U.S. Attorney Charges Mountainair Man Charged with Domestic Assault

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has indicted a Mountainair man for domestic violence offenses committed in Indian Country.

According to court records, on or about September 18, 2023, Aiden Richesin, 20, allegedly assaulted the victim, resulting in substantial bodily injury. The indictment further alleges that on the same date and location, Richesin strangled and attempted to strangle the victim.

Richesin will remain in the third-party custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Richesin faces up to ten years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.

The Pueblo of Isleta Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.

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

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Richmond Heights Hotel Manager Sentenced to 39 Months in Prison for Financial Fraud

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced the former assistant general manager of a Richmond Heights, Missouri hotel to 39 months in prison for committing multiple frauds and ordered her to repay $226,882.

From March to October of 2023, Angelique Patterson, 40, manipulated the hotel’s reservation system to alter the records of customers who had paid using cash or credit cards. Patterson retroactively changed those reservations to falsely show that the customers had used the hotel’s loyalty rewards system “points” for their stay. She then added her own credit or debit card information into the system and had the customers’ payments “refunded” to her.

On Oct. 4, 2023, although not on duty, Patterson tried to use the hotel’s desk computer and a coworker’s credentials to fraudulently refund herself an additional $61,998.

Patterson also used hotel customers’ credit card information from August through September of 2021 to make fake charges via the entertainment company she owned, Angel Entertains LLC. She obtained or tried to obtain $109,000 that way.

Patterson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to five counts of wire fraud.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwen Carroll and Cort VanOstran prosecuted the case. 

Federal Law Enforcement Seizes $4 Million in Property and Proceeds from Texas Woman for Smuggling and Distributing Unapproved Animal Drugs

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MEDFORD, Ore.– Nicole Randall, 37, of Cedar Park, Texas pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to one year of probation for introducing an adulterated drug into interstate commerce.

According to court documents, between February 2020 and May 2022, Randall used fake names to smuggle GS-441524, a drug that had not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human or animal consumption, into the United States disguised as facial masks, pet shampoo, beauty products, and cosmetics.

Despite having no veterinary or prescriber licenses, Randall and others used the Facebook group “FIP Warriors 5.0” to defraud and mislead customers by diagnosing their cats and kittens with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a viral disease affecting cats, and prescribing GS-441524 for the animals’ consumption.

In August 2021, an agent joined FIP Warriors 5.0 and submitted photographs of a cat. The healthy cat, recently examined by a licensed veterinarian, was misdiagnosed with FIP and prescribed GS-441524. Randall then instructed payment for the unapproved drugs using Paypal, Zelle, or CashApp without mentioning cat medicine, vials, pills, or brand names in the payment note.

In July 2022, agents executed a federal search warrant at Randall’s residence in Cedar Park, Texas and seized approximately 30 boxes of glass vials containing the adulterated drug. Investigators discovered that between July 2020 and June 2022, Randall distributed 58,460 liquid vials and 236,836 pills of GS-441524.

On June 4, 2024, Randall was charged by criminal information with introducing an adulterated drug into interstate commerce.

Randall’s scheme was highly profitable. As part of the plea agreement, Randall agreed to forfeit four real properties, ten financial accounts, and a Tesla, worth roughly $4 million combined and traceable to her proceeds from smuggling and distributing the unapproved drugs.

This case was investigated by the FDA. It was prosecuted by John C. Brassell and Katherine C. de Villiers, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

Morrisville, Vermont Man Sentenced to 18 Months of Incarceration in Firearm Possession Case

