Category: Legal Issues

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Christopher B. Bjarke, M.D., age 61, of Renton, Washington, pled guilty to conspiring to accept kickbacks in connection with a fraudulent genetic testing scheme that targeted elderly Medicare beneficiaries throughout Washington and in other states. Senior District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson accepted Dr. Bjarke’s guilty plea, and set sentencing for January 10, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. in Spokane, Washington.

The Medicare program provides health insurance coverage for elderly and disabled Americans. Medicare generally provides coverage for diagnostic laboratory testing only if the test is ordered by a physician who is treating the beneficiary for a specific medical problem, and uses the test results to treat the patient for that specific problem. According to the Plea Agreement and information disclosed in court proceedings, Dr. Bjarke engaged in a conspiracy and scheme through which he placed orders for Medicare for genetic testing for Medicare beneficiaries in the Eastern District of Washington and elsewhere that he was not treating and with whom he had no physician-patient relationship. According to the Plea Agreement and other court documents, Dr. Bjarke’s sole contact with these patients was when he was connected with the beneficiaries for a telephone call for a few minutes through telemarketers. After Dr. Bjarke had ordered the tests, the laboratories then billed Medicare for the test, while another company billed Medicare for a purported “telemedicine” visit, sometimes for as much as tens of thousands of dollars.

According to the Plea Agreement, through this scheme and conspiracy, Dr. Bjarke’s orders were responsible for more than $18.6 million paid by Medicare. In return for his participation in the scheme, between December 2020 and September 2021, Dr. Bjarke received $167,996.73 from his co-conspirators, which Dr. Bjarke admitted were kickbacks because they constituted payment in return for ordering medically unnecessary genetic testing and other services for patients that he was not treating and with whom he had no physician-patient relationship.

“Health care fraud and kickback schemes are serious public health and safety problems,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “They divert precious public funds away from treating patients, drive up the cost of health care services, and undermine trust in our health care system, often putting quality health care beyond the reach of those who need it the most. Telemarketing schemes that target and exploit the elderly are especially pernicious because they prey on those who are often most in need of a doctor’s independent judgment that is not tainted or biased by the doctor’s own personal financial interest.”

“Dr. Bjarke placed making money above the welfare of patients and preyed upon elderly and vulnerable members of the community,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. “This conspiracy not only victimized taxpayers via Medicare, but also impacted the patients, who underwent unnecessary medical screenings, thereby affecting their peace of mind. Medicare ultimately paid over $18 million for medically unnecessary testing, a fact that should outrage every law-abiding taxpayer.”

“I am grateful for, and commend, the stellar investigative work on this case performed by HHS OIG and the FBI,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer and stronger, by aggressively pursuing telemedicine kickback schemes, healthcare fraud, and elder abuse.”

The conspiracy offense carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in federal prison. The case was investigated by HHS OIG and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

Spokane – On September 21, 2022, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Kylie Ruby Flores, 31, of Spokane, to 23 years in prison for conspiracy to engage in the sex trafficking of a six-year-old girl, whom Flores made available to an adult man for sexual abuse in exchange for housing, cash, and sneakers. Flores will also be on federal supervision for the remainder of her life.

Flores conspired with codefendant Trever Harder to engage in the sex trafficking of a six-year-old girl. After meeting Harder online on the dating application Plenty of Fish, Flores knowingly agreed to trade sexual access to the girl for a place to stay, small amounts of cash, and the promise of new Nike running shoes. According to the Plea Agreements entered by Harder and Flores, the child was able to describe the specific ways that Harder sexually abused her, including acts of sodomy. Law enforcement officers recovered a video that Harder had recorded after he set up a camera on a cat tree in his apartment in Cheney, Washington. The video depicts Harder raping the little girl on the couch in his apartment. Harder has also pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing.

