Month: June 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A federal jury found defendant Lonnie Mitchell, 36, guilty of numerous offenses relating to the defendant’s involvement in coercing several victims, including a minor, to engage in prostitution over the course of several years. Following a five-day trial, the jury convicted the defendant of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion of five victims. The jury also found the defendant guilty of sex trafficking a minor, and three counts of coercing and enticing an individual to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution purposes. Two other defendants previously pleaded guilty.

According to the evidence presented in court, defendant Lonnie Mitchell targeted vulnerable victims who struggled with drug addictions, and then manipulated their drug addictions for his benefit. He increased the victims’ use of heroin and encouraged them to use it intravenously. He then did not provide heroin to the victims if they violated one of his many controlling rules or otherwise did not see enough commercial sex clients. Other consequences of violating defendant Mitchell’s rules or failing to provide him with sufficient money from prostitution included violence, threats of violence, and threats to send embarrassing information, photos, or videos to the victims’ loved ones. In addition, defendant Mitchell regulated the amount of food the victims could eat, when they could eat, and also confiscated their identity documents and credit cards all as part of his coercive scheme to control the victims.   

Defendant Mitchell’s co-defendant and sister, Nettisia Mitchell, was aware of her brother’s scheme and facilitated it. Nettisia Mitchell had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. According to court documents, Nettisia witnessed Lonnie’s violence against a victim yet harbored the victim and received the proceeds from the victim’s involvement in commercial sex. A third co-defendant, Donna Emmons, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Both Nettisia Mitchell and Emmons await sentencing. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison and mandatory restitution.

“Motivated by control, power and greed, this defendant targeted and recruited vulnerable victims who were struggling in life, and used their vulnerabilities and unspeakable violence to sell them over and over again for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sex trafficking and forced prostitution are heinous crimes that have no place in our society today. The Department of Justice remains committed to using our human trafficking laws to protect those who are the most vulnerable members of society and vindicate their rights.”

“Mitchell beat, threatened, manipulated and exploited his victims,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama. “He took advantage of their suffering and addictions to force them into prostitution and drug dealing, all for his own personal gain. The damage caused was not only physical, but also emotional. Undoubtedly, the victims will long be haunted by Mitchell’s actions. My office is committed to helping our law enforcement partners identify and prosecute those who prey on the young and vulnerable. I am grateful for today’s verdict and for the victims who told their stories during the trial. Because of their bravery, Mitchell will be held accountable for his crimes.”

“This verdict means Mitchell is facing justice for the many horrors that he inflicted upon his victim, in the name of profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thankfully, he will no longer be able to prey upon innocent children. This is another example of not only the great partnership HSI has with its law enforcement partners, but also the great work we do to protect our communities.” 

Sentencing has not yet been scheduled in this matter. Defendant Mitchell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years for sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, and a maximum sentence of life. Restitution is also required under federal law. 

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama made the announcement.

This case was investigated by HSI, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Patrick Lamb for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. 

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A Florida man was arrested today for allegedly distributing more than $230 million in adulterated HIV drugs that were ultimately dispensed to unsuspecting patients throughout the country. 

According to an indictment unsealed today, Lazaro Hernandez, 51, of Miami, was allegedly part of a nationwide scheme to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and illegally distribute more than $230 million in adulterated and misbranded prescription drugs that were dispensed to unsuspecting patients. As alleged in the indictment, Hernandez acquired large quantities of HIV medication illegally and then created false drug labeling and other documentation to make it appear as though these high-priced drugs had been obtained legitimately. To carry out the scheme, Hernandez and co-conspirators established licensed wholesale drug distribution companies in Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York. Hernandez and his co-conspirators used those companies to sell the adulterated drugs at steep discounts to other co-conspirators at wholesale pharmaceutical distributors in Mississippi, Maryland, and New York. Those wholesale pharmaceutical distributors then resold the drugs to pharmacies throughout the country, which billed the drugs to health insurers, including Medicare, and dispensed the adulterated and misbranded HIV medication to unsuspecting patients. 

As alleged in the indictment, between approximately 2019 and 2021, the wholesale pharmaceutical distributors paid Hernandez and his co-conspirators more than $230 million for the illegally acquired and adulterated prescription drugs. Hernandez allegedly laundered those hundreds of millions of dollars through the use of several corporations in Miami.

Hernandez is charged with conspiracy to deliver into interstate commerce adulterated and misbranded drugs, conspiracy to traffic in medical products with false documentation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and specific money laundering offenses. If convicted of all counts, he faces a maximum total penalty of more than 100 years in prison. The defendant was also charged in a separate, superseding indictment that was returned by a grand jury in Miami on June 14. Hernandez is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in both cases today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. 

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region, made the announcement.

HHS-OIG and FDIC-OIG are investigating the case. 

Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy James Abraham of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling forfeiture. 

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Assistant U. S. Attorneys Adam Gordon (619) 546-6720 and Galen Cheney (619) 546-7029    

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY—June 17, 2022

SAN DIEGO— Cole Thomas Salazar pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he supplied a fatal dose of fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 24-year-old woman who was found inside her Vista apartment on November 3, 2020.

According to his plea agreement, Salazar used an online classified ads service to offer controlled substances for sale. After communicating online with the victim – identified in court documents by the initials S.E.F. – Salazar sold fentanyl to S.E.F. on November 2, 2020, and she subsequently died from ingesting the fentanyl.

On January 10, 2021, law enforcement officials arrested Salazar, who possessed packages of heroin and fentanyl when he was taken into custody.  A search of his nearby hotel room located numerous quantities of controlled substances including more fentanyl and dealer-related paraphernalia such as scales, baggies, and pay and owe sheets.

The plea agreement stipulates for Salazar that the commission of the offense of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and/or serious bodily injury applies. The investigation and arrest of Salazar and his co-defendant, Valerie Lynn Addison, was featured on the HBO show “The Crime of the Century.” Addison pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

“We speak often about how counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl endanger our community members,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “We can’t lose sight of the fact that powdered fentanyl – which caused the death in this case – is extremely dangerous. To those drug dealers who would sell fentanyl in all its forms: Know that federal law enforcement will hold you accountable for any deaths that your sales cause.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case and unfortunately, many others like it.

“The investigators on the DEA Overdose Response Team work tirelessly to identify and arrest people who cause fentanyl overdose deaths, such as Cole Salazar,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly S. Howe.  “Our mission is to hold dealers accountable and to save lives.  In this case, that mission was accomplished by arresting Salazar and seizing additional fentanyl that could have killed others.”

“These guilty pleas are the result of joint efforts between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), DEA, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s office, working tirelessly to identify criminals who profit from selling lethal drugs in the San Diego community,” said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz.  “HSI will continue to assist the DEA and our state and local partners to bring drug dealers to justice, while also aggressively pursuing drug cartels who smuggle dangerous drugs into the U.S.” 

Salazar and Addison are scheduled to be sentenced on September 16, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo.

This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County. Investigators from the DEA Overdose Response Team led the investigation into S.E.F’s death.

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 21cr3518-CAB                                       

Cole Thomas Salazar                          Age: 32                                   San Diego, CA

Valerie Lynn Addison                        Age: 40                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Salazar:

Possession with Intent to Distribute (Fentanyl) – Title 18, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison

Addison:

Possession with Intent to Distribute (Fentanyl and Methamphetamine) – Title18, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison

AGENCY

Drug Enforcement Administration

Homeland Security Investigations

Federal Bureau of Investigation

California Department of Health Care Services

San Diego Sheriff’s Department

San Diego Police Department

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Jackson, Miss.- Tommy Joe Harvey, the former Chancery Clerk of Simpson County, was sentenced to 2 years’ probation and a $5,000 fine for depriving a person of their civil rights under color of law, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Field Office.

Tommy Joe Harvey, 74, was the Simpson County Chancery Clerk from 2004 through May 31, 2022.  According to court documents, on April 28, 2017, A.R. was in court for a child custody hearing. During the hearing, A.R. became upset and left the courtroom before the hearing was over. A.R. was ordered back to the courtroom. Tommy Joe Harvey overheard the disruption. Moments later, Harvey found A.R. in her vehicle which was parked across the street. Harvey told one of his employees to bring him a can of pepper spray from inside his office. Harvey told A.R. to compose herself and not drive away or she would be pepper sprayed. Harvey pepper sprayed her while she was trying to drive away. Harvey then told two Simpson County Sheriff’s Deputies to handcuff A.R. After she was handcuffed, and while being escorted to the courthouse by the deputies, Harvey pepper sprayed A.R. several more times.  

Harvey pled guilty on February 23, 2022, to deprivation of civil rights under color of law.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Terrill and Deputy Criminal Chief Erin Chalk.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Alexander Clifford Nelms, 43, and Jorvin Jermaine Cockran, 36, both of Miami, Florida, were convicted and sentenced to ten years in federal prison for their crimes. Nelms pled guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine on July 27, 2021, and was sentenced on November 15, 2021. Cockran was convicted at trial on February 11, 2022, of one count of possessing with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and sentenced this week. The sentences were announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

“Concerted law enforcement partnerships like the Alachua County Drug Task Force serve a vital role in protecting our communities from armed drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “These brave law enforcement officers place their lives in danger each day to remove firearms and addictive drugs from our streets. We remain vigilant to hold these criminals accountable.”

On January 20, 2021, a Gainesville Police Department officer assigned to the then Gainesville-Alachua County Drug Task Force’s Domestic Highway Enforcement Team conducted a traffic stop on a minivan for speeding. Nelms was identified as the driver and Cockran was the front seat passenger. The pair were travelling northbound on I-75 from Miami, Florida. While conducting his traffic enforcement duties the officer detected the odor of cannabis coming from the vehicle and received conflicting information from the subjects as to their travel plans. An Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Deputy who supervised the Domestic Highway Enforcement team arrived on scene as backup and deployed his narcotics detection canine partner to conduct an open-air sniff of the minivan. When the canine alerted to the odor of narcotics, officers detained Nelms and Cockran in the rear of a patrol vehicle and searched the minivan, ultimately locating one kilogram of cocaine in a gym bag between the driver and passenger seats, another two-ounce package of cocaine, some marijuana and THC cartridges, and two loaded firearms withing ready reach and access of Cockran. Nelms attempted to claim the drugs while Cockran claimed the firearms, but conversation between the two of them in the rear of the patrol vehicle confirmed they were acting in concert to traffic in the cocaine.

“These sentences speak to the strength of the relationships we have with our local law enforcement partners as well as the dedication of the investigators, who work daily to ensure communities in northern Florida continue to be safe places to live,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “We will continue our collaborative efforts with our partners to ensure those who seek to harm our communities are brought to justice.”

“By collaborating with our partners on the local, state, and federal level, we will continue to make Alachua County a safe and welcoming community for all,” said Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr. “If you want to commit crimes, we are going to work together at every level to make sure criminals are held accountable.”

Nelms had multiple prior felony convictions, to include a prior trafficking in Roxicodone in the State of Florida. Nelms’ 10 years’ imprisonment will be followed by eight years of supervised release, and Cockran’s 10 years’ imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervise release.

“We are proud to have the Domestic Highway Enforcement Task Force working every day to take violent criminals off our highways,” said Acting Chief Lonnie Scott, Sr. “If you see one of these members on the highway, know that they are doing their best to keep our streets, community, and neighbors as safe as possible.”

This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Elsey. 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.