Month: May 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Harold, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on May 10, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Richard Barela, age 31, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Barela was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 11, 2020.  He pled guilty on December 8, 2021.

In January 2020, Barela was an inmate at the Yankton Community Work Center (YCWC), a minimum security South Dakota Department of Corrections (DOC) facility in Yankton, South Dakota.  At the time, Barela was serving a sentence for possession of a controlled substance based on a conviction in Hughes County, South Dakota.  On January 3, 2020, Barela escaped from YCWC and stole a vehicle belonging to DOC.  A warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest. 

On January 14, 2020, law enforcement received information that Barela was at a residence in Pierre, South Dakota.  Law enforcement personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, and Pierre Police Department proceeded to the residence to execute the arrest warrant.  After receiving consent to search the residence, multiple law enforcement officers entered the residence to search for Barela.  Barela was located in a basement bedroom, but he refused to surrender and barricaded himself in the bedroom. 

Deputy U.S. Marshals engaged Barela in conversation in an attempt to convince him to surrender.  Barela responded by telling the officers he would not go back to prison and that the officers would have to kill him to get him out of the basement.  Barela also told the officers he had a knife, which he brandished, and he told them he would kill any law enforcement that attempted to take him into custody. 

After approximately four hours, law enforcement deployed tear gas into the bedroom in an effort to end the standoff.  Barela subsequently exited the bedroom and was immediately taken into custody.

This case was investigated by the Pierre Area Joint Fugitive Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pierre Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Barela was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on May 10, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.

Aynjel Schumacher, age 27, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Schumacher was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury on June 11, 2020.  She pleaded guilty on December 9, 2020.  

Schumacher was responsible for distributing between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in western South Dakota.  She brought methamphetamine from Nebraska and recruited others to transport the methamphetamine for her between September 2019 and April 2020.  Schumacher also arranged for people to transport bulk cash as payment for the methamphetamine and to send money to the supplier via currency services such as Western Union.  Schumacher possessed firearms on numerous occasions during the conspiracy and used a firearm to threaten a co-conspirator.  At the time she was leading this conspiracy, Schumacher was on parole with the State of South Dakota.  Others charged in the conspiracy have trial and sentencing dates pending.

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota National Guard, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.

Schumacher was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

ERIE, Pa. – Twenty-five people – twenty residents of Erie, Pennsylvania, a resident of Meadville, Pennsylvania, a resident of New Jersey, a resident of Orlando, Florida, and two residentsof Puerto Rico – have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

The seven-count Indictment returned on May 10, 2022, and unsealed yesterday named:

Miguel Antonio Pabon Rivera, 27, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Eric Suarez Robles, 42, of Orlando, Florida;

Victor Felix Ogando De Leon, 27, of San Juan, Puerto Rico;

Limarys Quiles Negron, 23, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Pedro Rosado Ortiz, 29, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Enrique Cotto, 58, of Vineland, New Jersey;

Maria Del Pilar Rivera, 55, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Gloria Marie Robles Gonzalez, 23, of Manati, Puerto Rico;

Felix Jimenez Lopez, 25, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Kechawn Jabre Douglas, 24, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Vincent Andrew Feliciano, 31, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Luis Anthony Lopez, 25, of Meadville, Pennsylvania;

Jamir Marcel Feliciano, 23, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Alexander Feliciano, 37, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Tymeen Deltuan Williams, 30, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Peter Daniel Gambill, Jr., 24, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Dikwan Onnyx Plott, 24, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Ashliannie Zayas Agosto, 25, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

William David Condon, Jr., 33, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Maurice Ali Fortune, Jr., 20, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Isaiah Jechaun Camp, 22, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Dante Lashawn Husband, 30, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Quincy Aaron McCloud, 23, of Erie, Pennsylvania;

Tina Marie Defoy, 46, of Erie, Pennsylvania; and

Shana Latrice Mathis, 29, of Erie, Pennsylvania.

According to the Indictment presented to the court, Miguel Rivera, Eric Suarez, Victor De Leon, and others engaged in an inter-territorial, multi-kilogram, cocaine distribution conspiracy that extended between the Western District of Pennsylvania, the Middle District of Florida, the District of Puerto Rico, and elsewhere from in and around January 2020 and continuing thereafter to in and around May 2022.  From in and around February 2020, and continuing thereafter to in and around May 2022, Miguel Rivera and Eric Suarez engaged in interstate money laundering transactions intended to promote the conspiracy and conceal the proceeds of the conspiracy. 

The Indictment further alleges that Kechawn Douglas, Vincent Feliciano, Luis Lopez, Jamir Feliciano, Tymeen Williams, and others engaged in a conspiracy to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, hundreds of grams of fentanyl, and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine within the Western District of Pennsylvania from in and around February 2022 and continuing thereafter to in or around May 2022.  During this time, Vincent Feliciano and Luis Lopez traveled from Pennsylvania to Arizona to facilitate a business enterprise involving the distribution of illegal narcotics in Pennsylvania including four hundred grams or more of fentanyl.  In addition, multiple defendants, to include Isaiah Camp, Dante Husband, Quincy McCloud, and Luis Lopez, were involved in the distribution of fifty grams or more of methamphetamine.

