Sex Traffickers Will Target Atlanta During National Championship Game Weekend

State & National

SEX TRAFFICKERS WILL TARGET ATLANTA

DURING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WEEKEND

          ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, along with our law enforcement partners, are encouraging both citizens and visitors to be aware of the possibility of sex trafficking during the festivities happening in and around Atlanta this weekend and into next week.  In short, if you believe it might be, tell someone.

          “Sex traffickers are despicable people, and they use events like the National Championship game to ply their trade,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “These types of events draw large crowds of revelers, and sex traffickers often seek to exploit these types of opportunities. We need everyone’s help in identifying those being trafficked for sex, and in bringing the traffickers to justice.”

          Many times those who are being trafficked are homeless, runaway, or abandoned children, but it is not limited to these groups.  Traffickers also seek out at-risk individuals, i.e. those individuals suffering from sexual/physical abuse, or dependency, while also exploiting women and children from other countries – typically from impoverished nations.

          There are some signs that people should be aware of which may indicate someone is being held against their will and trafficked for sex:

  • They do not hold their own identity or travel documents;
  • They appear to suffer from verbal or psychological abuse designed to intimidate, degrade and frighten the individual;
  • They have a trafficker or pimp who controls all their money – the victim will have very little or no pocket money;
  • They are extremely nervous, especially if the victim’s “translator” is  their trafficker; and
  • They are not allowed to move about by themselves and have little understanding of where they are.

Victims may also lack personal items, possessions, or luggage.  They may not have a cell phone or calling card.  Most may also lack private space – a trafficker or an enforcer is always present.  They most likely will not possess financial records or identification documents, or have any knowledge about how to get around in a community.

The penalties for sex-trafficking are substantial, but can only be enforced with the help of aware citizens.  If you wish to report a potential sex-trafficking incident please contact the FBI at (770) 216-3000.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division ishttp://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

FYN’s All-Star Political Panel Discusses Health Care, Tax Reform, Comey’s Firing and Rod Rosenstien

Politics

Every Friday morning the great All-Star Political Panel gets together to discuss the latest political issues that have the media buzzing. Jane, BKP, Rick and Bruce sit down today to discuss health care, Comey’s firing, the memo, and Rod Rosenstein. Other topics that come up during this discussion are the Russian investigation and it’s lack of evidence. Lastly they discuss out great tax dollars at work to help Bradley Manning become Chelsea Manning while in a military prison. Thanks to Obama not only did we pay for his transition from male to female he also was released after only serving 7 years of his 35 year sentence. Do you want to get in on the discussion? Come join us on Friday mornings about 8:45 am and you can be apart of the All-Star Political Panel too!

Former Cox Communications Vice President Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Embezzle Millions Of Dollars

State & National

ATLANTA – Janet West, a former Cox Communications vice president, has pleaded guilty to her part in an embezzlement scheme that cost the company millions of dollars.

“West defrauded a company that trusted her judgment as a vice president,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “The temptation to steal via a credit card may be appealing.  This defendant wishes she had thought twice about the potential outcome.”

“This case should be an example that no matter your position, you cannot profit illegally or take advantage of your status in the company you were entrusted to work for,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is committed to making cases like this a strong deterrent to greed’s temptation.”

          According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: West was Cox Communications’ Vice President in charge of Nationwide Field Marketing for the company’s plan to bring Gigabit speed connections to markets throughout the United States.  Beginning in 2011, West began directing her assistant to make payments on the assistant’s corporate credit card to a third party company for supposed marketing services.  In reality, a significant portion of these services never actually occurred and the majority of these funds were actually secretly being transferred back to the defendant.  West repeatedly signed false conflict of interest certifications with Cox Communications that failed to disclose the payments she was making to herself.

          West caused Cox to make payments totaling $2.4 million to this third party, most of which was then sent back to her.  The defendant then used the embezzled funds for her own personal benefit, including making payments on two houses she owned in Arizona.  Pursuant to the plea agreement in this case, West agreed to forfeit her interests in both of these houses.

          Sentencing for Janet West, 47, of Paradise Valley, Arizona, is scheduled for March 12, 2018, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg.

          This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

          Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Krepp and Kelly K. Connors are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

ARMED CAREER CRIMINAL IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION SENTENCED TO PRISON

State & National

ARMED CAREER CRIMINAL IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION SENTENCED TO PRISON

ATLANTA – Stanley Lamar Bailey has been sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition and a firearm on November 7, 2015, after leading police on a dangerous high-speed chase.

“Bailey placed innocent people in danger by leading police on a high-speed chase, eventually crashing his vehicle and fleeing the scene, leaving behind drugs, a thirty-round extended magazine, and a semi-automatic firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “My office brought this case as part of the overall Department of Justice enforcement priorities relating to violent crimes.  Bailey is a serial offender who has been removed from the community, along with any danger that could result from his actions.”

“Bailey’s criminal history shows a complete and utter disregard for the lives of others as well as for their personal pursuits,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Schmidt. “This sentence is a direct message to criminals that we will target you and we will ensure that you are prosecuted and removed from our streets.”

          According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: On November 7, 2015, a DeKalb County Police Officer was on routine patrol when he saw a car drive past him.  The officer ran a check on the tags of the vehicle.  He learned that its registration was suspended and it had no valid insurance.  As a result, the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop.  However, when he initiated the stop, the driver, who was later determined to be Bailey, initially slowed down as if to pull over, then sped away.

          Bailey briefly traveled into oncoming traffic, wrecked the car by hitting another vehicle, and then ran away on foot.  In the abandoned vehicle, police found Bailey’s wallet, which contained, among other things, Bailey’s Social Security card and Georgia identification card. The photograph on the identification card matched the person who was driving the car and had fled the scene.

          In the vehicle, the officer also found marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a Glock semi-automatic pistol, a thirty-round extended magazine, and twenty-eight rounds of 9mm ammunition.  Prior to this incident, Bailey had been convicted of more than seven felonies, including possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, burglary, and theft by receiving stolen property.  Subsequent to the November 2015 incident, but before his conviction in this case, Bailey was convicted of aggravated assault and battery/family violence.

          Stanley Lamar Bailey, 50, of Decatur, Georgia, has been sentenced to 21 years, 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Bailey was found guilty by a jury on July 11, 2017.

          The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the DeKalb County Police Department investigated this case.

          Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzette A. Smikle prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga

U.S. Penitentiary Lt. Arraigned on Excessive Force and Obstruction of Justice Charges

State & National

U. S. PENITENTIARY LIEUTENANT ARRAIGNED ON EXCESSIVE FORCE

AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE CHARGES

ATLANTA – Lieutenant Gregory McLeod, a senior correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia, has been arraigned following an investigation of an allegation that McLeod used excessive force against an inmate in 2016.  McLeod was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 24, 2017, and has been charged with unnecessarily assaulting the inmate, writing two false official accounts about the encounter, and lying to federal investigators about his conduct.

“We recognize that detention officers have a difficult job as they maintain order and protect inmates in our nation’s prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “This officer, however, allegedly abused his power, committed a violent and unnecessary assault on an inmate, and then filed a false report to cover up the incident.”

“The FBI continues to play a vital role in ensuring that all credible allegations of civil rights violations involving law enforcement officers are appropriately investigated.  That was certainly the case with U.S. Bureau of Prisons Lt. McLeod, wherein allegations of excessive force were received, resulting in a federal investigation, grand jury indictment, and today’s arraignment in federal court.  The FBI would like to remind the public, however, that the vast majority of law enforcement officers and corrections officers provide admirable services while often under stressful and time constrained situations,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the indictment, and other information presented in court:  McLeod, who worked as a supervisor at the prison, allegedly strip-searched an inmate in his office in front of three other correctional officers.  After the inmate complained that the strip-search was taking too long, McLeod repeatedly punched the inmate in his face, injuring him.  Following the assault, McLeod wrote an incident report and a separate memorandum about the encounter in which he falsely claimed that the inmate swung a closed fist at McLeod and attempted to assault other officers before the officers could apply hand and leg restraints.  The indictment charges that McLeod used excessive force and thereby violated the inmate’s constitutional rights. The indictment also accuses McLeod of intentionally impeding and obstructing the investigation of the incident by writing false reports and lying to two federal agents.