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on January 23, 2025, Jordan Phelps, 36, of Morrisville, Vermont was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Phelps previously pleaded guilty to being an unlawful user of controlled substances, specifically cocaine base, in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on March 11, 2024, Jordan Phelps called the Morristown Police Department on four occasions and threatened to go to the home of a sworn member of law enforcement. The threatening phone calls were recorded, and law enforcement investigated Phelps. The investigation demonstrated that Phelps sought to go to the officer’s home in response to what Phelps considered was unlawful surveillance of his activities. On March 13, 2024, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at Phelps’ residence that led to the seizure of a loaded Marlin Model 336 .30-30 Caliber Rifle from Phelps’ bedroom. Further investigation into Phelps revealed that he was an unlawful user of controlled substances.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Morristown Police Department, the Stowe Police Department, the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, and the Vermont State Police.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig. Phelps was represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN

Philadelphia Mental Health Clinic and Its Psychiatrist Owner Agree to Pay $900,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit for Alleged Medicaid Fraud

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Dr. Ghodrat Pirooz Sholevar and his company, Nueva Vida Multicultural/Multilingual Behavioral Health, Inc., have agreed to pay $900,000 to resolve allegations in the United States’ Amended Complaint that they fraudulently billed Medicaid for medication management appointments for children and other patients that were too short pursuant to applicable regulations. The government alleges that the visits violated rules promulgated by Community Behavioral Health, the local Medicaid program administrator, and the False Claims Act.

Sholevar and Nueva Vida operated three mental health clinics in Northeast Philadelphia and provided psychiatry services under the Medicaid program to adults and children. Among other mental health services, Sholevar provided medication management appointments for his patients. A medication management appointment or “med check” is required to prescribe, and monitor the effects of, certain drugs for mental health conditions. During a med check, a doctor typically obtains a patient’s relevant history, examines his mental status, assesses his response to the medication, and adjusts any prescriptions or treatment plans if necessary. Medication management appointments are required to be at least 15 minutes in length to be fully reimbursable and documentation of the actual time in clock hours that services were provided is a condition of payment for Medicaid services rendered to patients in Philadelphia.

In an amended complaint filed on May 7, 2024, the United States contends that, from January 15, 2009, through March 31, 2017, Nueva Vida regularly submitted false bills for medication management appointments performed by Sholevar because these visits were not at least 15 minutes long and instead were likely substantially shorter. Nueva Vida also regularly billed for more medication management appointments than could be completed in a single workday if each appointment were 15 minutes long as required. Nueva Vida billed Medicaid for whole single “units” of medication management, thereby falsely representing that each patient had been seen for the required 15 minutes. The government alleges that, despite conducting appointments that were much shorter than 15 minutes, Sholevar falsely recorded start and end times in patients’ files that made it appear that the patients were seen for a full 15 minutes. These false “clock times” included overlapping times where Sholevar was purportedly seeing two or three patients during the same 15-minute window, and at two different clinic locations.

The United States further contends that the defendants knew or recklessly disregarded the Medicaid rules regarding the timing of medication management visits. The defendants’ fee schedules for services to Medicaid patients specified that the medication management visit was 15 minutes per “unit” of service billed. The defendants were notified in an audit as early as 2004 that medication management visits ranging from six to twelve minutes were too short. The Medicaid program administrator also regularly recouped payments from the defendants for medication management visits that did not include start and end times, or where there was evidence that the appointment was less than 15-minutes long. But the defendants continued providing too-short appointments and failing to document clock times in treatment records, even after these issues were repeatedly brought to their attention. Nueva Vida ceased operating mental health clinics in 2018.

“The defendants allegedly overbilled the Medicaid program at the expense of low-income Philadelphians, including children, who were seeking mental health services,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “These individuals deserved full and appropriate health care services, including careful management of psychiatric drugs that can have dangerous side effects. We will hold accountable those who bill Medicaid but fail to provide the full service, because this not only defrauds the government, but deprives vulnerable individuals of care.”

“Medicaid provides important mental health services to adults and children,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The defendants’ actions defrauded the Medicaid program and may have resulted in patients not receiving the full services they deserve. HHS-OIG will continue to work with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to investigate allegations of Medicaid fraud and ensure proper services are provided to patients.”

This settlement resolved a lawsuit that the United States filed under the False Claims Act in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. For the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Lindgren and Gregory in den Berken and auditor George Niedzwicki.

