Category: MIL-OSI

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE – A Lebanese national was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to 13 years in prison for sex trafficking minors.

According to court documents, Nicola William Mongo, 23, of Anchorage sex trafficked at least two minors ages 14 and 17 who did not have housing or support in Anchorage. 

Beginning in 2019, Mongo and several other individuals required the victims to go on “dates” where they would perform sex acts for money. They made the victims advertise on websites for online escort services and Mongo provided protection and transportation to and from the “dates” collecting some of the money they received. The 17-year-old victim, who had development disabilities, was so manipulated that she believed Mongo was her boyfriend and would do anything for him. If the victims did not want to go on “dates,” Mongo became angry and at times would hit them in the face. He was often armed with a firearm when transporting the victims and would provide them with condoms and lubricant when taking them to the “dates.”

Mongo pleaded guilty to the charge of sex trafficking minors in February 2021 after being indicted on the charge in June 2020. Tristan Grant and Davon Smith were also involved in sex trafficking these minors and were previously sentenced.

“Using minors in a sex trafficking operation requires a horrifying degree of selfishness and indifference toward vulnerable victims,” said U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. of the District of Alaska. “It is among the most depraved crimes on the books, and we and our law enforcement partners will do everything we can to bring offenders like Mr. Mongo to justice.”

“The defendant preyed upon vulnerable youth in Alaska, and cruelly trafficked them for his own profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office.  “With a victim-centered approach, the FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify and hold human traffickers accountable.”

The FBI and the Anchorage Police Department investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ebell prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man was sentenced to 69 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Kindred for possession and distribution of child pornography.  

According to court documents, Shannon Robert Bell, 56, knowingly possessed, accessed and distributed child pornography involving prepubescent minors (minors who have not attained 12 years of age). In his plea agreement, Bell admitted to posting images and videos depicting child sexual exploitation involving children as young as age six approximately 100 times during the past few years as well as being a moderator of a Kik group focused on incest.

The case originated during an investigation by the Kansas City Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into a private, invitation-only, Kik chat group created by a pedophile. During the course of the investigation, Bell engaged in chats with an undercover FBI agent detailing his long-standing involvement with child pornography. The case was handed over to the FBI’s Anchorage division when the IP address confirmed that Bell lived in Anchorage. Following the execution of a search warrant of Bell’s home, Bell admitted that he had been chatting online for a number of years including using the Kik application on a cellular phone.  

Bell was involved with child pornography while working as an onsite clinical therapist treating emotionally troubled youth primarily between the ages of 13 and 17 who were struggling with pornography and sex addiction issues. As part of his sentencing Bell was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and pay $5,000 in restitution and a $3,000 fine under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act (AVAA).

“The distribution of child pornography re-victimizes the innocent children who were initially exploited to create the images and videos,” said U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr of the District of Alaska. “Mr. Bell’s substantial sentence reflects the serious harm of this crime. I commend the FBI, Anchorage Police Department and our federal prosecutor for their work on this case.” 

“At the same time the defendant was acting as a counselor for vulnerable youth, he was also perpetuating the online sexual abuse of children, making his conduct particularly disgraceful,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to root out predators and protect Alaska’s youth from harm.”

The FBI and Anchorage Police Department investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today, an Illinois man pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his participation in fraudulent business email compromise and account takeover schemes that targeted victims around the United States, including businesses in the Northern District of Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

Adetona Lala, 38, of Country Club Hills, Illinois, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his plea agreement, the defendant also agreed to forfeit approximately $2,310,330.33. Lala’s guilty plea brings the total number of defendants who have pleaded guilty in the case to six.

According to court documents, from December 2017 through February 2020, Lala participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy that targeted dozens of victims with business email compromise, account takeover, and other fraud schemes. During the course of the conspiracy, Lala employed “field officers” who traveled across the country opening up fraudulent bank accounts designed to receive transfers from fraud victims. Many of these accounts were opened using fake names, false identification documents, and shell companies to avoid detection and hide the true identities of the members of the conspiracy controlling the accounts. This account-opening activity was planned and organized by Lala. He identified financial institutions for his co-conspirators to target, created shell companies used in the scheme, forged tax forms and utility bills that were used to open the fraudulent bank accounts, helped procure false identification documents from co-conspirators in Illinois and Nigeria, and facilitated his co-conspirators’ travel to financial institutions across the United States. Collectively, Lala and his co-conspirators attempted to defraud victims out of more than $9.5 million.

According to the plea agreement, after receiving proceeds from these fraud schemes, Lala and his co-conspirators moved the funds between accounts to disguise their origin and conceal their fraudulent nature and then either transferred the proceeds to accounts in Nigeria or used them to purchase cryptocurrency or automobiles that were shipped overseas.

The maximum punishment for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud is 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000.00 fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the funds involved, whichever is greater. 

The FBI investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and Catherine L. Crosby are prosecuting the case. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Indiana, the Middle District of Georgia, and the Eastern District of Wisconsin provided assistance in the investigation.

Source: US FBI

A former Alabama resident was sentenced today to 90 months, the equivalent of seven and a half years, in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for concealing the transmission of funds to be provided as material support to al-Qaida, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Alaa Mohd Abusaad, 26, pleaded guilty to concealment of terrorism financing in September 2019. According to the plea agreement, between February and April 2018, Abusaad instructed an FBI undercover employee (UCE) about how to send money to the mujahideen – fighters engaged in jihad. Abusaad told the UCE that money “…is always needed. You can’t have a war without weapons. You can’t prepare a soldier without equipment.” Abusaad also advised the UCE on how to send money in a manner that would avoid detection by law enforcement, including by using fake names and addresses when conducting electronic money transfers. Subsequently, Abusaad introduced the UCE to a financial facilitator who could route the UCE’s money to “brothers that work with aq” (meaning al-Qaida).