“These charges are the result of tremendous effort and collaboration among the FBI, and our law enforcement  partners, including the City of Erie Police, the Pennsylvania State Police, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service,  Erie County District Attorney’s Drug Taskforce, Erie County Detectives, and the Titusville, Millcreek, Oil City and Franklin Police Departments.” said United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung. “The law-abiding, hard-working people of Erie deserve safe streets and peaceful neighborhoods.  Through the collaboration of the agencies represented here today, we have dismantled a dangerous drug trafficking organization operating in Erie County.”

“These arrests disrupted a criminal conspiracy that posed a tremendous threat to the city,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “Our message is clear- illegal drugs and the violence they often bring with them have no place in this community.  I am extremely proud of the collaborative efforts put forth by the dedicated personnel of my office and the partners on the FBI’s EAGLE Task Force.  We are committed to working side by side with our state, local and federal partners to rid our communities of violent drug offenders and the destruction their activities create.”

 “The Pennsylvania State Police is always honored to cooperate in joint investigations with our municipal and federal partners,” said Captain Kirk Reese of the Pennsylvania State Police Troop E.  “We appreciate the support of the public as we interrupt their daily routines to seek justice and enforce the laws of the Commonwealth.  We hope the arrests made in this investigation help to improve the quality of life for all.”

“The Erie Police department is proud to work together with all our partnering agencies on this important investigation,” said Erie Police Chief Daniel Spizarny Sr.  “Taking down large drug organizations such as this one requires multiple resources that no one agency can do alone.  Working together makes our community safe and secure.”

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both for De Leon, Negron, Ortiz, Cotto, Maria Rivera, Gonzalez, Felix Lopez, Plott and Fortune; a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,500,000, or both for Miguel Rivera and Robles; a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $15,000,000, or both for Douglas; a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,010,000, or both for Jamir Feliciano and Gambill; a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000, or both for Alexander Feliciano, Defoy and Mathis; a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $5,010,000, or both for Williams and Condon; a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000 for Camp, Husband and McCloud; a maximum total sentence of  life in prison, a fine of $15,260,000 for Vincent Feliciano; and a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $20,260,000 for both for Luis Lopez. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants. 

Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

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

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement (EAGLE), Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the FBI, the Erie Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Oil City Police Department, the Titusville Police Department, the Franklin Police Department, and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case in coordination with the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Erie County Detectives, and the Millcreek Police Department.

The investigation was also conducted in association with the Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative which was formed following Erie County’s designation as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 2021.  The HIDTA program was created by Congress in 1988 to coordinate and assist Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies in addressing regional drug threats with the purpose of reducing drug trafficking and drug production in the United States.  The Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative coordinates personnel and resources between multiple agencies including the Pennsylvania State Police, FBI, Erie Police Department, Erie County District Attorney’s office, Erie County Detectives, United States Postal Inspection Service, the EAGLE Task Force, and other participating agencies.

An indictment is an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jaime Ryan Chorba, age 46, of Archbald, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography before United States District Court Judge Malachy Mannion on May 12, 2022.  No date has been set for sentencing.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on February 22, 2022, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Chorba alleging that on April 1, 2016, Chorba produced child pornography and used the internet to entice a minor to participate in its production.  The superseding indictment also alleged that between June 3, 2016, and November 16, 2020, Chorba received images of child pornography and he also allegedly possessed images of prepubescent minors under the age of twelve, including images depicting himself with the minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Philadelphia Division and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Roberts is prosecuting the case.

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.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. There is a mandatory minimum period of imprisonment of 15 years.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Jesus Manuel Menocal Jr., 34, a former Hialeah Police Department sergeant, was sentenced in federal court in Miami, Florida, to three years in prison and one year of supervised release, the statutory maximum sentence. 

Menocal previously pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the civil rights of women by sexually exploiting them.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate police officers who abuse their authority to prey on those they are sworn to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously prosecute these cases to secure justice for the victims of these reprehensible crimes and to ensure that perpetrators who use their unique power to take advantage of others are held accountable.”

“The police officer sentenced today violated not only his victims’ rights, but also the public’s trust,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “As this prosecution shows, we will hold accountable those in our South Florida community who abuse their positions of power and engage in such disgraceful illegal conduct.”

“Jesus Menocal now faces the consequences for using his position to sexually abuse women,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge John J. Bernardo of the FBI Miami Field Office. “Menocal was sentenced to the statutory maximum which is a testament to the courage of his victims to come forward and tell their stories as well as the dedication of FBI Miami’s Civil Rights squad.”

According to court documents, Menocal kissed a woman and caused her to touch his exposed penis; had a second woman, who was in psychiatric crisis, perform oral sex on him; and coerced a third woman, who was walking alone at night, into submitting to oral and vaginal sex. While not directly related to the offenses to which he pleaded guilty, Menocal also admitted to bringing a fourth female into a Hialeah Police Department building and ordering her to remove her shorts and underwear, causing her to expose her buttocks to him. Menocal admitted that he was on-duty and in uniform during all of these acts, abusing his official authority.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.

The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Hialeah Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm, Monica K. Castro and Ilham Hosseini of the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton and Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov/