park, and other members of the Park Criminal Enterprise obtained in excess of $600,000 from numerous banks and credit card companies.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Choi to three years’ supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $767,112.

U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark; IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Victor W. Lessoff; the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew M. McLees; and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John L. Molinelli and the Office’s Chief of Detectives Steven Cucciniello for their work leading to today’s plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara R. Llanes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit and Anthony Moscato of the Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Joseph Michael Horn Esq., Rutherford, N.J.

Arlington Man Sentenced to Nearly Nine Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography Over the Internet

FORT WORTH, TX—Shaun P. Dynes, 34, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John McBryde to 105 months in federal prison for distributing images of child pornography over the Internet, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. In addition, Judge McBryde ordered that Dynes, who has been in custody since early September 2011 when he pleaded guilty to the offense, serve a lifetime of supervised release following his imprisonment.

According to testimony presented at his detention hearing, as well as documents filed in the case, Dynes admitted to FBI agents that he used the Internet to distribute visual depictions of minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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 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 Projectsafechildhood.gov

Deputy Criminal Chief AUSA Alex C. Lewis was in charge of the prosecution.

Denver Woman Found Guilty in Mortgage Fraud Scam

DENVER—After deliberating for less than four hours, a federal court jury found Vicki Dillard Crowe, aka Vicki R. Dillard, age 32, of Denver, guilty of mail and wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney John Walsh, FBI Special Agent in Charge James Yacone and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Oscar Villanueva announced. Crowe pocketed close to $1,000,000 during the course of her fraudulent scheme. The jury trial, heard before U.S. District Court Judge Marcia S. Krieger, lasted approximately two weeks. During the course of the trial the government called over 50 witnesses. Crowe is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Krieger on March 19, 2012.

Crowe was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on April 5, 2010. According to the indictment, beginning in June 2004, and continuing through December 2006, Crowe knowingly devised and intended to devise a scheme to defraud various financial institutions and commercial lenders and to obtain money and property from various financial institutions and commercial lenders by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. The scheme was executed in connection with the residential mortgage loans related to 19 properties in Metro Denver.

As part of the scheme, Crowe worked with at least one mortgage broker to obtain mortgage loans in order to purchase the residential properties, at least two of which were purchased in the name of Crowe’s husband because Crowe was concerned that she would not qualify for the required mortgage loans. In order to qualify, Crowe made and caused to be made at least one materially false representation, including: 1) inflating or fabricating employment or rental income and/or assets of the defendant or her husband; 2) falsely representing defendant Crowe’s job title; 3) failing to disclose all the properties she had recently purchased; 4) failing to disclose all of her financial liabilities; and 5) falsely stating that the property would be a primary residence for the borrower.

As part of the transactions, Crowe persuaded, and caused someone else to persuade, the property seller to falsely inflate the sale price of the property so that Crowe could receive the inflated portion of the sale price as “up front” money, or shortly after, the closing purchase transaction. Sometimes the “up front” money was falsely characterized on a HUD settlement statement as a payment to the broker, although the broker would then pay Crowe the money. At other times, the “up front” money was falsely characterized as a payment to a remodeling company that was supposed to perform specified remodeling work, although the work was never performed, and Crowe actually received the money that was issued to these remodeling companies.

The indictment further alleges that Crowe used much of the “up front” money to make the mortgage payments on the numerous properties that she had purchased. She also refinanced mortgages on a couple of the properties so that she could obtain additional money as a result of the refinance transaction.

In order to qualify for the refinancing of the mortgages, Crowe made the same false statements about employment and income.

Crowe faces not more than 20 years’ imprisonment, and up to a $250,000 fine, for each of the 16 counts of mail fraud and wire fraud.

“Systematic mortgage fraud is a serious crime that played a role in compromising our economy in the 2008 financial crisis,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “Today’s conviction demonstrates our continuing resolve at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners, to prosecute complex economic crimes to protect the integrity of our economy.”

“Today’s verdict is another example of an individual being held accountable for the type of fraud that has contributed to the decline in our nation’s housing markets,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge James Yacone. “We want to thank the jury for their service.”

Following today’s verdict, Oscar S. Villanueva, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division, said: “Postal Inspectors will continue to protect the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service and aggressively investigate individuals like Ms. Dillard who use the U.S. Mail to defraud businesses of money and property.”

