Month: January 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ivan Lee Burton, 47, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Burton admitted to distributing approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Parkersburg on or about August 3, 2022.  Burton further admitted to conspiring with several others to complete numerous drug transactions in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area between April 2022 and September 2022.  Burton used other individuals to sell drugs including methamphetamine and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” to customers on his behalf.    

Burton has a long criminal history that now includes 13 felony convictions and six misdemeanor convictions.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-190.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City attorney was charged with defrauding his clients of more than two million dollars, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

James R. Lisa, 67, is charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft. He was arraigned today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte, pleaded not guilty and was release on $100,000 unsecured bond. 

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

In 2014, Lisa was retained by a family to help repatriate millions of dollars that had been transferred by other family members to offshore bank accounts decades earlier. Lisa was also retained to help resolve the tax issues related to the repatriation of the funds. In 2015, Lisa successfully repatriated more than $6 million of the family’s funds, but proceeded to falsely advise the family that the funds remained offshore. In 2017, Lisa provided $4 million of the repatriated funds to the family but continued to falsely represent that the remaining $2 million remained beyond his control. 

Lisa falsely told the family that he successfully resolved the tax implications of repatriating the funds. In 2016, Lisa sent the family a fraudulent IRS “closing agreement” reflecting an agreement with the IRS for the family to pay $3 million in taxes and penalties for the repatriated funds. In 2018, Lisa sent the family another fraudulent closing agreement reflecting an agreement with the IRS for the family to pay $2 million in taxes and penalties because only $4 million was purportedly repatriated. In fact, the IRS never entered into these agreements and the IRS employees who purportedly signed the documents never did so.

Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $250,000. Each count of aggravated identity theft carries a statutory mandatory penalty of two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, and a fine not to exceed $250,000. 

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Mid Atlantic Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay; and IRS – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to the charges. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

MINNEAPOLIS – An Aurora man has been charged with two counts of dealing firearms without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, from at least May 2019 through September 2022, Wayne Robert Danielson, 59, engaged in a regular pattern and practice of purchasing and reselling firearms predominantly to earn a profit. During this period, Danielson purchased dozens of firearms from three different Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) within Minnesota, including multiple purchases of identical firearms. For example, Danielson purchased five Taurus G2C 9mm pistols between March 2021 and January 2022.

On May 8, 2022, a 17-year-old was shot and killed in South St. Paul. A subsequent investigation revealed that the handgun used in the shooting had been purchased by Danielson on December 1, 2021.

Danielson is charged with two counts of dealing in firearms without a license. He previously made his initial appearance on a related complaint in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the South St. Paul Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Hudleston is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

MINNEAPOLIS – A Waseca man has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, from August 2016 to January 2019, Matthew Harold Schumacher, 46, owned and operated Travel Troops, LLC. Schumacher misappropriated commission payments meant for travel agents for his own personal use. After customers booked their travel arrangements with travel agents, the travel suppliers provided Schumacher with the commission payments due to respective independent travel agents who booked the travel. However, as part of Schumacher’s scheme to obtain and retain travel agents’ money for himself without their knowledge or consent, Schumacher routinely provided his travel agents with materially false and fraudulent information. Schumacher lied to travel agents that their commission money would be paid to them, when, in fact, he kept all of the victims’ money or, in other instances, despite refund requests, he provided some victims with commission payments that were late, incomplete, or both. 

According to court documents, Schumacher defrauded at least 36 travel agents nationwide of their primary income source. Schumacher deposited at least $160,000 in victims’ funds to his personal account which he used for personal travel expenses, cash withdrawals, retail purchases, car payments, credit card bills, entertainment tickets, and loan payments.  He also withdrew thousands of dollars in cash and spent at least $150,000 in victims’ money on his own travel expenses.

On June 30, 2021, Schumacher pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Schumacher was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A federal grand jury in Boise returned an indictment on Jan. 10, charging an Idaho man with a hate crime.

The indictment alleges that on Oct. 12, 2022, Matthew Alan Lehigh, 31, attempted to cause bodily injury to two people in Boise by driving his car at them. This assault, the indictment alleges, was motivated by the actual and perceived sexual orientation of the victims.

Boise Police apprehended Lehigh, and the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed state charges against Lehigh.

If convicted of the federal charges, Lehigh faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho and Special Agent in Charge Dennis W. Rice of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office made the announcement. The Boise Police Department and FBI Salt Lake City Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Horwitz for the District of Idaho and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If members of the public have information concerning hate crimes or wish to report a similar crime, they should contact the FBI at (208) 344-7843 or the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (208) 334-1211.