Uniontown Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Materials Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor - Page 6133

Department of Justice Press Releases

Uniontown Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Materials Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

PITTSBURGH – A resident of Uniontown, PA, pleaded guilty on July 12 in federal court to a charge of Production of a Visual Depiction of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

Zachary Bosh, 39, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on Friday, April 12, 2019, a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity (UC) entered a public chat group titled #parentstoys, using an internet-based, free mobile application. The user “ascott5505,” later identified as Bosh, initiated a private chat with the UC.

During the conversation, Bosh sent the UC approximately seven video clips and/or images of a minor victim, one of which depicted the sexual exploitation of the minor victim, and verified with the UC that the video clips and/or images were “live”. The Court was further informed of the content of the communications between Bosh and the UC.

Investigators were able to obtain emergency disclosures from the mobile application as well as internet service provider, enabling them to identify – on the same day – the residence where the video of the minor victim’s sexual exploitation had been produced. During a search of the residence, which also occurred that day, law enforcement seized bedsheets that matched the sheets visible in the video.

Judge Hornak stated sentencing will be scheduled by further order of court. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court ordered Bosh remain detained.

Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the FBI Washington Field Office’s (WFO) Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bosh.

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

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RENALDO RUFFIN, age 29, of New Orleans, pled guilty on July 12, 2022 to violations of the Federal Gun Control Act.

Specifically, on July 12, 2022, RUFFIN pled guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

Based on court records, RUFFIN possessed a GlockModel 23 .40 caliber S&W semiautomatic handgun on or about August 30, 2020. Additionally, RUFFIN possessed 5.56 caliber ammunition on January 24, 2022.

On each count, RUFFIN faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

John O’Hara, Jr. Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security Benefit Payments

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that John O’Hara, Jr., 43, of White River Junction, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge that he fraudulently converted tens of thousands of dollars in Social Security benefit payments. U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss released O’Hara on conditions pending sentencing, which is scheduled for November 3.

On June 10, 2022, the U.S. Attorney filed a one-count information charging O’Hara with receiving stolen Government money. O’Hara pleaded guilty to that charge today. According to court records, O’Hara’s father, John O’Hara, Sr., received monthly Social Security benefit payments that were deposited into O’Hara Sr.’s bank account in Florida. O’Hara Sr. died in February 2018, at which time his SSA benefits should have terminated. O’Hara Jr. never notified SSA of his father’s death and SSA continued to make benefit payments to O’Hara Sr.’s account until October 2020. O’Hara Jr. fraudulently converted those unauthorized payments to his own use by transferring the funds to an account he controlled in North Carolina, and then accessing those funds from Vermont for personal purposes. The total loss to the Social Security Administration is about $51,000.

O’Hara faces up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence will be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.

This case was investigated by the SSA’s Office of Inspector General.

O’Hara Jr. is represented by David Silver, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

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Department of Justice Press Releases

Springfield Woman Pleads Guilty in Drug Trafficking, Firearms and Money Laundering Conspiracy

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

BOSTON – A Springfield woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to her role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed heroin and crack cocaine across western Massachusetts and into Vermont.

Nia Dinzey, a/k/a “Nia Moore-Bush,” 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and 500 grams or more of cocaine; five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and/or crack cocaine; two counts of money laundering conspiracy; seven counts of money laundering; one count of conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; one count of engaging in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; one count of aiding and abetting the crime of engaging in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; and one count of aiding and abetting the crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Oct. 5, 2022.

Nia Dinzey was arrested and charged in January 2018 and subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in December 2018 along with other members and associates of a Springfield-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly distributed heroin and crack cocaine.

“Ms. Dinzey was a main actor in a conspiracy that promoted drug distribution and violence in western Massachusetts and into Vermont,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This defendant and her co-conspirators jeopardized the safety of our communities by trafficking large quantities of deadly narcotics and dealing firearms that made their way into our Commonwealth, Vermont and New Hampshire. The scope of this illicit conduct is egregious and for that, she appropriately faces significant jail time.”

“Reducing violent crime and protecting the public in the communities that we serve is a priority for the ATF and our law enforcement partners,” James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Office. “We will continue to work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to make sure those individuals who commit violent firearms and narcotics crimes are brought to justice.”