“The facts of this case present some of the most egregious sexual abuse of a child one can imagine. Today’s sentence is important, but it is equally important to remember that Flores’s sentence will likely be much shorter than the lifelong impact on the child,” said Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District. “No sentence can return the child’s innocence, but our community is now safer and stronger. Most important, the child is now in a safe place.” The U.S. Attorney emphasized the importance of protecting children. “The little girl in this case was only six years old when her abuse began. Thanks to an effective and cooperative investigation, she is neither missing nor murdered today—but she is not the only child in danger. Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to sexually abuse children: justice is coming.”

David M. Herzog, the Assistant United States Attorney who prosecuted the case, thanked the agencies responsible for the investigation and the protection of the young victim. “Incredibly dedicated FBI agents worked hand-in-hand with state, local, and tribal law enforcement to secure justice for the victim in this case. I am particularly grateful to Chelsea Sayles, the Quileute Tribal Attorney, and our partners with Quileute Indian Child Welfare, who worked hand-in-hand with the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office to protect this child from further sexual abuse.”

“It is inconceivable as a parent how someone could participate in the victimization of a child under their care.“ said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field Office. “While the sentence in this case is significant and truly justified, it only brings a small measure of justice to the victim. I hope the dedication of FBI agents and our partners to hold predators like Ms. Flores accountable serves as a message to those who would victimize our most vulnerable among us.”

This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:

· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child  exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;

· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;

· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;

· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and

· Community awareness and educational programs.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Spokane Resident Office and the Spokane Police Department, with significant assistance from the Quileute Nation. The case was prosecuted by David M. Herzog, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Dondre Charles Jackson, age 29, of Moses Lake, Washington, pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $49,999 in COVID-19 relief funds. This case is part of the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office earlier this year. District Judge Thomas O. Rice accepted Thomas’ guilty plea, and set sentencing for January 5, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in Spokane, Washington.

On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided forgivable loans to eligible small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses.

According to the plea agreement and information disclosed in court proceedings, Jackson fraudulently obtained two PPP loans totaling $49,999 for his purported catering and food service business, and submitted fraudulent tax documentation in support of his application. According to the plea agreement and other information disclosed during court proceedings, Jackson’s business was fictitious, the documentation he provided was false and fraudulent, and he was therefore not eligible for any PPP funding.

“COVID-19 relief programs quickly ran out of money due to the number of people and businesses that requested funding, which meant that some deserving small businesses were not able to obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We created the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force because it is critical to the strength and safety of our communities that we all work together to combat pandemic-related fraud and bring much-needed accountability to these programs. The Strike Force works to ensure that limited resources are used to protect our local small businesses and the critical jobs and services that they provide for the community.”

In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, Department of Homeland Security OIG, and others. Cases investigated and prosecuted by the Strike Force have resulted in numerous indictments, criminal prosecutions, and other penalties.

“I commend the stellar investigative work on these cases performed by the Strike Force and especially in this case by SBA OIG and the Secret Service,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to strengthen our communities by protecting our small and local businesses.”

“In addition to the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General and other Task Force partners, Greg Ligouri, Resident Agent in Charge of the Spokane Office of the U.S. Secret Service, expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Moses Lake Police Department for their collaboration in this investigation. RAIC Ligouri went on to say that communities are safer and better served when law enforcement agencies are able to marshal resources as was done in this case.”

The case was investigated by the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force, and in particular by the SBA OIG and U.S. Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

Spokane, Washington – United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Bradley Dale Hull, age 55, of Spokane, Washington, to 200 months in federal prison after Hull was convicted by a jury on May 18, 2022 of Possession with Intent to Distribute 100 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing Heroin and Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine.

