Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that former East Haven Police Sergeant John Miller, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to four months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for violating an individual’s civil rights by using unreasonable force during the course of an arrest. Miller was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
This matter stems from a criminal investigation into members of the East Haven Police Department using excessive force during arrests, conducting unconstitutional searches and seizures, and filing false police reports. As a result of the investigation, Miller and Officers Dennis Spaulding, Jason Zullo, and David Cari were convicted of various civil rights offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 3, 2010, in the course of making an arrest, Miller struck a handcuffed individual while the victim was in the secure custody of two other East Haven Police officers.
On September 21, 2012, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of depriving an individual of his right to be free from the use of excessive force by a law enforcement officer.
Judge Thompson credited Miller for his cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter and imposed a sentence below the recommended sentencing guidelines range of 12 to 18 months of imprisonment.
Miller, who has retired from the East Haven Police Department, was ordered to report to prison on March 13.
On October 23, 2012, Jason Zullo pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction stemming from his filing of a false police report in order to prevent a possible excessive force investigation. On December 16, 2013, he was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment.
On October 21, 2013, David Cari was found guilty of one count of conspiracy against rights, one count of deprivation of rights for making an arrest without probable cause, and one count of obstruction of a federal investigation for preparing a false report. On January 21, 2014, he was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
On October 21, 2013, Dennis Spaulding was found guilty of one count of conspiracy against rights, one count of use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer, two counts of deprivation of rights for making arrests without probable cause, and two counts of obstruction of a federal investigation for preparing false reports to justify the false arrests. On January 23, he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Civil Rights Squad of the FBI’s New York Field Office, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Krishna R. Patel and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard J. Schechter.
Friday, February 14, 2014
4 Individuals Charged in with Participating in a Multi-State Robbery Crew That Stole More Than $1 Million in Luxury Watches and Other Goods
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and William Bratton, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (NYPD), announced the unsealing of a five-count complaint charging four members of a robbery crew operating across New York, New Jersey, and Virginia with robbery conspiracy and robberies of high-end jewelry and watch stores, resulting in the theft of more than a million dollars in watches. Specifically, Allens Williams, 35; Roberto Grant, 33; Terrell Ratliff, 22; and Tyrone DeHoyos, 35, have each been charged with robbery conspiracy and one or more substantive robberies. DeHoyos was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew J. Peck. DeHoyos was ordered detained pending trial. Williams, Grant, and Ratliff were all previously arrested by the NYPD and are expected to be transferred into federal custody to be presented on the charges contained in the complaint.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “As alleged, the defendants engaged in violent robberies of luxury jewelry stores in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. They allegedly combined forethought with force, scouting out their targets and then terrorizing customers and employees by smashing display cases with hammers and stealing high-end timepieces. They will now face the consequences of their violent shopping spree.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos said, “From Cartier on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, the defendants left no rock unturned, carrying out a series of brazen midday smash-and-grab robberies of high-end jewelers up and down the East Coast. It took sophisticated, modern crime fighting techniques to tie the heists together. Today, we see the result of diligent work by law enforcement from Virginia to New York to stop this violent, skilled crime syndicate.”
Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said, “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of investigators and prosecutors assigned to this case, four members of this smash and grab crew, which targeted businesses throughout New York City and in other states, is no longer in operation. Two of these criminals, Allen Williams and Roberto Grant, were quickly apprehended by members of the NYPD after they brazenly walked into a Manhattan Cartier store and stole more than $700,000 worth of watches.”
According to the allegations contained in the complaint and statements made in court today:
Between approximately July 1, 2013 and January 30, 2014, a highly organized crew engaged in a series of violent robberies of high-end jewelry and watch stores located in three states, while customers and employees were in the stores, and stole more than a million dollars in luxury watches.
The robberies followed a simple but brazen pattern: on each occasion, three to five members of the crew entered a jewelry or watch store, began smashing glass display cases with hammers, grabbed luxury watches from those display cases, and then fled within minutes of entering the store into waiting getaway cars driven by members of the robbery crew. Each robbery occurred during business hours while store employees and customers were present. The crew used violence as necessary to carry out the scheme. For example, during one robbery in August 2013 in Richmond, Virginia, the robbers used a handheld stungun to subdue a female store employee before fleeing with more than $100,000 in watches.
Among the stores robbed by the crew are Cartier in Manhattan, New York; the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Schwarzschild’s Jewelers in Richmond, Virginia; and Martin Jewelers in Cranford, New Jersey.
All four defendants are charged in count one of the complaint, conspiracy to commit robbery in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Williams and Grant are also charged with each of the robberies in interstate commerce in counts two through five in the complaint; Ratliff is charged with the robbery in interstate commerce in count two of the complaint; and DeHoyos is charged with the robbery in interstate commerce in count four of the complaint. Each of the substantive interstate robbery counts carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. Mr. Bharara also thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which brought charges against Williams and Grant in connection with their participation in the January 30, 2014 robbery of Cartier. He also thanked the Richmond FBI Office and the Atlantic City Resident Agency of the Newark FBI Office, as well as the police departments of Cranford and Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Richmond, Virginia.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Griswold and Richard Cooper are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “As alleged, the defendants engaged in violent robberies of luxury jewelry stores in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. They allegedly combined forethought with force, scouting out their targets and then terrorizing customers and employees by smashing display cases with hammers and stealing high-end timepieces. They will now face the consequences of their violent shopping spree.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos said, “From Cartier on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, the defendants left no rock unturned, carrying out a series of brazen midday smash-and-grab robberies of high-end jewelers up and down the East Coast. It took sophisticated, modern crime fighting techniques to tie the heists together. Today, we see the result of diligent work by law enforcement from Virginia to New York to stop this violent, skilled crime syndicate.”
Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said, “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of investigators and prosecutors assigned to this case, four members of this smash and grab crew, which targeted businesses throughout New York City and in other states, is no longer in operation. Two of these criminals, Allen Williams and Roberto Grant, were quickly apprehended by members of the NYPD after they brazenly walked into a Manhattan Cartier store and stole more than $700,000 worth of watches.”
According to the allegations contained in the complaint and statements made in court today:
Between approximately July 1, 2013 and January 30, 2014, a highly organized crew engaged in a series of violent robberies of high-end jewelry and watch stores located in three states, while customers and employees were in the stores, and stole more than a million dollars in luxury watches.
The robberies followed a simple but brazen pattern: on each occasion, three to five members of the crew entered a jewelry or watch store, began smashing glass display cases with hammers, grabbed luxury watches from those display cases, and then fled within minutes of entering the store into waiting getaway cars driven by members of the robbery crew. Each robbery occurred during business hours while store employees and customers were present. The crew used violence as necessary to carry out the scheme. For example, during one robbery in August 2013 in Richmond, Virginia, the robbers used a handheld stungun to subdue a female store employee before fleeing with more than $100,000 in watches.
Among the stores robbed by the crew are Cartier in Manhattan, New York; the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Schwarzschild’s Jewelers in Richmond, Virginia; and Martin Jewelers in Cranford, New Jersey.
All four defendants are charged in count one of the complaint, conspiracy to commit robbery in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Williams and Grant are also charged with each of the robberies in interstate commerce in counts two through five in the complaint; Ratliff is charged with the robbery in interstate commerce in count two of the complaint; and DeHoyos is charged with the robbery in interstate commerce in count four of the complaint. Each of the substantive interstate robbery counts carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. Mr. Bharara also thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which brought charges against Williams and Grant in connection with their participation in the January 30, 2014 robbery of Cartier. He also thanked the Richmond FBI Office and the Atlantic City Resident Agency of the Newark FBI Office, as well as the police departments of Cranford and Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Richmond, Virginia.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Griswold and Richard Cooper are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Todd C. Smith and Travis Oliver Charged in $983,000 Investment Fraud Scheme
A Rockford man and a Califomia man were indicted by a federal grand jury in Rockford on fraud charges. Todd C. Smith, 46, of Rockford, was charged with seven counts of mail fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud, and Travis Oliver, 36, of Tremecula, California, was charged with eight counts of mail fraud and 15 counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud investors by falsely representing to investors that their investments in Electus Asset Holdings were guaranteed, thereby fraudulently obtaining more than $983,000 from the investors.
According to the indictment, Oliver was sole managmg member of Electus Asset Holdings, and both Oliver and Smith solicited individuals to invest in Electus Asset Holdings, engaging in a scheme from February 13, 2009 to at least March 2012 to defaud investors. The indictment alleges the defendants falsely represented to the investors that their investments would be retmned in one year, yielding a guaranteed rate of interest per month, and that the funds could be withdrawn at any time without penalty. However, it is alleged the defendants knew a large portion of the investors’ funds was used to pay personal and other expenses, such as commissions to the defendants and to make interest and principal payments to other individuals who had invested money with Oliver prior to the fonnation ofElectus Asset Holdings in January 2009 and that the remainder of the investors’ funds was placed in a non-guaranteed investment
It is further alleged that in order to conceal their false promises and misrepresentations and to prevent the investors from demanding the return of their principal, defendants used funds from new investors to pay interest and principal owed to prior investors. The indictment also charges that defendants mailed monthly statements and IRS 1099-INT forms to investors that falsely stated that the investors had earned interest on their investments, when defendants knew no interest had been earned on the investments. The indictment alleges that when investors requested the return of their interest and principal, Oliver and Smith made false statements and promises to conceal the fact the investors’ money had been spent or lost in high risk investments, including that the investors’ checks were going to be issued shortly, that their checks were lost in the mail, and that the investors’ money was invested in company that was under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and its assets had been frozen.
Each count of mail fraud and wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or an alternate fine totaling twice the loss or twice the gain derived from the offense, whichever is greater. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and under federal sentencing statutes, as well as restitution.
According to the indictment, Oliver was sole managmg member of Electus Asset Holdings, and both Oliver and Smith solicited individuals to invest in Electus Asset Holdings, engaging in a scheme from February 13, 2009 to at least March 2012 to defaud investors. The indictment alleges the defendants falsely represented to the investors that their investments would be retmned in one year, yielding a guaranteed rate of interest per month, and that the funds could be withdrawn at any time without penalty. However, it is alleged the defendants knew a large portion of the investors’ funds was used to pay personal and other expenses, such as commissions to the defendants and to make interest and principal payments to other individuals who had invested money with Oliver prior to the fonnation ofElectus Asset Holdings in January 2009 and that the remainder of the investors’ funds was placed in a non-guaranteed investment
It is further alleged that in order to conceal their false promises and misrepresentations and to prevent the investors from demanding the return of their principal, defendants used funds from new investors to pay interest and principal owed to prior investors. The indictment also charges that defendants mailed monthly statements and IRS 1099-INT forms to investors that falsely stated that the investors had earned interest on their investments, when defendants knew no interest had been earned on the investments. The indictment alleges that when investors requested the return of their interest and principal, Oliver and Smith made false statements and promises to conceal the fact the investors’ money had been spent or lost in high risk investments, including that the investors’ checks were going to be issued shortly, that their checks were lost in the mail, and that the investors’ money was invested in company that was under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and its assets had been frozen.
Each count of mail fraud and wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or an alternate fine totaling twice the loss or twice the gain derived from the offense, whichever is greater. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and under federal sentencing statutes, as well as restitution.
Dr. Charles DeHann Indicted on Charges of Health Care Fraud
A suspended Rockford physician was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on charges of healthcare fraud. Charles S. DeHann, 59, of Belvidere, Illinois, was charged with nine counts of engaging in a scheme to defraud Medicare.
The indictment alleges that DeHaan, a physician licensed in Illinois, and president of Housecall Physicians Group of Rockford, South Carolina, treated numerous patients at Rockford-area assisted living facilities and, as a physician, had access to patients and patient records. The indictment alleges that, from January 2013 through January 24, 2014, in order to enrich himself, DeHaan submitted false claims to Medicare for reimbursement for medical services that DeHaan provided to patients in their homes. As part of the scheme, DeHaan allegedly obtained patient information of Medicare beneficiaries through his affiliation with and privileges granted to him at various Rockford-area assisted living facilities, without the knowledge or consent of the patients. It is also alleged that DeHaan billed for medical services purportedly provided to patients whom DeHaan never actually treated and billed routine visits with Medicare patients at the highest levels of in-home care when he knew that his visits with these patients typically did not qualify for such billing.
In addition, DeHaan allegedly billed for medical services provided to patients when he knew he did not provide any reimbursable medical service. For instance, on multiple occasions, DeHaan billed Medicare for medical services purportedly provided to patients, when DeHaan’s visit with the patient involved no medical care and instead involved DeHaan’s having sexual contact and attempting to have sexual contact with a patient and making sexual advances toward a patient, according to the indictment.
DeHaan was initially charged with federal health care fraud last month when he was arrested on a criminal complaint.
Each count of health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and full restitution. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The indictment alleges that DeHaan, a physician licensed in Illinois, and president of Housecall Physicians Group of Rockford, South Carolina, treated numerous patients at Rockford-area assisted living facilities and, as a physician, had access to patients and patient records. The indictment alleges that, from January 2013 through January 24, 2014, in order to enrich himself, DeHaan submitted false claims to Medicare for reimbursement for medical services that DeHaan provided to patients in their homes. As part of the scheme, DeHaan allegedly obtained patient information of Medicare beneficiaries through his affiliation with and privileges granted to him at various Rockford-area assisted living facilities, without the knowledge or consent of the patients. It is also alleged that DeHaan billed for medical services purportedly provided to patients whom DeHaan never actually treated and billed routine visits with Medicare patients at the highest levels of in-home care when he knew that his visits with these patients typically did not qualify for such billing.
In addition, DeHaan allegedly billed for medical services provided to patients when he knew he did not provide any reimbursable medical service. For instance, on multiple occasions, DeHaan billed Medicare for medical services purportedly provided to patients, when DeHaan’s visit with the patient involved no medical care and instead involved DeHaan’s having sexual contact and attempting to have sexual contact with a patient and making sexual advances toward a patient, according to the indictment.
