Category: Office of United States Attorneys

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Dennis L. Jones, 33, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, who was convicted of bank fraud, was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge David L. Larimer. Jones is the final defendant in a series of “smash and grab” car robberies to be sentenced.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between December 2021, and March 2022, Jones and three others drove up the East Coast from Florida to Rochester, NY, for the purpose of stealing purses from unoccupied vehicles in gym parking lots, retail parking lots, hiking trails and residential neighborhoods.  The defendants used stolen driver’s licenses to cash stolen checks totaling $55,310 at local banks. Over 20 victims were identified in the Rochester Area, as well as additional victims along the East Coast.

In addition, defendant Liza J. Freiman, 33, of Boston, MA, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison; defendant Allen Clark, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, was sentenced to 84 months in prison; and defendant Ja’Cari Robinson, 22, also of Fort Lauderdale, FL, was sentenced to six months in prison. 

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

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Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has been sentenced in federal court for stealing patient information as part of a scheme to sell private information for personal gain. Roderick Harvey, 42, has been sentenced to five years of probation for his role in a conspiracy to violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA. United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker also ordered Harvey to serve one year of the probationary period in home detention and to pay a $50,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today. 

In April 2023, Harvey pled guilty to conspiring with five former Methodist Hospital employees to unlawfully disclose patient information in violation of HIPAA.

According to information presented in court, between November 2017, and December 2020, Harvey paid Kirby Dandridge, Sylvia Taylor, Kara Thompson, Melanie Russell, and Adrianna Taber to provide him with names and phone numbers of patients who had been involved in motor vehicle accidents. Harvey then sold the information to third persons including personal injury attorneys and chiropractors.

HIPAA was enacted by Congress in 1996 to create national standards to protect sensitive patient information from being disclosed without a patient’s knowledge or consent. HIPAA’s provisions make it a crime to disclose patient information, or to obtain patient information with the intent to sell, transfer or use such information for personal gain. 

Dandridge, Taylor, Taber, Thompson, and Russell were sentenced after pleading guilty in 2023 to disclosing patient information to Harvey. Dandridge was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine. Thompson was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $3,000. Taylor was sentenced to two years of probation.  Taber was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Russell was sentenced to time served and placed on supervised release for six months.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

          GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Chief U.S. District Court Judge Hala Y. Jarbou entered a consent decree ordering Baldwin Pattie Drug Store, LLC (Pattie Drug), to discontinue dispensing controlled substances.  The consent decree resolves allegations in a complaint filed by the United States against defendants Pattie Drug, a pharmacy located in Baldwin, MI, and its owner, Matthew Krawczak, for violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). 

          “Lake County is one of Michigan’s most vulnerable communities in the ongoing opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “The alleged misconduct in this case violates the core tenets of responsible dispensing of opioids by a pharmacy and its pharmacists. My office remains committed to using all the tools at our disposal to protect communities from this crisis.”

          In its complaint, the United States alleged that the defendants stocked and dispensed a particular brand of hydrocodone, sometimes referred to as “Yellow Norcos,” that are commonly sought out by individuals for their purported abuse potential.  The defendants allegedly ordered these yellow opioid pills to maintain a competitive advantage over other pharmacies and then dispensed these controlled substances to patients they believed were abusing drugs. The United States also alleged that the defendants failed to meet multiple recordkeeping obligations, including keeping accurate dispensing records. The complaint notes that when Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators inspected the pharmacy, an audit revealed thousands of unaccounted-for opioids, including hydrocodone pills. It also alleges that the DEA discovered that the defendants failed to submit annual certifications to DEA that pharmacy employees had been trained on CSA and DEA laws involving the sale of products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine directly to customers.

          In the consent decree, Chief Judge Jarbou ordered the defendants to immediately comply with federal laws regarding dispensing of controlled substances and DEA recordkeeping.  Within a set period, the consent decree permanently prevents Pattie Drug from dispensing controlled substances and orders it to surrender its DEA registration. The consent decree also prevents Krawczak from dispensing controlled substances in a pharmacy setting for ten years unless he is working under the supervision of another pharmacist in charge. Finally, the consent decree orders the defendants to pay a civil penalty between $10,000 to $30,000, negotiated based on the defendants’ inability to pay a larger settlement amount.

          “The unlawful dispensing of controlled substances by a few healthcare practitioners throughout the country has caused immense harm to communities over the years,” stated DEA Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Schumacher. “If the requirements of a proper prescription and adherence to procedure are not met, the men and women of DEA Diversion Control stand ready to hold these pharmacists accountable.”

          The resolution obtained in this case was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Hull prosecuted this case.

          The complaint and consent decree in this case can be found on the Court’s online docket under United States v. Baldwin Pattie Drug Store, LLC, et al., No. 1:24-cv-70 (W.D. Mich.).

          The claims resolved by the consent decree are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

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Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MOBILE, AL – A Baldwin County man was sentenced on January 29, 2024, to 17 months in prison for making threatening communications to a federal law enforcement officer.

According to court documents, David Clarence Shaw placed multiple calls to the Operations Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation threatening to kill a federal task force officer and referring to himself as the “Angel of Death.”  After serving his 17-month sentence, Shaw will serve a three-year term of supervised release. 

“Law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way daily to protect the public,” said United States Attorney Sean P. Costello.  “Threats to their safety – or to any member of our community – will not be tolerated.”  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasee S. Heisterhagen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcello Marlo Rivera, 49, of Lodi, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to evidence presented at trial, on May 11, 2022, while law enforcement agents were attempting to execute a federal search warrant, Rivera flushed methamphetamine down the toilet at his residence in Lodi. The agents found large bags with leftover methamphetamine shards and residue in Rivera’s room. Rivera was also found to be in possession of a loaded high-capacity magazine containing 17 live rounds of ammunition. Rivera cannot legally possess ammunition because he has previously been convicted of multiple felonies.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Highway Patrol, the Lodi Police Department, the San Joaquin Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Spencer and Kerry Blackburn prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.

This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations.

The mission of the OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and Priority Transactional Organized Crime Groups (PTOCs).

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

            WASHINGTON – Edward Steven Monge, 22, of Beltsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to participating in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Monge pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

             Monge faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes. A sentencing date is pending. The prison term will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

             According to the government’s evidence, between February and August 2023 Monge sold more than 4,500 pills containing fentanyl to Jennifer Echeverria Flores, 26, of Silver Spring. Echeverria Flores then sold the pills to a DEA undercover agent on five separate occasions between February 17 and July 19, 2023, in the District and Maryland. The pills were blue, marked “M” on one side, and “30” on the other. The total approximate weight of the pills was 479 grams. 

            Echeverria Flores was arrested on July 31, 2023. On August 3, 2023, law enforcement arrested Monge in Hyattsville, MD, pursuant to an outstanding arrest warrant for him from Fairfax County, VA. Officers searched Monge and found him carrying about 1,102 pills, which field tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. Monge was arrested on a federal arrest warrant on September 11, 2023. 

            Echeverria Flores pleaded guilty in December to the drug conspiracy charge. She is scheduled to be sentenced March 19.

            This case was investigated by the DEA.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter, with valuable assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Henek.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Matthew Shaver, age 23, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a loaded shotgun as a felon.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

Shaver admitted that on December 15, 2022, he knowingly possessed a loaded shotgun at his residence in Schenectady.  On that date, federal investigators recovered the shotgun while executing a search warrant on the residence.  A prior felony conviction for assault in the first degree prevented Shaver from legally possessing the firearm in New York.  Shaver was arrested following the search and has remained in custody since then.

Shaver faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on May 29, 2024, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

ATF and HIS investigated this case with assistance provided by the Rotterdam Police Department, the Schenectady Police Department, and the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

RICHMOND, Va. – A Hopewell man was sentenced today to 124 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute over fifty grams of methamphetamine in Chesterfield County, while also possessing fentanyl, cocaine, and two AR-style semiautomatic pistols.

According to court documents, Shaone Lovett, 27, was the subject of a January 2023 search warrant executed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Chesterfield County Police Department at his residence. When law enforcement encountered Lovett, he possessed various substances containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as an AR-style semiautomatic pistol loaded with a high-capacity magazine containing 40 rounds of ammunition. When law enforcement searched his apartment, they found another AR-style semiautomatic pistol and dozens of rounds of ammunition.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Colonel W. Keith Early, Prince George County Police Department; and Colonel Jeffrey S. Katz, Chesterfield County Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea Gibbons and Erik S. Siebert prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-102.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TEEJAY JOHNSON, 38, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm.  Johnson must also serve the first six months of his supervised release in home detention.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 9, 2022, members of the New Haven Police Department Shooting Task Force and other law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant at Johnson’s residence.  Johnson was found coming out of the bathroom after narcotics had been flushed down the toilet.  Investigators collected samples of narcotics from the bathroom, and found in other areas of the residence fentanyl and other narcotics, marijuana, more than $8,600 in cash, and a loaded .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine and 16 rounds of ammunition.

Johnson’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm and assault related offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Johnson has been detained since his federal arrest on April 21, 2022.  On August 28, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia King through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On January 29, following a three-day trial in United States District Court, Knoxville, Tennessee, a jury convicted Oraine Christie, 44, of Massachusetts, of drug trafficking and firearms charges relating to a traffic stop conducted by the Knoxville Police Department’s drug interdiction team, on December 1, 2021. 

Christie will be sentenced by the Honorable Judge Katherine C. Crytzer at a later date.  Christie faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life, fines, and a term of supervised release of at least five years.

The evidence presented at trial showed that Oraine Christie, the driver of a Chevy Trailblazer, and co-conspirator Shemar Newland, the passenger, were transporting 3.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and six firearms, including a stolen Smith & Wesson revolver and a PA-15 assault rifle when they were stopped after committing a traffic violation on Highway 640.  An investigation revealed that the pair were heading back to Atlanta with the guns and drugs after failing to sell the drugs in West Virginia, as initially planned.  Testimony at trial revealed that Newland obtained the drugs from an individual in Atlanta and Christie conspired with Newland to sell the drugs to Christie’s associate in West Virginia.

Newland pleaded guilty on July 14, 2022, and his sentencing is set for February 8, 2023, before Judge Crytzer, in the United States District Court in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to the indictment and subsequent convictions included the Knoxville Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne-Marie Svolto and Brian Samuelson represented the United States at trial.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community face.

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