Recently in conspiracy Category

An Arlington, Texas, couple was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge John H. McBryde for forcing a Nigerian widow to perform domestic labor for them for more than eight years. Emmanuel Nnaji, 50, a naturalized citizen of the United States was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Ngozi Ihechere Nnaji, 40, a citizen of Nigeria, was sentenced to nine years in prison. The defendants were also ordered to pay $305,957.60 in restitution.

On Feb. 2, 2010, both defendants were convicted by a Ft. Worth, Texas, jury on all charges, including conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, conspiracy to harbor an alien for financial gain, harboring an alien for financial gain, document servitude and false statements to an FBI agent.

According to evidence presented at trial, the victim, a widowed and mother of six children, including a chronically ill child, was recruited in Nigeria with promises that her children would be cared for in exchange for her work in the United States.

Upon arrival in the United States, the defendants confiscated the victim's passport and never returned it. For more than eight years, the victim cared for the defendants' children day and night, cooked and cleaned with no days off. The defendants did not allow the victim out unsupervised; prohibited her from speaking with her children on the phone unsupervised; and forbid her to make friends or converse with the defendants' friends. According to evidence at trial, the victim also testified that Emmanuel Nnaji also sexually assaulted her. Although the victim was promised that her family would be cared for, her family received a total of about $300 over the eight years. When the victim asked to return to Nigeria, the defendants refused. The victim was ultimately rescued with the assistance of a Catholic priest.

"The involuntary servitude and mistreatment that this victim endured is intolerable in a nation founded on freedom and individual rights," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The prosecution of this case demonstrates the Justice Department's commitment to punishing those who prey upon vulnerable victims and exploit them in modern day slavery."

"The FBI is committed to aggressively pursuing and bringing to justice the human traffickers who prey upon others who are only seeking to better their lives," said Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Casey Jr., FBI Dallas. "The sentencing in this case sends a strong message to those who are engaged in this heinous form of modern day slavery that this practice will not be tolerated in our community."

The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Susan L. French and Michael J. Frank of the Civil Rights Division and its Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, with assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Michael Worley of the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Texas. Refugee Services of Texas provided assistance to the victim following her rescue.

Tommy L. Thompson, Jr., 48, of Indianapolis, Christopher Wells, 45, of Indianapolis, Francis W. Coleman, 41, of Laurel, Md., Carl E. McCreary, 48, of Frisco City, Ala., and Fred D. Bear, Jr., 39, of Avon, Ind., were indicted in connection with an auto theft ring that allegedly stole more than 80 vehicles valued in excess of $1 million dollars. This indictment follows their arrests on Dec. 28, 2009 on a complaint filed in district court.

This indictment is the result of a seven-months long investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and the Indiana State Police with assistance by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Greenfield Police Department, Shelbyville Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, Muncie Police Department, Greensburg Police Department, Fishers Police Department, Clarksville Police Department, Kokomo Police Department, Brownsburg Police Department, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Alabama Department of Safety and Alabama Bureau of Investigation.

The indictment alleges that in June 2006, Christopher Wells and Francis Coleman entered into an agreement to steal motor vehicles and use counterfeit motor vehicle titles and counterfeit vehicle identification numbers to fool state title authorities into thinking the stolen vehicles were not stolen, and could be legally sold. Wells and Coleman were purportedly joined by Thompson and McCreary in or about April 2007, and all four participated until their arrest on Dec. 29, 2009. Bear allegedly participated from March 2008 through September 2009. In furtherance of this scheme, the defendants utilized the U.S. Postal Service and Federal Express to send and receive the counterfeit documents.

According to the indictment, Coleman, Wells, Thompson and others would steal motor vehicles from both within and outside of the Southern District of Indiana. They would then locate vehicles of an identical make and model in Canada and copy those vehicles' vehicle identification number (VIN). Coleman would create counterfeit Washington, D.C., or North Carolina motor vehicle titles and VIN stickers bearing the Canadian vehicles' information. Coleman would then either drive or ship the counterfeit documents to Wells in Indianapolis, where Wells, Thompson and others would clone the vehicles. After the vehicles were cloned, either Bear or McCreary would receive the vehicles for sale.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley P. Shepard, who is prosecuting the case for the government, all are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and each faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Thompson remains in custody and the remaining defendants are on pre-trial release.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Three Massachusetts men and an Arkansas man were charged today in U.S. District Court in Boston with racketeering conspiracy.