DeHaan was initially charged with federal health care fraud last month when he was arrested on a criminal complaint.
Each count of health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and full restitution. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
A Benchmark Win in 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in @NRA Backed Case
The United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit today ruled in favor of the right of law-abiding citizens in California to carry a firearm outside the home for self-defense. California law allows local governments to issue concealed and open carry permits, but generally prohibits the carriage of handguns in public places. The San Diego County Sheriff’s office further restricts gun permits only to law-abiding citizens who can prove “good cause,” meaning they have to show they faced a specific threat to their safety above what the general public faces.
The court ruled San Diego County’s gun regulation scheme unconstitutional. Under the ruling, law-abiding citizens in California would be allowed to carry a handgun for self-defense in public places, not just in their homes.
In addition to supporting the case financially from the beginning, the National Rifle Association filed a friend of the court brief in support of the plaintiffs.
From the Court Ruling:
The court ruled San Diego County’s gun regulation scheme unconstitutional. Under the ruling, law-abiding citizens in California would be allowed to carry a handgun for self-defense in public places, not just in their homes.
In addition to supporting the case financially from the beginning, the National Rifle Association filed a friend of the court brief in support of the plaintiffs.
“No one should have to wait until they are assaulted before they are allowed to exercise their fundamental right of self-defense,” said Chris W. Cox, Executive Director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “The U.S. Supreme Court has already affirmed our Constitutional right to Keep Arms, and today, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the right to Bear Arms. Our fundamental, individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms is not limited to the home,” concluded Cox.
From the Court Ruling:
Because the Second Amendment “confer[s] an individual right to keep and bear arms,” we must assess whether the California scheme deprives any individual of his constitutional rights. Heller, 554 U.S. at 595. Thus, the question is not whether the California scheme (in light of San Diego County’s policy) allows some people to bear arms outside the home in some places at some times; instead, the question is whether it allows the typical responsible, law-abiding citizen to bear arms in public for the lawful purpose of self-defense. The answer to the latter question is a resounding “no.”
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Reward Offered for Capture of Chad Everette Dasher and Raymond Thomas Smith, Jail Escapees
The U.S. Marshals Service is offering dual $2,500 rewards for information that leads to the arrests of two Tattnall County Jail escapees. Chad Everette Dasher and Raymond Thomas Smith escaped from the Tattnall County Jail on Jan. 24. They executed an elaborate plan to breach jail security and escaped through the jail’s roof. They are considered armed and extremely dangerous.
Chad Everette DasherDasher was being held on multiple charges for a multi-county crime spree that occurred in Georgia in 2012. Dasher is a white male, 5’9” tall and 140 pounds. He has green eyes and brown hair. Dasher has an extensive criminal history, including arrests for burglary, firearms, fraud, narcotics, resisting arresting and traffic offenses. He has a history of fleeing from law enforcement.
Smith was being held on multiple counts of aggravated child molestation. Smith is a white male, 6’1” tall and 200 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. InRaymond Thomas Smith addition to Smith’s arrest for sex offenses, he has prior arrests for assault, firearms, and obstruction.
If you have any information about these escapees, call the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office at 912-557-6777 or the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102. Tips can also be emailed to usms.wanted@usdoj.gov. All information is confidential. A $2,500.00 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of each of these fugitives. In order to collect the reward, tipsters should be prepared to give their name and contact information to law enforcement officials manning the tip lines.
Established in 1789, the U.S. Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations. In fiscal year 2013, the Marshals apprehended approximately 36,000 federal fugitives and cleared approximately 39,000 felony warrants. Marshals-led fugitive task forces arrested 74,200 state and local fugitives and cleared approximately 95,000 state and local felony warrants in FY 2013.
The U. S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) was created by the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. Congress recognized the U.S. Marshals expertise in tracking and apprehending dangerous fugitives and ordered the creation of regional fugitive task forces (RFTFs) in core cities throughout the country. Via this mandate, SERFTF was created in 2003 and has offices in Atlanta, Macon and Savannah to assist state, county and local agencies as a central investigative base to identify, locate and apprehend dangerous offenders.
In FY2013, SERFTF arrested approximately 2,534 fugitives and cleared roughly 4,048 warrants statewide in Georgia. Locally, the Savannah Division of SERFTF is composed of state and local law enforcement officers from the Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Parole, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, and the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office.
Chad Everette DasherDasher was being held on multiple charges for a multi-county crime spree that occurred in Georgia in 2012. Dasher is a white male, 5’9” tall and 140 pounds. He has green eyes and brown hair. Dasher has an extensive criminal history, including arrests for burglary, firearms, fraud, narcotics, resisting arresting and traffic offenses. He has a history of fleeing from law enforcement.
Smith was being held on multiple counts of aggravated child molestation. Smith is a white male, 6’1” tall and 200 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. InRaymond Thomas Smith addition to Smith’s arrest for sex offenses, he has prior arrests for assault, firearms, and obstruction.
If you have any information about these escapees, call the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office at 912-557-6777 or the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102. Tips can also be emailed to usms.wanted@usdoj.gov. All information is confidential. A $2,500.00 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of each of these fugitives. In order to collect the reward, tipsters should be prepared to give their name and contact information to law enforcement officials manning the tip lines.
Established in 1789, the U.S. Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations. In fiscal year 2013, the Marshals apprehended approximately 36,000 federal fugitives and cleared approximately 39,000 felony warrants. Marshals-led fugitive task forces arrested 74,200 state and local fugitives and cleared approximately 95,000 state and local felony warrants in FY 2013.
The U. S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) was created by the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. Congress recognized the U.S. Marshals expertise in tracking and apprehending dangerous fugitives and ordered the creation of regional fugitive task forces (RFTFs) in core cities throughout the country. Via this mandate, SERFTF was created in 2003 and has offices in Atlanta, Macon and Savannah to assist state, county and local agencies as a central investigative base to identify, locate and apprehend dangerous offenders.
In FY2013, SERFTF arrested approximately 2,534 fugitives and cleared roughly 4,048 warrants statewide in Georgia. Locally, the Savannah Division of SERFTF is composed of state and local law enforcement officers from the Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Parole, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, and the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office.
John DeDakis, Long-time CNN Journalist, Publishes #TroubledWater, New Mystery Novel
Long-time CNN journalist John DeDakis is back with his third mystery novel featuring young, feisty reporter Lark Chadwick. Just as Lark is about to begin her new job on the cops and courts beat, she discovers the body of a strangled girl - the first victim of a serial killer. Lark has the inside track, but there are complications: jealous rivals in the newsroom, her job in danger, a hunky colleague who becomes a suspect, a superstar athlete with anger issues. And just who is that mysterious bag boy at the local market? With the help of her friend and mentor, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lionel Stone, Lark's nerve is tested like never before in a dramatic life-or-death showdown with the killer. Troubled Water is the third installment in the Lark Chadwick mystery/suspense series.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Patriot Priest Documents the Remarkable Life of American Adventurer William Hemmick
Strategic Media Books has published Patricia Daly-Lipe's sixth book, Patriot Priest: The Biography of William Hemmick, a remarkable tale of the life of Msgr. William A Hemmick whose extraordinary experiences over several epochs give the reader a new personal perspective on history from WWI and WWII to the post-war era of the '50s and 60s. During his long life, Msgr. William interacted with some of the most notable movers and shakers of modern times, including Pope Benedict XV, Marshall Foch, artist Simon Elwes, Sir Shane Leslie, and F. Scott Fitzgerald who was once his student.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but raised in Europe, William A Hemmick became fluent in five languages. Ordained by Cardinal Gibbons in 1911, when the First World War broke out, he felt committed to help the troops. After the war, the U.S. Army and Navy proclaimed him the "Patriot Priest of Picardy." After years spent in Paris between the wars, where he established and ran the American Catholic Welfare Centre for all those who had been traumatized by the war, the Vatican asked Father William to come to Rome. Ultimately, he became the only American Canon of St. Peter's representing the Knights of Malta to the Holy See. It was he who performed the nuptials of American film star Tyrone Power and Linda Christian. He also converted the future Queen Astrid of Belgium.
Although many stories and famous people permeate Hemmick’s life through the events of both world wars, this is not only the story of oneindividual. It is a personal glimpse at an epic era in history, from WWI to Paris between the wars, to WWII and its aftermath.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but raised in Europe, William A Hemmick became fluent in five languages. Ordained by Cardinal Gibbons in 1911, when the First World War broke out, he felt committed to help the troops. After the war, the U.S. Army and Navy proclaimed him the "Patriot Priest of Picardy." After years spent in Paris between the wars, where he established and ran the American Catholic Welfare Centre for all those who had been traumatized by the war, the Vatican asked Father William to come to Rome. Ultimately, he became the only American Canon of St. Peter's representing the Knights of Malta to the Holy See. It was he who performed the nuptials of American film star Tyrone Power and Linda Christian. He also converted the future Queen Astrid of Belgium.
Although many stories and famous people permeate Hemmick’s life through the events of both world wars, this is not only the story of oneindividual. It is a personal glimpse at an epic era in history, from WWI to Paris between the wars, to WWII and its aftermath.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Earl L. Theriot, Former Police Chief, Convicted of Making False Statements in Civil Rights Investigation
United States Attorney Walt Green announced that Earl L. Theriot, age 65, of Sorrento, Louisiana, pled guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to making false statements to an FBI special agent in connection with a criminal civil rights investigation. Theriot faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Theriot admitted that on November 1, 2013, while serving as the chief of police for the town of Sorrento and following a 911 emergency police dispatch, he contacted an unresponsive individual at a local gas station, placed her in the front seat of his police unit, and, instead of bringing her back to her residence, transported her to his office at the Sorrento Police Department, where he engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with her. Theriot also admitted to later making numerous false statements to an FBI special agent and a deputy with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office who were investigating whether Theriot violated federal civil rights laws, among other things.
On February 7, 2014, Theriot resigned as chief of police as required by the plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office.
United States Attorney Green stated, “This office, along with our federal, state, and local partners, are dedicated to conducting thorough and complete investigations into credible allegations of police corruption and civil rights violations. Those who seek to obstruct such efforts by making false statements to federal investigators will face severe consequences. My special appreciation to Sheriff Jeff Wiley of the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney Ricky Babin of the 23rd Judicial District, and the FBI who worked seamlessly with my office to ensure justice was done.”
Theriot admitted that on November 1, 2013, while serving as the chief of police for the town of Sorrento and following a 911 emergency police dispatch, he contacted an unresponsive individual at a local gas station, placed her in the front seat of his police unit, and, instead of bringing her back to her residence, transported her to his office at the Sorrento Police Department, where he engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with her. Theriot also admitted to later making numerous false statements to an FBI special agent and a deputy with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office who were investigating whether Theriot violated federal civil rights laws, among other things.
On February 7, 2014, Theriot resigned as chief of police as required by the plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office.
United States Attorney Green stated, “This office, along with our federal, state, and local partners, are dedicated to conducting thorough and complete investigations into credible allegations of police corruption and civil rights violations. Those who seek to obstruct such efforts by making false statements to federal investigators will face severe consequences. My special appreciation to Sheriff Jeff Wiley of the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney Ricky Babin of the 23rd Judicial District, and the FBI who worked seamlessly with my office to ensure justice was done.”
Full Details on US-Italian #Mafia Takedown of 24 Defendants Including Reputed #Ndrangheta Member, #Gambino A
A 15—count indictment was unsealed this morning in federal court in the Eastern District of New York charging seven defendants with narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses based, in part, on their participation in a transnational heroin and cocaine trafficking conspiracy involving the ‘Ndrangheta, one of Italy’s most powerful organized crime syndicates. The defendants—‘Ndrangheta member Raffaele Valente, also known as “Lello”; Gambino associate Franco Lupoi; Bonanno associate Charles Centaro, also known as “Charlie Pepsi”; Dominic Ali; Alexander Chan; Christos Fasarakis; and Jose Alfredo Garcia, also known as “Freddy”—were arrested earlier today. In a coordinated operation, Italian law enforcement authorities arrested 17 members and associates of the ‘Ndrangheta in Calabria, Italy, who were involved in the narcotics trafficking conspiracy, among other crimes.
The seven defendants arrested in the United States were scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold, at the United States Courthouse at 225 Cadman Plaza East in Brooklyn, New York. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr.
The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).
“The ‘Ndrangheta is an exceptionally dangerous, sophisticated, and insidious criminal organization with tentacles stretching from Italy to countries around the world,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “The defendant Lupoi sought to use his connections with both ‘Ndrangheta and the Gambino crime family to extend his own criminal reach literally around the globe. Today, thanks to the vigilance and sustained cooperation of the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners in Italy, the ‘Ndrangheta’s efforts to gain a foothold in New York have been dealt a lasting blow.” Ms. Lynch praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and expressed her thanks to law enforcement partners in Italy, including the Prosecutor of the Republic of Reggio Calabria; the Italian National Police (INP), in particular, the Squadra Mobile of Reggio Calabria and the Servizio Centrale Operativo; the Direzione Centrale per i Servizi Antidroga; and the Direzione Nazionale Antimafia. Ms. Lynch also expressed gratitude to the U.S. Department of Justice Attaché and the the FBI Legal Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, who coordinated extensive evidence-sharing and undercover operations.
“As alleged, ‘Ndrangheta’s clan members conspired with members of the Gambino organized crime family in New York in an attempt to infiltrate our area with their illegal activities. Under the auspices of legitimate shipping businesses, the two criminal groups worked together to establish a plan of moving cocaine and heroin between the United States and Italy. Little did they know, there was an ongoing collaboration between the FBI and the Italian National Police to investigate and identify their scheme. This international cooperation between our great law enforcement agencies is one that was established at the beginning of our investigation, and it remains in place today. With every arrest made, both here and in Italy, FBI agents and Italian National Police officers closely coordinated their operations and share the success of this operation,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Venizelos.
