Month: September 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Norfolk woman was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison for misuse of a Social Security number, loan fraud, and identity theft.

According to court documents, Shaneca Moseley, 39, engaged in an identity takeover of C.J., a New Jersey resident. Between 2018 and 2020, Moseley impersonated C.J. by possessing and using a forged driver’s license containing C.J.’s personal identifying information, including name, date of birth, home address, and driver’s license number, and a Social Security card containing C.J.’s Social Security number. During these two years, Moseley used C.J.’s personal identifying information in acquiring an apartment lease; purchasing and obtaining a loan for a Mercedes Benz; purchasing furniture on credit; obtaining an email account, insurance, and other utilities; and masking her true identity during a traffic stop, among various other acts. Moseley’s activity left C.J. to deal with the results of various payment defaults and impacts to their credit.

Moseley pleaded guilty in 2009 to running another social security fraud scheme and was previously sentenced to 2 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Michael Goldsmith, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Danbee C. Kim prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-54.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Timothy Streitmatter, age 44, of Peoria, Illinois, was found guilty on September 16, 2022, of attempted online enticement and attempted sex trafficking of a child, after a five-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, jurors deliberated for a little more than an hour before rendering guilty verdicts against Streitmatter for using the internet and an electronic device to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a person who he believed to be 13 years old to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and to engage in a commercial sex act in exchange for U.S. currency. 

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office offered testimony from multiple special agents from the FBI-Allentown Office and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and an FBI special agent from the Philadelphia Office who offered expert testimony in cell phone forensics and undercover online child exploitation investigations. 

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Sean Camoni 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. 

The maximum penalty under federal law is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, sex offender registration under the Adam Walsh Act, and a fine.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs.  For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sherri Papini, 39, of Redding, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison to be followed by 36 months of supervised release for making materially false statements to FBI agents about the circumstances of her own hoax kidnapping and committing mail fraud based on her being a kidnapping victim, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today.

Papini was ordered to pay $309,902 in restitution for losses incurred by the California Victim Compensation Board, the Social Security Administration, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On April 12, 2022, Papini was charged in a criminal information with 34 counts of mail fraud and one count of making false statements. On April 18, 2022, Papini pleaded guilty to a single count of mail fraud and one count of making false statements.

According to the criminal complaint and Papini’s plea agreement, on Nov. 2, 2016, Papini was reported missing and was believed to be kidnapped. Extensive searches were conducted for her in Shasta County, throughout California, as well as other states. Twenty-two days later, on Nov. 24, 2016, Papini reappeared with various bindings on her body and injuries, including a “brand” on her right shoulder, and claimed that she had been abducted by two Hispanic women at gunpoint, held against her will, and that she had been abused by her captors. At that point, law enforcement efforts focused on finding her abductors. For over four years, Papini repeated her false story about her kidnapping, while law enforcement continued its investigation to identify Papini’s kidnappers.

Eventually, the evidence showed that Papini’s story was a carefully planned, false story. DNA, cellphone, and car rental evidence proved she had been voluntarily staying with a former boyfriend and that she had harmed herself to support her false statements. On Aug. 13, 2020, an FBI special agent and a detective with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office met with Papini. At the outset of the meeting, they told Papini it was a crime to lie to federal agents. Papini continued to claim she was kidnapped. Later in the interview, Papini was again warned that it was a crime to lie to federal agents and was told about the DNA and telephone evidence showing that she had been with her former boyfriend. Yet, even after this second warning and evidence, Papini continued to make false statements.

Not only did Papini lie to law enforcement, her friends, and her family, she also made false statements to the California Victim Compensation Board and the Social Security Administration in order to receive benefits as a result of her alleged “post-traumatic stress” from being abducted.

This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services and Bureau of Investigation, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica M.A. Alegría and Shelley D. Weger prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

East St. Louis, Ill  – Kenesha Burlison, 40, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced to 45 months in 
prison in connection with her theft from her former employer, an East St. Louis charity, and 
aggravated identity theft.
Burlison served as the Director of Human Relations for Call for Help, Inc. from 2016 until her 
termination in 2020. Call for Help is a longstanding charitable organization in East St. Louis, 
Illinois, that helps people overcome a variety of personal crises, ranging from sexual assault and 
poverty to homelessness and mental health issues. The organization receives federal funds annually 
to assist in carrying out its mission.

At the time of her guilty plea, Burlison admitted that she fraudulently obtained a cashier’s check 
from Call for Help in the amount of $69,788.62, which she used to pay the down payment for a home 
she was purchasing. Burlison told Call for Help that she needed a cashier’s check to provide to the 
title company and claimed that she couldn’t get one from her bank because it was closed. In 
exchange for the cashier’s check, Burlison provided Call for Help with a personal check in the 
amount of $70,000. That check, as well as two others provided by Burlison in the coming months, 
bounced for insufficient funds.

Following her termination from the organization, Call for Help discovered that Burlison had also 
fraudulently submitted requests for reimbursements that she was not entitled to. Burlison abused 
her access to the company’s payroll system to fraudulently submit and approve mileage 
reimbursements and costs for diversity and inclusion trainings that she did not attend. In all, 
Burlison was paid more than $115,000 from these fraudulent reimbursements.

“Kenesha Burlison’s theft from Call for Help is particularly egregious in light of the essential, 
life- saving services that the organization provides to communities in Southern Illinois,” said 
United States Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “We are proud to have organizations like Call for Help 
in our District and will continue to hold those who steal from them accountable for their actions.”

“Nonprofits elect a board of directors to provide oversight regarding fiduciary, legal and ethical 
responsibilities for the organization,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge 
David Nanz. “In this case, Call for Help’s board of directors did exactly what they were put in 
place to do.
Their oversight enabled the FBI to pursue an investigation into the criminal actions of Kenesha Burlison and prevent further harm to the organization’s reputation and financial resources. The FBI is
committed to investigating public corruption in any form and at all levels.”
Burlison was also sentenced for aggravated identity theft. In 2020, Burlison submitted an inflated 
income verification as part of an application for a home mortgage. Because the verification 
required a signature on behalf of Call for Help, Burlison forged the signature of the 
organization’s Director of Quality Assurance. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory 
sentence of two years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other sentence imposed.

In total, Burlison was sentenced to 45 months in prison. She was also ordered to pay over $185,000 
in restitution to Call for Help, a $200 special assessment, and will spend three years on 
supervised release following her term of imprisonment.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Zoe J. Gross prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

          LOS ANGELES – Martin Estrada was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California.

          Estrada, 45, was sworn in by Chief United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez in a private ceremony this morning.

          Estrada now oversees the largest United States Attorney’s Office outside of Washington, D.C. The office, which currently employs approximately 270 attorneys, serves approximately 20 million residents in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

          After being confirmed by the United States Senate on September 13, Estrada was given a four-year appointment by President Joe Biden.

          “I am deeply honored to return to the United States Attorney’s Office and have the opportunity to serve the people of this district,” Estrada said. “As the leader of this office, I will be focused on protecting our community, safeguarding the rights of every individual in this district and upholding the rule of law. I will also work to further develop the office’s relationships with federal, state and local law enforcement and with our community partners. Working together, we will always put the people of this district first.”

          Prior to becoming the United States Attorney, Estrada was a partner at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson where he focused on trials, complex litigation and investigations. There, in addition to representing corporate clients, Estrada handled high-impact pro bono matters in the areas of education, immigration and equal justice.

          Estrada is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He also was an Adjunct Professor for Loyola Law School’s Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic, part of the Alarcón Advocacy Project, where his teams achieved success for indigent clients.

          From 2007 to 2014, Estrada was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California. As a federal prosecutor, Estrada served as Deputy Chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and as the International Organized Crime Coordinator. He prosecuted a broad array of criminal violations, including the nation’s largest racketeering prosecution targeting members and associates of Eurasian organized crime; one of the country’s largest bank fraud and identity theft prosecutions, in which more than $8 million was stolen from elderly victims; and a major public corruption matter involving the illegal leaking of sensitive, under-seal information by a federal court clerk who tipped off organized crime figures before law enforcement could arrest them.

          For his work as a prosecutor, Estrada received the U.S. Department of Justice’s prestigious Director’s Award for Superior Performance as well as other recognitions.

          Estrada graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School and earned his undergraduate degree in history from the University of California, Irvine, where he graduated magna cum laude. Estrada served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Robert J. Timlin of the Central District of California and Judge Arthur L. Alarcón of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.