Month: April 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Charleston men pleaded guilty today to drug offenses involving a multi-state methamphetamine distribution ring, with one of them also pleading guilty to a related gun crime arising from a foiled Fourth of July 2021 murder scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Brian Dangelo Terry, 37, and Treydan Leon Burks, 31, admitted to obtaining large quantities of methamphetamine from out-of-state for distribution in and around Charleston. Terry admitted to distributing more than 16 pounds of methamphetamine between March 2019 and August 2021. Burks admitted to distributing between three and 11 pounds of methamphetamine between late 2020 and Sept. 28, 2021.  Terry and Burks pooled their money in order to obtain the drugs, used couriers to transport drugs and drug proceeds, and distributed the drugs to lower-level dealers and users.

Terry pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At a separate hearing, Burks pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

With regard to the firearm offense, Terry admitted that he, Burks, James Edward Bennett, III, and Douglas Johnathan Wesley armed themselves at Burks’ residence in Rand on July 4, 2021, and drove to Charleston’s West Side where they intended to shoot another man. Alerted to the plot, police in marked cruisers converged on the area. The four men abandoned their vehicle in a Washington Street parking lot due to the increased police presence. Federal agents executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered four loaded firearms, including an AR-style assault weapon with a drum magazine. Terry was aware that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following felony convictions in 2005 and 2011, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

In his plea agreement, Burks also admitted his role in the July 4, 2021 incident. On March 2, 2022, Bennett pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm based upon his involvement in the plot. Wesley is scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.

“This case represents an outstanding example of inter-agency teamwork and diligence that has not only dismantled a significant drug operation, but also prevented a violent crime from occurring,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “A quick response and coordinated effort by law enforcement spared Charleston’s West Side from another tragic incident.”

This case is part of a long-term investigation of a methamphetamine distribution network that resulted in 17 individuals being charged with various drug and firearms offenses in three separate indictments returned in 2021.

In addition to Burks, Terry and Bennett, several other individuals have already pleaded guilty: Denise Marie Cottrill, Angie Lane Harbour, Michael Antonio Smith, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, and Jason Robert Oxley. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted at trial last month. The remaining defendants are scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.

Terry and Burks are scheduled to be sentenced on June 30, 2022, and each faces at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison.

In announcing the guilty pleas, Thompson commended the collaborative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha and Putnam County Sheriff’s Departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) in investigating this drug trafficking organization.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over today’s hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Josh Hanks and Alex Hamner are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-00172, 2:21-cr-00171, and 2:21-cr-00211.

 

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

STATESBORO, GA:  A man who referred to himself and his girlfriend as a “modern-day Bonnie and Clyde” has been indicted on multiple federal charges for the unlawful use of information gleaned in thefts from mailboxes, while his girlfriend awaits sentencing after admitting to a related charge.

Michael H. Boatright, 33, of Chesterfield, S.C., is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, and Bank Fraud; three counts of Theft of Mail; and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Stephanie Michelle Lea Napier, 29, also of Chesterfield, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in March to an Information charging her with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.

“These charges demonstrate the dedication of our law enforcement partners in identifying and tracking down activities that started with swiping mail from mailboxes and led all the way to identity theft and financial fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Those determined to be responsible for such illegal activities will be held accountable.”

As described in the indictment returned during the April 2022 term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury, Boatwright and Napier called themselves the “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde” in a period from about November 2020 to June 2021, as they were alleged to have driven around Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida to steal mail from mailboxes, capturing personal identifying information from the stolen mail, and then using that information to take over victims’ bank accounts.

The indictment alleges the two stole, or attempted to steal, “hundreds of thousands of dollars from their many victims, and caused substantial non-monetary harm and headaches for countless victims.” At least four victims referenced in the indictment are residents of the Statesboro, Ga., area, and agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service have identified more than 100 potential victims in the three-state area, with actual and attempted financial losses of more than $500,000.

U.S. Attorney Estes applauded the work of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, and the Statesboro Police Department, which contributed to the federal investigation.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the Jacksonville, Fla. and Savannah, Ga. offices of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Porter.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Raymond Lofthouse, age 59, of Florida, was sentenced on April 6, 2022, to one month of probation to be followed by 6 months of home confinement by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for filing false claims on Navy Contracts. Judge Rambo also ordered Lofthouse to pay $60,000 in restitution to the U.S. Navy.

According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Lofthouse was awarded a contract for $60,000 to repair three electric motors for the U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command, in Mechanicsburg, PA.  Lofthouse billed the Navy for the contract, knowing the work was not complete and then never completed the work.   

“The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) prioritizes investigations involving contractors that submit false claims to the DoD for work that was not performed,” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office.  “Today’s sentencing demonstrates our commitment to working with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to hold individuals accountable for defrauding the DoD.”   

“Mr. Lofthouse jeopardized the safety of our Sailors and wasted valuable taxpayer money by falsely claiming that Soldiers Supply repaired three motors critical to supporting the Auxiliary Machine Cooling Water system used in the steam and electric propulsion plant on aircraft carriers,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Wiest of the Northeast Field Office. “NCIS and our law enforcement partners remain committed to fully investigating allegations of procurement fraud that threaten the integrity of the Department of the Navy’s procurement process and degrade the Navy’s ability to project sea power necessary to promote regional stability, deter conflict, respond to crisis, and influence outcomes.”

The matter was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Ford prosecuted the case.   

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Ruben Verastigui, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 151 months in prison on a federal charge of receipt of child pornography.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Verastigui pleaded guilty on July 9, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. Upon completion of his prison term, Verastigui will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for at least 15 years.

            According to the government’s evidence, from April 2020 through February 2021, Verastigui was active in an online group devoted to trading child pornography and discussing child sexual abuse. Verastigui shared child pornography videos with another member of the group and made numerous comments about sexually abusing children. Verastigui indicated his preference for babies, saying they were his “absolute favorite,” and solicited another group member for videos of babies being raped. The other group member promptly sent Verastigui a video of a baby being raped, to which Verastigui responded enthusiastically. The other group member then sent Verastigui numerous other videos of child pornography.

            Verastigui was arrested on Feb. 5, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.

            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.justice.gov/psc.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Villanueva, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from Homeland Security Investigations and the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell and former Assistant U.S. Attorney April Russo, who prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

NEWARK, N.J. – A Newburgh, New York, man today admitted possessing a stolen and loaded firearm that he tried to get through security at Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Desmond Herring, 48, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of carrying a weapon on an aircraft.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On Nov. 29, 2021, Herring submitted a carry-on bag for inspection at Newark Liberty International Airport. During the screening of Herring’s luggage, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent identified ammunition and a suspected firearm and contacted the Port Authority Police Department. Upon seeing that his bag had attracted additional attention, Herring left the security checkpoint area without his bag and walked to a departure gate for his flight to Atlanta, Georgia.

Further investigation of Herring’s bag revealed that it contained a 9 millimeter pistol, 10 rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition loaded into a magazine, and 150 additional rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition. Herring was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a 2010 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Both charges carry a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 17, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; officers of the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Edward Cetnar; and officers of the TSA with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.  

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.