Month: May 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Romesh Vance, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 150 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute between four and 12 kilograms of fentanyl and for violating his supervised release from a previous federal drug conviction.  Judge Russell also ordered that Vance must forfeit his interest in any assets derived from his criminal activities, including almost $41,000 in cash and jewelry which were recovered from Vance and his residence in the 200 block of Westowne Road in Baltimore; and a 2017 Mercedes Benz recovered from Vance.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Field Division; Baltimore City Sheriff Sam Cogen; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, from October 2020 through March 1, 2021, Vance was engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving large amounts of fentanyl and other controlled substances.  Vance operated a stash house in Pikesville, Maryland, where he and his co-conspirators processed fentanyl and other drugs, mixed the drugs with cutting agents, and packaged the drugs for re-sale.  Vance and his associates then drove the packaged drug products to drug shops operated by their drug trafficking organization, along Stricker, School and Gilmor Streets in Baltimore.

On March 1, 2021, law enforcement saw Vance leave the Pikesville stash house and travel to the drug shop at 1515 Stricker Street, where he delivered approximately one kilogram of fentanyl to co-conspirator Vashawn Watkins, who brought the drug products into 1515 Stricker Street.  Law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant at that location and recovered the drugs.  Law enforcement later conducted a search warrant at the stash house in Pikesville and recovered 6.8 kilograms of fentanyl, along with cutting agents and other drug-related paraphernalia.  Vance admitted that it was reasonably foreseeable to him that he and his co-conspirators would distribute more than four kilograms but less than 12 kilograms of fentanyl in furtherance of this conspiracy.   

Co-defendant Vashawn Watkins, age 22, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to illegal possession of a firearm in a school zone and was sentenced to nine years in federal prison.

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.

This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason D. Medinger and Ariel Evans, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

# # #

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANAND SINGH was arrested today and charged with one count of attempted enticement of a minor.  The Complaint charges that SINGH communicated with an individual, who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, on Hily, a dating application, and via text message and made plans to meet the individual at an apartment building to engage in sexual activity.  SINGH was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court and detained pending a bail hearing on Wednesday.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “33-year-old Anand Singh allegedly attempted to entice an individual, who he believed to be a 14-year-old, to meet for sexual purposes, via dating and text apps.  Today’s arrest is a reminder of the inherent danger the internet could potentially pose to our youth and the critical importance to protect them from online predators.”

As alleged in the criminal Complaint:[1]

In December of 2022, SINGH, then an employee of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, used a mobile dating application called “Hily” and text messages to entice an individual posing as a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity with him.  SINGH used the screen name “Anon” to communicate with the individual on the Hily application.  During these communications, SINGH repeatedly expressed, in graphic and unambiguous terms, his desire to engage in sexual activity with the individual and made a plan to meet her at an apartment building in Newark, New Jersey, for the purposes of engaging in sexual activity.  In the early hours of December 17, 2022, SINGH went to the location where he and the individual posing as a 14-year-old girl planned to meet.

*                *                *

ANAND SINGH, 33, of Tarrytown, New York, is charged with one count of attempted enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. 

The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force.  He also thanked the Westchester County Police Department and Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their participation and support in this investigation. 

The investigation is ongoing and there may be other victims of this alleged conduct.  If you have information to report concerning ANAND SINGH, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Wheelock is in charge of the prosecution.  

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

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – An Iowa woman was sentenced in the District of Columbia on a misdemeanor count for her actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Deborah Sandoval, 56, of Ankeny, Iowa, was sentenced to five months in prison for entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds on January 6, 2021. The defendant pled guilty on December 14, 2022, the morning that her case was set for bench trial.  In addition to the term of incarceration, U.S. District Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered 12 months of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $500 to be paid to the Architect of the Capitol, and a $25 mandatory assessment.

            According to the agreed statement of offense for the plea, Sandoval was present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Prior to traveling to Washington, D.C., Sandoval sent private messages detailing her plans to travel to Washington, D.C., and indicating that she knew it could get violent. After attending former President Trump’s rally at the Washington Monument, Sandoval entered the restricted area around the Capitol. By the time of her entry into the Capitol building, the Senate Wing Door had been forced open by rioters, and the corridor near the door had been overrun. Shortly after her entry into the Capitol building, Sandoval can be seen and heard on a video encouraging violence towards, Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House. Sandoval then remained in the Capitol building for a total of approximately 24 minutes before she left out of the Senate Wing Doors. In the days and weeks following January 6, 2021, Sandoval sent a number of messages on her phone and through social media describing her conduct on January 6, 2021. She also sent a message to a friend on Facebook inquiring about deleting pictures from the Capitol, including her previous trips to Washington, D.C.

            Sandoval was arrested on February 19, 2021, in Iowa.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of Iowa.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Omaha Field Office and Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 27 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

All Six Charged Defendants Have Now Entered Guilty Pleas

            WASHINGTON – Douglas Campbell, 27, of District Heights, Maryland, and his brother Delonte Campbell, 27, of Southeast Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today, in U.S. District Court, to felony charges in connection with their roles in an open-air drug market.

            Douglas Campbell pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Delonte Campbell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. Sentencing for both defendants is set for August 3, 2023.

            The brothers are among six defendants charged with operating an open-air drug market at the Shell Gas Station located at 4700 South Capitol Street SE. According to court documents, law enforcement had observed individuals, including the six defendants charged, operating an open-air drug market at the Shell Gas Station. The gas station drew individuals who conducted daily drug transactions in the parking lot and surrounding area of the gas station, often while armed with firearms. The Shell Gas Station was the scene of increased violence suspected to be connected to drug trafficking in the months leading up to the defendants’ arrests.

            The Campbells and their co-defendants trafficked narcotics at the Shell Gas Station through hand gestures and social media advertisements. Once a potential customer was procured, these individuals often measured and distributed controlled substances to their customers in plain view. The defendants sold alongside each other, coordinated sales with each other, and were in frequent communication through telephone and social media messaging, coordinating their activities with the goal of selling marijuana to customers at the Shell while securing their narcotics and drug trafficking proceeds with firearms, often carrying weapons in plain view.

            Each of the six defendants charged for their role in the conspiracy have now pleaded guilty.  Lavon Alphonso Blakeney, 28, of Southeast Washington D.C., and David Ashton, 24, of Hyattsville, Maryland, each pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Keonte Obatunde Lorenzo Lewis, 20, of Southeast Washington D.C., pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and carrying a pistol without a license. Finally, Tyrell Davon Jones, 28, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance and carrying a pistol without a license.  All are awaiting sentencing.

            The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment to be imposed. The possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of one year imprisonment to be imposed. The charge of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment. The charge of carrying a pistol without a license carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the guideline ranges and other factors.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Kinskey and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Stewart of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets Cross Border Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Group, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, along with his son, medical practices, and billing company, have agreed to pay $23.9 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of false claims to both Medicare and Medicaid.

The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Dr. Joel Aronowitz; Daniel Aronowitz; Joel A. Aronowitz, M.D., a medical corporation; Tower Multi-Specialty Medical Group; Tower Wound Care Center of Santa Monica, Inc.; Tower Outpatient Surgery Center, Inc.; and Tower Medical Billing Solutions (the settling parties) falsified the place of service for skin grafts and billed multiple times for single-use skin substitute products. The United States contends that the Settling Parties manipulated the place of service code on claims for skin grafts to fraudulently maximize reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. The United States further contends that Dr. Aronowitz failed to properly dispose of unused portions of single-use skin graft materials and, instead, used them in later procedures involving other Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, resulting in thousands of instances of double billing.

“When health care providers violate federal health care program requirements, they undermine the integrity of these programs and waste taxpayer dollars,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates the department’s commitment to preventing providers from misappropriating public funds for their own private gain.”

“Our investigation revealed a long-running practice to illegally maximize profits, ultimately costing public health programs millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “The Medicare and Medicaid programs are taxpayer-funded programs, and we are committed to wiping out abuses that line the pockets of unscrupulous providers.”

In connection with the settlement, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), negotiated the voluntary exclusion of Dr. Aronowitz and Tower Multi-Specialty Medical Group from Medicare, Medicaid, and all other federal health care programs, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(f), for a period of 15 years. Daniel Aronowitz will be excluded for three years.

“HHS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to holding providers accountable for defrauding federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy B. DeFrancesca of HHS-OIG. “Those who egregiously exploit Medicare and Medicaid put their personal financial gain before patients’ needs and safety.”

Medicaid is funded jointly by the states and the federal government. The state of California paid for a portion of the Medicaid claims at issue and will receive a total of approximately $497,619 from the settlement.

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by parties that worked for Dr. Aronowitz and his associated medical practices and businesses: TDP, a billing company, Dr. Jason Morris, a podiatrist, and Harold Bautista, a billing department employee. Under the qui tam provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the government and receive a portion of any recovery. The civil lawsuits are captioned as follows: United States ex rel. TDP RCM Servs., LLC v. Aronowitz, et al. (C.D. Cal.), United States ex rel. Morris, et al. v. Tower Wound Care Ctr. of Santa Monica, Inc., et al. (C.D. Cal.), and United States ex rel. Bautista et al. v. Tower Outpatient Surgery Center, Inc., et al. (C.D. Cal.). The amount to be recovered by the private parties has not been determined.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section. HHS-OIG assisted in the investigation.

The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Ezroj for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Lyle Gruby of the Civil Division. The exclusions of the individual and entity were negotiated by Senior Counsel Patrice Drew of the HHS-OIG.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.