Saratoga County Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested in FBI Sting

ALBANY, NY—Charles E. Fuller, 46, of Corinth, New York, a Saratoga County Deputy Sheriff, was charged today by criminal complaint with attempting to aid and abet the possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Division. Fuller was arrested earlier today at the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel at 3:00 p.m. A detention hearing is scheduled before United States Magistrate Judge Randolph F. Treece on March 3, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. If convicted, Fuller faces a maximum of 40 years in prison, a mandatory minimum period of imprisonment of five years, and a maximum fine of $5,000,000.
The complaint alleges that on or about February 27, 2014, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of a FBI confidential source, arranged for a controlled delivery by Charles E. Fuller of what was purported to be one kilogram of cocaine. After Fuller transported the confidential source and one kilogram of a substance the confidential source claimed was cocaine from a location in Albany County to a location in Warren County, the FBI confidential source paid Fuller $4,000 in prerecorded currency. Fuller is alleged to have engaged in this conduct while he was off-duty.
U.S. Attorney Hartunian said, “This is a difficult day for law enforcement in Saratoga County and beyond. The conduct by Deputy Sheriff Fuller alleged in the complaint constitutes a betrayal of both the citizens in the community that he is sworn to protect but also the countless honest and dedicated law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. We will continue to work with the FBI and our state and local law enforcement officers to root out this conduct wherever it lies.”
Special Agent in Charge Andrew W. Vale stated, “Corrupt law enforcement officers insult the many honorable officers who serve with integrity. Any law enforcement officer who violates his oath to protect the community and instead takes part in criminal activity should expect the same outcome as a criminal. The public has the right to be assured of the integrity of its public servants, in particular those charged with enforcing the law. Today’s arrest serves as a reminder that no one is above the law and that the FBI is committed to working with the law enforcement community to prevent the erosion of public trust that accompanies such incidents. I would like to extend my appreciation to Saratoga County Sheriff Zurlo for his cooperation throughout this investigation.”
Saratoga County Sheriff Michael H. Zurlo stated, “The allegations against Fuller are an affront to and undermine the integrity of the hardworking men and women of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. We will not tolerate corruption among our ranks. Our promise to the people of Saratoga County is that we will continue to work diligently to ensure that every member of this office deserves the respect and trust of our community.”
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

Naples Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to the FBI

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Brandon Todd, 20, of Naples, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Noto, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant called the FBI in April and early May 2013 claiming to have information about sex trafficking. Todd also claimed to be involved in sex trafficking and to have connections to a group involved in sex trafficking. Following the defendant’s calls, the FBI began an investigation into Todd’s claims. On July 10, 2013, the defendant made false statements to an FBI special agent that he had recruited approximately 49 girls for a sex trafficking ring and that he was a member of a gang. At the time, Todd knew that these statements were false. These false statements—concerning the nature of the defendant’s involvement in a sex trafficking ring and his affiliation with a gang—were material to the FBI’s investigation.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent In Charge Brian Boetig.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 15, 2014, at 3:30 p.m. before Judge Geraci.

FBI, Partners Help Clean Up Community Following Gang-Related Arrests

The FBI and Los Angeles Police Department, working with multiple other agencies and non-profit organizations, are cleaning up approximately 50 alleys in South Los Angeles where gang-related arrests were carried out earlier this year. The multi-agency teams are removing graffiti, trash, discarded furniture, and other bulky items, as well as overgrown brush. The area being cleaned is located between Crenshaw Boulevard, Normandie Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard, and Martin L. King Jr. Boulevard. There is an organization on hand to assist with any homeless encampments.

Before clean-up | Download high res image

Law enforcement efforts to investigate and dismantle criminal street gangs whose members are committing serious crimes within the city of Los Angeles aim to reduce the fear of crime experienced by citizens who reside in crime-ridden neighborhoods where investigations take place. The results are achieved mostly through the state and federal arrests of shot callers and leaders of the gang, coupled with the implementation of the city’s abatement process. Some examples of recent operations include Operations Stone Cold and Red Dawn and Operation Thumbs Down.

Clean-up in progress | Select photo to download high res image

Today’s clean-up is aimed at implementing preventive measures beyond suppression efforts. The community impact initiative was established to help residents in gang-ridden communities in an effort to prevent new gang members from replacing those sent to prison. This initiative is designed to assist the community and educate youth by introducing them to productive alternatives to lives of violence and delinquency.

FBI Offers $1,500 Reward for Man Wanted in Shooting on Navajo Indian Reservation

The FBI is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a Shiprock, New Mexico man wanted for the October 10, 2013 shooting of a woman at a housing complex on the Navajo Indian Reservation.
A federal arrest warrant charges Patrick Lynn Benally, 25, with assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with a dangerous weapon, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of a violence, and offense in Indian Country.
Benally is accused of shooting a woman in the face in Fruitland, New Mexico.
The woman was treated at a hospital, but her identity and whereabouts are not being released at this time.
Benally has relatives in the Durango, Colorado area, but he may still be on the Navajo Indian Reservation or in other areas of New Mexico.
Benally is Native American, about 5'5" tall, weighs approximately 180 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.

