Online Criminal Justice News

Defendant Conspired to Avoid Paying Millions of Dollars in Court-Ordered Restitution

Earlier today, before United States District Court Judge Dora L. Irizarry in Brooklyn, Andrew Tepfer pleaded guilty to participating in a money laundering conspiracy designed to avoid paying a multi-million dollar court-ordered restitution judgment compensating victims of a securities fraud scheme. When sentenced, Tepfer faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine in an amount to be determined by the court.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.

“With today’s guilty plea, Tepfer has been held responsible for his participation in a money laundering scheme to hide funds derived from a brazen shakedown,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office will vigorously prosecute those who flout court orders and exploit victims.” Mr. Donoghue thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation for their assistance with the investigation.

According to court filings, in 2011 and 2012, Tepfer and another individual (“John Doe”) pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. At their sentencing proceedings in 2014, they were ordered to pay approximately $12.7 million in restitution to the victims of the scheme. Thereafter, in February 2017, Tepfer’s co-conspirator Mark Weissman told John Doe that incriminating information about him would be provided to law enforcement unless he paid $6 million to Tepfer. Weissman and his co-conspirators then planned how to have John Doe make the payment in a manner that would prevent it from being seized by law enforcement authorities seeking to enforce the court’s restitution order. In June 2019, Weissman pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding and was sentenced in January 2020 to four years’ probation, 300 hours of community service and a $45,000 fine.

At his guilty plea proceeding today, Tepfer admitted that he conspired with others to conduct international financial transactions designed both to funnel funds that he believed were the proceeds of the earlier securities fraud back to himself, and to conceal the source of those funds.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Reilly is in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

ANDREW TEPFER (also known as “Avi Weissman”)

Age: 56

Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-524 (DLI)

Miami, Florida -- U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke sentenced six defendants, all from South Florida, to prison terms for their roles in an extensive drug trafficking operation located in Perrine, Florida. Their prison sentences are as follows:

Tedrick King, 45, the leader of the drug ring, received 148 months.

Wilhemnia Nottage, 35, received 20 months.

Cory Evans, 28, received 30 months.

Christopher McCollur (a/k/a “Block”), 32, received 48 months.

Keyon Harris, 37, received 60 months.

Jonis Webster (a/k/a “J.J.”), 39, received 18 months.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Kevin W. Carter, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Office, and Alfredo Ramirez III, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) made the announcement.

According to court records, from at least October 2018 through June 2019, Defendants ran a 24-hour, seven-day per week drug operation out of two locations in Perrine, Florida. In July 2019, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the two locations and at the home of defendant King, the leader of the drug operation. They seized approximately 941 grams of cocaine, 221 grams of crack cocaine, 1006 grams of marijuana, and 145 grams of eutylone (which defendants sold as “Molly”).

Prior to receiving their prison sentences, each defendant pled guilty to his or her role in the drug trafficking operation.

This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

The case also involved the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) initiative. Through the VRP, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal and local law enforcement allies have sought to dismantle the most violent criminal networks that plague communities throughout the Southern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the FBI, DEA, and MDPD for their investigative efforts and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office for its assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cary O. Aronovitz prosecuted this case.

HOUSTON – A federal jury sitting in Houston has convicted a 24-year-old after hearing how he threatened two young girls and required them to engage in commercial sex, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

They deliberated for approximately two and a half hours before convicting Romello Lee, 24, Houston, following less than two days of trial. He was convicted on one count of trafficking a minor for commercial sex and one count of trafficking a minor by force for commercial sex.

During trial, the jury heard that Lee used Backpage.com, a defunct solicitation website, to advertise the sexual services of two minor victims, ages 14 and 16.

From July 2017 to March 2018, Lee harbored, advertised and profited from commercial sex acts of the 16-year-old minor victim. He required her to earn a quota of up to $500 per night and would threaten and beat her if she disobeyed him.

A second victim was held against her will and required to engage in sexual acts by threats of violence and coercion.

Jurors heard from the second victim as well as another adult victim he managed. They testified as to the consequences if they were to escape and how they were expected to be branded with a tattoo of his name or rap label.

The jury also saw numerous Backpage ads Lee posted as well as Instagram posts and text messages between him and the minor victim, detailing his control of her dates, her nightly quota and her beatings.

Law enforcement ultimately arrested Lee in a sting operation with one of the minors at a hotel in northwest Houston.

U.S. District David Hittner presided over the trial and set sentencing for May 29. At that time, Lee faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for the sex trafficking of a minor as well as at least 15 years and up to life for the trafficking of minor by force.

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).

HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.

Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard D. Hanes and Heather Winter are prosecuting the case.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Marcin Stanislaw Garbacz, age 41, formerly an ordained priest assigned to the Catholic Diocese in Rapid City, South Dakota, was found guilty by a federal trial jury of 50 counts of Wire Fraud, nine counts of Money Laundering, one count of Transportation of Stolen Money, and five counts of Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return following a week-long jury trial at the federal courthouse in Rapid City.

Wire Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count.

Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and/or a $500,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count.

Transportation of Stolen Money carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count.

Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return carries a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count. Restitution may also be ordered.

Evidence at trial established that Garbacz, while employed as a priest with the Catholic Diocese in Rapid City, devised a scheme to steal monies collected from parishioners at various church services by secretly entering the areas in three parish churches where such monies were stored. He took steps such as entering the church buildings late in the evening, removing and replacing special, tamper-proof bank bags, making multiple same-day deposits totaling tens of thousands of dollars of stolen money in ATMs well after midnight, and laundering such stolen money through a variety of banks, investment firms, and credit card companies.

Garbacz used the hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen parishioner money to purchase for himself over a dozen gold-plated chalices, numerous bronze statues, a $10,000 diamond ring, Mont Blanc fountain pens, and more.

“The cache of worldly treasures accumulated by this common thief looks like something from Raiders of the Lost Ark,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “He bought it all using money he stole from his parishioners – money that was intended to help the Church and help the poor. The selfishness and greed of it all is mind-boggling.”

“Income is taxable, regardless of the source” said Karl Stiften, Special Agent in Charge, at the IRS Criminal Investigation division. “Special Agents are following the money to make sure everyone complies with the tax laws.”

Once he was made aware of the federal investigation, Garbacz drained his bank account of more than $50,000 and bought a one-way plane ticket to Poland. Fortunately, he was arrested by federal agents at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in May 2019 just before his flight was to depart.

Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted and tried the case, and the investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A sentencing date will be scheduled. Garbacz was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN K. BACKMAN, also known as “B,” “NYB” and “New York B,” 55, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 121 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.

This matter stems from an investigation headed by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department that targeted drug trafficking and related acts of violence by members, former members and associates of the “Island Brothers” street gang in New Haven. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, also revealed that the drug trafficking organization had established a base of operation in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The investigation subsequently identified a second drug trafficking network that involved the large-scale distribution of heroin.

During the investigation, Backman was identified as a supplier of heroin to members of the New Haven drug trafficking organization. Backman was intercepted over multiple wiretaps discussing the acquisition of heroin from a supplier in New York for redistribution in and around New Haven.

On June 16, 2019, Backman sent a courier, Dena Draughn, to pick up a large shipment of heroin from a New York supplier. He then directed an associate, Anderson Atkinson, to meet Draughn at a Hamden parking lot to retrieve the heroin. Investigators arrested Draughn and Atkinson after they met at the parking lot, and seized approximately 10,000 bags of heroin with a net weight of approximately 300 grams.

On July 9, 2019, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 15-count indictment charging Backman, Draughn, Atkinson and 22 other individuals with various offenses.

Backman has been detained since his arrest on July 10, 2019. On October 28, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.

Backman’s criminal history spans more than 30 years and includes convictions in three states and a federal conviction in the Southern District of New York.

Draughn and Atkinson have pleaded guilty to related charges and await sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, Hamden Police Department, East Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan, Peter D. Markle and Elena L. Coronado.

Knoxville, Tennessee – On March 10, 2020, Cory Ryan Day, 24, currently of Huntsville, was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.

As part of a plea agreement, Cory Ryan Day agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of enticement of a child for sexual purposes in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) and one count of traveling with the intent to illicit sexual conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2423(a). Day was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by 12 years of supervised release. Day will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.

In September and October of 2018, in the Eastern District of Tennessee, Day contacted a 15-year-old boy through Snapchat, a social media site. Day sent the minor a video of a couple having sex. Day then offered to pay the minor $200 and buy him alcohol if he would allow Day to have sexual contact with him. The minor refused.

At the end of December of 2018, a young girl began receiving messages on Snapchat from Day, who purported to be a teenage girl and sent naked photos of a teenage girl. Day subsequently requested naked photos of the young girl. Day then arranged a meeting with her, offering money and cigarettes in exchange for allowing Day to engage in illicit sexual conduct with her. Day traveled from Scott County in the Eastern District of Tennessee to the Eastern District of Kentucky to meet the girl.

At the time of the crimes, Day was a teacher and coach with the Scott County Schools.

“This case is unfortunately representative of the calculated misuse of the Internet and social media by sexual predators,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “As parents, we need to be ever vigilant in protecting the children entrusted to our care. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute to the full extent of the law those who use social media to entice and prey on children for illicit purposes.”

“Children are among the most vulnerable members of our community. They must be protected in any way we can. This investigation is a great example of the work that can be done when state and federal law enforcement agencies work together to remove those intent on harming the safety and well-being of our youth,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico.

The criminal information was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Kristina Norris.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”

SOUTH BEND – Jonathan Roberts, age 33, of Warsaw, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

Roberts was sentenced to 63 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.

According to documents in this case, in August of 2017, Roberts possessed a cellular phone that contained videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Roberts later admitted that the images on the cellular phone he possessed were in fact child pornography.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

PITTSBURGH - A physician who operated private family practices in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, and Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of unlawfully dispensing controlled substances and health care fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The 161-count Superseding Indictment, returned on March 10 and unsealed today, named Emilio Ramon Navarro, 58, of Coal Center, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.

"The U.S. Attorney’s office supports 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. "We say NO MORE to corrupt doctors like Emilio Navarro who exploit the opioid addictions of women for their own perverse sexual gratification. Our office will continue to fight against such sexual exploitation and abuse, this week and every week."

According to Counts 1 – 28 of the Superseding Indictment, from April 2018 until April 2019, Navarro, a licensed physician, unlawfully distributed Oxymorphone and Oxycodone, Schedule II substances, to Victim 1 in return for sexual favors, either physically or by electronic communications, outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. Counts 29 through 141 charge that from April 2015 to September 2019, Navarro unlawfully distributed Oxymorphone and Oxycodone, Schedule II substances, to Victim 2 in return for sexual favors outside the usual course of practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. Counts 142 to 159 charge that from April 2015 to September 2019, Navarro unlawfully distributed Alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance, to Victim 2 outside the usual course of practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. Navarro is also charged in Counts 160 and 161 with health care fraud for causing fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicaid for payments to cover the costs of the unlawfully prescribed controlled substances.

The law provides for a maximum per count sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both, for the controlled substances offenses. Navarro faces an additional maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of $250,000 for each of the health care fraud charges. 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 Attorneys Robert S. Cessar and Mark V. Gurzo are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The investigation leading to the indictment in this case was conducted by the Western Pennsylvania Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit (OFADU). The Western Pennsylvania OFADU, led by federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, combines the expertise and resources of federal and state law enforcement to address the role played by unethical medical professionals in the opioid epidemic.

The agencies which comprise the Western Pennsylvania OFADU include: Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General – Bureau of Narcotic Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office – Criminal Division, Civil Division and Asset Forfeiture Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General, Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Office of Inspector General and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Licensing.

A Superseding Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard to charges of transportation of child pornography via the internet and possession of child pornography.

