ORLANDO—United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that yesterday a federal jury found Linell Devon Lowe (22) and Latavis Deyonta Mackroy (20) guilty of conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery and the brandishing of a firearm during the commission of the robbery. Both men face a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for the robbery, plus a mandatory minimum, consecutive sentence of seven years, up to life in prison, on the firearm offense. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2014.
Lowe and Mackroy were indicted on December 11, 2013. A third person, who acted as lookout during the robbery, pleaded guilty on February 24, 2014.
According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, on May 23, 2013, Lowe and Mackroy, armed with a firearm and a hammer, robbed the Value Pawn and Jewelry located at 2200 E. Semoran Boulevard, in Apopka, Florida. During the course of the robbery, they made death threats and intimidated two employees and a customer. Mackroy repeatedly hit a customer with a hammer and then stole approximately 100 pieces of gold and diamond jewelry, while Lowe pointed a gun at the manager and stole the cash from the registers.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Apopka Police Department, with assistance from both the Winter Garden Police and Orlando Police Departments. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
Showing posts with label Hobbs Act violation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hobbs Act violation. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Former Director of Cleveland and Dayton VA Medical Centers Pleads Guilty to Taking Money While Steering VA Work to Design Firm
The former director of the Cleveland and Dayton VA Medical Center pleaded guilty today to a scheme to enrich himself by working as a consultant for and taking money and other things of value from a design firm bidding on VA jobs and sharing confidential information about construction projects while still employed by the VA, law enforcement officials said.
William D. Montague, 61, of Brecksville, pleaded guilty to 64 counts, including Hobbs Act conspiracy, conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, violating the Hobbs Act, money laundering, multiple counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, disclosing public contract information, and other charges.
Montague is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20. He agreed to pay more than $390,000 to satisfy restitution and forfeiture requirements
“As a Veterans Affairs Medical Center Director, William Montague misled staff and misused his position to enrich himself and businesses pursuing contracts with the agency,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office. “We are pleased with the acceptance of responsibility by Mr. Montague, along with the significant forfeiture amount to be returned to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.”
“Today’s guilty plea is the result of a two-year investigation conducted by special agents of the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” said Gavin McClaren, U.S. VA Office of Inspector General, Resident Agent in Charge, Cleveland. “We will continue to protect taxpayers against those who would enrich themselves at the expense of our nation’s veterans.”
Montague served as director of the Cleveland VA Medical Center from 1995 until February 3, 2010. On March 11, 2011, Montague began working as director of the Dayton VA Medical Center, a position he held through December 17, 2011, according to the indictment.
The superseding indictment details interactions between Montague and a company identified as Business 75, an integrated design firm with offices throughout the United States, including New York, Illinois, Virginia, Missouri, and California. The company performed work for the VA directly and through its participation in joint ventures and other teaming agreements, according to the indictment.
From January 2010, Montague, Business 75, and employees of the company conspired to defraud the VA of its right to the honest and faithful service of Montague through bribery and kickbacks and to defraud the VA and other potential VA contractors by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, according to the indictment.
Montague secretly used his position as Dayton VA Medical Center director to enrich himself and his designees (including House of Montague, a financial services company Montague operated) by soliciting and accepting gifts, payments, and other things of value from Business 75 in exchange for favorable official actions, according to the indictment.
Montague solicited money and a consulting contract from Business 75 in exchange for information related to VA contracts and projects, which would benefit Business 75, Business 75’s principal and their designees, according to the indictment.
This was done to give Business 75 an advantage in obtaining VA contracts and projects. Montague gave false and misleading information to VA employees about his reasons for requesting VA documents and information, according to the indictment.
For example, on March 1, 2011, Business 75 issued a $20,000 check payable to Montague, which he deposited into the House of Montague’s account. Ten days later, Business 75’s principal sent an e-mail to some employees with Montague’s consulting agreement explaining: “His job is to help us bring in more work from the VA, in part by helping us access key decision makers,” according to the indictment.
On March 14, 2011, Business 75’s principal sent another e-mail to some employees stating that Business 75 will end the current “$15 [million VA] IDIQ contract with just slightly over $12M in sales. $3M in fee, therefore, will be left on the table…[O]ne of MONTAGUE’s jobs will be to fill up the bucket by directing task orders toward our contract, Going forward, we have two $15M buckets to fill (Central and Eastern regions). That’s a lot of shoveling to get to $30M…BILL has the relationships to help us maximize the contracts…On the VA ‘major construction’ front here is the list of medical centers and their approximate construction cost in the pipeline: West Los Angeles, CA: $750M; San Francisco, CA: $125M, Reno, NV: $115M, Alameda, CA: $225M. Montague told us about these before they were advertised, which has allowed us to get an early start in developing the team. If we bring him on board, he can help us pull in one or two of these large projects,” according to the indictment.
On May 26, 2011, Montague traveled to Washington, D.C. on official VA business. On June 17, 2011, he caused to be submitted a government expense report seeking reimbursement for $1,204 for hotels, parking, per diems, and other expenses. On June 12, 2011, Montague caused to be sent a $2,741 invoice to Business 75 for “consulting services” for work performed at “Wash/Cleve/Dayton.” The invoice included $211 for hotel and $30.60 for hotel taxes incurred on May 26, 2011, according to the indictment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Antoinette T. Bacon and Justin J. Roberts following an investigation by the FBI and United States Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General.
William D. Montague, 61, of Brecksville, pleaded guilty to 64 counts, including Hobbs Act conspiracy, conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, violating the Hobbs Act, money laundering, multiple counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, disclosing public contract information, and other charges.
Montague is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20. He agreed to pay more than $390,000 to satisfy restitution and forfeiture requirements
“As a Veterans Affairs Medical Center Director, William Montague misled staff and misused his position to enrich himself and businesses pursuing contracts with the agency,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office. “We are pleased with the acceptance of responsibility by Mr. Montague, along with the significant forfeiture amount to be returned to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.”
“Today’s guilty plea is the result of a two-year investigation conducted by special agents of the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” said Gavin McClaren, U.S. VA Office of Inspector General, Resident Agent in Charge, Cleveland. “We will continue to protect taxpayers against those who would enrich themselves at the expense of our nation’s veterans.”
Montague served as director of the Cleveland VA Medical Center from 1995 until February 3, 2010. On March 11, 2011, Montague began working as director of the Dayton VA Medical Center, a position he held through December 17, 2011, according to the indictment.
The superseding indictment details interactions between Montague and a company identified as Business 75, an integrated design firm with offices throughout the United States, including New York, Illinois, Virginia, Missouri, and California. The company performed work for the VA directly and through its participation in joint ventures and other teaming agreements, according to the indictment.
From January 2010, Montague, Business 75, and employees of the company conspired to defraud the VA of its right to the honest and faithful service of Montague through bribery and kickbacks and to defraud the VA and other potential VA contractors by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, according to the indictment.
Montague secretly used his position as Dayton VA Medical Center director to enrich himself and his designees (including House of Montague, a financial services company Montague operated) by soliciting and accepting gifts, payments, and other things of value from Business 75 in exchange for favorable official actions, according to the indictment.
Montague solicited money and a consulting contract from Business 75 in exchange for information related to VA contracts and projects, which would benefit Business 75, Business 75’s principal and their designees, according to the indictment.
This was done to give Business 75 an advantage in obtaining VA contracts and projects. Montague gave false and misleading information to VA employees about his reasons for requesting VA documents and information, according to the indictment.
For example, on March 1, 2011, Business 75 issued a $20,000 check payable to Montague, which he deposited into the House of Montague’s account. Ten days later, Business 75’s principal sent an e-mail to some employees with Montague’s consulting agreement explaining: “His job is to help us bring in more work from the VA, in part by helping us access key decision makers,” according to the indictment.
On March 14, 2011, Business 75’s principal sent another e-mail to some employees stating that Business 75 will end the current “$15 [million VA] IDIQ contract with just slightly over $12M in sales. $3M in fee, therefore, will be left on the table…[O]ne of MONTAGUE’s jobs will be to fill up the bucket by directing task orders toward our contract, Going forward, we have two $15M buckets to fill (Central and Eastern regions). That’s a lot of shoveling to get to $30M…BILL has the relationships to help us maximize the contracts…On the VA ‘major construction’ front here is the list of medical centers and their approximate construction cost in the pipeline: West Los Angeles, CA: $750M; San Francisco, CA: $125M, Reno, NV: $115M, Alameda, CA: $225M. Montague told us about these before they were advertised, which has allowed us to get an early start in developing the team. If we bring him on board, he can help us pull in one or two of these large projects,” according to the indictment.
On May 26, 2011, Montague traveled to Washington, D.C. on official VA business. On June 17, 2011, he caused to be submitted a government expense report seeking reimbursement for $1,204 for hotels, parking, per diems, and other expenses. On June 12, 2011, Montague caused to be sent a $2,741 invoice to Business 75 for “consulting services” for work performed at “Wash/Cleve/Dayton.” The invoice included $211 for hotel and $30.60 for hotel taxes incurred on May 26, 2011, according to the indictment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Antoinette T. Bacon and Justin J. Roberts following an investigation by the FBI and United States Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Lookout in Hobbs Act Robbery and Murder of Woonsocket Gas Station Manager Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison
PROVIDENCE, RI—Kelley M. Lajoie, 35, formerly of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 188 months in federal prison for her role as lookout in the September 2010 armed robbery and murder of Woonsocket gas station manager David D. Main.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Vincent B. Lisi of the FBI’s Boston Field Office; Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Chief Thomas S. Carey of the Woonsocket Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, on September 20, 2010, Main, 49, was chased, shot to death at close range and robbed by Jason Wayne Pleau, 36, of Providence, as he approached the doorstep of a Woonsocket bank where he was preparing to deposit more than $12,500 in cash belonging to the gas station. Lajoie admitted to the court that she acted as a lookout and alerted Jason Pleau when Mr. Main left the gas station to travel to the bank.
According to information presented to the court, earlier on the morning of September 20, 2010, Pleau, Lajoie, and a third co-defendant, Jose Santiago, the getaway driver, visited the gas station to identify Mr. Main and to identify his car. After making a dry run with Pleau, Lajoie drove Pleau to an area near the back of the bank and dropped him off. Meanwhile, Santiago waited in a nearby cul-de-sac in a white box truck to be used by Pleau and Santiago to flee after the robbery.
Lajoie admitted to the court that she waited in her car across the street from the Shell gas station for David Main to leave. When he did, Lajoie placed a call to Jason Pleau and followed Mr. Main to the bank. Lajoie later reunited with Pleau and Santiago at an apartment in Providence. Lajoie admitted to the court that she and Santiago shared in about half of the more than $12,500 dollars in cash taken from Mr. Main by Jason Pleau.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Lajoie to serve five years’ supervised release upon completion of her prison term. Lajoie pleaded guilty on December 9, 2011, to one count each of Hobbs Act conspiracy; aiding and abetting a Hobbs Act robbery; and use of a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence.
Pleau, who pleaded guilty on July 31, 2013, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; Hobbs Act robbery; and carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence resulting in death was sentenced in October 2013 to serve life in federal prison.
Santiago, who pleaded guilty on September 5, 2013, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; Hobbs Act robbery; and carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence resulting in death was sentenced on February 13, 2014, to 40 years in federal prison.
The matter was investigated by the Woonsocket Police Department, Rhode Island State Police, and the FBI, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rhode Island National Guard.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adi Goldstein and William J. Ferland of the District of Rhode Island and Trial Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Vincent B. Lisi of the FBI’s Boston Field Office; Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Chief Thomas S. Carey of the Woonsocket Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, on September 20, 2010, Main, 49, was chased, shot to death at close range and robbed by Jason Wayne Pleau, 36, of Providence, as he approached the doorstep of a Woonsocket bank where he was preparing to deposit more than $12,500 in cash belonging to the gas station. Lajoie admitted to the court that she acted as a lookout and alerted Jason Pleau when Mr. Main left the gas station to travel to the bank.
According to information presented to the court, earlier on the morning of September 20, 2010, Pleau, Lajoie, and a third co-defendant, Jose Santiago, the getaway driver, visited the gas station to identify Mr. Main and to identify his car. After making a dry run with Pleau, Lajoie drove Pleau to an area near the back of the bank and dropped him off. Meanwhile, Santiago waited in a nearby cul-de-sac in a white box truck to be used by Pleau and Santiago to flee after the robbery.
Lajoie admitted to the court that she waited in her car across the street from the Shell gas station for David Main to leave. When he did, Lajoie placed a call to Jason Pleau and followed Mr. Main to the bank. Lajoie later reunited with Pleau and Santiago at an apartment in Providence. Lajoie admitted to the court that she and Santiago shared in about half of the more than $12,500 dollars in cash taken from Mr. Main by Jason Pleau.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Lajoie to serve five years’ supervised release upon completion of her prison term. Lajoie pleaded guilty on December 9, 2011, to one count each of Hobbs Act conspiracy; aiding and abetting a Hobbs Act robbery; and use of a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence.
Pleau, who pleaded guilty on July 31, 2013, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; Hobbs Act robbery; and carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence resulting in death was sentenced in October 2013 to serve life in federal prison.
Santiago, who pleaded guilty on September 5, 2013, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; Hobbs Act robbery; and carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence resulting in death was sentenced on February 13, 2014, to 40 years in federal prison.
The matter was investigated by the Woonsocket Police Department, Rhode Island State Police, and the FBI, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rhode Island National Guard.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adi Goldstein and William J. Ferland of the District of Rhode Island and Trial Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Lenoir City Residents Arrested on Federal Charges
KNOXVILLE—Joshua Hayworth, 23, and Timothy E. Chudley, 35, both of Lenoir City, Tennessee, were charged on February 5, 2014, with federal Hobbs Act violations for their roles in the January 30, 2014 robbery of a Lenoir City Burger King restaurant.
Chudley was arrested in Knoxville on February 5, 2014, without incident and appeared in federal court the same day. Hayworth was arrested on state charges on February 3, 2014, following a series of events which also resulted in federal carjacking charges against Hayworth. He will appear in federal court at a later date.
The criminal complaint on file with the U.S. District Court charges both men with federal Hobbs Act violations, while Hayworth is also charged with carjacking. The complaint alleges that Hayworth, with the assistance of Chudley, planned the robbery of the Lenoir City Burger King, which was carried out on January 30, 2014. According to the complaint, on February 3, 2014, Hayworth was observed driving a stolen vehicle in Knoxville, which Hayworth abandoned in a trailer park on Bob Gray Road, as law enforcement pursued.
Later the same day, Hayworth is accused of carjacking another vehicle from a pregnant female on Doubletree Lane in Knoxville, which he wrecked on Bob Gray Road. After fleeing on foot, it is alleged that Hayworth broke into a residence, where he was apprehended by law enforcement. Follow-up investigation by the multiple agencies involved uncovered Chudley’s role in the robbery scheme.
The arrests are the result of joint efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF), composed of the FBI, Knoxville Police Department (KPD), and Knox County Sheriff’s Department (KCSO); the Lenoir City Police Department; KPD; KCSO; Loudon County Sheriff’s Office; and the Clinton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Norris will represent the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Chudley was arrested in Knoxville on February 5, 2014, without incident and appeared in federal court the same day. Hayworth was arrested on state charges on February 3, 2014, following a series of events which also resulted in federal carjacking charges against Hayworth. He will appear in federal court at a later date.
The criminal complaint on file with the U.S. District Court charges both men with federal Hobbs Act violations, while Hayworth is also charged with carjacking. The complaint alleges that Hayworth, with the assistance of Chudley, planned the robbery of the Lenoir City Burger King, which was carried out on January 30, 2014. According to the complaint, on February 3, 2014, Hayworth was observed driving a stolen vehicle in Knoxville, which Hayworth abandoned in a trailer park on Bob Gray Road, as law enforcement pursued.
Later the same day, Hayworth is accused of carjacking another vehicle from a pregnant female on Doubletree Lane in Knoxville, which he wrecked on Bob Gray Road. After fleeing on foot, it is alleged that Hayworth broke into a residence, where he was apprehended by law enforcement. Follow-up investigation by the multiple agencies involved uncovered Chudley’s role in the robbery scheme.
The arrests are the result of joint efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF), composed of the FBI, Knoxville Police Department (KPD), and Knox County Sheriff’s Department (KCSO); the Lenoir City Police Department; KPD; KCSO; Loudon County Sheriff’s Office; and the Clinton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Norris will represent the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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