Gregory McLeod, 44, of East Point, Georgia, was arraigned on these charges during a hearing in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges.  The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the DOJ Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Alan Gray and DOJ Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

City of Atlanta’s Former Chief Procurement Officer Pleads Guilty

Press Release

CITY OF ATLANTA’S FORMER CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER

ADAM SMITH PLEADS GUILTY TO TAKING BRIBES

ATLANTA – Adam L. Smith, the former Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Atlanta, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to accept more than $30,000 in bribe payments from a vendor who obtained millions of dollars in city contracts.

“Great trust was placed in Smith as Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Atlanta, and he abused his position to serve his own financial interests,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Horn.  “Public corruption offenses, like Smith’s, can erode the confidence that the people have in government.”

“The guilty plea in federal court of former City of Atlanta Procurement Officer Adams will ensure that he is held accountable for his greed based criminal conduct as he now awaits sentencing. It is hoped that this case serves as notice to others that similar such conduct among public officials will not be condoned and that there are severe consequences should that notice go unheeded,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.

“Public service is a public trust, requiring employees to obey laws and ethical principles above private gain. Smith abused his public trust to enrich himself at a cost to the taxpayers,” said James E. Dorsey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “We will continue to work with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in making these public corruption investigations a priority.”

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: From 2003 to February 21, 2017, Smith served as the Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Atlanta, Georgia. As the Chief Procurement Officer, Smith oversaw the City of Atlanta’s purchasing activities and its expenditure of billions of dollars in public money for projects.

The information refers to a vendor who was an executive with a construction firm in Atlanta, Georgia, but does not identify them by name. During Smith’s tenure as the Chief Procurement Officer, Atlanta awarded contracts worth millions of dollars to Vendor’s firm and joint venture projects of which Vendor was a partner.

From at least 2015 to January 2017, Smith met privately with Vendor on multiple occasions, frequently at local restaurants. During these meetings, Smith and Vendor discussed Atlanta procurement projects, bids, and solicitations. Often at the time of these meetings, Vendor was actively seeking contracts, projects, and work with Atlanta.

After most of these meetings, Vendor and Smith met in the restaurant’s bathroom, where Vendor paid Smith approximately $1,000 in cash. In return for the bribe payments, Vendor expected Smith to use his position and power as Atlanta’s Chief Procurement Officer to assist Vendor with contracting/procurement with Atlanta and to furnish Vendor with future benefits and favors when needed.

Given his position, Smith was required to sign annually a financial disclosure statement certifying that he had not received more than $5,000 in annual income from any corporation, partnership, proprietorship, or other business entity other than Atlanta.  Additionally, under Atlanta’s Procurement Code, Smith also had to “make a written determination as to the existence” of any “personal or organizational conflicts of interest exist” between vendors and Atlanta before awarding a vendor a solicited contract. Similarly, Atlanta’s Procurement Code mandated that Smith “certify to the city council” that the winning vendors had disclosed to Atlanta any “organizational and personal relationships” and that the “award of the contract [was] appropriate.”

Furthermore, in exchange for those cash payments:

  1. Smith met with Vendor on a regular basis;
  2. Smith provided Vendor with information and counsel regarding Atlanta’s procurement processes (among other information);
  3. When Vendor’s firm or joint venture became the successful bidder on an Atlanta contract or Request for Proposal, Smith approved and submitted the award of such procurement projects or bids to Atlanta’s mayor and city council for final authorization;
  4. Smith never disclosed his ongoing financial relationship with Vendor and/or Vendor’s firm on his Financial Disclosure Statements to Atlanta; and
  5. Smith never advised Atlanta’s City Council that the Vendor’s firm or joint venture had failed to disclose its organizational and personal relationships with him.

