Month: April 2022

Posted on

Security News: Jessup Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Possessed Two Firearms, Including One With an Obliterated Serial Number, Along with Drugs and Cash

Baltimore, Maryland – Tommie Miller, age 36, of Jessup, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  

The guilty plea 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 Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on March 2, 2021, the FBI executed a search warrant at Miller’s apartment.  Miller and his girlfriend were the only occupants of the apartment at the time of the search.  From a backpack found the main bedroom, agents seized a pistol loaded with 34 rounds of ammunition; an AR-style pistol with an obliterated serial number and three magazines containing 93 rounds of ammunition; 14 additional rounds of ammunition; one bag of cocaine; 25 gel capsules; and four bags of heroin.  Also from the bedroom, agents recovered $3,000 from a box on the floor; a lower receiver for a handgun from the attached bathroom; and a bag containing empty gel capsules from a closet near the main bedroom.  A search of the kitchen revealed an AR-style magazine with 25 rounds; a digital scale; a bag of cocaine; and drug paraphernalia. 

Miller admitted that the drugs, the manner in which they were packaged, the presence of drug paraphernalia, and the amount of cash indicate his intent to distribute the drugs and that the firearms were possessed in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime.

Miller faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.   U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has scheduled sentencing for July 5, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  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.

This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.    

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Y. Oldham, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

# # #

Posted on

Defense News: NPC PACT Team Changes Lives for 313 Newly-Rated Sailors in Japan

Source: United States Navy

This was the first Professional Apprenticeship Career Track team event in Japan since before the coronavirus pandemic began. After overcoming challenges due to international travel restrictions, the team forged ahead to deliver a full-service detailing process for the forward-deployed Sailors.

The team, consisting of enlisted community managers, rating specialists and detailers, traveled from Millington, Tennessee, to set up shop at four locations: aboard the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76); Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka; Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni; and Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo.

As part of the engagements, Commander Navy Personnel Command, Rear Adm. Alvin Holsey, met virtually with PACT Sailors in each location via video teleconference to discuss their time in the program and congratulate them on their milestones.

“This speaks to your determination to stay the course. It’s a testament to where you are in your careers and how you achieve your goals,” Holsey said during his call with Sailors in Sasebo. “I’m very proud of all of you and I’d love to hear from you in the future when you’ve settled into your new careers.”

In preparation for the visits, colloquially coined “PACT Rodeos,” the team coordinated with the 7th Fleet staff and command career counselors at each location, ensuring eligible PACT Sailors were prepared and available to attend. 

 “When we do these rodeos, they’re able to sit down with someone, get a CDB [career development board] done, talk to the ECM [enlisted community manager], and if they require a waiver – depending on how much of a waiver they need – we’re able to grant that waiver on the spot,” Command Senior Chief Shanika Jones, a rating detailer, said. “Then they’re able to walk over to the next table and talk to the detailers and get a location and duty station locked in along with their rating, all before reporting back to their ship or command.”

Randy Miller, PACT team lead, said nearly every Sailor earned a requested rating and a desired duty station. 

 “The ability to go face to face with our PACT Sailors is priceless,” said Miller, a retired Master Chief Navy Counselor. “It’s their first opportunity to engage with MyNavy HR and fully understand how our process works in being rated and detailed to a new assignment. Building that trust between our fleet Sailors and our team in Millington is critical. It’s the foundation of our success.”

Command career counselors and command leadership were also key to the success of the five-day event.

“It starts with the command career counselor,” Jones said. “We don’t want to just bring them [PACT] in for a little bit and let them leave out of the Navy with a salty taste. Whether they turn it into four years or 20 years, whatever the case may be – we want to see these Sailors succeed.”

The PACT program directs Sailors to begin their rating designation process 12 months prior to their projected rotation date. From then they remain eligible until selected for a rated requisition or until their soft end of active obligated service. While in the program, these Sailors are able to gain on-the-job training (OJT) at their duty stations.

For one formerly undesignated Sailor in Sasebo, his OJT time solidified his desired rating, and the moment of earning it could not have come soon enough.

“I’ve been wanting to be an OS [operations specialist] since I first got here, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to get my rate,” Operations Specialist Seaman Blake MartinezPompa said. “A lot of us PACT Sailors wanted this to happen and it’s one of the good things that the Navy did a really good job on. I hope that this continues forward.”

MartinezPompa, currently assigned to USS New Orleans (LPD 18), received orders for the Pre-Commissioning Unit of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), expected to be homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During the event, he also had the chance to interact with Holsey one-on-one, which he said was a special highlight to an already “wonderful experience.”

“It’s not just orders to them,” Jones said. “Sometimes this set of orders could be the difference between parents or partners being collocated, or this set of orders could be the difference between families being able to celebrate birthdays like they normally do.”

Another Sailor who engaged with Holsey was newly-rated Yeoman Seaman Rory Black.

After receiving her orders to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), she said, “I instantly told my mom. I’m just happy and I’m excited to go do my job.”

Fleet Engagement Team visits promote greater transparency of the orders negotiation process, as well as hands-on training for career counselors and PACT Sailors alike. The team looks forward to conducting more visits like these to fleet concentrated areas.

PACT Sailors interested in expanding their available conversion opportunities should contact their command career counselor for information about additional Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) testing opportunities.

For more information on PACT, visit: https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Detailing/Enlisted/Shore-Special/PACT/

For more news from Navy Personnel Command or Chief of Naval Personnel, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mynavyhr, Instagram at www.instagram.com/mynavyhr/, Twitter at www.twitter.com/mynavyhr or visit www.navy.mil/cnp.

Posted on

Security News: Two Keene Residents Charged In Superseding Indictment With Additional Charges Related to Virtual Currency Exchange Business

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            CONCORD – A federal grand jury returned a 33-count superseding indictment on Monday charging Ian Freeman, 41, and Aria DiMezzo, 35, both of Keene, with a variety of financial and fraud crimes, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

            According to the superseding indictment, Freeman, DiMezzo, and others operated a business that enabled customers to exchange fiat currency for virtual currency.  The superseding indictment alleges that the unlicensed business violated federal anti-money laundering laws and regulations.  Among other things, the superseding indictment alleges that the defendants opened bank accounts at financial institutions while deceiving financial institutions about the nature of the business being transacted through the accounts.  The superseding indictment alleges that some of the transactions conducted by Freeman facilitated the transfer of the proceeds of scams, such as “romance scams.”

           Freeman and DiMezzo are charged with participating in a conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

           Freeman also is charged with: (1) operating an unlicensed money transmitting business; (2) conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud; (3) twelve counts of wire fraud; (4) four counts of money laundering; (5) conspiracy to commit money laundering: (6) four counts of attempting to evade taxes; and (7) operating a financial crimes enterprise.

           DiMezzo also is charged with (1) operating an unlicensed money transmitting business; (2) four counts of wire fraud; and (3) three counts of money laundering.

           Freeman and DiMezzo, along with four others, were previously arrested on March 16, 2021. 

           Three co-defendants, Nobody F/K/A Richard Paul, of Keene, and Andrew and Renee Spinella of Derry, have pleaded guilty.  The government has moved to dismiss the charges against the fourth co-defendant without prejudice.

           The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service in coordination with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald, Seth R. Aframe, and John Kennedy.

           The charges in the superseding indictment are only allegations.  The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###

Posted on

Security News: Hamilton County Woman to Federal Prison for Meth Possession With Intent to Distribute

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Thrice convicted drug offender found in possession of over 50 grams of meth, a digital scale, and drug packaging materials.

A woman who possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on April 25, 2022, to 5 years in federal prison.

Kelly Beightol, 58, from Webster City, Iowa, pled guilty on December 2, 2021, to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  Beightol was previously convicted of Delivery of Methamphetamine in 1992, Possession with the Intent to Deliver and Delivery of Methamphetamine in 2015, all in the Iowa District Courts.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence proved that on September 6, 2021, during a traffic stop in Hardin County, Iowa, Beightol was found in possession of roughly 53 grams of pure methamphetamine and ½ pound of marijuana.  Law enforcement also seized indicia of drug distribution, including drug packaging, a digital scale, and nearly $1,700 in cash.  Beightol said she intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another person or persons. 

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Beightol was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and must serve a four-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Beightol remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Laboratory, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Webster City Police Department.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 21-3035.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Posted on

Security News: Three Sentenced in Scheme to Obtain and Distribute More Than Three Gallons of PCP and Meth from U.S. Mail

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that three individuals were sentenced for their roles in a scheme that sought to distribute approximately three gallons of phencyclidine (PCP) and methamphetamine obtained through the U.S. mail. 

Erwin D. Owens, age 39, of Compton, California, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, and Nathan Stewart, age 40, of North Olmsted, Ohio, was sentenced to six years in prison on April 25, 2022.   Dawuan L. Williams, age 47, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was previously sentenced to seven years in prison on January 3, 2022. 

According to court documents, in May 2020, investigators with the United States Postal Inspection Service identified three mail parcels suspected of containing drugs.  After obtaining search warrants for the parcels, postal inspectors found that each parcel contained approximately one gallon of PCP concealed in acetone containers.  Investigators identified Williams as the intended recipient of the three parcels in Ohio, and Owens as the person who mailed them from California.

Between February and March 2021, postal inspectors seized two more parcels that had been sent from California to addresses in Ohio.  Each of those two parcels was found to contain approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine.  Postal inspectors eventually identified Stewart as the intended recipient of those two drug parcels in Ohio and Owens as the person who sent them from California.   

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Lewis and Vasile C. Katsaros.