Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack, and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Ivan Torres, 32, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On March 10, 2023, Torres pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. 

According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization in the Fitchburg area. Beginning in July 2019, court authorized interceptions of wire and electronic communications to and from telephones used by members and suppliers of the drug trafficking organization revealed that Torres was a cocaine dealer who supplied cocaine to the drug trafficking organization. 

Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine, over 50 grams of crack cocaine, a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 in U.S. currency were seized.  
    
Torres is the 12th defendant to be sentenced in this case.  All 18 defendants have been convicted – either by guilty plea or jury conviction following trial.  The remaining convicted defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in September and October 2023.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Massachusetts State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.  

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

BOSTON – Four New Hampshire men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for their roles in a conspiracy to harass and intimidate two journalists employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). The alleged harassment and intimidation of the victims included the vandalism – on five separate occasions – of the victims’ homes and the home of one of the victims’ parents with bricks, large rocks and red spray paint.

The following defendants were indicted for conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and/or the use of a facility of interstate commerce: 

• Eric Labarge, 46, of Nashua, N.H.;
• Tucker Cockerline, 32, of Salem, N.H.;
• Michael Waselchuck, 35, of Seabrook, N.H.; and 
• Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, N.H.

Labarge was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston this afternoon. Cockerline, Saniatan and Waselchuck were previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on June 16, 2023 and remain in custody.

According to the indictment, after a year-long investigation, an NHPR journalist (Victim 1) published an article in March 2022 detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, identified in the charging document as Subject 1.  Another NHPR journalist (Victim 2) also contributed to the article, which appeared on NHPR’s website during and after March 2022. In response to this reporting, Labarge – who is alleged to be a close personal associate of Subject 1 – Saniatan, Cockerline and Waselchuck allegedly agreed to harass and intimidate Victims 1 and 2 and their immediate family members. Among other things, the indictment alleges that:

• On or about April 22, 2022, Labarge solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s former residence in Hanover, N.H., using a brick and red spray paint.  Thereafter, on the evening of April 24, 2022, Cockerline allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and allegedly threw a brick through an exterior window of the home;
• On or about April 22, 2022, Saniatan allegedly agreed to vandalize Victim 2’s home in Concord, N.H., and Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., using large rocks and red spray paint. Thereafter, on the evening of April 24, 2022, Saniatan allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and threw a large rock at the exterior of Victim 2’s home; and he allegedly threw a softball-sized rock through a front exterior window and spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home;
• On or about May 18, 2022, Labarge allegedly solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., and Victim 1’s home in Melrose, Mass., using bricks and red spray paint. Cockerline, in turn, allegedly recruited Waselchuck to vandalize Victim 1’s residence; and
• Thereafter, on the evening of May 20, 2022, Cockerline allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home, and left a brick on the ground near the front door. Several hours later, Waselchuck allegedly threw a brick through an exterior window of Victim 1’s home and painted the phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING” in large red letters on the front of the house.

Each charge in the indictment carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord, Hampstead and Hanover, New Hampshire Police Departments, the Melrose, Massachusetts Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Stanton Hannaweeke appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with aggravated sexual abuse with children. Hannaweeke, 61, of Zuni and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for September 13, 2023.

According to the criminal complaint, on August 20, 2023, Jane Doe, a minor, told her mother that Hannaweeke had sexually assaulted her the day before. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement officers, Jane Doe reported that Hannaweeke had begun touching her approximately 3 to 4 years prior to the report. Jane Doe’s siblings collaborated her report by confirming that Jane Doe had either told them about prior incidents or they witnessed the incidents themselves.

A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted on the current charge, Hannaweeke faces up to lifetime imprisonment.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Rogersville, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for the sexual exploitation of two child victims.

Jake Ethan Patterson, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Patterson to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.

On Dec. 20, 2022, Patterson pleaded guilty to two counts of the sexual exploitation of a child.

The investigation began in June 2021, when Canadian law enforcement authorities seized two cell phones belonging to a citizen of Canada. Forensic analysis of the cell phones uncovered Snapchat conversations with Patterson. During those conversations, Patterson shared multiple videos and images of child pornography involving two young children who were approximately three to five years old.

Law enforcement officers interviewed Patterson, who admitted to producing the sexually explicit images of the child victims. Patterson also admitted he had additional child pornography stored on his cell phone.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

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.”

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Gabriel Monico Guevara was sentenced to 3 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and $1,000 in community restitution. Guevara, 41, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on May 25, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing marijuana.

