Month: September 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

305 Dogs Rescued, More Than 20 Arrested, in Largest Operation of its Kind in South Carolina

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that, on September 22, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a superseding indictment charging TIHAJA ORTIZ-TUCKER, also known as “TJ,” 19, of New Haven, with carjacking, firearm and conspiracy offenses.

As alleged in court documents, on at least three occasions between March 2022 and July 2022, Ortiz-Tucker and others posed as interested buyers of motor vehicles advertised by Connecticut residents (the “victim-sellers”) on Facebook Marketplace.  Ortiz-Tucker and his co-conspirators then arranged to meet in person with the victim-sellers for the purported purpose of test driving and purchasing the motor vehicles.  At the conclusion of the purported test drives, Ortiz-Tucker and his co-conspirators stole, at gunpoint, the vehicles, as well as certificates of title, bills of sale, and other ownership documents.  Ortiz-Tucker and his co-conspirators then posed as the legitimate owners of the stolen motor vehicles and advertised them for sale on the OfferUp online platform.

It is further alleged that Ortiz-Tucker was involved in two carjackings of Uber drivers in May 2022.  In both instances, an Uber driver picked up the carjacker in New Haven and drove to Wallingford where the cars were taken from the Uber drivers at gunpoint.  Both cars were later recovered in the same area of Hamden.

Ortiz-Tucker was arrested on a criminal complaint on July 22, 2022. 

The indictment charges Ortiz-Tucker with one count of conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; three counts of taking a motor vehicle from a person by force, violence and intimidation (“carjacking”), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years on each count; and one count of carrying, using and brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least seven years.

Ortiz-Tucker has been detained since September 2, 2022, when his bond was revoked.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force, the Connecticut State Police and the Wallingford, New Haven, Hamden, Waterbury, and Bridgeport Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Tara E. Levens.

U.S. Attorney Avery encouraged those who sell and purchase items online, and need to meet an individual in person to complete the sale, to use a visible, monitored location.  Contact your local police department to see if it offers a monitored meeting location, or search online for a nearby monitored location.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PITTSBURGH – A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on Friday in federal court to violating federal law, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

Andrew Molinaro, 45, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine on or about July 15, 2020, before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Mr. Molinaro is one of 20 defendants charged in the Superseding Indictment returned in this case.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that in 2020 the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating a drug trafficking organization that operated throughout the greater Washington County area. Beginning in April of 2020 and continuing through October of 2020, the FBI received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. The organization was responsible for orchestrating and directing the movement of drugs from New Jersey to the Western District of Pennsylvania for distribution throughout Washington County. Mr. Molinaro, who was a sergeant in the intake department of the Washington County Jail during this investigation, utilized his law enforcement position to provide a member of the drug trafficking organization with law enforcement sensitive information to aid that individual in evading law enforcement detection.

Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 19, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Mark V. Gurzo and Jerome A. Moschetta are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mr. Molinaro. 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on September 23, 2022, Tyrish Stevenson, 48, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss to 37 months’ imprisonment and a 3-year term of supervised release for distributing cocaine base on September 9, 2021.

According to court records, throughout August and September 2021, investigators with the Burlington Police Department, with the assistance of members of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Burlington Resident Office, conducted multiple controlled purchases of narcotics from traffickers who were working together in Burlington, Vermont.  

As part of this investigation, on September 9, 2021, a confidential informant purchased cocaine base from Stevenson in downtown Burlington.  On September 23, 2021, investigators apprehended multiple traffickers involved in drug distribution, including Stevenson, who admitted to possessing with intent to distribute over 16 grams of cocaine base found nearby at the time of Stevenson’s arrest.  That day, investigators also executed a search warrant at a Church Street residence in downtown Burlington.  Within the Church Street residence, investigators recovered over 40 grams of cocaine base and over 18 grams of fentanyl, which Stevenson, with others, admitted to possessing with intent to distribute.  Investigators also recovered a Mossberg .410 pump shotgun and a Savage Arms .22 Long Rifle from the Church Street residence.     

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Burlington Police Department as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Burlington Resident Office, in the investigation and prosecution of Stevenson.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Gilman.  Stevenson was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth, Esq.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber recognized over 300 officers and agents from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with Public Service Awards.

The Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) typically holds an annual awards ceremony to recognize the law enforcement officials for their service and contribution to various criminal and civil cases investigated and prosecuted here in EDVA. For the first time since 2019, this ceremony was held in person at venues near each of the four EDVA offices.

“The awardees went above and beyond to investigate these cases and are emblematic of the good that law enforcement can do for our local, state, and national communities,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “However, they also represent a fraction of the incredible work that goes on every day with state and federal law enforcement. Both them and their agencies at large should be commended for their sustained efforts.”

The awards highlighted federal cases, operations, and initiatives from 2021. The federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies listed below had officers and/or agents who were recognized for their bravery, outstanding collaboration, investigative achievement, investigative excellence, and victim assistance.

Alexandria	Newport News	Norfolk	Richmond
Virginia State Police	ATF Washington Field Division	ATF Washington Field Division	ATF Washington Field Division
Dept. of State, Diplomatic Security Service	United States Postal Inspection Service	Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit	Dept. Health & Human Services, OIG
Transportation Security Administration OGC	DHS Homeland Security Investigations	North Carolina State Police	DHS Homeland Security Investigations
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office	DEA Washington	Northampton County Sheriff’s Office	Department of Justice, OIG
Dept. Health & Human Services, OIG	FBI-Norfolk Field Office	Dept. Health & Human Services, OIG	DEA Washington
DHS Homeland Security Investigations	Mathews County Sheriff’s Office	DHS Homeland Security Investigations	FBI-Richmond Field Office
Stafford County Fire Marshal	Hampton Police	DEA	Virginia State Corporation Commission
Army Criminal Investigation Division	IRS-Criminal Investigations	FBI-Norfolk Field Office	Henrico Police
Dept. of Transportation, OIG	Virginia Department of Forensic Science	Suffolk Police Department	U.S. Army – Criminal Investigations
DEA Washington	York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office	IRS-Criminal Investigations	Eden Prairie (Minnesota) Police Department
Department of State OIG	Newport News Police	Bureau of Prisons	Colonial Heights Police Department
Fairfax County Police	U.S. Secret Service	Norfolk Police	U.S. Postal Inspection Service
FBI Washington Field Office	Virginia State Police	Defense Criminal Investigative Service	Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Coast Guard Investigative Service	Housing and Urban Development OIG	U.S. Marshals Service	Virginia State Police
IRS-Criminal Investigations	Defense Criminal Investigative Service	Naval Criminal Investigative Service	Virginia Office of Attorney General
U.S. Postal Inspection Service	Naval Criminal Investigative Service	U.S. Postal Inspection Service	Export-Import Bank OIG
General Services Administration OIG		Virginia Dept. of Forensic Science	Southside Drug and Gang Task Force
Prince George’s County Police		Virginia Beach Police	Caroline County Sheriff’s Office
Prince William County Police		Chesapeake Police Department	Chesterfield County Police Department
Defense Criminal Investigative Services		U.S. Attorney’s Office
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (OIG)		Portsmouth Police Department
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Food and Drug Administration
Dept. of Labor OIG
Arlington County Police
Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office
U.S. Secret Service
United States Army

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.