Police Blotter - Shore News Network

St. Paul Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Threats Against U.S. Representative

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release for threatening a U.S. Representative, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on January 11, 2021, Jason Robert Burham Karimi, 32, left a voicemail on the office telephone of a U.S. Representative located in California. The voicemail contained graphic threats of violence directed at the U.S. Representative. The U.S. Capitol Police reviewed the voicemail and traced the telephone number to Karimi. On January 12, 2021, agents arranged to meet with Karimi

Judge sentences St. Louis man to more than 10 years in federal prison for bank fraud in conjunction with the Payment Protection Program (PPP)

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

ST. LOUIS – Robert Williams, age 58, of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp on today’s date. Based on a previous plea of guilty, Williams was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison for numerous counts of bank fraud related to Payment Protection Program (“PPP”) loans. The United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”) is an executive-branch agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law that was enacted in or around March 2020 to provide

Redding Woman Agrees to Plead Guilty to Lying to Federal Agents Regarding Kidnapping and Defrauding the Victim

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Redding woman has signed a plea agreement admitting that she planned and participated in her own hoax kidnapping and agreeing to plead guilty to making materially false statements to FBI agents about the circumstances of her disappearance and committing mail fraud based on her being a kidnapping victim, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today. Sherri Papini, 39, of Redding, was charged in a criminal information filed today in the U.S. District Court with thirty-four counts of mail fraud and one count of making false statements. In a plea agreement, also filed today, Papini agreed to plead

Two Santa Clara County Executives Charged With “Specialty Occupation” Visa Fraud

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

SAN JOSE – Elangovan Punniakoti and Mary Christeena appeared in federal court today to face an indictment charging them with visa fraud and conspiracy to commit visa fraud, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), San Francisco Field Office, Special Agent in Charge William Chang, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. According to the indictment, Innovate Solutions, Inc. in Santa Clara County was incorporated in 2008 as an information technology services company. Punniakoti, 52, a resident of Cupertino, acted as CEO of Innovate Solutions. Christeena, 47, also a

Louisiana Man Sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment for Dog Fighting Ventures

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

WASHINGTON – A Louisiana man was sentenced today to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1000 fine for possession of an animal in an animal fighting venture. Clay Turner, 61, of Loranger, pleaded guilty to possession of an animal for use in an animal fighting venture on June 30, 2021. According to court documents, Turner possessed and trained dogs for the purpose of having them participate in animal fighting ventures. On telephone calls obtained via court-authorized wiretaps, Turner and others discussed gambling on dog fights, arranging and participating in dog fights, sponsoring and exhibiting dogs in

DC Solar CFO Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Billion Dollar Ponzi Scheme

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Robert A. Karmann, 55, of Clayton, was sentenced today to six years in prison and ordered to pay $624 million in restitution for participating in a billion-dollar Ponzi scheme involving DC Solar, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Karmann was a certified public accountant (CPA) that DC Solar hired first as its Controller in 2014, and later as its Chief Financial Officer. DC Solar manufactured mobile solar generator units (MSG), which were solar generators that were mounted on trailers. The MSGs were sold to investors who were given generous federal tax credits, and

Stockton Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison for Unlawful Gun Possession

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Anthony West, 46, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to four years and nine months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on July 25, 2018, law enforcement officers obtained a warrant to search West’s residence. During that search, officers found a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol in West’s bedroom closet. Prior to the search, West had been convicted of six felony drug offenses. This case was the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police

Hattiesburg Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Hobbs Act Robbery

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

Gulfport, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for using actual force or violence to steal a firearm from Academy Sports + Outdoors, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. According to information presented to the Court, on November 6, 2021, Cody Jerome Cooley, 23, visited Academy Sports + Outdoors in Gulfport. Cooley approached the gun counter and asked to see one of the handguns, a Springfield Armory XDM Elite. The clerk gave Cooley the firearm to examine. Cooley later motioned towards

Three Defendants Sentenced on Drug and Firearms Charges

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that three defendants have been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Lafayette, Louisiana, on drug and firearms charges. Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced two of the defendants as follows: Desmond Francois, 32, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On May 11, 2017, officers with the Lafayette Police Department initiated a bus interdiction at the Greyhound Bus Station located in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana. Law enforcement officers boarded the

Tempe Man Sentenced to 48 Months for Importation of Fentanyl into the U.S.

