This next challenge involves four hoodlums. Two were from New York, and two were from Illinois. Each guy’s underworld nickname was “Roberts.“
Your job is to identify each man by listing his REAL “first and last name” and matching the (letter) of his nickname with the area he was from. Have at it fellas….
A) Benny Roberts B) Danny Roberts C) Johnny Roberts D) Johnny Roberts
Members of Brooklyn-Based Hyena Crips Gang Charged with Multiple Murders and Racketeering Activity Spanning Nearly a Decade
Earlier today, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in EDNY federal court in Brooklyn, a superseding indictment was partially unsealed variously charging seven members of the Brooklyn-based Hyena Crips gang with racketeering and using a firearm in the course of a murder in connection with three murders, murder conspiracies, robberies and identity-fraud schemes dating back to 2012. Three defendants were arrested this morning and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho. The four remaining defendants, who are in state and federal custody on other charges, will be arraigned at a later date. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region (DOL-OIG), announced the arrests and superseding indictment. “For years, the Hyena Crips terrorized our community with brutal acts of violence—including murders, shootings and brazen armed-robberies—and funded their criminal activities through fraud schemes,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The crimes alleged in today’s superseding indictment illustrate well the damage this gang has wrought on individuals, small businesses and the community at-large. This Office and its law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, take out their leadership and obtain justice for their victims. It is my hope that today’s indictment brings some measure of solace particularly to the families of Samuel Joseph, Leandre Mallinckrodt and Roodson Polynice who were senselessly murdered.” “As alleged, these defendants and the Hyena Crips gang at-large have for years inflicted unimaginable pain on the community and claimed the lives of innocent New Yorkers. While nothing can bring back Leandre Mallinckrodt, Samuel Joseph, and Roodson Polynice, HSI New York will never forget its commitment to seeking justice on behalf of victims, regardless of how much time has passed,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “HSI New York will not sit idly by as gangs terrorize the public. I commend our law enforcement partners, including the New York Police Department, for working together to eliminate violent criminal organizations and the fear they cause.” “The ‘Hyena lifestyle’ was one of wanton violence coupled with acute ineptitude, as the individuals charged today allegedly murdered innocent men they mistook for rival gang members,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “The actions of this busy criminal network ranged from robbery to financial fraud, which, for too long, cast a pall over large swaths of our city. I highly commend all the investigators involved in this case, starting us toward a modicum of justice for the grieving families of those senselessly killed.” “An important part of the mission of the U.S Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 pandemic unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. As detailed in the government’s detention letter filed earlier today, the Hyena Crips set of the Crips street gang is a violent criminal enterprise operating in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn. The gang engages in acts of violence, including murder, robbery and assault, and earns money through drug trafficking, bank fraud and access device fraud. Members of the gang refer to each other as “Hyenas,” “Heenz” or some variation of hyena, and use social media emojis depicting a bluish-purple face with horns and an animal resembling what appears to be a hyena, wolf or fox.
Murder of Leandre Mallinckrodt On September 3, 2012, defendant Rick Jasmin and other members of the Hyena Crips were present at the annual West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn. A fight broke out and Jasmin allegedly stabbed Leandre Mallinckrodt, who the defendant mistook for a rival gang member, in the neck. Mallinckrodt, who had been visiting from upstate New York and had no gang affiliation, died from the wound.
Murder of Samuel Joseph On February 22, 2019, Martial H. Amilcar and a co-conspirator drove to 15-year-old Samuel Joseph’s apartment building and waited outside until Joseph’s teenage sister arrived at the building’s entrance. While Joseph’s sister prepared to enter the building, the victim was walking down an internal staircase towards the building’s exit. When Joseph’s sister opened the building door to enter, Amilcar walked into the building behind her, pulled out a gun and shot Joseph three times at close range, killing him. The shooting and events leading up to it were captured on security camera footage taken nearby. Amilcar and the co-conspirator allegedly killed Joseph in retaliation for an altercation earlier that day between Amilcar’s relative, a fellow gang member, and Joseph’s older brother, a rival gang member.
Murder of Roodson Polynice In the summer of 2020, Hyena Crips leader Dave Augustin allegedly directed Richler Morette and Bradley Augustin to retaliate against a rival gang for the non-fatal shootings of two Hyena Crips leaders. On September 2, 2020, Bradley Augustin, Morette and others allegedly carried out the fatal shooting of Roodson Polynice. Polynice, like Mallincrodt, had no gang affiliation and was killed after he was wrongly identified by the defendants as a rival. Following the murder, Morette responded to a group Facebook messages about Polynice’s death in which he replied with three laughing-face emojis and stated, “[d]on’t care who got hit” and “pic [sic] a side or get killed with them Hyenalifestyle or no life.”