Nia Dinzey and her husband, Dinelson Dinzey, obtained narcotics in the Springfield area, transported them to Vermont themselves or via couriers and distributed the drugs in the Barre area. The two then conspired to launder the drug proceeds through bank accounts allegedly held by co-defendant Daphne Moore in trust for Nia Dinzey. The DTO would make cash deposits of its Vermont drug proceeds into the accounts. To obtain the proceeds, Nia Dinzey and, allegedly, Moore would facilitate withdrawals of those funds from the accounts in Massachusetts. Additionally, Nia Dinzey, her husband and others also conspired to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms and in a May 5, 2017 firearms sale. According to court documents, six firearms involved in this conspiracy were traced to individuals connected to Vermont or New Hampshire.

Dinelson Dinzey previously pleaded guilty and, in October 2019, was sentenced to 19 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Moore has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charges of money laundering conspiracy and money laundering provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000. The charges of conspiring to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms and engaging in the unlicensed dealing of firearms provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aiding and abetting the crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and ATF SAC Ferguson made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the ATF’s Springfield Area Firearms Enforcement Task Force with assistance of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, ATF’s Burlington Field Office, the Massachusetts State Police and the Vermont State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Rollins’ Springfield Office is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Whitehall Man Indicted for Possessing Videos and Images of Child Sexual Abuse

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

PITTSBURGH – A resident of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

The one-count Indictment, returned on July 12, named Erik Jones, 24, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, from in and around September 2021 to in and around December 2021, Jones did knowingly possess visual depictions, namely, images in computer graphic and digital files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. More specifically, Jones possessed approximately 350 videos of child [censored]ography and over 500 images of child [censored]ography.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more 20 years in prison. Defendant is also subject to a fine of not more than $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of at least five years. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Risacher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

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

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Portage Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

HAMMOND – Romio Xavier Hawkins, 24 years old, of Portage, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to production of material depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Hawkins was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on multiple occasions between January and February 2021, Hawkins instructed Jane Doe 1, a 16-year-old minor, to produce images and live videos depicting Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, a four-year-old minor, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, Hawkins admitted to law enforcement that he possessed over 1,000 images and 300 videos containing child [censored]ography, including materials featuring toddlers and infants.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Washington, PA Man Charged with Cyberstalking

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Washington, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh of cyberstalking, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

The one-count Indictment, returned on July 12, named Eric Scholl, 54, as the sole defendant.

According to Indictment, beginning around March 2021 and continuing through May 2022, after a domestic incident that led to his wife seeking a Pennsylvania Protection from Abuse Order against him, Scholl engaged in a cyberstalking campaign targeting his wife. Among other things, he placed a GPS tracking device on her car which tracked her movements; directed harassing and intimidating emails, texts, and phone calls to her, including using a web-based service that allowed him to disguise his phone number; posted lewd content about her on the internet; impersonated her in messages with others; accessed her mobile phone account and PayPal account without her permission; and threatened her through a text message he transmitted to a family member. Scholl engaged in this course of conduct, and other related and threatening activities, while subject to a domestic violence protection order against him. Scholl’s campaign placed his wife in fear of death or serious bodily injury and caused substantial emotional distress to her.

The law provides for a total sentence of not less than one but not more than ten years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Shaler Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Colombia tax reform to target high-earners, says incoming agency head

by Reuters July 14, 2022

By: Reuters

By Luis Jaime Acosta and Carlos Vargas

BOGOTA – A tax reform proposed by Colombia’s President-elect Gustavo Petro will raise $10.9 billion annually via a progressive income tax, the elimination of business exemptions, and tackling evasion, his incoming tax agency head said on Thursday.

Petro, a leftist who takes office next month on promises of generous social programs, this week named 38-year-old economics professor Luis Carlos Reyes to head the DIAN tax and customs agency.

Reyes will be tasked with implementing the 50-trillion-peso reform should it pass congress, where Petro has built a broad coalition of leftist parties and the centrist Liberals.

Business leaders and investors are wary of Petro, who took pains to reassure them ahead of the election and named a market-friendly former central banker as his finance minister.