Patrick Lynn Benally

Initial reports indicated Benally may have been in a dark crew-cab pickup truck, but that vehicle has been located.
Benally is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone who sees Benally or knows his whereabouts should not approach him, but should instead contact the Albuquerque FBI at 505-889-1300 (24 hours) or submit a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov.
The Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and San Juan County Sheriff’s Office are assisting with this investigation.
- Wanted poster: Patrick Lynn Benally

Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening an Armed Attack Against the Polk County Department of Human Services Office

FORT SMITH, AR—Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Gregory Judge, age 50 of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty today to making interstate threats to injure a case worker at the Polk County Department of Human Services (DHS) and to commit an armed attack against the office. Chief Judge P. K. Holmes, III presided over the plea in federal court.
United States Attorney Eldridge commented, “Mass threats of violence, like the ones made by Gregory Judge, are something this office takes very seriously, especially in light of recent events. This office will continue to protect an individual’s right to be free from fear, and those who attempt to evoke terror in our communities will be brought to justice.”
According to court records, on October 10, 2012, Judge placed a phone call to Polk County Department of Human Services regarding his child, with whom his parental rights had been terminated. During this call, Judge became angry and made several threats to a case worker. Judge threatened to blow up the DHS offices and kill everyone in the building. He then referenced mass shootings in schools and told the case worker that he was going to do the same before December 2012. Judge stated that, while he planned to die during the attack, he was going to make sure he killed every person at the DHS before law enforcement killed him.
Judge was originally indicted on November 27, 2012. At sentencing, he will face a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
This case was investigated by the Mena Police Department, the Polk County Prosecuting Attorney, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Glen Hines is prosecuting the case for the United States.

Kansas City Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Armed Robbery, Firearms Violations

KANSAS CITY, KS—A Kansas City, Missouri man has been sentenced to 30 years for armed robbery and firearms violations, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
Mark R. Davis, 35, Kansas City, Missouri, was convicted in a jury trial in October 2012 on one count of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.
Co-defendant Abasi Baker was convicted in a jury trial on 21 counts, including seven counts of robbery, seven counts of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, and seven counts of brandishing a firearm during a robbery. He was sentenced to 164 years in federal prison.
The jury found Davis guilty of brandishing a .40 caliber Glock pistol while robbing the Radio Shack store at 6945 W. 7th Street in Overland Park on March 3, 2011. At the time, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of four prior felony convictions for robbery.
Grissom commended the following agencies and individuals for their work on the case: the FBI and the FBI Violent Crimes/Fugitive Task Force; the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office; the U.S. Attorney, Western District of Missouri; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department; the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department; the Overland Park Police Department; the Olathe Police Department; the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; the St. Joseph, Missouri Police Department; the Lee’s Summit, Missouri Police Department; the Mission, Kansas Police Department; and assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead, who prosecuted the case.

Watertown Man Sentenced for Stealing from Iron Mountain

BOSTON—A Watertown man was sentenced today for stealing over $1 million from his former employer.
John J. Palandjian, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf to 41 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and a $7,500 fine and ordered to pay $1,148,063 in restitution. In October 2012, Palandjian pleaded guilty to 10 counts of wire fraud.
Palandjian, a sourcing manager for Iron Mountain, a public company headquartered in Massachusetts, was responsible for purchasing supplies, reviewing credit card statements and requesting wire transfers for payment of credit card bills. From August 2010 to June 2011, Palandjian used Iron Mountain’s credit card to make unauthorized purchases and cash advances in excess of $1,148,000. Palandjian then altered the monthly credit card statements to hide his unauthorized charges and ensured that the bills were paid.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of Ortiz’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit.

Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Orchestrating Business Opportunity Advance Fee Scheme

BOSTON—A Florida man was convicted today in connection with a scheme to defraud over 125 victims out of more than $380,000 in a business opportunity advance fee scheme.
Lawrence Amirto, 59, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William G. Young to conspiracy and mail fraud.
Between June 2010 and December 2010, Amirto conspired with co-defendants Jamon Caswell and William Totaro to defraud victims in a business opportunity advance fee scheme involving an entity called Premier Service Group Inc. (PSG). Amirto, Caswell, and Totaro falsely claimed that PSG provided credit repair services to consumers. They also advertised in publications throughout the United States the sale of independent businesses whereby independent affiliates would purchase geographic territories and would receive leads from PSG for potential credit repair clients within those territories. The affiliates were to contact these leads, describe the services that PSG would provide, sign them up as clients of PSG, and earn commissions. Affiliates were told that representatives at PSG’s home office in Burlington, Massachusetts, provided the actual credit repair services, although PSG never provided any such service. Instead, many of the newly recruited affiliates were immediately given the opportunity to recruit additional affiliates. The new affiliates were thereby diverted from learning that there was no actual credit repair business while soliciting still more affiliates. The funds collected from new affiliates were used for making payments to other affiliates, for expenses associated with the scheme, or for the personal expenses of Amirto, Caswell, and Totaro.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 1, 2013. The maximum sentence under the statute is 20 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
In October 2012, Caswell pleaded guilty. Totaro is scheduled to plead guilty on January 30, 2013.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Kevin Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of Ortiz’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit.