COVID-19 Fraud Dave Augustin, Matthew Harris, Rick Jasmin, Wisny Joseph, and Richler Morette are charged with allegedly conspiring to commit identity fraud in connection with fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits and loans issued by the Small Business Administration for relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dave Augustin, Harris, Joseph and Morette are also charged with money laundering conspiracy arising from their fraudulently opening bank accounts to conceal the source of ill-gotten gains obtained by members of the Hyena Crips. The superseding indictment also charges several defendants with the attempted armed robbery of a Caribbean Air check cashing businesses, the attempted robbery of a pharmacy and the non-fatal shooting of an individual following an argument during a dice game. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Martial H. Amilcar, Bradley Augustin, Dave Augustin, Jasmin, and Morette face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Harris and Joseph face prison terms of up to 20 years. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Lash, Jessica Weigel, Joshua Dugan and Andres Palacio are in charge of the prosecution. The case was initiated and investigated by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Wenzel in the Long Island Division. The Defendants: MARTIAL H. AMILCAR (also known as “Drippy”) Age: 27 Brooklyn, New York BRADLEY AUGUSTIN (also known as “Cradley”) Age: 24 Brooklyn, New York DAVE AUGUSTIN (also known as “Juice”) Age: 38 Brooklyn, New York MATTHEW HARRIS (also known as “Kappy”) Age: 24 Brooklyn, New York RICK JASMIN (also known as “Jab”) Age: 31 Brooklyn, New York WISNY JOSEPH (also known as “Weezy”) Age: 32 Brooklyn, New York RICHLER MORETTE (also known as “Breezy”) Age: 29 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-18 (S1) (AMD)
Two Brothers Arrested For Attacking The Ethereum Blockchain And Stealing $25 Million In Cryptocurrency
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Lisa Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States; and Thomas Fattorusso, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced today, May 15, 2024, the unsealing of an Indictment charging ANTON PERAIRE-BUENO and JAMES PERAIRE-BUENO with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged novel scheme by the defendants to exploit the very integrity of the Ethereum blockchain to fraudulently obtain approximately $25 million worth of cryptocurrency within approximately 12 seconds. ANTON PERAIRE-BUENO and JAMES PERAIRE-BUENO were arrested yesterday in Boston, Massachusetts, and New York, New York, respectively, and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson for the District of Massachusetts and U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo for the Southern District of New York. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today, my Office indicted two brothers—Anton Peraire-Bueno and James Peraire-Bueno—for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, all stemming from their alleged scheme to exploit the Ethereum blockchain and to obtain about $25 million worth of cryptocurrency from it. As we allege, the defendants’ scheme calls the very integrity of the blockchain into question. The brothers, who studied computer science and math at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, allegedly used their specialized skills and education to tamper with and manipulate the protocols relied upon by millions of Ethereum users across the globe. And once they put their plan into action, their heist only took 12 seconds to complete. This alleged scheme was novel and has never before been charged. But as the Indictment makes clear, no matter how sophisticated the fraud or how new the techniques used to accomplish it, the career prosecutors of this Office will be relentless in pursuing people who attack the integrity of all financial systems.” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said: “As alleged in today’s indictment, the Peraire-Bueno brothers stole $25 million in Ethereum cryptocurrency through a technologically sophisticated, cutting-edge scheme they plotted for months and executed in seconds. Unfortunately for the defendants, their alleged crimes were no match for Department of Justice prosecutors and IRS agents, who unraveled this first-of-its kind wire fraud and money laundering scheme. As cryptocurrency markets continue to evolve, the Department will continue to root out fraud, support victims, and restore confidence to these markets.” IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso said: “These brothers allegedly committed a first-of-its-kind manipulation of the Ethereum blockchain by fraudulently gaining access to pending transactions, altering the movement of the electronic currency, and ultimately stealing $25 million in cryptocurrency from their victims. In this case, IRS-CI New York’s Cyber Unit simply followed the money. Regardless of the complexity of the case, we continue to lead the effort in financial criminal investigations with cutting-edge technology and good-ole-fashioned investigative work, on and off the blockchain.” As alleged in the Indictment:[1] ANTON PERAIRE-BUENO and JAMES PERAIRE-BUENO are brothers who studied mathematics and computer science at one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Using the specialized skills developed during their education, as well as their expertise in cryptocurrency trading, ANTON PERAIRE-BUENO and JAMES PERAIRE-BUENO exploited the very integrity of the Ethereum blockchain in order to fraudulently obtain approximately $25 million worth of cryptocurrency from victim cryptocurrency traders (the “Exploit”). Through the Exploit, which is believed to be the very first of its kind, ANTON PERAIRE-BUENO and JAMES PERAIRE-BUENO manipulated and tampered with the process and protocols by which transactions are validated and added to the Ethereum blockchain. In doing so, they fraudulently gained access to pending private transactions and used that access to alter certain transactions and obtain their victims’ cryptocurrency. Once the defendants stole their victims’ cryptocurrency, they rejected requests to return the stolen cryptocurrency and took numerous steps to hide their ill-gotten gains. ANTON PERAIRE-BUENO and JAMES PERAIRE-BUENO meticulously planned the Exploit over the course of several months. Among other things, they learned the trading behaviors of the victim traders whose cryptocurrency they ultimately stole. As they planned the Exploit, they also took numerous steps to conceal their identities and lay the groundwork to conceal the stolen proceeds, including by setting up shell companies and using multiple private cryptocurrency addresses and foreign cryptocurrency exchanges. After the Exploit, the defendants transferred the stolen cryptocurrency through a series of transactions designed to conceal the source and ownership of the stolen funds. Throughout the planning, execution, and aftermath of the Exploit, ANTON PERAIRE-BUENO and JAMES PERAIRE-BUENO also searched online for information about, among other things, how to carry out the Exploit, ways to conceal their involvement in the Exploit, cryptocurrency exchanges with limited “know your customer” procedures that they could use to launder their criminal proceeds, attorneys with expertise in cryptocurrency cases, extradition procedures, and the very crimes charged in this Indictment. * * * ANTON PERAIRE-BUENO, 24, of Boston, Massachusetts, and JAMES PERAIRE-BUENO, 28, of New York, New York, are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the IRS-CI New York’s Cyber Investigations Unit. Mr. Williams also acknowledged the assistance of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the New York City Police Department. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rushmi Bhaskaran and Danielle Kudla are in charge of the prosecution. The allegations in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Flight Attendants Charged In Connection With Smuggling Drug Money To The Dominican Republic
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, the unsealing of two Complaints charging flight attendants CHARLIE HERNANDEZ, SARAH VALERIO PUJOLS, EMMANUEL TORRES, and JAROL FABIO with various offenses in connection with their years-long participation in smuggling narcotics trafficking proceeds from the United States to the Dominican Republic on commercial flights. All of the defendants were arrested yesterday. PUJOLS and FABIO were presented yesterday in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein, and HERNANDEZ and TORRES will be presented later today before Judge Stein. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, these flight attendants smuggled millions of dollars of drug money and law enforcement funds that they thought was drug money from the United States to the Dominican Republic over many years by abusing their privileges as airline employees. Today’s charges should serve as a reminder to those who break the law by helping drug traffickers move their money that crime doesn’t pay.” HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “As alleged, the defendants knowingly smuggled large amounts of illicit money linked to the sale of narcotics, to include fentanyl, and took advantage of airport security checkpoints by using their trusted positions as flight attendants. This investigation has exposed critical vulnerabilities in the airline security industry and has illuminated methods that narcotics traffickers are utilizing. Today’s announcement should serve as a warning to all airline personnel: HSI New York will not tolerate employees’ attempts to abuse their power for the sake of transporting illicit goods. I commend El Dorado Task Force’s Transnational Criminal Enterprise Investigations Group and our partners in the public and private sectors for recognizing the seriousness of this issue.” According to the allegations contained in the Complaints:[1] During the relevant period charged in the Complaints, all of the defendants were employed as flight attendants with different international airlines that operated routes between New York City and the Dominican Republic. All of the defendants had “Known Crewmember” (“KCM”) status with the Transportation Security Administration, which allowed them to pass through a special security lane at John F. Kennedy International Airport and other airports with less scrutiny than normal passengers. In total, the defendants smuggled approximately $8 million in bulk cash from the United States to the Dominican Republic. Before his or her arrest in about October 2021, a cooperating witness (“CW-1”) operated a significant money laundering organization (“MLO”) in New York City, specializing in the movement of cash proceeds from narcotics sales from New York City to the Dominican Republic. One method that CW-1 used in furtherance of his or her MLO was corrupting flight attendants, like the defendants, who worked routes between New York City and the Dominican Republic. In exchange for a fee – which generally amounted to a small percentage of the amount of money that they would be smuggling – the defendants accepted bulk cash from CW-1 in New York City, got it past airport security via the KCM lane, and passed it off to other members of CW-1’s MLO in the Dominican Republic, including another cooperating witness (“CW-2”). After CW-1 and CW-2 began cooperating with law enforcement, HSI orchestrated a number of sting operations in which CW-1 provided law enforcement funds represented to be narcotics proceeds to the defendants, who then smuggled it down to the Dominican Republic and handed it off to CW-2. * * * CHARLIE HERNANDEZ, 42, of West New York, New Jersey, SARAH VALERIO PUJOLS, 42, of the Bronx, New York, EMMANUEL TORRES, 34, of Brooklyn, New York, and JAROL FABIO, 35, of New York, New York, are each charged with one count of operation of an unlicensed money transmission business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of entering an airport or aircraft area in violation of security requirements, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. PUJOLS and HERNANDEZ are additionally charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and PUJOLS is further charged with one count of bulk cash smuggling, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of HSI and the New York City Police Department. This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin A. Gianforti and Jackie Delligatti are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaints are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaints and the description of the Complaints set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
NYC shutters 75 illicit weed shops in first week of crackdown, with hundreds and hundreds to go
Members of the NYPD CRT Unit and New York City Sheriff’s Office are pictured conducting a raid on the New City Smoke Shop on Church St. and Park Pl. in lower Manhattan on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Daily News) Seventy-five illegal weed shops were shuttered in the first week of the Adams administration’s “Operation Padlock” crackdown on illicit marijuana sales in the city, officials announced Tuesday. The first batch of closures marks a drop in the bucket as there are believed to be some 3,000 illegal pot shops operating in the Big Apple, most of which cropped up in the wake of the state legalizing marijuana in 2021 without immediately rolling out a comprehensive legal market. In a press briefing at City Hall on Tuesday morning, Mayor Adams acknowledged there’s a lot more work to do. “They are just getting started,” he said of the Operation Padlock strike force, which is being led by the city Sheriff’s Office.
Mayor Eric Adams and senior administration officials hold an in-person media availability at City Hall on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Caroline Rubinstein-Willis / Mayoral Photography Office) The operation was launched in response to Gov. Hochul and Albany lawmakers granting the city expanded enforcement powers last month that allows it to close down illegal weed shops without first securing approval from the state. Before the state gave the city the beefed up authority, Adams promised repeatedly that he would shut down every unlicensed weed shop in the city “within 30 days” of being awarded the expanded enforcement powers. But on April 30, shortly after the state finally gave him those powers, Adams tempered expectations, saying he’d instead make “a substantial dent” in reducing the number of illicit shops within 30 days. The locations of the 75 newly-shuttered shops weren’t immediately known. An Adams spokeswoman declined to immediately identify them.
Members of the NYPD CRT Unit and New York City Sheriff’s Office are pictured conducting a raid on the New City Smoke Shop on Church St. and Park Pl. in lower Manhattan on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Daily News) The spokeswoman also would not give a specific number of shops that Operation Padlock aims to shut down each week, but said the strike force will have 15 teams deployed across the city doing closure operations each day. Going forward, enforcement teams will “proactively monitor” establishments that have been shuttered to make sure they stay closed, the spokeswoman added. The 75 fresh padlock cases resulted in nearly $6 million in penalties being issued against the operators of the shops in question, according to Adams’ office. It’s unclear how many of those penalties have so far been collected. A cannabis enforcement-related issue that has lately caught the attention of lawmakers is court processing. Members of the NYPD CRT Unit and New York City Sheriff’s Office are pictured conducting a raid on the New City Smoke Shop on Church St. and Park Pl. in lower Manhattan on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Daily News) Under the expanded enforcement authorities, the city’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, known as OATH, must adjudicate any weed shop padlock case within five days. OATH is already scrambling to address growing case backlogs that have resulted in the average adjudication time for summonses being 12 days in the current fiscal year, according to data contained in the latest Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report. Manhattan Councilwoman Gale Brewer, a Democrat who chairs the Council’s Oversight and Investigations Committee, sent a letter to OATH Commissioner Asim Rehman last week raising concern about how the agency will be able to comply with the five-day timeline, given existing backlogs.
New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda (in white) is pictured during a raid on the New City Smoke Shop on Church St. and Park Pl. in lower Manhattan on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News) In a Tuesday response letter obtained by the Daily News, Rehman wrote that OATH is “actively working to hire additional staff” in order to quickly adjudicate the expected influx of new weed shop padlock cases. OATH spokeswoman Marisa Senigo said the agency is, among other positions, looking to hire new judicial hearing officers, attorneys and support staff. She did not provide a specific number of new hires that the agency is looking to make. — NYDailyNews
Torretta Housewife Mafia Drug Connection (1988) 00:00 Laos-Golden Triangle Dope Smuggling (1988) 02:02 Medellin Cartel Linked Drug Bust in San Francisco (1988?)
This one is a real mystery, body found identified as Lori Angiulo, missing since 1983, husband was James Angiulo Jr., grandson of Nick Angiulo (consigliere) and son of James Sr. 'Jimmy Jones'. Never reported missing.
Dangerous high-ranking cartel member known as ‘The Scorpion’ extradited to the US
A high-ranking member of one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent drug cartels — known as “The Scorpion” — has been extradited to the United States after spending almost a decade on the run. Juan Manuel Abouzaid El Bayeh, 52, was handed over to the US Marshals Service on Monday after being arrested in Mexico in 2021. He faces charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. El Bayeh, who is known as “El Escorpion” or “The Scorpion,” was a known top associate of the prolific Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).
CJNG came to power in Jalisco, Mexico in 2009 after taking advantage of the downfall of the Valencia/Milenio cartel. Its ruthless leader, Ruben Oseguera-Cervantes — referred to by his alias “el Mencho” — is one of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) most wanted fugitives with a $10 million bounty on his head. Oseguera-Cervantes led CJNG through bloody turf battles to gain control over strategic areas for drug distribution, eventually turning the criminal organization into one of the five most dangerous transnational cartels designated by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“The Scorpion” Juan Manuel Abouzaid El Bayeh was designated for his role in the CJNG cartel FOX 5 SanDiego “The cartel has established itself around the world, not just dumping all the drugs in America, they’re sending drugs to 30, 40, 50 countries… because the market for drugs is exploding,” Derek Maltz, who previously served as the DEA’s chief of special operations, told The Post. El Bayeh was part of a special group within CJNG run by Oseguera-Cervantes, according to Univision. “This guy is just another high-ranking confidante of El Mencho, who is obviously a significant player,” Maltz said.
El Bayeh was indicted in May 2017 for drug trafficking by the US District Court in DC, which said he’d been engaged in criminal activities since 2012. Mexican authorities later blocked El Bayeh’s bank accounts in June 2020 due to his role in the cartel, according to the Treasury Department. In March 2021, the Treasury Department designated El Bayeh a drug trafficker “for providing material support to” CJNG.
However, while Maltz said he’s glad to see the extradition, it will not likely impact the supply chain of deadly drugs across the border in the US. “It’s well beyond criminal cases against cartel leadership, we’re well beyond that,” Maltz said, explaining that there needs to be a powerful effort to cut the cartels’ supply chain. Another issue is the timing of the arrest — which may be politically motivated, Victor Avila, a retired agent for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) who was shot in the line of duty by a Los Zetas cartel member, told The Post.
“Although these high-level cartel arrests are always welcomed, we must question the timing of the arrest. Remember that Mexico has presidential elections this June and it always looks good to seem like you’re fighting these cartels. This benefits both elections,” Avila said. El Bayeh is expected to have his first court appearance May 17 in Washington, DC, according to Border Report.
Purported Member Of The Cartier Family And Five Colombian Nationals Charged For Their Roles In International Money Laundering And Narcotics Conspiracies Thursday, May 2, 2024 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); and Kareem A. Carter, the Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Washington, D.C. Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging MAXIMILIEN DE HOOP CARTIER, LEONARDO DE JESUS ZULUAGA DUQUE, a/k/a “Rey,” ERICA MILENA LOPEZ ORTIZ, and FELIPE ESTRADA ECHEVERRY, a/k/a “Pepe,” with conspiring to commit money laundering based on their alleged participation in a network that laundered millions in Tether (a stablecoin connected to the U.S. dollar), which constituted the proceeds of drug trafficking, through the U.S. to Colombia. CARTIER is also charged with money laundering, bank fraud, engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from bank fraud, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business based on CARTIER’s system of U.S.-based shell companies and bank accounts that he used to operate an unlicensed over-the-counter cryptocurrency exchange. In addition, the Superseding Indictment charges ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ, ALEXANDER EGIDIO AREIZA CEBALLOS, and ADRIAN FERNANDO AREIZA CEBALLOS with conspiring to import more than 100 kilograms of cocaine into the U.S.
CARTIER, who purports to be a direct descendant of the Cartier family known for luxury jewelry, was arrested on February 22, 2024, in Miami, Florida, and presented before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Florida. ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ, ESTRADA ECHEVERRY, ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS, and ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS, all Colombian nationals, were taken into custody by Colombian authorities on April 30, 2024. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The charges brought today demonstrate this Office’s commitment to prosecuting international drug traffickers and piercing complicated money laundering networks seeking to exploit the U.S financial system. As alleged, Maximilien de Hoop Cartier, Leonardo de Jesus Zuluage Duque, Erica Milena Lopez Ortiz, and Felipe Estrada Echeverry were members of a network that laundered millions of dollars’ worth of drug trafficking proceeds using cryptocurrency and the U.S. financial system. Cartier is additionally alleged to have committed a series of financial offenses while working with this money laundering network that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of unlawful transactions. I commend the efforts of our law enforcements partners and the career prosecutors from this Office who work tirelessly to investigate and disrupt these money laundering and drug trafficking networks. We will continue to relentlessly protect the U.S. financial system from exploitation.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Maximilien de Hoop Cartier and five Colombian nationals allegedly attempted to import more than 100 kilograms of cocaine and laundered hundreds of millions of dollars – including revenue from drug trafficking operations – through an unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange to transfer illicit funds from the United States to Colombia. This alleged scheme illustrates advancements in criminals’ use of complex financial methods to conceal their profits and other nefarious activity from law enforcement. The FBI is committed to dismantling international criminal enterprises by disrupting the flow of illegal money and narcotics across our borders.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “Today’s announcement serves as a reminder that criminals do not fit a certain mold. While Maximilien de Hoop Cartier represents himself as a member of a family associated with wealth and luxury, he stands accused of executing a bank fraud scheme where hundreds of millions in criminal funds were laundered. Both here and in Colombia, he and his co-conspirators allegedly laundered drug-trafficking proceeds to the tune of over $14 million. I commend HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force and our law enforcement partners for relentlessly pursuing suspected criminals regardless of their names or whereabouts.”
