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Three Men Indicted In Jamestown Cocaine Ring

March 11, 2020, 2:05 pm
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BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Kori Robinson, 22, Islandah Mitchell, 20, both of Jamestown, NY, and Bruce Page, 25, of Buffalo, NY, with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah E. Lenihan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, on March 2, 2020, after receiving information that defendants Robinson and Mitchell were traveling to Jamestown with cocaine and crack cocaine in their vehicle, Jamestown Police officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle. As an officer approached the vehicle, the vehicle began to drive away. The officer got back into his marked patrol vehicle and initiated another vehicular traffic stop.

An officer observed the front seat passenger, identified as defendant Robinson, moving around and reaching under the front seat, and he appeared to place something in the back seat. The officer gave verbal commands for Robinson to keep his hands up and not to move around. However, Robinson continued to reach and move around.

The Officers called out for each person to exit the vehicle one at a time. Defendant Mitchell was driving, Robinson was the front seat passenger, and defendant Page was in the back seat.

The Officers detected the scent of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. They then conducted a search of the vehicle, and in the floor area of the back seat, discovered a brown purse. Sticking out from the purse, officers observed narcotics packaging baggies. Inside the purse, officers recovered a clear plastic baggie that contained two separate clear baggies containing suspected crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Officers also recovered a quantity of suspected marijuana; empty packaging materials; a metal spoon with suspected drug residue; and several cellular phones.

On January 27, 2020, the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force and the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Mitchell’s Lafayette Street Apartment in Jamestown. Investigators recovered quantities of suspected cocaine and crack cocaine; $2,000 in cash; two digital scales; credit cards; an iPhone; and a box of ammunition.

The defendants were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. Defendant Page is being detained. Defendants Mitchell and Robinson were released on conditions.

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Snellings, the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, under the direction of Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Ronald Lott, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Warm Springs Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse of Minor, Additional Victims Sought

March 12, 2020, 2:41 pm
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PORTLAND, Ore.—A Warm Springs man has been charged with sexually abusing a minor victim nearly three decades ago on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.

According to an indictment unsealed today, between January 1993 and January 1998, Austin Smith Sr., 69, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, is alleged to have knowingly engaged in abusive sexual contact with a minor under 12 years old.

Smith is charged with two counts each of abusive sexual contact and sexual abuse and three counts of aggravated sexual abuse. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Smith was arrested on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and made an initial appearance today in federal court. He was detained pending a six-day jury trial scheduled to begin on May 12, 2020 before U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Jones.

This case was investigated by FBI Portland’s Safe Trails Task Force and the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Investigators are seeking the public’s help to identify additional potential victims who may have had contact with Smith. If you have any reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim or have additional information about other potential crimes involving this defendant, please contact the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The Safe Trails Task Force (STTF) unites FBI with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in a collaborative effort to combat the growth of crime in Indian Country. STTF allows participating agencies to combine limited resources and increase investigative coordination in Indian Country to target violent crime, drugs, gangs, and gaming violations.
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Pimp Who Recorded Sex with Child Victim Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison

March 12, 2020, 2:54 pm
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier today, JAYLYN MARQUICE BELL, 24, of Oklahoma City, was ordered to serve 18 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child, announced Timothy J. Downing, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

According to court records, on October 9, 2018, officers from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Human Trafficking Unit (OBNDD HTU) and the Oklahoma City Police Department Vice Unit (OCPD Vice) conducted an undercover operation to recover a suspected child being advertised for commercial sex on the internet.  The undercover officer responded to the advertisement and arranged to meet the female at a local hotel.  When the undercover officer arrived, he met a young female, provided her with $185, and she agreed to have commercial sex.  Officers then recovered the female, who was under 18, and a young male who was hiding in the bathroom of the hotel room.  Officers later recovered two additional juvenile females on the property.  Further investigation showed that Jaylyn Bell had rented the hotel room and trafficked the three young girls, along with other young girls, from that hotel.

