Month: March 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

On Oct. 17, 2022, task force members with the U.S. Marshals attempted to serve an arrest warrant to Baldrige at his residence in Fayette County when he allegedly used a rifle to fire multiple shots at the officers. After a 10-hour stand-off with police, Baldrige was taken into custody without incident, and no injuries were reported.

An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, the defendant is presumed to be innocent of the charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

If convicted, Baldrige could face more than 70 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshal Service Great Lakes Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Illinois State Police and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department are contributing to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Arshi is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that BAREND OBERHOLZER, a/k/a “Barry Oberholzer,” the Chief Executive Officer of a defense technology start-up (“Start-Up-1”), pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court in connection with a conspiracy to solicit investment in and financing for Start-Up-1 on the basis of fraudulent misrepresentations regarding financial solvency, access to cash, and use of investor funds.  Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger accepted the defendant’s guilty plea.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Barend Oberholzer attempted to use the reputation of a retired, four-star Army General in order to solicit investments in his start-up company and a device he developed that purportedly could detect concealed weapons.  Instead of attracting investors honestly, Oberholzer lied continuously to make his company more appealing to investors.  Fortunately, law enforcement was able to detect the defendant’s lies, and he is now facing substantial time in prison.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment and other filings and statements made in court:

Beginning in or around 2018, OBERHOLZER began soliciting investments in Start-Up-1 and a purported security device it had developed (“Security Device-1”) from at least two venture capital firms on false pretenses.  OBERHOLZER sent multiple emails to the firms, posing as a retired, four-star General in the United States Army (“Retired General-1”), who was employed by a prominent private equity firm based in New York, New York (“Private Equity Firm-1”).  Therein, OBERHOLZER, posing as Retired General-1, endorsed and solicited investment in Start-Up-1 and Security Device-1, a smartphone case that purportedly permitted its users to detect at a distance weapons or other dangerous items concealed on another person.

OBERHOLZER and his co-conspirator, JAROMY PITTARIO, a/k/a “Jaromy Jannard-Pittario,” also solicited investments in and loans to Start-Up-1 and Security Device-1 by falsely representing, among other things, their financial solvency, access to cash, and use of investor funds.  For instance, the pair repeatedly provided falsified financial statements to potential creditors to secure funding. 

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OBERHOLZER, 39, of Calabasas, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  PITTARIO previously pled guilty on January 26, 2023.  The sentencing of PITTARIO is scheduled for May 25, 2023, before Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., and the sentencing of OBERHOLZER is scheduled for July 11, 2023.

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

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jilan J. Kamal and Timothy V. Capozzi are in charge of the prosecution.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

CONCORD – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in New Hampshire, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.

Johan M. Rodriguez, 37, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, conspired with another Lawrence-based drug trafficker to deliver approximately ten kilograms of fentanyl to an individual in Dover cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2023.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations’ Major Offender Task Force investigated the case. The Dover Police Department and the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis, Deputy Chief of Young’s Criminal Division, is prosecuting the case.

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.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A businessman from Pennsylvania was sentenced to 46 months in prison today for stealing $3.5 million from a Morgantown construction company.

Michael D. Allen, 60, of Irwin, Pennsylvania, pled guilty in November to wire fraud and money laundering. Allen, who had been the manager of Accelerated Construction Services, admitted that he used his position to divert $3.5 million in company funds for his own personal benefit.

Allen spent $154,000 on vehicles, including a 2020 Range Rover, a 1954 Chevrolet 3100 truck, and a classic car restoration. He purchased a 5.19 carat diamond ring for $113,250 and spent an estimated $19,000 on other jewelry, $18,000 of which was used to purchase a Breitling watch.

In addition to serving the prison sentence, Allen must pay $3.5 million in restitution to the company.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated. The FBI assisted in the investigation.

Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A Wisconsin man was arrested today on a charge related to the May 2022 firebombing of a Madison office building.

According to court documents, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, is charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. Roychowdhury was arrested earlier today in Boston.

“According to the complaint, Mr. Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served.” 

“This group of local and federal law enforcement officers has worked, with the federal prosecutors, diligently and creatively to move the investigation forward,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “This case is an example of the results law enforcement can achieve when local and federal law investigators work as a team.”

“Violence is never an acceptable way for anyone to express their views or their disagreement,” said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Today’s arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue those responsible for this dangerous attack and others across the country, and to hold them accountable for their criminal actions.”

According to the complaint, on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison, Wisconsin. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window; the jar was broken, and the lid and screw top were burned black. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top; the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant. Outside of the building, someone spray painted on one wall, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and, on another wall, a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.” During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack.

In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect. Local police officers observed Roychowdhury dispose of food in a public trash can; the officers recovered the leftover food and related items, and law enforcement collected DNA from the food. On March 17, 2023, law enforcement advised that a forensic biologist examined the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compared it to the DNA collected from the food contents. The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual.

In March 2023, Roychowdhury travelled from Madison, Wisconsin, to Portland, Maine, and he purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City, departing this morning. Law enforcement arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport. Roychowdhury will have a detention hearing in Boston.

Roychowdhury is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston today. A date for his appearance in federal court in Madison has not been set.

If convicted, Roychowdhury faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Capitol Police Department, ATF, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Dane County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance provided by the FBI Boston Field Office, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshal Service, and Transportation Security Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck for the District of Massachusetts handled the appearance in Boston.

A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.