Month: June 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane Evans announced today that on June 2, 2022 ALFREDO ERASMO CASTILLO-MORALES, age 32, was charged in a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).

According to the indictment, ALFREDO ERASMO CASTILLO-MORALES (“CASTILLO-MORALES”), reentered the United States after he was previously deported on November 1, 2019.  If convicted, CASTILLO-MORALES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. 

U. S. Duane Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter.  Assistant U. S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury last week indicted a Madison County man on multiple child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger.

A four-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court charges Kevin Alexander Guerrero-Beltran, 32, with advertising, transportation, distribution, and possession of child pornography. 

According to the indictment, Guerrero-Beltran was previously convicted in the Circuit Court for Marshall County for traveling to meet a child for sex in Alabama.  With that prior conviction, the advertisement of child pornography charge carries a statutory imprisonment range of 25 to 50 years.

FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF), FBI Phoenix Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Huntsville Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation participated in this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

Source: United States Department of Justice News

LAREDO, Texas – A 45-year-old former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) supervisor has been charged with stealing money from the U.S. government, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Alfonso Gonzalez, Laredo, is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga at 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 6.

A federal grand jury returned the one-count indictment June 1, which was unsealed today upon his arrest.

Gonzalez was a former CBP Tactical Terrorism Response Team supervisor, according to the charges. On multiple occasions between Sept. 27, 2020, and Sept. 27, 2021, he allegedly falsified hours on his timesheet. The indictment alleges he falsely recorded additional night and weekend hours when he did not actually report to work. On some of those occasions, he actually traveled to Mexico when he claimed to be at work, according to the allegations.

Further, Gonzalez allegedly fabricated excuses to justify his overtime hours.

As a result, Gonzalez allegedly stole approximately $6,497.52 from the U.S. government, according to charges.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

CBP – Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isaac 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

HARRISBURG, PA —The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rodney L. Yentzer, of Cumberland County, has agreed to pay the United States $900,000 to resolve civil liability for alleged violations of the False Claims Act.

According to United States Attorney, John C. Gurganus, between 2017 and 2019,  Yentzer, through a group of pain clinics he controlled known as Pain Medicine of York (PMY), caused the submission of false claims for payment to Medicare.  Those claims were for presumptive and definitive Urine Drug Tests (UDTs) that were not medically reasonable or necessary and were not used to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Additionally, Yentzer agreed to be excluded from all Federal health care programs for 22 years.  Yentzer’s exclusion means that no Federal health care program payment may be made, either directly or indirectly, for any items or services furnished by Yentzer or at the direction or on the prescription of Yentzer.

“Civil enforcement is an important tool to recover funds when providers cause improper claims to the Medicare program,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure the integrity of the Medicare Trust Fund.”

In March of 2022, in a related matter, Yentzer pleaded guilty to Health Care Fraud, Money Laundering, and Theft of Public Money for defrauding Medicare, Medicaid, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services between 2016 and 2020. Yentzer is awaiting sentencing.  The news release can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/cumberland-county-man-pleads-guilty-health-care-fraud-money-laundering-and-theft-public

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.  The civil investigation was handled by Assistant United States Attorney, Tamara Haken, and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) Unit within the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

The former owner and operator of seven political action committees (PACs) pleaded guilty today to making a false statement in connection with PAC expenses reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

According to court documents, Tyler D. Whitney, 33, of Austin, Texas, formed and operated the PACs beginning in mid-2012. Whitney also owned and operated Amagi Strategies, a consulting corporation, and Amagi Imports, an affiliated business. Between 2012 and 2018, Whitney operated each of the PACs by creating and managing a PAC-related website; purchasing email lists of potential contributors; utilizing vendors that provided blast email services to send mass emails to potential contributors; using urgent language in email solicitations to potential donors for contributions; and representing to potential donors that contributions would be used to support or oppose a particular candidate or cause via “voter outreach” and “advertising.”

During this time, Whitney spent a small portion of the donated funds to benefit the political candidates or causes the PACs represented they were going to support or oppose. He also transferred a large portion of the donated funds from the PACs to his consulting company, Amagi Strategies, or withdrew the money as cash. Whitney used funds in bank accounts for Amagi Strategies to either pay himself, pay for personal expenses, or pay for services (such as website management, email list purchases or rentals, and blast email services) to raise additional funds via email solicitations. Whitney filed and caused to be filed FEC reports that, among other things, were false as to amounts, dates, and descriptions of expenditures and disbursements by the PACs, including payments made to Amagi Imports.

For instance, in July 2016, Whitney transferred $10,000 from one of his PACs to Amagi Strategies. On the same day, Whitney transferred $9,000 from Amagi Strategies to Amagi Imports and then $8,787.73 from Amagi Imports to an international shipping company. Whitney’s PAC did not report this $10,000 payment on its FEC reports for 2016 and 2017. However, in January 2018, Whitney caused the PAC’s treasurer to file an amended FEC quarterly report for the PAC that falsely disclosed the $10,000 payment as “PAC Management Fees.”

Whitney pleaded guilty to making a false statement. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 26 and faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.