Months, - Shore News Network

Former Phone Company Employee Sentenced to Three Months Probation for Role in Sim Swap Scam Conspiracy That Targeted At Least 19 Customers, Including New Orleans Resident

DOJ PressOctober 20, 20210

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane Evans announced that STEPHEN DANIEL DEFIORE age 36, a resident of Brandon, Florida, was sentenced on October 19, 2021 to three (3) months probation, with one year of home confinement by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Bill of Information charging with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343, for his role in a SIM Swap scam that targeted at least nineteen people, including a New Orleans-area physician. DEFIORE was also sentenced to 100 hours of

Jackson Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking

DOJ PressOctober 20, 20210

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi. According to court records, in December 2019, Johnathan Ledbetter, 34, and a co-defendant, negotiated multiple sales of cocaine in Jackson. The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Hailstorm”, targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Jackson area. This Operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles

Danville Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

DOJ PressOctober 20, 20210

Urbana, Ill. – A Danville, Ill., man, Demaje Robinson-Potts, 23, has been sentenced to 108 months in prison for distributing crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl together with his brother and codefendant, D’Vaughnte Robinson, on September 16, 2020. Robinson was previously sentenced to the same prison term for his role in the brothers’ scheme. At Robinson-Potts’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mihm emphasized the seriousness of Robinson-Potts’s crime, noting that fentanyl is a “curse” on the community and that methamphetamine poses significant danger to its users and the public. Judge Mihm also found Robinson-Potts responsible for a firearm that investigators

York Man Sentenced To 15 Months’ Imprisonment For Stealing $105,875 Worth Of Postage Stamps

DOJ PressOctober 20, 20210

HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Elieze Guilamo, age 20, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 15 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for conspiring to steal government property. According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Guilamo previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with other individuals to purchase $105,875 worth of postage stamps from post offices in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Guilamo admitted that to purchase the stamps, he used personal checks, knowing that the funds in his bank account were insufficient to

Former Executive Sentenced to 75 Months in Prison for Embezzling more than $48 Million

DOJ PressOctober 18, 20210

NEWARK, N.J. – A former executive at a New Jersey publication company was sentenced today to 75 months in prison for embezzling tens of millions of dollars for his own benefit, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. Nestor Charriez, 60, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with one count of devising and carrying out a scheme to commit wire fraud. Judge Kevin McNulty imposed the sentence in Newark federal court. According to the charging document and statements made in court: Charriez was a longtime senior

Georgia Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor

DOJ PressOctober 18, 20210

ASHLAND, Ky. — A Columbus, Ga., man, Eric Duane Elmore, 48, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning, after pleading guilty to attempted online enticement. According to Elmore’s guilty plea agreement, he admitted to corresponding with a 15-year-old victim, beginning in late 2018. When the conversations became sexual in nature, the victim told a school counselor about the messages, who then contacted law enforcement. Law enforcement then gained authorized control of the online account and continued the conversations with Elmore, which ultimately led to Elmore discussing travel to Kentucky to

DeSoto County Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal Prison

DOJ PressOctober 18, 20210

Miami, Florida – Today, United States District Judge Aileen M. Cannon sentenced 51-year-old Donald Reid to seven and one-half years in prison for dealing methamphetamine. Reid distributed methamphetamine on four separate occasions in 2019. On July 3, 2019, Reid sold 26.4 grams of methamphetamine in Lake Placid, Highlands County, Florida. On August 9, 2019, Reid sold 55.7 grams of methamphetamine in Arcadia, DeSoto County, Florida. On August 16, 2019, Reid sold 55.8 grams of methamphetamine in Arcadia. And, on September 9, 2019, Reid sold 110.14 grams of methamphetamine in Arcadia. On October 22, 2019, a Highlands County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped

Former Controller Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison For Defrauding George Town Club

DOJ PressOctober 16, 20210

WASHINGTON – Isabelle Garcia, 56, former controller for the George Town Club, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison on a federal charge of wire fraud stemming from a scheme in which she defrauded the establishment of more than $300,000. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division. Garcia pleaded guilty in July 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the

Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking

DOJ PressOctober 16, 20210

CONCORD – Howard Poole, 43, of Pittsburg, was sentenced on Thursday to 42 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 16, 2020, law enforcement officers received information that Poole was distributing drugs and was the subject of multiple arrest warrants. Based on the information, investigators set up surveillance and observed Poole leaving a Manchester motel in a car driven by his wife. The vehicle pulled into

New Orleans Man Who Sold Fake Louisiana Drivers’ Licenses Sentenced To 42 Months for Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Violations

DOJ PressOctober 15, 20210

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RYAN CLARK, age 35, of New Orleans, LA, was sentenced on October 13, 2021 to 42 months of incarceration by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk for having committed conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft (count 1) and aggravated identity theft (count 3). According to court documents, the defendant was arrested after an investigation initiated by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service. CLARK and others created and sold fake Louisiana drivers’ licenses with the names and dates of birth of real

Former Cleveland VA Medical Center Supervisor Sentenced to 37 Months and Ordered to Pay More Than $1.25 Million in Restitution for Theft and Kickback Scheme

DOJ PressOctober 14, 20210

Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that William H. Precht, 54, of Kent, Ohio, was sentenced today by Judge Donald C. Nugent to 37 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $1,259,390.66 in restitution after Precht pleaded guilty to theft of government property and participating in a bribery and kickback scheme that enriched himself and caused the Cleveland VA Medical Center to suffer a loss of nearly $200,000. Precht pleaded guilty in March of 2021 to a 28-count indictment charging him with theft of government property, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud, wire fraud and false statements

Peruvian Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Smuggling Seven Kilos of Cocaine into United States through Newark Airport

DOJ PressOctober 13, 20210

NEWARK, N.J. – A Peruvian woman was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for smuggling approximately seven kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Peru, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. Yolanda Fonseca Melgarejo, 60, a legal permanent resident of the United States and a citizen of Peru, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging her with one count of importation of controlled substances. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Fonseca Melgarejo arrived at

Former Medical Office Manager Sentenced to 27 Months for Embezzling Money From Practice

DOJ PressOctober 13, 20210

Sean P. Costello, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Chief Judge Jeffery Beaverstock has sentenced defendant Betty Fables Harrison to 27 months in prison and ordered her to pay $549,000.00 in restitution. In April 2021, Harrison pleaded guilty to an Information charging her with wire fraud. As part of her plea agreement with the United States, Harrison admitted that she worked as a business manager and administrator for two related medical practices in Mobile County — Bay Area Community Medicine and Independent Practice Management — from 2005 through October 2017. In this capacity, Harrison

Edjay Jaime Sablan Sentenced to 97 Months Imprisonment

DOJ PressOctober 13, 20210

Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Edjay Jaime Sablan, age 24, from Saipan, was sentenced in the United States District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands to 97 months imprisonment for Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release following imprisonment, 40 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee. Sablan will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years following his release from prison.

Tallahassee Man Sentenced To Forty-Four Months In Federal Prison For Communicating Threats of Violence

DOJ PressOctober 13, 20210

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Daniel Alan Baker, 34, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced to forty-four months in federal prison for two counts of transmitting a communication in interstate commerce containing a threat to kidnap or injure another person. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Baker’s sentence was the result of a federal jury returning a guilty verdict on May 6, 2021, finding Baker guilty of two counts of transmitting a communication in interstate commerce containing a threat to kidnap or injure another person. Baker was arrested by agents of

Brooklyn Felon Sentenced to 48 Months’ Imprisonment for Possessing Arsenal of Weapons Including “Ghost Guns”

DOJ PressOctober 12, 20210

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Gary Brown was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric R. Komitee, to 48 months’ imprisonment for being a convicted felon in possession of numerous firearms and ammunition. Brown pleaded guilty to the charge in April 2021. Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division (ATF), announced the sentence. “As a result of the outstanding investigation conducted by agents of the ATF, the defendant has been brought to justice

Former Internal Revenue Service Agent Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Identity Theft and Making False Statements During Security Background Investigation

DOJ PressOctober 12, 20210

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Bryan Cho, a former Special Agent with the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), was sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 30 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to create false identification documents and passports using the stolen identity of the former subject of an IRS-CI investigation. Additionally, the defendant forfeited $394,374.63 as part of the plea agreement. Cho pleaded guilty to the charges in June 2021. Cho’s employment was terminated since his arrest. Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney

Fayette County Man Sentenced to 262 Months for Armed Cocaine Trafficking

DOJ PressOctober 12, 20210

LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Lexington, Ky., man, Jymie S. Salahuddin, 53, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph Hood, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to Salahuddin’s plea agreement, on September 19, 2020, while serving a parole violation warrant, law enforcement stopped Salahuddin’s vehicle and found him in possession of 79.42 grams of cocaine and a large amount of currency. A search of his vehicle also revealed a .40 pistol and a .380 pistol, along with additional currency.

Former CEO of Braskem Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Foreign Bribery and Securities Law Violations

DOJ PressOctober 12, 20210

BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Jose Carlos Grubisich, a Brazilian national and the former Chief Executive Officer of Braskem S.A. (Braskem), a publicly traded Brazilian petrochemical company, was sentenced by United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie to 20 months in prison for conspiring to divert hundreds of millions of dollars from Braskem into a secret slush fund and to pay bribes to government officials, political parties and others in Brazil to obtain and retain business. In addition, the Court imposed a $1 million fine and Grubisich was ordered to pay $2.2 million in forfeiture.

Former Bookkeeper Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Fraud

DOJ PressOctober 12, 20210

BENTON, Ill. – Paula R. Hise, 55, of Shawneetown, Illinois, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court in Benton to 63 months in prison for defrauding her former employer of over $1,500,000.00, announced Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Hise had previously pled guilty on April 19, 2021 to an Indictment charging her with two counts of wire fraud. Information introduced in support of the guilty plea and sentence showed that between 2007 and 2017, Hise used her trusted position as a bookkeeper for her employer to steal funds from her employer

Man from Albuquerque sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for homemade bomb

DOJ PressOctober 9, 20210

ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Ryan Cook, 45, of Albuquerque, was sentenced in federal court on Sep. 28 to one year and six months in prison for possession of an unregistered firearm. Cook pleaded guilty on Oct. 28, 2020. According to his plea agreement and other court records, on June 24, 2020, law enforcement received a call from Cook’s roommate about an explosive device in Cook’s possession at their shared residence in Los Lunas, New Mexico. After a standoff with the local SWAT team, Cook surrendered and was arrested. Law enforcement located and secured the destructive device. Upon his release from prison,

California Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Scheming to Defraud Afghan Government on U.S.-Funded Contract

DOJ PressOctober 9, 20210

LOS ANGELES – A former Orange County resident has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the government of Afghanistan out of more than $110 million in funds provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to construct an electrical grid in Afghanistan. Saed Ismail Amiri, 38, who now lives in the Northern California community of Granite Bay, but who resided in Irvine at the time of the offense, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. after pleading guilty in April to one count

Man Who Shot Firearm Inside West Palm Beach VA Medical Center Committed to 198 Months in Custody

DOJ PressOctober 9, 20210

Miami, Florida – Today, federal district judge Kenneth A. Marra sentenced Larry Ray Bon, 62, a former West Palm Beach resident who shot a firearm inside the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach to a federal prison term of 198 months. According to court records, Bon brought the firearm and ammunition to the emergency room of the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach. When he became frustrated with medical staff, Bon retrieved the firearm from his wheelchair and fired several shots. He placed VA Medical Center employees in fear for their lives, including two employees

Monmouth County Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Possessing with Intent to Distribute more than 40 Grams of Fentanyl

DOJ PressOctober 9, 20210

TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. Derrick Norwood, 58, of Neptune, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. Judge Thompson imposed the sentence today by videoconference. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On July 18, 2019,

Essex County Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Steal Mail and Commit Bank Fraud

DOJ PressOctober 7, 20210

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to steal check books and credit cards from the postal system, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. Tashon Ragan, aka “Ta,” 21, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence by videoconference. Three of Ragan’s conspirators, Jeffrey Bennett, 27, of Irvington, New Jersey, and Jahaad Flip, 22, and Janel Blackman, 42,