Month: November 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal bank customer identities and then use that information to steal more than $520,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Jamere Hill-Birdsong, 33, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

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

From August 2016 through August 2017, Hill-Birdsong conspired with Lamar Melhado, of the Bronx, New York, and others to defraud a Mount Laurel, New Jersey, bank. Hill-Birdsong worked inside the call center and recruited other call center employees to participate in the scheme by stealing the identities and account information of customers who called into the bank’s call center. The conspirator bank employees would then take photographs or screenshots of the bank customer’s account information and signatures and would send that information to Hill-Birdsong and Melhado. The conspirators then had phony identification documents made in the names of the bank customers, and used various runners to go into bank branches and make unauthorized cash withdrawals. The conspirators also used the stolen identity information to conduct unauthorized online transfers of moneys from the customer’s accounts.

The conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge to which Hill-Birdsong pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. In his plea agreement, Hill-Birdsong agreed to make restitution for the full amount of the loss, which is estimated at $523,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2023.

Melhado previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced in March 2022 to four years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in Philadelphia, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

BOSTON – United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Eugenia M. Carris will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Carris has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Massachusetts, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen must be permitted to vote without interference or discrimination and to have their vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to do their vitally important jobs without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will stand up and protect the integrity of the election process,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins.

The Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. The law also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, intimidation, and any other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).  

 “Voting is the bedrock of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are eligible to vote can exercise that right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt the voting process are held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Carris will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 617-748-3363.”

In addition, the FBI will have agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 857-386-2000.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .

“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. If you have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud please contact any of us at the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins.

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Mexico, Mo., man who was in a vehicle that led officers on a high speed chase before crashing into several other vehicles pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms and methamphetamine to distribute.

Myron Samare Mahaney, 23, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop a Nissan Rouge, in which Mahaney was a passenger, that was traveling 95 miles per hour on U.S. Highway 54 on March 14, 2022. The Nissan accelerated rapidly when the trooper turned on his lights and siren then drove onto U.S. Highway 50 in Jefferson City, traveling 107 miles per hour. The Nissan exited onto Dix Road and crashed into multiple vehicles that were stopped in traffic on southbound Dix Road.

Mahaney fled on foot from the vehicle but was taken into custody by Jefferson City police officers. Mahaney was carrying a crossbody bag that contained approximately 219 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a loaded Springfield .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun. He had $2,086 in cash in his front pocket.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Mahaney has a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.

Under federal statutes, Mahaney is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 50 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather D. Richenberger. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs today announced awards totaling more than $136 million to reform state and local juvenile justice systems, provide youth violence prevention and intervention services, support mentoring programs and reentry services for young people and their families, meet the needs of vulnerable youth and study outcomes for justice-involved youth.

“The path to durable and sustainable community safety solutions, and ultimately to a just and equitable society, includes evidence-informed strategies that support youth and steer them away from arrest and incarceration when possible,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “By investing in reforms to the juvenile justice system, providing mentors for youth and helping young people find a path forward, we are helping the next generation claim a future filled with opportunity and hope.”

The grants announced today, administered by OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ), support a range of programs and activities designed to meet the needs of youth who come into contact or are at risk of contact with the justice system. Funding supports mentoring; youth violence prevention strategies; juvenile indigent defense programs; treatment for youth leaving foster care; and services for girls in the justice system, Alaska Native youth and LGBTQI+ and Two-Spirit youth.

Grants under OJJDP’s Title II program also support state-wide measures to protect youth who are in the care of state juvenile justice systems, help keep them safe and prepare them for successful reentry upon release. Three research grants from NIJ will estimate and examine outcomes for youth with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders and outcomes associated with youth who receive legal representation.

“The road to a more humane and effective juvenile justice system begins with a collective commitment to keeping young people out of the system altogether, by intervening early with youth who are vulnerable to system involvement and then working to guarantee that the system operates fairly and is supportive of their growth and development,” said OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan. “These investments deliver on a pledge to put youth first and to make contact with the system rare, fair and beneficial for those it is intended to serve.”

A recent analysis of 2020 data from OJJDP and NIJ revealed that youth arrests for violent crime were down 78% from their peak in 1994. It found that people aged 17 and younger accounted for just 7% of all arrests for violent crime. Administrator Ryan has outlined three priorities designed to build on these successes and continue the trend away from youth involvement in the juvenile justice system: treating children as children; serving them in their homes, with their families and in their communities; and opening opportunities for system-involved youth. Each of these priorities is guided by a commitment to racial equity and to hearing directly from youth and families impacted by the justice system about their needs.

Below is a list of awards being made to support youth and reform the juvenile justice system. Descriptions of individual awards can be found by clinking on the links.

• OJJDP is awarding $44.6 million to support the Title II Formula Grant Program, which supports state and local delinquency prevention and intervention efforts and juvenile justice system improvements.
• OJJDP is awarding $2.4 million under its Juvenile Justice System Reform and Reinvestment Initiative to support states’ implementation of innovative and/or research-based, data-informed recidivism-reduction policies, practices and programs. An additional $1 million will support training and technical assistance.
• OJJDP is awarding $1.1 million under the Youth Violence Prevention Program, which supports the development and implementation of youth violence prevention strategies for middle and high school age youth and/or youth with multiple risk factors for violence.
• OJJDP is awarding $43 million under its National Mentoring Programs Initiative and an additional $26.3 million under the Multistate Mentoring Programs Initiative, both of which support the implementation and delivery of mentoring services to youth who are at risk for delinquency, victimization and juvenile justice system involvement. An additional $2.7 million will fund the National Mentoring Resource Center to enhance the capacity of mentoring organizations to develop, implement and expand effective mentoring practices across the nation.
• OJJDP is awarding $2.5 million under the Enhancing Juvenile Indigent Defense Initiative, which is designed to ensure that youth involved in the juvenile justice system have access to high-quality legal representation and to resources that address the collateral consequences of justice system involvement.
• OJJDP is awarding $3.9 million under the Reducing Risk for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System Program, which addresses the needs and challenges of girls who come into contact with the juvenile justice system.
• OJJDP is awarding $150,000 under the Juvenile Justice Emergency Planning Demonstration Program for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities, which supports emergency planning for state, local and tribal juvenile justice residential facilities.
• OJJDP is awarding $1 million to create the National Resource Center for Justice-Involved LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit Youth, which will provide training, technical assistance and other resources to juvenile justice practitioners to assist them in meeting the needs of justice-involved LGBTQI+ and Two-Spirit youth.
• OJJDP is awarding $1 million under the Alaska Native Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project, which will establish a regional network of partnerships to develop strategies that support Alaska Native youth’s cultural needs. 
• OJJDP is awarding $200,000 under its Arts Programs for Justice-Involved Youth Initiative, which will support high-quality arts programs for justice-involved youth to reduce juvenile delinquency, recidivism and/or other problem and high-risk behaviors.
• OJJDP is awarding $3.6 million under the Supporting Vulnerable At-Risk Youth and Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care Program, which supports the establishment of pilot demonstration programs to develop, implement and build replicable treatment models for residential-based innovative care, treatment and services. An additional $827,000 will be awarded to provide training and technical assistance.
• OJJDP is awarding $2.2 million under its Family Based Alternative Sentencing Program, which supports states and communities as they develop and implement effective alternative sentencing programs for parents/primary caregivers in the criminal justice system to improve child, parent and family outcomes.
• NIJ is awarding $1.3 million to support Research on Juvenile Justice Topics, to examine prevalence of and outcomes for youth with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders and to study outcomes associated with youth defense delivery systems.

In addition to the awards listed above, OJJDP separately awarded more than $18 million in grants to support youth returning from confinement facilities, meet the needs of incarcerated parents and their minor children and fund alternative sentencing programs for parents and primary caregivers in the justice system. Those grants were part of nearly $100 million in OJP investments aimed at reducing recidivism and supporting reentry.

The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page. 

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and strengthen the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Christina D. Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced that MICHAEL DiMASSA, 31, of West Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to conspiracy charges stemming from his involvement in schemes that resulted in the theft of more than $1.2 million dollars in COVID relief funds and other funds from the City of West Haven.

According to court documents and statements made in court, DiMassa was a Connecticut State Representative who was also employed by the City of West Haven, most recently serving as the Administrative Assistant to the City Council.  In April 2020, the State of Connecticut was allocated money by the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (“CRF”), which was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) for the purpose of helping local governments pay costs incurred in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.  From July 2020 through September 2021, the City of West Haven received approximately $1,150,257 in financial assistance from this fund.  DiMassa, who was authorized to approve the designated relief funds for the reimbursement of COVID-related expenditures incurred by West Haven, conspired with others to steal these funds and other West Haven funds through the submission of fraudulent invoices, and subsequent payment, for COVID relief goods and services that were never provided.

In one scheme, DiMassa conspired with John Bernardo, who was employed by the City of West Haven as a Housing Specialist in the office of Community Development Administration.  In January 2021, DiMassa and Bernardo formed Compass Investment Group, LLC.  Beginning in February 2021, Compass Investment Group LLC fraudulently billed the City of West Haven and its “COVID-19 Grant Department” for consulting services purportedly provided to the West Haven Health Department that were not performed.  From February 2021 through September 2021, the City of West Haven paid Compass Investment Group a total of $636,783.70.  DiMassa made several large cash withdrawals from the Compass Investment Group LLC bank account, some of which were made shortly before or after he was recorded as having made a large cash “buy-in” of gaming chips at the Mohegan Sun Casino.

DiMassa also conspired with his now wife, Lauren DiMassa, through the submission of numerous fraudulent invoices to West Haven for services related to a Youth Violence Prevention Program and for Youth Violence COVID-19 Associated Expenses.  These invoices listed charges for in-home counseling, cleaning supplies, special needs hourly service, wi-fi assistance for low/moderate income families, counseling services, license fees, a fall youth clinic, meals, support group supplies, equipment rental, and youth clinic support group.  West Haven made at least 16 payments totaling approximately $147,776.10 to Lauren DiMassa, who never provided any services to the City of West Haven.

In a third scheme, DiMassa conspired with another individual through the submission of fraudulent invoices from companies, which were controlled by DiMassa’s co-conspirator, to West Haven for goods and services, including thousands of units of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), HVAC maintenance at multiple municipal locations, COVID supplies for the Board of Education, and cleaning services for various municipal and school buildings, including one school building that had been vacant and abandoned for several years.  The co-conspirator’s companies received approximately $431,982 through this scheme.

DiMassa has agreed to pay restitution of $1,216,541.80.

DiMassa pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count.  A sentencing date is not scheduled.

DiMassa has been released on a $250,000 bond since his arrest on October 20, 2021.

Bernardo and Lauren DiMassa each previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud.  They await sentencing.           

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General for Investigations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray Miller and David Sheldon.

Individuals with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.