This case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

Crowe is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pegeen Rhyne and Hayley Reynolds.

Mortgage fraud is a major part of President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wag an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.

White River Man Pleads Guilty to Two Counts of Sexual Contact with a Minor

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Lloyd Cleveland Larvie, age 54, of White River, South Dakota, appeared before United States District Judge Roberto A. Lange on December 13, 2011, and pled guilty to two counts of sexual contact with a minor. The maximum penalty upon conviction is four years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.

During the time period of November 19, 2009, and December 31, 2009, near White River, Larvie had sexual contact with a 13-year-old female. During the time period of January 1, 2010, and August 31, 2010, near White River, Larvie had sexual contact with a 13-year-old female.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Maher.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for March 5, 2011. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.

FBI and San Diego Police Seek Public’s Assistance to Identify Bank of America Bank Robber

The FBI and San Diego Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify a man who attempted to rob a teller at the Bank of America, 2209 National Avenue, San Diego, California, on Monday, December 19, 2011.

On Monday, December 19, 2011, at approximately 10:20 a.m. an unknown male entered the Bank of America, located at 2209 National Avenue, San Diego, California and attempted to rob one of the tellers with a demand note. The teller who was behind a bandit barrier did not provide the robber with any money. The robber did not obtain any money and walked out of the bank heading west.

The robber is described as follows:

Sex: Male

Race: Black
Age: Approximately 30 years old
Height: Approximately 5’9” to 6’0” tall
Build: Medium
Hair: Black
Clothing: Black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans

Anyone with information concerning this robbery should contact the FBI at telephone number (858) 565-1255 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. You may remain anonymous by calling the FBI or Crime Stoppers.

Overland Park Man Charged with Scheme to Sell Phony Investments in Facebook

WICHITA, KS—A Kansas man has been charged with devising a scheme to sell phony investments in Facebook, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Ronald D. Catrell, 45, Overland Park, Kan., is charged with three counts of bank fraud, one count of money laundering, one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Federal criminal charges were filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan.

The charges allege Catrell fraudulently obtained business loans from three banks including Valley View Bank, Bank of the West and M&I Bank. In order to obtain the loan from Valley View Bank, for instance, he gave the bank a personal account statement claiming his account balance was more than $297,000 when the actual balance was less than $179.

As part of the investment fraud scheme, Catrell created a business called Blue Valley Capital Management, LP, which he claimed had an office at 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1882, New York, N.Y. In fact, the building at that address did not have an 18th floor and the business located there, Aerobeep & Voicemail, offered postal mail boxes to persons or businesses desiring a mailing address on Fifth Avenue in New York.

Catrell offered investors the opportunity to purchase Facebook stock through him. He falsely told investors he could purchase stock in Facebook through Goldman Sachs. In fact, Facebook was a privately held company that was not publicly traded. One victim, identified as William L., gave Catrell $35,000 to invest in BCVM and $50,000 to invest in Facebook stock.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

■Bank fraud: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.

■Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory two years and a fine up to $250,000.
■Money laundering: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
■Wire fraud: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.

The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The charges merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

Los Fresnos Man Gets 80 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Convictions

BROWNSVILLE, TX—Mark William Woerner, 55, formerly of Las Vegas, Nev., has been sentenced to 960 months in federal prison for distribution and possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Woerner was convicted by a federal jury on all five counts with which he was charged in June 2011 following one and a half days of trial and less than five minutes of deliberation.

United States District Court Judge Hilda G. Tagle sentenced Woerner to the maximum sentence of 10 years for each of two counts of possessing child pornography and 20 years on each of three counts of distributing child pornography. All sentences were ordered to run consecutively to each other for a total of 80 years in prison without parole. Judge Tagle also ordered him pay a fine of $25,000 and restitution in the amount of $2,246 to the victims.

Woerner was convicted by a jury on June 21, 2011. During trial, testimony and evidence revealed that during two separate undercover operations out of New York and Illinois in April and May of 2010, multiple images and videos of child pornography were downloaded from an online peer-to-peer file-sharing program. After the IP addresses used in each undercover operation were linked to Woerner at his residence in Los Fresnos, Texas, the leads were forwarded to the FBI for further investigation. The government also presented evidence that Woerner sent more than 1,300 images and 90 videos though his e-mail account over a six-month period. A juvenile witness testified that Woerner had given him a thumb drive containing child pornography and had suggested that the juvenile take it to school to share with other students. Woerner possessed and/or distributed more than 8,000 images, which included minors under the age of 12, as well as material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.

