Month: April 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHAZ REDDICK, 39, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and ammunition possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2021, West Haven Police made three controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Reddick.  Reddick was arrested on April 20, 2021.  On that date, a court-authorized search of his apartment revealed approximately 160 grams of crack, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, and multiple rounds of ammunition.

Reddick’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm, drug and larceny offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for someone previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Reddick has been detained since his arrest.  On December 6, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and the West Haven Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Kenneth L. Gresham.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Karey Tyrone Taylor, II (42, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Taylor qualifies for an increased penalty under the Armed Career Criminal Act. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on January 2, 2021, Taylor brandished a firearm at a woman while they were driving in adjacent lanes on East Fowler Avenue in Tampa. Units from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) subsequently located Taylor’s car at a nearby gas station. After apprehending Taylor, TPD discovered a black handgun in the driver’s side door pocket of Taylor’s car. The handgun had one round of ammunition in the chamber and 14 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. Taylor had previously been convicted of several felony offenses, including a conviction for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and convictions for multiple serious drug offenses, and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

HOUSTON – A home health agency owner and patient recruiter have been arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit, committing health care fraud and conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

A federal grand jury in Houston returned the five-count indictment against Okorie Oko, 63, Fresno, and Henry C. Dobbins, 57, Houston, April 26 which was unsealed today upon their arrests. They are expected to make their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray today at 2 p.m.

According to the indictment, Oko is the owner and Dobbins is a patient recruiter, respectively, of Elitte Healthcare and Service Inc.

The indictment alleges that from 2015 to 2022, Oko billed Medicare for home health care services that were never provided and created false medical records. Oko allegedly paid kickbacks to Dobbins, patients and marketers that Elitte employed to obtain new patient referrals. Oko also allegedly billed Medicare for home health care services provided to Elitte marketers while transporting and recruiting patients within the community.

The indictment further alleges Oko and Elitte fraudulently billed more than $10 million to Medicare.

If convicted, both face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

The Department of Health and Human Services ‐ Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and FBI. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced three Jacksonville men to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Steven Ray McWhorter (49) was sentenced to 11 years and 4 months, Christopher Douglas Green (48) was sentenced to 10 years, and Kevin Joseph DeWitt (50) was sentenced 3 years and 1 month. A fourth individual, Michael Brandon Voght (28, Jacksonville), was charged in the same indictment and was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered McWhorter to forfeit $21,000, two firearms, and ammunition, which were used to facilitate and/or were proceeds of McWhorter’s drug trafficking activities. Each of the defendants had previously pleaded guilty.

According to court documents, from June to November 5, 2020, McWhorter, Green, and DeWitt worked together to distribute methamphetamine. Specifically, McWhorter distributed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, while Green and Witt distributed 50 grams of more of methamphetamine. Several controlled purchases of methamphetamine were made during the investigation. In addition, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of a 12-gauge shotgun from Voght. Voght had previously been convicted of a felony and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Beatriz Gonzalez and Ashley Washington. The forfeiture of assets was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Source: United States Department of Justice

This week, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Lisa O. Monaco traveled to New York City for a series of engagements that highlighted the department’s efforts to root out corporate crime, reduce violence and reform the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

On Tuesday, DAG Monaco visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), where she met with U.S. Attorney Breon Peace and his leadership team. She received an update on the investigation into the recent mass shooting on the New York Subway in Brooklyn, and she commended the case team for their hard work. The DAG also chaired a roundtable discussion with federal and local law enforcement leaders on violent crime, and she answered questions from the EDNY office during an all-hands meeting.

Also on Tuesday, DAG Monaco visited the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn to observe its operation and integration of inmates from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. The DAG made the decision to close that facility following a visit last year. At the MDC in Brooklyn, she met with BOP staff, heard about their efforts to improve facility operations and thanked them for their commitment to BOP’s dual mission of providing safe, humane custody while also preparing individuals for a return to society.

On Wednesday morning, DAG Monaco participated in a moderated discussion as the keynote address at the New York City Bar Association’s 10th Annual White Collar Crime Institute. The DAG warned that the department is seeing a growing overlap between corporate crime and national security, in areas such as terrorist group financing, money laundering to evade sanctions and cybercrime. In the course of her conversation, the DAG reiterated that the Department of Justice is committed to enforcing the sweeping sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and stressed that it is critically important for financial institutions and international corporations alike to pay close attention to these sanctions.

From there, the DAG went to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), where she joined the U.S. Attorney and other law enforcement leaders to announce the unsealing of charges against four individuals for the multibillion-dollar collapse of Archegos Capital Management. In her remarks, the DAG stressed that the Department of Justice’s first priority in corporate criminal matters is unambiguously “to prosecute the individuals who commit and profit from corporate malfeasance — including when those individuals occupy the C-Suite.”

The DAG also met with U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and his leadership team, and she received a series of case briefings from SDNY personnel. Her visit to SDNY concluded with an all-hands meeting, where she addressed an office-wide gathering and fielded questions. In her remarks to the office, she thanked the women and men of SDNY for their hard work on behalf of the citizens throughout the district.

Finally, on Wednesday afternoon, the DAG met with NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. She discussed the work of the Department of Justice to combat violent crime and gun trafficking and thanked the Commissioner for the work of the NYPD, and for the vital partnerships among state, local and federal law enforcement that are essential to keeping our communities safe. The DAG also acknowledged the recent, tragic shootings of NYPD officers and the sacrifices made by law enforcement around the country every day.

The DAG returned to Washington this morning.