Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: United States Attorney’s Office Supporting RAYSAC Opioid Initiative

Roanoke, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney Rick Mountcastle announced the Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition’s (RAYSAC) social media campaign beinthepicture.org, whose goal is to warn individuals between the ages of 12 and 25 about the dangers of prescription drug misuse, specifically opioid pain medication and heroin.  The program, which began in December 2017, is featured on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, as well as in posters in various restaurants, shops, schools, libraries, the health department and other locations around the Roanoke Valley. 

“Opioid pain killer and heroin addiction is a national crisis,” said United States Attorney Mountcastle.  “Our community must work together to defeat the epidemic of addiction through access to treatment and recovery, prevention programs that raise awareness of the dangers of addiction, and targeted law enforcement.” 

RAYSAC is recruiting young adults in the Roanoke Valley between the ages of 18-25 to serve on an advisory council. This council will provide guidance and expertise on the best ways to bring awareness to their peers about this critical issue.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia Collects Over $11 Million in Fiscal Year 2017

Roanoke, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia collected $11,113,257 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2017. More than $7,200,000 of this amount went to victims of crime.  “Providing restitution to crime victims is a priority, and I commend the three members of our Financial Litigation Unit for their hard work during fiscal year 2017,” said United States Attorney Mountcastle.

The Western District of Virginia also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $73,387,907 in cases pursued jointly with these offices.

Overall, the Justice Department collected just over $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017.

Additionally, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, working with partner agencies and divisions, also collected $4,115,494 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2017. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

The United States Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims.  The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.  While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws.  In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Houston Man Convicted of Multiple Child Pornography Charges

HOUSTON –  A 28-year-old Houston man has entered a guilty plea to two counts of production and one count of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

 

Robert Matthew Jimenez admitted he had solicited named images of a 14-year-old girl who resided in Buffalo, New York.

 

The girl’s father had learned that someone she believed was a 17-year-old male had contacted her via the Internet. The father reported to authorities that his minor daughter had been sending naked images of herself at the request of that person. However, the investigation revealed it was not a 17-year-old boy, but was, in fact, Jimenez.

 

He had manipulated the minor female and caused her to take images of herself, images that constitute child pornography. The investigation revealed he had also done this to at least one other identified minor female.

 

Jimenez texted the minors and used social media applications such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram to manipulate the minors into sending the images. He was often abusive and aggressive in his communications with them.

 

Authorities executed a search warrant at his Houston residence which resulted in the discovery of the second victim. Authorities also discovered that he also sent a picture of his genitalia to that victim.

 

Jimenez is believed to have contacted dozens of other females.

 

U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas accepted the plea today and has set sentencing for April 17, 2018. At that time, Jimenez faces a minimum of 15 and up to 30 years in prison for each of the production counts as well as another 10 years for the possession. The charges also carry a potential fine of up to $250,000. He will also be ordered to serve a minimum of five years and up to life on supervised release following  completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. He will also have to register as a sex offender.

 

He will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing.

 

The FBI conducted the investigation.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack prosecuted the case which 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.”

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Houston Man Gets Significant Sentence for Trafficking Meth

HOUSTON – A 46-year-old resident of Houston has been ordered to federal prison for his conviction of trafficking nearly six kilograms of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Marco Antonio Aparicio-Santos pleaded guilty Aug. 12, 2016.

 

Today, Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Ortiz-Flores to 210 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

 

At the time of his plea, Aparicio-Santos admitted to playing a key role in attempting to deliver methamphetamine in the Houston area.

 

On June 13, 2014, a confidential source mistakenly received several bundles which contained approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine from two unknown male couriers working with him. The couriers had approached the source and mistakenly threw a bag in his car containing six bundles of methamphetamine. The source quickly realized the bundles contained drugs and contacted federal agents who advised him to contact a co-defendant Jesus Ortiz-Flores. At that time, Ortiz-Flores advised him that drugs were supposed to go to Aparicio-Santos who was then supposed to divide it up and provide to others.  

 

Ortiz-Flores told the source he could just sell the some of the drugs himself. The source later told Ortiz-Flores he “sold” two kilograms of methamphetamine. Upon the direction of Ortiz-Flores, the source then delivered the remaining four kilograms to Aparicio-Santos for him to sell. The drugs were hidden inside a spare tire and delivered as instructed.

 

Officers then conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Aparicio-Santos was driving and seized the methamphetamine. All six of the bundles of methamphetamine were subsequently sent for further analysis, which demonstrated the drugs had a net weight of 5.924 kilograms and  were 100% pure.

 

The drugs had been imported from Mexico.

 

The evidence in the case also revealed Aparicio-Santos was involved in other methamphetamine trafficking transactions totaling more than 11 kilograms for which he was also held accountable at the hearing today. 

 

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

 

Ortiz-Flores was also convicted and later sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.

 

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arthur R. Jones and Ted Imperato are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Another Convicted in “On the Rox” Tax Conspiracy

HOUSTON – A local bar owner has entered a guilty plea to conspiring with others to defraud the United States by failing to pay taxes on income he received from vending machines located in the bars he owned, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

 

In the plea agreement filed in the record of the case, Thomas E. Johnson admitted he had partial ownership of multiple bars in the Houston area that operated under the name “On the Rox.” Johnson conspired with others to conceal the cash income from vending machines located in the bars from the IRS.

 

Johnson admitted he failed to report a total of $463,277 in income for tax years 2010, 2011 and 2012. His failure to pay taxes on this income resulted in a tax loss to the United States of $148,338.

 

Two others have been convicted in relation to the scam at “On the Rox.” Jerome Rivera pleaded guilty last week, while Mathew J. Mitchell entered his plea Dec. 8, 2017.

 

Johnson’s sentencing has been set for May 17, 2018, before Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal. At that time, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Johnson was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

 

IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Houston Resident Convicted of SORNA Violation

HOUSTON – A 33-year-old man from Harris County has entered a guilty plea to failure to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Nicholas Isaiah Carlson admitted he violated the Adam Walsh Act, aka Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

 

On Jan. 8, 2013, Carlson was convicted in Benton County, Oregon, for sexual abuse in the second degree. As a result, he was required to register as a sex offender until January 2023. 

 

Carlson originally came to Houston in August 2016. Although he held a number of jobs and resided in Houston for several months, he never registered as required with authorities. During the plea hearing today, Carlson admitted he knowingly and intentionally failed to register as sex offender. He further acknowledged he knew he was required to do so after arriving in Harris County.

 

Sentencing has been set for April 17, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas. At that time, Carlson faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

 

The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. 

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie N. Searle is prosecuting the case which 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.”

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Three Defendants Sentenced For Their Respective Roles In Trafficking Guns From Nevada To Oakland, California

OAKLAND – Richard Straight, Jenna Jeanne Allec, and Kenneth Lee Kemp were each sentenced today for their respective roles in an interstate firearms trafficking scheme announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder.  The sentences were handed down by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, United States District Judge, following the entry in September of 2017 by each defendant of a guilty plea.    

On April 20, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Straight, 27, of Oakland; Allec, 26, of Oakland; Kemp, 32, of Elko, Nev.; and others in a Second Superseding Indictment for their respective roles in trafficking scores of firearms from Nevada to Oakland, Calif.  Straight, Allec, and Kemp each entered into plea agreements in which they acknowledged committing crimes related to the interstate gun trafficking scheme.   

According to his plea agreement, Straight, admitted that between March of 2015 and May of 2017, he engaged in the business of dealing firearms without a license. Straight admitted he acted as the middleman for firearms purchases in Nevada and that his conduct was intended to assist buyers who travelled from outside the state for the purpose of firearms trafficking.  According to his plea agreement, Straight also admitted he was responsible for the sale of about 39 firearms.  Straight admitted buyers paid him for the price of the firearm plus, on average, an extra $50 to $100.  Straight pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A), and one count of aiding and abetting traveling interstate to promote illegal firearms trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § § 924(n) and 2.  Today, Judge Gilliam sentenced Straight to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release.  

