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US Attorney's Office

Stealing Deed From Dead Man Lands Bucks County Men Jail Time: USDOJ Stealing Deed From Dead Man Lands Bucks County Men Jail Time: USDOJ
Stealing Deed From Dead Man Lands Bucks County Men Jail Time: Usdoj Two Bucks County men were convicted on Friday, Sept. 20 of trying to steal a deed from a dead man and other financial crimes, authorities said. Alan Kane, 59, of Jamison, and Derrell Johnson, 42, of Bensalem, were found guilty after a trial for multiple fraud schemes, said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero in a press statement on Monday, Sept. 23. A federal jury convicted Kane, an attorney, on two counts of bankruptcy fraud, one count of filing a false claim in a bankruptcy proceeding, and one count of making a false statement to the FBI, Romero explained. Johnson was convicted on tw…
Grand Jury Indicts Inmate With Shank In Schuylkill County Federal Prison Grand Jury Indicts Inmate With Shank In Schuylkill County Federal Prison
Anthony Gilbert-Brown, 29, Of York Found With Shank: Usdoj A federal prisoner from York has been indicted for possessing a shank in a Pennsylvania facility, authorities said. Anthony Gilbert-Brown, 29, a federal inmate incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill in Minersville, was indicted Wednesday, Aug. 28 by a federal grand jury on the charge of possession of a weapon, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The indictment charges Gilbert-Brown with possessing a prohibited object designed to be used as a weapon, commonly known as a “shank," according to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Special Investigative Servi…
Schuylkill County Man Threatened FBI Agents On Social Media: USDOJ Schuylkill County Man Threatened FBI Agents On Social Media: USDOJ
Joshua Frisch, 42, Of Frackville, Threatened Law Enforcement A 42-year-old Schuylkill County man used social media to threaten FBI agents, authorities said. Joshua Frisch, of Frackville, was sentenced on Aug. 7, to time served (six months) and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley for one count of Influencing a Federal Official by Threat, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Frisch previously pleaded guilty to threatening federal law enforcement officers, namely FBI Agents, with the intent to interfere with those officers in the performance of their official duties, according to U.S. Attorney…
Philly Man Who Sex Trafficked Child In Bucks, Delco Sentenced: USDOJ Philly Man Who Sex Trafficked Child In Bucks, Delco Sentenced: USDOJ
Philly Man Who Sex Trafficked Child In Bucks, Delco Sentenced: Usdoj A 29-year-old Philadelphia man has been sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for sex trafficking multiple victims including a minor, authorities said. Kevin L. Smith was sentenced on Wednesday, July 31, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. The charges stemmed from Smith’s operation of a sex trafficking ring in Philadelphia and the surrounding region, including Bucks and Delaware counties.  In September 2019, Smith knowingly harbored, maintained, and advertised a minor, knowing the minor would be caused to engage in sex for money, Romero said.  The defendant also o…
Philly Area Gravestone Salesman Scammed Mourners Out Of $1.5 Million, Feds Say Philly Area Gravestone Salesman Scammed Mourners Out Of $1.5 Million, Feds Say
Philly Area Gravestone Salesman Scammed Mourners Out Of $1.5 Million, Feds Say The owner of a headstone company is accused of ripping off hundreds of grieving customers across greater Philadelphia, federal prosecutors allege in an indictment.  Gregory J. Stefan Jr., 54, of Upper Merion, is charged with seven counts of wire fraud, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Between January 2018 and September of last year, Stefan accepted more than $1.5 million from customers who ordered memorials for loved ones, then failed to deliver the headstones they bought, authorities said. Stefan accepted the orders from nearly 500 customers through his companies 1843 LLC…
'Operation Black Diamond': Feds Seek Alleged Philadelphia Fentanyl Trafficker 'Operation Black Diamond': Feds Seek Alleged Philadelphia Fentanyl Trafficker
'Operation Black Diamond': Feds Seek Alleged Philadelphia Fentanyl Trafficker Eleven members of a suspected drug trafficking organization are in custody, federal authorities say.  The group, allegedly headed by 30-year-old Wilfredo Avila, is accused of running "significant quantities" of fentanyl and cocaine throughout Philadelphia's Kensington and Fairhill sections from February 2023 through this month.  The organization also "routinely offered and sold firearms of all kinds to its drug dealer customers," said the US Attorney's Office in a release on Thursday, June 13.  Ten suspects were arrested and one more is awaiting transfer from anoth…
Five Arrested In Philly Man's 2006 Kidnapping, Murder: US Attorney Five Arrested In Philly Man's 2006 Kidnapping, Murder: US Attorney
Five Arrested In Philly Man's 2006 Kidnapping, Murder: US Attorney Nearly 18 years after Shamari Taylor disappeared in Philadelphia, five people are charged in connection with his murder, prosecutors said Thursday.  Kevin Holloway, 45, Mark Scott, 48, Linton Mathis, 50, Atiba Wicker, 47, and Kenneth Tuck, 51, were all arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, and aiding and abetting, said the US Attorney's Office.  Thirty-eight-year-old Taylor and his girlfriend were kidnapped in West Philadelphia by men posing as police officers on August 26, 2006, officials said in a release.&nb…
Federal Inmate In Pennsylvania Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Officer: USDOJ Federal Inmate In Pennsylvania Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Officer: USDOJ
Federal Inmate In Pennsylvania Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Officer: Usdoj A federal inmate in Schuylkill County pleaded guilty to attacking a correctional officer on Monday, April 29, according to prosecutors.  The US Attorney's Office said Carlos Rodriguez-Cruz, 33, punched a guard at FCI Schuylkill in Minersville last Oct. 6.  According to authorities, the guard found a homemade knife or "shank" during a search of Rodriguez-Cruz's cell.  Rodriguez-Cruz, formerly of Puerto Rico, faces up to eight years of imprisonment, supervised release, and a fine.  The guilty plea comes just a week after another FCI Schuylkill inmate pleaded guilty …
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty In Deadly Carjacking Of Delivery Driver: USDOJ Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty In Deadly Carjacking Of Delivery Driver: USDOJ
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty In Deadly Carjacking Of Delivery Driver: Usdoj A 19-year-old from Philadelphia pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday, April 2 to multiple counts related to a fatal carjacking, according to prosecutors.  Authorities said John Nusslein robbed two food delivery drivers at gunpoint in December 2021, one of whom later succumbed to his injuries.  The first robbery happened on Dec. 2 of that year, the US Attorney's Office said. Investigators wrote Nusslein and two others ordered food to an Teesdale Street address then ambushed the driver who showed up, striking him repeatedly before fleeing in his Toyota Camry.  The victim…
Philly Man Heads To Prison For Back-To-Back Armed Robbery: USDOJ Philly Man Heads To Prison For Back-To-Back Armed Robbery: USDOJ
Philly Man Heads To Prison For Back-To-Back Armed Robbery: Usdoj A 26-year-old man will spend the next 15 years behind bars for a pair of Northeast Philadelphia robberies, federal prosecutors say.  Michael Malcolm was sentenced to 185 months plus five years of supervised release and $300 restitution, the US Attorney's Office said in a release.  Investigators said the robberies happened within minutes on the night of Oct. 5, 2021. Malcolm walked into Illadelph by All in One Smoke Shop at 14230 Bustleton Avenue and asked for cigarillo wraps before handing over some money, authorities said.  When the clerk opened the register, Malc…
Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: USDOJ Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: USDOJ
Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: Usdoj A convicted Philadelphia drug dealer who tried to have a witness assassinated while awaiting trial last year will spend the better part of a century in federal prison, prosecutors say.  Luis Algarin-Torres, 34, was sentenced to 622 months, or just shy of 52 years, plus six years of supervised release, according to the US Attorney's Office.  During a raid on his Hunting Park home in 2018, authorities said they found $28,000 in cash, 34 grams of cocaine, and a loaded gun that had been modified to fire automatically stashed in a kitchen light fixture.  They also found evid…
PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ
Benjamin Woytas Indicted For Selling Methamphetamine A federal grand jury indicted a Luzerne County man on drug trafficking charges this week, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Benjamin Woytas, 34, of Wilkes-Barre Township, is accused of distributing methamphetamine in Luzerne County in August 2023, said USA Gerard Karam in a release.  The maximum penalty for the charges is a 40-year prison term followed by supervised release and a fine, prosecutors said.  In addition to the FBI, the county Drug Task Force investigated the case.  Woytas was charged with drug possession in Hudson County, New Jersey, in 2020.&nb…
$42K Hidden In Sealed Toothpaste Boxes Lands PHL Employee Federal Sentence $42K Hidden In Sealed Toothpaste Boxes Lands PHL Employee Federal Sentence