“We are very optimistic in relation to the figure of 50 trillion, because there are a number of exemptions for individuals, for companies that we can eliminate. And evasion in Colombia is so high that there is a lot of room to reduce it,” Reyes told Reuters in an interview.

Tax exemptions for individuals and businesses set to be eliminated by the reform are equivalent to just under 2% of the country’s $258 billion gross domestic product, Reyes said.

Evasion costs the country some $17.6 billion annually, he said. Under the reform evasion will be punished with prison sentences, Reyes added, which are rarely applied now.

Anyone earning more than 10 million pesos ($2,194) a month – just 1% of Colombians – will need to progressively pay more in income tax.

“No one earning less than 10 million pesos should worry,” he said.

Businesses – which currently pay a tax rate of 35% – are likely to see their duties fall unless they currently benefit from exemptions or special tax rates, Reyes said.

“The great majority of companies who don’t have any tax benefits will pay less than they are paying now.”

Oil and mining companies will lose tax benefits, Reyes added, though details are still being confirmed, while taxes on capital and dividends will also rise.

Increased tax revenue could help reduce the fiscal deficit, which hit 7.1% of GDP last year, he said.

“Without a reform, there’s no government,” Reyes said. “Colombia needs more income to be able to carry out promises laid out in the constitution.”

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta and Carlos Vargas, Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

San Benito man admits to trafficking over 250 kilograms of meth in gas tank

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 44-year-old San Benito resident has pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute liquid meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Pedro Rodriguez III pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute approximately 253.2 kilograms of liquid meth.

On Jan. 11, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Rodriguez III after he switched lanes without signaling. They soon discovered he had several pending state arrest warrants and took him into custody.

As they conducted a search of his vehicle, they found approximately 253.2 kilograms of liquid meth hidden inside an auxiliary gas tank. Rodriguez III admitted he knew the meth was inside the gas tank and had agreed to transport the narcotics from South Texas to Dallas.

Rodriguez III is set for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera on Oct. 5. At that time, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.

Rodriguez III will remain in custody pending sentencing.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the San Benito Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez prosecuted the case.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Connecticut Ophthalmologist Pleads Guilty to Five-Year Health Care Fraud Scheme

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

BOSTON – A Connecticut doctor pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to receiving kickbacks in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.

Dr. Donald Salzberg, 67, of Avon, Conn., pleaded guilty before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Salzberg was charged by an Information on May 23, 2022.

Salzberg, a licensed medical doctor in the State of Connecticut for 36 years, owned and operated Donald J. Salzberg, M.D., an ophthalmology practice in West Hartford, Conn. From 2014 through 2019, Salzberg conspired with a principal for a medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans – brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain – to order hundreds of medically unnecessary TCD scans in exchange for kickbacks. Salzberg and his co-conspirator used false patient diagnoses to order the unnecessary brain scans, for which the co-conspirator would submit claims to Medicare and other insurance companies on behalf of the medical diagnostic company for payment. In exchange, Salzberg was paid cash kickbacks of $100 to $125 per test that he ordered, as well as sham administrative services fees. The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of over $3 million to Medicare and private insurance companies.

The charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Y. Hemani and Howard Locker of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Santo Domingo woman indicted for assault on a federal officer

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Henryetta John was arraigned on July 11 on an indictment charging her with assault on a federal officer inflicting bodily injury. John, 29, of Santo Domingo, New Mexico, and a member of the Pueblo of Santo Domingo, will remain on conditions of release pending trial.

A federal grand jury indicted John on June 15. As alleged in the indictment, on Oct. 20, 2021, John forcibly assaulted and resisted a federal law enforcement officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs while the officer was engaged in the performance of her official duties. The officer sustained injuries as a result of John’s alleged actions. John allegedly committed the offense on the Santo Domingo Pueblo in Sandoval County, New Mexico.

An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, John faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

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July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco Directs U.S. Attorneys and Law Enforcement Agencies to Prioritize Violent Crime in Indian Country

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

WASHINGTON – Today, during remarks at the Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco announced a directive to all U.S. Attorneys and law enforcement component heads addressing public safety in Indian country, including violence directed at indigenous women, youth and children.

