Month: February 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, former legislator Nestor Alonso-Vega was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl Arias Marxuach to serve 63 months in prison, announced United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. On June 6, 2022, Alonso-Vega was found guilty of nine counts of Federal Funds Theft, Kickbacks, and Honest Services Wire Fraud.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between April 2018 and September 2020, Nestor Alonso-Vega authorized several salary adjustments for his assistant. It was agreed that his assistant would kickback to Alonso-Vega half of the total amount of the pay raise, split between each pay day. The total loss for the House of Representatives was $81,500, of which defendant received more than $40,000.

It was further alleged that the assistant, who testified during the trial, used a variety of means to transfer the kickbacks to Alonso-Vega. For example, he used ATH Móvil, made withdrawals around the time he received his paycheck and paid Alonso-Vega in cash, and, at times, made payments to Alonso-Vega’s Home Depot account.

“We continue to see the results of our efforts fighting public corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The citizens of Puerto Rico deserve that their dollars be put to good use and not to line the pockets of corrupt officials. We will continue to investigate and prosecute corrupt behavior wherever we find it.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson prosecuted the case.  The case was investigated by FBI Special Agent Juan Carlos López of the San Juan Field Office.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

            CONCORD – Marc Pulsifer, 45, of Concord, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for the federal charge of transportation of child pornography, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers learned that Google had detected potential child exploitation materials on Google Photos accounts with an IP address that resolved to Concord, New Hampshire, at various times in 2020.  Through their investigation, officers determined that Pulsifer had uploaded child sexual abuse images and child erotica images to Google Photos from his apartment in Concord.  On June 3, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s apartment where they discovered child sexual abuse images actively displayed on various electronic media, including two large-screen televisions. Based on the forensic review of electronic media seized from the defendant’s residence, investigators confirmed that the defendant possessed thousands of child sexual abuse images and videos, which he organized in designated folders with descriptive names and stored across multiple devices. The defendant maintained multiple backup digital copies of his child sexual abuse images and child erotic collection, and he used cloud storage services to store and stream these images on his televisions and other electronic media.

            Pulsifer previously pleaded guilty on October 5, 2022.  In addition to the prison sentence, Pulsifer must spend five years on supervised release, pay $9,000 in restitution. 

            “Child sexual abuse image crimes exploit innocent children and cause immeasurable harm thus warranting significant federal prison time,” said U.S. Attorney Young.  “In order to protect children, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who commit crimes involving child sexual abuse images in the Granite State.”

            This matter was investigated by the Concord Police Department, with assistance from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam Le.

            In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 54 months in prison for illegally possessing a high-powered, high-capacity pistol with a high-capacity magazine while he was on bond after serving two years in state prison for gun crimes.

Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Nahya Wimpye, 23, on Christmas Day 2020. He was a passenger in a car pulled over for a brake light violation near Lockland. Officers found a Century Arms, Micro Draco, 7.62×39 millimeter semi-automatic pistol loaded with 18 rounds of 7.62×39 millimeter ammunition in the car.

“The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office Crime Lab found the defendant’s DNA on the firearm, which is essentially the pistol equivalent of an AK-47,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Reducing violent crime effectively sometimes means punishing those who demonstrate that they are repeatedly a threat to community safety.”

Court documents indicate that at the time of the Christmas Day arrest, Wimpye was on post-release control after serving two years in state custody for illegally possessing a firearm. While awaiting a hearing on the violations of his post-release control, he was found yet again with another firearm in February 2021. While on bond, he was arrested in Tennessee on felony charges.

A federal grand jury indicted Wimpye in October 2021 on one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Wimpye pleaded guilty to the indictment in September 2022.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey and Lockland Police Chief Chris Bundren announced the sentence imposed on February 22, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Oakley is representing the United States in this case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

MIAMI – Words have the power to uplift or destroy and that was the message staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, recently brought to 7^th graders at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center in Miami.

Power of Words focused on the importance of choosing one’s words carefully. The presentation went through real-life scenarios and the impact that using insulting and belittling language can have on people.

“It shows how hurtful words can sometimes lead to threats and assaultive behavior,” said Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. “The presentation identifies the common warning signs and how to proactively identify potentially harmful interactions between students.”

Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney conducted the training which involved videos, real cases, and plenty of class participation.

“If you’re choosing bad words, you’re going to get bad results,” said McKinney. “Hurtful words often lead to aggressive behavior. It can lead to suicide and what else? Anyone know?”

The message is that one never knows how deeply hurtful words cut.

“And just because you apologize doesn’t mean the other person will be able to forgive and move on,” said McKinney.

Research shows that early childhood experience may play a part in verbal abuse. Someone who witnesses this behavior at an early age may replicate it later—becoming an abuser for fear of becoming a victim.

“You have to learn to be comfortable with you,” said Latisha Robinson, a civics teacher at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center. “Life will hit you. Life is hard. But that’s reality. You don’t know what the person next to you is going through and the words you choose can make all the difference.”

Kindness was emphasized throughout the training.

“Be kind to everybody and be mindful of what is going on around you,” said McKinney. “Be aware of how to speak to someone who may be having a bad day. This will help you avoid negative responses.”

The training was valuable to Robinson because it gave her students a different perspective.

“This exercise gives our students that third lens to show them that they do use those words,” she said. “The message is to switch up, change, and make a difference.”

Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney goes over a Power of Words presentation with a group of 7^th graders at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center in Miami. The goal was to show students how hurtful words can escalate into violence and ways to identify potentially harmful student interactions.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

TUCSON, Ariz. – On Wednesday, Luis Carlos Martinez-Chacon, 35, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 24 months in prison, followed by 12 months of supervised release. Martinez-Chacon pleaded guilty to one count of Smuggling Goods from the United States.

On June 29, 2022, Martinez-Chacon attempted to exit the United States and enter the Republic of Mexico at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. During a search of his vehicle, Customs and Border Protection officers found a 9mm Berretta pistol, a 9mm Glock 19 pistol, an FN57 rifle with a filed off serial number, a .45 caliber Colt M 1911, a Smith and Wesson 629 Classic .44 Magnum, a Magpul magazine (17 round capacity), two Berretta magazines (15 round capacity each), two FN57 magazines (20 round capacity each), two Colt 1911 magazines (seven round capacity each), 960 rounds of .223 Wolf ammunition, 880 rounds of .223 TUL ammunition, and six rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. The items were hidden inside the dashboard and center console of the vehicle. Martinez-Chacon admitted he expected to be paid in exchange for delivering the firearms, magazines, and ammunition to an individual in Mexico.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah B. Houston, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-01662-TUC-JCH (DTF)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-024_Martinez-Chacon

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

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