As detailed in the indictment and detention letter filed today, defendant Franco Lupoi, a Brooklyn resident who has lived in Calabria, used his close criminal ties to both the Gambino organized crime family and the ‘Ndrangheta, an Italian criminal organization akin to the Mafia in Sicily and the Camorra in Naples, to pursue criminal activity that stretched across the globe. The Italian charges unsealed today reveal how the ‘Ndrangheta has operated for decades in Calabria in localized clans—known as ‘ndrine—based primarily on close family ties. In this case, Lupoi’s father-in-law, Italian defendant Nicola Antonio Simonetta, is a member of the Ursino clan of the ‘Ndrangheta. In 2012, Simonetta traveled to Brooklyn and met with Lupoi and an undercover FBI agent, who recorded Simonetta and Lupoi discussing plans to ship narcotics between the U.S. and Italy via the port of Gioia Tauro in Calabria, an infamous hub of ‘Ndrangheta activity. Simonetta revealed that his ‘Ndrangheta associates at the port would guarantee the safe arrival of container ships containing contraband.
As alleged in court documents, Lupoi exploited these underworld connections to link his criminal associates in New York with those in Calabria, forming conspiracies to traffic heroin and cocaine. On the Italian side, he allegedly engaged Italian defendant and ‘Ndrangheta leader Francesco Ursino and others as suppliers of heroin and buyers of cocaine. During two joint FBI-INP operations in Italy, Lupoi and Ursino sold more than 1.3 kilograms of heroin to an FBI undercover agent for what they believed was eventual distribution in the United States. In New York, Lupoi, Chan, and Garcia sold the undercover agent more than a kilogram of heroin.
As alleged, Lupoi also set into motion a plot to transport 500 kilograms of cocaine, concealed in frozen food, in shipping containers from Guyana to Calabria. In the course of these conspiracies, Lupoi assured his confederates of his relationship with a corrupt port official in Gioia Tauro, indicating that in return for €200,000, the official could guarantee passage of unlimited containers of contraband. In New York, Lupoi joined forces with defendants Alexander Chan and Garcia to orchestrate the Guyana-Italy cocaine conspiracy. In conversations recorded by the undercover agent, the conspirators discussed their connections to Mexican drug cartels operating in Guyana, South America, and plotted to transport 500 kilograms of cocaine internationally, hidden in shipments of frozen fish or pineapples. On the Italian side, Ursino and his co-conspirators planned to use a fish importation company to receive the shipment. As set forth in Italian court documents, the conspiracy slowed when shipping containers originating from the same Guyanese shipping company were seized in Malaysia and found to contain more than $7 million in cocaine hidden in pineapples and coconut milk.
As set forth in court documents, Lupoi also worked closely with U.S. defendant and ‘Ndrangheta member Raffaele Valente, who sold an illegal silencer and sawed-off shotgun to the FBI undercover agent at the Royal Crown Bakery in Brooklyn. In conversations intercepted on Italian wiretaps, Valente revealed that he had assembled a group of well-armed men in New York and that their base of operations was as secure as Fort Knox. Valente also discussed his devotion to St. Michael the Archangel as the purported “patron saint” of the ‘Ndrangheta and exhorted Italian defendant Andrea Memmolo to wear a special ring as a sign of pride and mutual recognition. Valente and Lupoi are charged with conspiracy to transfer a firearm, and Valente is charged with two counts of illegal possession of a silencer. Valente is also charged in Italy with the crime of mafia association based on his role in establishing an ‘Ndrangheta cell in New York.
As alleged, Lupoi further maintained a network of money laundering associates in New York. He and his co-defendants Dominic Ali, Charles “Charlie Pepsi” Centaro, and Christos Fasarakis, an employee of Alma Bank in Brooklyn, laundered more than $500,000 in funds that they believed were the proceeds of narcotics and illegal weapons trafficking. Centaro was recorded describing his access to bank accounts with millions of dollars through which he could launder and conceal criminal proceeds.
If convicted, Lupoi, Chan, and Garcia face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment; Ali, Centaro, and Fasarakis face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each money laundering charge; and Valente faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on each firearms charge.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cristina Posa, Kristin Mace, and Kevin Trowel.
The charges contained in the indictment and complaint are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants
Franco Lupoi
Age: 44
Brooklyn, New York
Dominic Ali
Age: 55
Brooklyn, New York
Charles Centaro, a.k.a. “Charlie Pepsi”
Age: 50
Brooklyn, New York
Alexander Chan
Age: 46
New York, New York
Christos Fasarakis
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New York
Raffaele Valente, a.k.a. “Lello”
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New York
Jose Alfredo Garcia, a.k.a. “Freddy”
Age: 47
New York, New York
The seven defendants arrested in the United States were scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold, at the United States Courthouse at 225 Cadman Plaza East in Brooklyn, New York. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr.
The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).
“The ‘Ndrangheta is an exceptionally dangerous, sophisticated, and insidious criminal organization with tentacles stretching from Italy to countries around the world,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “The defendant Lupoi sought to use his connections with both ‘Ndrangheta and the Gambino crime family to extend his own criminal reach literally around the globe. Today, thanks to the vigilance and sustained cooperation of the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners in Italy, the ‘Ndrangheta’s efforts to gain a foothold in New York have been dealt a lasting blow.” Ms. Lynch praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and expressed her thanks to law enforcement partners in Italy, including the Prosecutor of the Republic of Reggio Calabria; the Italian National Police (INP), in particular, the Squadra Mobile of Reggio Calabria and the Servizio Centrale Operativo; the Direzione Centrale per i Servizi Antidroga; and the Direzione Nazionale Antimafia. Ms. Lynch also expressed gratitude to the U.S. Department of Justice Attaché and the the FBI Legal Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, who coordinated extensive evidence-sharing and undercover operations.
“As alleged, ‘Ndrangheta’s clan members conspired with members of the Gambino organized crime family in New York in an attempt to infiltrate our area with their illegal activities. Under the auspices of legitimate shipping businesses, the two criminal groups worked together to establish a plan of moving cocaine and heroin between the United States and Italy. Little did they know, there was an ongoing collaboration between the FBI and the Italian National Police to investigate and identify their scheme. This international cooperation between our great law enforcement agencies is one that was established at the beginning of our investigation, and it remains in place today. With every arrest made, both here and in Italy, FBI agents and Italian National Police officers closely coordinated their operations and share the success of this operation,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Venizelos.
As detailed in the indictment and detention letter filed today, defendant Franco Lupoi, a Brooklyn resident who has lived in Calabria, used his close criminal ties to both the Gambino organized crime family and the ‘Ndrangheta, an Italian criminal organization akin to the Mafia in Sicily and the Camorra in Naples, to pursue criminal activity that stretched across the globe. The Italian charges unsealed today reveal how the ‘Ndrangheta has operated for decades in Calabria in localized clans—known as ‘ndrine—based primarily on close family ties. In this case, Lupoi’s father-in-law, Italian defendant Nicola Antonio Simonetta, is a member of the Ursino clan of the ‘Ndrangheta. In 2012, Simonetta traveled to Brooklyn and met with Lupoi and an undercover FBI agent, who recorded Simonetta and Lupoi discussing plans to ship narcotics between the U.S. and Italy via the port of Gioia Tauro in Calabria, an infamous hub of ‘Ndrangheta activity. Simonetta revealed that his ‘Ndrangheta associates at the port would guarantee the safe arrival of container ships containing contraband.
As alleged in court documents, Lupoi exploited these underworld connections to link his criminal associates in New York with those in Calabria, forming conspiracies to traffic heroin and cocaine. On the Italian side, he allegedly engaged Italian defendant and ‘Ndrangheta leader Francesco Ursino and others as suppliers of heroin and buyers of cocaine. During two joint FBI-INP operations in Italy, Lupoi and Ursino sold more than 1.3 kilograms of heroin to an FBI undercover agent for what they believed was eventual distribution in the United States. In New York, Lupoi, Chan, and Garcia sold the undercover agent more than a kilogram of heroin.
As alleged, Lupoi also set into motion a plot to transport 500 kilograms of cocaine, concealed in frozen food, in shipping containers from Guyana to Calabria. In the course of these conspiracies, Lupoi assured his confederates of his relationship with a corrupt port official in Gioia Tauro, indicating that in return for €200,000, the official could guarantee passage of unlimited containers of contraband. In New York, Lupoi joined forces with defendants Alexander Chan and Garcia to orchestrate the Guyana-Italy cocaine conspiracy. In conversations recorded by the undercover agent, the conspirators discussed their connections to Mexican drug cartels operating in Guyana, South America, and plotted to transport 500 kilograms of cocaine internationally, hidden in shipments of frozen fish or pineapples. On the Italian side, Ursino and his co-conspirators planned to use a fish importation company to receive the shipment. As set forth in Italian court documents, the conspiracy slowed when shipping containers originating from the same Guyanese shipping company were seized in Malaysia and found to contain more than $7 million in cocaine hidden in pineapples and coconut milk.
As set forth in court documents, Lupoi also worked closely with U.S. defendant and ‘Ndrangheta member Raffaele Valente, who sold an illegal silencer and sawed-off shotgun to the FBI undercover agent at the Royal Crown Bakery in Brooklyn. In conversations intercepted on Italian wiretaps, Valente revealed that he had assembled a group of well-armed men in New York and that their base of operations was as secure as Fort Knox. Valente also discussed his devotion to St. Michael the Archangel as the purported “patron saint” of the ‘Ndrangheta and exhorted Italian defendant Andrea Memmolo to wear a special ring as a sign of pride and mutual recognition. Valente and Lupoi are charged with conspiracy to transfer a firearm, and Valente is charged with two counts of illegal possession of a silencer. Valente is also charged in Italy with the crime of mafia association based on his role in establishing an ‘Ndrangheta cell in New York.
As alleged, Lupoi further maintained a network of money laundering associates in New York. He and his co-defendants Dominic Ali, Charles “Charlie Pepsi” Centaro, and Christos Fasarakis, an employee of Alma Bank in Brooklyn, laundered more than $500,000 in funds that they believed were the proceeds of narcotics and illegal weapons trafficking. Centaro was recorded describing his access to bank accounts with millions of dollars through which he could launder and conceal criminal proceeds.
If convicted, Lupoi, Chan, and Garcia face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment; Ali, Centaro, and Fasarakis face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each money laundering charge; and Valente faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on each firearms charge.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cristina Posa, Kristin Mace, and Kevin Trowel.
The charges contained in the indictment and complaint are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants
Franco Lupoi
Age: 44
Brooklyn, New York
Dominic Ali
Age: 55
Brooklyn, New York
Charles Centaro, a.k.a. “Charlie Pepsi”
Age: 50
Brooklyn, New York
Alexander Chan
Age: 46
New York, New York
Christos Fasarakis
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New York
Raffaele Valente, a.k.a. “Lello”
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New York
Jose Alfredo Garcia, a.k.a. “Freddy”
Age: 47
New York, New York
Monday, February 10, 2014
Phillip D. Murphy, Former Bank of America Executive, Pleads Guilty to Role in Conspiracy and Fraud Involving Investment Contracts for Municipal Bonds Proceeds
A former Bank of America executive pleaded guilty today to his participation in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud related to bidding for contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other municipal finance contracts, the Department of Justice announced.
Phillip D. Murphy, the former managing director of Bank of America’s municipal derivatives products desk from 1998 to 2002, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina to participating in a fraud conspiracy and wire fraud scheme with employees of Rubin/Chambers, Dunhill Insurance Services Inc., also known as CDR Financial Products, a broker of municipal finance contracts, and others. Murphy also pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to make false entries in the reports and statements originating from his desk, which were sent to bank management.
Murphy was indicted by a grand jury on July 19, 2012. According to the indictment, Murphy participated in a wire fraud scheme and separate fraud conspiracies that began as early as 1998 and continued until 2006.
“By manipulating what was intended to be a competitive bidding process, the conspirators defrauded municipalities, public entities, and taxpayers across the country,” said Brent Snyder, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division’s Criminal Enforcement Program. “Today’s guilty plea reaffirms the Antitrust Division’s continued efforts to hold accountable those who corrupt and subvert the competitive process in our financial markets.”
Public entities seek to invest money from a variety of sources, primarily the proceeds of municipal bonds that they issue, to raise money for, among other things, public projects. Public entities typically hire a broker to conduct a competitive bidding process for the award of the investment agreements and often for other municipal finance contracts.
According to the charges, Murphy conspired with CDR and others to increase the number and profitability of investment agreements and other municipal finance contracts awarded to Bank of America. Murphy won investment agreements through CDR’s manipulation of the bidding process in obtaining losing bids from other providers, which is explicitly prohibited by U.S. Treasury regulations. As a result of the information, various providers won investment agreements and other municipal finance contracts at artificially determined prices. In exchange for this information, Murphy submitted intentionally losing bids for certain investment agreements and other contracts when requested and, on occasion, agreed to pay or arranged for kickbacks to be paid to CDR and other co-conspirator brokers.
Murphy and his co-conspirators misrepresented to municipal issuers that the bidding process was competitive and in compliance with U.S. Treasury regulations. This caused the municipal issuers to award investment agreements and other municipal finance contracts to providers that otherwise would not have been awarded the contracts if the issuers had true and accurate information regarding the bidding process. Such conduct placed the tax-exempt status of the underlying bonds in jeopardy.
“Mr. Murphy’s actions undermined the public’s trust when he conspired to manipulate a competitive bidding process,” said Richard Weber, Chief, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “IRS-CI has experienced great success in unraveling significant and complex financial frauds as we work in close collaboration with our law enforcement partners.”
“Mr. Murphy ripped off hard working American taxpayers and cash-strapped municipalities all in pursuit of his own lucre,” said George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office. “Let this serve as a reminder to others who are entrusted to act in the public’s best interest; your lack of candor won’t go without notice.”