DONOVAN HEIDENREICH, 25, admitted in a written plea agreement that on Sept. 25, 2017, he used a computer to send a video file over the internet to another user of the KIK messaging application. The image depicted an actual male child under the age of 18 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Heidenreich also admitted that on Nov. 28, 2017, he possessed a laptop computer that contained more than 600 images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Heidenreich further admitted he traded images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct with other persons in return for his receipt of images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Sentencing for Heidenreich is set for June 8, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. For transporting child pornography, HEIDENREICH faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years. For possession of child pornography, the maximum is 20 years’ imprisonment. The sentence will be determined by the United States District Court, guided by the Sentencing Guidelines.

The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love.

ATLANTA - Florencio Rodriguez, a member of the Sureños 13 gang and multi-convicted felon, has been sentenced to consecutive, maximum terms of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun with an obliterated serial number.

“Gang members are relentless in their attempts to prey upon vulnerable communities in this district, including in North Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We will continue to work with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to target gang members and other violent criminals who endanger the public.”

“It appears the only way to stop Rodriguez from terrorizing our communities is to keep him off the streets, and this sentence will do that for a long time,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to dismantling these violent criminal enterprises to make our communities safer places to live.”

“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is committed to the reduction of violent crime in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Arthur Peralta. “Our law enforcement partnerships allow us to focus investigative resources on those individuals who pose the most danger. As a result, violent criminals receive the maximum sentence.”

"I am very pleased to see that the efforts of Dalton Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners has resulted in the successful prosecution of a local member of the Sur 13 street gang. Our community will be safer without this repeat offender being on the streets. This case is a great example of what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal law enforcement work together to target gang members and violent offenders,” said Dalton Police Chief Cliff Cason.

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 11, 2019, police officers in Dalton, Georgia, approached Rodriguez, a member of the Sureños 13 gang, to arrest him on a pending probation warrant. Rodriguez ran from the officers when they ordered him to stop. Officers apprehended him when he fell during the chase. The officers found a .22 caliber pistol underneath Rodriguez and recovered approximately one ounce of methamphetamine from him.

At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez wore a blue bandana around his ankle, an article of clothing that gang members use to demonstrate their affiliation with the Sureños 13 gang. He also had been convicted of numerous felonies in North Georgia, including attempted robbery, street gang activity, and terroristic threats. Following his arrest, investigators seized a sawed-off shotgun and shotgun shells from a bedroom that Rodriguez shared with his girlfriend. The serial number on the sawed-off shotgun had been removed.

Florencio Rodriguez, also known as “Cheeto,” 29, of Dalton, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Dalton Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.

Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Paul Edward Lee, Jr. (40, Jacksonville) guilty of knowingly soliciting a minor to produce and send pornographic videos and images depicting sexual abuse of the minor. In 2011, Lee was convicted of lascivious molestation and exhibition of a child under 12 years old and, therefore, is required to register as a sexual predator. Because of this prior conviction, Lee faces an enhanced mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years, and up to, 50 years in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release in this case. Lee was arrested at his residence in Jacksonville on May 2, 2018. His sentencing hearing is set for July 6, 2020.

According to evidence and testimony introduced at trial, a law enforcement officer in Illinois discovered that a 14-year-old child was having online contact with an adult male in Florida through a smart phone gaming application designed for use by children. The messages sent to the child by the adult male were increasingly graphic and sexual in nature. The FBI was able to identify this adult male as Paul Edward Lee, Jr., and discovered that Lee was a registered sexual predator living in Jacksonville.

On April 25, 2018, an FBI agent in Jacksonville posing as the minor child continued to engage with Lee through text messaging. During these communications, Lee told the “child” in graphic terms how he wanted to have sex with the child and sent several images and videos of his own genitalia to the child. Two days later, Lee repeatedly texted and solicited the child to produce and send him graphic images and videos of the child’s genitalia. When FBI agents executed a search warrant at Lee’s residence on May 2, 2018, Lee attempted to destroy his cellular telephone in an effort to conceal evidence of his activity.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

John Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSHUA BESAW, 36, of Thompson, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl last year.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 31, 2019, Besaw encountered a 12-year-old girl (“minor victim”) at a park in Webster, Massachusetts, and tricked the minor victim into entering his vehicle. Besaw, who identified himself as “Chuck,” then drove the minor victim to a wooded area in Thompson, Connecticut, where he sexually assaulted her. After the assault, Besaw drove the minor victim back to Massachusetts, where he released her in a neighborhood that was unfamiliar to her and refused to return her cellphone. The minor victim then borrowed a phone from a stranger to contact her parents who picked her up and brought her to the police station to report the incident. Later that day, a sexual assault examination of the victim was conducted at a medical facility.

Besaw was identified as a suspect after an extensive investigation led by Webster Police with support from the Connecticut State Police, which included analysis of surveillance video collected from numerous residences and businesses in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

On July 10, 2019, investigators conducting surveillance of Besaw collected cigarette butts that Besaw had discarded. The DNA evidence collected from the discarded cigarette butts matched DNA evidence collected from the minor victim on May 31, 2019.

Besaw was arrested on July 17, 2019.

Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2020, at which time Besaw faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Besaw has been detained since his arrest.

This matter has been investigated by the Webster Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman caught with multiple pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm last year pled guilty to drug and gun charges today in federal court, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Krista Lynn Morris, 34, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm by a drug user.

“Morris was peddling significant quantities of meth,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to identify and investigate meth traffickers like Morris and, as a result, we are prosecuting scores of meth dealers.”

On April 2, 2019, agents contacted Morris in Teays Valley after learning that she was suspected of selling methamphetamine. Agents seized approximately an ounce of methamphetamine from Morris and learned that she had rented a hotel room at the Holiday Inn in South Charleston. Agents subsequently conducted a search of the room and seized approximately eight pounds of methamphetamine which Morris possessed. Morris admitted to agents that she was involved in distributing methamphetamine to multiple customers.

On August 28, 2019, agents arrested Morris and conducted a search of her residence in Charleston. During the search, agents recovered a Smith & Wesson .380 caliber pistol which Morris admitted she possessed. Morris also admitted that she was a methamphetamine user and thus, she was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.

Morris faces 10 years to life in prison when sentenced on June 15, 2020.

This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Ona Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.

MARSHALL, Texas - U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown announced today that three individuals have been arrested pursuant to a federal indictment charging them with drug and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas.

A federal grand jury returned the 15-count indictment on Feb. 19, 2020, charging Danny Brian Hernandez, 27; Ronald Charles Parker, 31; and Armando Ivan De La Torre, 24, all of Marshall, with being involved in a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine in the area.

According to court documents, the defendants have been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 13 counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of carrying a firearm during a drug offense. Hernandez, Parker, and De La Torre were arrested today in Marshall. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in federal prison.

This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Texas Department of Public Safety; Marshall Police Department, and Harrison County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A total of 17 defendants, primarily from the Kansas City metropolitan area, have been indicted for their roles in a nearly $10 million conspiracy to distribute almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Fahrudin F. Fejzic, also known as “Frank,” 48, Steven M. Lyons, also known as “Pops,” 60, Shelly Marie Exton, 38, Mary L. Corona, 38, and Jesus Banuelos Jr., 21, all of Kansas City, Missouri; Jessica E. Ashworth, also known as “Barbie,” 30, of Kansas City, Kansas; Justin D. Warren, 31, and Crystell A. Smith, 34, both of Independence, Missouri; John W. Tatom, 48, of Leavenworth, Kansas; and Lesley A. Wilkerson, 45, of Clinton, Missouri, were charged in a 44-count second superseding indictment that was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, March 11. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of several defendants.

The second superseding indictment adds those 10 defendants to previous indictments that included seven additional defendants: Mirza Alihodzic, also known as “Poni Boi” and “Russian,” 34, a citizen of Bosnia residing in Kansas City, Missouri; Jason D. Rice, 42, Brandy N. Foster, 37, and Keith Dale Hughes, 48, all of Kansas City, Missouri; Michael B. Becher, 38, of Raytown, Missouri; Joshua A. Brown, 36, of Leavenworth; and Amy S. Janish, 44, of Lincoln, Missouri.

The federal indictment alleges that all of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019. The indictment also charges all of the defendants with a related money-laundering conspiracy.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require payment of a money judgment representing all of the proceeds each defendant obtained as a result of the alleged drug-trafficking conspiracy. The forfeiture is based on a conservative street price of $2,300 for 226 grams (a half-pound) of methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of nearly 979 kilograms (978,859 grams) of methamphetamine, totaling approximately $9,961,839.

In addition to the two conspiracy counts, Alihodzic is also charged with two counts of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, illegally possessing a machine gun, two counts of possessing a stolen firearm, possessing an unregistered firearm, possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and three counts related to distributing methamphetamine.

The indictment also charges various other defendants in the remaining counts with illegally possessing firearms and with possessing and distributing methamphetamine.

According to an affidavit filed in the original criminal complaint, Alihodzic made arrangements with a confidential source to pilot an airplane to California to purchase 40 kilograms of methamphetamine from a Mexican national who is wanted by federal law enforcement for drug trafficking. On Nov. 5, 2019 – the day of the trip – Alihodzic and the confidential source went inside Alihodzic’s residence. Federal agents heard popping noises similar to that of a firearm and the screaming sound of human voices. Investigators determined, based upon the safety of the individuals inside of the residence, to enter the residence. Alihodzic was taken into custody; no evidence of a violent act was immediately observed.

The affidavit also cites previous instances in which Alihodzic was confronted by law enforcement.

Law enforcement investigators were conducting surveillance at Alihodzic’s residence on Feb. 19, 2019. On that day, the affidavit says, investigators seized approximately six pounds of methamphetamine and two firearms, including an AK-47 type assault pistol with two high capacity magazines. Investigators also executed a search warrant at Alihodzic’s residence and seized additional methamphetamine and firearms. They also seized 18 firearms from Alihodzic’s vehicle, including a fully automatic machine gun, two sawed-off shotguns, and a stolen firearm.

Alihodzic was also involved in a shooting on July 5, 2019, in the area of 6th Street and Tracy Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, according to the affidavit. Alihodzic was the driver of a Ford F250 pickup from which law enforcement officers seized two firearms. Officers also found a number of spent shell casings on top of the truck, in the street, and in a nearby residence’s front yard.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that ROBERT M. PHELPS, 62, of Torrington, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with threatening to murder U.S. Representative Adam Schiff of California.

Phelps was arrested on March 13. Following his arrest, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William I. Garfinkel in Bridgeport and was released on a $25,000 bond.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on November 12, 2019, the office of U.S. Representative Adam Schiff received a threatening communication through a Meeting Request entry form on Congressman Schiff’s official website. The meeting request included the statement “…I want to kill you with my bare hands and smash your…face in.” In addition, in response to the preferred days of the week for the meeting request, Phelps wrote “Measure your Coffin day.”

It is further alleged that, on December 4, 2019, investigators interviewed Phelps at his Torrington residence and confirmed that Phelps sent the threatening communication.

The complaint charges Phelps with threatening to assault and murder a U.S. official, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and with making interstate threats, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.

TYLER, Texas – A 27-year-old Tyler, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.

Dakota Allen pleaded guilty on Sep. 12, 2019, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on March 17, 2020. Judge Kernodle also ordered forfeiture of $5,000 seized from the defendant.

According to information presented in court, on March 7, 2019, Allen and co-defendant, Haleigh Morris, were stopped in Smith County, Texas, for a traffic violation. At the time of the stop, they were in possession of approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine located in a camo zipper bag, along with $6,250 in cash, ziplock bags, a digital scale, and drug paraphernalia. Another $956 cash was in the center console. During the traffic stop, Allen attempted to drive off and evade arrest. During this time, the defendants threw the camo zipper bag out the window before Allen wrecked the vehicle. They were both indicted on April 17, 2019.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst.

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Enrico Fionn Hernandez, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced today to five years probation for having heroin and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Hernandez, also known as “Rico,” age 46, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl” in November 2019. Hernandez admitted to having heroin and fentanyl to distribute tin June 2017 in Jefferson County.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.

Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M, Groh presided.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Corsica, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for nine counts of Wire Fraud, six counts of Mail Fraud, and seventeen counts of Money Laundering.

Robert Blom, age 58, was indicted on March 3, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on March 16, 2020, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine for wire fraud and $500,000 fine for money laundering, 3 years of supervised release, and up to $3,200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that beginning on or about January 2014 and continuing through February 2019, Blom devised a scheme to defraud investors.

Blom operated a custom cattle-feeding business in the Corsica area. As part of his business, Blom solicited investors for groups of cattle. He purchased groups of cattle from various livestock companies and the cattle were raised on feedlots owned or used by him. Blom raised the cattle to maturity and then sold them to processing plants. After the groups of cattle were sold, Blom paid the profits to the investors in the groups.

It is alleged, however, that Blom sold the same groups of cattle to multiple different investors. Each invoice should have been used for just one group of investors, but Blom knew that he did not have and could not purchase as many head of cattle as he represented to investors. Sometimes Blom altered the cattle purchase invoices in an effort to conceal that he sold the same group of cattle to multiple different investors.

Also as part of the scheme and artifice, Blom falsely and fraudulently represented to investors that he would use their money to purchase groups of cattle and to care for those cattle. Instead, he routinely used money from new investors to pay back old investors.

On multiple occasions, Blom mailed invoices and other investment-related documents to investors and several investors mailed their investment payments to him. Also on multiple occasions, Blom received payments from investors, often by check and Blom also paid old investors, often by check.

The estimated loss amount at this time is approximately $20 million.

The charges are merely accusations and Blom is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistance has also been provided by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Attorney General’s Office, Douglas County States Attorney, Douglas County Sheriff, South Dakota Brand Board, North Dakota Brand Board, and the Montana Brand Board. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.

Blom was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.

Joseph Williams Possessed Thousands of Child Pornography Images and Videos

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joseph Williams, age 31, of Watertown, New York, was sentenced on Wednesday to serve 160 months in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, announced 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 New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.

As part of his earlier guilty plea, Williams admitted that he used the Kik Messenger application to trade child pornography with other Kik users in 2016. Execution of search warrants on Williams’ computers in February 2018 revealed that he possessed 4,875 images and 2,052 video files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including depictions of the rape and sodomy of prepubescent children and toddlers. In addition to the large number of files he possessed, other factors taken into account in sentencing included Williams’ admission that he took surreptitious pictures of children in the community and shared them with others on the Internet, and that he possessed a manual on how to find, groom, and sexually abuse children.

Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which will start after Williams is released from prison, ordered a $300 special assessment, and restitution in the amount of $3,000 per victim for each of 15 children depicted in the images and videos that Williams received, distributed, and possessed. As a result of his conviction, Williams will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the New York State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown.

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). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy

Six Defendants Sentenced To Prison Terms for Running South Dade Drug Trafficking Ring

Houston man convicted of sex trafficking minors

Former Rapid City Priest Convicted on 65 Counts in Theft, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Heroin

Cory Ryan Day Sentenced For Enticement of a Child For Sexual Purposes and Traveling with the Intent to Illicit Sexual Conduct

Warsaw, Indiana Man Sentenced For Possession of Child Pornography

Southwestern PA Family Practitioner Charged in 161-Count Superseding Indictment with Dispensing Drugs in Exchange for Sex and Health Care Fraud

Rockford Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

Dalton gang member sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possessing pistol and short-barreled shotgun

Jury Convicts Sexual Predator Of Soliciting Child Sex Abuse Videos Using A Cellphone

Thompson Man Faces at Least 20 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Massachusetts Girl

Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Meth and Gun Charges

Three Marshall Men Arrested for Trafficking Methamphetamine

17 Defendants Indicted for $10 Million Conspiracy to Distribute 1,000 Kilos of Meth

Torrington Man Charged with Threatening to Kill California Congressman

Smith County Man Sentenced to over 19 years for Federal Drug Trafficking

Jefferson County man sentenced for heroin and fentanyl distribution

Corsica Man Indicted for Fraud and Money Laundering in Multi-Million-Dollar Cattle Ponzi Scheme

Watertown Man Sentenced to 160 Months for Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography