Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal judge in Brooklyn today sentenced two men for trafficking protected birds and eggs into the United States in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Dr. John Waldrop of Cataula, Georgia, was ordered to pay a $900,000 fine — one of the largest-ever for an ESA case — and serve three years of probation. Toney Jones of Eufala, Alabama, was sentenced to six months of probation. Waldrop pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiracy to smuggle wildlife and ESA violations, while Jones pleaded guilty to an ESA charge.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Waldrop amassed an extensive collection of 1,401 taxidermy bird mounts and 2,594 eggs which included:

• Four eagles protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act,
• 179 bird and 193 egg species listed in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and
• 212 bird and 32 egg species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This included incredibly rare specimens like three eggs of the Nordmann’s Greenshank, an Asian shorebird with only 900 to 1,600 remaining birds in the wild; no North American museum has any Nordmann Greenshank eggs in their collection.

“Waldrop’s gigantic and rare bird collection was bolstered in part by illegal imports, where he and his enlisted co-conspirators intentionally avoided permit and declaration requirements,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We applaud the efforts of the various federal and state law enforcement entities in investigating and prosecuting this case.”

“The scale of this investigation underscores the critical importance of protecting our natural resources,” said Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement. “Waldrop’s collection included thousands of bird specimens and eggs, many of which are among the rarest in the world. This is one of the largest bird trafficking cases in history, and the commercialization of species protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and CITES highlights the conservation impact of Waldrop’s crimes. We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement are unwavering in our commitment to safeguarding wildlife for future generations. We will remain vigilant and will continue to hold accountable those who exploit our shared natural resources for personal gain.”

Between 2016 and 2020, Waldrop imported birds and eggs without the required declarations and permits. After USFWS inspectors at John F. Kennedy International Airport and elsewhere intercepted several shipments, Waldrop recruited Jones, who worked on his Georgia farm, to receive the packages. Jones also deposited approximately $525,000 in a bank account that Waldrop then used to pay for the imports and hide his involvement. Waldrop and Jones used online sales sites such as eBay and Etsy to buy birds and eggs from around the world, including Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.

Waldrop forfeited his collection. The USFWS National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab examined the items and determined it to be the largest seizure of bird mounts in their 37-year history. The ESA requires that all wildlife imports be declared to USFWS and have required permits, including species protected by CITES.

The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Valley Stream, New York, conducted the investigation as part of Operation Final Flight. The operation focused on the trafficking of protected birds into the United States. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources assisted with the investigation.

Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Karamigios for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Michigan man pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return for his international vehicle shipping business along with not paying taxes on cash wages he paid to his employees.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ali Kassem Kain owned and operated a business called Specialized Overseas Shipping that arranged for vehicles to be shipped to West Africa and other destinations for third parties. For tax years 2017 through 2020, Kain underreported the company’s gross receipts by $6.4 million on the business’ tax returns. Kain also did not collect and pay over to the IRS taxes on $249,000 in cash wages he paid to his employees.

Kain faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the employment tax offense and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Leitman for the Eastern District of Michigan scheduled sentencing for Aug. 14.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Detroit Field Office are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Richard J. Kelley and Jeffrey A. McLellan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice

A Florida man was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for evading more than $5.5 million in taxes, interest, and penalties that he owed the IRS.

According to court documents and statements made in court, David Albert Fletcher, of Deltona, owned and operated furniture liquidations businesses, including Century Liquidators. For tax years 2004 through 2013, Fletcher did not timely file his federal income tax returns or pay the taxes he owed. After an audit, the IRS assessed a total of $1.7 million in taxes, interest, and penalties against him.

To evade collection of these taxes, Fletcher concealed his income and assets from the IRS. For example, Fletcher used nominees to hide his purchases of luxury vehicles, including Rolls Royces. Fletcher also filed false income tax returns that understated his income by several million dollars, and when an IRS special agent interviewed him, Fletcher falsely represented the amount of income he earned.

In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger for the Middle District of Florida ordered Fletcher to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $7,112,689 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Zachary A. Cobb and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Virginia man with obstructing the IRS and willfully failing to file tax returns.

According to the indictment, Omini Tete Riman, of Woodbridge, was an information technology specialist. He allegedly filed false 2013 and 2014 tax returns, reporting that he earned nearly $2 million in income and had almost $1 million withheld in taxes. Based on those false statements, Riman allegedly claimed nearly $400,000 in refunds, which the IRS paid.

The indictment states that starting in 2016, after notifying Riman about his outstanding tax liabilities, the IRS attempted to recover the funds from him. However, Riman allegedly took numerous steps to frustrate the IRS’s collection efforts. For example, it is alleged he transferred his property to a trust, opened bank accounts in the trust’s name and directed that his wages be deposited into the trust’s bank account. It is further alleged that he also submitted false documents to the IRS, including false documents which purported to show that an IRS employee owed him money and that Riman had canceled the debt, which, if accurate, would have caused the IRS employee’s own tax liability to increase.  

In addition, the indictment alleges that for tax years 2018 through 2023, Riman knew he was legally required to file tax returns but willfully did not do so timely. In fact, after being notified that he was the target of a grand jury investigation in 2025, Riman allegedly filed tax returns for 2017 through 2020 which falsely reported that he had earned no income during those years. 

If convicted, Riman faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of obstructing the IRS and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.