Month: January 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Marvin Tona, 48, of Bylas, Arizona, was sentenced on December 19, 2022, by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 293 months in prison. Tona pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder. 

On September 5, 2021, while on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, Tona argued with the adult victim, a one-time friend, at a residence in Bylas, Arizona. Armed with a handgun, Tona shot into a bedroom of the residence where the victim was located. The bullet struck and killed the victim. Both the victim and Tona are enrolled members of the San Carlos Apache Indian community.

Agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Officers of the San Carlos Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas C. Simon, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-00830-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-002_Tona

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jasmine Weber (28, Tampa) pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery. Weber faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, between December 2020 and April 2021,

a group of individuals engaged in a conspiracy to rob individuals they suspected of distributing narcotics. During that time, the conspirators engaged in numerous armed robberies in Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk, and Lee counties, three of which resulted in shootings. While committing these offenses, the conspirators impersonated law enforcement officers by wearing black clothing, gloves, and masks—often with law enforcement insignia or vests with a “Sheriff” patch affixed. During certain robberies, the conspirators drove a black Dodge Durango and a white Chevrolet Malibu equipped with blue lights.

Weber was aware of this conspiracy and voluntarily participated in helping to accomplish its goal. Specifically, Weber purchased equipment, including Sheriff’s vests, patches, lights, and other items that she knew would be used by the conspirators to commit the armed robberies.

Members of this conspiracy also provided Weber with identifying information on their potential victims. Weber worked as a claims adjuster for an insurance company and had access to a Lexis Nexis account. Utilizing that database, and knowing the co-conspirators’ intentions, Weber researched the intended victims, and located their home addresses. Members of this conspiracy then committed robberies at those locations.

The individuals who allegedly carried out these robberies, Reginald Roberts, a/k/a/ “Rudy” (22, Lakeland), Nathaniel Keith Carr, a/k/a “Nate” (28, Riverdale), Daniel Jackson, a/k/a “D-Jack” (29, Winter Haven), Chrishawn De’Earl Butler, a/k/a “Baby” (22, Brooksville), and Darius Hudson, a/k/a “Toot” (43, Arcadia) were indicted on April 26, 2022, and are currently pending trial.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Bartow Police Department, the Lakeland Police Department, the Dade City Police Department, the Cape Coral Police Department, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Arcadia Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that FILIPPO BERNARDINI pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in connection with a multi-year scheme to impersonate individuals involved in the publishing industry in order to fraudulently obtain more than one thousand prepublication manuscripts of novels and other forthcoming books.  The defendant pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.  The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on April 5, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Filippo Bernardini used his insider knowledge of the publishing industry to create a scheme that stole precious works from authors and menaced the publishing industry.  Through impersonation and phishing schemes, Bernardini was able to obtain more than a thousand manuscripts fraudulently.  I commend the career prosecutors of this Office as well as our law enforcement partners for writing the final chapter to Bernardini’s manuscript theft scheme.” 

According to statements and filings in federal court:

Beginning in at least August 2016 and continuing through his January 2022 arrest, BERNARDINI, who was based in London and worked in the publishing industry, impersonated agents, editors, and other individuals involved in publishing to fraudulently obtain prepublication manuscripts.  In carrying out this scheme, BERNARDINI created fake email accounts that were designed to impersonate real people employed in the publishing industry, including literary talent agencies, publishing houses, literary scouts, and others.  BERNARDINI created these accounts by registering more than 160 internet domains that were crafted to be confusingly similar to the real entities that they were impersonating, including only minor typographical errors that would be difficult for the average recipient to identify during a cursory review.  Over the course of this scheme, BERNARDINI impersonated hundreds of distinct people and engaged in hundreds of unique efforts to fraudulently obtain electronic copies of manuscripts that he was not entitled to.  BERNARDINI obtained more than a thousand manuscripts through fraud.

In addition, BERNARDINI engaged in a phishing scheme to surreptitiously gain access to a database maintained by a New York City-based literary scouting company (“Scouting Company-1”).  BERNARDINI created a webpage that impersonated Scouting Company-1’s website.  Then, in or about July 2020, BERNARDINI impersonated a Scouting Company-1 employee and emailed two individuals, directing them to BERNARDINI’s look-alike webpage and prompting the users to provide their usernames and passwords.  BERNARDINI’s webpage was programmed to automatically forward the input usernames and passwords to an email account controlled by BERNARDINI.  BERNARDINI obtained the login information of approximately 20 users.

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FILIPPO BERNARDINI, 30, of London, United Kingdom, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  As part of his guilty plea, BERNARDINI agreed to pay restitution of $88,000. 

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

Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Nessim is in charge of the prosecution.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man admitted producing one or more images of child sexual abuse and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Jose Minaya, 27, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals on Jan. 5, 2023, to an information charging him with one count of production of child pornography and one count of online enticement.

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

In July 2019, Minaya used a web-based application to engage a child in a sexually explicit conversation online. Minaya persuaded the child to take sexually explicit photographs of the child and send them to him. Minaya was arrested at his home in May 2020, at which time agents seized multiple electronic devices. Further investigation revealed that Minaya had used another application to entice an additional minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  

The charge of production of child pornography, carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison. The charge of online enticement carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. Each of the charges carry a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 9, 2023.  

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

CONTACT:    Barbara Burns
PHONE:    (716) 843-5817
FAX #:    (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Douglas Beardsley, 38, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of firearms. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between September 2018 and January 2019, Beardsley bought, sold, and distributed heroin and methamphetamine for profit in the Jamestown area, utilizing several co-conspirators, associates, and runners as well as Facebook and various electronic devices to operate his drug trafficking activities. Beardsley also distributed large amounts of methamphetamine to numerous other individuals in the Jamestown area. During the conspiracy, Beardsley utilized residences on Linden and Forest Avenue in Jamestown for his drug trafficking.  In January 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at the Forest Avenue residence, recovering two firearms, ammunition, $296.00 in cash, quantities of crystal methamphetamine, a digital scale, and other drug paraphernalia. Throughout the conspiracy, Beardsley obtained approximately $112,000 in monetary proceeds from drug trafficking.  

In March 2005, March 2009, and February 2013, Beardsley was convicted on various charges in Chautauqua County Court, including drug possession, attempted burglary, and DWI, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. 

Sentencing is scheduled for May 30, 2023, before Judge Arcara. 

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