The case is captioned United States v. Nueva Vida Multicultural/Multilingual Behavioral Health, Inc. and Ghodrat Pirooz Sholevar, M.D., Civ. No. 24-1451 (E.D. Pa.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

Man who Stole Guns, Other Items from Farm and Home Store Sentenced to 77 Months in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a St. Francois County man who stole firearms and other items from a farm and home store in Potosi, Missouri to 77 months in prison.

Judge Autrey also ordered Gregory Snyder, 46, to pay $11,484 in restitution for the stolen items.

On Sept. 19, 2021, Snyder hid in the store, emerging after closing time. He stole power tools, camping gear and 13 guns, including eight rifles and five shotguns. Snyder loaded the guns and some of the other stolen goods in his car, and then took them to a river in eastern Washington County. He returned early the next morning for more, but by then, Potosi Police Department officers had spotted evidence of the burglary. They stopped and questioned Snyder, who no longer had the stolen goods in his car. They arrested Snyder later that day.

Snyder, of Bismarck, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and possession of body armor by a violent felon.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Potosi Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Nino Przulj prosecuted the case.

Two of the shotguns have been recovered. Anyone with information about the rest of the stolen firearms is asked to contact the ATF at 314-768-3120 or online at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips or the Potosi Police at 573-438-5468.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Wapato Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Unlawful Sexual Contact with a 13-Year-Old Child

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Vanessa Waldref announced that on January 24, 2025, United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Geordell Devon Arthur, age 23, of Wapato, Washington, to 12 months in federal prison on one count of unlawful sexual contact. Judge Dimke also imposed 5 years of supervised release. Arthur will be required to register as a sex offender. At sentencing, Arthur faced a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment, and he was sentenced within the applicable sentencing guidelines range for his offense.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Arthur, who was 19 at the time, made unlawful sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl at a location on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation on or around May 10, 2021. The victim explained to investigators that Arthur’s friends confronted the victim and threatened her with harm if she spoke to law enforcement.

“The harm to victims in cases like these cannot be understated,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “It takes courage for victims to come forward, especially when an abuser attempts to silence them. My office is committed to prioritizing offenses against our community’s youngest and most vulnerable victims.”

“Mr. Arthur assaulted and then tried to intimidate his victim into silence.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “However, she displayed courage instead of fear and now her attacker is headed to prison. I applaud her actions as well as those of the investigators who seek justice for victims of these appalling crimes.”

The FBI and the Yakama Nation Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy prosecuted the case.

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Oahu Man Sentenced to Over 16 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking And Illegal Gambling Charges

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Maliu Tauheluhelu, 40, of Honolulu, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake to 200 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, and conspiring to operate illegal gambling businesses. Tauheluhelu pleaded guilty to two counts of an Indictment on February 15, 2024.

Tauheluhelu admitted to conspiring with his co-defendants, Maafu Pani, Touanga Niu, and Desmond Morris, to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine between 2020 and 2022. Tauheluhelu obtained multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine and cocaine on Oahu and arranged for its distribution throughout Hawaii, including to Maui.

Tauheluhelu admitted that during this same time period, he, Pani, and Niu also conspired to operate illegal gambling businesses on Oahu and Maui. Tauheluhelu operated multiple illegal gambling businesses on Oahu, including one at 980 Queen Street, and a “VIP room” operating out of Tauheluhelu’s Staxx Sports Bar & Grill location in Waianae.

Pani, Niu, and Morris each pled guilty to federal felonies and were sentenced earlier in 2024 for their roles in the conspiracy. Pani was sentenced to 192 months of imprisonment, Niu was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment, and Morris was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment.