Murphy pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and one count of wire fraud. The fraud conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The false bank records conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum fines for each of these offenses may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
Including Murphy, a total of 17 individuals have been convicted or pleaded guilty. Additionally, one company has pleaded guilty.
The prosecution is being handled by Steven Tugander, Richard Powers, Eric Hoffmann, Patricia Jannaco, and Stephanie Raney of the Antitrust Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kurt Meyers, Michael Savage, and Mark Odulio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina have also provided valuable assistance in this matter. The guilty plea announced today resulted from a wide-ranging investigation conducted by the Antitrust Division’s New York office, the FBI, and the IRS-CI. The division coordinated its investigation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Phillip D. Murphy, the former managing director of Bank of America’s municipal derivatives products desk from 1998 to 2002, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina to participating in a fraud conspiracy and wire fraud scheme with employees of Rubin/Chambers, Dunhill Insurance Services Inc., also known as CDR Financial Products, a broker of municipal finance contracts, and others. Murphy also pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to make false entries in the reports and statements originating from his desk, which were sent to bank management.
Murphy was indicted by a grand jury on July 19, 2012. According to the indictment, Murphy participated in a wire fraud scheme and separate fraud conspiracies that began as early as 1998 and continued until 2006.
“By manipulating what was intended to be a competitive bidding process, the conspirators defrauded municipalities, public entities, and taxpayers across the country,” said Brent Snyder, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division’s Criminal Enforcement Program. “Today’s guilty plea reaffirms the Antitrust Division’s continued efforts to hold accountable those who corrupt and subvert the competitive process in our financial markets.”
Public entities seek to invest money from a variety of sources, primarily the proceeds of municipal bonds that they issue, to raise money for, among other things, public projects. Public entities typically hire a broker to conduct a competitive bidding process for the award of the investment agreements and often for other municipal finance contracts.
According to the charges, Murphy conspired with CDR and others to increase the number and profitability of investment agreements and other municipal finance contracts awarded to Bank of America. Murphy won investment agreements through CDR’s manipulation of the bidding process in obtaining losing bids from other providers, which is explicitly prohibited by U.S. Treasury regulations. As a result of the information, various providers won investment agreements and other municipal finance contracts at artificially determined prices. In exchange for this information, Murphy submitted intentionally losing bids for certain investment agreements and other contracts when requested and, on occasion, agreed to pay or arranged for kickbacks to be paid to CDR and other co-conspirator brokers.
Murphy and his co-conspirators misrepresented to municipal issuers that the bidding process was competitive and in compliance with U.S. Treasury regulations. This caused the municipal issuers to award investment agreements and other municipal finance contracts to providers that otherwise would not have been awarded the contracts if the issuers had true and accurate information regarding the bidding process. Such conduct placed the tax-exempt status of the underlying bonds in jeopardy.
“Mr. Murphy’s actions undermined the public’s trust when he conspired to manipulate a competitive bidding process,” said Richard Weber, Chief, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “IRS-CI has experienced great success in unraveling significant and complex financial frauds as we work in close collaboration with our law enforcement partners.”
“Mr. Murphy ripped off hard working American taxpayers and cash-strapped municipalities all in pursuit of his own lucre,” said George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office. “Let this serve as a reminder to others who are entrusted to act in the public’s best interest; your lack of candor won’t go without notice.”
Murphy pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and one count of wire fraud. The fraud conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The false bank records conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum fines for each of these offenses may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
Including Murphy, a total of 17 individuals have been convicted or pleaded guilty. Additionally, one company has pleaded guilty.
The prosecution is being handled by Steven Tugander, Richard Powers, Eric Hoffmann, Patricia Jannaco, and Stephanie Raney of the Antitrust Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kurt Meyers, Michael Savage, and Mark Odulio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina have also provided valuable assistance in this matter. The guilty plea announced today resulted from a wide-ranging investigation conducted by the Antitrust Division’s New York office, the FBI, and the IRS-CI. The division coordinated its investigation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Seven Arts Entertainment CEO Indicted in Fraudulent Film Tax Credit Scheme
Peter M. Hoffman, age 63, of Los Angeles, California, and Michael P. Arata, age 47, of New Orleans, Louisiana, were charged in a six count indictment by a federal grand jury with conspiracy and wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr.
According to the indictment, the Louisiana Motion Picture Incentive Act (LMPIA) was enacted to provide incentives for and encourage the filming of motion pictures and television programs in Louisiana. Under the LMPIA, companies making motion pictures were eligible to receive tax credits that were calculated as a percentage of the companies’ qualified expenditures in Louisiana. Qualified expenditures upon which companies could receive tax credits included expenditures on infrastructure. Infrastructure expenditures only included the purchase, construction, and use of facilities that were directly related to and utilized for motion picture production in Louisiana. In order to qualify for infrastructure tax credits, all funds had to be actually expended, and such expenditures had to be verified by an independent Louisiana Certified Public Accountant. Businesses that applied to the state for infrastructure tax credits were entitled to receive an amount equal to 40 percent of their qualified and audited infrastructure expenditures. Once this amount was certified by the state of Louisiana, the applicants could then sell the certification to local businesses and individuals. Such sale of tax credits provided for a significant source of cash for film projects.
The defendant, Peter M. Hoffman, was the chief executive officer of Seven Arts Entertainment Inc., a company that was primarily involved in the motion picture and entertainment industry in California. As chief executive officer of Seven Arts Entertainment Inc., his duties included the selection and production of major motion pictures, strategic planning, business development, operations, financial administration, and accounting. Hoffman was also an attorney and participated as a lawyer and executive in numerous financial and tax-preferred financings over a period of more than 25 years. Hoffman also owned, operated, and controlled numerous companies related to and affiliated with Seven Arts Entertainment Inc.
The co-defendant, Michael P. Arata, was a Louisiana attorney and businessman who also owned and operated companies involved in the movie and entertainment industry. Through their respective companies, Hoffman and Arata were partners in different movie-industry business ventures.
Through their respective companies, Hoffman and Arata purchased property located at 807 Esplanade in New Orleans, Louisiana. 807 Esplanade was an old mansion located in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood on the edge of the French Quarter that had fallen into a severe state of disrepair over many years. The proposed reason for purchasing the property was to renovate the mansion and turn it into a film post-production facility.
After purchasing the property, Hoffman and Arata submitted an application and supporting documents to the state of Louisiana in order to receive film infrastructure tax credits for money the defendants fraudulently claimed had been spent on 807 Esplanade. On or about June 19, 2009, the state of Louisiana issued approximately $1,132,480.80 in tax credits to the 807 Esplanade partnership.
The Indictment charges that Hoffman and Arata fraudulently submitted materially false and misleading documents and information regarding 807 Esplanade expenditures to the auditors and to the state of Louisiana in order to receive infrastructure tax credits.
“The United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI. and the Louisiana Office of the Inspector General stand committed to protecting the economic interests of the United States and the state of Louisiana,” stated U.S. Attorney Polite. “The state of Louisiana has provided significant incentives to the film and entertainment industry in order to develop business and employment in Louisiana. Such an important effort will not be criminally exploited.”
“Those who brazenly steal from the taxpayers and abuse tax credit programs should know that we will relentlessly pursue and hold them criminally accountable wherever possible,” stated Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street. “We remain committed to working with the FBI and United States Attorney to root out this sort of corruption wherever it may exist.”
Hoffman and Arata face a maximum term of imprisonment of five years with respect to count one and 20 years with respect to each of counts two through six. The defendants also face a maximum fine of $250,000 with respect to each count and supervised release of three years.
According to the indictment, the Louisiana Motion Picture Incentive Act (LMPIA) was enacted to provide incentives for and encourage the filming of motion pictures and television programs in Louisiana. Under the LMPIA, companies making motion pictures were eligible to receive tax credits that were calculated as a percentage of the companies’ qualified expenditures in Louisiana. Qualified expenditures upon which companies could receive tax credits included expenditures on infrastructure. Infrastructure expenditures only included the purchase, construction, and use of facilities that were directly related to and utilized for motion picture production in Louisiana. In order to qualify for infrastructure tax credits, all funds had to be actually expended, and such expenditures had to be verified by an independent Louisiana Certified Public Accountant. Businesses that applied to the state for infrastructure tax credits were entitled to receive an amount equal to 40 percent of their qualified and audited infrastructure expenditures. Once this amount was certified by the state of Louisiana, the applicants could then sell the certification to local businesses and individuals. Such sale of tax credits provided for a significant source of cash for film projects.
The defendant, Peter M. Hoffman, was the chief executive officer of Seven Arts Entertainment Inc., a company that was primarily involved in the motion picture and entertainment industry in California. As chief executive officer of Seven Arts Entertainment Inc., his duties included the selection and production of major motion pictures, strategic planning, business development, operations, financial administration, and accounting. Hoffman was also an attorney and participated as a lawyer and executive in numerous financial and tax-preferred financings over a period of more than 25 years. Hoffman also owned, operated, and controlled numerous companies related to and affiliated with Seven Arts Entertainment Inc.
The co-defendant, Michael P. Arata, was a Louisiana attorney and businessman who also owned and operated companies involved in the movie and entertainment industry. Through their respective companies, Hoffman and Arata were partners in different movie-industry business ventures.
Through their respective companies, Hoffman and Arata purchased property located at 807 Esplanade in New Orleans, Louisiana. 807 Esplanade was an old mansion located in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood on the edge of the French Quarter that had fallen into a severe state of disrepair over many years. The proposed reason for purchasing the property was to renovate the mansion and turn it into a film post-production facility.
After purchasing the property, Hoffman and Arata submitted an application and supporting documents to the state of Louisiana in order to receive film infrastructure tax credits for money the defendants fraudulently claimed had been spent on 807 Esplanade. On or about June 19, 2009, the state of Louisiana issued approximately $1,132,480.80 in tax credits to the 807 Esplanade partnership.
The Indictment charges that Hoffman and Arata fraudulently submitted materially false and misleading documents and information regarding 807 Esplanade expenditures to the auditors and to the state of Louisiana in order to receive infrastructure tax credits.
“The United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI. and the Louisiana Office of the Inspector General stand committed to protecting the economic interests of the United States and the state of Louisiana,” stated U.S. Attorney Polite. “The state of Louisiana has provided significant incentives to the film and entertainment industry in order to develop business and employment in Louisiana. Such an important effort will not be criminally exploited.”
“Those who brazenly steal from the taxpayers and abuse tax credit programs should know that we will relentlessly pursue and hold them criminally accountable wherever possible,” stated Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street. “We remain committed to working with the FBI and United States Attorney to root out this sort of corruption wherever it may exist.”
Hoffman and Arata face a maximum term of imprisonment of five years with respect to count one and 20 years with respect to each of counts two through six. The defendants also face a maximum fine of $250,000 with respect to each count and supervised release of three years.
Details Released on Trenton Mayor's Conviction on Federal Extortion, Bribery, and Mail and Wire Fraud Charges
A federal jury found Trenton Mayor Tony F. Mack guilty on all six federal extortion, bribery, and mail and wire fraud charges against him, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Mack’s brother, Ralphiel Mack, was also convicted on three of the charges but found not guilty on three mail and wire fraud counts, following a five-week trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court. The Macks were charged in connection with a scheme to accept $119,000 in bribes in exchange for Mayor Mack’s official actions and influence in assisting cooperating witnesses in the development of an automated parking garage on city-owned land.
“The jury’s verdict solidly affirms what we first charged more than a year ago—that Tony Mack, with the helping hands of his brother and their cohorts, sold the mayor’s office and sold out the people of Trenton,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “We are very grateful to the members of the jury for their service.”
Tony F. Mack, 48, and Ralphiel Mack, 41, both of Trenton, originally were charged by complaint on September 10, 2012, with one count of conspiracy to obstruct commerce by extortion under color of official right related to the $119,000 extortion scheme. Also charged at that time was Joseph A. Giorgianni, 64, of Ewing, New Jersey. An indictment returned in December 2012 added charges against all three defendants.
Giorgianni pleaded guilty on December 13, 2013, to one count of conspiring with the Macks and others to obstruct interstate commerce by extorting individuals under color of official right, in addition to a separate extortion scheme, a narcotics charge, and illegal weapons possession, all charges unrelated to the Macks.
Mayor Mack was convicted of the six counts charged in the indictment:
Ralphiel Mack was convicted on the same first three counts and found not guilty of the mail and wire fraud charges. The jury members deliberated for seven hours before returning their verdicts.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
Mayor Mack, Giorgianni, and Ralphiel Mack conspired to accept approximately $119,000 in cash and other valuables, of which $54,000 was accepted and another $65,000 that the defendants planned to accept, from two cooperating witnesses (CW-1 and CW-2). In exchange for the payments, Mayor Mack agreed to and did assist CW-1 and CW-2 in their efforts to acquire a city-owned lot (the East State Street lot) to develop an automated parking garage (the parking garage project). The scheme included a plan to divert $100,000 of the purchase amount that CW-2 had indicated a willingness to pay to the city of Trenton for the lot as a bribe and kickback payment to Giorgianni and Mayor Mack. The mayor authorized and directed a Trenton official responsible for disposition of city-owned land to offer the East State Street lot to CW-2 for $100,000, significantly less than the amount originally proposed by CW-2.
The defendants went to great lengths to conceal their corrupt activity and keep Mayor Mack “safe” from law enforcement. For example, Giorgianni and Ralphiel Mack acted as intermediaries, or “buffers,” who accepted cash payments for Mayor Mack’s benefit. Mayor Mack also used another city of Trenton employee involved in the scheme, Charles Hall, III, 49, of Trenton, to contact other Trenton officials to facilitate the parking garage project and to inform the mayor when Giorgianni had received corrupt cash payments. Hall pleaded guilty before Judge Shipp in February 2013 to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to obstruct commerce by extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiring to distribute narcotics with others, including Giorgianni.
To conceal the corrupt arrangement, the defendants avoided discussing matters related to the scheme over the telephone. When those matters were discussed, they used code words and aliases. One such code word was “Uncle Remus,” which both Giorgianni and Hall regularly used to communicate to Mayor Mack that a corrupt payment had been received. For example, on October 29, 2011, Giorgianni telephoned Hall and informed him that Giorgianni had to “see” Mayor Mack and that “I got Uncle Remus for him,” meaning a corrupt cash payment that Giorgianni had received from CW-1 two days earlier. Giorgianni directed Hall to bring Mayor Mack to a meeting location controlled by Giorgianni (Giorgianni’s Clubhouse), stating “we gotta talk” because “I got something that might be good for him” and that “they’ve already come with Uncle Remus,” meaning a corrupt cash payment. On June 13, 2012, Giorgianni telephoned Mayor Mack and informed him that “Uncle Remus,” meaning a corrupt cash payment, “was there.” Mayor Mack replied, “I’ll call you, J. Okay?” In text messages to Mayor Mack related to the scheme, Giorgianni would refer to himself as “Mr. Baker.”
The defendants also concealed their activities by holding meetings concerning the corrupt activity away from Trenton City Hall, including at Giorgianni’s residence, an eatery maintained by Giorgianni known as JoJo’s Steakhouse, Giorgianni’s Clubhouse, and Atlantic City restaurants. At one Atlantic City meeting among Mayor Mack, Giorgianni, Hall, and CW-2, Mayor Mack instructed Giorgianni to ensure that no photographs were taken in order to conceal the corrupt arrangement.
The extortion conspiracy and attempted extortion charges are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The bribery charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The mail and wire fraud charges are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. All the counts also carry a potential fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for May 14, 2014
Mack’s brother, Ralphiel Mack, was also convicted on three of the charges but found not guilty on three mail and wire fraud counts, following a five-week trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court. The Macks were charged in connection with a scheme to accept $119,000 in bribes in exchange for Mayor Mack’s official actions and influence in assisting cooperating witnesses in the development of an automated parking garage on city-owned land.
“The jury’s verdict solidly affirms what we first charged more than a year ago—that Tony Mack, with the helping hands of his brother and their cohorts, sold the mayor’s office and sold out the people of Trenton,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “We are very grateful to the members of the jury for their service.”
Tony F. Mack, 48, and Ralphiel Mack, 41, both of Trenton, originally were charged by complaint on September 10, 2012, with one count of conspiracy to obstruct commerce by extortion under color of official right related to the $119,000 extortion scheme. Also charged at that time was Joseph A. Giorgianni, 64, of Ewing, New Jersey. An indictment returned in December 2012 added charges against all three defendants.
Giorgianni pleaded guilty on December 13, 2013, to one count of conspiring with the Macks and others to obstruct interstate commerce by extorting individuals under color of official right, in addition to a separate extortion scheme, a narcotics charge, and illegal weapons possession, all charges unrelated to the Macks.
Mayor Mack was convicted of the six counts charged in the indictment:
- Conspiracy to obstruct and affect interstate commerce by extorition under color of official right
- Attempted obstruction of commerce by extortion under the color of official right
- Accepting and agreeing to accept bribes
- Two counts of wire fraud
- Mail fraud
Ralphiel Mack was convicted on the same first three counts and found not guilty of the mail and wire fraud charges. The jury members deliberated for seven hours before returning their verdicts.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
Mayor Mack, Giorgianni, and Ralphiel Mack conspired to accept approximately $119,000 in cash and other valuables, of which $54,000 was accepted and another $65,000 that the defendants planned to accept, from two cooperating witnesses (CW-1 and CW-2). In exchange for the payments, Mayor Mack agreed to and did assist CW-1 and CW-2 in their efforts to acquire a city-owned lot (the East State Street lot) to develop an automated parking garage (the parking garage project). The scheme included a plan to divert $100,000 of the purchase amount that CW-2 had indicated a willingness to pay to the city of Trenton for the lot as a bribe and kickback payment to Giorgianni and Mayor Mack. The mayor authorized and directed a Trenton official responsible for disposition of city-owned land to offer the East State Street lot to CW-2 for $100,000, significantly less than the amount originally proposed by CW-2.
The defendants went to great lengths to conceal their corrupt activity and keep Mayor Mack “safe” from law enforcement. For example, Giorgianni and Ralphiel Mack acted as intermediaries, or “buffers,” who accepted cash payments for Mayor Mack’s benefit. Mayor Mack also used another city of Trenton employee involved in the scheme, Charles Hall, III, 49, of Trenton, to contact other Trenton officials to facilitate the parking garage project and to inform the mayor when Giorgianni had received corrupt cash payments. Hall pleaded guilty before Judge Shipp in February 2013 to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to obstruct commerce by extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiring to distribute narcotics with others, including Giorgianni.
To conceal the corrupt arrangement, the defendants avoided discussing matters related to the scheme over the telephone. When those matters were discussed, they used code words and aliases. One such code word was “Uncle Remus,” which both Giorgianni and Hall regularly used to communicate to Mayor Mack that a corrupt payment had been received. For example, on October 29, 2011, Giorgianni telephoned Hall and informed him that Giorgianni had to “see” Mayor Mack and that “I got Uncle Remus for him,” meaning a corrupt cash payment that Giorgianni had received from CW-1 two days earlier. Giorgianni directed Hall to bring Mayor Mack to a meeting location controlled by Giorgianni (Giorgianni’s Clubhouse), stating “we gotta talk” because “I got something that might be good for him” and that “they’ve already come with Uncle Remus,” meaning a corrupt cash payment. On June 13, 2012, Giorgianni telephoned Mayor Mack and informed him that “Uncle Remus,” meaning a corrupt cash payment, “was there.” Mayor Mack replied, “I’ll call you, J. Okay?” In text messages to Mayor Mack related to the scheme, Giorgianni would refer to himself as “Mr. Baker.”
The defendants also concealed their activities by holding meetings concerning the corrupt activity away from Trenton City Hall, including at Giorgianni’s residence, an eatery maintained by Giorgianni known as JoJo’s Steakhouse, Giorgianni’s Clubhouse, and Atlantic City restaurants. At one Atlantic City meeting among Mayor Mack, Giorgianni, Hall, and CW-2, Mayor Mack instructed Giorgianni to ensure that no photographs were taken in order to conceal the corrupt arrangement.
The extortion conspiracy and attempted extortion charges are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The bribery charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The mail and wire fraud charges are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. All the counts also carry a potential fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for May 14, 2014
Sunday, February 09, 2014
Code Name: Johnny Walker The Extraordinary Story of the Iraqi Who Risked Everything to Fight with the U.S. Navy SEALs
This is the unforgettable story of how an ordinary Iraqi became a hero to America's elite warriors—and how that debt was repaid with the gift of freedom.
He was the seals' most trusted interpreter . . . and more
Night after night, while his homeland was being destroyed around him, he guided the U.S. Navy SEALs through Iraq's most dangerous regions. Operating under the code name "Johnny Walker," he risked his life on more than a thousand missions and became a legend in the U.S. special-ops community, many of whose members credit him with saving their lives. But in the eyes of Iraq's terrorists and insurgents, he and his family were marked for death because he worked with the Americans. . . . Then the SEALs stood up to protect the man who had watched their backs through the entire war.
Over the course of eight years, the Iraqi native traveled around the country with nearly every SEAL and special-operations unit deployed there. Using his wits to outthink the insurgency, Johnny Walker unmasked countless terrorists and helped foil an untold number of plots against Americans and their allies. He went on hundreds of missions, saved dozens of American lives—both SEAL and civilian—and risked his own life daily. He and his family lived in constant jeopardy, surviving multiple assassination attempts and a host of threats in Mosul, until a desperate escape through the desert late in the war took them to the relative safety of Baghdad.
Fearing for Johnny's long-term safety after the war, the SEALs—now as close as brothers to Johnny—took it upon themselves to bring him to the United States, where today he and his family live their version of the American Dream. He remains in the fight by helping train the next generation of American special-operations warriors.
For the first time ever, a "terp" tells what it was like in Iraq during the American invasion and the brutal insurgency that followed. With inside details on SEAL operations and a humane understanding of the tragic price paid by ordinary Iraqis, Code Name: Johnny Walker reveals a side of the war that has never been told before.
He was the seals' most trusted interpreter . . . and more
Night after night, while his homeland was being destroyed around him, he guided the U.S. Navy SEALs through Iraq's most dangerous regions. Operating under the code name "Johnny Walker," he risked his life on more than a thousand missions and became a legend in the U.S. special-ops community, many of whose members credit him with saving their lives. But in the eyes of Iraq's terrorists and insurgents, he and his family were marked for death because he worked with the Americans. . . . Then the SEALs stood up to protect the man who had watched their backs through the entire war.
Over the course of eight years, the Iraqi native traveled around the country with nearly every SEAL and special-operations unit deployed there. Using his wits to outthink the insurgency, Johnny Walker unmasked countless terrorists and helped foil an untold number of plots against Americans and their allies. He went on hundreds of missions, saved dozens of American lives—both SEAL and civilian—and risked his own life daily. He and his family lived in constant jeopardy, surviving multiple assassination attempts and a host of threats in Mosul, until a desperate escape through the desert late in the war took them to the relative safety of Baghdad.
Fearing for Johnny's long-term safety after the war, the SEALs—now as close as brothers to Johnny—took it upon themselves to bring him to the United States, where today he and his family live their version of the American Dream. He remains in the fight by helping train the next generation of American special-operations warriors.
For the first time ever, a "terp" tells what it was like in Iraq during the American invasion and the brutal insurgency that followed. With inside details on SEAL operations and a humane understanding of the tragic price paid by ordinary Iraqis, Code Name: Johnny Walker reveals a side of the war that has never been told before.
Friday, February 07, 2014
Seven Defendants Indicted in Six Armed Robberies of Cell Phone Stores
Seven defendants were indicted on federal charges for their alleged roles in a series of at least six armed robberies of cellular telephone stores last year that extended from suburban Chicago to Indiana and downstate Illinois. Two defendants, Eric Rogers and Eric Curtis, who allegedly directed a robbery conspiracy, were arrested on federal charges in December following the robbery of a cell phone store in suburban Woodridge. The other five defendants, all of whom are in state custody, were charged federally for the first time in this district in a nine-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury yesterday and announced today.
Rogers, 39, of Hazel Crest, and Curtis, 29, of Park Forest, allegedly selected the stores that were robbed, recruited their co-defendants to participate in the robberies, provided them with firearms and other equipment, and paid them to commit armed robbery at their direction. They were each charged with one count of robbery conspiracy, three counts of robbery, and two counts of brandishing firearms; Curtis alone was charged with being a felon-in-possession of a firearm. Both remain in federal custody without bond.
Also indicted were: Marcus Harris, 20, of Chicago; Daniel Wright, 28, of Chicago; Andre Wadlington-Anthony, 27, of Harvey; Tony Johnson, 20, of Harvey; and Lavell Hughes, 41, of Gary, Indiana. Four of the five were charged with one count each of robbery and brandishing a firearm, while Wadlington-Anthony was charged with two counts of each of those crimes.
All seven will be arraigned on dates yet to be determined in U.S. District Court.
According to the indictment, the defendants in various combinations, committed the following armed robberies in 2013:
The indictment alleges that Rogers and Curtis also conspired with Rogers’ deceased cousin, Ryan Rogers, who, following the March 19 Norridge robbery, drove toward a Chicago police officer attempting to stop his vehicle and was shot and killed.
Each count of robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and each count of brandishing a firearm carries a consecutive, mandatory minimum of seven years in prison and a maximum of life. Curtis also faces a maximum 10-years sentence on the felon-in-possession charge. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The indictment was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert J. Holley, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of the FBI and the Chicago Police Department. The police departments in Addison, Deerfield, Homewood, Norridge, Woodridge, LaPorte, Indiana, and East Peoria, Ilinois, also assisted in the investigation.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Parente.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Rogers, 39, of Hazel Crest, and Curtis, 29, of Park Forest, allegedly selected the stores that were robbed, recruited their co-defendants to participate in the robberies, provided them with firearms and other equipment, and paid them to commit armed robbery at their direction. They were each charged with one count of robbery conspiracy, three counts of robbery, and two counts of brandishing firearms; Curtis alone was charged with being a felon-in-possession of a firearm. Both remain in federal custody without bond.
Also indicted were: Marcus Harris, 20, of Chicago; Daniel Wright, 28, of Chicago; Andre Wadlington-Anthony, 27, of Harvey; Tony Johnson, 20, of Harvey; and Lavell Hughes, 41, of Gary, Indiana. Four of the five were charged with one count each of robbery and brandishing a firearm, while Wadlington-Anthony was charged with two counts of each of those crimes.
All seven will be arraigned on dates yet to be determined in U.S. District Court.
According to the indictment, the defendants in various combinations, committed the following armed robberies in 2013:
- January 31—Sprint store, 1323 West Lake St., Addison
- February 4—AT&T store, LaPorte, Indiana
- March 19—AT&T store, 41551⁄2 North Harlem, Norridge. Court documents allege the loss of approximately 100 phones and tablet computers valued at approximately $54,000 in this robbery
- April 4—Sprint store, East Peoria, Illinois
- April 8—T-Mobile, 110 South Waukegan Rd., Deerfield
- December 14—T-Mobile, 1001 West 75th St., Woodridge.
The indictment alleges that Rogers and Curtis also conspired with Rogers’ deceased cousin, Ryan Rogers, who, following the March 19 Norridge robbery, drove toward a Chicago police officer attempting to stop his vehicle and was shot and killed.
Each count of robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and each count of brandishing a firearm carries a consecutive, mandatory minimum of seven years in prison and a maximum of life. Curtis also faces a maximum 10-years sentence on the felon-in-possession charge. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The indictment was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert J. Holley, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of the FBI and the Chicago Police Department. The police departments in Addison, Deerfield, Homewood, Norridge, Woodridge, LaPorte, Indiana, and East Peoria, Ilinois, also assisted in the investigation.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Parente.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The King of Chicago announced for iOS and Android
Legendary game developer, Cinemaware, takes center stage on the gaming landscape once again, announcing that the classic Mob game from 1986 returns on your Android and iOS mobile devices soon!