IRS-CI Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter said: “IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to have provided its financial expertise in this investigation. CI and our law enforcement partners are committed to aggressively investigating individuals who engage in money laundering, tax fraud, and other financial crimes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:[1]
CARTIER, ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ, and ESTRADA ECHEVERRY are members of a money laundering network that operates in the U.S. and Colombia, among other countries (the “Network”). The Network utilizes a system of money laundering brokers and shell companies in the U.S., Colombia, and elsewhere to, among other things, launder crime proceeds through the U.S. to Colombia. Between in or about May 2023 and November 2023, CARTIER, ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ, ESTRADA ECHEVERRY, and others used the Network to launder a total of approximately $14.5 million Tether derived directly from the proceeds of drug trafficking. In particular, ZULUAGA DUQUE, with the assistance of LOPEZ ORTIZ, coordinated and communicated with other members of the Network to convert drug proceeds into Tether to be sent to the U.S. where it was converted into fiat currency by CARTIER and delivered by wire transfers from the U.S. to shell companies in Colombia that were operated or maintained by ESTRADA ECHEVERRY and others.
CARTIER has been a member of the Network since at least about January 2020. As part of his role in the Network, CARTIER operated an unlicensed over-the-counter cryptocurrency exchange. Specifically, CARTIER operated and/or controlled several U.S.-based shell companies, including Bullpix Solutions LLC, Vintech Capital LLC, VC Innovated Technologies LLC, AZ Technologies LLC, Softmill LLC, and Sun Technologies LLC (the “Cartier Shell Companies”), and maintained multiple accounts for the Cartier Shell Companies at several U.S. financial institutions. In opening these bank accounts, CARTIER misrepresented the true nature of the business of the Cartier Shell Companies — i.e., CARTIER claimed to the banks that the Cartier Shell Companies were in the business of software or technology when, in fact, CARTIER was using the companies to operate as an unlicensed money remitting business related to the operation of a cryptocurrency exchange. From January 2020 to the present, CARTIER’s unlicensed money transmitting business executed hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of unlawful transactions and laundered hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds, including drug trafficking proceeds with ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ, and ESTRADA ECHEVERRY between about May and November 2023.
Finally, ZULUAGA DUQUE and LOPEZ ORTIZ conspired with ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS and ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS to import more than 100 kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. Specifically, in about November 2023, confidential sources, at the direction of law enforcement, coordinated with LOPEZ ORTIZ and ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS for the purchase of approximately nine kilograms of cocaine paste, which was to be manufactured into cocaine before being delivered to New York. For that purchase, ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS delivered the narcotics to an undercover officer and ZULUAGA DUQUE received a commission for helping to set up the deal. Additionally, in about February 2024, a confidential source, at the direction of law enforcement, arranged for the purchase of approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine paste from ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS and ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS. In anticipation of this deal, the Colombian National Police executed two search warrants and recovered approximately 111 kilograms of cocaine paste from ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS and ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS.
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CARTIER, 57, an Argentinian citizen who has resided France, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of money laundering, which a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of bank fraud, which a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of operating of an unlicensed money remitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
ZULUAGA DUQUE, 61, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the U.S., which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
LOPEZ ORTIZ, 42, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the U.S., which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
ESTRADA ECHEVERRY, 38, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS, 45, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one count of conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the U.S., which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS, 44, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one count of conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the U.S., which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum penalties in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Field Office, HSI’s New York El Dorado Task Force, and IRS-CI, Global Illicit Financial Team. Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Colombia; the Colombian National Police; the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; the U.S. Embassy Colombia; and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer N. Ong is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Son of Leader of Rodriguez Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 10 Years for His Role in Large Fentanyl Conspiracy Thursday, May 2, 2024 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK –Ivan Rodriguez, Jr., age 29, of Utica, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 120 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and to distribute fentanyl announced United States Attorney Carla Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division and Thomas Fattorusso, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Office. Rodriguez was also ordered to serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, pay a $200 special assessment and a $75,000 money judgment representing profits he earned as part of the drug conspiracy.
Ivan Rodriguez, Jr. is the son of Ivan Rodriguez, Sr., the head of the Rodriguez drug trafficking organization, an organization that distributed heroin, fentanyl and cocaine throughout the Utica, New York area. As part of his guilty plea Rodriguez, Jr. admitted that from at least June 2021 through October 2021, he conspired with Ivan Rodriguez, Eric Ares, Jose Aponte, Jose Morales, Bernabe Lopez, Angel Calderon Ortiz, Harry Rodriguez, Jr. and others to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl and a mixture of fentanyl/heroin in and around Oneida County and elsewhere. Rodriguez, Jr. admitted that he, together with his father and Eric Ares arranged for the purchase, pickup and delivery of 3 kilograms of fentanyl and a mixture of fentanyl/heroin from a source of supply, which he and others acting on his behalf, re-distributed in the Utica, New York area. Rodriguez, Jr. also admitted to distributing a quantity of fentanyl to a co-conspirator.
This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the New York State Police, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, the City of Utica Police Department, the City of Syracuse Police Department, the City of Rome Police Department, United States Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE), the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, the New York Army National Guard Counter Drug Program, the Village of Yorkville Police Department, and the Village of Whitesboro Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson.