Law enforcement identified multiple underage girls Bell had been trafficking at local hotels.  Some of those underage victims were runaways and undocumented immigrants.  Bell had reserved and paid for the hotel rooms, given directions to the girls on what to do, took photographs of the girls for advertisements, posted advertisements from his phone number and email address, provided condoms, and took the proceeds of his victims’ commercial sex transactions.  In the course of trafficking the girls, Bell recorded a video of himself having sex with one of his victims.

A federal grand jury indicted Bell on January 15, 2019, for sexual exploitation of a child.  He pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child on June 11, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin.  At the sentencing hearing today, the Court noted it had considered the victim of exploitation in the Indictment was under the age of 18, that Mr. Bell also sex trafficked her and at least, four other children and that he provided drugs, rented hotel rooms, provided condoms, and had a firearm.  Further, the Court noted it had considered that Mr. Bell attempted to have someone commit perjury and had advised someone else he would flee if he was released pretrial, seeking their assistance if that occurred.  The Court also considered Mr. Bell’s relative youth and his capacity for change, ultimately ordering Mr. Bell serve 216 months (i.e. 18 years) in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.  Mr. Bell’s restitution will be determined by the Court at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation by United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, the OCPD Vice Unit, and the OBNDD HTU.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys McKenzie Anderson and Jacquelyn M. Hutzell prosecuted the case.
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Pikeville Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Hydrocodone

March 12, 2020, 3:02 pm
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PIKEVILLE, Ky. - A Pikeville, Kentucky man, Jimmy Lee Moore, 69, pleaded guilty on Monday, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward B. Atkins, to distributing hydrocodone.   

Moore admitted that between 2016 and 2018, he provided hydrocodone and gabapentin to others, in Pikeville, including at least one minor.  Moore also admitted that he stored and distributed the controlled substances on his property.

Moore was indicted in January 2020.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Christopher Edmonds, Pikeville Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Pikeville Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hydee Hawkins.

Moore will be sentenced on a date yet to be determined by the Court. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.
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Point Pleasant Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Selling Crystal Methamphetamine And Pills Containing Heroin And Fentanyl

March 12, 2020, 3:06 pm
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CAMDEN, N.J. – A Point Pleasant, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for distributing approximately 300 grams of crystal methamphetamine and thousands of pills containing heroin or fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Carl Chianese, 80, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He also admitted a violation of his supervised release by committing the drug trafficking offense while on court supervision for two earlier federal drug trafficking cases that involved the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.

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

Chianese, along with conspirator Joseph Servidio, distributed pills that contained heroin or fentanyl. Chianese and Servidio were also involved in the distribution of multiple ounce quantities of crystal methamphetamine. They sold the pills and crystal methamphetamine on multiple occasions to an FBI undercover agent in exchange for cash payments. According to law enforcement sources, Servidio is a member of La Cosa Nostra. These drug transactions included the sale of 300 pills containing heroin, which were sold to the FBI agent at a Garden State Parkway rest stop on Dec. 23, 2016. In total, Chianese was responsible for the distribution of over 200 grams of fentanyl and heroin, and approximately 300 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

Chianese was arrested by FBI agents at his residence on March 14, 2018. During a search of his residence by the agents, the agents recovered a .38 caliber revolver, a magazine for a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and over $25,000 in cash. Chianese agreed to the forfeiture of the firearm and cash, which was ordered by the court as part of the sentence imposed.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Chianese to three years of supervised release.

Servidio pleaded guilty June 17, 2019, to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Kugler on March 26, 2020.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Labor and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Camden Office.

Defense counsel: Mark Catanzaro Esq., Mount Holly, New Jersey
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Holbrook Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Heroin and Cocaine Base Distribution

March 12, 2020, 3:11 pm
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BOSTON – A Holbrook resident was sentenced yesterday for distribution of heroin and cocaine base. 

Allah Mallory a/k/a “Parod,” 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 18.5 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Judge Zobel ordered that the sentence run concurrently with a state prison sentence of 16 to 18 years, imposed in September 2019 in Plymouth Superior Court, for gun and drug charges.

In November 2019, a federal jury found that on July 9, 2018, Mallory distributed heroin and cocaine base to a cooperating witness in Brockton.

The case was part of Operation Landshark, a federal investigation that targeted impact players and repeat offenders in Brockton and Boston, each who have prior convictions for acts of violence, firearm offenses and/or drug trafficking.  It is alleged that many of the Operation Landshark targets are in the top 30 criminal offenders responsible for violent acts and firearms in Brockton.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins; Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross; and Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes, made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force and Southeastern Massachusetts Gang Task Force.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Plymouth and Essex County Sheriff’s Offices; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; U.S. Parole Commission; U.S. Postal Inspection Services; and the U.S. Secret Service.

Operation Landshark was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

March 12, 2020, 3:15 pm
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          CONCORD - Kenneth Rawson, 34, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to committing a bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today. 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 27, 2018, Rawson entered the Citizens Bank on Elm Street in Manchester, New Hampshire and demanded money from the teller.  Rawson claimed that he had a bomb on him at the time.  Rawson was apprehended later that day and admitted that he had robbed the bank.

          Rawson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2020.

          “Bank robberies are violent crimes that put bank employees, customers, and members of the public at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “In order to protect the public from violent crime, we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who commit bank robberies in the Granite State.  I am grateful to the Manchester Police and the FBI for their efforts to ensure that this defendant was brought to justice.”

          "Kenneth Rawson has twice now accepted responsibility for his actions – first, by telling officers, ‘I robbed a bank,’ as they pursued him from the scene of the crime, and again today before a federal judge. But words alone aren’t sufficient to remedy his claim to a defenseless teller that he was strapped to a bomb at the time of the holdup,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “In addition to bank robbery, Rawson is responsible for creating an environment of fear in a place of business, where bystanders could have been hurt, or worse. For that, it’s the court’s punishment that needs to speak loud and clear.”

          This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manchester Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski.

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Montgomery County Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing and Transporting Child Pornography

March 13, 2020, 1:34 pm
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ALBANY, NEW YORK – John D. Salisbury, age 49, of Hagaman, New York, was sentenced today to 360 months in prison for producing and transporting child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Susan Ferensic, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Keith M. Corlett, Superintendent of the New York State Police (NYSP).

Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue also sentenced Salisbury to a lifetime term of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment.  Salisbury will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison

Salisbury pled guilty on June 21, 2019, to four counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of transportation of child pornography.

In connection with his guilty plea, Salisbury admitted that on four occasions between October 2016 and February 2017, he used a hidden camera inside the bathroom of his residence to produce sexually explicit videos depicting a minor.  Salisbury also admitted that he knowingly uploaded photos and videos depicting child pornography from a smartphone to an Internet-based email account.

In addition, the investigation determined that in November 2017, Salisbury exchanged text messages with an undercover investigator, in which he repeatedly expressed sexual interest in a child under his care whom he previously sexually exploited, and sent the investigator two photos of the child, including a screenshot from one of the videos filmed in the bathroom of his residence.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, with assistance from the Colonie Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
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Guilty Verdict in Heroin Trafficking Case

March 13, 2020, 1:39 pm
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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A jury convicted a Kansas City, Kan., man Wednesday on federal charges of heroin trafficking, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

During trial, jurors saw video from hidden cameras in the drug house where the defendant and others distributed heroin.

George Bush Jr., 29, Kansas City, Kan., was convicted on the following charges:

   Count one: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.

   Count two: Distributing heroin.

   Count three: Conspiracy to maintain a residence in furtherance of drug trafficking.

   Count four: Possession with intent to distribute heroin.

   Count five: Possession with intent to distribute heroin.

   Count seven: Possession with intent to distribute heroin.

   Count eight: Possession with intent to distribute.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Bush and co-defendants dealt heroin out of a house at 823 Parallel Avenue in Kansas City, Kan.

Five co-defendants pleaded guilty in the case: Albert Brown, 31, Kansas City, Kan. ; Isaiah Lewis, 23, Kansas City, Kan. ; Maurice Bluett, 26, Kansas City, Mo. ; Markelo Paden, 25, Olathe, Kan. ; and Benjamin Mims, 32, Lawrence, Kan.

Bush is scheduled for sentencing June 18. The counts carry the following potential penalties:

   Count one: Not less than five years, not more than 40 years, and a fine up to $5 million.
   Counts two, four, five, seven and eight: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.
   Count three: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $500,000.

McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel for their work on the case.
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Dominican National Pleads Guity to Distributing Fentanyl

March 13, 2020, 1:42 pm
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BOSTON – A Dominican national was pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to distributing fentanyl.

Rosario Lara, 37, a Dominican national formerly residing in Lawrence, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young who scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2020.  Lara admitted to distributing cocaine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. 

Lara sold more than a half-kilogram of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Lawrence on Feb. 21, 2019.

Lara faces up to 10 years in prison, to be followed by up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $10 million. Lara will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts State Police and Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
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MS-13 member who shot and killed suspected rival gang member, threatened witness/victim at federal courthouse sentenced to 30 years in prison

March 13, 2020, 1:50 pm
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A defendant known as “Shadow” was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 30 years in prison for participating in a racketeering conspiracy and murder through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Jose Mendez-Peraza, 38, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in October 2019 and accepted responsibility for his involvement as a shooter in the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected 18th Street gang member.

On Dec. 3, 2016, co-conspirators waited in the parking lot of the Resolute Athletic Complex in Columbus where the victim was playing soccer. Others, including Mendez-Peraza, wore dark ski masks and waited for Martinez-Diaz near his apartment building at Melroy Ave. and Kelburn Road in Columbus.

When the victim arrived near his home, Mendez-Peraza and another MS-13 member opened fire on Martinez-Diaz with pistols, shooting him multiple times and killing him.

Mendez-Peraza also threatened a witness/victim in this case while at the Joseph P. Kinneary United States Courthouse in Columbus. Mendez-Peraza told the witness/victim that MS-13 members would kill the individual and his/her family if the individual cooperated with law enforcement.

Mendez-Peraza is one of 23 individuals charged in a second superseding indictment in February 2018 who are alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.

The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.

The second superseding indictment alleges that the defendants committed a host of overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, including: 1) the December 2006 murder of Jose Mendez, a confidential informant, in Perry County; 2) the November 2008 murder of Ramon Ramos on Lockbourne Road in Columbus; 3) the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, a suspected rival gang member, near Innis Road in Columbus; 4) the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus; and 5) the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.

Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.
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St. Clair County Man Indicted for Armed Carjacking

March 13, 2020, 1:52 pm
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St. Louis – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Keyshaun Jenkins, 19, of St. Clair County, Illinois, Missouri, on multiple criminal counts stemming from a February 28, 2020 carjacking.

According to court documents, on February 28, 2020, C.X. and C.G. were looking at the backup camera of C.X.’s Volkswagen Passat.  While standing outside the car, Jenkins and another individual were wearing masks, all dark clothing and approached carrying handguns.  One of the men struck C.X. in the side of the head with a gun and demanded his car keys, cell phone, and the password to his cell phone, which C.X. turned over.  The other man pointed a gun at victim C.G. and demanded her cell phone and password.  C.G. complied.  The men got into C.X.’s Passat and drove away.

At the time of the carjacking, Jenkins was on supervised release at time for his prior conviction of possession of a stolen firearm.  At the time of his arrest on March 4, 2020, Jenkins was carrying a bag which contained the key to C.X.’s Volkswagen Passat and other belongings of C.X.

Jenkins has been charged with one felony count of carjacking and one felony count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.  Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted, carjacking carries a penalty of not more than fifteen years and a fine of $250,000 and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime carries a penalty of not less than seven years and no more than life and a fine of $250,000.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation jointly investigating the case.
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Defendant Sentenced to 87 Months for Assault on a Federal Officer

March 13, 2020, 1:59 pm
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     TUCSON, Ariz. – On March 6, 2020, United States District Court Judge James A. Soto sentenced Wilmer Martin Flores, 43, of Honduras, to 87 months in prison. A jury had previously found Flores guilty of Assault on a Federal Officer.

     On June 20, 2016, Flores assaulted a United States Bureau of Prisons Corrections Officer during the performance of her official duties. In the process, the victim suffered serious bodily injury. At the time of the assault, Flores was serving a 235-month sentence for Sex Trafficking and Kidnapping.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Nathaniel J. Walters and Jesse Figueroa of the District of Arizona.
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Erie Man Charged with Producing Child Pornography Videos

March 14, 2020, 2:18 pm
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ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The two-count Indictment named Dana Lindstrom, 38, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment presented to the court, in August 2019, Lindstrom produced child pornography by recording videos of a minor female in a bathroom without her permission.