According to court documents, on February 7, 2020, a detective with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office was surveilling Hull’s residence in Spokane, Washington. After a separate search warrant was executed on Hull’s girlfriend’s residence, Hull was observed running through the snow barefoot towards a parked car. Hull was carrying a grocery bag which, after Hull was detained, was found to contain substantial quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. The grocery bag also contained more than $13,000 in U.S. Currency along with a number of collector coins. During the trial, Hull testified. Hull acknowledged that he collected coins, but denied the drugs were his, claiming the detective had seen someone else running with the bag. The jury, in returning a guilty verdict, rejected Hull’s claims. In announcing the sentence, Judge Rice observed that Hull had made false statements and perjured himself during his testimony.

United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref, the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in the Eastern District of Washington, stated, “Mr. Hull possessed large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin and was in such a hurry to evade law enforcement that he ran barefoot to his car on a February morning in Spokane. At trial, Mr. Hull sought to evade responsibility by making false statements to Judge Rice and the jury.” U.S. Attorney Waldref continued, “I’m grateful for the tireless efforts of our law enforcement team, who protect our community by removing dangerous drugs from our neighborhoods.”

Assistant United States Attorney Michael Ellis, who tried and prosecuted the case, thanked the agents and law enforcement officers who investigated the case. AUSA Ellis stated, “Whenever a case goes to trial, there is a tremendous amount of work that takes place behind the scenes. As an AUSA, I have the privilege of working closely with some the best law enforcement agents and officers in the United States. The verdict and sentence in this case are the direct result of the agents’ dedication and service within the Spokane community.”

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

Spokane – U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref for the Eastern District of Washington has been selected to lead the Environmental Justice & Environmental Issues Subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the Environmental Justice Subcommittee, U.S. Attorney Waldref will play a key role in advising the AGAC on environmental matters of importance to the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.

“I am gratified that my colleagues and Attorney General Garland selected me for this important role,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “The Department of Justice makes critical contributions to protecting the environment and public health. We all benefit from robust enforcement of laws that ensure a healthy environment for all families to live, learn, play, and work.”

As Subcommittee Chair, U.S. Attorney Waldref also serves as a leader to implement the Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Strategy. U.S. Attorney Waldref is training Assistant United States Attorneys throughout all of the 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop an environmental justice practice and engage in community outreach on the critical environmental issues impacting each District. U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “I am thrilled to build an infrastructure within the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country to tackle environmental protection cases that defend critical resources and ensure safe living and working conditions for all the residents of our communities. No group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental, and commercial operations or policies.”

Prior to her appointment, U.S. Attorney Waldref worked in the Department of Justice’s Environment and National Resources Division advocating for the enforcement of pollution control statutes. While she was an Assistant United States Attorney, she also taught several courses at Gonzaga Law School, including Environmental Law, where her teaching focused on the concrete ways that environmental and workplace safety regulations protect our homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces.

U.S. Attorney Waldref is committed to enhancing the environmental protection practice in her home district: “In Eastern Washington, we have great pride in the beauty of our mountains, trees, lakes, and rivers and the sustenance that our natural resources provide. Indigenous people first lived on these lands, cultivating these resources for future generations. Protecting our resources for fishing, hunting, agriculture and a healthy, high quality of life makes our region safer and stronger.”

The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee was established nearly 50 years ago by Attorney General Elliott Richardson. The Committee’s purpose is to give United States Attorneys a voice in Department policies and to advise the Attorney General of the United States.

Reporting public health and safety concerns supports a safe community for all. EPA’s online reporting form directs concerns to the appropriate regulatory authority: https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations. When reporting environmental, health and safety concerns, U.S. Attorney Waldref encourages Eastern Washington residents to also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office dedicated Civil Rights and Environmental Protection phone line at (509) 835-6306 or email at USAWAE.Environment@usdoj.gov. Notifying the U.S. Attorney’s Office helps us protect the community from harmful violations of federal environmental, health & safety laws.

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

Indictment Alleges that Company Violated Food Safety Laws, Lied to Regulators, and Sold Rotten and and Dangerous Juice Products to Customers, Including for Use in School Lunches

Yakima, Washington – Today, Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging Mary Ann Bliesner, age 80, of Sunnyside, Washington, with twelve felony counts of fraud, conspiracy, false statements, and violating food safety laws in connection with her company, Valley Processing Inc. (VPI), which was also charged in the Indictment.