Carmen M. Ortiz, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts; Jane Duke, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas; Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI - Boston Field Division; and Thomas J. Browne, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI - Little Rock Field Office, announced today that Ralph F. Deleo, age 66, of Somerville, Mass.; Franklin M. Goldman, age 66, of Randolph, Mass.; Edmond Kulesza, age 56, of Somerville, Mass.; and George Wylie Thompson, age 54, of Cabot, Ark., were charged in an indictment with criminal conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

The Indictment alleges that Deleo, who was the "street boss" of the Colombo Family of La Cosa Nostra (LCN), directed and controlled the operations of the Deleo Crew, which included but was not limited to Deleo, Goldman, Kulesza and Thompson. According to the indictment, members and associates of the Deleo Crew engaged in the importation, trafficking and distribution of narcotics and controlled substances, including cocaine and marijuana; extortion; loan sharking; and interstate and foreign travel in aid of racketeering. It is alleged that the Deleo Crew operated principally in the areas of Massachusetts, Arkansas, Rhode Island, New York and Florida.

As detailed in the indictment, LCN, also known as the "Mafia," is a criminal organization that operates in various parts of the United States and Canada through entities known as "families." The five most powerful families of LCN are based in New York City. The Colombo Family is one of the five families of LCN in New York. Deleo's alleged membership in, and leadership of, the Colombo Family facilitated the affairs of the Deleo Crew and enhanced the ability of its members to make money by illegal means. Conversely, Deleo allegedly used the criminal activities of the Deleo Crew to increase and maintain his status in the Colombo Family.

This case began in the Eastern District of Arkansas (EDAR) as an investigation into illegal activities involving Thompson and others. The investigation has resulted in two indictments charging Thompson in the EDAR with drug trafficking; illegal possession and sale of firearms, ammunition and silencers; the operation of an illegal gambling business; marriage fraud; and wire fraud scheme involving a local elected official in Arkansas. During the course of the investigation into Thompson in the EDAR, search warrants executed by the FBI and ATF resulted in the seizure of approximately 147 firearms, over 80,000 rounds of ammunition and five illegal silencers. Since Thompson was previously convicted of a felony offense, the pending charges against him include charges of being a felon in possession of these items. (See EDAR Press Releases dated Nov. 16, 2009 and Dec. 2, 2009.)

Shortly after the execution of these warrants, Thompson fled the country. He was eventually apprehended in Bangkok, Thailand and deported to the United States, and is currently in custody awaiting trial in Arkansas. As is set forth in the indictments, while Thompson was out of the United States, he maintained contact with Deleo.

U.S. Attorney Ortiz said, "Each of these defendants and their alleged crimes posed a serious threat to the public. I want to commend the exemplary coordination among law enforcement officials in multiple jurisdictions and agencies for bringing this case to fruition. I would also like to thank and acknowledge the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas for their assistance in investigating this case."

"The crimes that the defendants are charged with pose a threat to American society. The FBI has made enormous progress against La Cosa Nostra and is not letting up. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners and use all of the tools at our disposal to eliminate the mob's influence," said Special Agent Warren Bamford.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Jane W. Duke commented, "The FBI office in Arkansas, and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Little Rock, worked diligently to bring those charges that took place in Arkansas and to facilitate the pursuit of the broader racketeering charges now being brought in Boston. The fact that our investigation has worked into a much larger scenario involving a significant crime family operating in other parts of the United States is a great example of what can be accomplished when U.S. Attorney's Offices and law enforcement agencies work together to combat crime. We are pleased to be a part of this case."

If convicted on the RICO charge, Deleo, Goldman, Kulesza and Thompson each face up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine.

The U.S. Attorney's Office would like to acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Eastern District of New York, the Southern District of Florida and Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.

The District of Massachusetts case is being investigated by the FBI's Organized Crime Task Force, which includes representatives of the Boston Police Department, Medford Police Department, Quincy Police Department, Massachusetts Department of Corrections and the Internal Revenue Service. The FBI Task Force was also assisted by the Massachusetts State Police, Somerville Police Department and the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.

The Eastern District of Arkansas case is being investigated by the FBI - Little Rock Field Office, the Bureau of ATF - Little Rock Field Office and the Arkansas State Police.