Allec admitted that she, too, engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license.  According to her plea agreement, she purchased firearms in Nevada from licensed firearm dealers and then sold the firearms to others. Allec admitted that she sold about 18 firearms during the period of October 2015 to June of 2016 earning approximately $50 to $100 per firearm.  Allec pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A).  Today, Judge Gilliam sentenced Allec to 48 months of probation with a special condition of 24 months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service.

According to his plea agreement, Kemp admitted he engaged in a conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license.  Specifically, he agreed to engage in an illegal operation to traffic firearms from the Reno, Nev. area to Oakland, Calif.  He admitted he purchased firearms in Nevada and sold firearms to others who lived in California or who could provide the firearms to others in California.  Kemp admitted he trafficked approximately 21 firearms.  Kemp pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.  Judge Gilliam sentenced Kemp to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release.  

In addition to these defendants, on November 27, 2017, Judge Gilliam sentenced Edgar de La Cruz for his role in the scheme, as well as his other crimes of Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1951, and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §924(c).  Judge Gilliam sentenced de La Cruz to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.  

This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF Crime Gun Intelligence Center, San Francisco Field Division (SFFD).  Additional assistance was provided by the Reno and Sparks Police Departments.
 

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Kayenta Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter and Aggravated Assault Related to Drunk Driving

     PHOENIX – Yesterday, James Robertson Young, 29, of Kayenta, Ariz., and a member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 240 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.  Young had previously pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault.

 

     The case involved Young driving his vehicle with a BAC level of between .171 and .20, causing a head-on collision with another vehicle carrying four minor children (aged 8, 9, 10, and 14) and their grandparents.  The victims, all of whom are members of the Navajo Nation, had been traveling to the Grand Canyon to vacation and sell hand-made Navajo jewelry.  The collision killed five of the family members and seriously injured the sixth (the 14-year-old girl).  At sentencing, the surviving victim spoke about the physical and emotional injuries she had sustained as a result of the incident, other family members spoke about the deceased grandparents’ many contributions to their community, and the mother of the deceased children talked about her children, their short lives, and how much they will be missed.  Before imposing sentence, Judge Logan told the defendant: “It is now 12:07.  The boys that you killed should be at school and in lunch hour, wondering if they are going to get chocolate milk or pizza in their lunches.  That’s what they should be thinking right now, but you took all of that away from them when you drove drunk and killed them.”

 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Navajo Nation Department of Law Enforcement, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.  The prosecution was handled by Sharon K. Sexton, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona.

 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-17-8132-PCT-SPL

RELEASE NUMBER:    2018-008_Young

 

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

 

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Upshur County man admits to his role in a firearms conspiracy

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – An Ellamore, West Virginia man has admitted today to his role in a firearms theft and sale scheme, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced. 

Johnny Lee Riley, age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Stolen Firearm.” Riley admitted to receiving, possessing, bartering, concealing, or selling 10 firearms in Upshur County in October 2016.

Riley faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police, Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckhannon Police Department, and the Weston Police Department investigated. 

The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
 
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided. 

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Albuquerque Felon Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Firearms Laws

ALBUQUERQUE – Cesar Rascon Sierra, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in Santa Fe, N.M., to 24 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Sierra will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.

 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Sierra on Feb. 14, 2017, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on Nov. 24, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M.  According to the indictment, Sierra was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for auto burglary, unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled drug without a tax stamp affixed.

 

On June 22, 2017, Sierra pled guilty to the indictment.  In entering the guilty plea, Sierra admitted that he was in possession of a stolen pistol, a revolver, and multiple rounds of ammunition on Nov. 24, 2015, when police found him asleep and slumped over the steering wheel of his vehicle which was illegally parked facing north in a southbound lane with the car engine running.  Sierra acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition on Nov. 24, 2015, because of his prior felony convictions.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo.