Month: February 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A defendant pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court for shooting and killing a man who attempted to drive away after a brief verbal altercation, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Dillon Charles Wilson, 26, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country.

Wilson admitted that on Jan. 19, 2022, he shot victim Jamitric Landrum, killing him.

Tulsa Police officers were dispatched to the 5900 block of Charles Page Boulevard in Tulsa just after 1 am in reference to the shooting. The victim was located in a wrecked vehicle with a gunshot wound to the back and was transported to the hospital where was later pronounced dead.

According to court documents, a witness told responding officers that she and the victim were driving around looking for an unknown individual they thought had try to force his way into her apartment. The victim was driving the vehicle and pulled into a parking lot near the apartment complex. She stated that she saw two men and a woman in the parking lot talking to a tow truck driver. At one point, Landrum unrolled the window and made a remark to one of the men, who considered it disrespectful. The man, later identified as Wilson, then pulled out a firearm. The witness stated that the victim attempted to drive away when Wilson started shooting at the vehicle. The victim was struck, grabbed his chest, attempted to continue driving, then crashed into a pole. The witness relayed that she saw the shooter get into a gray SUV that sped away.

The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Brasher is prosecuting the case.

This case was prosecuted as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Michael Thomas Delguidice, age 62, of Westminster, was sentenced to 124 months prison and 3 years supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to the plea agreement, on December 5, 2020, Westminster police were dispatched to a residence for a domestic disturbance, where the victim reported her car had been shot the night before. She reported that she then received a text from the defendant asking her to go to Blackhawk with him. She refused and the defendant texted back: “Ready for round two then?” The victim reported that Delguidice was circling her block on his motorcycle. When police contacted Delguidice, they found baggies of methamphetamine totaling 93 grams, a loaded .38 caliber revolver, two speed re-loaders and $3,405 in his jacket. They also found a stolen 10mm Glock semi-automatic handgun and ammunition in his motorcycle bag. Shell casings from the previous night’s drive-by shooting were tested and matched the 10mm handgun in the bag.

Judge William J. Martinez sentenced the defendant on February 7, 2023.

The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and the Westminster Police Department investigated this case. Prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn.

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.

CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-00007

Source: United States Department of Justice News

MIAMI – Reading is crucial to a child’s educational development and future success. This is why staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida hold weekly readings for pre-kindergarten children in at-risk South Florida schools.

“Good morning, everyone,” said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney to a group of pre-kindergarten students at Robert Ingram Elementary School in Opa-locka. “Are you all excited? We have to begin a new book to keep building your vocabularies.”

The children got quiet, sat down, and listened with great attention as McKinney read books predominately about animals. In between books he would stand the children up and play a quick game with them before grabbing the next one from his bag.

“He has such an impact on these kids,” said Adriana Ruiz, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Robert Ingram Elementary School. “He sparks a curiosity about books. After he leaves, we have playtime and the children choose a book even though they can’t read it yet—they pretend. There is a big difference between having to read and wanting to read. Mark motivates them.”

That is the reason for this program, to build a solid educational base by giving children a love for reading.

“We’ve been doing these readings for at least six years,” said Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. “We started this because research indicates that if children don’t read at grade level by the end of the fourth grade, they start to fall behind their peers academically. This can result in many of them eventually dropping out.”

Research suggests that poor readers are, in fact, four times as likely to drop out of school. Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section staff organize these readings at schools in areas considered to be book deserts. These communities lack access to certain resources, books among them. 

“Some of the most vulnerable pre-kindergarten kids don’t have access to a library so we bring books with us to help build up their home libraries and develop that love of reading,” said McKinney. “If they get that at an early age, it will help their odds of success in the future.”

Anyone interested in donating children’s books may do so by emailing U.S. Attorney’s Office staff at usafls.vrp@usdoj.gov or by calling (305) 961-9134.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A sophisticated drug trafficking network that served as one of the largest suppliers of illicit substances to West Virginia has been dismantled by a federal indictment returned this week against individuals from Ohio, California, and Mexico.

Juan Carlos Magana, 41, of Sinaloa, Mexico, and Personne “Rico” McGhee, age 52, of Bellaire, Ohio, were charged Tuesday with conspiring to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. According to court documents, Magana coordinated with McGhee and others to have drugs shipped from the Southwest border to Ohio via tractor trailer. In return, McGhee made large cash payments to individuals who flew from California to the Pittsburgh International Airport, picked up the money, and then promptly boarded outbound flights. McGhee utilized a network of redistributors to sell the controlled substances in eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia, in Weirton, Wheeling, Morgantown, Fairmont and Clarksburg.

At the time of McGhee’s arrest in October 2022, agents recovered approximately 75 pounds of cocaine, 19 pounds of methamphetamine, and nearly 5 pounds of fentanyl from his home. Simultaneous with McGhee’s apprehension, arrests and searches occurred at the airport in Pittsburgh, and at homes and businesses in West Virginia and Ohio.

In addition to the seizure of drugs, agents recovered $295,038 in cash and five firearms.

“Rico McGhee was the most notorious drug dealer in the region and Juan Magana was his primary supplier,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Due to the tremendous efforts of our investigators, one of the greatest sources of illicit drugs to West Virginia has been shut down.”

The following people were also charged in Tuesday’s conspiracy indictment:

• Christopher Jason Kirk, 42, of Tracy, CA;
• Justin Dwayne Martin, 34, of San Diego, CA;
• Andres Dominguez, 25, of San Diego, CA;
• Roger Allen Woods, II, 48, of Bellaire, OH;
• Zachary Tyler Menough, 31, of Shadyside, OH; and
• Sherman L. Griffin, 45, of Martins Ferry, OH.

Others involved in the McGhee network who were charged federally prior to this week include:

• Ronald Shaw, 51, of Wheeling, WV (Methamphetamine distribution);
• Jaron Wells, 36, of Wheeling, WV (Fentanyl distribution);
• Rocco Pandoli, 34, of Wheeling, WV (Cocaine distribution);
• Ebony Miranda Webb, 34, of Wheeling (Cocaine distribution); and
• Chellsie S. Boyer, 32, of Weirton (Methamphetamine distribution).

Motor vehicles used in furtherance of the conspiracy have been seized and will be subject to forfeiture, to include a GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Tahoe, a Polaris Slingshot, a Mercedes G-Class 450, a Bentley Continental, a BMW 535, a Cadillac XTS, a Chevrolet Cruze, a Buick Lacrosse, a Nissan Sentra, a Freightliner motor home, and an Acura.

Eleven parcels of real estate, five handguns, and three pieces of jewelry are also subject to forfeiture, along with the aforementioned U.S. currency.

Each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The potential penalties will vary for each defendant and depend upon the quantity of drugs attributed to each and their criminal history, if any.

Several of those charged remain incarcerated, including McGhee, Kirk, Martin, Dominguez, Griffin, Shaw, and Wells.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is representing the government.

The case was investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, which includes officers from the Wheeling Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Belmont County (OH) Sheriff’s Office and the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office provided important assistance.

The investigation was supported by the ATF, the Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Allegheny County (PA) Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PITTSBURGH – After deliberating for approximately 90 minutes, a federal jury yesterday found Omari Patton guilty of five counts related to attempting to provide to a federal inmate or obtain as a federal inmate a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance in federal prisons, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

Omari Patton, 44, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The evidence presented at trial established that in September and October 2018, Patton, who was incarcerated at the Fort Dix, New Jersey, federal prison, directed his son, Dashawn Burley, who resided in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, to mail three envelopes to Patton at the Fort Dix prison and two envelopes to another federal inmate at the Ray Brook, New York, federal prison. All five of these envelopes, at Patton’s direction, were disguised by Burley to appear as if they were “legal” mail sent by a fake attorney. However, each envelope contained paper that had been saturated with a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance, commonly referred to as “K2 paper” or “deuce,” potent synthetic drugs, which law enforcement officers testified disrupts prison life and threatens the health and safety of inmates and staff members.

Mr. Burley, who was also charged for his involvement in the offenses, pled guilty prior to opening statements on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2023, to two counts of attempting to provide to a federal inmate a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance in federal prisons.

Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for Patton on June 15, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,250,000. Under States Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Judge Stickman also scheduled sentencing for Burley on June 8, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Under States Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Patton would remain detained and the court continued Burley’s bond.

Assistant United States Attorneys Craig W. Haller and Rebecca L. Silinski are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.

This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.