Month: May 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Denver – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces 46-year-old Jesus Alfredo Moreno Olivas has been charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

According to the criminal complaint unsealed in federal court, law enforcement officers seized two firearms, approximately 70,000 fentanyl pills, 10 pounds of methamphetamine, 34 pounds of heroin, and approximately $20,000 in U.S. currency from Jesus Alfredo Moreno Olivas on or about May 5, 2022.

The defendant made his initial appearance in federal court in Denver on May 9, 2022, where he was advised by a federal magistrate judge of the charge pending against him.

If convicted of the charge against him, the defendant faces 10 years to life in prison.

“Because there is an abundant supply of illicit fentanyl, costs are low and deaths are up,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Our partners at the local, state and federal level are working around the clock to get these dangerous and deadly drugs off the street.”

The Front Range Taskforce, comprised of the Denver Police Department, the Denver Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration and other local, state and federal law enforcement partners, investigated this case.

The charge in the criminal complaint is an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Case Number: 22-mj-00081-SKC

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Michael Drummond, 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his role in a scheme in which Wells Fargo Bank customers lost $124,000 from their accounts. According to the government’s evidence, the participants in the scheme attempted to steal another $80,000 from the bank’s customers, but the bank detected that fraud and stopped the loss. 

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.

            Drummond pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition to the prison term, he will be required to pay $124,000 in restitution. He also must pay $124,000 in a forfeiture money judgment.

            In entering his plea, Drummond admitted to orchestrating a scheme that was carried out in 2017 in which Drummond recruited bank employees who would make unauthorized withdrawals from Wells Fargo customer accounts.  The bank employees used the bank’s internal systems to check the account balances of customers without the customer’s knowledge.  Those employees then told Drummond the customer’s name and account balance. 

            Drummond then sent another accomplice into the bank to pose as the customer and to withdraw the funds, unbeknownst to the actual customer.  The conspirators used this scheme to steal $124,000 in cash and an $80,000 cashier’s check from two of the bank’s customers.  Although Wells Fargo was able to detect the theft and stop payment of the $80,000 cashier’s check, Wells Fargo incurred losses on behalf of its customers for the $124,000 in cash that Drummond and others stole. 

            Another conspirator, Tiara Langston, 30, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, entered a guilty plea in November 2020 to related charges and was sentenced in March 2021 to a 15-month prison term.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the work of those who are handling the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Borchert, who is prosecuting the matter.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

INDIANAPOLIS – Jorge Alberto Mateos, 26, of Noblesville, Indiana, a former detention deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Indianapolis, was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for assaulting an inmate. Mateos had previously pleaded guilty to a felony civil rights offense for his unreasonable use of force against an inmate in his care.

According to court documents, on the evening of September 9, 2021, Mateos was on duty as a Detention Deputy at the Marion County Jail. During the shift, deputies ordered an inmate at the facility to remove his jail-issued shoes. The inmate kicked off his shoes and sat in the corner of his cell. In response, Mateos entered the cell and told the inmate something to the effect of, “When a deputy tells you to do something, you need to do it.” Mateos then struck the inmate in the face multiple times, during which time the inmate did not try to resist or fight back. Mateos continued to strike the inmate after he fell to the ground. According to court documents, other detention deputies attempted to deescalate the situation, separated the inmate and Mateos, and placed the inmate in handcuffs. After the inmate was handcuffed, Mateos struck the inmate several additional times. As a result, the inmate sustained bodily injuries.

“Law enforcement officers who violate their oaths and choose to assault persons in their custody will be held accountable,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Former Deputy Mateos chose to repeatedly attack an inmate who offered no resistance, an assault that continued even after the inmate was handcuffed. These crimes dishonor our profession and erode trust in the honorable law enforcement officers who risk their lives to keep the community safe. Abuses of the public trust are a special category of wrongs to be righted. The sentence imposed today demonstrates that this office, the Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners will prioritize holding these offenders accountable.”

“Former Deputy Mateos abused his authority as a law enforcement officer and betrayed the public’s trust when he violently assaulted an inmate in his custody,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “Law enforcement officials who commit violent assaults inside our jails and prisons are not above the law, and we will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit civil rights violations.”

“There is no acceptable level of abuse of power. The vast majority of law enforcement officers are professional, well-trained and honor the oath they took to protect and serve the community,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable those who violate that oath and the civil rights of those they are sworn to protect.”

Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal stated “deputy sheriffs and detention deputies take an oath. So have I. If you use unnecessary force against someone in your custody, you must be held accountable.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office provide valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 1 year following his release from prison. Judge Pratt also ordered that the defendant remanded to begin serving his sentence immediately. At the conclusion of the hearing, Mateos was taken into the custody of the United States Marshal.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley P. Shepard and Kelsey L. Massa, and Trial Attorney Katherine G. DeVar of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, who prosecuted the case.

Individuals who believe they may have been a victim of a civil rights violation can learn how to report violations to the Department by visiting the Civil Rights Reporting Portal located at civilrights.justice.gov.

Individuals who believe they are the victim of a criminal violation of their civil rights, such as misconduct by law enforcement officers, a hate crime, or human trafficking, should contact their local FBI office.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

McALLEN, Texas – A 28-year-old former Border Patrol (BP) employee has pleaded guilty to violating the constitutional rights of a Honduran teenager, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Gregson Martinez, Brownsville, pleaded guilty to acting under color of law and utilizing unreasonable force by striking a 17-year-old unaccompanied Honduran citizen.  

On July 21, 2021, authorities apprehended the teenager near Hidalgo and transported him to the Donna Processing Center. Martinez worked there as a BP processing coordinator.

While questioning him as to his age and citizenship, Martinez struck the 17-year-old male across the face.

Martinez was terminated Aug. 2, 2021.

Sentencing has been set for June 24, at which time Martinez faces up to a year in federal prison and a possible $100,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and Customs and Border Protection – Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia is prosecuting the case. 

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Stephen Brian Dukeman (27, Melbourne) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The court also ordered Dukeman to forfeit two firearms, which he had possessed during the offense. Dukeman had pleaded guilty on January 28, 2022.

According to court documents, on June 9, 2021, an officer with the Melbourne Police Department was working traffic enforcement when he observed a vehicle speeding. The officer attempted to catch up to the vehicle to make a traffic stop. However, the vehicle struck a curb and became disabled. The sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as Dukeman, fled on foot through a field and a pursuit began. The officer ordered Dukeman to stop several times, but he refused to comply. While running, Dukeman was grabbing at an object in his pocket. The officer was able to gain control of Dukeman, a struggle ensued, and eventually Dukeman was arrested.

A search of Dukeman’s pockets revealed $450 in cash and a ripped baggie containing 103.42 grams of fentanyl. A search of Dukeman’s vehicle revealed a loaded Glock 9mm pistol on the driver’s seat floorboard, another baggie containing fentanyl weighing 145.61 grams in the center console, and a loaded multi-caliber Premiere firearm in the backseat floorboard area. Both firearms were stolen.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Melbourne Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.