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

TUCSON, Ariz. – Charles King Jr., 49, of Tempe, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 48 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. King Jr. previously pleaded guilty to importing fentanyl into the United States from Mexico. On February 20, 2020, King Jr. entered the United States from Mexico through the DeConcini Nogales, Arizona port of entry. A Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to the vehicle that King Jr. was riding in, and officers discovered nearly 11 pounds of fentanyl carefully hidden in the drive shaft of the vehicle. Customs

District Man Sentenced to Prison Term for Carjacking of Uber Driver in Northeast Washington

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

WASHINGTON – Jahlil Perry, 19, of District Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for carrying out a carjacking last August of an Uber driver in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Perry pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jason Park.

Caviar Fisherman Sentenced to 12 Months in Federal Prison for Lacey Act Violations

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

PADUCAH, KY – Daniel Allen, 44, of Brookport, IL, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in federal prison followed by two years of post-release supervision for violating the Lacey Act. In pleading guilty, Allen admitted that between November 6, 2018, and April 20, 2019, he illegally caught shovelnose sturgeon along the Kentucky/Illinois boarder and sold the fish roe to a caviar distributor in Tennessee. Allen caught sturgeon out of season and using illegally sized mesh nets along the Ohio River. He also caught sturgeon near the Smithland Lock and Dam in an area closed to commercial fishing.

Leader Of Cellphone Fraud And Identity Theft Scheme Sentenced To More Than Seven Years In Prison

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that HENRY PEREZ was sentenced today to more than seven years in prison for leading a multi-year cellphone account takeover fraud and identity theft conspiracy. PEREZ impersonated legitimate cellphone accountholders in order to fraudulently obtain smartphones and electronic devices that he charged to compromised accounts. The fraud scheme also caused more than 300 victims across the United States to lose cellphone service for a period of time; during the time that PEREZ controlled victims’ phone numbers, “inbound” text messages intended for victims were instead received by

Two Men Plead Guilty to Brandishing Firearm

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty yesterday and a Henrico man pleaded guilty last week to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in cases where each brandished their firearms in a residential area. According to court documents, on July 23, 2021, police officers observed on social media Anthony Cornelius Brown Jr., 24, of Richmond, Dequane McCullers, 24, of Henrico, and several other individuals brandishing firearms in the Belt Atlantic apartment complex in South Richmond. When the officers responded to the area, they again observed Brown, McCullers and two others still in the area. As the officers

Maryland man sentenced for firearms charge

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Alexander Michael Ryan Myers, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced today to 10 months of incarceration for his role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced. Myers, 23, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy.” Myers admitted to working with others to purchase, possess, and transfer firearms to persons who couldn’t legally purchase or possess firearms. The crimes took place in March and April 2021 in Berkeley County and elsewhere. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and

Final Five Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Multi-State Drug Ring

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Five individuals pleaded guilty this week to roles in a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Huntington that distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” The five are the last of 18 individuals indicted to enter guilty pleas in the case, the result of a long-term investigation in which law enforcement seized more than 47 pounds of fentanyl, 4.5 pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of heroin, 14 firearms and $335,000. According to court documents and statements made in court, Marvin Jerome Calvin, 40, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to the distribution

Sioux City, Iowa Man to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

A man who illegally possessed two firearms was sentenced April 8, 2022, to more than two years in federal prison. Criston Nunez-Morris, 21, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 22, 2021, guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed Nunez-Morris was an unlawful user of marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy when he knowingly possessed two guns, along with ammunition. The guns were stolen. Nunez-Morris also admitted that he possessed the guns in connection with his felonious drug trafficking. At the time of Nunez-Morris’ arrest,

Spencer, Iowa Man to Federal Prison for Possession of Stolen Mail

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

A man who possessed stolen mail was sentenced on April 5, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City. Tony Steece, 37, from Spencer, Iowa, pled guilty to three counts of possession of stolen mail on November 2, 2021. At the plea hearing, Steece admitted that on November 26, 2020, he was in possession of three pieces of mail not addressed to him. Evidence further showed that on the morning of November 26, 2020, the Spencer Police Department responded to a citizen’s complaint that someone was stealing mail from a mailbox. Steece was caught with his hand in a mailbox and

Greenbush Man Sentenced for Possessing Unregistered Short-Barreled Shotgun

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

BANGOR, Maine: A Greenbush man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Lawrence Shirland, 52, to time served and two years of supervised release. Shirland pleaded guilty on September 15, 2021. According to court records, on November 10, 2019, Shirland was involved in an altercation at his home in Greenbush during which he fired a warning shot from a sawed-off shotgun. The shot hit a truck windshield. When police arrived, Shirland admitted that he had fired the shotgun and provided it to officers. He

Drug User in Illegal Possession of a Firearm Sentenced to Federal Prison

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

An unlawful drug user who possessed a firearm was sentenced on April 7, 2022, to more than two years in federal prison. Esai Lopez, 23, from South Sioux City, Nebraska, received the prison term after an October 7, 2021, guilty plea to being a drug user in possession of a firearm. Evidence at Lopez’s plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on June 3, 2020, defendant illegally possessed a handgun and was disarmed by police. Then, on June 23, 2020, Lopez and three other men were involved in a shooting. The men drove to the home of an intended victim, but

Helotes Husband and Wife Arrested for Export Control Violations and Alleged Fraud Scheme

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

SAN ANTONIO – A Helotes man and woman were arrested today in Helotes on criminal charges related to the husband’s involvement in alleged export violations and both of their alleged involvement in a scheme to defraud a research and development company (R&D Company) that provided services to industrial and government clients in the United States and abroad. Xiaojian Tao, 63, is charged with one count of illegal export of defense articles; one count of unlawful export of commerce-controlled goods; and one count of making a false statement with regards to the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA). Tao allegedly exported items

Two Illinois Men Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Bombing of Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Michael McWhorter, 33, and Joe Morris, 26, both of Clarence, Illinois, were sentenced today to 190 months and 170 months in prison, respectively, for firearms violations, arson, use of a destructive device, and federal civil rights violations in connection with the 2017 bombing of Dar al-Farooq (DAF) Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. “Hate-fueled acts of violence like the bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center violate our laws and run contrary to our values as a nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This heinous bombing instilled fear in

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

A Texas man and woman were arrested today in Helotes on criminal charges related to the husband’s involvement in alleged export violations and both of their alleged involvement in a scheme to defraud a research and development company (R&D Company) that provided services to industrial and government clients in the United States and abroad. Xiaojian Tao, 63, is charged with one count of illegal export of defense articles; one count of unlawful export of commerce-controlled goods; and one count of making a false statement with regards to the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA). Tao allegedly exported items to China without

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

Two Illinois men were today sentenced to 190 months and 170 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the 2017 bombing of Dar al-Farooq (DAF) Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. On Jan. 24, 2019, Michael McWhorter, 33, and Joe Morris, 26, both of Clarence, Illinois, pleaded guilty in the District of Minnesota to federal charges that originated in both the District of Minnesota and the Central District of Illinois. The charges included intentionally obstructing, and attempting to obstruct, by force and the threat of force, the free exercise of religious beliefs; carrying and using a destructive device during and

Des Moines Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Firearm Offense

DOJ PressApril 12, 20220

DES MOINES, Iowa – Eric Romun Hill, age 46, of Des Moines, was sentenced today in federal court to 10 years in prison for possession of a firearm as a felon. He was ordered to serve a term of supervised release, to follow his prison term, of three years; pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund; and forfeit any interest in the firearms he possessed. According to court documents, Hill unlawfully possessed a .45 caliber pistol and a stolen 12-gauge shotgun on August 30, 2020. The sentence imposed by United States District Court Senior Judge James E.