According to court records, detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department executed a search warrant on Guevara’s residence and smoke shop in relation to a narcotics investigation. During the search of Guevara’s residence, investigators found seven firearms, 35.67 pounds of marijuana, 57 oxycodone pills, 3 grams of cocaine and $58,293 in US currency. During the search of the smoke shop, investigators found three additional firearms and 20.47 pounds of marijuana. Of the 10 firearms recovered, 5 of them were stolen and several had high-capacity magazines, including magazines that hold 50 rounds of ammunition. The amount of narcotics and large sum of US currency is consistent with drug trafficking and not with personal use.

In the plea agreement, Guevara admitted that he intended to distribute the 55 pounds of marijuana and that five of the firearms recovered had been reported stolen.

Upon his release from prison, Guevara will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.

The FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime and Gangs Task Force (VCGTF) investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque District Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division and Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nora Wilson is prosecuting the case.

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23-215

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Lawrence E. Smith, age 49, of Perry Hall, Maryland, for federal wire fraud related to allegations that he fraudulently obtained more than $215,000 in overtime pay and for attempting to avoid paying federal income taxes and filing a false tax return.  The indictment was returned on September 7, 2023, and unsealed today upon Smith’s arrest. 

The defendant is expected to have an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson at 2:15 today.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.

Smith began working as a Baltimore City School Police Officer in 2005 and in 2016 was promoted to detective and put in charge of the School Police Overtime Unit.  In this role, Smith managed the Overtime Unit and was responsible for the coordination and scheduling of School Police Officer overtime, including his own.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith was authorized to receive overtime pay to provide security for COVID testing sites and food sites set up at various Baltimore City Public School System schools and at Baltimore City Recreation and Parks community centers, as well as the COVID-19 hospital and homeless shelter. 

According to the indictment, from January 2019 through August 2022, Smith fraudulently received overtime pay for hours for which he had not worked.  The indictment alleges that Smith used his position as the Detective in charge of the Overtime Unit for School Police to assign himself to overtime shifts.  Smith allegedly falsely claimed that he was working overtime as a School Police Officer for overtime shifts that required his physical presence when he was at home, running personal errands, at other locations socializing, coaching football, and out of state on vacation.  The indictment seeks a money judgment of $215,352, alleged to be the proceeds of the fraud scheme.

In addition, the indictment alleges that Smith submitted Forms W-4 to his employer falsely claiming that he was exempt from federal income tax withholding when in fact, he was not entitled to claim exempt status.  Further, Smith allegedly failed to file individual income tax returns for 2017, 2019, and 2020, and to report his wages and other income to the IRS.  Finally, the indictment alleges that Smith filed a false individual tax return for tax year 2018.

If convicted, Smith faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud; a maximum of five years in federal prison for each count of attempting to evade taxes; and a maximum of three years in federal prison for filing a false tax return.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Office of Inspector General for Education, the Office of Inspector General for the City of Baltimore, and the Baltimore Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Goo and Matthew Phelps, who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Stephen Franklin, age 54, of Salisbury, Maryland, yesterday to 66 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in connection with the theft of more than $1.8 million from Shore Appliance Connection.  Judge Chasanow also ordered that Franklin pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties stipulate is $1,850,488.94. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

Franklin was the chief operating officer of Accurate Optical, a chain of optometric shops on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and with the owners of Accurate Optical he also purchased East Coast Optometric, a chain of South Carolina optical shops.  Franklin and co-defendant Duane G. Larmore met through the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce and became friendly.

As detailed in their plea agreements, Larmore was an employee at Shore Appliance Connection (“Shore Appliance”), located in Salisbury, Maryland, whose duties included maintaining the books and records for the company.  The company was owned and operated by Owner #1 and Owner #2.  From mid-September 2016 through about March 2020, Franklin conspired with others, including Larmore, to steal more than $1.8 million from Shore Appliance.

Specifically, Franklin and Larmore stole over $1 million from Shore Appliance to use for their own purposes, including to make investments and to pay business expenses for Franklin’s businesses, without the knowledge and consent of the owners of Shore Appliance.  For example, Franklin convinced Larmore to invest $100,000 in an oil deal that promised quick and substantial returns.  Those funds were ultimately returned to Shore Appliance because the name on the bank account did not match the named beneficiary on the wire transfer form completed by Franklin.  Prior to the funds being returned and at Franklin’s urging, Larmore transferred another $100,000 to a purported attorney for the oil deal.  Franklin also convinced Larmore to invest in other deals, including: in 2016, a $95,000 initial investment with a finance company in London, U.K., followed by another $300,000, plus funds for expenses and travel abroad; in 2018, an investment through W.S. of $35,000 and an investment through Gateway Capital of $50,000; and in 2019 – 2020, investments and expenses through I.P. and E. P.-S. to recover assets purportedly in the custody of U.S. Customs, part of the Department of Homeland Security.  No investment paid any return to the schemers.