In total, from at least 2015 to January 2017, Vendor paid Smith more than $30,000 in cash.

Adam L. Smith, 53, Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiratorial bribery. Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation are investigating this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W.  Davis, Kurt R. Erskine, and Jill E. Steinberg are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at[email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Senior MARTA Executive Sentenced to Federal Prison

State & National

SENIOR MARTA EXECUTIVE SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON

FOR CAUSING MARTA TO PAY $500,000 FOR WORK NEVER PERFORMED

ATLANTA – Former MARTA Senior Director of Operations Joseph J. Erves has been sentenced to two years, nine months in federal prison for orchestrating a false invoicing scheme that resulted in MARTA paying more than $500,000 for maintenance work that was never performed and for then funneling most of that money into his personal bank accounts.

“Given his executive management position, it is clear that MARTA placed great trust and faith in Erves,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “Unfortunately, instead of serving the public interest and taking his civic duty seriously, Erves chose to indulge his desire for money and a fancy car.  His quest for personal enrichment has earned him this sentence and time to reflect on his dishonesty.”

“The vast majority of public servants are honest and dedicated people who strive to do the right thing for their constituents and their communities. Unfortunately there are a few, like Mr. Erves, who are only concerned about themselves,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “His actions hit at the heart of government and erode public confidence. That’s why the FBI makes public corruption our top criminal priority.”

“Mr. Erves dishonored his position and violated the trust of the Authority and the communities we serve,” said MARTA Police Chief Wanda Dunham.  “This sentence is proof that no one is above the law. The MARTA Police Department continues to take these types of crimes seriously and we will aggressively pursue criminal prosecution.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (“MARTA”) is the principal public transportation operator in the Atlanta metropolitan area, providing fixed rail and bus service to more than 500,000 passengers per weekday. Formed in 1965, MARTA is a multi-county governmental agency with a 2016 annual budget of more than $880 million.

From 1993 to 2017, Erves worked for MARTA, ultimately serving as its Senior Director of Operations.  In that position, Erves oversaw the maintenance of all MARTA buses and rail cars and had the authority to approve payments of up to $10,000 to vendors for work performed on behalf of MARTA.

Beginning in 2010, Erves retained three different vendors purportedly to perform maintenance projects for MARTA, including repairing brake testing equipment and fixing various MARTA tools and equipment.  From approximately June 2010 to December 2016, Erves had fake invoices prepared on behalf of the three vendors for more than 40 maintenance projects for which no work was performed.

Erves then used the false invoices as bases to authorize payments to the three vendors.  In many cases, Erves personally approved payments to the vendors knowing that the vendors had not performed any work for MARTA.

After receiving payment, the three vendors funneled most of the money they received from MARTA into Erves’s personal bank accounts.  Subsequently, Erves used the money deposited into his accounts to pay personal expenses, such as multiple purchases at high-end department stores and the purchase of a Porsche 911.  Based on Erves’s authority and representations, MARTA paid the three vendors more than $500,000 for maintenance projects where no work was actually performed.

Joseph J. Erves, 53, of Lithonia, Georgia, has been sentenced to two years, nine months in federal prison, and ordered to pay $522,825.45 in restitution.  On August 24, 2017, Erves pleaded guilty to one count of Federal Program Theft.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the MARTA Police Department are investigating this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis and Alison Prout are prosecuting the case.

For further information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Second Special Counsel Would Boost DOJ’s Credibility

State & National

ICYMI: A Second Special Counsel Would Boost the DOJ’s Credibility

WASHINGTON—This op ed by Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) first appeared in RealClearPolicy on December 5, 2017.

Recently, the House Judiciary Committee conducted an oversight hearing of the Department of Justice (DOJ) that allowed representatives from both parties to question Attorney General Jeff Sessions. In response, some have asserted that appointing a second special counsel to investigate decisions made by the DOJ in 2016 would be a partisan maneuver, damaging the independence of the Department.

I too am concerned about preserving the independence of the Justice Department — which is precisely why Judiciary Committee Republicans have called for a special counsel to investigate matters outside the scope of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

The Judiciary Committee’s letters have been belittled as “a laundry list of Republican grievances about Clinton and former FBI director James B. Comey.” But they document persistent and unanswered questions about the independence of the DOJ, and specifically whether it may have been compromised under the Obama administration. These letters are themselves tools of oversight to be used on behalf of the millions of Americans whose democratic government owes them answers.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s independent e-mail server warranted a DOJ investigation, even if former Attorney General Loretta Lynch provided one in name only. (Actually, she failed to deliver even that, instructing former FBI Director James Comey to call the investigation a “matter.”) Americans are well-stocked with outstanding questions about how the DOJ handled these issues, and the specter of favoritism still looms over the Obama DOJ. The possibility that the department made decisions to aid a political candidate is a potential threat to democracy — one that deserves a DOJ investigation today just as it did in 2016.

At the same time, I recognize that some of my friends across the aisle lack confidence that a Republican-appointed DOJ would conduct such an investigation impartially. Hearing those concerns, I submit that a second special counsel offers Americans the opportunity to pursue answers to these questions without even the appearance of partisan impropriety. After all, independent counsels are like dentists: They scare everyone who hasn’t flossed.

Concerns about DOJ investigations and appointing special counsels too often come to us frosted in hyper-partisan language. This obscures the crux of the liberal argument against the move: Neither the DOJ under Attorney General Jeff Sessions nor an independent special counsel is capable of investigating Clinton. According to this logic, there exists no credible path for investigating potential favoritism on the part of America’s chief law enforcement officials. It would follow that the world’s strongest democracy is impotent when it comes to pursuing objective, unfettered, non-partisan accountability of its own federal agencies.

As a member of the committee charged with exercising oversight of the entire Department of Justice and the representative of approximately 700,000 Georgian voices, I have a bit more faith in the checks and balances that undergird our justice system — including the utility of the special counsel position.

Party loyalty aside, the DOJ made many decisions last year that have led to a host of unresolved questions, and the American people deserve answers. For example, why did former Attorney General Lynch direct former FBI Director Comey to mislead the American people on the nature of the Clinton investigation? Why did Mr. Comey prepare a statement ending the investigation into former Secretary Clinton before interviewing 17 key witnesses, including the former secretary herself?

These and other questions about the independence of the DOJ continue to cast a shadow on our nation’s justice system. By addressing them directly, a second special counsel could strengthen the DOJ’s credibility, reestablishing its reputation as a non-partisan agent of justice.

Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) is Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference and a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

Sixteen US Postal Service Workers Charged

Press Release

Jonesboro Man Sentenced To Prison For Distributing Child Pornography

State & National

JONESBORO MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON

FOR DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

ATLANTA – Kenneth Shipp has been sentenced to eight years, one month in prison for distributing child pornography.  The defendant had hundreds of thousands of photographs and thousands of videos at his residence, which he shared on peer-to-peer websites.

“Kenneth Shipp’s collection of child pornography is the largest of anyone ever prosecuted in this district,” said U. S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “It is abhorrent that someone could derive gratification from the sexual abuse of children, and the amount that Shipp possessed is staggering.  We will continue to work with federal and state law enforcement partners to find those who trade and collect child pornography and bring them to justice.”

“The outcome of this case should serve as a warning to others we will aggressively investigate and bring to justice those who would prey on our most vulnerable population,” said ICE-HSI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Wiest.  “HSI continues working closely with our federal and state partners to ensure we identify and arrest the perpetrators of these vile crimes.”

          According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: in February 2016, special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“ICE-HSI”) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (“GBI”) were investigating persons who were using peer-to-peer programs to trade images and videos of child pornography. The agents were able to download a video from a computer that showed young boys being sexually abused.  Information that they obtained while downloading the video revealed that it came from a computer at a house in Jonesboro, Georgia.

          Agents with ICE-HSI obtained a federal search warrant for a house in Jonesboro, and carried out a search on May 9, 2016.  There, agents found numerous computers, laptops, television monitors, thumb drives and other electronic devices, all containing child pornography.  A subsequent examination of those devices showed that Shipp had 447,268 images and 19,395 videos.  Specifically, he had more than 60 terabytes of child pornography.

          Kenneth Shipp, 58, of Jonesboro, Georgia, has been sentenced to eight years, one months in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release.  Shipp was convicted of these charges on October 5, 2017, after he pleaded guilty.

          This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

          Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul R. Jones prosecuted the case.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

For further information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Man who “sextorted” 12-year-old Girl Receives 10-Year Prison Sentence

State & National

MAN WHO “SEXTORTED” 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL RECEIVES

10-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE

 

ATLANTA – Gerardo Perez Uribe has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for coercing a minor girl in North Carolina to produce child pornography of herself and send it to him over the Internet.

“‘Sextortion’ is a growing problem on social media sites,” said U. S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Our office along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners encourage parents to help us target those who seek to prey on children by watching what your children are doing on the Internet, and who they are communicating with.  Most children do not understand the dangers that may lurk on the Internet, and can easily fall victim to predators like Uribe.”

“Social media sites are a convenient way for young children to network with their friends and family, but unfortunately, they also make children easy targets for online predators like Uribe,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office. “Our Crimes Against Children unit is dedicated to weeding out sexual predators who troll the internet for unsuspecting children. They can’t do it alone and that’s why it is so important for parents to educate their children and monitor their activities on social media sites.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: In the summer of 2014, Perez Uribe met a 12-year-old girl on Facebook. He first told her that he was 13-years-old but later claimed to be 25-years-old. He asked the girl to send him nude images of herself, and she did. After receiving the images in August 2014, Perez Uribe took over the girl’s Facebook account, changed her password, and locked her out of the account. He then threatened to post the girl’s nude images on her Facebook page if she refused to send him more nude photos of herself. The victim believed Perez Uribe’s threat and sent him four photographs of herself that met the federal definition of child pornography. The girl’s parents discovered the crime and reported the incident to the Cabarrus County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and then referred the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation once Perez Uribe was located in Georgia.

Gerardo Perez Uribe, 32, of Rex, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on August 24, 2017. He was born in Mexico but was living in the United States as a permanent resident. He will be deported to Mexico after he completes his prison sentence.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cabarrus County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul R. Jones and Mary Webb prosecuted the case.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Senior MARTA Executive Pleads Guilty to False Invoice Scam

State & National

United States Attorney John A. Horn

Northern District of Georgia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga

  CONTACT:

Bob Page, PAO

404-581-6016

SENIOR MARTA EXECUTIVE PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSE INVOICE SCAM

CAUSING MARTA TO PAY $500,000 FOR WORK NEVER PERFORMED

 

ATLANTA – Joseph J. Erves, MARTA’s former Senior Director of Operations, has pleaded guilty in federal court to orchestrating a false invoice scheme that resulted in MARTA paying more than $500,000 for maintenance work that was never performed and for funneling most of the money back into his personal bank accounts.

“Erves was entrusted to use taxpayer dollars to operate MARTA effectively and responsibly,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Horn.  “His theft of $500,000 in MARTA funds was a blatant display of his desire for self-enrichment at the expense of the public interest.”

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (“MARTA”) is the principal public transportation operator in the Atlanta metropolitan area, providing fixed rail and bus service to more than 500,000 passengers per weekday. Formed in 1965, MARTA is a multi-county governmental agency with a 2016 annual budget of more than $880 million.

From 1993 to 2017, Erves worked for MARTA, ultimately serving as its Senior Director of Operations. In that position, Erves oversaw the maintenance of all of MARTA’s buses and rail cars and had the authority to approve payments up to $10,000 to vendors for work performed on behalf of MARTA.

Beginning in or about 2010, Erves retained three different vendors purportedly to perform maintenance projects for MARTA, including repairing brake testing equipment and fixing various MARTA tools and equipment. From approximately June 2010 to December 2016, Erves had fake invoices prepared on behalf of the three vendors for more than 40 maintenance projects for which no work was performed.

Erves then used the false invoices as bases to authorize payments to the three vendors. In many cases, Erves personally approved payments to the vendors knowing that the vendors had not performed any work for MARTA.

After being paid, the three vendors funneled most of the money received from MARTA into Erves’s personal bank accounts. Subsequently, Erves used the money deposited into his accounts to pay personal expenses, such as multiple purchases at high-end department stores and the purchase of a Porsche 911. Based on Erves’s authority and representations, MARTA paid the three vendors more than $500,000 for maintenance projects where no worked was actually performed.

On August 24, 2017, Erves, 52, of Lithonia, Georgia, was charged via criminal information with one count of Federal Program Theft. Erves has pleaded guilty to the information.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the MARTA Police Department are investigating this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis and Alison Prout are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at[email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Two Men Sentenced for Child Pornography Crimes

Press Release

Multiple Guilty Pleas Expose Ability Of Drug Cartels

State & National

MULTIPLE GUILTY PLEAS EXPOSE ABILITY OF DRUG CARTELS

TO LAUNDER DRUG PROCEEDS THROUGH MONEY REMITTERS

ATLANTA – The last of nine Atlanta-based defendants charged with laundering drug money to Mexico through metro-Atlanta area money remitters has pleaded guilty, concluding a three-year long federal investigation targeting professional money launderers that exposed the ability of drug cartels to launder their illicit proceeds through money remittance companies.

“This investigation revealed how drug cartels use remittance companies to fuel their criminal enterprises,” said U. S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “Money remitters have strict rules to follow.  When employees make a decision to ignore those rules, both the employee and money remitter businesses can face prosecution.”

“This case demonstrates the commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle and bring to justice those involved with trying to circumvent our financial laws and help launder illegal drug proceeds,” said ICE HSI Atlanta Acting Special Gregory Wiest.

“Drug cartels are constantly looking for conduits like money service businesses to launder their illicit drug proceeds back to Mexico. We work to dismantle drug organizations by cutting off the money flow back to Mexico, this makes it harder for the drug cartels to operate,” said James Dorsey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to target these money laundering experts by working jointly with our law enforcement partners.”

          According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2014, federal law enforcement agents began investigating individuals in the metro-Atlanta area that were suspected of laundering drug proceeds to Mexico.  Federal agents utilized cooperating sources to infiltrate these individuals’ networks and determined that the money launderers were frequently using small businesses to send drug proceeds to Mexico.  These small businesses offered “money remittance services,” which allow customers to wire funds to individuals in other countries without using traditional bank accounts.

Investigators determined that managers and employees of a number of metro-Atlanta remitters were knowingly helping the money launderers send drug proceeds to Mexico.  During the course of this investigation, cooperating sources and an undercover law enforcement officer brought drug proceeds or money that was represented as coming from drug sales to different remitters.  In exchange for a kickback, managers and employees of nine different remitters agreed to launder the funds to Mexico by breaking the transactions into smaller amounts and by listing fake sender names, addresses, and telephone numbers.  The investigation revealed that nine metro-Atlanta remitters transmitted more than $40 million over a roughly four-year timeframe.  The resulting guilty pleas in this case made clear that the bulk of this money came from the sale of illegal narcotics.

Several of the defendants who pleaded guilty actually served as the Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (“BSA/AML”) compliance officers for their respective stores and were responsible for detecting and reporting these types of illicit financial transactions.  Instead, these defendants used their anti-money laundering training to help the drug proceeds flow to Mexico undetected.

The recorded undercover transactions that took place during the operation exposed how willing many remitters were to help their customers secretly send drug proceeds to Mexico.  One defendant, who served as a store manager and BSA/AML compliance officer, even gave an undercover officer tips on where to sell drugs in Atlanta.  Another defendant, who also served as a store manager and BSA/AML compliance officer, offered to provide a cooperating source help on obtaining fake identifications so that drug proceeds could be transmitted to Mexico undetected.

The following individuals have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering and are awaiting sentencing:

  • Oscar Gustavo Perez-Bernal, 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at La Tienda and Cocina Linda Vista, which were both located in Chamblee, Georgia.
  • Itzayana Guadalupe Perez-Bernal, a/k/a Lupe, 24, of Norcross, Georgia, was an employee at La Tienda.
  • Norma Dominguez, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at La Veracruzana, which was located in Chamblee, Georgia.
  • Norma Carrera, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at Hilos y Estambres Teresita, which was located in Chamblee, Georgia.
  • Victor Perez, 31, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at Intercargo, which had offices in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Marietta, Georgia.
  • Merli Sandy Tejeda-Bermudez, a/k/a Jorhley Adadlay-Bermudez, 30, of Duluth, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/compliance officer at Mundo Cargo and RR Latinas, which were both located in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
  • Daniel Castaneda-Garcia, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at Taqueria el Dany, which was located in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
  • Lidia Pineda-Altamarino, a/k/a Lily, 33, of Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Additionally, Susan Fiorella Ayala-Chavez, a/k/a Pitus, 30, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering and has been sentenced to three years, one month in federal prison.  Ayala-Chavez was an employee at the Rainforest Chevron gas station in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

          This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.  The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department, Georgia State Patrol, and Powder Springs Police Department provided valuable assistance throughout the course of the investigation.

          Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Krepp and Alison B. Prout are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section provided significant assistance.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

All-Star Panel – Air Stikes in Syria and How Would You Best Describe The President of the United States

Featured, Politics

Every Friday the All-Star Panel discusses the political issues of the week. Issues we covered this week:

  1. President Donald Trump’s response to Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, use of chemical weapons.
  2. The media never seem to describe The President in a positive way. We talk about the positive words that we would use to describe President Trump
  3. How do you think President Trump’s cabinet members are doing? Rex Tillerson – Secretary of State, Jeff Sessions – Department of Justice, Nikki Haley – U.N. Ambassador…

Don’t miss “Good Morning From the Office with #BKP” every weekday morning at 8 am. You can watch it live on FYNTV.com, YouTube – @FYNTV, or on Facebook @FetchYourNews.

 

https://youtu.be/KkhEB7yjz3E

 

Has the Government Created Sanctuary Schools? Will Your Superintendent allow I.C.E. in your schools?

Featured, News

A 14 year-old freshman girl raped in a Rockville Maryland High School by two illegal aliens. Jose O. Montano, 17, from El Salvador, and Henry E. Sanchez-Milian, 18, from Guatemala. Montgomery Schools Superintendent, Jack Smith, at a press conference made a statement that the Federal Government requires them to educate any student that walks through the door. “It’s the Law” Smith says. That leaves us to question, has the Federal Government turned our schools into Sanctuary Schools? We asked the questions this morning: “Are your children safe in schools?” and “Do you know who your child is sitting next to in class?”

To read the full documents BKP discusses in this video, Dear Colleague Letter and Question and Answers document; see the links below the video.

https://youtu.be/AmFlDGBzafA

The “Dear Colleague” letter:

Letter From US Department of Justice and US Department of Education

The “Questions and Answers” document:

Questions and Answers from US Department of Justice and Department of Education

 

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