Month: June 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

BOSTON – The president of a local union representing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to engaging in a fraud scheme to defraud the union by misappropriating $3,000 in union funds.

Marie LeClair, 59, of Lynn, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 16, 2022. LeClair was charged by an Information on April 26, 2022. 

LeClair was the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2617, which was based in Boston and represented TSA employees. Beginning in or about March 2015, LeClair engaged in a scheme to defraud the union by misappropriating funds belonging to the union for her personal use. Specifically, LeClair transferred funds from union accounts to a travel debit card issued in her own name without the knowledge or authorization of the union and used the misappropriated union funds for personal expenses. On May 22, 2018, LeClair made a wire transfer of $3,000 from a union account to her personal travel debit card.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Jonathan Russo, District Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards; and Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Kaplan of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Christopher Michael Wilson, age 45, was sentenced on June 1, 2022, to 210 months in prison for Receipt of Child Pornography. Wilson was ordered to serve fifteen years of supervised release to follow his prison term, as well as pay $3,000 in restitution to his victims. Wilson was also assessed a $100 Special Assessment immediately payable to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

According to court documents, the investigation into Wilson began when law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The CyberTip indicated that files suspected to be child pornography were uploaded from specific IP addresses. A phone number included with the tip traced back to Wilson. During the execution of a search warrant at Wilson’s known residence, numerous electronic devices were seized, which contained images and videos of child pornography. On January 20, 2022, Wilson pleaded guilty to the charge.

U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Drew Lynn Jennings, age 35, of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was indicted on May 31, 2022, by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Jennings attempted to distribute child pornography on June 5, June 22 and June 23, 2021, in Wayne County.    

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. 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.”

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Roberto Magobet, age 44, of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, was indicted on May 31, 2022, by a federal grand jury and charged with drug trafficking. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Magobet possessed with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl on August 31, 2021, in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. 

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Jim Thorpe Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Probation and Parole Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. 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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Serrano-Munoz, age 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to 25 years’ imprisonment for producing child pornography.  The sentence also included a 10-year term of supervised release, which will follow the term of imprisonment.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Serrano-Munoz previously admitted to coercing a minor living in York County, Pennsylvania, to take sexually explicit photos of herself and to send those images to him over the internet in 2017. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted 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.”

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