Month: November 2022

Posted on

Security News: Recidivist Mobile Fraudster Sentenced to Two and a Half Years in Prison for Financial Frauds

Source: United States Department of Justice News

MOBILE, AL – A Mobile woman was sentenced to 30 months in prison for mail fraud and access device fraud relating to her embezzlement of money from her employer.

According to court documents, Elisabeth Dawn Williams, 45, worked for and stole $276,609.84 from a Mobile-based construction company between July 2016 and October 2018. Williams worked for the company as a payroll manager, a position of trust that granted her access to the company’s financial information and payment mechanisms. To carry out her fraud, Williams unlawfully used the company’s preloaded business purchase cards to make unauthorized purchases of personal items at various local and online retailers. In furtherance of the scheme, Williams caused several personal items, including shoes and jewelry, to be shipped to her home in Mobile via the U.S. mail and UPS. As part of her guilty plea, Williams admitted that her unauthorized purchases misrepresented the business affairs of her employer and violated its rules and restrictions governing the use of its purchase cards.

In 2003, Williams was convicted and sentenced in the Circuit Court of Dallas County, Alabama, for a similar fraud scheme. In that case, Williams admitted that she had stolen $109,284.26 from her employer, a retailer in Selma.

Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Williams to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon her release from prison, during which time she will undergo mental health treatment and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Williams to pay $276,609.84 in victim restitution and $400 in special assessments.
|
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The United States Secret Service investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bishop Ravenel and Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Posted on

Security News: District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges for Armed Carjacking and Robbery in Northeast Washington

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Devin Gatewood, also known as James J. Williams, 23, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from an armed carjacking and robbery in the Trinidad area of Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Gatewood pleaded guilty on Nov. 3, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of robbery, one count of carrying a dangerous weapon, and one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for Jan. 6, 2023.  At the time of the offense, Gatewood was on probation for an April 2022 misdemeanor firearms conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable James A. Crowell IV has scheduled a probation revocation hearing in that case for Jan. 20, 2023.

            According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Aug. 28, 2022, Gatewood and an unidentified accomplice approached the victim, who was sitting in his parked vehicle in the 1100 block of Queen Street NE. The victim felt uneasy and got out of his car to make small talk with the men.  Gatewood produced what appeared to be a 9mm handgun and communicated to the victim that he was being robbed.  The victim laid down on the ground, while Gatewood and the accomplice took his iPhone, Apple Watch, car keys, and cash.  Gatewood drove away in the victim’s vehicle, and the accomplice left in a separate vehicle. 

            The victim called the Metropolitan Police Department, which located the victim’s vehicle within minutes.  Police followed behind the vehicle, which came to an abrupt stop.  Gatewood jumped out of the vehicle’s driver’s seat and began to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended.  No firearm was recovered.  Gatewood has remained in custody since his arrest.

            In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Crystal L. Waddy.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Posted on

Security News: Rhode Island Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Defendant subjected victims to starvation, violent assaults with knives, belts and bats and made some of the victims brand themselves with a tattoo of his nickname

BOSTON – A Woonsocket, R.I. man was sentenced yesterday for trafficking multiple victims to engage in prostitution across seven states. 

Ronald Hall, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Hall was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount that will be determined at a later date. On Aug. 9, 2022, Hall pleaded guilty to four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and one count of transportation of an individual with intent to engage in prostitution.

“Mr. Hall is a predator driven by high profits and low risks. He targeted and exploited five vulnerable victims with substance use disorder – utilizing addiction and false promises of good earnings for recruitment – and then used extreme violence, threats and isolation to create a climate of fear from which he could maintain control and exploit them for his own profit,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “As the chief federal law enforcement officer in our Commonwealth, I’ve made combating this modern form of slavery one of my top priorities. Although nothing will ever erase the profound pain and trauma these victims have suffered as a result of a near-decade of exploitation and abuse from Mr. Hall, we hope this sentencing brings some long-awaited justice and accountability.”

“This sentence is a victory for justice and for the trafficked victims of Mr. Hall who were ruthlessly exploited for criminal purposes and profit,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “We hope that this sentence can serve as some form of closure to allow Hall’s victims to begin to recover their lives from the devastation that he inflicted on them. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney for her commitment to prosecuting human trafficking cases and to the Massachusetts State Police. whose help in this investigation was invaluable.”

From at least late 2010 through late 2019, Hall used force, threats and coercion to traffic five victims between Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Florida and Nevada, to engage in prostitution. Hall targeted and recruited several of the victims who suffered from substance use disorder and used their drug addictions to coerce them into engaging in commercial sex in exchange for drugs. Hall regularly scheduled the victims to engage in prostitution – sometimes multiple times per day, every day of the week – and took almost all of the proceeds for himself. Hall punished victims who did not meet the quotas he set for them by withholding drugs or through violence. To maintain control, Hall subjected his victims to starvation, regular threats of injury, physical abuse, forced intercourse, violent assaults with weapons including knives, belts and bats and made some of the victims brand themselves with a tattoo of his nickname.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources. 

U.S. Attorney Rollins, HSI SAC Millhollin and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Rhode Island. Assistant U.S. Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

Posted on

Defense News: Submarine Staff Talks between U.S. and Republic of Singapore Navy Highlight Interoperability in Indo-Pacific region

Source: United States Navy

During this year’s staff talks, Seif and RSN Col. Fong Chi Onn, commander, 7th Flotilla, discussed a wide range of issues, including upcoming opportunities to demonstrate increased interoperability as well as the submarine support infrastructure available at Naval Base Guam.

“The RSN is one of our leading regional partners, so I was happy that we were able to hold these meetings in-person for the first time since 2019,” said Seif. “Staff talks such as these are important relationship-building opportunities, and I look forward to working more closely with their submarine force to further strengthen regional peace and security.”

Seif, Fong and RSN submariners toured the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), as well as Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific (NSTCP) Detachment Guam during their time in Guam.

The two leaders also held an office call with Capt. Carl Trask, commander, Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 15.

At the conclusion of the staff talks, the two Navy leaders reviewed and signed a set of action items, reaffirming their commitment to continued cooperation and integration of their submarine forces in the coming year.

Submarine Group 7 is responsible for coordinating a diverse fleet of submarines, surface ships and aircraft deployed to the Western Pacific and the Middle East; two forward-deployed submarine tenders and five attack submarines homeported in Guam; Submarine Squadron 21 in Bahrain; five ocean surveillance ships when tasked for theater anti-submarine warfare operations, and two oceanographic survey vessels. Under CSG 7 are two task forces: CTF 74 and CTF 54, which provide theater anti-submarine warfare support from the Red Sea to the International Date Line.

For more news from Commander, Submarine Group 7, visit www.csp.navy.mil/csg7/.

Posted on

Defense News: USS Chicago Returns Home from Final Deployment

Source: United States Navy

 It was the submarine’s final deployment before decommissioning, which is scheduled to begin in 2023 following 37 years of service.

Chicago departed Pearl Harbor March 28, 2022 for a regularly-scheduled deployment, during which the submarine and its crew performed a full spectrum of operations, to include anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare in the Indo-Pacific region.

“I’m extremely proud of not only the Chicago Sailors but the Chicago families and supporters,” said Chicago’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Andrew Kopacz, from Hartford, Wisconsin. “Being gone from home is a challenge for the crew and we could not have remained focused on the mission without knowing our families were strong back at home. This crew demonstrated the fortitude, resiliency, and enthusiasm that make this country great. We are eager to reunite with our families and enjoy some down time in their company.”

Chicago’s crew trained to be combat-ready prior to departure and maintained those high standards throughout the deployment.

“The toughness and positive attitude displayed by the entire Chicago crew has been extraordinary,” said Master Chief Information Systems Technician (Submarines) Christopher Kyser, from Warner Robins, Georgia, Chicago’s Chief of the Boat. “The work put in by Chicago Sailors to maintain a presence at sea has been impressive. I couldn’t be more proud of the work our Sailors have put in over the last seven months to keep the oldest submarine in the force in top shape during her last deployment. Special thanks to all the families for keeping the home front secure and enabling us to accomplish our primary mission. None of this would be possible without your sacrifice.”

During the deployment, more than 50 Chicago Sailors became fully qualified in submarines, earning their submarine warfare specialist designation dolphins.

“The most memorable part of deployment has been seeing my junior Sailors qualify for their dolphins,” said Torpedoman’s Mate 1st Class Devon Schilling, from Sacramento, Calif. “I have been on board Chicago for five years, and I have never been more proud than I am now, seeing the boys I trained turn into men. I am always proud to gain a new brother or sister of the ‘fin.”

Chicago was commissioned Sept. 27, 1986. Chicago is the thirty-fourth Los Angeles-class submarine and the fourth U.S. Navy ship to be named for the city of Chicago, Illinois. It is 360 feet long with a beam of 33 feet.