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US Attorney's Office

COVID-19: Miller Place Man Steals $8M From Company Seeking Surgical Masks, Feds Say COVID-19: Miller Place Man Steals $8M From Company Seeking Surgical Masks, Feds Say
Covid-19: Miller Place Man Steals $8M From Company Seeking Surgical Masks, Feds Say Two New York residents are accused of conning a medical supply company out of millions of dollars in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Long Island resident Jonathan Cannon, age 58, of Miller Place, and Erie County resident Julie Dotton, age 51, of Orchard Park, are both charged with wire fraud in a complaint unsealed in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, May 2. According to prosecutors, a Canadian company serving as an official provider of personal protective equipment paid Cannon and Dotton $8.2 million for surgical masks needed due to the pandemic. In exchange, Dotton agreed…
Five Arrested In Philly Man's 2006 Kidnapping, Murder: US Attorney Five Arrested In Philly Man's 2006 Kidnapping, Murder: US Attorney
Five Arrested In Philly Man's 2006 Kidnapping, Murder: US Attorney Nearly 18 years after Shamari Taylor disappeared in Philadelphia, five people are charged in connection with his murder, prosecutors said Thursday.  Kevin Holloway, 45, Mark Scott, 48, Linton Mathis, 50, Atiba Wicker, 47, and Kenneth Tuck, 51, were all arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, and aiding and abetting, said the US Attorney's Office.  Thirty-eight-year-old Taylor and his girlfriend were kidnapped in West Philadelphia by men posing as police officers on August 26, 2006, officials said in a release.&nb…
Federal Inmate In Schuylkill County Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Officer: USDOJ Federal Inmate In Schuylkill County Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Officer: USDOJ
Federal Inmate In Schuylkill County Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Officer: Usdoj A federal inmate in Schuylkill County pleaded guilty to attacking a correctional officer on Monday, April 29, according to prosecutors.  The US Attorney's Office said Carlos Rodriguez-Cruz, 33, punched a guard at FCI Schuylkill in Minersville last Oct. 6.  According to authorities, the guard found a homemade knife or "shank" during a search of Rodriguez-Cruz's cell.  Rodriguez-Cruz, formerly of Puerto Rico, faces up to eight years of imprisonment, supervised release, and a fine.  The guilty plea comes just a week after another FCI Schuylkill inmate pleaded guilty …
Passaic County Jail Officer Admits Bringing Inmate To 'Blind Spot' For Beating By Colleagues Passaic County Jail Officer Admits Bringing Inmate To 'Blind Spot' For Beating By Colleagues
Passaic County Jail Officer Admits Bringing Inmate To 'Blind Spot' For Beating By Colleagues 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A Passaic County correctional officer admitted that he brought an inmate to a "blind spot" at the county jail so two colleagues could beat him for squirting one of them with urine. Officer Lorenzo Bowden, 39, initially agreed with Sgt. Jose Gonzalez and Sgt. Donald Vinales not to talk after they'd received federal grand jury subpoenas two years ago this month, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Bowden eventually had a change of heart. The pretrial detainee was "transported through an area of the PCJ that does not have a video surveillance camera, which correctional officers …
Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs
Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs The owner and sole medical provider of a Middlesex County medical practice admitted in federal court that he pocketed nearly $2 million in a long-running series of blatant health insurance scams. Dr. Fazal Panezai, a 76-year-old cardiologist from Morganville, at one point submitted claims for a single day's worth of visits to his Matawan-Aberdeen Heart & Medical Center in May 2022 that totaled 27.9 hours, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Hei also billed health insurance providers more than $80,000 for office visits when he was out of the country, the U.S. attorney said. Panezai …
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty In Deadly Carjacking Of Delivery Driver: USDOJ Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty In Deadly Carjacking Of Delivery Driver: USDOJ
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty In Deadly Carjacking Of Delivery Driver: Usdoj A 19-year-old from Philadelphia pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday, April 2 to multiple counts related to a fatal carjacking, according to prosecutors.  Authorities said John Nusslein robbed two food delivery drivers at gunpoint in December 2021, one of whom later succumbed to his injuries.  The first robbery happened on Dec. 2 of that year, the US Attorney's Office said. Investigators wrote Nusslein and two others ordered food to an Teesdale Street address then ambushed the driver who showed up, striking him repeatedly before fleeing in his Toyota Camry.  The victim…
Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen
Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen UPDATE: A controller from Middlesex County was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for embezzling $2.37 million from his Madison Avenue employer. Gerard Beauzile, 63, South Plainfield, conducted an elaborate, long-running scheme to issue bogus checks to himself that he then deposited into his bank account, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Beginning a decade ago and continuing through the end of 2020, Beauzile admitted issuing 140 checks to himself from the Manhattan-based company, which offers news, analysis, research and data for the "global energy industry," accordin…
PA Man Heads To Fed Pen For Double Armed Robbery: USDOJ PA Man Heads To Fed Pen For Double Armed Robbery: USDOJ
PA Man Heads To Fed Pen For Double Armed Robbery: Usdoj A 26-year-old man will spend the next 15 years behind bars for a pair of Northeast Philadelphia robberies, federal prosecutors say.  Michael Malcolm was sentenced to 185 months plus five years of supervised release and $300 restitution, the US Attorney's Office said in a release.  Investigators said the robberies happened within minutes on the night of Oct. 5, 2021. Malcolm walked into Illadelph by All in One Smoke Shop at 14230 Bustleton Avenue and asked for cigarillo wraps before handing over some money, authorities said.  When the clerk opened the register, Malc…
Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: USDOJ Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: USDOJ
Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: Usdoj A convicted Philadelphia drug dealer who tried to have a witness assassinated while awaiting trial last year will spend the better part of a century in federal prison, prosecutors say.  Luis Algarin-Torres, 34, was sentenced to 622 months, or just shy of 52 years, plus six years of supervised release, according to the US Attorney's Office.  During a raid on his Hunting Park home in 2018, authorities said they found $28,000 in cash, 34 grams of cocaine, and a loaded gun that had been modified to fire automatically stashed in a kitchen light fixture.  They also found evid…
PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ
PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: Usdoj A federal grand jury indicted a Luzerne County man on drug trafficking charges this week, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Benjamin Woytas, 34, of Wilkes-Barre Township, is accused of distributing methamphetamine in Luzerne County in August 2023, said USA Gerard Karam in a release.  The maximum penalty for the charges is a 40-year prison term followed by supervised release and a fine, prosecutors said.  In addition to the FBI, the county Drug Task Force investigated the case.  Woytas was charged with drug possession in Hudson County, New Jersey, in 2020.&nb…
Man Who Drove 12 Pounds Of Heroin, Fentanyl All The Way From Cali Busted In Bergen County: Feds Man Who Drove 12 Pounds Of Heroin, Fentanyl All The Way From Cali Busted In Bergen County: Feds
Man Who Drove 12 Pounds Of Heroin, Fentanyl All The Way From Cali Busted In Bergen County: Feds A California man was minutes from a dropoff after driving more than a dozen pounds of fentanyl and heroin cross country to New Jersey when he was stopped in Fort Lee for running a stop sign, authorities said. Timothy Alan Blank, 54, of Reseda, CA, made it 2,800 miles before Fort Lee police pulled his SUV over in Englewood Cliffs north of Sylvan and Myrtle avenues last Friday, March 8, according to a federal complaint. A Bergen County Sheriff's K-9 directed officers to the trunk, where it says they found the five kilos wrapped in five bricks. Blank collected the wrapped $195,000 of heroin a…
Danbury Man Accused Of Trafficking Large Quantities Of Fentanyl Danbury Man Accused Of Trafficking Large Quantities Of Fentanyl
Danbury Man Accused Of Trafficking Large Quantities Of Fentanyl A Fairfield County man has been charged by indictment with fentanyl trafficking. Jairo Abreu, age 31, of Danbury, was indicted on Tuesday, March 12, said Vanessa Roberts Avery, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Hartford Police Department revealed that Abreu was trafficking fentanyl into Hartford.  Abreu was arrested on state charges on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. Following his arrest, a search of his Danbury residence revealed approximately three k…
FEDS: Hawthorne Dad Takes Plea Deal, Admits Trafficking Child Porn FEDS: Hawthorne Dad Takes Plea Deal, Admits Trafficking Child Porn
Feds: Hawthorne Dad Takes Plea Deal, Admits Trafficking Child Porn 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 50-year-old father from Hawthorne admitted that he trafficked child porn, federal authorities said. Edward M. O’Hagan “used one of his email accounts to send video files containing images of child sexual abuse to himself,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. O'Hagan, Sellinger said, "also used two email addresses to create accounts on an encrypted file storage platform that was used to upload or create files containing images of child sexual abuse." Investigators who arrested O'Hagan last May "recovered hundreds of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse" on his electr…
$42K In Sealed Toothpaste Boxes Lands PA Airport Staff Federal Sentence $42K In Sealed Toothpaste Boxes Lands PA Airport Staff Federal Sentence
$42K In Sealed Toothpaste Boxes Lands PA Airport Staff Federal Sentence A Philadelphia International Airport employee will spend six months in jail for trying to smuggle thousands of dollars past security, according to federal prosecutors.  Hugh James, 52, was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and a combined $1,200 in fines and fees, said the US Attorney's Office.  Authorities said James tried to board a flight from PHL to Montego Bay, Jamaica in October 2020 with $62,000 in undeclared cash in his luggage.  As "an employee with access to the secure area of the airport," investigators said James "arranged to have the cash smuggled…
No Charges For Metropolitan Police Officers Involved In Fatal DC Shooting: Prosecutors No Charges For Metropolitan Police Officers Involved In Fatal DC Shooting: Prosecutors
No Charges For Metropolitan Police Officers Involved In Fatal DC Shooting: Prosecutors There will be no charges for a pair of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department for their role in a fatal shooting last year involving a 33-year-old District resident, according to federal investigators. The US Attorney's Office announced that there is insufficient evidence to pursue criminal or civil rights charges for their roles in an officer-involved shooting in Southeast DC in October 2023 that left Arthur Porter dead. According to prosecutors, at around 5 p.m. on Oct. 19 last year, the officers were called to the 2800 block of Gainesville Street SE, where there were reports of…
Pot-Smoking Schenectady Rioter Who Donned Fake Beard In Capitol Breach Gets 3 Years In Prison Pot-Smoking Schenectady Rioter Who Donned Fake Beard In Capitol Breach Gets 3 Years In Prison
Pot-Smoking Schenectady Rioter Who Donned Fake Beard In Capitol Breach Gets 3 Years In Prison A New York man who was photographed smoking marijuana inside a Senate office during the US Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021 will spend years in prison. Brandon Fellows, age 29, of Schenectady, was sentenced to 3 ½ years in federal lockup on Thursday, Feb. 29 after a Washington, DC jury found him guilty of obstructing an official proceeding, a felony. “His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the US Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election,” the US Attorney’s Office said. Earlier Report: Capitol Rioter F…
Former Paterson Sergeant Used Chat Group To Upload Child Porn: Feds Former Paterson Sergeant Used Chat Group To Upload Child Porn: Feds
Former Paterson Sergeant Used Chat Group To Upload Child Porn: Feds A retired Paterson police sergeant was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday, Feb. 27 for distributing child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.  Ryan Curving, 50 now living in Texas, pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2023 after admitting he sent child pornography videos to five other people via the Kik Messenger App, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani of the Southern District of Texas, said. Authorities originally searched his home in Dec. 2022 and Curving admitted to downloading child pornography on Kik and said he had been curious about child pornography for two year…
Man Gets Prison Time For Operating Cocaine Delivery Service: Caused Death Of Yonkers Man Man Gets Prison Time For Operating Cocaine Delivery Service: Caused Death Of Yonkers Man
Man Gets Prison Time For Operating Cocaine Delivery Service: Caused Death Of Yonkers Man A 41-year-old man will spend more than a decade in prison for operating a cocaine courier service that delivered fentanyl-tainted cocaine to a Westchester man, causing his death.  Florida resident Jose Luis Tejada Aybar of Miami was sentenced on Tuesday, Feb. 27 to 12 and a half years in prison for operating the Cab Louie Delivery Service, which brought cocaine to customers in the Bronx and Westchester, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, Tejada Aybar began the delivery service in March 2018. To order…
Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds
Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds A city man was dealing drugs wholesale "in the immediate vicinity" of a Philadelphia middle school, a federal court found last week.  Phillip Gillard, 46, was convicted at trial on multiple drug trafficking and firearm offenses, said the US Attorney's Office.  A two-year investigation found the "Gillard drug trafficking organization" was supplying area dealers with wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, PCP, fentanyl, and other narcotics, according to the FBI.  Authorities believe Gillard and others maintained three properties in the city's Port Richmond section for d…
Man Accused Of Killing Wife Ana Walshe, Gets 3 Years For Art Fraud: Feds Man Accused Of Killing Wife Ana Walshe, Gets 3 Years For Art Fraud: Feds
Man Accused Of Killing Wife Ana Walshe, Gets 3 Years For Art Fraud: Feds A Lynn, Massachusetts, man who will soon stand trial for allegedly murdering his wife found himself in another courtroom Tuesday when he was sentenced to more than three years in prison for an elaborate art fraud scheme, authorities said.  Brian Walshe, 49, was given 37 months behind bars after he pleaded guilty to selling fake Andy Warhol paintings on eBay labeled as authentic, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  The fraud began in 2011 when a friend gave Walshe three Andy Warhol paintings to sell on his behalf. Walshe kept the paintings and the profits, prosecutors said.&nb…
Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Bensalem, Quakertown: Feds Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Bensalem, Quakertown: Feds
Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Bensalem, Quakertown: Feds Five members of an alleged trafficking group active in greater Philadelphia face federal charges, the US Attorney's Office announced this week.  Investigators say the group sent cocaine and methamphetamine to Pennsylvania through the mail for distribution in Reading, Quakertown, Bensalem, Plymouth Township, Coopersburg, and elsewhere. Authorities said they seized 40 firearms, over 100,000 rounds of ammunition, 60 pounds of meth, one kilogram of fentanyl, one kilogram of cocaine, 65 pounds of marijuana, 300 fentanyl pills, six pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, and $15,000 cash from the su…
Monroe Co. Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security Monroe Co. Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security
Monroe Co. Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security A Monroe County man was sentenced to five years in federal prison this week for covering up his father's death and continuing to cash his checks, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Timothy Gritman, 56, of Brodheadsville, pleaded guilty to Social Security and wire fraud in a federal court exactly one year ago, Feb. 14, 2023, Daily Voice reported. This year on Valentine's Day, Gritman was sentenced to five years plus three more of supervised release, prosecutors said in a release.  Authorities have said Gritman's father Ralph was 79 and "in poor health" when he was l…
YouTube Drone Pilot Summoned To Federal Court For Reckless Flying In Philly YouTube Drone Pilot Summoned To Federal Court For Reckless Flying In Philly
YouTube Drone Pilot Summoned To Federal Court For Reckless Flying In Philly A Philadelphia man is accused of breaking Federal Aviation Administration rules while flying his drone around the city, according to a release from the US Attorney's Office.  From December 2019 to the present, federal prosecutors claim Michael DiCiurcio flew his drones "unlawfully and unsafely" — including at night and dangerously close to buildings and landmarks like the William Penn statue.  DiCiurcio operates a YouTube channel called PhillyDroneLife, where he films and uploads "drone footage from sunrises to sunsets with the beautiful city skyline as the backdrop," accordi…
Naughty Nurse Practitioner In Latham Helped Friend Get Controlled Drugs, Feds Say Naughty Nurse Practitioner In Latham Helped Friend Get Controlled Drugs, Feds Say
Naughty Nurse Practitioner In Latham Helped Friend Get Controlled Drugs, Feds Say A nurse practitioner from the region is facing federal charges for allegedly helping a friend acquire controlled drugs. Albany County resident Christopher Viagrande, age 41, of Latham, is accused of distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and with no legitimate medical purpose, according to a complaint filed in Albany federal court on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Prosecutors said Viagrande, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, prescribed amphetamine to someone who was never his patient on 40 occasions between May 2021 and December 2023. Amphetamines are stimulants t…
Philadelphia Knifepoint Kidnapper Could Face Life In Prison: Feds Philadelphia Knifepoint Kidnapper Could Face Life In Prison: Feds
Philadelphia Knifepoint Kidnapper Could Face Life In Prison: Feds A North Carolina man who pleaded guilty to one attempted abduction and one kidnapping in Philadelphia will learn his sentence this week, federal officials say.  Jacob Alex Montague has a court hearing scheduled for Friday, Feb. 16 at 1:30 p.m., according to the US Attorney's Office.  Investigators have said Montague tried kidnapping a 28-year-old woman at knifepoint near the intersection of 20th and Spruce Streets late on Nov. 1, 2020.  He tried again the next day, parking his car near the corner of 24th and Spruce Streets and abducting a 26-year-old woman after threate…
Paterson Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Using Excessive Force Twice: Prosecutors Paterson Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Using Excessive Force Twice: Prosecutors
Paterson Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Using Excessive Force Twice: Prosecutors A 32-year-old Wayne resident and Paterson police officer pleaded guilty on Thursday, Feb. 8 to using excessive force during two separate arrests in late 2020, the US Attorney's Office announced. On Nov. 26, 2020, Kevin Patino responded to a call for backup from a police officer attempting to disperse a crowd on Main Street in Paterson, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Patino got into an altercation with a person getting into verbal exchange with the officer, pushing them into the street, Sellinger said. Patino then threw them to the ground and proceeded to repeatedly strike them, Selling…
Warminster Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ Warminster Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ
Warminster Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: Usdoj A Warminster man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine in York County, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Matthew Moss, 37, previously pleaded guilty to possessing more than 270 grams of meth for distribution, said prosecutors in a release.  Investigators said they went undercover and purchased 140 grams from Moss in York County in November 2021. He fled when they tried to arrest him and led authorities on a vehicle and foot chase, officials said.  When captured, Moss had an additional 133 grams of 96-percent-pure meth in his …
Pennsylvania Man Who Shot FBI Agents Convicted: USDOJ Pennsylvania Man Who Shot FBI Agents Convicted: USDOJ
Pennsylvania Man Who Shot FBI Agents Convicted: Usdoj Rafael Vega-Rodriguez "sealed his own fate" when he opened fire on three FBI agents in Reading four years ago, says the US Attorney's Office.  The 41-year-old was convicted Friday, Feb. 2 for three counts of attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer and related offenses, federal prosecutors wrote in a release.  Authorities said Vega-Rodriguez was wanted for a state parole violation when the trio of FBI agents spotted him on West Greenwich Street on March 1, 2020.  When the agents tried to stop him, authorities said Vega-Rodriguez drew a handgun from his…
Brentwood MS-13 Member Gets Decades For 'Barbaric' Machete Killings Of 2 Men, Other Crimes Brentwood MS-13 Member Gets Decades For 'Barbaric' Machete Killings Of 2 Men, Other Crimes
Brentwood MS-13 Member Gets Decades For 'Barbaric' Machete Killings Of 2 Men, Other Crimes A member of the notorious MS-13 gang will spend decades in prison for his role in brutally killing two Long Island men and other crimes. Jonathan Hernandez, age 26, of Brentwood, was sentenced to over 43 years in prison in Central Islip federal court on Wednesday, Jan. 31. It followed his guilty plea to racketeering charges in May 2022 stemming from his participation in the January 2016 murder of Michael Johnson and the killing of Oscar Acosta three months later. According to prosecutors, Hernandez is a member of the Sailors clique of MS-13 and wanted to increase his status in the gang. …
Woman Exposed Herself On Philly-Bound Flight, Federal Prosecutors Claim Woman Exposed Herself On Philly-Bound Flight, Federal Prosecutors Claim
Woman Exposed Herself On Philly-Bound Flight, Federal Prosecutors Claim A passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight bound for Philadelphia International Airport threatened to kill passengers and assaulted a flight attendant before pulling her pants down in the aisle, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Dolce Huertas, 60, of Philadelphia, is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, simple assault, and indecent exposure, prosecutors said in a release.  During a flight from Orlando on Nov. 20, authorities said Huertas was served two alcoholic drinks. She rose from her seat to use the bathroom during the plane's descent into P…
Bedford Hills Man Nabbed For Sexually Exploiting Boy Gets More Charges: Feds Bedford Hills Man Nabbed For Sexually Exploiting Boy Gets More Charges: Feds
Bedford Hills Man Nabbed For Sexually Exploiting Boy Gets More Charges: Feds More details have emerged about a Northern Westchester man accused of sexually exploiting a teenage boy, federal officials announced.  Bedford Hills resident James Collins Jr., age 67, was arrested on sexual exploitation charges on Wednesday morning, Jan. 24, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, Collins tried persuading an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old boy to meet him at a library in New Castle to engage in sexual activities.  Earlier Report - Man Engages in Sexua…