Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Two Men Charged With Drug Offenses Following Investigation Of Drug Trafficking At D.C. Barber Shop

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                         at (410) 209-4885

Washington D.C. / Greenbelt, Maryland – Two area men have been arrested in an investigation that led to the seizure of firearms, ammunition and narcotics at various locations in the District of Columbia and Maryland, including a barbershop and surrounding property in Southeast Washington.

The charges were announced today by Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning, United States Attorney Jessie K. Liu; Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board, Jr., of the Bureau of ATF – Baltimore Field Division; Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD); and Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department.

On Feb. 1, 2018, law enforcement agents from ATF, MPD and the Prince George’s County Police Department executed search warrants on three locations and five vehicles linked to a seven-month investigation into alleged drug trafficking from the Next Level Cuts barbershop and surrounding property in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE.  The searches led to the seizure of firearms, ammunition, and quantities of narcotics.

The investigation established that drug traffickers would use the barbershop and adjoining property as a stash location for the trafficking of narcotics. A search at that location led to the seizure of more than $7,000 in cash, more than 800 grams of PCP, more than 300 grams of heroin, boxes of Suboxone strips, three firearms, and ammunition.

As a result of the search warrants, Anthony Fields, 44, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with drug trafficking offenses. As a result of a subsequent search warrant executed in Prince George’s County, James Venable, 46, of Fort Washington, Md., was arrested by Prince George’s County officers on narcotics and firearms charges.

The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

In announcing the arrests and seizures, Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning, United States Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, Special Agent Board, Chief Newsham, and Chief Stawinski commended the work of those who are investigating the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Sykes.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Leonardtown Man Exiled To 10 Years In Prison For Possession Of A Firearm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                         at (410) 209-4885

Greenbelt, Maryland – United States District Judge Deborah J. Chasanow sentenced Jason Andre Armstrong, age 43, of Leonardtown, Maryland to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department; and Richard Fritz of the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s office.

According to his plea agreement, on March 5, 2016, Armstrong entered a residence in Lexington Park, Maryland, demanded money from the occupants and threatened them with a handgun. Armstrong then left the residence, got into the rear driver’s side passenger seat of a vehicle, and the vehicle drove away.  Shortly after receiving a description of the vehicle, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s officers stopped the vehicle and arrested Armstrong. 

Officers recovered a 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol from underneath the driver’s seat on the rear passenger side. The pistol was reported stolen in 1995 from a federally licensed firearms store in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. After the officers advised Armstrong of his rights on the scene, Armstrong admitted that he possessed the firearm.

On April 20, 2005, in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, Armstrong was convicted of robbery. As a felon, Armstrong was prohibited from possessing a firearm.           

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department and the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes, who prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Takoma Park Man Pleads Guilty To Drug And Firearms Charges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                         at (410) 209-4885

Greenbelt, Maryland – On January 31, 2018, Stanley Eugene Green, Jr., age 42, of Takoma Park, Maryland, pleaded guilty to Distribution of Heroin, and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.  The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board, Jr., of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Baltimore Field Division; and Police Chief Antonio DeVaul of the Takoma Park Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, between in or about February 2015, and continuing through April 27, 2017, in the District of Maryland and elsewhere, Green, together with others, distributed, conspired to distribute, and possessed with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.  During the conspiracy, Green obtained distribution quantities of heroin (that contained fentanyl), and redistributed those drugs to users in Montgomery County, Maryland, and elsewhere.

In August 2016, law enforcement officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) and the Takoma Park Police Department received information from a confidential informant about narcotics distribution in Takoma Park, Maryland, specifically 636 Houston Court, Takoma Park, Maryland (an apartment complex with multiple residential units).  Between August 2016 and April 2017, ATF and local law enforcement identified and investigated someone named “Rico” who was selling heroin (later found to contain fentanyl).  Law enforcement identified “Rico” as Green.

In late January 2017, a victim who obtained heroin from Green suffered an overdose and required emergency medical attention.  The victim fell into a coma and thereafter required hospitalization and physical rehabilitation, and was hospitalized for approximately 2½ months.

United States District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled the sentencing for April 5, 2018. 

As part of his plea agreement, Green will be required to forfeit the firearms and ammunition seized during the search of his residence, as well as the $37,592.00.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning praised the ATF Baltimore Field Division, Takoma Park Police Department, and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. He also recognized the assistance Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration gave to the lead investigating agencies. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, who is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Attorney General Sessions Will Travel To Tampa On Wednesday To Deliver Remarks On Efforts To Combat Drug Trafficking And End The Opioid Crisis

WHO
Attorney General Jeff Sessions

WHAT

Attorney General Jeff Sessions will deliver remarks on efforts to combat drug trafficking and end the opioid crisis. 

