Month: March 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man made his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday for allegedly robbing eight businesses at gunpoint.

George Perez (38) was arrested on January 25, 2022. He is charged in a criminal complaint with one count of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts ordered Perez to be held in custody pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 4, 2022.

According to allegations in the complaint, Perez robbed eight businesses in the Las Vegas area from January 19 to January 25, 2022. At each robbery, Perez approached the cashier with store merchandise, pretending he was going to purchase it. He then demanded money from the cashier while pointing a 9mm handgun. In total, Perez stole approximately $1,897.95 in cash and several merchandise items. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested Perez soon after he fled from the last robbery.

Perez has prior felony convictions in Clark County and in Washington State. Accordingly, federal law prohibits him from possessing a firearm.

The statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison for interference with commerce by robbery; the statutory minimum penalty is seven years in prison for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and the statutory maximum penalty is ten years in prison for felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to imprisonment, Perez also faces a period of supervised release, a fine, and restitution.

Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge W.M. Herrington for the FBI made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Reese is prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

Cincinnati – Frederick Louis, 57, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was indicted on 16 counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, 4 counts of wire fraud, and 4 counts of aggravated identity theft.  On March 18, 2022, Louis was arrested by IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents.

The indictment alleges that Louis served as a “ghost preparer,” meaning that he prepared tax returns for compensation but failed to sign or otherwise declare the tax returns he prepared for other individuals.  Louis worked as a Tax Examiner for the IRS from 1985 to 1994.  It is alleged that due to his prior IRS employment, Louis knew that by law individuals who are paid to prepare or assist in preparing tax returns must have a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) and sign and include their PTIN on the returns they prepare.  Louis also held himself out to be an accountant who prepared tax returns for pay or as a favor to friends.  In actuality, Louis does not have an accounting degree, is not a Certified Public Accountant, and did not have a PTIN.

It is alleged that from at least January 2016 and continuing through at least March 2021, Louis prepared tax returns that contained false Schedule C business expenses, false Schedule F farming expenses, false Schedule A itemized deductions, claimed false dependents, and/or claimed false filing statuses on certain tax returns to generate fraudulent inflated tax refunds to which the taxpayer clients were not entitled.  It is further alleged that Louis allocated portions of the refunds to himself, often unbeknownst to his client by directing the fraudulently inflated refunds be direct deposited in one of the following ways: (1) the entire refund was sent to Louis or (2) some portion of the refund was sent to bank accounts owned or controlled by Louis.  As a result of the scheme, the IRS issued over $191,000 in fraudulent federal income tax refunds.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

Spokane, Washington – Chief U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian has sentenced Julio Leal Parra, 47, of Benton City, Washington, to 191 months in federal prison for leading and organizing a drug trafficking conspiracy with ties to the Sinaloa cartel. Chief Judge Bastian also ordered Parra to pay a $50,000 money judgement in lieu of forfeiture of assets and to serve five years on federal supervision if he is allowed to remain in the United States. Parra’s drug trafficking organization operated out of the Tri-Cities, Washington, area.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force identified a transnational drug trafficking organization operating in and around the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland, Washington). Task Force Officers identified Parra as the head of a cell who worked directly with leaders of the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. Parra facilitated and organized large drug shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin into the communities that make up the Eastern District of Washington. While running his drug operation, Parra operated “Perfect Design,” an upholstery business, and “SuKarne,” a meat market, in Kennewick. Law enforcement officers identified each of these businesses as locations in which Parra and his coconspirators stored drug shipments and laundered large amounts of cash. Working closely with local law enforcement, the FBI was able to identify several members of Parra’s organization, who worked as drug transporters and distributors reaching from Arizona and California all the way to Kennewick, Spokane, Idaho, and Montana. To date, ten members of the conspiracy have been convicted.

Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized more than 60 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, including a single shipment of 33 pounds of methamphetamine. Parra admitted to being directly responsible for bringing 20 to 50 pound shipments of drugs into the Tri-Cities every few weeks from December 2016 through October 2019. Even using conservative estimates, it appears that Parra was directly responsible for bringing more than a thousand pounds of drugs into Eastern Washington.

At the sentencing proceedings in the case, Chief Judge Bastian noted Parra’s leadership role in his organization and the stunning amount of narcotics and drug proceeds involved. He acknowledged that this was Parra’s first felony offense, but given the seriousness of the case, imposed a sentence of 191 months in federal custody.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref commended the seamless collaboration between the FBI, the Safe Streets Task Force, and local and state law enforcement in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of a high-level drug distributor and stated: “To ensure a safe and strong Eastern Washington community, investigations like this one require the combined efforts of federal, state, and local agencies. I am incredibly grateful to all of the dedicated law enforcement officers, support staff, and their families, who prioritized the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of Mr. Parra and his criminal coconspirators.” U.S. Attorney Waldref continued: “For years, Mr. Parra peddled life ravaging narcotics throughout our region with no regard for the communities, families, and individuals he was destroying. The lengthy sentence imposed reflects the need to hold drug traffickers accountable for the serious harm they cause our communities and the need to deter like-minded individuals from engaging in similar crimes.”

“Over several years, this high-level drug dealer was responsible for huge quantities of drugs being transported frequently through Eastern Washington and multiple other states,” said Donald M. Voiret, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “I want to thank all the partners involved in the FBI Southeast Washington Safe Streets Task Force for their commitment to this case. This sentence will remove Mr. Parra from our community for more than 15 years.”

This case was prosecuted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program provides supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the investigation of drug-related crimes. This OCDETF investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force in Tri-Cities Washington, Kennewick Police Department, Richland Police Department, Pasco Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and Washington Department of Corrections. This case was prosecuted by Stephanie Van Marter, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

NASHVILLE – Kedrick Ross, 29, of Nashville, was sentenced yesterday to 17 years in federal prison for drug distribution and firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee. 

Ross was charged in 2019 with three counts of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms; three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime; possession with intent to distribute marijuana, methamphetamine and Xanax, within 1,000 feet of an educational institution; possession with intent to distribute marijuana and methamphetamine, within 1,000 feet of a public housing complex; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and two counts of obstruction of justice.  He pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2020. 

“Because of Ross’s continued lifestyle of drug dealing and other criminal activity, an innocent child sustained life-altering injuries,” said U.S. Attorney Wildasin.  “Too often, the reckless conduct of those involved in criminal activity results in tragic, unintended consequences as this case demonstrates.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue our pursuit of those who choose a lifestyle of crime without regard to innocent persons.”

On December 13, 2018, Ross, a convicted felon, was arrested in possession of a stolen Glock .40 caliber handgun, 208 grams of marijuana, and a mixture of methamphetamine near the Watkins College of Art in Nashville.  While out on bond on these state charges, on May 29, 2019, Ross was in possession of a stolen Glock 9mm handgun, a stolen Glock .45 caliber handgun, marijuana, and methamphetamine, while in the Cumberland View Public Housing development, and on September 9, 2019, Ross was in possession of a stolen Glock .40 caliber handgun while in possession of methamphetamine, with intent to distribute.  This firearm was determined to have been the same firearm that Ross left unattended at a relative’s house and with which his three-year-old son shot himself in the head on the same day and was critically injured.  Ross later obstructed justice during the investigation of this incident by attempting to persuade his cousin to falsely claim that this firearm belonged to the cousin’s deceased husband. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Youth Services Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah prosecuted the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

Company Enters into 3-Year Deferred Prosecution Agreement and False Claims Act Settlement to Resolve Criminal and Civil Liability; Individual Owners Agree to Pay Additional $250,000 Penalty to Resolve Individual False Claims Act Liability