$42K Hidden In Sealed Toothpaste Boxes Lands PHL Employee Federal Sentence A Philadelphia International Airport employee will spend six months in jail for trying to smuggle thousands of dollars past security, according to federal prosecutors.  Hugh James, 52, was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and a combined $1,200 in fines and fees, said the US Attorney's Office.  Authorities said James tried to board a flight from PHL to Montego Bay, Jamaica in October 2020 with $62,000 in undeclared cash in his luggage.  As "an employee with access to the secure area of the airport," investigators said James "arranged to have the cash smuggled…
Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds
Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds A city man was dealing drugs wholesale "in the immediate vicinity" of a Philadelphia middle school, a federal court found last week.  Phillip Gillard, 46, was convicted at trial on multiple drug trafficking and firearm offenses, said the US Attorney's Office.  A two-year investigation found the "Gillard drug trafficking organization" was supplying area dealers with wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, PCP, fentanyl, and other narcotics, according to the FBI.  Authorities believe Gillard and others maintained three properties in the city's Port Richmond section for d…
Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Southeast PA: Feds Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Southeast PA: Feds
Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Southeast PA: Feds Five members of an alleged trafficking group active in greater Philadelphia face federal charges, the US Attorney's Office announced this week.  Investigators say the group sent cocaine and methamphetamine to Pennsylvania through the mail for distribution in Reading, Quakertown, Bensalem, Plymouth Township, Coopersburg, and elsewhere. Authorities said they seized 40 firearms, over 100,000 rounds of ammunition, 60 pounds of meth, one kilogram of fentanyl, one kilogram of cocaine, 65 pounds of marijuana, 300 fentanyl pills, six pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, and $15,000 cash from the su…
PA Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security PA Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security
PA Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security A Monroe County man was sentenced to five years in federal prison this week for covering up his father's death and continuing to cash his checks, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Timothy Gritman, 56, of Brodheadsville, pleaded guilty to Social Security and wire fraud in a federal court exactly one year ago, Feb. 14, 2023, Daily Voice reported. This year on Valentine's Day, Gritman was sentenced to five years plus three more of supervised release, prosecutors said in a release.  Authorities have said Gritman's father Ralph was 79 and "in poor health" when he was l…
YouTube Drone Pilot Summoned To Federal Court For Reckless Flying In PA YouTube Drone Pilot Summoned To Federal Court For Reckless Flying In PA
YouTube Drone Pilot Summoned To Federal Court For Reckless Flying In PA A Philadelphia man is accused of breaking Federal Aviation Administration rules while flying his drone around the city, according to a release from the US Attorney's Office.  From December 2019 to the present, federal prosecutors claim Michael DiCiurcio flew his drones "unlawfully and unsafely" — including at night and dangerously close to buildings and landmarks like the William Penn statue.  DiCiurcio operates a YouTube channel called PhillyDroneLife, where he films and uploads "drone footage from sunrises to sunsets with the beautiful city skyline as the backdrop," accordi…
Philadelphia Knifepoint Kidnapper Could Face Life In Prison: Feds Philadelphia Knifepoint Kidnapper Could Face Life In Prison: Feds
Philadelphia Knifepoint Kidnapper Could Face Life In Prison: Feds A North Carolina man who pleaded guilty to one attempted abduction and one kidnapping in Philadelphia will learn his sentence this week, federal officials say.  Jacob Alex Montague has a court hearing scheduled for Friday, Feb. 16 at 1:30 p.m., according to the US Attorney's Office.  Investigators have said Montague tried kidnapping a 28-year-old woman at knifepoint near the intersection of 20th and Spruce Streets late on Nov. 1, 2020.  He tried again the next day, parking his car near the corner of 24th and Spruce Streets and abducting a 26-year-old woman after threate…
Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ
Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: Usdoj A Warminster man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine in York County, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Matthew Moss, 37, previously pleaded guilty to possessing more than 270 grams of meth for distribution, said prosecutors in a release.  Investigators said they went undercover and purchased 140 grams from Moss in York County in November 2021. He fled when they tried to arrest him and led authorities on a vehicle and foot chase, officials said.  When captured, Moss had an additional 133 grams of 96-percent-pure meth in his …
Reading Man Who Shot FBI Agents Convicted: USDOJ Reading Man Who Shot FBI Agents Convicted: USDOJ
Rafael Vega-Rodriguez Guilty Of Shooting FBI Agents Rafael Vega-Rodriguez "sealed his own fate" when he opened fire on three FBI agents in Reading four years ago, says the US Attorney's Office.  The 41-year-old was convicted Friday, Feb. 2 for three counts of attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer and related offenses, federal prosecutors wrote in a release.  Authorities said Vega-Rodriguez was wanted for a state parole violation when the trio of FBI agents spotted him on West Greenwich Street on March 1, 2020.  When the agents tried to stop him, authorities said Vega-Rodriguez drew a handgun from his…
Woman Exposed Herself On Philly-Bound Flight, Federal Prosecutors Claim Woman Exposed Herself On Philly-Bound Flight, Federal Prosecutors Claim
Woman Exposed Herself On Philly-Bound Flight, Federal Prosecutors Claim A passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight bound for Philadelphia International Airport threatened to kill passengers and assaulted a flight attendant before pulling her pants down in the aisle, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Dolce Huertas, 60, of Philadelphia, is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, simple assault, and indecent exposure, prosecutors said in a release.  During a flight from Orlando on Nov. 20, authorities said Huertas was served two alcoholic drinks. She rose from her seat to use the bathroom during the plane's descent into P…
Pottsville Snapchat Hacker Who Sold Woman's Nudes Gets Short Prison Stay Pottsville Snapchat Hacker Who Sold Woman's Nudes Gets Short Prison Stay
Pottsville Snapchat Hacker Who Sold Woman's Nudes Gets Short Prison Stay A Pottsville man will spend 18 months behind bars for hacking into social media accounts to steal and sell explicit photos of the victims, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Brandon Boyer, 34, will also spend two years on supervised release, prosecutors said.  Investigators said Boyer contacted the victims using an account that appeared to be Snapchat affiliated, then coaxed them to reset their passwords and send him the verification codes that were generated, a technique known as "phishing." Authorities said he stole photos from the private sections of the victims' accounts…
Trenton Lead Inspectors Admit Inflating Overtime Pay: Feds Trenton Lead Inspectors Admit Inflating Overtime Pay: Feds
Trenton Lead Inspectors Admit Inflating Overtime Pay: Feds Two Trenton lead inspectors admitted that they received nearly $55,000 in illegal overtime pay from the city for hours they did not work, federal authorities said. Michael Ingram, 71, of Trenton, and William Kreiss, 40, of Yardley, PA, pleaded guilty in Trenton federal court to conspiracy to embezzle, steal, and obtain by fraud from the city of Trenton, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Trenton’s Department of Health and Human Services was required to provide services to identify lead sources in homes in Trenton where children had tested positive for elevated levels of lead in their …
NY Man Who Assaulted Female Passenger On Flight To Newark Gets 2 Years, No Parole NY Man Who Assaulted Female Passenger On Flight To Newark Gets 2 Years, No Parole
NY Man Who Assaulted Female Passenger On Flight To Newark Gets 2 Years, No Parole UPDATE: An upstate New York man who admitted assaulting a fellow passenger on a flight from Denver to Newark must spend two plea-bargained years in federal prison. Ryan Manuella, 30, of Erie County, “moved to a vacant center seat next to a female passenger, who was sitting in a window seat” on the April 16, 2021 flight, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Manuella, who didn't know the woman, then "touched the passenger without her consent," Sellinger said. "The victim then yelled at him and left the row of seats," the U.S. attorney said. Defense attorney Andrew Olesnyck…
Carjacking, Kidnapping, Rape: Multi-State Crime Spree Stretched Into PA, Feds Say Carjacking, Kidnapping, Rape: Multi-State Crime Spree Stretched Into PA, Feds Say
Carjacking, Kidnapping, Rape: Multi-State Crime Spree Stretched Into PA, Feds Say Four Delaware men are accused in a crime spree that stretched into Pennsylvania and allegedly included car theft, kidnapping, gunpoint robbery, and rape.  Twenty-four-year-old Tonnaire McNair-Matthews, 23-year-old David Hinson, 21-year-old Michael Caldwell, and 20-year-old Mahkiya Powell were each named in a July 13 indictment unsealed in a US District Court in Delaware this week, said the US Attorney's Office.  The spree, federal authorities say, took place on April 14 and began in Delaware. Investigators claim the four suspects were riding around in a stolen …
West Chester Man Accused Of Sexual Assault On Airplane, Feds Say West Chester Man Accused Of Sexual Assault On Airplane, Feds Say
West Chester Man Accused Of Sexual Assault On Airplane, Feds Say A West Chester man faces federal charges after prosecutors say he sexually assaulted a girl on a cross-country flight last year.  Edward Decker, 45, was charged by indictment with two counts of abusive sexual contact on an aircraft, said the US Attorney's Office in a release.  The July 2022 American Airlines flight took off from San Diego and was bound for Philadelphia, authorities said. Investigators believe Decker "engaged in sexual contact" with a minor victim midflight.  If convicted, the 45-year-old faces up to five years in prison and up to a $500,000 fine, the US Atto…
Nine Pennsylvanians Stole Over $4 Million In Fine Art And Sports Memorabilia, Feds Say Nine Pennsylvanians Stole Over $4 Million In Fine Art And Sports Memorabilia, Feds Say
Nine Pennsylvanians Stole Over $4 Million In Fine Art And Sports Memorabilia, Feds Say It's enough to field a baseball team.  Nine Pennsylvania residents are charged with taking part in a 20-year conspiracy to steal sports memorabilia and works of art from museums across the country, said the office of US Attorney Gerard Karam.  The suspects, all of whom hail from Lackawanna County, conspired to steal paintings, antiques, and collectible items in a string of heists dating back to 1999 and targeting galleries and exhibitions in at least five states, prosecutors said.  Stolen items listed in the indictment include:  Paintings by Andy Warhol and Jackson Po…
Suspected Arsonists Face Federal Charges For Pizzeria Fire That Killed Philly Fireman Suspected Arsonists Face Federal Charges For Pizzeria Fire That Killed Philly Fireman
Suspected Arsonists Face Federal Charges For Pizzeria Fire That Killed Philly Fireman Two Philadelphia could face up to life in prison after federal prosecutors say they deliberately set a fire that killed a city firefighter last summer.  Al-Ashraf Khalil and Isaam Jaghama, both 29, are charged with malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce and conspiracy to commit the same, said US Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero in a release.  Federal investigators believe the pair set the blaze at 300 W. Indiana Ave. on June 18, 2022, that killed 51-year-old fireman Sean Williamson. He and four other first responders were in the structure when it collapsed…
NJ Deli Fraud Scheme Mastermind Arrested In Thailand: Feds NJ Deli Fraud Scheme Mastermind Arrested In Thailand: Feds
NJ Deli Fraud Scheme Mastermind Arrested In Thailand: Feds An international company chairman charged over a purported scheme to manipulate the stock market — one that resulted in a bogus $100M valuation for a Gloucester County deli despite minimal sales — was arrested in Thailand, the feds confirmed. Peter Coker Jr., 54, had been a fugitive since September when prosecutors filed 12 federal charges against him, his father, Peter Coker Sr., 80, and associate James Patten, 63. The trio allegedly boosted the share prices of Hometown International Inc. and another firm, E-Waste Corp. Matthew Reilly, a spokesperson for the New Jersey US Attorney’s Offic…
Philly Man Ran Interstate Sex Trafficking Scheme, Feds Say Philly Man Ran Interstate Sex Trafficking Scheme, Feds Say
Philly Man Ran Interstate Sex Trafficking Scheme, Feds Say A Philadelphia man will spend more than a decade in federal prison on sex trafficking charges, officials have announced.  Victor Clayton, 47, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars and 10 years supervised release for running an underage prostitution scheme that crossed state lines, US Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero said in a statement dated Thursday, Sept. 29.  On March 15, 2018, Clayton was arrested at a Dunn, North Carolina motel where police found him with two girls aged 16 and 15.  The 47-year-old had solicited the victims as sex workers at the motel, and had done the…
Dozen PA Residents Charged In Federal $1 Million Social Security Fraud Case Dozen PA Residents Charged In Federal $1 Million Social Security Fraud Case
Dozen PA Residents Charged In Federal $1 Million Social Security Fraud Case Nearly a dozen Pennsylvania residents have been charged in a $1 million federal social security fraud case, with nine already pleading guilty, authorities announced. The charges stem from a targeted investigation to catch those who steal a dead beneficiary's social security payments, United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero said on Monday, Oct. 3. In total, the fraud loss in these 12 cases amounts to nearly $1 million. The following individuals have been charged: Sloan Carter, 59, of Philadelphia; charged by Information on Aug. 2, with theft of government funds; pleaded…