The Indictment alleges that between October 2012 and June 2019, Bliesner and VPI conspired with others to introduce unsafe, adulterated, and misbranded fruit juice products, including apple juice and grape juice concentrate, into interstate commerce by selling them to customers worldwide. The Indictment alleges that these adulterated juice products contained harmful substances, that they were produced under unsanitary and filthy conditions, and that they were unsafe and unfit for human consumption. The Indictment further alleges that Bliesner and VPI lied to customers about the age and quality of their products, which, in some cases, included grape juice concentrate that had been stored in unsafe conditions outside the VPI facility for years and exposed to the elements before being sold and shipped to customers, including customers producing grape juice for the National School Lunch Program, which provides free or reduced-cost lunches to more than 20 million children each school day.

Additionally, the Indictment alleges that Bliesner and VPI failed to register two facilities that they used to store fruit juice products, and lied to inspectors with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about their existence and use. According to the Indictment, one of these facilities, located in Sunnyside, Washington, and known as the “Grape Road Facility” was used to store tens of thousands of gallons of grape juice concentrate for years in concrete vats that were not properly covered or cooled. According to the Indictment, when FDA investigators finally learned about the facility during a May 2018 inspection, the juice concentrate had a layer of mold and crust so thick and firm that a live rat was observed and photographed walking on top of it. The Indictment also alleges that testing of samples taken at the Grape Road Facility indicated that the product there was contaminated with bird and rodent feces, fur, insects, decaying remains of animals, mold, yeast, and other contaminants.

In November 2020, the United States filed a complaint in federal court seeking to enjoin Bliesner and VPI from producing, storing, or selling juice or juice products. In January 2021, Bliesner and VPI agreed to a consent injunction in which Bliesner and VPI promised that they were not processing, manufacturing, preparing, packing, holding, or distributing any type of food, and would not do so in the future without first notifying and receiving approval from the FDA.

The charges against Bliesner carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, while the potential charges against VPI carry fines of $500,000 or more for each of the twelve counts charged.

Reporting public health and safety concerns supports a safe community for all. EPA’s online reporting form directs concerns to the appropriate regulatory authority: https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations. Concerns regarding the safety of FDA-regulated products such as food, beverages and medicines, can be reported at 1-888-463-6332. When reporting environmental, health and safety concerns, U.S. Attorney Waldref encourages Eastern Washington residents to also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office dedicated Civil Rights and Environmental Protection phone line at (509) 835-6306 or email at USAWAE.Environment@usdoj.gov. Notifying the U.S. Attorney’s Office helps us protect the community from harmful violations of federal environmental, health & safety laws.

This case was investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene and Trial Attorney James J. Hennelly of DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

Yakima, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, today announced a $400,000 Department of Justice grant to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The grant provides support and resources to the Tribes for maintaining a sex offender registry and ensuring sex offenders’ registration is current at all times.

The grant, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (the “SMART” Office), in the Office of Justice Programs, was awarded on September 6, 2022.  Funding was awarded pursuant to the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, 34 U.S.C. § 20901, et seq. In accordance with this Act, funding is made available to assist jurisdictions with developing and enhancing programs to meet two goals: (1) ensuring that all states and federally-recognized Indian Tribes maintain an active sex offender registry; and (2) requiring registered sex offenders to maintain a current registration in each jurisdiction where the individual lives, works, or goes to school.

In announcing the $400,000 award, U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “The United States Justice Department is committed to devoting resources to support keeping communities safe and strong.” She continued, “Sex offender registration and community notification are essential to improving the safety of our communities. The $400,000 award will help ensure that the Yakama Nation and individual members of the community are able to track and monitor convicted sex offenders. This information is vital to ensure that parents, teachers and conscientious members of the community have the tools they need to keep our children and families safe in their schools, neighborhoods and homes.” 

The SMART Office administers the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), which sets forth a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. Among other things, SORNA requires that sex offender registries include the following information:  duration of registration, in-person verification of sex offender registration information, participation in the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW.gov), and interjurisdictional notification of relocating offenders. More specific information about the implementation of SORNA is available at https://smart.ojp.gov/sorna. Information specific to implementation of SORNA in Indian Country is available at https://smart.ojp.gov/IC-SORNA-guide. Additional information about grants and funding through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is available at https://www.ojp.gov/.

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Charlottesville woman, who altered and forged checks she obtained without the consent of the checks’ owners, was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in federal prison.  

Samantha Leigh Thomas, 33, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, Thomas devised a scheme in which she altered or forged stolen checks and then deposited all of her ill-gotten gains into one of five personal checking accounts maintained at five different financial institutions.  The eventual loss suffered by the victims exceeded $25,000.  In addition to being required to pay back the money she stole, Thomas will be on supervised release for a period of four years after her release from prison.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and  Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division made the announcement.

The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Albemarle County Police Department  investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Huber is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

ABINGDON, Va. – A pair of drug traffickers, who conspired with several others to sell methamphetamine in Southwest Virginia, were sentenced last week in the Western District of Virginia to lengthy federal prison terms.

Amanda Dawn Skeens, 35, of Princeton, West Virginia, and Josh Goodman, 46, of Richlands, Virginia, both previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.  Last week, Skeens was sentenced to 11 years in prison and Goodman was sentenced to 9 years in prison. 

In August 2022, another member of the conspiracy, Zachary Thomas Justice, 26, also of Richlands, Virginia, was sentenced to 14 years on similar charges.

According to court documents, between August 2019 and January 2022, Skeens, Justice, Goodman, and co-defendants Steven Cantrell and Ronda Rose conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Tazewell and Russell Counties in Virginia.

Cantrell and Rose have all pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.

During 2019 and 2020, Justice and Cantrell sold methamphetamine out of an apartment they shared in Swords Creek, Virginia.  In addition, Justice also traded firearms to Cantrell in return for methamphetamine for resale.

As part of the conspiracy, Skeens supplied methamphetamine several times a week from her home in West Virginia to other conspiracy members, who then brought the methamphetamine into Russell and Tazewell counties for further distribution, bringing anywhere from two ounces to a pound per trip.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement.

The Russell County Sheriff’s Office, the Mercer County, West Virginia Sheriff’s Office, the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office, the Southern West Virginia Drug Task Force, the Tazewell County Drug Task Force, the Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General 12

ROANOKE, Va. – A member of a Romanian criminal organization who traveled to the United States to conduct ATM skimming pleaded guilty last week in federal court.

Catalin Puscasu, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  Puscasu is the third defendant to have pleaded guilty for his role in this scheme.

According to court documents, between December 2018 and March 2019, Puscasu and others worked together to obtain personal identifying information and then used that data to make unauthorized cash withdrawals from the accounts of these victims and/or use the victims’ credit for their personal gain.

Specifically, members of this criminal organization installed skimming devices and small hidden cameras onto ATM card readers at federally-insured banks throughout the Western District of Virginia in order to steal customers’ PINs and account numbers.  The scammers encoded that stolen information onto blank debit cards and then used them to withdraw money. 

In March 2019, Puscasu was arrested in Michigan for committing similar offenses.  After serving 36 months in federal custody for those crimes, he was returned to the Western District of Virginia to face charges related to his conduct here.  Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement, Puscasu will serve an additional 18 to 37 months in prison and must pay restitution to the victims.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement today.

The United States Secret Service, the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Campbell County Police Department, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Farmville Police Department, the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office, the Blacksburg Police Department, and the Lynchburg Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Coleman Adams is prosecuting the case.