In a memorandum, Deputy Attorney General Monaco declared it a priority of the Department of Justice to address the disproportionately high rates of violence experienced by American Indians and Alaska Natives, and relatedly, the high rates of indigenous persons reported missing. The memorandum directs each U.S. Attorney with Indian country jurisdiction — along with their law enforcement partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) — to update and develop new plans for addressing public safety in Indian country.

“With this memorandum, we are reaffirming the department’s unwavering commitment to promoting public safety in Indian Country and to respecting Tribal sovereignty,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Tribes know best how to make their communities safer, and Tribal engagement has thus been the cornerstone of the department’s review of its policies and procedures. Federal law enforcement agencies will continue to work diligently with our Tribal partners in support of public safety in Indian Country.”

In November 2021, the department established a Steering Committee dedicated to marshalling the department’s resources and personnel to address public safety and the issues of missing or murdered indigenous persons. The Steering Committee undertook a review — in close consultation with Tribal leaders and stakeholders — of the department’s relevant guidance, policies and practices to improve the law enforcement response in Indian country.

Today’s memorandum marks the first guidance from the Deputy Attorney General to U.S. Attorneys in Indian country since 2010, when then-Deputy Attorney General David Ogden required each U.S. Attorney with Indian country jurisdiction to establish a structure and plan for addressing public safety in Indian country. Deputy Attorney General Monaco’s memorandum sets forth needed updates, which account for significant legal and legislative developments in the intervening decade, including the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, Savanna’s Act, the Not Invisible Act of 2019 and the 2013 and 2022 reauthorizations of the Violence Against Women Act. The memorandum also recognizes that the department’s law enforcement components are essential to investigating crimes in Indian country, and it directs those agencies to adopt their own guidelines, policies and protocols to address the unique public safety challenges in Indian country.

In particular, the memorandum instructs department prosecutors and law enforcement officers to update their operational plans, policies, and protocols to:

Coordinate with Tribal, State and local law enforcement officers, as well as other federal agencies;
Support victims, survivors and their families in a victim-centered and culturally-appropriate manner; and
Address cases, including unresolved cases, involving missing or murdered indigenous people.

The memorandum also directs U.S. Attorneys Offices and law enforcement agencies to engage with Tribes to better address priority public safety issues, including combatting violence against women, youth and children and addressing the devastating consequences of drug trafficking and substance use disorder in Indian country.

You can read the full text of the memorandum here.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Texas company forfeits proceeds and pays fine after supplying potentially tainted rocket fuel to NASA

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

HOUSTON – Anahuac Transport Inc. must pay a substantial fine after admitting to fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Corporate representatives Gary Monteau and Brant Charpiot admitted their guilt Feb. 23 on behalf of the company and agreed to forfeit $251,401 in gross proceeds that it obtained from the criminal scheme.

Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett ordered the company to serve three years on probation and to pay an additional fine of $275,000. During the hearing, the court noted the importance of the Johnson Space Center to the identity of the Houston area and how it was a privilege for a company like Anahuac to play a role in the U.S. space program. He noted that Anahuac had abused that privilege.

At the time of the plea, Monteau, Charpiot and Anahuac entered voluntary exclusions with the United States in which each agreed to be banned from federal government contracting for two years.

Anahuac admitted to falsifying its records and delivering potentially tainted rocket fuel for NASA and Department of Defense (DOD) rocket launches.

NASA and DOD entered into contracts with various companies, including Space Explorations Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), to launch rockets with supplies for the International Space Station and with military payloads.

These companies procured fuel for the rocket launches and contracted for transportation of the fuel to the launch sites. Anahuac was in the business of hauling chemicals in tanker trailers. From approximately 2012 through 2020, NASA and DOD subcontracted Anahuac to transport the rocket fuel.

To prevent contamination, Anahuac was required to ensure the tanker trailer they used did not previously contain certain chemicals that may have adverse reactions with the fuel. However, Anahuac intentionally falsified its documents, claiming it had not previously hauled incompatible chemicals with its tanker trailers. In fact, it had.

Anahuac transported the rocket fuel with its contaminated trailers. As a result, NASA used the fuel for rocket launches.

NASA – Office of Inspector General (OIG) and DOD – OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting the case.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Siblings Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine From Arizona to Wisconsin

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Douglas Mack, 45, Phoenix, Arizona, and Emily Mack, 36, Madison, Wisconsin were sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley. Douglas Mack was sentenced yesterday to 132 months in federal prison for his leadership role in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty to that charge on March 30, 2022. Emily Mack was sentenced today to 60 months for possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine for distribution. She pleaded guilty to that charge on April 5, 2022. Douglas Mack and Emily Mack are brother and sister.

The Macks were charged in January 2021 in a multiple-count indictment with conspiring with each other and with Tonia Greenwood and D’Angelo Lashore to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Douglas Mack supplied the others with over 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine between November 2018 and January 2021, that he mailed from Arizona to Emily Mack and Lashore in Madison and Greenwood in Sauk County. Emily Mack received over 4.5 kilograms during this time period, some of which she distributed in the Madison area and some she used herself.

Greenwood pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and was sentenced to 30 months in prison, while Lashore pleaded guilty to attempting to possess methamphetamine for distribution and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The charges in this case were the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Madison Police Department, DeForest Police Department, Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, State Line Area Narcotics Team, and Wisconsin State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Przybylinski Finn prosecuted this case.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Albuquerque man indicted for tax evasion and false statement

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Arturo Archuleta was arraigned on July 13 on an indictment charging him with five counts of attempting to evade or defeat taxes and one count of false statements relating to healthcare matters. Archuleta, 50, of Albuquerque, will remain on conditions of release pending trial.

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on June 15. According to the indictment, from 2014 to 2018, Archuleta worked as an office manager at ABQ Injury Clinic in Albuquerque. During that time, Archuleta allegedly attempted to conceal taxable income from the IRS. Archuleta allegedly made false entries and altered accounting records of ABQ Injury Clinic, causing the clinic not to file Form 1099s and Form W-2s recording his income. Archuleta also allegedly used cash and a nominee bank account under a fictitious name to avoid scrutiny.

The indictment also alleges that on March 27, 2018, Archuleta made false statements, claiming that he was homeless and that he had zero monthly income, in connection with the delivery of and payment for healthcare benefits, items and services involving Centennial Care and United Healthcare. Centennial Care operates Medicaid in New Mexico through managed care organizations, including United Healthcare.

An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Archuleta faces up to five in prison for attempting to evade or defeat taxes and up to five years in prison for false statements relating to healthcare matters.

The FBI investigated the healthcare component of this case, with IRS Criminal Investigation investigating tax evasion. Assistant United States Attorney Taylor F. Hartstein is prosecuting the case.

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July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Boston Gang Associate Sentenced for Cocaine Trafficking and Firearm Offenses

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

BOSTON – A Boston gang associate was sentenced today for cocaine and firearm offenses in connection with his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Renardo Williams, 45, of South Boston, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served (approximately 32 months in prison) and six years of supervised release. In September 2021, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Williams was charged in June 2020 along with 23 others as part of Operation Snowfall – a multi-year investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) comprised of Boston-based street gang members and associates. Investigators identified Williams as a drug customer and distributor for co-defendant Kenji Drayton, the DTO’s principal drug suppler. In the hours preceding his arrest, investigators intercepted calls and conducted surveillance of Williams and Drayton, which allegedly indicated that Williams sought to purchase drugs from Drayton. At the time of his arrest, Williams was found in possession of approximately 125 grams of cocaine and a loaded firearm.

On April 13, 2022, Drayton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 10, 2022.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistance in the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Timothy E. Moran, Chief of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit, prosecuted the case.

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

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Bozeman man admits stealing government benefits while acting as a fiduciary

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

MISSOULA – A Bozeman man on Wednesday admitted to stealing more than $57,000 in government benefits from an individual for whom he was the fiduciary, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Ira Kyrk Westbrook, 47, pleaded guilty on July 13 to Social Security fraud. Westbrook faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for Oct. 28 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Westbrook was released pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that in September 2021, the Social Security Administration (SSA) received information that Westbrook was misappropriating Social Security benefits for an individual, identified as John Doe. Doe suffered a stroke in 2018 and had been admitted to a rehabilitation and care facility. Westbrook was appointed as Doe’s Representative Payee and agreed to use the Social Security funds only for Doe’s needs. Westbrook acknowledged he could be charged criminally if he misused the money.

An investigation determined that Westbrook transferred deposits by SSA and the Veteran’s Administration (VA) into Doe’s account to another account Westbrook controlled. Westbrook then made payments to local businesses and restaurants in Bozeman, along with payments to CenturyLink and Amazon, with the account incurring multiple overdrafts. In 2020, Westbrook purchased a travel trailer for $8,500 and a Jeep for $10,000. Westbrook claimed the vehicle was used to run errands for Doe but disclosed that he and his wife had put approximately 15,000 miles on it over seven months. Social media posts showed Westbrook and his wife in the Jeep on a camping trip with the travel trailer. Westbrook diverted a total of $57,329 of Doe’s funds, consisting of $37,731 in VA benefits and $19,598 in SSA benefits.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the SSA, VA and Bozeman Police Department.

XXX

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Houma Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs and Firearms Offenses

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MORGAN BURL III, age 42, of Houma, Louisiana, pled guilty on July 13, 2022 to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

Specifically, on July 13, 2022, BURL pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. BURL also pled guilty to one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i).

According to court documents, BURL conspired with others to sell over 500 grams of cocaine, over 100 grams of heroin, over 40 grams of fentanyl, and over 5 grams of methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Louisiana. In addition, on May 30, 2019, BURL possessed nine firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, specifically, (1) a Kel Tec semiautomatic pistol; (2) a AR-15 .22 caliber rifle; (3) a Taurus .45 caliber pistol; (4) a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson firearm; (5) a Jimenez 9mm semiautomatic firearm; (6) a Titan .25 caliber firearm; (7) a Norinco assault rifle; (8) a Sears & Roebuck 12 gauge shotgun; and (9) a 410 pump shotgun.

On the drug conspiracy count, BURL faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment up to 40 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, at least 4 years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. On the firearms offense, BURL faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 5 years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Holyoke, Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Armed Drug Trafficking

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Daeshawn Jones, 21, of Holyoke, Massachusetts was sentenced on July 12 in United States District Court to 47 months’ imprisonment. Jones had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine base, and cocaine. United States District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Jones to serve a three-year term of supervised release.

According to court records and proceedings, Jones repeatedly traveled from Holyoke to Bennington County, Vermont in mid-2020 to sell drugs for personal financial gain. Jones stayed at a residence in Manchester, Vermont and stored and distributed narcotics from there.

Throughout this period, Jones also obtained and possessed firearms in connection with his drug trafficking activity. To acquire firearms, he asked others to purchase firearms for him. At Jones’s request, in May 2020, another man purchased two Glock handguns from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Belmont, Vermont and provided the guns to Jones. Two days later, one of the firearms was recovered in Holyoke. In June 2020, Jones asked the same man to purchase two additional handguns for him, but the purchase was denied by the firearms dealer. When Jones was arrested on a federal warrant in January 2021, he possessed a rifle and heroin in his residence.

Several others connected to Jones’s criminal conduct have previously been convicted and sentenced. On October 4, 2021, Caitlin Williams, 27, of Wallingford, Vermont, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine base, and cocaine, was sentenced to time served, which was approximately ten months, by Judge William K. Sessions III. On December 22, 2021, Leland Martin, 35, of Shrewsbury, Vermont, who had pleaded guilty to straw purchasing firearms, was sentenced to twelve months and one day of imprisonment by Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey Crawford. On March 3, 2022, Alexander Johnson, 25, of Manchester, Vermont, who had pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine base, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment by Judge Reiss. Jones’s co-defendant, Thomas Rougier, Jr., has pleaded guilty before Judge Reiss to conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base and is detained pending sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Vermont State Police, and appreciates the assistance of the Manchester Police Department, the Rutland Police Department, the Holyoke, Massachusetts Police Department, the Easthampton, Massachusetts Police Department, the Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“We are working with law enforcement at all levels to remove dangerous, illegal guns and drugs from the street,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest. “We will use every tool available to eradicate the drug-fueled violence affecting our community.”

“Combatting firearms trafficking is at the forefront of ATF’s mission,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Boston Field Division. “These sentencings should send the message to criminals that a blatant disregard of federal firearms laws will be investigated by ATF and our local, state, and federal partners. Those who have willfully violated federal firearm laws will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”

Jones was represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq. and William Vasiliou, Esq. Martin was represented by Robert Katims, Esq. Johnson was represented by Kevin Henry, Esq. Williams was represented by Robert Behrens, Esq. Rougier is represented by Stephanie Greenlees, Esq. The prosecutors were Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Boscia and Nicole P. Cate.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn for more information.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

New York Man Sentenced To 22 Months In Prison For Defrauding Customers Of New Jersey Moving Company

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hewlett, New York man was sentenced today to 22 months in prison for his role in a scheme through which he defrauded over 260 customers of his moving company causing losses in excess of $540,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Lior Atiyas (a/k/a “David Cohen”), 44, previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. His co-conspirator, Lola Larios, is scheduled for sentencing on August 9, 2022, before Judge Cecchi.

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

From as early as January 2016 through January 2019, Atiyas devised a scheme to enrich himself and his moving company, which used several names to conceal its true identity, including Premier Relocations LLC, Metro Van Lines Inc., Astoria Motor Van Company, Lyon Moving, and Empire Move. Atiyas, along with Larios, regularly extorted customers by quoting them “low-ball” price estimates for moving household goods. Once the customers’ goods were loaded onto the moving trucks, Premier’s employees, at the direction of Atiyas or Larios, or Atiyas himself, would drastically raise the price of the move (often two or three times that of the quoted estimate), and then refuse to deliver the goods until the customers paid the increased price. The aggregate difference between the initial low-ball estimates and the revised inflated amounts charged to victims was approximately $547,525.

Atiyas was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, for his participation in a scheme whereby he generated fake paystubs and a fake employment confirmation letter in order for an uncharged co-conspirator to obtain Medicaid benefits. As a result of his role in the health care fraud conspiracy, Atiyas caused the submission of over $40,000 in fraudulent medical claims.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Atiyas to three years of supervised release.

If you believe you are a victim of this crime, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim-Witness Office at [email protected].

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited Special Agents with the Department of Transportation, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher Scharf, Northeast Region, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert, with the investigation leading to these charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Amore of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel for Lior Atiyas: Saul Bienenfeld, Esq.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Former Benefit Plan Administrator Admits Tax Evasion And Kickback Scheme

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

NEWARK, N.J. – A former benefit plan administrator today admitted engaging in multiple years of tax evasion and a kickback scheme related to his role as administrator of two union related employee benefit plans, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Jose Santa Maria, aka “Joe”, 64, North Haledon, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to a six-count information charging him with five counts of tax evasion and one count of paying kickbacks related to an employee benefit plan.

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

Santa Maria was the plan administrator for a health fund and a training fund, both related to a labor union. At the same time, he was also employed by an attorney, who was serving as counsel for the two union funds. From at least 2013 through 2019, Santa Maria misappropriated in excess of $750,000 in benefit plan funds and then failed to report any of it to the IRS or pay the associated income taxes. Santa Maria also paid at least $50,000 to the attorney to influence that attorney’s actions with the executive board for the benefit plans.

The five counts of tax evasion each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. The count of paying kickbacks related to an employee benefit plan, carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited investigators of the Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), under the direction of Regional Director of the New York Regional Office Thomas Licetti; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; and special agents of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, under the direction of John Gay, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O’Malley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel Steven D. Altman Esq., New Brunswick, New Jersey

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Ohio Man Sentenced for Traveling to KC to Meet Child Victim for Sex

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Ohio man was sentenced in federal court today for traveling to Missouri in an attempt to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a 12-year-old child.

Timothy M. Zukoski, 35, of Southington, Ohio, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Zukoski to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration and ordered him to pay $5,000 in restitution to each of four victims of child [censored]ography.

On Feb. 18, 2022, Zukoski pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Zukoski admitted that he began communicating through Instagram on Oct. 21, 2020, with a person he believed to be 12 years old. In reality, the Instagram account had been set up by a woman for her daughter. Once the woman learned of Zukoski’s attempted communication with her daughter, she contacted the FBI. An FBI undercover employee then began communicating with Zukoski through the Instagram account, assuming the identity of the 12-year-old girl. Zukoski began making arrangements to travel to the Kansas City area so that he could meet the child victim for sex.

Zukoski made plans with the FBI undercover employee to stay in Kansas City while the child victim’s mother was purportedly out of town over Thanksgiving weekend. Zukoski also suggested that the child victim could come live with him. When Zukoski arrived in Kansas City on Nov. 27, 2020, he was arrested. Investigators found numerous images of child [censored]ography on his cell phone.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

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

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Middlesex County Man Admits Embezzling $2.37 Million From His Employer While The Controller Of Company

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

TRENTON, N.J.– A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a scheme to embezzle $2.37 million from his employer while his was the company’s controller, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Gerard Beauzile, 60, South Plainfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court, an indictment charging him with one count of wire fraud.

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

From 2014 through December 2020, Beauzile abused his position as controller of a New York-based company to embezzle funds by issuing fraudulent company checks to himself and then depositing those checks into his bank account for his own personal benefit. Beauzile issued approximately 140 company checks to himself with a total value of $2.37 million. Beauzile concealed the theft from the company by falsely entering the fraudulent checks into the company’s accounting system under various company vendor names as the payees, causing the accounting system to falsely reflect that the checks were made payable to company vendors instead of to Beauzile. He also falsified vendor invoices to correspond to the entries made in the accounting system, and company bank statements by removing and altering opening, running, and closing balances, check payment entries, summary check listings, and inter-account transfers.

The mail fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov.15, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jesse Levine in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.

Defense counsel: Laura Sayler Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Out-of-State thief gets 30 years for robbing local bank

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

HOUSTON – A 36-year-old bank robber who last resided in the Wilmington, Delaware, area has been ordered to federal prison for robbing an IBC Bank in Houston, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

A federal jury convicted Sye Newton Nov. 19, 2021, on all counts as charged following a two-day-trial and several hours of deliberation.

Today, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake sentenced him to 276 months for bank robbery as well as 84 months for using a firearm during commission of a crime of violence. The sentences will be served consecutively for a total of 360 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing how Newton committed other felony offenses in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

At trial, the jury heard that on March 25, 2019, Newton wore a face covering, glasses and a hijab. He then entered the IBC Bank on Kirkwood Drive in Houston. Once inside, he threatened bank employees with a firearm and ordered them to the ground while he took over the bank lobby and stole a large amount of U.S. currency.

As he fled, a customer chased after him and was able to obtain the license plate number, ultimately leading to Newton’s arrest.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Peneguy and Erin Epley prosecuted the case.

This is an example of coordination between law enforcement who are part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies. The goal is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts and enhancing training, public awareness and education. It stems from the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

U.S. Attorney, Vermont Attorney General, and Rutland Area NAACP to Co-Host Hate-Free Vermont Forum

by DOJ Press July 14, 2022

By: DOJ Press

The United States Attorney’s Office, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, and the Rutland Area NAACP will be co-hosting a Hate-Free Vermont Forum in Rutland on July 21 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

“The Forum aims to bring policymakers, stakeholders, and community members together for productive and difficult conversations that will work to reduce animus, discord, and misunderstandings,” said Co-facilitator Etan Nasreddin-Longo. “When we began this series of fora back in 2019, its intent was to take the pulse of Vermonters’ experiences of discrimination. Much has happened since that time, and our hope is to engage and to listen to our historically-disadvantaged communities about what they view as the continuing and new problems in 2022.”

Community members are encouraged to join us for a conversation on understanding and addressing bias, discrimination, and hate crimes in Vermont.

When: Thursday, July 21, 2022, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Where: The Forum will be hosted in-person and remotely.

Physical location: Leahy Community Health Education Center, 160 Allen St, Rutland VT
Remote registration link: https://bit.ly/HateFreeVTRutland

Who: All are welcome. Community members have expressed that some participants may not wish to be recorded during the event, and that participants who are willing to speak with members of the media will designate themselves. Media is asked to join 30 minutes ahead of the start time.

For physical attendance, masks are required. Registration is required for remote attendance.

July 14, 2022 0 comments

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