Springfield (MA) Mob Crew’s ‘Our Gang’ Back Together Again Under New Management, But Same Faces, Lifelong Friendships Remain
Freshly-baptized Ralphie Santaniello and his boys’ return to the forefront of mafia affairs in Springfield (MA) is a reunion of sorts. Coming back with him will be the so-called usual suspects from his longtime inner circle, per sources with intimate knowledge of the situation.
Johnny Cal. Richie the Postman. Lou the Shoe and Frankie the Shark. Gerry D and even Fat Chickie should be making some cameos. In other words, the band is getting back together, minus Big Al, Bingy and The Animal.
Santaniello and his dad, Amedeo, seized power in the Springfield mob crew last week, leading a Genovese crime family-sanctioned mutiny to reclaim the regime back from renegade crew boss Albert (The Animal) Calvanese by taking back control of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society Social Club by force. Calvanese, 61, almost died in a horrific car crash earlier this spring and is recovering from breaking both his legs. He’s first cousins with Ralphie Santaniello and is Amedeo’s nephew. Although the Springfield crew has always been a satellite branch of the Genovese crime family, Calvanese never earned an official job appointment from the Westside and instead simply declared he was assuming command sans blessing out of the Bronx.
The Santaniellos ran the Springfield mob crew along with Calvanese in the first half of the 2010s, until Ralphie and most of his loyalists were busted and sent to prison in the summer of 2016 and Amedeo was forced on the shelf, with Calvanese coldly stealing their rackets for himself. Over the past few years, mafia shot callers in New York and Boston became increasingly irritated with Calvanese’s antics, which included allowing outed mob informants and leaders of the Latin Kings to do business on the grounds of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel club, filing a police protection order to keep the Santaniellos from stepping foot on the property and shunning sit-down requests and
According to sources on both sides of the law, 56-year old Ralphie Santaniello, received induction into the Genovese mob at a recent ceremony in New York and got the Westside’s sign-off of on his and his dad’s power play. Amedeo Santaniello, 85, is firmly back in the good graces of Genovese shot callers and being looked to by them to serve as his son’s pseudo underboss and consigliere in their tasking him with righting the ship in Springfield, these sources allege. The elder Santaniello reportedly angered imprisoned Genovese bosses in the late 2010s regarding a photo he was in with a known cooperator who put several influential and beloved Westside chieftains behind bars for life, but by now has recaptured his status and the faith in him from the powers that be in the Big Apple.
Last Monday morning, the Santaniellos’s men changed the locks and evicted the Calvanese camp from the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel club in Springfield’s South End. Then, on Thursday, local Goodfella Gerry Daniele called a meeting of the club’s roster of due payers and called a vote to allow a changeover of club administration and the Santaniellos to be let back in as members; the Santaniellos were unanimously voted back into the club’s ranks.
Daniele is part of Springfield’s “Our Gang,” the group of old-school Santaniello loyalists lining up back behind them like it’s the 2000s or 2010s all over again. Most of these guys have all known each other since childhood. Per more than five sources, Springfield mob stalwarts, Frank (The Shark) DePergola, Lou (The Shoe) Santos, Richard (Richie the Postman) Valentini and Giovanni (Johnny Cal) Calabrese. are alleged to be part of the Santaniellos’ remodeling plans, a kind of old is new vibe with veterans and smarter-from-past-mistake mobsters eager to help the Santaniellos bring the crew back to esteem for themselves, the city’s underworld pride in general and the bosses in New York for the Genovese clan.
Former bookie and Springfield mob figure David (Fat Chickie) Cecchetelli grew up with Ralphie Santaniello and was present last week when the club changed hands and Daniele successfully proposed Santaniello and his father to have their full-membership rights at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Club returned to them. Cecchetelli is retired from the mafia life and making a go off it in the film-production and social-media space. The entire group of Western Massachusetts knockaround guys, along with Calvanese, came up in the rackets in the Scibelli brothers and Adolfo (Big Al) Bruno regime of the 1990s and were contemporaries of one-time Springfield mob crew boss Anthony (Bingy) Arillotta, Big Al Bruno’s protege-turned-adversary-and-eventual-successor.
After Arillotta engineered Big Al’s headline-grabbing assassination at the urging of Genovese brass in New York City in the parking lot of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Club on November 23, 2003 and became a skipper at just 33 years old, he filled his crew’s top spots with his boyhood pals. Ralphie Santaniello was his right-hand man and Calvanese, his No. 1 loan shark and collector. “Lou the Shoe and “Fat Chickie” were his main bookmakers and Amedeo Santaniello and “Frankie the Shark” DePergola were his primary advisers, sounding boards and go-betweens with the New York mob. The Geas brothers (Freddy & Ty) were Arillotta’s most-trusted enforcers and Valentini, Calabrese and Daniele reported directly to the Santaniellos, according to federal-court filings and FBI records.
DePergola, 67, was Big Al Bruno’s driver and was with him when he was killed. Upon Arillotta flipping and the Geas getting locked up for facilitating the Bruno hit, both DePergola and Ralphie Santaniello were nominated for getting their respective buttons. Right before he cut his deal with the government, Arillotta suspected Lou the Shoe, a slick Dominican-born sports-gambling lieutenant, was talking to the feds and put a $10,000 murder contract on his head that’s wheels never got into motion. Calvanese’s decision to allow “Bingy” Arillotta, 55, to return to the Western Mass region and back into the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Club following his release from prison to record a podcast interview made waves in New York City and Boston and was at least partially related to his ouster, per a number of sources with intimate knowledge of the situation.