The Massachusetts case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran and Peter K. Levitt of Ortiz's Organized Crime Strike Force Unit. The Eastern District of Arkansas case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura G. Hoey.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

An international computer hacker pleaded guilty today to multiple charges relating to hacking activity and credit card fraud, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Michael Loucks, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Benton J. Campbell and Director of the U.S. Secret Service Mark Sullivan. More than 40 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen from major U.S. retailers as a result of the hacking activity.

Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, pleaded guilty today to 19 counts of conspiracy, computer fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft relating to hacks into numerous major U.S. retailers including TJX Companies, BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble and Sports Authority. Gonzalez was indicted in August 2008 in the District of Massachusetts on charges related to these hacks.

Gonzalez also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to hacks into the Dave & Buster's restaurant chain, which were the subject of a May 2008 indictment in the Eastern District of New York. The pleas in both cases were entered before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris in federal court in Boston.

"Consumers must be able to trust that the credit and debit cards they use everyday in thousands of stores around the world are safe from unlawful access," said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division. "Working together with U.S. Attorneys' Offices around the country and with the invaluable support of law enforcement agencies, we will continue our efforts to identify and prosecute hacking and credit card fraud."

"The investigation and prosecution of identity theft is a top priority of the Department," said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Michael Loucks. "In the past 10 years there has been a dramatic growth in the transfer and storage of credit and debit card data on computer networks. It is thus compellingly important that we work hard to investigate and prosecute the theft of personal identity data that citizens entrust to computer networks every day."

"Computer hacking and identity theft pose serious risks to our commercial, personal and financial security," stated U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Benton J. Campbell. "Hackers, including those who commit their crimes from abroad, will find no refuge from the reach of U.S. criminal justice -- they will be found, prosecuted and convicted."

"Technology has forever changed the way we do business, virtually erasing geographic boundaries," said U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan. "However, this case demonstrates that even in the cyber world, there is no such thing as anonymity. The Secret Service, in conjunction with its many law enforcement partners across the United States and around the world, continues to successfully combat these crimes by adapting our investigative methodologies. We realize our success in this investigation is due in part to the cooperation of these partners in more than a dozen international law enforcement agencies."

According to the indictments to which Gonzalez pleaded guilty, he and his co-conspirators broke into retail credit card payment systems through a series of sophisticated techniques, including "wardriving" and installation of sniffer programs to capture credit and debit card numbers used at these retail stores. Wardriving involves driving around in a car with a laptop computer looking for accessible wireless computer networks of retailers. Using these techniques, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators were able to steal more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers from retailers. Also according to the indictments, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators sold the numbers to others for their fraudulent use and engaged in ATM fraud by encoding the data on the magnetic stripes of blank cards and withdrawing tens of thousands of dollars at a time from ATMs. According to the indictments, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators concealed and laundered their fraud proceeds by using anonymous Internet-based currencies both within the United States and abroad, and by channeling funds through bank accounts in Eastern Europe.

Based on the terms of the Boston plea agreement, Gonzalez faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 25 years in prison. Based on the New York plea agreement, Gonzalez faces up to 20 years in prison, which the parties have agreed should run concurrently. He also faces a fine of up to twice the pecuniary gain, twice the victims' pecuniary loss or $250,000, whichever is greatest, per count for the Boston case and a maximum fine of $250,000 for the New York case. Gonzalez also agreed to an order of restitution for the loss suffered by his victims, and forfeiture of more than $2.7 million as well as multiple items of real estate and personal property, including a condo in Miami, a 2006 BMW 330i, a Tiffany diamond ring and Rolex watches. Included in the forfeited currency is more than $1 million in cash, which Gonzalez had buried in a container in his backyard. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2009.

Gonzalez remains under indictment for charges brought in August 2009 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey of conspiring to hack into computer networks supporting major U.S. retail and financial organizations and steal credit and debit card numbers from those entities. Among the corporate victims named in that indictment are Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey-based card payment processor; 7-Eleven Inc., a Texas-based nationwide convenience store chain; and Hannaford Brothers Co. Inc., a Maine-based supermarket chain. Charges in that case remain pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. While Gonzalez has pleaded guilty to the Boston and New York charges, he has not pleaded guilty to charges pending in New Jersey and remains presumed innocent of those charges.

The Boston case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Heymann and Donald Cabell of the District of Massachusetts. The New York case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Campos of the Eastern District of New York, and Senior Counsel Kimberly Kiefer Peretti and Trial Attorney Evan Williams of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. All of these cases are being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice