Month: June 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

FORT WAYNE–Michael Teems, age 60, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced June 16, 2022, by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty on his plea of guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Teems was sentenced to a total of 228 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, in January of 2020, Teems was stopped by law enforcement and arrested based on an outstanding Ohio warrant.  From his residence, various drugs were seized to include methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl pills, along with ammunition and magazines, a scale, and body armor.  Teems admitted he had obtained large quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs periodically since November of 2019, and also admitted to carrying his firearm for protection of his drug trafficking activities.   Based on his criminal history, he was determined to be a Career Offender and received a sentence based on this Sentencing Guideline enhancement.  

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the Indiana State Police.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller. 

This case was 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.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role as the leader of a Trenton drug-trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of heroin in the Trenton area, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Robert M. Gbanapolor, 35, of Trenton, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to a superseding indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute a detectable amount of heroin. 

Ten other members of this drug trafficking conspiracy have previously pleaded guilty in this case.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

From June 2018 through May 2019, Gbanapolor and others engaged in a heroin trafficking conspiracy in the areas of Stuyvesant, Hoffman, and Highland avenues in Trenton, as well as in the area of Barbary Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gbanapolor obtained regular bulk supplies of heroin from Duane Paulino-Escalera, whom Gbanapolor referred to as “Papi.”  Gbanapolor, in turn, distributed this heroin for profit to other members of the drug-trafficking organization, who distributed the heroin in and around Trenton. Paulino-Escalera pleaded guilty in January 2020 and was sentenced on May 7, 2021, to five years in prison.

The counts to which Gbanapolor pleaded guilty carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison on each of Counts One and Three, and a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison on Count Two. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, Camden Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; and task force officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve Wilson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked detectives and officers of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Christine A. Hoffman; detectives and officers of the Gloucester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Harkins; members of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives and officers of the Bordentown Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Pesce; and special agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric A. Boden and Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Joyce O. Isagba guilty of three counts of mail fraud and one count of conspiring to defraud the United States with respect to claims. She faces a maximum penalty of 70 years in federal prison. A grand jury had indicted Isagba and her husband, David, on May 27, 2020. David Isagba entered a guilty plea on March 29, 2022.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, from 2009 through 2019, the Isagbas submitted 227 fraudulent tax returns to the IRS falsely claiming to be entitled to more than $2.94 billion in tax refunds on behalf of sham trusts. The Isagbas subsequently received a total of $5,815,723.65 from the IRS as a result of this fraudulent scheme. Joyce Isagba used her portion of the money to purchase a residence. She entered into a contract to purchase the home the day after she received a $462,000 fraudulently obtained refund check from the IRS. The Isagbas also purchased multiple luxury vehicles with fraud proceeds and used the money to fund a luxurious lifestyle. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah Nowalk.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

ERIE, Pa. – A resident of Warren County has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in jail on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Cody Tobias Greeley, 25, of Tidioute, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the court, from in and around June 2018, to on or about February 28, 2020, Greeley conspired with his co-defendants to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five hundred grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine as they participated in a methamphetamine distribution network that trafficked methamphetamine from Akron, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania into Crawford, Venango and Warren Counties.

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

United States Attorney Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop E, Vice Unit, the Titusville Police Department, the Warren County Drug Task Force, the Warren County Sherriff’s Office and the Crawford County Sherriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Greeley.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

TRENTON, N.J. – A Hanahan, South Carolina, woman was sentenced to 28 months in prison for defrauding the government of hundreds of thousands of dollars in Social Security and Medicare benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Martha Aguilar, 60, formerly of Middletown, New Jersey, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to Count Three of a superseding indictment charging her with Social Security Fraud. Chief Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence by videoconference on June 15, 2022.  

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From November 2004 to September 2016, Aguilar collected $136,879 in Social Security benefits and $644,605 in Medicare benefits that she was not entitled to receive. Aguilar indicated on forms to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she was completely disabled and unable to work, but continued working as a paralegal. Aguilar also fraudulently applied for and received temporary disability from the state of New Jersey totaling $13,622, and unemployment benefits from the state of New Jersey totaling $103,738, which she concealed from the SSA. In all, Aguilar fraudulently failed to report to SSA $488,870 in benefits and income. 

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Aguilar to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $781,484.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Debbi Mayer; and N.J. Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Division of Fraud Prevention & Risk Management-Special Investigations Unit, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah Russell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.