In ordering a sentence of the maximum term of imprisonment, Judge Tagle noted Woerner’s lack of acceptance of responsibility and his history of exploiting children who trusted him. Judge Tagle also took into account the total number of images and videos involved in the offenses and their content. Woerner’s sentence was further enhanced because he had distributed images and videos of child pornography to minors and requested that they send him child pornography in return and because he had engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of minors. Judge Tagle also found that Woerner had attempted to obstruct justice during the investigation when he solicited the assistance of a fellow inmate to kill an FBI agent in an effort to prevent him from testifying at trial.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carrie Wirsing and V. LaTawn Warsaw, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 Projectsafechildhood.gov.

Chicago Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting, Receiving, and Possessing Child Pornography

CHICAGO—A Chicago man was sentenced last Friday to 12 years in federal prison for transporting, receiving, and possessing child pornography, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. The defendant, Winton Nail, is in federal custody and must serve at least 85 percent of the 144-month sentence before he will be eligible for release, at which time he will remain under court supervision for five additional years. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman in federal court in Chicago.

Nail was arrested in April 2009, and pleaded guilty in January 2010 to two counts of transporting and shipping child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, and two counts of possessing child pornography, all via computer. Nail faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the transportation and receipt counts, and 10 years in prison on each of the possession counts.

Nail was arrested after he sent videos of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer during a chat in an Internet chat room. According to court documents, a subsequent search of his computers and e-mail accounts revealed more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography, as well as hundreds of online chats with other individuals about child pornography. The chats showed that Nail had conversations with at least eight individuals who identified themselves as minors between 11 and 14 years old and that he engaged in explicit sexual talk with them, including discussions of videos of child pornography that he said he had sent to them. According to court documents, Nail sought to expand his child pornography collection by trading images and videos of child pornography through chat rooms and through various e-mail accounts. There was no allegation or evidence that Nail engaged in any illegal sexual conduct with minors.

The case was investigated by the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and its Innocent Images Task Force. ­The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Krull.

Former Davenport Real Estate Agent Sentenced for Mortgage Fraud

DAVENPORT, IA—On December 19, 2011, Mary Pat Harper, formerly Mary Pat Lord, age 57, of Davenport, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey to 24 months’ imprisonment in connection with her involvement in a scheme to defraud banks and mortgage lenders, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Harper previously had pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Harper was also ordered to serve three years’ supervised release following imprisonment, pay restitution in the amount of $185,294, and pay a $300 special assessment to the crime victims fund.

Starting in late 2005 and continuing into 2006, Harper, a former real estate agent with Roy Harper Realty in Davenport, Iowa, along with a mortgage broker, an appraiser, certain attorneys, and others, participated in a scheme to skim fees and commissions from inflated real estate mortgage loans. Harper drafted real estate purchase contracts with bogus, inflated sales prices, and at the same time drafted undisclosed addenda or side agreements with the actual, much lower sales prices. The inflated sales prices were used to allow buyers to apply for and receive inflated mortgages. After the transactions closed and the sellers were paid the inflated prices, they would pay a “kickback” to Harper and the buyers in an amount equivalent to the difference between the bogus, inflated prices and the actual, lower prices.

Harper also exploited “straw buyers,” persons financially unqualified to make real estate purchases, helping a mortgage broker fabricate financial paper trails so the buyers would qualify for mortgages. After the transactions closed, Harper would receive, in addition to 7 percent dual agent real estate commissions, undisclosed “consulting fees” and other payments, all generated via the inflated purchase prices and mortgages.

Among those previously sentenced in connection with this investigation are Darryl Hanneken and Robert Herdrich, buyers who borrowed over $3.7 million in inflated mortgages and defaulted on almost all of the loans, frequently without making one payment. Hanneken and Herdrich were sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment each.

Mary Lee Reinking and Natalie Long, both formerly mortgage brokers with Crow Valley Mortgage, pleaded guilty to felony mortgage fraud charges in connection with two of the transactions and were sentenced to probation. Paul Bieber, an attorney, pleaded guilty to misprision of felony, a felony offense, and was sentenced to probation. Marc Engelmann, an attorney, was convicted at trial of conspiracy, two counts of bank fraud, and six counts of wire fraud and is awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Former Flight Attendant Sentenced for Setting Plane on Fire

FARGO, ND—U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on Dec. 16, 2011, Eder H. Rojas, 23, formerly from Woodbury, Minn., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson on a charge of setting an aircraft on fire.

Judge Erickson sentenced Rojas to six years’ imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Rojas was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $98,408 and to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund. A charge of failure to appear was dismissed as part of the plea agreement in this matter.

Rojas pleaded guilty on Sept. 26, 2011, to setting fire to an aircraft of Compass Airlines approximately 35 minutes into the flight, which had originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 7, 2008. The plane was traveling to Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and carrying approximately 72 passengers and four crew members. Rojas was working as a flight attendant on the plane. The aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Fargo, N.D.

In a later interview, Rojas admitted to agents that he had intentionally used a lighter to start the paper towels in the rear bathroom of the aircraft on fire. Rojas indicated his reason for starting the fire was that he was upset with the airline for making him work on that route.

Rojas was originally scheduled for trial in September of 2008. He was placed in a halfway house in Fargo pending trial. On the eve of his trial, Rojas fled to Mexico. Rojas was returned to North Dakota on Aug. 3, 2011, through the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service.

“Securing the safety of air travelers in the United States is an important mission of law enforcement,” stated U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon. “The sentence imposed in this case should send the message that those who tamper with that safety will pay the price.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fargo Police Department, and National Transportation Safety Board.

Assistant United States Attorney Brett Shasky prosecuted the case.

Former Owner of New Jersey Equities Firm Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Investment and Social Security Fraud

NEWARK, NJ—The former owner Skyline Equities Inc. was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for his theft of more than $800,000 from investors in a scheme involving fictitious overseas investments and from defrauding Social Security, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Paul J. LoPapa, 65, of Livingston, N.J., previously pleaded guilty to two Indictments charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud in connection with the investment scheme; and one count of Social Security fraud for fraudulently receiving benefits from August 2001 through October 2007. LoPapa entered his guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, who also imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

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

LoPapa admitted that he and an individual identified as “M.B.” solicited investors through Skyline Equities Inc., based in Livingston, for an investment program referred to as the “Bank Guarantee Program,” which they billed as a sophisticated international financial instrument facilitated through well-known financial institutions.

In order to lure investors, LoPapa and others promised high returns, conducting face-to-face meetings with investors at his home. LoPapa and M.B. did not invest the money, but spent it on personal items—including five high-end Mercedes-Benz automobiles. LoPapa also spent investor money to pay for property taxes, health insurance premiums, and credit card purchases for items and services. Investors wired approximately $815,000 into a Skyline account.

LoPapa also admitted to unlawfully receiving Social Security disability payments from August 2001 through October 2007, which totaled approximately $145,000. In his application for disability insurance benefits to the Social Security Administration, LoPapa falsely claimed he had not worked since 1990. LoPapa received benefits even though he was engaged in substantial work activity, including illegal activity in New Jersey.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced LoPapa to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $145,923 in restitution on the Social Security fraud count and $630,000 to four victims of the wire fraud. The defendant has been in federal custody since his arrest by special agents of the FBI and Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General in October 2008.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan in New York; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Matthew E. Beck of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Steven F. Roth of Springfield, N.J.

Justice Department Recovers $3 Billion in False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2011

Department Sets Records for Recoveries in Health Care and War-Related Fraud Annual Recoveries in Whistle Blower Cases Reach All Time High

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department secured more than $3 billion in settlements and judgments in civil cases involving fraud against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2011, Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, announced today.   This is the second year in a row that the department has surpassed $3 billion in recoveries under the False Claims Act, bringing the total since January 2009 to $8.7 billion – the largest three-year total in the Justice Department’s history.

The $3 billion total for fiscal year 2011 includes a record $2.8 billion in recoveries under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which is the government’s primary civil remedy to redress false claims for federal money or property, such as Medicare benefits, payments on military contracts, and federal subsidies and loans.   The department has recovered more than $30 billion under the False Claims Act since the act was substantially amended in 1986.   The 1986 amendments strengthened the act and increased the incentives for whistle blowers to file lawsuits on behalf of the government.   That in turn led to an unprecedented number of investigations and greater recoveries.

“Twenty-eight percent of the recoveries in the last 25 years were obtained since President Obama took office,”Assistant Attorney General West said.   “These record-setting results reflect the extraordinary determination and effort that this administration, and Attorney General Eric Holder in particular, have put into rooting out fraud, recovering taxpayer money and protecting the integrity of government programs.”

Assistant Attorney General West noted that the $3 billion recovered this year included $2.4 billion in recoveries involving fraud committed against federal health care programs.   Most of these recoveries are attributable to the Medicare and Medicaid programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).   They also include the TRICARE program administered by Department of Defense (DoD), the Federal Employees Health Benefits program administered by the Office of Personnel Management and Veterans Administration health programs.

Fighting health care fraud is a top priority for the Obama Administration.   On May 20, 2009, the Attorney General and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the creation of an interagency task force, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), to increase coordination and optimize criminal and civil enforcement.   Since January 2009 alone, the department has used the False Claims Act to recover more than $6.6 billion in federal health care dollars.   This is more recovered under the act than in any other three-year period.

The historic $2.8 billion recovered in whistle blower cases came from suits filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act.   These provisions allow private citizens, known as relators, to file lawsuits on behalf of the government.   In the 25 years since the False Claims Act was substantially amended, whistle blowers have filed more than 7,800 actions under the qui tam provisions.  Qui tam suits hit a peak of 638 this past year, after hovering in the 300s and low 400s for much of the decade.

Assistant Attorney General West thanked the courageous citizens who have come forward to report fraud, often at great personal risk:   “We are tremendously grateful to whistle blowers who have brought fraud allegations to the government’s attention and assisted us in this public-private partnership to fight fraud,” he said.

In 1986, Senator Charles Grassley and Representative Howard Berman led successful efforts in Congress to amend the False Claims Act, including enhancements to the qui tam provisions to encourage whistle blowers to come forward with allegations of fraud.   In this 25th anniversary year of the 1986 amendments, Assistant Attorney General West paid tribute to the bill’s sponsors, saying that “without their foresight, the breadth of the recoveries we announce here today would not have been possible.”   He also expressed his gratitude to Senator Patrick J. Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and to Senator Grassley and Representative Berman for their support of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009, which made additional improvements to the False Claims Act and other fraud statutes.

Assistant Attorney General West also applauded Congress’ passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, which reenforced the government’s ability to redress fraud in the nation’s health care system.   Among many other changes, the ACA amended the False Claims Act to provide additional incentives for whistle blowers to report fraud to the government and strengthened the provisions of the federal health care Anti-Kickback Statute.

Enforcement actions involving the pharmaceutical industry were the source of the largest recoveries this year.   In all, the department recovered nearly $2.2 billion in civil claims against the pharmaceutical industry in fiscal year 2011, including $1.76 billion in federal recoveries and $421 million in state Medicaid recoveries.   These cases included $900 million from eight drug manufacturers to resolve allegations that they had engaged in unlawful pricing to increase their profits.   Additionally, GlaxoSmithKline PLC paid $750 million to resolve criminal and civil allegations that the company knowingly submitted, or caused to be submitted, false claims to government health care programs for adulterated drugs and for drugs that failed to conform with the strength, purity or quality specified by the Food and Drug Administration.   

Adding to its successes under the False Claims Act, the department obtained 21 criminal convictions and $1.3 billion in criminal fines, forfeitures, restitution, and disgorgement under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).   The FDCA’s criminal provisions are enforced by the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch.

In addition to health care, the department continued its aggressive pursuit of fraud in government procurement and other forms of financial fraud, including grant, housing and mortgage fraud that emerged in the wake of the financial crisis.   In November 2009, President Obama established the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to hold accountable the individuals and corporations who contributed to the crisis as well as those who would claim illegal advantage through false claims for funds intended to stimulate economic recovery.   Of the $3 billion in fiscal year 2011 recoveries, these non-war related procurement and consumer-related financial fraud cases accounted for nearly $358 million.  

Overall, the department recovered $422 million in fiscal year 2011 in procurement fraud cases, including $89.3 million in recoveries in connection with the wars in Southwest Asia.   This brings civil fraud recoveries in connection with the wars in Southwest Asia since January 2009 to $153.4 million, and the total amount recovered in procurement fraud cases during that time to $1.5 billion, again a greater amount than in any previous three-year period.

Assistant Attorney General West expressed his deep appreciation for the dedicated public servants who contributed to the investigation and prosecution of these cases.   These individuals include attorneys, investigators, auditors and other agency personnel throughout the Civil Division, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, HHS, DoD and the many other federal and state agencies.

FBI Releases Preliminary Semiannual Crime Statistics for 2011

Statistics released today in the FBI’s Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report indicate that the number of violent crimes reported in the first six months of 2011 declined 6.4 percent when compared with figures from the first six months of 2010. The number of property crimes decreased 3.7 percent for the same time frame. The report is based on information from more than 12,500 law enforcement agencies that submitted three to six comparable months of data to the FBI in the first six months of 2010 and 2011.

Violent Crime

■All four offenses in the violent crime category—murder and nonnegligent homicide, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault—decreased when data from the first six months of 2011 and the first six months of 2010 were compared. The number of murders declined 5.7 percent, and the number of rapes decreased 5.1 percent. Robbery declined 7.7 percent, and aggravated assault decreased 5.9 percent.

■Law enforcement agencies in all six city population groups reported decreases in violent crime. Cities with populations of 50,000 to 99,999 inhabitants recorded the largest decrease in violent crime at 7.2 percent. Violent crime also declined in metropolitan counties (7.6 percent) and in nonmetropolitan counties (6.4 percent).

■Violent crime declined in each of the nation’s four regions. The largest decrease (9.7 percent) was in the Midwest, followed by 6.6 percent in the West, 5.8 percent in the South, and 3.6 percent in the Northeast.

Property Crime

■All three categories of property crime—burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft—showed declines in the number of offenses from January to June 2011 when compared with data for the same months of 2010. The number of burglary offenses declined 2.2 percent, larceny-theft dropped 4.0 percent, and motor vehicle theft fell 5.0 percent.

■Each of the six city population groups had decreases in the number of property crimes. Law enforcement agencies in cities with populations of 100,000 to 249,999 inhabitants reported the largest drop, 5.1 percent. Property crime in metropolitan counties declined 3.2 percent; property crime in nonmetropolitan counties decreased 0.5 percent.

■Each region reported declines in the number of property crime: 4.4 percent in the Midwest, 4.0 percent in the West, 3.8 percent in the Northeast, and 3.0 percent in the South.

Arson

In the Uniform Crime Reporting program, arson offenses are collected separately from other property crimes. The number of arson offenses declined 8.6 percent in the first six months of 2011 when compared with figures from the first six months of 2010. All four regions reported decreases in the number of arsons—14.5 percent in the Northeast, 8.8 percent in the Midwest, 7.8 percent in the West, and 7.0 percent in the South. The number of arsons also fell in all population groups. The largest decrease, 13.5 percent, was reported in cities with 100,000 to 249,999 inhabitants.

Caution against ranking: When the FBI publishes crime data via its Uniform Crime Reporting program, some entities use the information to compile rankings of cities and counties. Such rankings, however, do not provide insight into the numerous variables that shape crime in a given town, city, county, state, tribal area, or region. These rankings lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that can create misleading perceptions that adversely affect communities and their residents. Only through careful study and analyses into the range of unique conditions affecting each local law enforcement jurisdiction can data users create valid assessments of crime. The data user is, therefore, cautioned against comparing statistical data of individual reporting units from cities, metropolitan areas, states, or colleges or universities solely on the basis of their population or student enrollment.

The complete Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, January to June 2011, is available exclusively at FBI.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr.

Robbery of Bank of Albuquerque Branch

The FBI and Albuquerque Police Department are investigating the robbery of the Bank of Albuquerque, 4201 Wyoming Blvd. NE, on Friday.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, about 5’7 tall, weighing approximately 160 pounds, in his mid- to late 30s, with a small build and dark brown eyes.

He had a tattoo on his left hand and small bump on his nose.

The suspect wore a gray and black beanie with a design on it, blue jeans and dark shoes.

Witnesses say the suspect entered the bank at about 12:05 p.m., told a teller he was armed, and demanded cash.

The suspect put an undisclosed amount of money in a cheetah-colored bag and left the bank. He was last seen on foot heading west on La Mirada Place NE.

Bank robbery is punishable by a 20-year prison sentence for each offense and the penalty increases if a dangerous weapon is used in the commission of the crime.

Anyone with information about this bank robbery is asked to call the Albuquerque FBI Office at (505) 889-1300 (24 hours) or Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 843-STOP.

The FBI may pay a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the suspect’s arrest and conviction.