Category: United States Attorneys General

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: St. Charles Man Indicted on Charges of Firearms Violations

St. Louis, MO – Taylor Wilson, 26, St. Louis, was indicted on February 1, 2018.

The indictment alleges various firearms offenses.  Specifically, it alleges that during the time of September 2015, through December 23, 2017, Wilson possessed a fully automatic machinegun and a rifle, neither of which were registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. It also alleges that the machine gun had a defaced and obliterated serial number.

If Wilson is convicted, counts one, three and four of the indictment carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Count two of the indictment carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: South Carolina Man Sentenced for Fraud and Money Laundering

St. Louis, MO – Daniel Stimmel, 52, of Goose Creek, South Carolina, was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment and ordered to pay more than $4,000,000 in restitution for running a car theft scheme while employed as a fleet manager of Emerson Network Power (ENP) of Columbus, Ohio, from 2003 to 2016.  ENP, now known as Vertiv, was formerly an operating subsidiary of Emerson Electric Company and became an independent entity after Stimmel’s scheme concluded.

Stimmel admitted in his 2017 plea agreement that he diverted hundreds of cars from the fleet management contract between ENP and two different fleet management companies through the use of fraudulent paperwork and straw parties until a car could be sold and titled in the name of a third-party buyer.  The proceeds of these sales, which were hidden from ENP, were usually returned to Stimmel in cash.

Stimmel used the proceeds of his scheme to acquire real estate and pursue his interest in motor sports.  As a part of the investigation, the St. Louis Division of the FBI, the St. Louis Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of Ohio, forfeited numerous automobiles, motorcycles, a boat and a luxury automotive storage facility in Plain City, Ohio.

Tom Albus handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Aggravated Felon Found To Be Back Illegally In The United States Sentenced To Four Years In Prison

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Rene Rolando Ceron-Flores (39, El Salvador) to four years in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2017. 

According to court documents, Ceron-Flores, an alien of the United States, was convicted of criminal sexual abuse of a minor in July 2014 and was deported in October 2014. In September 2017, Ceron-Flores was found to be voluntarily back in the United States illegally.

This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Castle Rock Breast Cancer Charity Promoter Sentenced for Failure to File Tax Return

DENVER – Adam C. Shryock, age 37, of Castle Rock, Colorado, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Michael J. Watanabe on January 25, 2018 to serve 12 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for willful failure to file a tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Steven Osborne. Shryock, who pled guilty on April 4, 2017, was also ordered to pay restitution of $430,970 to the Internal Revenue Service.

According to the information and plea agreement, Shryock created a promotional campaign “Boobies Rock Awareness for Breast Cancer” in February, 2011 and subsequently incorporated “Boobies Rock” in California in April, 2011 as its sole owner and operator. Between April, 2011 and June 2013, Boobies Rock!, operating as a for-profit business, held between 3,600 and 4,500 promotional events selling breast cancer awareness merchandise and accepting donations at bars and sporting events throughout the country.

The Boobies Rock merchandise consisted of t-shirts, hoodies, koozies and bracelets. Hiring managers and/or sales representatives accepted cash, checks, and credit card payments at the events. Shryock instructed the money received be deposited into bank accounts controlled by Shryock at two different banks. Proceeds were also mailed or hand delivered to Shryock’s Castle Rock residence.

During the years under investigation over 2,200 cash deposits totaling over $1.8 million were made into Shryock’s accounts. Shryock used some of these funds to support his lifestyle. Based on over $2.4 million in income, Shryock earned operating Boobies Rock and other businesses between 2011 and 2013, along with income Shryock did not report in 2010 while residing in California, the amount of restitution owed to the IRS is $430,970.

“Schemes to conceal and insulate wealth in order to evade income tax, such as those utilized by Shryock do not ‘rock.’  They are unfair to every taxpayer who obeys the law and pays his/her fair share.  The public should know that IRS CI will do everything we can to hold individuals accountable ensuring that our tax system is fair to everyone,” Steven Osborne, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office said. 

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha Paluch.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Man Sentenced on Charges of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that Terry White, age 22, of Pine Hill, Alabama was sentenced today after earlier pleading guilty to a violation of 18 USC Section 2252A(a)(2), Receipt of Child Pornography. White was sentenced to serve 84 months imprisonment followed by a life time term of supervised release.

This case arose when the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that files containing child pornography were uploaded from the Facebook account of a juvenile from North Carolina to the Facebook account of Terry White.

The investigation revealed that White made a “friend request” to the victim and they began communicating via Facebook Messenger.  The conversation turned sexual and White requested that the juvenile send him images of child pornography.

Further investigation revealed that White had previously requested another child to send him obscene images.  That child’s mother had contacted law enforcement which resulted in the defendant being prosecuted for Electronic Solicitation of a Child in Clarke County, Alabama.

This case was investigated by the Clarke County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation.  This case was prosecuted by AUSA Maria E. Murphy.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Mobile County Woman Receives 5 Years Probation and Ordered to Pay $45,120.07 Restitution to Social Security Administration and Alabama Medicaid Agency

The United States Attorney, Richard W. Moore, announces that Tamara Wallace, a 43 year old, resident of Mobile, Alabama was sentenced today to five (5) years of probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $31,308.00 to the Social Security Administration and $13,812.07 the State of Alabama Medicaid Agency.  

From January 2012 through September 2016, Wallace received Title XVI Supplemental Disability Income and Title XIX Medicaid Insurance Benefits that she was no longer entitled to due to her marriage and work activity.  Wallace was required to report her marriage and work income to the Social Security Administration so her benefits could be reevaluated and she failed to do so as required by law.  Wallace pled guilty to theft of public money on October 25, 2017.

Special Agents of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General along with special agents of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General investigated the case and presented it to the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution.  The prosecutor assigned to the case was Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: 4 Individuals Indicted For Trafficking Methamphetamine And Marihuana

SAN JUAN, PR – On January 31, 2018, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against four individuals as a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation led by the U.S Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, DEA and the Puerto Rico Police Department, announced today United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The defendants are charged in a three-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and the use of mail to distribute controlled substances.

The indictment alleges that beginning in the year 2015, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Puerto Rico for significant financial gain. U.S Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, DEA San Juan Tactical Division Squad, and PRPD, started an investigation into a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) responsible for shipping crystal meth (also known as “ice”) and marihuana from the state of California to Puerto Rico via the United States Postal Service (USPS) with the assistance of two postal employees.

The defendants are:

1.         José Chávez, a.k.a. “El Mejicano/El Ingeniero”- sent the drugs from California to Puerto Rico

2.         Pedro Rodríguez Valentin- USPS employee

3.         Julio Valenzuela Morel- facilitator

4.         Josué Torres Colón- USPS employee

According to the indictment, the defendants mailed the packaged methamphetamine and/or marihuana to Puerto Rico from United States Post Offices in California. They had the methamphetamine and/or marihuana laden boxes have specific existing addresses on the postal employee’s delivery route, so that he could take control of the package to deliver to co-conspirators. The defendants and co-conspirators held meetings in Puerto Rico or Florida to discuss the distribution of controlled substances and communicated via text or phone regarding the shipments of controlled substances to Puerto Rico and its distribution. They used Well Fargo and Banco Popular accounts to pay co-conspirators for the shipments of methamphetamine.

“The US Attorney’s Office will continue to vigorously pursue the criminal prosecution of U.S. Postal Service employees and others who would defraud the U.S. Postal Service or utilize its services in their criminal schemes,” said United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “We are committed to dismantling and removing the threat posed by these criminal organizations flooding our communities with dangerous narcotics.”

Eileen Neff, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office stated: “The U.S Postal Service, Office of Inspector General will utilize every resource available, to include our strong law enforcement partnerships, to prevent USPS employees from abusing positions of public trust by assisting with the trafficking of methamphetamine, as alleged in this case. This type of destructive and dangerous scheme will not be tolerated. We greatly appreciate the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Puerto Rico Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this matter.” 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Montes under the supervision of Julia Díaz-Rex, Deputy Chief for International Narcotics Unit. If convicted, the defendants could face a minimum penalty of 10 years up to life imprisonment and/or fines of up to $10,000,000. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). This multi-agency task force investigates and dismantles major drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics as well as the gang violence that accompanies drug trafficking.

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Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Threats of Terrorism at Two Airports

PORTLAND, Ore. – On Thursday, February 1, 2018, Sonny Donnie Smith, 38, of Clackamas, Oregon, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to making anonymous harassing telephone calls to two airports, in violation of 47 U.S.C. § 223(a)(1)(C). Smith waived indictment by a federal grand jury and pleaded guilty to an information filed by the United States Attorney’s Office.

According to court documents, Smith admitted to making two anonymous telephone calls to security offices at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada and Midland International Air and Space Port in Midland, Texas. In both calls, Smith falsely reported that a family member traveling through the airport was a terrorist. An investigation revealed no real terrorist threat and that Smith made the calls because of a family feud.

“The safety and security of our nation’s airports and travelers are of paramount importance to law enforcement, and we will continue to swiftly and thoroughly investigate all threats of terrorism,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “False reports intended to harass others waste law enforcement time and resources and will be prosecuted accordingly.”

“Today’s technology makes some believe they can anonymously create chaos to resolve personal grievances. Thanks to the FBI agents and partner agencies who worked this case, Mr. Smith quickly found his harassment was far from anonymous. Whether someone makes a false claim to harass a particular person or more generally to disrupt air travel, they should know the FBI will respond. That requires the use of limited resources, potentially delaying response to other serious incidents and real victims. For this reason, you can expect to be held accountable for your threat – hoax or not,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.

Smith faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 10, 2018 before United States District Court Judge Anna J. Brown.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Hannah Horsley, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Federal Judge Sentences Three Men Involved In International Child Pornography Ring

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Three men involved in an international online child pornography ring responsible for producing and sharing thousands of images and videos of child pornography were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr., announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Gregory L. Wiest, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ICE/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and the Carolinas and Sheriff Van Duncan of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.

Dane William Anderson, 32, of Candler, N.C., was sentenced to 20 years in prison; Samuel Heineman, IV, 54, of Marietta, Pennsylvania, previously residing in Berlin, Germany, was sentenced to 21 years in prison; and Mark Christopher Klein, 38, of Hugo, Minnesota, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. All three defendants were also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as sex offenders after they are released from prison.

“The three men sentenced today were part of a sinister network of online child predators, responsible for producing and amassing child pornography on a scale rarely seen. It took law enforcement nearly a year to shift through and analyze Anderson’s massive collection of disturbing images and videos,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “While this sentence will never repair the trauma suffered by the victims in this case, it does, hopefully, send a message of deterrence to other would-be offenders.”

“This was a heinous child predator conspiracy, crossing international and state borders,” said acting HSI Special Agent Wiest.  “Our deepest concern is for the victims of these horrible crimes and we hope today’s sentencing can help them continue on the path of recovery.”

According to court documents and other court records, from 2002 through 2015, the three men were members of a child pornography ring referred to as the “Rippernet,” that produced child pornography through “capping.” Capping is a sophisticated method of producing child pornography by tricking victims, in this case teenage boys, into performing sexually explicit acts in front of webcams, and capturing the video to create new child pornography.  Court records show that the defendants induced their young victims by creating false online personas of adolescent girls, specifically developed to be sexually explicit and enticing.  

Court records show that law enforcement identified Anderson as an individual responsible for producing images and videos of child pornography, which he traded with others via a peer-to-peer file trading software.  According to court records, a forensic analysis of devices seized from Anderson’s home revealed that the defendant possessed more than 17,000 videos and 10,000 images of files depicting the abuse of children.  Court records also show that Anderson was the “archivist” of the ring, responsible for collecting and organizing the child pornography in files, and distributing the images and videos to his capper associates.

Court records show that Anderson learned the capping method from Heineman, who was the most prolific producer of child pornography using the capping method.  According to court records, Heineman taught Anderson “the art of capping.”  In turn, Anderson taught the method to other group members, including Klein.  Court records indicate that the combined number of known production victims among the three defendants is over 2,290.

Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of production and one count of possession of child pornography.  Heineman and Klein each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child.  All three defendants are currently in the custody of the United States Marshal pending their designation to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility.  All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole. 

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanks HSI for leading the investigation. U.S. Attorney Murray also thanks the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice, aimed at combating the growing online sexual exploitation of children.  By combining resources, federal, state and local agencies are better able to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue those victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Springfield Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a registered sex offender in Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving and distributing thousands of images of child pornography over the Internet.

Anthony Richard Salois, 51, of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the charge contained in a July 22, 2014, federal indictment. Salois, who has a prior state conviction for sexual abuse involving a minor, has remained in federal custody since his arrest in July 2014.

By pleading guilty today, Salois admitted that he received and distributed child pornography over the Internet between Sept. 16 and 20, 2013. Salois utilized a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to download child pornography.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Salois’s residence on Oct. 13, 2013, and seized two desktop computers. Investigators found 3,973 images of child pornography, 50 multimedia files of child pornography, 641 images of child erotica and 39 multimedia files of child erotica on those computers.

Under federal statutes, Salois is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull, II. It was investigated by the FBI and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”