Category: Office of United States Attorneys

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced on January 24, 2024, to 96 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Brandon Allen Haynes, 32, was arrested for possessing a loaded pistol and loaded magazines as a felon, after a standoff with law enforcement, in Des Moines County, on December 15, 2022. Haynes had previously been convicted in state court of two felony charges, which bars him from possessing a firearm.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Haynes will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, the Burlington Police Department, and the West Burlington Police Department.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. 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

CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a twenty-two count indictment charging two Cleveland area brothers with multiple fraud and money laundering schemes.

Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair, 41, recently of Bratenahl, Ohio, and his brother Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair, 30, recently of Pepper Pike, Ohio, face one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, four counts of money laundering, and one count of theft of government funds. Zubair Al Zubair also faces one count of harboring a fugitive.

The indictment charges that from June 2020 through August 2023, the Al Zubair brothers engaged in multiple schemes, including an investment fraud scheme, a Small Business Administration COVID-19 relief Emergency Income Disaster Loan scheme, a cryptocurrency mining scheme, a commercial real estate lease scheme, and a residential real estate lease scheme. According to the facts alleged in the indictment, the Al Zubair brothers obtained funds and property from victims under false pretenses and spent the proceeds on luxury items, such as cars, travel, entertainment, firearms, and jewelry. They allegedly falsely claimed to have extraordinary wealth and government connections. Zubair Al Zubair also allegedly falsely claimed to be married to a princess and to be a member of a royal family in the United Arab Emirates. The defendants also allegedly made false claims about potential investments returns, about property they owned or controlled, and about their intentions, among other falsehoods alleged in the indictment. Through these false claims, the Al Zubair brothers allegedly obtained millions of dollars from their victims. In addition to the fraud and money laundering charges, Zubair Al Zubair is also charged with providing a place to stay and transportation to a fugitive wanted on federal criminal charges.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Shepherd.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

            WASHINGTON – Paul Maucha, 58, a Kenyan national, was found guilty today of perpetrating an advance fee and investment scheme that defrauded numerous victims.

            The jury verdict, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office.

            According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Maucha, along with a co-conspirator, engaged in a scheme through a shell company Maucha controlled, American Eagle Services Group Inc. (AESG), to make numerous misrepresentations to victims about AESG, its assets, and its access to money and capital.

            In particular, Maucha—through AESG—promised victims who were seeking loans that AESG would provide them with these loans, so long as victims first provided AESG with an advanced fee while misrepresenting the purpose of that fee. AESG also told victims falsely that these advance fees could be refunded if AESG did not fund the loan. As proven at trial, however, Maucha and his co-conspirator knew that AESG did not have the capital to make these loans at the time the lending agreements were executed, and refunds to victims could not be assured because Maucha and his co-conspirator were splitting the fees between themselves and spending them, such that there was no money left to be refunded.

            The jury convicted Maucha of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and 10 years in prison for each count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.

            The FBI investigated the case, with substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.

            Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine M. Macey for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.  Assistant Chief William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein for the District of Columbia previously provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

            WASHINGTON — A Massachusetts man and former Boston Police Department Officer pleaded guilty today to assaulting law enforcement assaulting a law enforcement officer and civil disorder, for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Joseph Robert Fisher, 52, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to eight counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder, and the misdemeanor offenses of: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, acts of physical violence the Capitol grounds or building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

            U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss will sentence Fisher on May 24, 2024.

            According to court documents, Fisher entered the U.S. Capitol Building at approximately 2:24 P.M. on January 6, 2021 via the Senate Wing Door on the North side of the U.S. Capitol. At approximately 2:38 P.M., Fisher was in the Capitol Visitor Center’s Orientation Lobby where an altercation began between a U.S. Capitol Police Officer and other rioters. As a U.S. Capitol Police Officer pursued a rioter who had deployed pepper spray, Fisher pushed a chair into the Capitol Police Officer. Fisher then engaged in a physical altercation with the Capitol Police Officer. Shortly afterwards, Fisher exited the U.S. Capitol Building.