One of Cinemaware’s original and most popular titles, “ The King of Chicago – Emulated Amiga Edition” puts you in the war for Al Capone’s throne when it comes to iOS and Android devices in the upcoming weeks. Set in the 1930s, deep within the prohibition era, “ The King of Chicago” is the original gangster myth game.
You’ll be performing drive-by shootings with your Tommy gun, bribing corrupt officials, assassinating rivals and carving your way to the top of Chicago’s Mob in order to be included in the formation of a New York crime syndicate. As if that weren't enough, the player also has to stay one step ahead of the law and keep his girlfriend satisfied by catering to her crazy whims and desires – or risk losing her! With force or words, it is your call…but be nice to your gang, or they will send you down the river!
“Lissen up, when youse action and story combine just poifect, somethin' snazzy happens on the screen,” said Pinky Callahan, mouthpiece for Cinemaware. “Cinemaware pulled the trigger on that stuff back in the 1980s; and it ain't no different now. People are always yappin' at us to bring back our games, as we obliged last year with Rocket Ranger – Emulated Amiga Version. We's in the process of releasin' several classic and new titles in 2014, like Wings: Remastered Edition. And just a tip between us wiseguys...download the game or youse gonna be wearing a pair of concrete shoes. If youse catch my drift.”
The King of Chicago – Emulated Amiga Edition features the original game, complete with all of the original missions, story and gameplay sequences. The game also features a customized mobile control interface and the original game manual.
The Android version will be available at the end of January, followed by the Apple iOS version in early February. The game will be available on Google’s Play store and Apple’s iTunes, as well as Amazon's appstore and Samsung-Chillingos' 100% Indie appstore.
One of Cinemaware’s original and most popular titles, “ The King of Chicago – Emulated Amiga Edition” puts you in the war for Al Capone’s throne when it comes to iOS and Android devices in the upcoming weeks. Set in the 1930s, deep within the prohibition era, “ The King of Chicago” is the original gangster myth game.
You’ll be performing drive-by shootings with your Tommy gun, bribing corrupt officials, assassinating rivals and carving your way to the top of Chicago’s Mob in order to be included in the formation of a New York crime syndicate. As if that weren't enough, the player also has to stay one step ahead of the law and keep his girlfriend satisfied by catering to her crazy whims and desires – or risk losing her! With force or words, it is your call…but be nice to your gang, or they will send you down the river!
“Lissen up, when youse action and story combine just poifect, somethin' snazzy happens on the screen,” said Pinky Callahan, mouthpiece for Cinemaware. “Cinemaware pulled the trigger on that stuff back in the 1980s; and it ain't no different now. People are always yappin' at us to bring back our games, as we obliged last year with Rocket Ranger – Emulated Amiga Version. We's in the process of releasin' several classic and new titles in 2014, like Wings: Remastered Edition. And just a tip between us wiseguys...download the game or youse gonna be wearing a pair of concrete shoes. If youse catch my drift.”
The King of Chicago – Emulated Amiga Edition features the original game, complete with all of the original missions, story and gameplay sequences. The game also features a customized mobile control interface and the original game manual.
The Android version will be available at the end of January, followed by the Apple iOS version in early February. The game will be available on Google’s Play store and Apple’s iTunes, as well as Amazon's appstore and Samsung-Chillingos' 100% Indie appstore.
Four #MS13 Gang leaders sentenced for conspiring to commit senseless acts of murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery
For nearly four years, four leaders of various Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, factions operating in the Atlanta metro area terrorized the community through their flagrant disregard for life—conspiring to commit senseless acts of murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery. But a multi-year, multi-agency law enforcement effort recently took down this criminal enterprise, eradicating a deadly threat from the streets of Atlanta. Ernesto Escobar, Miguel Alvarado-Linares, and Dimas Alfaro-Granados will be spending the rest of their lives in prison, while Jairo Reyna-Ozuna will be behind bars for more than a decade.
The MS-13 gang is composed primarily of immigrants and/or their descendants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. In the U.S., this extremely violent criminal organization got its start in Los Angeles and then spread out to a number of states around the country, including Georgia.
In Atlanta, as in other areas, members are usually organized into groups called “cliques” that operate under the larger MS-13 umbrella. Each clique has a leader who conducts regular meetings to plan and discuss crimes against rival gangs. In this case, we saw clique leaders reporting back to MS-13 leaders in their home countries about MS-13 activities in the Atlanta area.
The four defendants in this case, who reportedly lived by the credo “rape, kill, control,” perpetrated their crimes for seemingly minor reasons—to enhance their reputations among fellow gang members, to protect their turf from rival gangs, or to exact revenge for a real or perceived slight. The robberies were usually committed to obtain funding to support the criminal enterprise, providing money and weapons to gang members—including incarcerated individuals in the U.S and elsewhere.
Some of the heinous crimes the defendants were charged with included:
The case was investigated by the Atlanta Safe Streets Task Force, made up of investigators from local, state, and federal agencies, including the FBI. Another key partner was the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Directorate.
Federal participation in this case allowed a number of effective tools to be brought to the table—perhaps most importantly the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) and the VICAR (Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering) statutes with their tougher penalties. Investigators also made use of physical and court-authorized electronic surveillances and confidential informants.
The charges against the four subjects in this case were part of a broader multi-agency investigation of MS-13 in Atlanta, concluded in 2010, which resulted in arrests of, charges against, and/or deportation of 75 members.
Proof positive that dedicated, cooperative efforts among law enforcement agencies can and do win out over dangerous criminal conspiracies.
The MS-13 gang is composed primarily of immigrants and/or their descendants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. In the U.S., this extremely violent criminal organization got its start in Los Angeles and then spread out to a number of states around the country, including Georgia.
In Atlanta, as in other areas, members are usually organized into groups called “cliques” that operate under the larger MS-13 umbrella. Each clique has a leader who conducts regular meetings to plan and discuss crimes against rival gangs. In this case, we saw clique leaders reporting back to MS-13 leaders in their home countries about MS-13 activities in the Atlanta area.
The four defendants in this case, who reportedly lived by the credo “rape, kill, control,” perpetrated their crimes for seemingly minor reasons—to enhance their reputations among fellow gang members, to protect their turf from rival gangs, or to exact revenge for a real or perceived slight. The robberies were usually committed to obtain funding to support the criminal enterprise, providing money and weapons to gang members—including incarcerated individuals in the U.S and elsewhere.
Some of the heinous crimes the defendants were charged with included:
- Murdering a fellow MS-13 member who was thought to be cooperating with police;
- Ordering an MS-13 member who wanted to leave the gang to first commit an act of violence, leading the departing member to shoot into a car believed to be carrying rival gang members—killing the passenger and wounding the driver;
- Returning to a nightclub following a fight with a suspected rival gang member and fatally shooting a man walking through the club’s parking lot;
- Going back to a gas station after a scuffle with two teenagers who worked there and fatally shooting one of them as he painted lines in the parking lot;
- Murdering a 15-year-old boy—a suspected 18th Street gang member—with a shotgun.
The case was investigated by the Atlanta Safe Streets Task Force, made up of investigators from local, state, and federal agencies, including the FBI. Another key partner was the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Directorate.
Federal participation in this case allowed a number of effective tools to be brought to the table—perhaps most importantly the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) and the VICAR (Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering) statutes with their tougher penalties. Investigators also made use of physical and court-authorized electronic surveillances and confidential informants.
The charges against the four subjects in this case were part of a broader multi-agency investigation of MS-13 in Atlanta, concluded in 2010, which resulted in arrests of, charges against, and/or deportation of 75 members.
Proof positive that dedicated, cooperative efforts among law enforcement agencies can and do win out over dangerous criminal conspiracies.
Thursday, February 06, 2014
License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at @GoldSilverPawn
In Las Vegas
, there's a family-owned business called the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, run by three generations of the Harrison family: Rick; his son, Big Hoss; and Rick's dad, the Old Man. Now License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at the Gold & Silver takes readers behind the scenes of the hit History show Pawn Stars and shares the fascinating life story of its star, Rick Harrison, and the equally intriguing story behind the shop, the customers, and the items for sale.
Rick hasn't had it easy. He was a math whiz at an early age, but developed a similarly uncanny ability to find ever-deepening trouble that nearly ruined his life. With the birth of his son, he sobered up, reconnected with his dad, and they started their booming business together.
License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at the Gold & Silver also offers an entertaining walk through the pawn shop's history. It's a captivating look into how the Gold & Silver works, with incredible stories about the crazy customers and the one-of-a-kind items that the shop sells. Rick isn't only a businessman; he's also a historian and keen observer of human nature. For instance, did you know that pimps wear lots of jewelry for a reason? It's because if they're arrested, jewelry doesn't get confiscated like cash does, and ready money will be available for bail. Or that WWII bomber jackets and Zippo lighters can sell for a freakishly high price in Japan? Have you ever heard that the makers of Ormolu clocks, which Rick sells for as much as $15,000 apiece, frequently died before forty thanks to the mercury in the paint?
Rick also reveals the items he loves so much he'll never sell. The shop has three Olympic bronze medals, a Patriots Super Bowl ring, a Samurai sword from 1490, and an original Iwo Jima battle plan. Each object has an incredible story behind it, of course. Rick shares them all, and so much more--there's an irresistible treasure trove of history behind both the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and the life of Rick Harrison.
, there's a family-owned business called the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, run by three generations of the Harrison family: Rick; his son, Big Hoss; and Rick's dad, the Old Man. Now License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at the Gold & Silver takes readers behind the scenes of the hit History show Pawn Stars and shares the fascinating life story of its star, Rick Harrison, and the equally intriguing story behind the shop, the customers, and the items for sale.Rick hasn't had it easy. He was a math whiz at an early age, but developed a similarly uncanny ability to find ever-deepening trouble that nearly ruined his life. With the birth of his son, he sobered up, reconnected with his dad, and they started their booming business together.
License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at the Gold & Silver also offers an entertaining walk through the pawn shop's history. It's a captivating look into how the Gold & Silver works, with incredible stories about the crazy customers and the one-of-a-kind items that the shop sells. Rick isn't only a businessman; he's also a historian and keen observer of human nature. For instance, did you know that pimps wear lots of jewelry for a reason? It's because if they're arrested, jewelry doesn't get confiscated like cash does, and ready money will be available for bail. Or that WWII bomber jackets and Zippo lighters can sell for a freakishly high price in Japan? Have you ever heard that the makers of Ormolu clocks, which Rick sells for as much as $15,000 apiece, frequently died before forty thanks to the mercury in the paint?
Rick also reveals the items he loves so much he'll never sell. The shop has three Olympic bronze medals, a Patriots Super Bowl ring, a Samurai sword from 1490, and an original Iwo Jima battle plan. Each object has an incredible story behind it, of course. Rick shares them all, and so much more--there's an irresistible treasure trove of history behind both the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and the life of Rick Harrison.
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Two Ñetas Gang Members and a Gang Associate Plead Guilty in Connection with the Murders of Two Rival Gang Members
Two members of the Ñetas street gang, Alvaro Cabral, also known as “Boobi,” and Jason Cabral, also known as “J-Live,” pleaded guilty to the 2004 murders of Anthony Marcano and Fabian Mestres. Stephanie DiCarlo-Cabral, an associate of the gang and at the time the girlfriend of Alvaro Cabral, pleaded guilty to robbery and using a firearm in connection with the robbery of Marcano and Mestres. Today’s pleas took place before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert. When sentenced, the defendants face life in prison.
The pleas were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and William J. Bratton, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).
“These were brutal, senseless gang murders. The defendants stuffed the victims into the trunk of a car in the dog days of August and then drove them to their execution,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “We hope the victims’ families can take some measure of solace in knowing that the individuals who are responsible for their sons’ murders have been brought to justice.” Ms. Lynch expressed her grateful appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department, the Tampa Division of the FBI, and United States Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida, for their cooperation and assistance in the investigation.
The defendants targeted one of the victims, Anthony Marcano, because of his affiliation with a rival gang, the Latin Kings. On August 10, 2004, at the direction of Jason Cabral, the leader of gang, the defendants devised a plan to rob and kill 17-year-old Marcano. As part of the plan, the defendants lured Marcano to a house in Brentwood. Marcano arrived with 17-year-old Fabian Mestres, a fellow “Pee Wee” member of the Latin Kings street gang. Once inside the house, Marcano and Mestres were restrained with duct tape, and their drugs, money, and jewelry were stolen. The victims were stuffed into the trunk of a car and driven to a warehouse in Queens where Luis Benitez (Luis Benitez pleaded guilty to the murders of Marcano and Mestres on November 7, 2013), with the assistance of Alvaro Cabral, shot them with a shotgun. Mestres was shot once in the head, and Marcano was shot once in the head and once in the back of the neck. Marcano’s and Mestres’s bodies were found behind a warehouse in Queens the following day.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann and Christopher C. Caffarone.
The pleas were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and William J. Bratton, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).
“These were brutal, senseless gang murders. The defendants stuffed the victims into the trunk of a car in the dog days of August and then drove them to their execution,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “We hope the victims’ families can take some measure of solace in knowing that the individuals who are responsible for their sons’ murders have been brought to justice.” Ms. Lynch expressed her grateful appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department, the Tampa Division of the FBI, and United States Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida, for their cooperation and assistance in the investigation.
The defendants targeted one of the victims, Anthony Marcano, because of his affiliation with a rival gang, the Latin Kings. On August 10, 2004, at the direction of Jason Cabral, the leader of gang, the defendants devised a plan to rob and kill 17-year-old Marcano. As part of the plan, the defendants lured Marcano to a house in Brentwood. Marcano arrived with 17-year-old Fabian Mestres, a fellow “Pee Wee” member of the Latin Kings street gang. Once inside the house, Marcano and Mestres were restrained with duct tape, and their drugs, money, and jewelry were stolen. The victims were stuffed into the trunk of a car and driven to a warehouse in Queens where Luis Benitez (Luis Benitez pleaded guilty to the murders of Marcano and Mestres on November 7, 2013), with the assistance of Alvaro Cabral, shot them with a shotgun. Mestres was shot once in the head, and Marcano was shot once in the head and once in the back of the neck. Marcano’s and Mestres’s bodies were found behind a warehouse in Queens the following day.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann and Christopher C. Caffarone.
Monday, February 03, 2014
Dr. Hoi Yat Kam Sentenced for His Role in $15 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
A Queens, New York medical doctor was sentenced to serve 12 months and a day in prison for his role in a scheme that fraudulently billed Medicare more than $15 million for, among other things, physical therapy and lesion removal services that were medically unnecessary and never provided.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos of the FBI’s New York Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Thomas O’Donnell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
Hoi Yat Kam, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman in the Eastern District of New York. In addition to his prison term, Kam was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,217,656 in restitution.
Kam pleaded guilty on January 9, 2013, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to court documents, Kam conspired with others to execute a fraudulent scheme in which he and others provided a variety of spa services, such as massages and facials, as well as free meals and social activities to Medicare beneficiaries at URI Medical Service PC and Sarang Medical PC to induce those beneficiaries to allow their Medicare numbers to be billed for medical services that were never provided and were not medically necessary. URI and Sarang were two clinics in Queens that purportedly provided physical therapy and lesion removals. In total, Kam and his co-conspirators submitted approximately $15.1 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.
The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI and brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The case was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Nicholas Acker and Trial Attorney Bryan D. Fields of the Fraud Section. Trial Attorney Katherine Houston formerly prosecuted the case.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos of the FBI’s New York Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Thomas O’Donnell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
Hoi Yat Kam, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman in the Eastern District of New York. In addition to his prison term, Kam was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,217,656 in restitution.
Kam pleaded guilty on January 9, 2013, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to court documents, Kam conspired with others to execute a fraudulent scheme in which he and others provided a variety of spa services, such as massages and facials, as well as free meals and social activities to Medicare beneficiaries at URI Medical Service PC and Sarang Medical PC to induce those beneficiaries to allow their Medicare numbers to be billed for medical services that were never provided and were not medically necessary. URI and Sarang were two clinics in Queens that purportedly provided physical therapy and lesion removals. In total, Kam and his co-conspirators submitted approximately $15.1 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.
The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI and brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The case was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Nicholas Acker and Trial Attorney Bryan D. Fields of the Fraud Section. Trial Attorney Katherine Houston formerly prosecuted the case.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Sterling Rivers #LittleReal #ViceLords Leader Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison
Sterling Rivers, a/k/a “Little Real,” 26, of Lebanon, Tennessee, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 28 years in prison for conspiring to distribute large quantities of crack cocaine and cocaine, as part of his involvement in a criminal street gang called the Unknown Vice Lords, announced David Rivera, U. S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Rivers was indicted with 16 other individuals in September 2011 following a nearly two-year investigation into a national street gang, the Vice Lords, operating in Wilson and Putnam County, Tennessee, and beyond. Rivers fled following his indictment and was arrested in October 2011 as a fugitive in Texas. Rivers was convicted following a trial in September 2013 in which he represented himself.
“This sentence reaffirms that drug trafficking and organized crime will result in significant prison sentences,” said U.S. Attorney David Rivera. “This and other recent sentences of gang members should send a clear and convincing message that violent gang activity in this district will be vigorously pursued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners.”
The convictions in this case followed a two-week trial, during which Rivers represented himself. Proof at trial established that Rivers was engaged in organizing the Vice Lords Gang throughout the state of Tennessee and had been involved in an array of violent crime, including the robbery of another drug dealer and the shooting of another individual.
Sixteen other defendants were also charged in connection with this investigation, and all have been convicted.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI; the Lebanon Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Braden H. Boucek and Brent Hannafan.
Rivers was indicted with 16 other individuals in September 2011 following a nearly two-year investigation into a national street gang, the Vice Lords, operating in Wilson and Putnam County, Tennessee, and beyond. Rivers fled following his indictment and was arrested in October 2011 as a fugitive in Texas. Rivers was convicted following a trial in September 2013 in which he represented himself.
“This sentence reaffirms that drug trafficking and organized crime will result in significant prison sentences,” said U.S. Attorney David Rivera. “This and other recent sentences of gang members should send a clear and convincing message that violent gang activity in this district will be vigorously pursued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners.”
The convictions in this case followed a two-week trial, during which Rivers represented himself. Proof at trial established that Rivers was engaged in organizing the Vice Lords Gang throughout the state of Tennessee and had been involved in an array of violent crime, including the robbery of another drug dealer and the shooting of another individual.
Sixteen other defendants were also charged in connection with this investigation, and all have been convicted.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI; the Lebanon Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Braden H. Boucek and Brent Hannafan.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Steven M. Dombrowski, formerly with @Allscripts #Healthcare Solutions, Indicted on Securities Fraud Charges for Allegedly Profiting $286,000 from Insider Trading
A certified public accountant who was involved in the auditing process at a publicly traded company based in Chicago was indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly engaging in insider trading of the company’s securities that made him an illegal profit of more than $286,000 in 2012. The defendant, Steven M. Dombrowski, who was the director of corporate audit for Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc., was charged with 16 counts of securities fraud in an indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury yesterday and announced today.
At the same time, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it filed a civil enforcement action involving the insider trading allegations against Dombrowski yesterday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Dombrowski, 49, of Chicago, will be arraigned on the criminal charges on a date yet to be determined in Federal Court.
According to the indictment, Dombrowski misused material, non-public information he knew about Allscripts’ performance for the first quarter of 2012 and purchased put options and engaged in short sales of stock through a trading account in his wife’s maiden name that he controlled, which resulted in illegal profits of approximately $286,211. The indictment seeks forfeiture of that amount from Dombrowski.
Dombrowski and the employees he supervised were responsible for auditing and testing the processes and procedures Allscripts used to compute and report its financial performance. Allscripts provides information technology solutions to the health care industry, and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ stock market under the symbol MDRX.
Between April 10 and April 28, 2012, a quarterly blackout period was in effect at Allscripts. The blackout prohibited certain employees, including Dombrowski, who were given written notice and who had access to material, non-public information, from engaging in insider trading 15 days before the end of a quarter and ending after the second full business day following the company’s quarterly earnings announcement.
Dombrowski allegedly learned in April 2012 through his employment that Allscripts’ first quarter financial results were going to be less favorable than market expectations when they were publicly announced on April 26, 2012. Throughout April, Dombrowski conducted securities transactions that he designed to be profitable if the price of Allscripts stock declined, including purchasing put options and short selling stock, which he knew was prohibited, the indictment alleges. Allscripts’ stock, in fact, declined when its 2012 first quarter announcement revealed lower sales, less revenue, and lower earnings per share than the first quarter of 2011.
After Allscripts stock declined on and after April 26, 2012, Dombrowski allegedly offset his Allscripts securities positions and profited approximately $286,211 from insider trading, the charges allege.
The indictment was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert J. Holley, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The SEC cooperated in the investigation.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clifford C. Histed and Paul H. Tzur.
Each count of securities fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine, and restitution is mandatory. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
At the same time, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it filed a civil enforcement action involving the insider trading allegations against Dombrowski yesterday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Dombrowski, 49, of Chicago, will be arraigned on the criminal charges on a date yet to be determined in Federal Court.
According to the indictment, Dombrowski misused material, non-public information he knew about Allscripts’ performance for the first quarter of 2012 and purchased put options and engaged in short sales of stock through a trading account in his wife’s maiden name that he controlled, which resulted in illegal profits of approximately $286,211. The indictment seeks forfeiture of that amount from Dombrowski.
Dombrowski and the employees he supervised were responsible for auditing and testing the processes and procedures Allscripts used to compute and report its financial performance. Allscripts provides information technology solutions to the health care industry, and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ stock market under the symbol MDRX.
Between April 10 and April 28, 2012, a quarterly blackout period was in effect at Allscripts. The blackout prohibited certain employees, including Dombrowski, who were given written notice and who had access to material, non-public information, from engaging in insider trading 15 days before the end of a quarter and ending after the second full business day following the company’s quarterly earnings announcement.
Dombrowski allegedly learned in April 2012 through his employment that Allscripts’ first quarter financial results were going to be less favorable than market expectations when they were publicly announced on April 26, 2012. Throughout April, Dombrowski conducted securities transactions that he designed to be profitable if the price of Allscripts stock declined, including purchasing put options and short selling stock, which he knew was prohibited, the indictment alleges. Allscripts’ stock, in fact, declined when its 2012 first quarter announcement revealed lower sales, less revenue, and lower earnings per share than the first quarter of 2011.
After Allscripts stock declined on and after April 26, 2012, Dombrowski allegedly offset his Allscripts securities positions and profited approximately $286,211 from insider trading, the charges allege.
The indictment was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert J. Holley, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The SEC cooperated in the investigation.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clifford C. Histed and Paul H. Tzur.
Each count of securities fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine, and restitution is mandatory. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
How to Protect Yourself from #IdentityTheft
Tobechi Onwuhara led a multi-million-dollar home equity line of credit fraud scheme that involved hundreds of victims in the U.S. Often times, people didn’t even realize they had been victimized until they got calls from their financial institutions about a late payment on a home equity line of credit loan, until they applied for another kind of loan and were turned down, or until they checked their credit report.
Fortunately,
these victims—because their financial institutions were insured—were reimbursed for their financial losses. But for all victims of identity theft, there are long-term challenges to face, including credit rating damage, the time and effort to repair damaged credit, and financial hardship. Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself and your loved ones from identity thieves:
Fortunately,
these victims—because their financial institutions were insured—were reimbursed for their financial losses. But for all victims of identity theft, there are long-term challenges to face, including credit rating damage, the time and effort to repair damaged credit, and financial hardship. Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself and your loved ones from identity thieves:- Review your credit report at least once a year.
- Monitor your bank accounts and credit card accounts routinely and report any unauthorized or suspicious activity to your financial institution immediately.
- Use strong passwords for your online financial accounts.
- Make sure you have up-to-date security software on your computer and other devices.
- Limit sharing of personal information on social networking sites.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Fugitive Identity Thief Tobechi Onwuhara Led Global Criminal Enterprise #ScamOnTheRun
He made a living stealing other people’s identities…and then their money. And what a living it was—more than enough to bankroll luxury homes, fancy cars, expensive clothes and jewelry, and nights spent in clubs and casinos. When law enforcement was about to swoop in and arrest the thief, he managed to flee the country and continue his extravagant lifestyle abroad for about four years.
Eventually, thanks to investigators who wouldn’t give up and international partners who provided vital support, this man was found and returned to the U.S. to face justice.
Last month, Tobechi Onwuhara, of Dallas, Texas—the ringleader of a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme and a former FBI wanted cyber fugitive—was sentenced to federal prison. Seven additional co-conspirators have either pled guilty or been convicted.
There’s no shortage of schemes that identity thieves perpetrate to line their own pockets—from stealing credit card numbers and fraudulently applying for loans and refunds to breaking into online bank accounts. Onwuhara’s specialty? He targeted home equity line of credit accounts, a form of revolving credit in which your home serves as collateral.
How the scheme worked: Onwuhara and his co-conspirators identified potential victims—people who had home equity line of credit accounts with large balances—by accessing certain fee-based websites often used in the real estate for customer leads (one of Onwuhara’s associates was a real estate agent). After collecting bits of personally identifiable information from those websites—like names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers—and then using other online sites to obtain personal information to help with passwords and security questions, they were able to access victims’ credit reports online, which contained loan balances and other financial and personal information.
Armed with this information, Onwuhara would either call a customer service representative at a victim’s financial institution while impersonating the victim—or gain access to the victim’s online account—and request a transfer of funds from the home equity line of credit account into the victim’s checking or savings account. From those accounts, he’d request that the money be wired to another bank account—usually overseas and always one that he controlled.
To help with the impersonation, Onwuhara would use caller ID spoofing services to display the customer’s legitimate phone number. And in case the financial institution needed to call the customer back for some reason before the money was wired, Onwuhara—again impersonating the victim—would call the victim’s telephone company and request call forwarding to another phone (which of course belonged to a member of his criminal group).
Once the money was transferred, Onwuhara paid money mules in several different countries to withdraw the money and get it back to Onwuhara’s criminal enterprise.
The FBI's investigation of Onwuhara’s scheme—which involved hundreds of victims nationwide, attempts to steal more than $38 million, and losses of $13 million—began in late 2007 after they received a complaint from a victim in the Washington, D.C. area. They were ultimately able to identify and gather evidence against Onwuhara and his crew, and federal charges were handed down in August 2008. After he fled the U.S., ongoing international law enforcement efforts continued until December 2012, when he was located in Sydney, arrested by the Australian National Police, and returned to this country.
Eventually, thanks to investigators who wouldn’t give up and international partners who provided vital support, this man was found and returned to the U.S. to face justice.
Last month, Tobechi Onwuhara, of Dallas, Texas—the ringleader of a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme and a former FBI wanted cyber fugitive—was sentenced to federal prison. Seven additional co-conspirators have either pled guilty or been convicted.There’s no shortage of schemes that identity thieves perpetrate to line their own pockets—from stealing credit card numbers and fraudulently applying for loans and refunds to breaking into online bank accounts. Onwuhara’s specialty? He targeted home equity line of credit accounts, a form of revolving credit in which your home serves as collateral.
How the scheme worked: Onwuhara and his co-conspirators identified potential victims—people who had home equity line of credit accounts with large balances—by accessing certain fee-based websites often used in the real estate for customer leads (one of Onwuhara’s associates was a real estate agent). After collecting bits of personally identifiable information from those websites—like names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers—and then using other online sites to obtain personal information to help with passwords and security questions, they were able to access victims’ credit reports online, which contained loan balances and other financial and personal information.