WHEN

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

12:50 p.m. EST

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida

Press Room (Check-in: 32nd floor // Press will be escorted up to 35th floor)

400 N. Tampa St. 

Tampa, FL 33602

OPEN PRESS   

(Final access and Camera Preset: 12:10 p.m. EST // Final access time for print media: 12:40 p.m. EST)  

NOTE:  All media must RSVP and present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) as well as valid media credentials.  The RSVP and any inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Kelly Laco in the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 305-5219 or kelly.laco@usdoj.gov.  Please RSVP with the email address of the person(s) attending the event, so that we may reach them directly if details change. Media may begin arriving at the USAO lobby on the 32nd floor at 11:45 a.m. for a security screen. ALL gear must be in place in the press room by 12:10 p.m. EST. Note–the AG will not be taking questions upon the conclusion of his remarks. 

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Annapolis Man Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Real Estate And Credit Card Fraud Schemes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                                     at (410) 209-4885      

Baltimore, Maryland – On January 30, 2018, United States District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Joseph R. Dominici, age 31, of Annapolis, Maryland to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The wire fraud charges stem from a telemarketing scheme to defraud real estate professionals around the country who paid to advertise on websites owned by Dominici. The aggravated identity theft charges stem from a scheme to use stolen credit card information to create and use fraudulent “cloned” credit cards.

On January 31, 2018, Judge Bredar sentenced Christina O. Price, age 23, of Bowie, Maryland to one year in prison followed by one year of supervised release, for her role in the credit card fraud scheme. Carlos Ledbetter, age 31, formerly of Annapolis, Maryland, was previously sentenced to six months in prison for his role in the credit card fraud, followed by four years of supervised release.

The sentences were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Caruso of the United States Secret Service – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Timothy J. Altomare, Anne Arundel County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams.

According to court documents, Dominici owned and operated JJ&M Enterprises, LLC, a business based in Annapolis, Maryland, operating to provide leads to real estate professionals seeking to advertise their services to potential homebuyers. Dominici registered two websites which he and JJ&M used to conduct business: BuyerHomeSite.com and FreeHomeFind.com.

The websites purported to contain active listings of homes for sale, and allowed potential homebuyers to browse home listings in a selected geographic area.  The websites also represented to realtors or loan officers that they could pay to become a “preferred expert” in each of the geographic regions that they chose.  If a prospective home buyer (user) searched the websites for properties in an area where a real estate professional had paid to become the “preferred expert,” the websites displayed an ad that included the real estate professional’s photograph and contact information.  For a monthly fee of approximately $299, the websites would grant a real estate professional exclusive access to all leads generated on the websites associated with the real estate professional’s assigned geographic area. 

From March 2014 to October 2015, Dominici represented to real estate professionals that such leads included personal information provided by a potential homebuyer, where in fact, the leads sent to the real estate professionals contained fictitious information created by Dominici and individuals employed by JJ&M. Dominici created fictitious identities, including names, email addresses and cell phone numbers.  He provided cell phones to a JJ&M employee which had the name and phone number of a fictitious identity taped to the back.  Dominici also posted false and duplicative “testimonials” from “satisfied” customers on the websites. 

Dominici had employees make unsolicited telephone sales calls to many thousands of real estate professionals located all over the United States.  Dominici provided JJ&M employees with scripts and talking points to use in soliciting real estate professionals to pay to become the “preferred expert” for their area on the websites. As a result of these sales calls, more than 1,000 real estate professionals agreed to pay approximately $299 per month to be advertised as preferred experts.

As a result of this telemarketing fraud scheme, Dominici obtained more than $895,568.31 from real estate professionals.  As part of Dominici’s sentence, Judge Bredar also ordered forfeiture of Dominici’s funds in thirteen bank accounts.

In addition to the telemarketing fraud scheme, Dominici also engaged in a credit card fraud scheme, using stolen account information he obtained from corrupt restaurant servers and from a black marked “carding” website to create “cloned” credit cards. Christina Price, then a server at a restaurant in Gambrills, Maryland, used electronic devices known as “skimmers” to fraudulently obtain the credit card information of restaurant customers who paid by credit card.  Price then provided this stolen customer information to Dominici, who used special equipment to encode the stolen account information onto new “cloned” credit cards. Dominici and Carlos Ledbetter, then an employee of JJ&M, used the “cloned” cards to purchase goods and services, primarily gift cards that can be used like cash. The credit card fraud scheme victimized a number of financial institutions and dozens of individuals, resulting in losses of approximately $29,280.13.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the U.S. Secret Service, Anne Arundel County Police Department, HSI Baltimore, Prince George’s County Police Department and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Tang, who prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Pittsburgh Woman Sentenced to Prison for Dealing Heroin

PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to 18 months’ imprisonment on her conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Auriana Torrez, age 25, of Pittsburgh, PA.

According to information presented to the court, from April through August 2016, Torrez was intercepted over a DEA wiretap conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute heroin and was found in possession of 200 stamp bags of heroin.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Fischer stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing.

Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Torrez. 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.