            FBI arrested Fisher on March 30, 2023 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Boston Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 36 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,265 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PORTLAND, Ore.—Four suspected drug traffickers with apparent ties to a Mexico-based transnational criminal organization are facing federal charges today after they were caught transporting nearly 370 gallons of liquid heroin.

Marco Antonio Magallon, 44; Luis Deleon Woodward, 26; and Jorge Luis Amador, 25, all of Yakima, Washington, and Santos Alisael Aguilar Maya, 32, whose place of residence is unknown, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and possess with intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents, on January 24, 2024, as part of an ongoing, multi-agency drug trafficking investigation, law enforcement obtained information that several individuals working for a transnational criminal organization were transporting a large load of illegal narcotics into the District of Oregon. Late in the evening of January 24 and in the early morning hours of January 25, 2024, investigators observed a rented moving truck driven by Amador and an accompanying red pickup truck traveling west on Interstate 84 near Bonneville, Oregon. Investigators observed the vehicles travel together to a motel in Tigard, Oregon, making one brief stop in a commercial parking lot in Beaverton, Oregon.

Later on January 25, investigators executed federal search warrants on the defendants’ motel room and two vehicles. They located and seized eight 55-gallon barrels containing approximately 370 gallons of a liquid narcotic inside the moving truck and two loaded handguns inside the motel room. All four defendants were arrested without incident. Investigators transported the seized narcotic, which weighed approximately 1.4 metric tons, to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) narcotics room. Lab tests later confirmed the barrels contained liquid heroin.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), WCSO, and the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN). It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

WIN is a Washington County, Oregon-based High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, and HSI.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RODERICK WILLIAMS, age 27, of Slidell, was sentenced on January 31, 2024 by the Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to sixty (60) months imprisonment to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to two counts of an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

According to court documents, on April 9, 2023, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers stopped a vehicle being driven by WILLIAMS. Thereafter, officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and located a Glock Model 19, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun in the trunk. This handgun was loaded, with one bullet in the chamber and carried an extended, twenty-five (25) round magazine.

On April 28, 2023, investigators conducted video surveillance of the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Werner Drive. Officers noted an unknown black male hold a firearm as he entered a convenience store. NOPD officers were notified, entered the store and as they approached WILLIAMS, he attempted to conceal the firearm in his waistband. After noticing  the outline of a firearm in WILLIAMS’s waistband, officers searched him and seized a Glock Model 26, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun.

WILLIAMS had previously been convicted of felonies that prohibited him from possessing firearms.

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.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Rayburn of the Violent Crimes Unit.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HOUSTON – A 57-year-old Nigerian national has pleaded guilty for his role in a fraud conspiracy perpetrated against victims in more than 20 countries, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Uche Victor Diuno helped orchestrate a scam in which fraudsters abroad lured victims with false promises of millions in investment funding and inheritances.

Diuno and others posed as executives and employees of well-known U.S. banks to deceive victims into making payments to secure purported investment and money transfer agreements. Other members of the conspiracy then laundered these payments through U.S. bank accounts and directed them back to the scheme’s leaders in Nigeria.    

Diuno admitted he and his co-conspirators used multiple aliases to convince victims the scam was authentic. Diuno also admitted to his role in the laundering of victim funds.

Acting on instructions from the scheme’s leader, Diuno directed a co-conspirator to disburse victim funds after receiving them. This included transferring funds to other bank accounts through currency exchangers and purchasing vehicles that were shipped back to scammers in Nigeria.

From October 2014 to September 2018, Diuno and his co-conspirators caused losses of nearly $5.7 million.            

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett accepted the guilty plea and has set sentencing for May 9. At that time, Diuno faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each charge and a possible maximum fine of either $500,000 or up to twice the value of the victims’ losses.

Diuno will remain in custody pending sentencing.

The FBI and Department of State – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Latham and Trial Attorney Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HOUSTON – A 26-year-old citizen of Niger has been sent to federal prison on firearms charges related to his status in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

The jury deliberated for approximately one hour following a one-day trial before returning guilty verdicts March 14, 2023, against Moctar Ahmadou Gouroudja Ahmadou.

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Ahmadou to serve 78 months in federal prison. He is also expected to lose his status in the country and face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence concerning his discussions with the individual associated with the attack on Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, about Ahmadou’s downloading of jihad videos including beheadings and that he discussed the possibility of traveling to Palestine to commit jihad. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Ahmadou had been invited to this country to study under a student visa and had violated that privilege.

“Moctar Ahmadou, like thousands every year, traveled to the United States under an F-1 visa in search of American education,” said Hamdani. “But when he took that quest for knowledge to a gun range, picked up a gun, handled the ammo and fired it, he went from student to criminal. This sentence sends a strong message to those like Ahmadou–stay in the classroom and away from the gun range otherwise your American education will come not from a University but from the prison library.”

Even though Ahmadou was lawfully present in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa, he violated the terms of that status by illegally using a firearm and ammunition.

Ahmadou entered the United States March 24, 2016, from Niger. At the time, he had a nonimmigrant F1 visa, or student visa, to study at the North American University in Stafford. Under that status, he was not permitted to possess or use firearms or ammunition. 

However, the jury heard that on or around May 17, 2021, Ahmadou participated in handling and firing a handgun at a Texas-based gun range. He purchased a course called “First Shot” which provided training on pistol shooting and range time. Immediately after completing the course, Ahmadou rented and later purchased a Glock 45. He was seen at the firing line at the gun range holding a pistol and shooting down range towards a target.  

On May 18, 2021, Ahmadou returned to the same gun range to participate in handling and firing a rifle. The course consisted of firearms safety, manipulation and shooting a rifle. He also possessed and shot a Smith & Wesson, model MP15, .223 caliber rifle and purchased and possessed four boxes of Fiocchi .223 caliber ammunition which he used with the rifle.

Ahmadou has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI led the investigation with the assistance of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service; Homeland Security Investigations; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Customs and Immigration Service; and Texas Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Schammel and Richard Bennett prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the Justice Department’s Counter Terrorism Section.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Hector Hernandez pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he used his official position to smuggle unauthorized immigrants and illegal drugs across the border in exchange for money.

According to his plea agreement, Hernandez admitted to using his official position to open border fences and allowing undocumented immigrants and controlled substances to enter the United States from Mexico. Hernandez also admitted to moving the drugs from the Southern District of California to other locations within the United States.

“Agent Hernandez betrayed his badge and his country,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Instead of providing protection from smugglers and drug traffickers, he joined them.”

“Border Patrol Agent Hernandez broke the public’s trust and abandoned his oath,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe. “Law enforcement officers are required to uphold the law, not break it.”

“It’s always disheartening when individuals misuse their positions of trust within our government for nefarious activities,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “Let this be a clear message, that we are absolutely resolved with our partners to rigorously investigate and pursue justice in all cases—even when they involve one of our own.”

“Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General is grateful for the continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners as we root out corruption and crime along the Southwest Border. Today’s plea agreement sends a clear message that federal employees will be held accountable for their actions,” said the DHS Inspector General, Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari.

Hernandez admitted to taking Mexico-based smugglers on a tour of the US/Mexico border, identifying the best locations to sneak unauthorized immigrants into the United States, and sharing the locations of monitoring devices and cameras near the border to help them evade detection. Hernandez also admitted to opening restricted border fences on at least five occasions and allowing immigrants to enter the United States for cash payments of $5,000 each time.

On May 9, 2023, Hernandez met with someone he believed to be a drug trafficker but who was, in fact, an undercover federal agent. During this meeting, Hernandez agreed to pick up a bag full of narcotics that would be hidden near the border fence and bring it to the undercover agent in exchange for $20,000. Undercover agents loaded the bag with 10 kilograms of fake methamphetamine, one pound of real methamphetamine, and a tracking device, before placing the bag in a storm drain near the border fence.

Later that evening and while on duty, Hernandez drove his official vehicle to the storm drain and retrieved the bag. He drove the bag to his residence in Chula Vista and left it there for the remainder of his work shift. On May 10, 2023, after his shift was over, Hernandez returned home, retrieved the bag, and drove to meet with the undercover agent. He was arrested at that meeting. Upon arrest, investigators confirmed the bag still contained both the fake and real methamphetamine.

After Hernandez was arrested, agents searched his residence and found close to $140,000 in cash and 9 grams of cocaine. By Hernandez’s own admission, at least $110,000 of the seized cash represented proceeds from narcotics trafficking and bribery.

As part of his plea agreement, Hernandez forfeited his personal vehicle used to bring the drugs to the undercover agent; $110,000 of the seized cash; and his interest in the residence where the drugs were maintained.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Lawrence A. Casper.

Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on April 19, 2024 at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.

DEFENDANTS                                Case Number 23cr1114-JLS                              

Hector Hernandez                              Age: 55                          Chula Vista, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Attempted Distribution of Methamphetamine – 21 U.S.C., Sections 841(a)(1) and 846

Maximum penalty: Life imprisonment with a 10-year mandatory minimum

Receiving Bribe by Public Official – 18 U.S.C., Section 201(b)(2)

Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

IRS Criminal Investigation

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Emmanuel Dejesus Nina-Perez, 31, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced today to 27 months’ imprisonment by a U.S. District Court Judge as a result of a guilty plea. Nina-Perez is the sixth and final defendant in a three-year conspiracy that defrauded gas station customers and their banks by secretly using Bluetooth enabled skimming equipment to steal customers’ credit card information. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Yarislani Padron-Cruz, 38, a foreign national living in Salt Lake City; Yofre Napoleon Almonte, 50, a foreign national living in Salt Lake City; Iraldo Pereda-Mendez, 36, of Salt Lake City; Jandry Artigas-Reyes, 38, a foreign national living in Salt Lake City; and Yosbel Delgado-Valdes, 44, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty to participating in a gas scheme conspiracy that began in 2017 and lasted through 2020. The defendants executed the conspiracy by using Bluetooth enabled skimming equipment that they installed onto gas pumps, specifically, on the motherboard of the internal computer that controls the gas pumps. Skimming equipment contains a Bluetooth card reader/recorder that records information – such as the customers’ credit card number, name and zip code associated with the card. After installation, the defendants would get within range of the Bluetooth skimming device to initiate a wireless Bluetooth connection at the gas pump. The defendants would then download the digital credit card/debit card information captured by and stored in their skimming device. The defendants then encoded the data captured onto duplicate cloned cards and would use them to purchase fuel and other items. Several of the co-conspirators, including Nina-Perez, were either long-haul truck drivers or had close connections to trucking transportation companies who operated fleets of long-haul trucks. Collectively, the defendants are responsible for over $200,000 in losses. 

In addition to Nina-Perez’s sentence of imprisonment, Padron-Cruz was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment; Almonte was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment; Pereda-Mendez was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment; Artigas-Reyes was sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment; and Delgado-Valdes was sentenced to 50 months’ imprisonment. Each has been ordered by the court to pay joint restitution to the victims. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $38,372 cash seized from Nina-Perez’s co-defendants’ residence in connection with their arrests.

“The theft of funds and identities imposed a serious burden and harm on the victims,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “My office is committed to seeking justice for victims and working with our investigative partners to crack down on this type of fraudulent behavior.”

“Filling up our gas tanks is a common, routine activity which means any one of us could have been a victim of this crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Fraud not only costs businesses and banks, but places an added burden on citizens to recover from identity theft. We encourage the public to regularly check their bank statements and report any potential fraud to local law enforcement or the FBI.” 

The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department. 

Assistant United States Attorney Ruth Hackford-Peer and Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko J. Jepson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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