Charlotte Woman Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for $730,000 Mail Fraud Scheme

CHARLOTTE, NC—A Charlotte woman was sentenced on Tuesday, January 22, 2013, by U.S. District Court Judge Frank Whitney to 41 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for carrying out a six-year mail fraud scheme against her employer, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $737,733.
U.S. Attorney Tompkins is joined in making today’s announcement by Roger A. Coe, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division.
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, Maureen Barbara Mallon, 67, of Charlotte, in July 2011 pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Court documents show that Mallon was employed by an insurance company in Charlotte as the company’s accounts payable/receivable manager and later as its office manager. From 2004 to 2010, Mallon engaged in a scheme to defraud her employer, court records indicate. According to court documents, Mallon’s position at the insurance company gave her full access to the company’s operating account and made her responsible for various administrative and financial tasks, including processing invoices and remitting payments of insurance premiums to insurance companies underwriting client policies for Mallon’s employer.
Court records indicate that beginning in March 2004, Mallon began issuing duplicate insurance premium payments from her employer’s operating accounts. According to court documents, Mallon would mail one check to the underwriting insurance company and deposit a duplicate check into her personal bank account. Filed court documents show that the duplicate company check was usually made payable to “Amwins Brokerage of the Carolinas,” which was an underwriting insurance company that did business with Mallon’s employer. To facilitate the deposit of the fraudulent checks, Mallon changed the name on the personal bank account to “Maureen B Mallon DBA Amwins Brokerage,” court records show.
According to court records and proceedings, over the course of six years, Mallon deposited approximately $730,000 into her personal bank account and used the money for personal expenditures, including vehicle expenses and residential rental payments.
Mallon was ordered to self-report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin her sentence upon the designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
The investigation was handled by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark T. Odulio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Interstate Travel to Promote Prostitution

ANCHORAGE—U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that an Anchorage man was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage for one count of interstate travel to promote prostitution. Brandon Michael Gadson traveled to Anchorage in July 2010, with three women, the youngest of whom was 19 years old, and another man for the purpose of trafficking the women on the Internet. After arriving, Gadson paid for the hotel rooms for two of the women, and his credit card was used to post explicit advertisements on the Internet that the women were available for commercial sex acts. The vice squad of the Anchorage Police Department conducted a “sting” operation and detectives with that unit arrested the three women in less than an hour from the start of the operation. When arrested, Gadson had approximately $10,000 in his pocket, but the three women had only insignificant amounts of cash in their possession.
Gadson, 32, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced January 18, 2013, by United States District Court Judge Sharon M. Gleason, to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. During his period of supervised release, Gadson is restricted from use of the Internet without his probation officer’s permission. The sentence imposed was in accordance with the United States Sentencing Guidelines for this crime.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel R. Cooper, Jr., Gadson appeared in at least three videos published on YouTube, all of which lyricized the degradation of women through sex trafficking and promoted the exploitation of women through physical force. In his sentencing remarks, Cooper noted the Alaska State Legislature’s recent recognition that prostitution is, in reality, sex trafficking.
In imposing sentence, Judge Gleason termed Gadson’s conduct demeaning to women and called his crime reprehensible. Judge Gleason found that Gadson was a long-time trafficker, essentially living off women, and so proud of his conduct that he had the word “Pimp” tattooed on the side of his neck. Judge Gleason noted that the tattoos and videos in which Gadson appears are despicable ways to project his sense of self to his family and children. Judge Gleason also said that Gadson’s conduct towards the women he had trafficked, and the videos in which he appeared, were despicable, as was his living off them. Moreover, Judge Gleason found that the assaultive behavior described in the police reports with respect to Jane Doe 1 was egregious.
U.S. Attorney Loeffler stated, “The United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with the Anchorage Vice Squad and the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ Innocence Lost Task Force, has prioritized the investigation and prosecution of sex trafficking, with particular emphasis on trafficking and exploitation of children and Native Alaskans. We will work with our state, local, and federal partners to continuously and systematically attack this most exploitive of crimes.”
Ms. Loeffler commends the Vice Squad of the Anchorage Police Department for the investigation of this case, with the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Innocence Lost Task Force.

David Colemen Headley Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Role in India and Denmark Terror Plots

WASHINGTON—David Coleman Headley, a U.S. citizen partly of Pakistani descent, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for a dozen federal terrorism crimes relating to his role in planning the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, and a subsequent proposed attack on a newspaper in Denmark. Headley pleaded guilty in March 2010 to all 12 counts that were brought against him following his arrest in October 2009 as he was about to leave the country. Immediately after his arrest, Headley began cooperating with authorities.
Headley, 52, was ordered to serve 35 years, followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber. There is no federal parole and defendants must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence. “Mr. Headley is a terrorist,” Judge Leinenweber said in imposing the sentence.
“There is little question that life imprisonment would be an appropriate punishment for Headley’s incredibly serious crimes but for the significant value provided by his immediate and extensive cooperation,” the government argued in seeking a sentence of 30 to 35 years.
In pleading guilty and later testifying for the government at the trial of a co-defendant, Headley admitted that he attended training camps in Pakistan operated by Lashkar e Tayyiba, a terrorist organization operating in that country, on five separate occasions between 2002 and 2005. In late 2005, Headley received instructions from three members of Lashkar to travel to India to conduct surveillance, which he did five times leading up to the Mumbai attacks in 2008 that killed approximately 164 people, including six Americans, and wounded hundreds more. Headley’s plea agreement in March 2010 stated that he “has provided substantial assistance to the criminal investigation and also has provided information of significant intelligence value.”
In consideration of Headley’s past cooperation and anticipated future cooperation, which would include debriefings for the purpose of gathering intelligence and national security information, as well as testifying in any foreign judicial proceedings held in the United States by way of deposition, video-conferencing or letters rogatory, the Attorney General of the United States authorized the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago not to seek the death penalty.
“Today’s sentence is an important milestone in our continuing efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attacks and to achieve justice for the victims. Our investigations into Mumbai attacks and the Denmark terror plot are ongoing and active. I thank the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors responsible for this investigation and prosecution,” said Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.
Headley was convicted of conspiracy to bomb public places in India; conspiracy to murder and maim persons in India; six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of U.S. citizens in India; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in India; conspiracy to murder and maim persons in Denmark; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in Denmark; and conspiracy to provide material support to Lashkar.
According to Headley’s guilty plea and testimony, he attended the following training camps operated by Lashkar: a three-week course starting in February 2002 that provided indoctrination on the merits of waging jihad; a three-week course starting in August 2002 that provided training in the use of weapons and grenades; a three-month course starting in April 2003 that taught close combat tactics, the use of weapons and grenades and survival skills; a three-week course starting in August 2003 that taught counter-surveillance skills; and a three-month course starting in December 2003 that provided combat and tactical training.
Mumbai Terror Attacks
After receiving instructions in late 2005 to conduct surveillance in India, Headley changed his given name from Daood Gilani in February 2006 in Philadelphia to facilitate his activities on behalf of Lashkar by portraying himself in India as an American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani. In the early summer of 2006, Headley and two Lashkar members discussed opening an immigration office in Mumbai as a cover for his surveillance activities.
Headley eventually made five extended trips to Mumbai—in September 2006, February and September 2007, and April and July 2008—each time making videotapes of various potential targets, including those attacked in November 2008. Before each trip, Lashkar members and associates instructed Headley regarding specific locations where he was to conduct surveillance. After each trip, Headley traveled to Pakistan to meet with Lashkar members and associates, report on the results of his surveillance, and provide the surveillance videos.
Before the April 2008 surveillance trip, Headley and co-conspirators in Pakistan discussed potential landing sites in Mumbai for a team of attackers who would arrive by sea. Headley returned to Mumbai with a global positioning system device and took boat trips around the Mumbai harbor and entered various locations into the device.
Between November 26 and 28, 2008, 10 attackers trained by Lashkar carried out multiple assaults with firearms, grenades, and improvised explosive devices against multiple targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, the Leopold Café, the Chabad House, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, each of which Headley had scouted in advance, killing approximately 164 victims and wounding hundreds more.
The six Americans killed during the siege were Ben Zion Chroman, Gavriel Holtzberg, Sandeep Jeswani, Alan Scherr, his daughter Naomi Scherr, and Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum.
In March 2009, Headley made a sixth trip to India to conduct additional surveillance, including of the National Defense College in Delhi, and of Chabad Houses in several cities.
Denmark Terror Plot
Regarding the Denmark terror plot, Headley admitted and testified that in early November 2008, he was instructed by a Lashkar member in Pakistan, to conduct surveillance of the Copenhagen and Aarhus offices of the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten in preparation for an attack in retaliation for the newspaper’s publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. After this meeting, Headley informed co-defendant Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed (Abdur Rehman), also known as “Pasha,” of his assignment. Abdur Rehman told Headley words to the effect that if Lashkar did not go through with the attack, Abdur Rehman knew someone who would. Although not identified by name at the time, Headley later learned this individual was co-defendant Ilyas Kashmiri. Abdur Rehman previously told Headley that he was working with Kashmiri and that Kashmiri was in direct contact with a senior leader of al Qaeda.
While in Chicago in late December 2008 and early January 2009, Headley exchanged e-mails with Abdur Rehman to continue planning for the attack and to coordinate his travel to Denmark to conduct surveillance. In January 2009, at Lashkar’s direction, Headley traveled from Chicago to Copenhagen to conduct surveillance of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus and scouted and videotaped the surrounding areas.
In late January 2009, Headley met separately with Abdur Rehman and a Lashkar member in Pakistan, discussed the planned attack on the newspaper, and provided them with videos of his surveillance. About the same time, Abdur Rehman provided Headley a video produced by the media wing of al Qaeda in approximately August 2008, which claimed credit for the June 2008 attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, and called for further attacks against Danish interests to avenge the publication of the offending cartoons.
In February 2009, Headley and Abdur Rehman met with Kashmiri in the Waziristan region of Pakistan, where they discussed the video surveillance and ways to carry out the attack. Kashmiri told Headley that he could provide manpower for the operation and that Lashkar’s participation was not necessary. In March 2009, a Lashkar member advised Headley that Lashkar put the newspaper attack on hold because of pressure resulting from the Mumbai attacks. In May 2009, Headley and Abdur Rehman again met with Kashmiri in Waziristan. Kashmiri told Headley to meet with a European contact who could provide Headley with money, weapons and manpower for the Denmark attack and relate Kashmiri’s instructions that this should be a suicide attack and the attackers should prepare martyrdom videos beforehand. Kashmiri also stated that the attackers should behead captives and throw their heads on to the street in Copenhagen to heighten the response from Danish authorities, and added that the “elders,” whom Headley understood to be al Qaeda leadership, wanted the attack to happen as soon as possible.
In late July and early August 2009, Headley traveled from Chicago to various places in Europe and met with and attempted to obtain assistance from Kashmiri’s contacts and, while in Copenhagen, he made approximately 13 additional surveillance videos. When he returned to the United States on August 5, 2009, Headley falsely told a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspector in Atlanta that he had visited Europe for business reasons. On October 3, 2009, Headley was arrested at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, intending ultimately to travel to Pakistan to deliver the approximately 13 surveillance videos to Abdur Rehman and Kashmiri.
One of Headley’s co-defendants, Tahawwur Rana, 52, of Chicago, was sentenced last week to 14 years in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to the Denmark terror plot and providing material support to Lashkar. Headley testified for the government at Rana’s trial in June 2011.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Collins and Sarah E. Streicker, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have worked on a broader investigation of the Mumbai attacks. The investigation was conducted by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, led by the Chicago Office of the FBI, with assistance from FBI offices in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., as well as both U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Former CEO-President of San Diego-Based Company Charged in $28 Million Stock Fraud

United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging Mark Anthony Lopez—the former president and CEO of Unico Inc. (“Unico”)—with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and two counts of obstructing justice. Unico is a San Diego-based mining company whose stock is publically traded. Lopez was arrested on January 17, 2013, by special agents of the FBI.
According to the indictment, Lopez conspired with New Jersey-based stock trader Mark Allen Lefkowitz (who previously pled guilty) to manipulate the share price and volume of Unico’s stock to benefit corporate insiders at the expense of shareholders. As a result of the fraud, the company issued approximately nine billion new shares of its stock that it did not register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These new, unregistered shares diluted existing shares, causing their value to drop by as much as $7 million. At the same time, Lefkowitz received free-trading shares from Unico worth more than $28 million, which he sold to unsuspecting buyers on the open market.
To carry out the fraud, Lopez and Lefkowitz exploited Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act of 1933—a little-known provision that allows companies to issue unregistered shares of stock to settle “bona fide” debts. Lopez, on behalf of Unico, would enter into purported loan agreements with various shell corporations owned by Lefkowitz, most of which were based in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It was understood by the conspirators that Unico would purposefully default on the loan agreements so that Lefkowitz’s companies could initiate sham lawsuits against Unico.
Each and every one of these sham lawsuits would be brought by Florida-based lawyers in a Sarasota, Florida court. The Florida attorneys, even though they represented opposite sides in the lawsuits, would obtain their pleadings from a single Manhattan-based law firm that oversaw the sham lawsuits. Very soon after each lawsuit was filed—and typically within the very same week—Lopez and Lefkowitz would draft a written settlement agreement. The terms of the written settlement agreement would be extremely favorable to Lefkowitz. In short, Lopez would agree to settle Unico’s debt by issuing unregistered shares of stock worth, on average, seven times the debt that Unico actually owed. According to a secret side-agreement with Lopez, Lefkowitz would sell the shares on the open market to unsuspecting buyers and kick back a portion of the proceeds to Unico. This kickback would take the form of a new loan—which would have the added benefit of continuing the fraud scheme.
According to the indictment, Lopez also tried to obstruct an SEC probe into his misconduct by refusing to turn over e-mails, which he printed and concealed in two manila folders marked “Files Deleted” and another marked “Not Released to SEC Subpoena (Delete).” The indictment also alleged that Lopez redacted portions of an e-mail and tried to delete it from his computer and later lied to the SEC under oath during deposition testimony.
Lopez faces up to a total of 65 years in prison and $750,000 in fines. According to public filings, Lopez resigned his positions as CEO and president of Unico on June 9, 2012.
United States Attorney Duffy emphasized that this type of fraud attacks the very heart of our financial system. “The leaders of corporations—including and especially CEOs—owe a special duty to their shareholders. When these corporate leaders ignore that duty and use their positions to enrich insiders, it not only harms shareholders but also threatens to undermine confidence in our financial markets and slows our country’s ongoing economic recovery.” Duffy added that this investigation was initiated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Lopez is expected to appear in court before the Honorable Barbara L. Major on January 23, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. for a bond hearing, and before the Honorable Irma E. Gonzalez, United States District Court Judge on February 22, 2013, at 2:00 p.m., for a motion hearing.
Defendant in Case Number 12CR5236-IEG
Mark Anthony Lopez
Summary of Charges
Conspiracy to commit securities fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
Maximum penalties: 25 years in prison, five years’ supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
Destruction, alteration and falsification of records, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519. Maximum penalties: 20 years in prison, five years’ supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment
Federal Bureau of Investigation
An indictment itself is not evidence that the defendant committed the crimes charged. The defendant is presumed innocent until the United States meets its burden in court of proving guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Two Sentenced for Transportation and Attempted Sale of Stolen Matisse Painting

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced today’s sentencing of Pedro Antonio Marcuello Guzman, 46, of Miami, Florida, and Maria Martha Elisa Ornelas Lazo, 50, of Mexico City, Mexico, on charges relating to the July 17, 2012 interstate transportation and attempted sale of the stolen Henri Matisse painting “Odalisque in Red Pants” in Miami Beach, Florida.
At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Pedro Marcuello to 33 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Maria Ornelas was sentenced to 21 months in prison, to be followed by three years’ supervised release. The defendants pled guilty on October 30, 2012, to charges relating to the transportation, possession, and attempted sale of the stolen Henri Matisse painting.
According to court documents, between December 2011 and July 13, 2012, Marcuello, in a series of meetings with undercover agents of the FBI, negotiated the sale of an original Henri Matisse painting entitled “Odalisque in Red Pants,” which had been stolen from the Caracas Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas, Venezuela, around December 2002. During these meetings, Marcuello agreed to sell the stolen painting to the undercover agents for approximately $740,000 and also agreed to have the painting transported by courier to the United States from Mexico, where the painting was stored. The courier was identified by Marcuello as co-defendant Ornelas. Thereafter, on July 16, 2012, Ornelas transported the stolen Matisse painting to Miami from Mexico City. According to court documents, the following day, both Marcuello and Ornelas produced the Matisse painting titled “Odalisque in Red Pants” to undercover agents as part of the purported sales transaction. At the time of the purported sales transaction, both Marcuello and Ornelas knew the Matisse painting had been stolen.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. Mr. Ferrer would also like to thank the FBI Legal Attachés in Caracas and Paris, the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, and the Department of Justice Attaché in Paris. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Castrolugo.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

Essex County Man Sentenced to 207 Months in Prison for Robbing 10 Banks

TRENTON, NJ—An Essex County, New Jersey man was sentenced to 207 months in prison for federal bank robbery charges and discharge of a firearm in connection with bank robbery, United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Maurice Richardson, 43, of Irvington, New Jersey, was arrested December 1, 2010, by officers of the Old Bridge Police Department. He previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to counts 12 and 13 of the 13-count indictment charging him with robbing a Capital One Bank branch and assaulting people during the course of the robbery.
Richardson also admitted nine additional bank robberies, for a total of 10, as follows:

Date	Bank	Location (New Jersey)
December 14, 2007	Commerce Bank	Morris Township
May 31, 2008	Commerce Bank	Rahway
July 27, 2008	Commerce Bank	Nutley
September 28, 2008	Commerce Bank	Nutley
April 6, 2009	Capital One Bank	Marlboro
December 21, 2009	Capital One Bank	Marlboro
July 3, 2010	Capital One Bank	Hasbrouck Heights
August 6, 2010		Howell
September 1, 2010	Capital One Bank	Paramus
December 1, 2010	Capital One Bank	Marlboro

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Richardson entered the banks and gave notes to the tellers, which variously demanded money in large bills, stated that he had a gun, and threatened he would shoot the tellers if they did not comply. Witnesses at some of the robberies observed the defendant leaving the crime scenes in a burgundy SUV.
On December 1, 2010, a Marlboro Police officer observed a burgundy Chevrolet Suburban with tinted windows entering Route 9 North from a street adjacent to the Capital One Bank’s parking lot. After an approximately one-mile pursuit, the vehicle struck a concrete wall in Sayreville, New Jersey, and came to a stop. Richardson was apprehended when he got out of the SUV and attempted to flee. A 9mm bullet was found in the vehicle, and a 9mm handgun was found after a search of the area near where Richardson crashed. It was the third time he had robbed the same bank branch in less than two years.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Richardson fo three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $50,646.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge David Velazquez in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence. He also thanked the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Old Bridge Police Department, Sayreville, Police Department, Marlboro Police Department, Howell Police Department, Morris Township Police Department, Rahway Police Department, Nutley Police Department, Hasbrouck Heights Police Department, and Paramus Police Department for their roles in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Joseph Gribko of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Sentenced for Concealing Fugitive from Law Enforcement

United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced that former Customs and Border Protection Officer Thomas P. Silva was sentenced today by United States District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia to serve eight months in custody after Silva pled guilty to concealing a person from arrest, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1071, and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. As part of the sentence, Judge Battaglia ordered Silva to forfeit over $16,000 in illegal proceeds from his criminal activity and pay $8, 129.37 in restitution to Farmers Insurance, the victim of his wire fraud scheme.
Silva previously admitted to concealing a wanted fugitive from arrest while on duty at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. In particular, Silva admitted allowing the fugitive to enter the United States from Mexico without inspection—despite verifying the fugitive’s status using CBP’s computer systems. Silva further assisted the fugitive by purposefully entering inaccurate information related to the fugitive’s car in CBP’s computer system in an effort to help the fugitive elude arrest.
Silva also admitted in his plea agreement to engaging in a separate scheme to defraud Farmers Insurance of over $7,000 by falsely reporting that his Nissan Titan pickup truck had been stolen from a local San Diego community. Silva admitted, however, that he had in fact taken the truck to Mexico prior to reporting it stolen in furtherance of his fraudulent scheme. Thereafter, Silva filed the false claim with Farmers Insurance, which the insurance company then paid based on his misrepresentations.
In handing down the judgment, Judge Battaglia told Silva that his conduct was “an abomination” and that he had “brought shame” to the United States by carrying out these criminal activities while working as a CBP officer.
United States Attorney Duffy praised the members of the Border Corruption Task Force, a federal task force composed of law enforcement officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, CBP-Internal Affairs, CBP-Field Operations, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their outstanding work to uncover Silva’s criminal activity. Duffy added that her office had a “zero tolerance” policy for government employees who thought they were above the laws that they were sworn to enforce.
Defendant Criminal Case No. 12CR4050-AJB
Thomas P. Silva
Age: 33
Chula Vista, California
Summary of Charges
Count one: Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343-Wire fraud
Count two: Title 18, United States Code, Section 1071-Concealing person from arrest

Ouachita County Judge and Construction Company Owner Indicted for Bribery and Conspiracy to Defraud FEMA

FORT SMITH, AR—Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, and Randy Coleman, Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced today that James Michael Hesterly, age 49 of Camden, Arkansas, and Harry Clemons Jr., age 39 of Bearden, Arkansas, were indicted for a scheme to award a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster-relief contract to Clemons in return for a contribution to Hesterly’s 2010 reelection campaign for Ouachita County Judge. Hesterly has been the county judge of Ouachita County Arkansas for the past 10 years. Harry Clemons is the owner and operator of Clemons Construction. A federal grand jury handed down the indictment in Fort Smith.
As alleged in documents filed in court, beginning in March 2010, Hesterly and Clemons conspired to award Clemons a contract to clean up debris in Ouachita County in exchange for a payment to Hesterly to his reelection campaign. The debris was the product of two tornados that struck the county in October of 2009. In furtherance of this conspiracy, Clemons arranged for two other bidders to submit intentionally inflated bids to Hesterly through fax. Clemons then met with Hesterly at his office and submitted a bid on behalf of himself and another company for the contract in the amount of $120,730, a total amount below the inflated bids. Hesterly accepted Clemons’s bid on March 26, 2010, and, on April 8, 2010, applied for federal funds from FEMA to help Ouachita County pay for the contract. Hesterly represented to FEMA that Clemons was the lowest bidder among the three bids that he had received. In order to promote open competition, federal regulations require that the contract be awarded through a sealed bidding process and in compliance with all applicable state law. While state law requires the bid to be advertised for 10 days, the bid in this case was advertised for one day. No sealed bidding process took place. In August 2010, Clemons submitted documentation to Hesterly stating that all work on the contract had been complete and requested a payment of $69,865 for Clemons Construction. That same month, Hesterly certified to the state of Arkansas and FEMA that the work set forth in the contract had been completed. On October 13, 2010, Hesterly signed an order allowing Clemons’s claim for payment to go through. Later that month, Clemons received a check from Ouachita County for $69,865.
The indictment charges both men with one count of conspiracy to defraud an agency of the United States and two counts of bribery concerning a program receiving federal funds. The maximum term of imprisonment for conspiracy is five years. The maximum term of imprisonment for bribery is 10 years per count.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Kenny Elser represented the United States.
Hesterly and Clemons are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, January 18, 2013, at the federal courthouse in El Dorado, Arkansas, at 10 a.m.
The charges in an indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery Spree

ALBUQUERQUE—This morning, Oscar Marquez, 22, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pled guilty to four counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence and admitted robbing four Albuquerque-area businesses at gunpoint during a two-week period. Marquez’s guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales and Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI.
Marquez was charged in an eight-count indictment with four counts of violating the Hobbs Act by interfering with a business involved in interstate commerce by robbery and four counts of using a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence. The indictment, which was filed in October 2012, also charged co-defendant, Rebecca Aguilar, 25, of Albuquerque, with aiding and abetting one of the robberies.
The indictment charged Marquez with robbing the following four Albuquerque-area businesses: the Captain D’s Restaurant on May 28, 2012 (count one); a Cricket Wireless Store on May 29, 2012 (count three); a King Wireless Store on June 7, 2012 (count five); and another Cricket Wireless Store on June 9, 2012 (count seven). Counts two, four, six, and eight charged Marquez with using a firearm during each of the four robberies. According to the indictment, Marquez discharged his firearm during the May 29, 2012 and June 9, 2012 robberies, and Aguilar allegedly participated in the May 9, 2012 robbery.
During today’s proceedings, Marquez entered guilty pleas to counts three, five, six, and seven of the indictment and admitted robbing store clerks at three businesses at gunpoint between May 29 and June 9, 2012. Marquez also pled guilty to an information charging him with the armed robbery of a store clerk at an Albuquerque-area Game Stop on June 10, 2012.
Marquez has been in federal custody since October 17, 2012, and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Marquez will be sentenced to 20 years in prison, and counts one, two, four, and eight of the indictment will be dismissed after he is sentenced.
Aguilar, who was arrested on October 15, 2012, has entered a not guilty plea to count seven of the indictment, the sole charge against her. The charge against Aguilar is only an accusation, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Aguilar is detained pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
This case was brought as part of a law enforcement initiative launched in July 2012, by the FBI’s Violent Crimes and Major Offender Squad and the Albuquerque Police Department’s Armed Robbery Unit that targets suspects implicated in commercial armed robberies. The new initiative is part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this anti-violence initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department, with assistance from the District Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial District of the State of New Mexico, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon K. Stanford.

Former Staff Sergeant Sentened for Stealing Public Money Earmarked for Her Military Unit

NEW BERN—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today Nancy Nicole Smith, 27, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan to 20 months’ imprisonment, restitution of $100,000, and three years of supervised release. Smith previously pled guilty to theft of government money in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, and to bulk cash smuggling in violation of Title 31, United States Code, Section 5332.
Mr. Walker stated, “Smith abused a position of trust and betrayed the trust of the American taxpayers, including her fellow service members, when she stole $100,000 of U.S. funds earmarked for her military unit. The sentence imposed today reflects the seriousness of her offense and should serve as a deterrent for others.”
According to the criminal information filed on August 2, 2012, and information in the public record, Smith was a staff sergeant in the United States Army assigned to a Personnel Service Battalion attached to the 7th Special Forces Group based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. From September 2009 through February 10, 2010, Smith was deployed to Afghanistan with the 7th Special Forces Group. While deployed, Smith was a disbursing agent responsible for, among other things, disbursing money and reconciling the books and records. On at least two occasions, Smith falsified documents in order to steal $100,000 from funds earmarked for her military unit. She thereafter brought the stolen money, which at the time was concealed in her backpack, back to the United States.
“Nancy Smith stole money intended for urgent projects in a combat zone, betraying her oath and our armed forces. Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) and our investigative partners are making it clear that those who defraud the U.S. government will be brought to justice,” said Special Inspector General John F. Sopko.
“We are very pleased with today’s sentencing,” said Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “Stealing money during a time of war that is intended for such an important cause is reprehensible, and we will continue to do everything in our investigative power to bring those responsible to justice.”
“By stealing money from her U.S. Army unit while deployed to a combat theater, (former) Staff Sergeant Smith betrayed her position of trust for personal greed and deprived her fellow soldiers of much needed funds. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service continues our aggressive efforts to root out corruption and fraud impacting our warfighters and recover stolen taxpayer dollars,” commented Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, DCIS Southeast Field Office.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, and the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command. Assistant United States Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan is serving as prosecutor for the government.
News releases are available on the U.S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.

Romanian Citizen Involved in Phishing Scheme Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that Dragos Razvan Davidescu, 39, a citizen of Romania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment for participating in an extensive Internet phishing scheme.
A phishing scheme uses the Internet to target large numbers of unwary individuals, using fraud and deceit to obtain private personal and financial information such as names, addresses, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and Social Security numbers. Phishing schemes often work by sending out large numbers of counterfeit e-mail messages that are made to appear as if they originated from legitimate banks, financial institutions, or other companies. The fraudulent e-mail messages ask individuals to click on a hyperlink contained in the e-mail message, which would take the individual to a counterfeit site on the Internet that purports to be the Internet site of the particular bank, financial institution, or company. At the counterfeit Internet site, the individual is then asked to enter information such as the individual’s name, address, and credit or debit card numbers.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2005 a resident of Madison, Connecticut, contacted the FBI in New Haven about a suspicious e-mail that she had received that purported to be from Connecticut-based People’s Bank. The e-mail stated that the recipient’s online banking access profile had been locked and instructed the recipient to click on a link to a web page where the recipient could enter information to “unlock” his or her profile. The web page appeared to originate from People’s Bank, but, as the investigation revealed, was actually hosted on a compromised computer in Minnesota. Any personal identifying and financial information provided by the individual would be sent by e-mail to individuals in Romania, or to a “collector” account, which was an e-mail account used to receive and collect the information obtained through phishing.
Davidescu and others were part of a loose-knit conspiracy of individuals from Craiova, Romania, and neighboring areas that shared files, tools, and stolen information obtained through phishing. The co-conspirators used and shared a number of collector accounts, which contained thousands of e-mail messages that contained credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, CVV codes, PIN numbers, and other personal identification information such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The co-conspirators then used the personal and financial information to access bank accounts and lines of credit and to withdraw funds without authorization, often from ATMs in Romania.
The investigation revealed that Davidescu was heavily involved in the phishing conspiracy between 2004 and 2006, and he possessed personal and financial information of more than one thousand victims. He also shared a program for harvesting e-mail addresses with another co-conspirator and possessed phishing e-mails and files for creating counterfeit Internet sites.
In addition to People’s Bank, financial institutions and companies targeted by the defendants included Citibank, Capital One, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Comerica Bank, Regions Bank, LaSalle Bank, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo & Co., eBay, and PayPal.
This seven-year investigation has resulted in criminal charges against 19 Romanian citizens. On January 18, 2007, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging seven defendants with various offenses stemming from this scheme. On November 10, 2010, a grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging an additional 12 defendants, including Davidescu.
The first three defendants to face charges were extradited from Bulgaria, Croatia, and Canada. Following the ratification in 2010 of an amended treaty on mutual legal assistance between Romania and the United States, Davidescu and six other defendants were extradited from Romania. Davidescu was extradited in December 2011.
On October 10, 2012, Davidescu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Eight of the other extradited defendants also have pleaded guilty, and one was convicted after trial in December 2012. Nine defendants are still being sought.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven, Connecticut.
U.S. Attorney Fein and Special Agent in Charge Mertz also acknowledged the critical assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Bucharest, Interpol, the Romanian National Police, and the United States Marshals Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward Chang and Sarala Nagala.

Hells Angels Member Diamond Dan Bifield Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Conspiracy

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated that Dan Bifield, a/k/a Diamond Dan, of the Hells Angels’ Rock Hell City Nomad Chapter in South Carolina, pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO Act-18 U.S.C. §1962). He faces up to 20 years in prison as a result of his RICO plea and will be sentenced in March 2013 by United States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie.
Facts detailed for the court showed that Bifield agreed with co-conspirators to participate in an criminal enterprise. The enterprise’s participants, who were associated through the Rock Hell City Nomad Chapter, engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity across the state from Rock Hill to Lexington, South Carolina. Among other offenses, the group engaged in narcotics trafficking and money laundering. As part of this enterprise, Bifield received kickbacks in return for illegal activity conducted by other members of the criminal enterprise.
This guilty plea arises from a superseding indictment charging 20 members and associates of the Hells Angels with racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, robbery, arson, and firearms trafficking. The indictment resulted from a two-year interagency investigation by the South Carolina Hells Angels Task Force (SCHATF), which includes agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Lexington County Sheriff’s Department; Lexington Police Department; Rock Hill Police Department; York County Sheriff’s Office; and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay N. Richardson and James H. May.