“This sentence demonstrates that those who traffic dangerous drugs and operate illegal game rooms will face serious consequences,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Sorenson. “We are committed to holding criminal enterprises accountable and protecting our community from the destruction caused by drugs like methamphetamine. Illegal game rooms, like those run by Tauheluhelu, are magnets for violence and criminal activity. This outcome is the result of exceptional coordination and effort by our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”

“Yesterday’s sentencing reflects years of collaboration among multiple law enforcement agencies to dismantle a dangerous criminal organization,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “The FBI—in coordination with our partners across all levels of government—will continue to use every available resource to protect our communities and bring these criminal enterprises to justice.”

“Our collective efforts send a clear and decisive message: criminal enterprises that exploit and endanger our communities should think twice, as there is zero tolerance for such actions,” said Maui Chief of Police John Pelletier. “We are deeply grateful to our federal partners—FBI Honolulu and the DEA—and to the dedicated MPD officers and personnel who worked tirelessly to bring this operation to a successful conclusion. This achievement was made possible by the unwavering commitment, shared resources, and intelligence of all the involved agencies, reaffirming our dedication to keeping our communities safe for residents and visitors.”

This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Task Force Officers from the Maui Police Department, with assistance from the Maui Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Nammar prosecuted the case.

Florida Resident Charged In Scheme To Submit Fraudulent Asylum Applications

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendant Allegedly Falsified Stories of Political Persecution in Clients’ Asylum Applications

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Carlos Adolfo Haeckermann Cardenas on charges of aiding and abetting false statements on asylum applications.

According to an indictment filed Nov. 13, 2024, and unsealed Jan. 23, 2025, Haeckermann, 62, of Doral, Florida, held himself out to provide individuals with assistance in applying for immigration documents and benefits, including asylum.  Between 2019 and 2021, Haeckermann submitted or assisted in the submission of more than 100 asylum applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and charged his clients, including some who resided in the Northern District of California, thousands of dollars to help them apply for asylum.

The indictment further alleges that it was Haeckermann’s practice to draft his clients’ personal statements, which frequently included stories of political persecution that formed the basis for the asylum claims. In so doing, Haeckermann allegedly included false and embellished details that were intended to substantiate his clients’ asylum claims and increase the chances that his clients would be granted asylum.

It was Haeckermann’s practice to send completed applications back to his clients for them to sign and submit rather than to list himself as a third-party preparer and to submit the applications himself. At times, the indictment says, Haeckermann solicited his clients for additional payments in exchange for falsified documents that Haeckermann told his clients were necessary to support their asylum claims.

Haeckermann made his initial appearance in San Francisco on Jan. 22, 2025. He is next scheduled to appear in federal court on Mar. 26, 2025, before the Hon. Vince Chhabria, U.S. District Judge.

United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Criminal Fraud Investigations Branch Chief Jeff Rusinek made the announcement.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on each count, as well as a maximum fine of $250,000 on each count. Any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only upon consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DSS and USCIS, with significant assistance from USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.

Haeckermann Indictment
 

Lincoln County Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Trafficking

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Waynesburg, Ky., man Steven Fellmy, was convicted on Thursday, by a federal jury sitting in Lexington, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to the evidence at trial, on August 8, 2023, a Simpsonville Police Department Detective relayed an anonymous tip to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, which concerned the transport of a large quantity of methamphetamine from Anderson County into Mercer County.  As a result, Fellmy was traffic stopped in Mercer County, by a Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy.  At the scene, a Harrodsburg Police Department K9 positively alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.  Law enforcement then searched the vehicle, which led to the recovery of 193.5 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine.  On his person, Fellmy also had 9.439 grams of methamphetamine and 22.529 grams of heroin.

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Chief Scott Elder, Harrodsburg Police Department; Chief Thomas Brummer, Simpsonville Police Department; and Sheriff Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.

The investigation was conducted by DEA, Harrodsburg Police Department, Simpsonville Police Department, and Mercer County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Baker is representing the United States in the case.

Fellmy is scheduled to appear for sentencing on April 17, 2025.  He faces up to life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment because he has a prior felony conviction for a crime of violence.  However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence. 

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