Armed with this information, Onwuhara would either call a customer service representative at a victim’s financial institution while impersonating the victim—or gain access to the victim’s online account—and request a transfer of funds from the home equity line of credit account into the victim’s checking or savings account. From those accounts, he’d request that the money be wired to another bank account—usually overseas and always one that he controlled.
To help with the impersonation, Onwuhara would use caller ID spoofing services to display the customer’s legitimate phone number. And in case the financial institution needed to call the customer back for some reason before the money was wired, Onwuhara—again impersonating the victim—would call the victim’s telephone company and request call forwarding to another phone (which of course belonged to a member of his criminal group).
Once the money was transferred, Onwuhara paid money mules in several different countries to withdraw the money and get it back to Onwuhara’s criminal enterprise.
The FBI's investigation of Onwuhara’s scheme—which involved hundreds of victims nationwide, attempts to steal more than $38 million, and losses of $13 million—began in late 2007 after they received a complaint from a victim in the Washington, D.C. area. They were ultimately able to identify and gather evidence against Onwuhara and his crew, and federal charges were handed down in August 2008. After he fled the U.S., ongoing international law enforcement efforts continued until December 2012, when he was located in Sydney, arrested by the Australian National Police, and returned to this country.
Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi Has Feds Dismiss Case After He Beats Gambling and Racketeering Charges Twice
Federal prosecutors abandoned their pursuit of a reputed Philadelphia mob boss on Monday after he twice beat charges in a gambling and racketeering case.
Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi could have faced a third trial after jurors acquitted him last week of witness tampering while deadlocking on three other charges. But prosecutors filed a motion seeking to dismiss the remaining counts — a rare setback in their decades-long campaign against the Philadelphia mob.
Ligambi's attorney, Ed Jacobs, praised the decision and said he expects his client to be released from a federal detention center Tuesday. A judge still has to sign off. "They have properly exercised their discretion," Jacobs said. "They have failed twice in their efforts to convict Joe, and I don't think they think the third time's the charm."
A spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger declined comment.
The Ligambi case largely involved the collection of small gambling debts and loans, and the operation of video poker machines at neighborhood bars.
Prosecutors won convictions against Ligambi's reputed underboss and enforcer — who were sentenced to 15 years and 11 years in prison respectively — and several associates. But two juries deadlocked on the main racketeering charge against Ligambi, 74, and he was acquitted of six of nine counts overall.
Authorities say Ligambi took over a weakened La Cosa Nostra after his predecessor, Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, was convicted and sent to prison in 2001.
An indictment unsealed in 2011 said Ligambi and other reputed mobsters remained dangerous, using threats to kill or harm people who hadn't paid their debts to the Mafia.
Ligambi has spent nearly three years in prison following his arrest.
Jacobs, who has called the case a witch hunt, said Monday the government should "put all this time and effort and money to better use chasing somebody else."
Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi could have faced a third trial after jurors acquitted him last week of witness tampering while deadlocking on three other charges. But prosecutors filed a motion seeking to dismiss the remaining counts — a rare setback in their decades-long campaign against the Philadelphia mob.
Ligambi's attorney, Ed Jacobs, praised the decision and said he expects his client to be released from a federal detention center Tuesday. A judge still has to sign off. "They have properly exercised their discretion," Jacobs said. "They have failed twice in their efforts to convict Joe, and I don't think they think the third time's the charm."
A spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger declined comment.
The Ligambi case largely involved the collection of small gambling debts and loans, and the operation of video poker machines at neighborhood bars.
Prosecutors won convictions against Ligambi's reputed underboss and enforcer — who were sentenced to 15 years and 11 years in prison respectively — and several associates. But two juries deadlocked on the main racketeering charge against Ligambi, 74, and he was acquitted of six of nine counts overall.
Authorities say Ligambi took over a weakened La Cosa Nostra after his predecessor, Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, was convicted and sent to prison in 2001.
An indictment unsealed in 2011 said Ligambi and other reputed mobsters remained dangerous, using threats to kill or harm people who hadn't paid their debts to the Mafia.
Ligambi has spent nearly three years in prison following his arrest.
Jacobs, who has called the case a witch hunt, said Monday the government should "put all this time and effort and money to better use chasing somebody else."
Monday, January 27, 2014
Adam Christopher Vega Arrested, Charged with Meth and Marijuana Trafficking Conspiracy
Adam Christopher Vega, 30, of Bakersfield, was arrested in Bakersfield after being charged in a seven-count federal indictment alleging that he and four co-conspirators trafficked in methamphetamine and marijuana, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Jay Fitzpatrick and United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
The superseding indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in Fresno on January 16, 2014, charges Vega and co-defendants Baltazar Castaneda Garcia, 23; Jesus Manuel Peraza Ruiz, 54; and Robert Anthony Canchola, 26, all of Bakersfield, with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Those four persons and Eduardo Ortega Chavez, 32, of Oakland, are also charged with conspiring to manufacture and distribute marijuana.
According to court documents, Vega was the owner of the California’s Best Cooperative Inc., a medical marijuana dispensary in Bakersfield during the time he was allegedly trafficking in methamphetamine and marijuana. Court documents indicate that the defendants trafficked in marijuana and other controlled substances between Kern County and Oakland where defendant Chavez maintained a marijuana grow operation. In October 2013, Ruiz was stopped in Bakersfield with approximately six pounds of methamphetamine concealed in his vehicle as he was returning from Southern California. Garcia and Canchola are also charged with possession of methamphetamine and manufacturing marijuana in connection with substances that were seized during searches at three residences in Bakersfield on January 8, 2014, including two that contained indoor marijuana grow operations.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and Kern County Probation Department. Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.
Vega will make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Bakersfield. Defendant Ruiz was previously ordered detained in this case. Defendants Garcia and Canchola are temporarily detained pending a detention hearing. An arrest warrant has been issued for defendant Chavez.
If convicted, Vega, Garcia, Ruiz and Canchola face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted, Chavez faces a maximum statutory penalty of five to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The superseding indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in Fresno on January 16, 2014, charges Vega and co-defendants Baltazar Castaneda Garcia, 23; Jesus Manuel Peraza Ruiz, 54; and Robert Anthony Canchola, 26, all of Bakersfield, with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Those four persons and Eduardo Ortega Chavez, 32, of Oakland, are also charged with conspiring to manufacture and distribute marijuana.
According to court documents, Vega was the owner of the California’s Best Cooperative Inc., a medical marijuana dispensary in Bakersfield during the time he was allegedly trafficking in methamphetamine and marijuana. Court documents indicate that the defendants trafficked in marijuana and other controlled substances between Kern County and Oakland where defendant Chavez maintained a marijuana grow operation. In October 2013, Ruiz was stopped in Bakersfield with approximately six pounds of methamphetamine concealed in his vehicle as he was returning from Southern California. Garcia and Canchola are also charged with possession of methamphetamine and manufacturing marijuana in connection with substances that were seized during searches at three residences in Bakersfield on January 8, 2014, including two that contained indoor marijuana grow operations.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and Kern County Probation Department. Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.
Vega will make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Bakersfield. Defendant Ruiz was previously ordered detained in this case. Defendants Garcia and Canchola are temporarily detained pending a detention hearing. An arrest warrant has been issued for defendant Chavez.
If convicted, Vega, Garcia, Ruiz and Canchola face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted, Chavez faces a maximum statutory penalty of five to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Leonard "Juice" Coker, Wilkinsburg Shooting Suspect, Captured by US Marshals Fugitive Task Force
The U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force (WPAFTF) arrested fugitive Leonard “Juice” Coker at approximately 12:30 pm this afternoon at a residence in Penn Hills. Coker, age 22, was charged by the Allegheny County Police on December 24, 2013 with Criminal Attempt - Criminal Homicide, Carrying a Firearm without a License, Aggravated Assault and Recklessly Endangering another Person. These charges arose out of an incident occurring at a Wilkinsburg barber shop on October 31, 2013. Coker is alleged to have entered the barber shop and shot the male victim multiple times as he sat in a chair getting his hair cut.
Coker was also wanted by the Penn Hills Police Department based on a December 19, 2013 arrest warrant charging him with Carrying a Firearm without a License, Carrying a Loaded Weapon, Resisting Arrest and Escape. Additionally, Coker was also wanted pursuant to an Allegheny County Court of Common Please probation violation arrest warrant issued December 19, 2013 for the underlying offense of Firearms not to be Carried without a License
.
Coker was last known to reside in the New Kensington area and was known to frequent the Penn Hills, New Kensington and Arnold areas. WPAFTF members arrested Coker this afternoon without incident in the first floor of a residence in the 100 block of Marose Drive, Penn Hills. Following his arrest, Coker was turned him over to the custody of Allegheny County Police Homicide Detectives.
The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force is comprised of officers from the Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriffs, and Westmoreland County Sheriff’s. These agencies, along with the United States Attorney’s Office, are participating members of the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force (WPAFTF.
Coker was also wanted by the Penn Hills Police Department based on a December 19, 2013 arrest warrant charging him with Carrying a Firearm without a License, Carrying a Loaded Weapon, Resisting Arrest and Escape. Additionally, Coker was also wanted pursuant to an Allegheny County Court of Common Please probation violation arrest warrant issued December 19, 2013 for the underlying offense of Firearms not to be Carried without a License
.
Coker was last known to reside in the New Kensington area and was known to frequent the Penn Hills, New Kensington and Arnold areas. WPAFTF members arrested Coker this afternoon without incident in the first floor of a residence in the 100 block of Marose Drive, Penn Hills. Following his arrest, Coker was turned him over to the custody of Allegheny County Police Homicide Detectives.
The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force is comprised of officers from the Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriffs, and Westmoreland County Sheriff’s. These agencies, along with the United States Attorney’s Office, are participating members of the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force (WPAFTF.
Jeffrey Leonard Wanted in Connection With Two Armed Robberies Arrested by U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in New Hampshire
Members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force from both New Hampshire and Massachusetts arrested fugitive Jeffrey Leonard, age 29. Leonard was being sought in connection with two armed robberies in MA.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Massachusetts had been requested to assist in the location and arrest of Jeffrey Leonard. Leonard was wanted by both the Yarmouth and Dennis, Massachusetts Police Departments on outstanding arrest warrants for armed robbery while masked with a firearm. Information developed by the Marshals Task Force in Massachusetts, led investigators to NH, where Leonard was originally from and had a previous conviction for another armed robbery.
Investigators narrowed their search to a residence in the 900 block of Union Street in Manchester, NH. After a period of surveillance, it was determined that Leonard was likely inside the residence. Officers initially checked the apartment that Leonard was believed to be in without finding him. A further search of the residence led investigators to the basement where Leonard was found hiding, and he was arrested without any further incident.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has charged Leonard as a fugitive from justice on the two outstanding Massachusetts arrest warrants.
These arrests were made by members of the task force, including; Rockingham, Hillsborough, & Belknap County Deputy Sheriffs, deputy U.S. Marshals from MA and NH.
Since the inception of the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force in 2002, these partnerships have resulted in over 5,523 arrests. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses.
Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 7 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Massachusetts had been requested to assist in the location and arrest of Jeffrey Leonard. Leonard was wanted by both the Yarmouth and Dennis, Massachusetts Police Departments on outstanding arrest warrants for armed robbery while masked with a firearm. Information developed by the Marshals Task Force in Massachusetts, led investigators to NH, where Leonard was originally from and had a previous conviction for another armed robbery.
Investigators narrowed their search to a residence in the 900 block of Union Street in Manchester, NH. After a period of surveillance, it was determined that Leonard was likely inside the residence. Officers initially checked the apartment that Leonard was believed to be in without finding him. A further search of the residence led investigators to the basement where Leonard was found hiding, and he was arrested without any further incident.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has charged Leonard as a fugitive from justice on the two outstanding Massachusetts arrest warrants.
These arrests were made by members of the task force, including; Rockingham, Hillsborough, & Belknap County Deputy Sheriffs, deputy U.S. Marshals from MA and NH.
Since the inception of the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force in 2002, these partnerships have resulted in over 5,523 arrests. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses.
Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 7 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.
Dr. Charles DeHaan of Housecall Physicians Group, Arrested on Charge of Health Care Fraud
A local physician whose license was suspended this month was arrested on a federal complaint alleging health care fraud. Charles S. DeHaan, 59, of Belvidere, Illinois, was charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud Medicare. The complaint alleges that as a part of the scheme, DeHaan operated Housecall Physicians Group of Rockford, S.C., located in Rockford. The charge alleges that DeHaan submitted false claims to Medicare in December 2013.
In support of the charge, the complaint alleges that between 2010 and 2013, DeHaan billed Medicare for medical services that he did not provide to at least five patients. Instead, DeHaan engaged in sexual misconduct with four of these patients, all women, and offered or provided prescriptions for controlled medications, according to the complaint affidavit.
DeHaan appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston, who ordered that he be held in custody until a detention hearing is conducted.
The charge of health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and full restitution.
The charges were announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert J. Holley, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Lamont Pugh, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)
The federal case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, with the assistance of the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The government was represented in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolm G. McKenzie.
The public is reminded that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to indictment by a federal grand jury and, if indicted, to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
In support of the charge, the complaint alleges that between 2010 and 2013, DeHaan billed Medicare for medical services that he did not provide to at least five patients. Instead, DeHaan engaged in sexual misconduct with four of these patients, all women, and offered or provided prescriptions for controlled medications, according to the complaint affidavit.
DeHaan appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston, who ordered that he be held in custody until a detention hearing is conducted.
The charge of health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and full restitution.
The charges were announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert J. Holley, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Lamont Pugh, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)
The federal case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, with the assistance of the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The government was represented in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolm G. McKenzie.
The public is reminded that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to indictment by a federal grand jury and, if indicted, to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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