Sixteen People Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud Hundreds of Elderly Americans of Millions of Dollars Tuesday, April 30, 2024 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey
NEWARK, N.J. – Sixteen individuals were charged in connection with a sprawling “grandparent scam” to defraud hundreds of elderly Americans out of millions of dollars, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Eleven men from the Dominican Republic are charged in a 19-count indictment with mail and wire fraud conspiracy; wire fraud; mail fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering; and money laundering:
*Juan Rafael Parra Arias, aka “Yofre,” 40 Nefy Vladimir Parra Arias, aka “Keko,” 39 Nelson Rafael Gonzalez Acevedo, aka “Nelson Tech,” 35 *Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman, aka “Max Morgan,” 59 Miguel Angel Fortuna Solano, aka “Botija,” aka “Boti,” 41 *Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, aka “Fili,” aka “Filly The Kid,” 36 Carlos Javier Estevez, 45 Louis Junior Serrano Rodriguez, aka “Junior,” 27 Miguel Angel Vasquez, aka “Miguel Disla,” 24 Jovanni Antonio Rosario Garcia, aka “Porky,” aka “Chop,” 45 *Jose Ismael Dilone Rodriguez, 34 *denotes in custody
An additional five defendants were charged by complaint with wire fraud conspiracy as part of the same scheme: Endy Jose Torres Moran, 21, of Brooklyn, New York; Ivan Alexander Inoa Suero, 32, of the Bronx, New York; Jhonny Cepeda, 27, and Ramon Hurtado, 43, both of New York; and Yuleisy Roque, 21, of the Bronx.
“As alleged, these 16 defendants preyed upon grandparents’ familial love and devotion, cheating them out of millions of dollars. In this ‘grandparents’ scam,’ the defendants allegedly impersonated grandchildren in distress, claiming, for example, they had been arrested after a car accident involving a pregnant woman who later miscarried, and they needed immediate cash for bail or a lawyer. The panic-stricken grandparents quickly paid—sometimes tens of thousands of dollars. My office is committed to protecting the rights of all victims, and we will relentlessly prosecute those who allegedly target vulnerable seniors to steal their hard-earned savings.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and its law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue individuals who prey on vulnerable and elderly victims through fraudulent schemes,” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun Rao of the Justice Department's Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch said. “We will continue to identify perpetrators of these schemes and prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable consumers, whether located in the United States or abroad.”
“Today’s announcement stems from the defendants’ alleged heartless targeting of elderly victims who were collectively tricked into handing over millions of dollars,” Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York, Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren B. McCormack, said. “For their own selfish gain, these accused individuals threatened innocent Americans’ livelihoods, and robbed them of their precious time and any nest eggs they had secured for themselves. I commend HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force Cyber Intrusion Group, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the NYPD, the FBI, the Social Security Office of Inspector General, and HSI Santo Domingo for their outstanding collaboration and coordination. This can truly happen to anybody, and while we will always be there to assist victims, we hope that raising awareness will give these criminal opportunists fewer chances to target the public.”
“We allege these scammers created an elaborate scheme revolving around a grandchild reaching out to say they were in trouble, had been arrested, and needed help,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Then to reinforce an immediate need for cash, these fraudsters allegedly posed as attorneys, law enforcement officers and court employees explaining how grandparents can get them money. Even the most jaded and savvy of us out there may pause a moment, thinking that this could actually be real. That’s the insidious nature of this particular fraud, criminals are preying on our instinct to protect our families. We ask anyone who believes they could also be a victim to report it at www.ic3.gov.”
“Fraud targeting the elderly has a uniquely harmful effect on a segment of the population that is often amongst society's most vulnerable,” Bradley Parker, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Boston - New York Field Division, said. “SSA OIG is proud to join HSI, the FBI, the Justice Department, and the NYPD in investigating these complex, international scams aimed at defrauding SSA beneficiaries.”
“These charges underscore law enforcement’s commitment to protecting our older population from fraudsters and financial exploitation,” New York Police Department Commissioner Edward A. Caban said. “The crimes outlined here are truly depraved in their nature: targeting our parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, and others in an elaborate venture to bilk them of their hard-earned savings. I applaud our NYPD investigators and all of our federal partners involved in this important case for their tireless dedication to our shared public safety mission.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Juan Rafael Parra Arias, Nefy Vladimir Parra Arrias, and Gonzalez Acevedo operated a sophisticated network of call centers in the Dominican Republic. Their alleged victims included elderly residents of several states, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The call centers victimized hundreds of Americans through fraud, stealing millions of dollars.
Members of the conspiracy referred to as “openers” called elderly victims in the United States and impersonated the victims’ children, grandchildren, or other close relatives. The call centers used technology to make it appear that the calls were coming from inside the United States. Typically, the victim was told that their grandchild had been in a car accident, was arrested as a result of the accident, and needed help.
Once openers duped victims into believing their loved ones were in dire trouble, others working at the call centers, known as “closers,” impersonated defense attorneys, police officers, or court personnel and convinced victims to provide thousands of dollars in cash to help their loved ones.
Closers, including defendants Rodriguez Guzman, Fortuna Solano, Reynoso Ventura, and Estevez, typically told victims to give the cash to couriers who they sent to victims’ homes to collect their money. Other times, closers instructed victims to send the cash by mail.
Once victims were convinced to give cash, call center “dispatchers,” including Serrano Rodriguez, Vasquez, Rosario Rodriguez, and Dilone Rodriguez recruited and managed a network of U.S.-based couriers to steal cash from the elderly victims across the Northeast.
Those U.S.-based couriers, including the five charged by complaint, typically went to the elderly victims’ home to retrieve the cash, often using false names and providing victims with fake receipts in exchange. The couriers then brought the cash to other members of the conspiracy, who sent the victims’ money back to the Dominican Republic.
Each of the charges in the indictment and complaint carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Each of the mail and wire fraud charges also carry a potential fine of up to $250,000; each of the money laundering charges also carry a potential fine of up to $500,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and investigators of the Department of Homeland Security, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge McCormack; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy in Newark; the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York / Boston Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Bradley Parker; and the New York Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Caban, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark, and Jason Feldman, Joshua Ferrentino, and Emily Powers of the Department of Justice, Consumer Protection Branch in Washington, D.C.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Over history, sure you have had some stand up guys. But there have been way more scumbags who were involved in organized crime than you can count.
