Month: October 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JOSHUA HALL pled guilty to a Superseding Information charging him with making threats to kill a member of the United States Congress.  HALL previously pled guilty to wire fraud for impersonating family members of the then-President of the United States on social media to fraudulently raise funds for a fictitious political organization (the “Fraud Scheme”).  At the time HALL made the threats to kill a member of the United States Congress, he was on pretrial release pending sentencing for the Fraud Scheme.  HALL was arrested the same day the threats were made and was subsequently ordered detained pending sentencing.  HALL pled guilty before United States District Judge Gregory H. Woods, before whom sentencing will be held on December 8, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Joshua Hall made terrifying threats to the staff of a United States Congressman whom he disliked rather than attempting to effect change through any of the freedoms of expression that all Americans enjoy.  These threats of violence endanger our public officials and thwart common decency, which is why this Office will continue to prosecute crimes like those committed by Joshua Hall.”

According to the Superseding Information:

On or about August 29, 2022, HALL placed a series of telephone calls from in or around Yonkers, New York, to the California office of a member of the United States Congress (the “Congressman”).  During those telephone calls, HALL conveyed threats to kill the Congressman to at least three different members of the Congressman’s staff (“Staff Member-1,” “Staff Member-2,” and “Staff Member-3”). 

On a telephone call with Staff Member-1 and Staff Member-2, HALL stated, in substance and in part, that he had a lot of AR-15s; that he wanted to shoot the Congressman; that he intended to come to the Congressman’s office with firearms; and that if he saw the Congressman, he would kill him.  He further stated, in substance and in part, that he wanted to “beat the shit out of” the Congressman and that he would find the Congressman wherever he was and hurt him.  On a telephone call with Staff Member-3, HALL stated, in substance and in part, that he intended to come to the Congressman’s office to kill the Congressman with firearms. 

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HALL, 22, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to one count of making interstate communications with a threat to injure, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  HALL previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the United States Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the City of Yonkers Police Department for their assistance.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit and General Crimes Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra S. Messiter and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the prosecution.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

CINCINNATI – A federal jury convicted a registered sex offender on all counts following a four-day trial in Cincinnati.

Nicholas J. Veerkamp, 30, of Colerain Township, Ohio, sexually exploited a 9-year-old victim and a 12-year-old victim and kept images of the exploitation.

The verdict was announced yesterday evening following a trial that began on Oct. 24 before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.

According to court documents and trial testimony, in August 2017, Veerkamp sexually exploited a 12-year-old victim to create three images of child pornography.

In October 2017, Veerkamp sexually exploited a 9-year-old child for the purpose of making child pornography. Veerkamp created 19 images of the victim, including images in which he exposed the child’s genitals while the victim slept.

The defendant also possessed other images of minor females on his electronic devices. 

Veerkamp was convicted of sexual imposition in 2016, and as a result, was required to register as a sex offender.

Sexually exploiting a minor is a federal crime punishable by a range of 15 to 30 years in prison. Possessing child pornography carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Committing a felony offense involving a minor while registered as a sex offender mandates an additional 10 years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed.

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III; Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey’s Regional Electronics Crimes Investigations unit and other members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children task force, announced the verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Jennifer K. Weinhold are representing the United States in this case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

          LOS ANGELES – A Rhode Island man has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges, admitting he defrauded investors out of more than $4.2 million in connection with the “Magic Mike Live” stage show in Las Vegas, the Justice Department announced today.

          John A. Santilli Jr., 48, of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty late Thursday to one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud.

          According to his plea agreement, Santilli managed and partly owned Aloris Entertainment, LLC, which acquired an interest – through securities called “Class A Units” – in Mike’s Mobile Detailing, LLC, the company that operates the “Magic Mike Live” stage show, which is based on two “Magic Mike” movies that chronicle the life of a male stripper.

          From June 2016 to February 2020, Santilli raised funds from victims by soliciting investments in “Aloris Magic Mike LP,” a different business that he falsely told investors owned the Class A Units. Santilli lied to investors, telling them that, in return for their investment, they would receive “shares” in Aloris Magic Mike LP that corresponded to a particular number of Class A Units and entitled them to a percentage of the profits from “Magic Mike Live.” To bolster his false claims, Santilli used a doctored legal document that made it appear that Aloris Magic Mike LP was a shareholder of Mike’s Mobile Detailing.

          Santilli misappropriated a significant portion of his victims’ investments, including by withdrawing more than $1 million at casinos across the United States, where he used investors’ money for gambling. To raise more funds, Santilli falsely told his victims that new investment opportunities had arisen, resulting in Santilli selling shares in his businesses that corresponded to nearly double the number of Class A Units of Mike’s Mobile Detailing that his company actually owned.

          In total, Santilli caused approximately $4,258,679 in losses to his victims.

          United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin scheduled an April 20 sentencing hearing, at which time Santilli will face a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.

          The FBI investigated this matter.

          Assistant United States Attorney Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

EL PASO – This week, Jorge Mario Manjarrez-Reyes, 30, of El Paso, was sentenced to 200 months in prison for producing child pornography.  Following his imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge David C. Guaderrama ordered that Manjarrez-Reyes be placed on a lifetime of supervised release and pay a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers first encountered Manjarrez-Reyes on a peer-to-peer program where he was sharing images of child pornography. Following the execution of a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in March 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) forensically discovered approximately 513 images and 619 videos depicting child pornography on Manjarrez-Reyes’ electronic devices. In coordination with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, HSI later learned that Manjarrez-Reyes created one of the videos.

By pleading guilty, Manjarrez-Reyes admitted that he knowingly used and coerced a four-year-old victim to take part in sexually explicit conduct for the production of visual depictions of that abuse.

“The defendant’s reprehensible actions justify the lengthy prison sentence as this child’s life will be forever impacted,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “This office will persist in our efforts to ensure that those who seek to prey on children are found and held accountable.”

“Individuals who commit crimes against the most vulnerable in our society will be sought out and brought to justice,” said Francisco Burrola, Special Agent in Charge, HSI, El Paso. “HSI will continue to protect children against atrocious crimes committed against them by criminals who have no place in our communities.”

HSI El Paso’s Child Exploitation / Internet Crimes Against Children Group investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Winters prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman was sentenced on Wednesday to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay $124,780 in restitution for her part in a multi-year tax evasion scheme.

According to court documents, Cynthia J. Moak, 67, evaded paying taxes for 2009 through 2012, by falsifying her income tax returns.  Among other methods, Moak applied for non-profit status for one of her companies and then solicited charitable donations that she converted to her use.

On January 14, 2020, Moak pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.

“Every U.S. taxpayer is obligated to pay their fair share,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff.  “Ms. Moak does not get to scam her way out of paying taxes while others follow the law. The sentence of 33 months is indicative of this office’s resolve to address tax evasion, ensure fairness to all taxpayers and protect the U.S. Treasury.”

“While not common, it takes an incredibly deceitful person to perpetuate the type of scam that Cynthia Moak orchestrated,” said Special Agent in Charge, Ramsey E. Covington, of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Houston Field Office.  “IRS-CI continues to be relentless in our mission to investigate tax crimes and dismantle these types of illicit scams to bring criminals like Moak to face justice.”

IRS-CI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Harris prosecuted the case.

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