"The U.S. Attorney’s office is participating in NO MORE week, March 8-14, 2020, a week dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault by increasing awareness and inspiring everyone to become part of the solution," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "Today’s indictment demonstrates our steadfast commitment to safeguarding our children and bringing to justice individuals who commit child exploitation crimes."

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Erie Police Department and the Erie County Detectives Bureau 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 (CEOS), 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.
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Six Former Residents of Mexico Charged in Cocaine Conspiracy

March 14, 2020, 2:24 pm
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PITTSBURGH – Six former residents of Mexico have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count Superseding Indictment, returned on March 10, named Amado Alonzo Zazueta Garcia, Juan Jose Quintero Felix, Luis Antonio Alvarado Llanes, Sergio Geovany Alvarado Felix, and Jose Molina Perez, each of whom is originally from Sinaloa, Mexico; and Aracelis Martinez Nunez, formerly of Sonora, Mexico, as the defendants.

According to the Superseding Indictment, from in and around September 2019, to in and around November 2019, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, the defendants conspired with one another, and with persons both known and unknown to the grand jury, to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

The defendants were originally charged by complaint following their arrest on November 20, 2019. All of the defendants are detained pending trial.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence for each defendant of not less than 10 years in prison and not more than life imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Unit, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Phoenix (Arizona) Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.

A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Corona Lawyer Found with Unregistered Firearms, Silencers and Hand Grenade Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison

March 14, 2020, 3:08 pm
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         LOS ANGELES – A California lawyer and former Rialto Police officer was sentenced this afternoon to 24 months in federal prison for possessing unregistered firearms, silencers and a hand grenade inside his pickup truck during a law enforcement stop.

         Sergio Lopez de Tirado, 44, of Corona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin after he pleaded guilty in April 2019 to one count of possession of unregistered firearms and a destructive device.

         On December 21, 2018, law enforcement found Lopez de Tirado asleep and apparently intoxicated in the passenger’s seat of a pickup truck that was parked with its doors wide open and blocking a driveway in Norco.

         Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement found two unregistered firearm silencers, including one that was attached to a semiautomatic rifle; an unregistered 9mm semiautomatic short-barreled rifle; and an unregistered hand grenade.

         Law enforcement also found high-capacity magazines, ammunition, knives, a baton, brass knuckles, a Kevlar military-style helmet, and small bags containing marijuana and methamphetamine. That same evening, officers located enough bomb-making materials inside Lopez de Tirado’s home to construct several more homemade bombs.

         Lopez de Tirado admitted in his plea agreement that he had not registered the short-barrel rifle, the silencers or the hand grenade with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

         This case was investigated by the FBI’s Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Substantial assistance was provided by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Rialto Police Department, the Corona Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.

         This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Reema M. El-Amamy of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section.
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Troy Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

March 14, 2020, 3:14 pm
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ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jake Alexander Cruse, age 33, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to charges of distributing, transporting and receiving child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Susan Ferensic, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As part of his guilty plea, Cruse admitted that, between July and October 2018, he used a phone equipped with various Internet-based instant messaging and file-sharing applications to trade child pornography with others.  Cruse admitted to creating multiple fake social media accounts for the purposes of making money selling child pornography and trading for additional child pornography files.  Cruse’s phone and various online accounts contained approximately 120 video files and 234 image files depicting child pornography.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, 2020 before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.

Cruse faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years, and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The Court is also required to impose a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, and Cruse will be required to register as a sex offender.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors

This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Gangster Disciple “Chief Enforcer” For the State of Tennessee Sentenced to 25 Years for RICO Conspiracy

March 14, 2020, 3:24 pm
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Memphis, TN - Demarcus Deon Crawford, 36, a/k/a/ "Trip," has been sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

This sentencing is the latest reckoning in a large RICO conspiracy case, "Operation .38 Special", which was originally indicted in May, 2016, charging a total of 16 members of the Gangster Disciples criminal enterprise with racketeering. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/16-alleged-gangster-disciples-members-indicted-federal-racketeering-charges.

According to the superseding indictment, the Gangster Disciples is a highly-organized national gang active in more than 35 states. The scope of the Gangster Disciples’ crimes is wide-ranging and consistent throughout its national operation. The gang protects its power through threats, intimidation, and violence, including murder, attempted murder, assault, and obstruction of justice. The Gangster Disciples promotes its enterprise through member-only activities and provides support to members charged with or incarcerated for gang-related offenses.

The Gangster Disciples were organized into different positions, including board members, and governor-of-governors who each controlled geographic regions; governors, assistant governors, chief enforcers and chief of security for each state or regions within the state where the Gangster Disciples were active; and coordinators and leaders within each local group. The State of Tennessee was divided into specific area codes that defined the separate divisions or "sets" of the Gangster Disciples. The Knoxville set was known by its area code "865," Chattanooga by its area code "423," Nashville by its area code "615," Columbia by its area code "931," Jackson by its area code "731," and Memphis by its area code "901." Crawford was the Gangster Disciples’ "Chief Enforcer" for the State of Tennessee, meaning he was responsible for Gangster Disciple criminal activity in all of those regions.

The RICO count of the superseding indictment that Crawford pled guilty to states that: members and associates of the Gangster Disciples are subject to a strict code of discipline and are routinely fined, beaten, or even murdered for failing to follow the gang’s rules; that as Chief Enforcer, Crawford was responsible for enforcing the gang’s rules and for the administration of punishment to members who violated gang rules and for ensuring that people who claimed to be members of the Gangster Disciples were in fact members in good standing; and that Chief Enforcers often maintained close physical and verbal communication with the Governor of the State and traveled with the Governor around his zone of responsibility. During the change of plea hearing on June 7, 2019, Crawford admitted that he ordered the shooting of rival gang members for retaliation and to maintain his position within the Gangster Disciples, and that he participated directly and indirectly in the activities of the gang, including acts of attempted murder and narcotics trafficking.

On March 9, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Crawford to 300 months in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "This case demonstrates our ability and resolve to aggressively prosecute and hold accountable those who engage in organized criminal enterprises and gang conspiracies in furtherance of racketeering. This office is proud to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the Gangster Disciples gang and punish their leaders and members for the violence and lawlessness that they perpetrate across West Tennessee. Crawford will now take a long ‘trip’ to the federal penitentiary for his violent gang leadership and activity."

This prosecution was brought as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, and to diminish the violence and other criminal activity associated with the drug trade. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and violent organizations.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Jackson Police Department Gang Enforcement Team, Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, 28th Judicial District West Tennessee Drug Task Force, 26th, 25th, and 30th Judicial District Attorney’s General Offices, Sheriff’s Offices for Tipton, DeSoto, Madison and Fayette Counties, Police Departments of Bartlett, Germantown and Columbia, TN.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beth C. Boswell and Annie Christoff of the Western District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Shauna Hale of the Criminal Division Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Smith County Man Guilty of Federal Drug Trafficking Violations

March 15, 2020, 2:37 pm
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            TYLER, Texas – A 29-year-old Tyler, Texas, man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking crimes in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.

            Victor Hernandez, Jr., pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell on March 5, 2020.          

            According to information presented in court, on July 26, 2019, Hernandez distributed approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine to another person for $400 in an undercover transaction.  During a later search of his residence, officers discovered ammunition.  Hernandez admitted to being responsible for the distribution of between 20 and 35 grams of methamphetamine.

            Under federal statutes, Hernandez faces up to 40 years in federal prison at sentencing.  The statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tyler Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson.
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Holyoke Resident Pleads Guilty To Heroin Distribution

March 15, 2020, 2:43 pm
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BOSTON – A Holyoke man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield to distributing heroin.

Alexis Santana, 18, pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin.  Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 30, 2020.

According to court records, Santana sold heroin on Oct. 7, 2019 in Holyoke.

The charge of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1 million dollar fine.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police and Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo made the announcement today.  The case is being prosecuted by Todd E. Newhouse of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office.
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