Month: November 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NEVILLE WALTERS, 34, of Bristol, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of April 4, 2020, Bristol Police received reports of gunshots being fired in the area of Davis Drive.  Analysis of security video from a nearby residence revealed that the shots were fired from a light-colored Cadillac as it approached the intersection of Davis Drive and Jerome Avenue.  Seven .40 caliber shell casings were recovered from the scene.  Later that morning, officers responded to a report of a disturbance at Walters’ residence on Prospect Street and observed a beige Cadillac with other features matching the description of the car that was involved in the shooting incident.  Walters departed the residence before officers could question him.

In the early evening of April 4, Farmington Police were called to local gas station on a report of a burning vehicle.  Responding officers stopped Walters and an associate as they walked away from the gas station.  Walters was arrested on state charges after officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun and a small amount of marijuana on the ground nearby.

After Walters’ state arrest and while he was released on bond, Walters posted on his Instagram page multiple images of him in possession of firearms.  On May 12, 2020, Bristol Police executed a state search warrant at Walters’ residence and seized two handguns, a high-capacity magazine, fentanyl and marijuana, items used to process and package drugs for street sale, and other items.  Investigators also seized $2,827 from Walters’ person.  Walters was arrested on state charges and was again released on bond.  Shortly thereafter, law enforcement received a report that Walters brandished a firearm during an argument outside of his residence on approximately May 14, 2020.

Walters has been detained since his federal arrest on May 22, 2020.  On May 16, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Bristol Police Department and the Farmington Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Konstantin Lantsman.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

BRUNSWICK, GA.: A U.S. District Court jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty to all charges lodged against an illegal alien for his role in a conspiracy to kill a whistleblower who exposed a multi-million-dollar scheme to fraudulently employ undocumented workers.

Juan Rangel-Rubio, 45, of Rincon, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, was found guilty after a five-day trial of Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; Conspiracy to Kill a Witness; Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; and Money Laundering Conspiracy, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a statutory minimum sentence of life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

Two co-defendants – Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, and Rangel-Rubio’s brother, Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, of Rincon, await sentencing after pleading guilty in the conspiracy to kill Eliud Montoya, a United States citizen who blew the whistle on a scheme of hiring and mistreating illegal aliens and who was murdered August 19, 2017, near his home in Garden City, Ga.

“This jury verdict brings resounding resolution to any doubts about the culpability of these defendants in this horrific conspiracy to kill a man who threatened their illegal and lucrative labor-trafficking scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our law enforcement partners who solved this brutal murder and paved the way to holding these criminals accountable.”

As reflected in court records and evidence presented to the jury, Pablo Rangel-Rubio worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree – a contract company that performed tree-cutting services on utility rights-of-way. Working with his brother, Juan Rangel-Rubio – also a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States – the two schemed to hire illegal aliens to work for the company, and then routed the illegal aliens’ paychecks to their own bank accounts where they skimmed a portion of the pay for themselves. As a result of this scheme, the conspirators netted more than $3.5 million. 

Mr. Montoya, a United States citizen who also worked at Wolf Tree, saw his colleagues being mistreated and complained to the company and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After Mr. Montoya blew the whistle on the scheme, Pablo Rangel-Rubio arranged for Mr. Montoya’s murder by paying Perez-Bravo for the use of his vehicles and to act as the getaway driver when Juan Rangel-Rubio shot Mr. Montoya to death.  

Sentencings for all three defendants will begin in November in U.S. District Court.

“This sentence means that criminals like these defendants will not escape justice and will no longer be able to victimize anyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “We are thankful for the hard work done by all of the agencies involved in this case and hope that the verdict brings comfort to the victims and their families.”

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Tania D. Groover.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Saqueena Williams, a/k/a “Queenie,” age 46, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 27, 2022, to 20 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for cocaine trafficking and weapons offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, in November 2021, a jury convicted Williams of drug trafficking and possessing guns in furtherance of drug trafficking. On February 1, 2018, law enforcement officers seized drugs and guns during a court authorized search of her home and other properties associated with Williams and her coconspirator, Nyree Letterlough, age 51, of Harrisburg. 

Williams, the operator of Queenies Café, was convicted after a week-long jury trial of running a drug trafficking conspiracy from 2012 to 2018. The jury found that Williams trafficked in excess of five kilograms of cocaine, and that she possessed guns in furtherance of her drug trafficking operation.

Williams also surrendered her interests in Queenies Café, located in Harrisburg, as well as the liquor license and other properties.

Her coconspirator, Letterlough was also convicted at the above referenced trial and was sentenced on August 29, 2022, to 111 months’ imprisonment.  Letterlough surrendered her interests in Grams Grill, located in Harrisburg, and another real estate property.

At Williams’ sentencing, Judge Conner resolved issues pertaining to the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines after hearing argument from the parties. The sentence of 20 years in prison imposed by Judge Conner was within the sentencing guideline range and the applicable mandatory minimum sentence required by law.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Harrisburg Police Bureau, and numerous other law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Consiglio and Samuel Dalke prosecuted the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced grant awards totaling almost $105 million to protect children from exploitation, trauma and abuse, and to fund improvements in the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases. 

“The promise of a bright future for our children requires us to work closely with our partners across the country, and across all levels of government, to keep our kids safe,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen A. Henneberg. “Many of our most critical investments are in programs that combat child exploitation and abuse and help find missing children, and we are proud to support the dedicated professionals who are performing this vital work.”

These awards will provide law enforcement officials, child advocates and service providers the means to protect children from violence, abuse and sexual exploitation. Funds will help develop, enhance and strengthen investigative and trauma-informed services to assist youth, while supporting robust training and technical assistance to ensure that professionals working with impacted young people have the tools they need to be successful.

“Children should be allowed to live, grow, learn and thrive in environments that are supportive and nurturing, but many are deprived of that opportunity by threats to their health and safety,” said Administrator Liz Ryan of OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). “By delivering these resources to the professionals who devote their careers and lives to protecting children, we are making good on our commitment to the well-being of America’s young people.”

Grants from OJP’s OJJDP are distributing millions of dollars to local, state and Tribal jurisdictions throughout the United States, the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia to support child protection efforts.

Below is a list of programs designed to protect children from exploitation, trauma and abuse, and to fund improvements in the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases. Descriptions of individual awards can be found by clicking on the links.

• OJJDP is awarding $6.2 million under the Strategies To Support Children Exposed to Violence Initiative, which provides funding for communities to develop coordinated and comprehensive community-based approaches to help children and their families who are exposed to violence build resilience and prevent future youth violence and delinquency. An additional $715,087 will support training and technical assistance.
• OJJDP is awarding $38.7 million to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to enable the Center’s operations and provide support, technical assistance and training to help law enforcement locate and recover missing and exploited children. 
• Another $6 million is being awarded to NCMEC’s National Resource Center and Clearinghouse (NRCC) as part of an interagency agreement between OJJDP and the U.S. Secret Service. The NRCC helps prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation, and provides training and technical assistance to victims, their families and the professionals who serve them.  
• OJJDP is awarding $4.4 million to support the National AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program to help the AMBER Alert network improve law enforcement’s response to abducted children and encourage public participation in their recovery. 
• OJJDP will award $31.2 million under the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program to conduct forensic examinations and to investigate and prosecute technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation throughout the United States. An additional $3.6 million under the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force National Training Program will support training to Internet Crimes Against Children task forces and affiliated federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies in the areas of investigation, forensics, prosecution, community outreach, officer wellness and capacity building. Additionally, $3 million under the Strengthening ICAC Technological Investigative Capacity Program will help increase the technological investigative capacity and associated training of law enforcement, prosecutors and other professionals nationwide to combat child sexual abuse material and online child sexual exploitation, including cases of child sex trafficking.
• OJJDP is awarding $2.6 million under its Supporting Effective Interventions for Youth With Problematic or Illegal Sexual Behavior Initiative, which provides funding to communities to develop intervention and supervision services for youth with problematic or illegal sexual behavior, and to provide treatment services for their victims and families and caregivers.
• OJJDP is awarding $5 million under the Victims of Child Abuse Act Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers Training and Technical Assistance Program to support four regional centers that enhance and support the development, expansion and continuous quality improvement of multidisciplinary teams, local children’s advocacy centers and state chapter organizations responding to child abuse and neglect cases. Additionally, $750,000 is being awarded under its Victims of Child Abuse Act Tribal Children’s Advocacy Centers Training and Technical Assistance Program to support federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native communities in improving investigative responses and treatment services for victims of child abuse and their families by developing coordinated and comprehensive community-based approaches.
• OJJDP is awarding $2.7 million under the Victims of Child Abuse Act Training and Technical Assistance for Child Abuse Prosecutors Program, which will fund a national training and technical assistance program for attorneys who are involved in the criminal prosecution of child abuse to enhance the effectiveness of the investigation and prosecution of such crimes.

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

A federal judge entered a consent order that permanently bars a Utah physician from issuing prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances.

The consent order resolves allegations made by the United States against Dr. Sean Ponce, a medical doctor licensed in Utah. In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, the government alleged that Dr. Ponce unlawfully issued controlled substance prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. The complaint alleged that Dr. Ponce catered to customer requests for opioids and other controlled substances, at times using text messages to arrange the exchange of prescriptions for cash. The complaint further alleged that Dr. Ponce used virtual office space in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, to meet with cash-paying customers to maintain the guise of a medical practice despite the routine lack of legitimate examinations, medical findings supporting the prescriptions or bona-fide doctor-patient relationships.

“Doctors who facilitate the illegal diversion of opioids and other controlled substances harm the public and violate the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue working with its partners to stop medical professionals who seek to profit from the opioid addiction epidemic.”

“In the District of Utah, we will enforce the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “This includes violations of the Act committed by doctors and healthcare professionals who unlawfully distribute controlled substances under the guise of legitimate medical practice.”

“We entrust healthcare professionals to act in the community’s best interest,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Besser of the DEA Rocky Mountain Division. “With that trust, the DEA expects practitioners to prescribe controlled substances in accordance with the laws and regulations set forth by legislation. When public trust is broken and healthcare providers seek to benefit from those that are at risk, they will most certainly be held accountable. I commend our Salt Lake City agents and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch for judiciously building this case and seeing it through.”

The consent order, entered by U.S. District Judge David Barlow, requires Dr. Ponce to pay a $65,000 civil penalty. The order also permanently prohibits Dr. Ponce from administering, dispensing or distributing controlled substances and from managing or supervising other medical providers who work with or prescribe opioids or controlled substances. The order prohibits Dr. Ponce from owning a business or medical practice where opioids or controlled substances are handled.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Ferre for the District of Utah and Trial Attorneys Yolanda D. McCray Jones and Scott B. Dahlquist of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Salt Lake City District Office provided substantial investigative support.

The claims resolved by the resolution are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.