To conceal how much money had been removed from Shore Appliance and to obtain cash to invest, Franklin suggested that Larmore enter into factoring contracts.  Franklin had experience with borrowing operating funds for his optical companies from factors and provided Larmore with the names and contact information for factoring companies.  Factoring is a means by which businesses can obtain cash quickly by leveraging accounts receivable.  With Franklin’s encouragement, Larmore applied for a factoring contract for Shore Appliance without the knowledge or approval of the owners, corporate directors, or officers of Shore Appliance.  As detailed in the plea agreement, the factoring contracts provided cash deposits to Shore Appliance’s bank accounts but encumbered the accounts receivable of Shore Appliance and required payments and interest of more than $725,000. 

To obtain contracts with factoring companies for Shore Appliance and to conceal the fact that the Shore Appliance owners were not aware of and had not approved the factoring contracts, the signatures of the owners were forged, and the fraudulent signatures were witnessed or notarized by Franklin.  Further, Larmore and a female employee of Franklin’s posed as the owners in telephone conversations with representatives of the factoring companies to confirm their approval of the factoring contracts.  In addition, to conceal Larmore’s embezzlements and the factoring agreements, Larmore caused Shore Appliance to draw on Shore Appliance’s lines of credit with two separate financial institutions to obtain another $200,000 in cash.  As of March 2020, Shore Appliance still owed $208,394.92 in principal and interest on these lines of credit.

Finally, when Franklin’s business began having financial difficulties, at Franklin’s request, Larmore provided funds to Franklin to pay rent and employee salaries for the businesses, to rent a storage facility and to hire trucks to move equipment and office furniture when Accurate Optical was evicted from its Salisbury, Maryland office in July 2019.  All the while, Franklin continued to suggest that Larmore put money into other investment schemes, which Larmore did. 

In all, Larmore paid $739,295.28 of Shore Appliance’s funds, without the officers and owners’ knowledge or consent, to invest in fraudulent schemes that never paid any money back.  Of that amount, $395,000 was moved through bank accounts controlled by Franklin.  Franklin caused an additional loss of $171,548.67 by having Larmore transfer funds to Franklin or to Franklin’s companies.  As a result of the conspiracy and efforts to conceal the losses, Shore Appliance lost an additional $731,250.07 in fees and other payments to factors and to factoring brokers.  Shore appliance also paid interest of $208,395 from Larmore drawing on its bank lines of credit.  For all of Franklin’s and Larmore’s conduct, actual cash losses to Shore Appliance totaled $1,850,488.94 and intended losses totaled $2,137,674.74.

Duane G. Larmore, age 48, of Salisbury, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Evelyn Lombardo Cusson, who is prosecuting the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. For more information about resources available to report fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Dion Rashaan Foxworth, age 42, of Washington, D.C., to 51 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for wire fraud related to an investment fraud scheme and bank fraud related to a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan.  Judge Chuang also ordered Foxworth to pay restitution of $882,908.66.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his plea agreement, from November 2016 through at least August 2020, Foxworth solicited and received at least $863,901 from investors to invest in foreign currency exchange (“FOREX”). Foxworth admitted that instead of investing the funds in FOREX, as represented to investors, Foxworth converted the funds to his personal use, including credit card expenses, travel expenses, and rent.  Foxworth caused losses to at least 25 investors totaling at least $832,408.66.

In addition, Foxworth admitting that he fraudulently obtained a PPP loan, which was part of the assistance authorized to assist small businesses with job retention and other expensed during the COVID-19 pandemic.  On February 19, 2021, Foxworth applied for a PPP loan for his company, inflating the company’s average monthly payroll and providing a false 2019 Form 1040 Schedule C showing profits and losses for the business.  In fact, Foxworth did not file a tax return for the company in 2019.  As a result of his false statements, Foxworth obtained a PPP loan of $50,000.  Instead of using the funds for permissible expenses, such as payroll costs and operational expenses, Foxworth used the PPP funds for daily living and travel expenses while he was abroad in South.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Michael Morgan, Jr., and Coreen Mao, who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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