These guys would rape your mother in front of you or lace your drugs with fentanyl if it meant they could gain something from it. These guys would fucking blow your brains out even if you were their best friend.
And don't let those ties and dress shirts fool you. Most were up for 2-3 days snorting cocaine and fucking hookers while gambling so they smelled like shit also.
Colombian National Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison For Conspiring To Import Tons Of Cocaine Into The United States
Friday, April 26, 2024 -- Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ÁLVARO FREDY CÓRDOBA RUÍZ was sentenced to 14 years in prison today for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. CÓRDOBA RUÍZ pled guilty on January 2, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today’s sentence demonstrates this Office’s commitment to prosecuting drug traffickers like Córdoba Ruíz, who seek to import tons of cocaine into the United States. Those who seek to flood our streets with narcotics will face serious consequences, especially when they partner with violent drug trafficking organizations like the FARC. I commend the efforts of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors of this Office who work tirelessly to investigate and disrupt these complex drug importation networks. Their work has a profound impact on countless lives in our communities.”
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings:[1]
CÓRDOBA RUÍZ conspired with his co-defendants and other individuals associated with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (“FARC”) — a violent organization based in Colombia that was dedicated to the overthrow of the Colombian government and responsible for the production and distribution of the majority of the cocaine that eventually reached the United States — to source and distribute tons of cocaine destined for the United States. CÓRDOBA RUÍZ negotiated with individuals he believed to be narcotics traffickers from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (the “Mexican DTO”) seeking to establish a cocaine supply line from Venezuela to the United States. These individuals, however, were actually confidential sources working at the direction of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”).
In recorded communications during the investigation, CÓRDOBA RUÍZ agreed to assist the planned cocaine venture through his political and logistics connections in Colombia. With respect to the former, CÓRDOBA RUÍZ connected confidential sources purporting to be members of the Mexican DTO with a Colombian politician, conveying that, in exchange for financial and political support, the politician would help to facilitate a cocaine partnership between the defendant, his co-conspirators, and the confidential sources purportedly functioning as the Mexican DTO. CÓRDOBA RUÍZ also connected the confidential sources with individuals who offered to provide large quantities of cocaine and security for the promised cocaine loads. In December 2021, to prove their bona fides and establish the quality of their supply, CÓRDOBA RUÍZ sold the confidential sources a five-kilogram sample of cocaine containing a high level of purity — lab tests demonstrate the cocaine was between 86.6% to 89.1% pure — from a FARC-associated farm outside of Medellín. CÓRDOBA RUÍZ was arrested in Colombia in February 2022, while negotiating a much larger partnership with the Mexican DTO, which contemplated the shipment of approximately 500 kilograms of cocaine per week.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, CÓRDOBA RUÍZ, 65, of Medellín, Colombia, was sentenced to four years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit and Bogotá Country Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Suspended DEA Special Agent Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Taking Bribes
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Today, April 24, 2024, Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOHN COSTANZO JR. was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken to four years in prison for participating in a scheme in which his co-defendant, MANUEL RECIO, and others funneled tens of thousands of dollars to COSTANZO in exchange for COSTANZO providing sensitive law enforcement information to assist defense lawyers. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “With today’s sentence, John Costanzo Jr. finally faces the consequences of selling his office as part of a bribery scheme. By disclosing sensitive information in exchange for money, Costanzo endangered his fellow officers, interfered in significant criminal investigations, and violated the laws he had sworn to uphold. Such conduct demands serious punishment, and today’s sentence does just that. Let this be a message to all public officials who are tempted to profit illegally from their service — there will be serious consequences.” According to the evidence presented in court during the trial: JOHN COSTANZO JR. was a Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) special agent most recently assigned to DEA Headquarters. He was a Group Supervisor in the DEA’s Miami Field Office until June 2019. MANUEL RECIO is a former DEA special agent who retired as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Miami Field Office in November 2018. Upon his retirement, RECIO began operating his own business, which provided private investigative services to criminal defense attorneys and also helped defense attorneys to recruit clients. From around the time of RECIO’s retirement through around November 2019, RECIO agreed with COSTANZO to provide benefits to COSTANZO in exchange for COSTANZO providing RECIO with nonpublic information about DEA investigations. COSTANZO provided RECIO with information about nonpublic investigations, such as the identities of individuals charged and the anticipated timing of indictments and arrests, and intelligence which COSTANZO obtained from the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information System (“NADDIS”), a DEA database that contains information about individuals who are or have been under investigation by the DEA. RECIO paid COSTANZO for this information, which RECIO used to help recruit new clients for criminal defense attorneys. Among the benefits paid to COSTANZO were a $2,500 payment made in November 2018, shortly after RECIO’s retirement from the DEA, which was funneled to COSTANZO through a company owned by a close family member of COSTANZO. At the same time that this payment was made, RECIO began asking COSTANZO to run searches in NADDIS to provide RECIO with nonpublic DEA information about DEA targets and investigations. Following that initial payment, RECIO and others continued to provide benefits to COSTANZO, including tens of thousands of dollars that were funneled from RECIO through a company created by a DEA task force officer and $50,000 that was paid to COSTANZO through a close family member for COSTANZO’s purchase of a condominium in January and February 2019. In return, COSTANZO continued to provide nonpublic DEA information to RECIO, including information about the timing of forthcoming indictments and information about DEA arrest plans of particular targets. COSTANZO also searched NADDIS for names of particular individuals requested by RECIO on dozens of occasions during the scheme and provided RECIO with information and assistance with particular charged defendants represented by attorneys for whom REICO was working. During the scheme, COSTANZO and RECIO took steps to conceal the existence of the scheme, including by structuring the payments from RECIO to COSTANZO through third parties and through COSTANZO’s use of a cellphone provided by RECIO for communications related to the scheme. * * * In addition to the prison term, COSTANZO, 49, of Coral Gables, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $98,250. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General and thanked the DEA’s Office of Professional Responsibility for its support in this matter. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews, Emily Deininger, and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution.