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, and Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. of the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s Birmingham, Memphis and Cleveland Field Offices investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry Cornelius and Manu Balachandran for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Athens-based businessman has been charged with health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and TVA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Meagan Sands.

An information filed today in U.S. District Court charges Joshua D. Creasy, 44, of Athens, Alabama, with fifteen counts of health care fraud.  Creasy operated One Love Hearing Concepts, a practice with multiple storefront locations that provided hearing aids and other hearing solutions.  According to the information, Creasy schemed to defraud insurers into paying for medically unnecessary hearing aids.  For example, Creasy provided free products to induce beneficiaries to allow One Love to bill their insurance for hearing aids.  He also billed insurance for hearing aids that beneficiaries never received.  In some cases insurance was billed for hearing aids for individuals who never visited a One Love location, or for individuals who came in but said they did not want or need the hearing aids. 

Creasy has agreed to plead guilty to the charges.  A change-of-plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.  In a plea agreement also filed today, Creasy stipulated that he will pay forfeiture of $1,000,000 and pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $1,500,000.

The maximum penalty for each count of health care fraud  is ten years in prison.

The FBI and TVA-OIG investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward is prosecuting it. 

An information contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM – A federal jury on Monday convicted a Bessemer man charged under the “Kingpin” statute, and three other defendants, on charges of operating a continuing criminal enterprise involved in the large-scale distribution of illegal drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey.

After a week-long trial before United States District Court Judge Annmarie C. Axon a jury convicted Rolando Antuain Williamson, also known as “Baldhead” and “Ball Head,” 37, of Bessemer, Alabama, of leading a multi-million dollar continuing criminal enterprise.  Williamson, Adrien Hiram Taylor, also known as “Slim,” 34, of Bessemer, Alabama, Ishmywel Calid Gregory, also known as “C,” 38, of Mulga, Alabama, and Hendarius Lamar Archie,  also known as “Hen,” 33, of Bessemer, Alabama, were convicted of conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Williamson, Taylor, Gregory, and Archie were all convicted of distributing or possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Williamson and Archie were convicted of using, carrying, or possessing a firearm during or in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Williamson and Taylor were convicted of several counts of using a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime. 

With today’s verdict, all 18 people charged in the indictment returned on October 29, 2019, have now been convicted. The convictions were the result of  a three-year investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”)  of this West Jefferson County-based drug-trafficking enterprise. The investigation identified acts committed in furtherance of the conspiracy over a period of six years.  Prior to the trial, 14 of the charged defendants pleaded guilty. Seven members of the criminal enterprise have been sentenced and the remaining defendants await sentencing.

The OCDETF agencies involved in this investigation are the FBI, IRS, member agencies of the FBI North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force, Bessemer Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. 

The North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force arrested Williamson the morning of August 22, 2019, in the parking lot of a grocery store located in Homewood, Alabama. Williamson was driving a 2016 Dodge Hellcat worth $80,000. At the time of arrest, Williamson was found to be in possession of two loaded pistols (with additional loaded magazines) and almost $14,000 in cash.  All other members of the conspiracy were arrested on or about November 13, 2019.

At the time of Williamson’s arrest law enforcement officers also seized from Williamson and three of his stash houses, 366 grams of heroin/fentanyl, 109 grams of suspected cocaine, 573 grams of pure methamphetamine, 52 kilos of marijuana, over $97,000 in cash, multiple firearms, and over 1700 rounds of ammunition.

“This verdict should send a message to those engaged in violent crime and distribution of deadly drugs  in our communities,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said.  “The investigation and prosecution of violent crime continues to be our highest priority.  I commend our  law enforcement partners for their tireless  efforts to ensure these defendants were brought to justice.”

“Removing this “kingpin” and the dangerous drugs he and his criminal enterprise peddled will no doubt save lives and families from the pain of addiction,” SAC Sharp said. “This sentence reflects the severity of Williamsons actions, and he will have decades in prison to consider the impact of his decisions. This case highlights the joint commitment, dedication, and partnership between our law enforcement partners in combatting drug trafficking in our community.”

“Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies assigned to the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, worked in conjunction with the FBI and other participating agencies during this 3-year investigation,” Sheriff Pettway said. “The illegal drug trade ruins hundreds of lives in Jefferson County every year.  We are proud to have been a part of disrupting the trade and distribution of these illegal narcotics in western Jefferson County.  Working in unison with our fellow local and federal agencies, we are able to share and act on critical intelligence that is imperative to shutting down these type operations.  This case is an example of how these agencies working together successfully disrupted a large-scale drug operation.  We look forward to continuing these invaluable partnerships against crime.”

As, a convicted “Kingpin,” Williamson faces  a mandatory sentence of life in prison.  Taylor faces a  mandatory minimum sentence of twenty-five years to life in prison. Gregory faces a maximum of  thirty years in prison. Archie faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years to forty years in prison.

Forfeiture was obtained for two high-end vehicles of Williamson: a $46,000 Ford F-250 “King’s Ranch” and a $37,000 Cadillac Escalade; over $100,000 dollars in cash; $45, 000 in jewelry; and all firearms and ammunition used to facilitate the drug trafficking enterprise.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service,  investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Bessemer Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Cross and Gregory R. Dimler are prosecuting the case. 

This  investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice.  Established in 1982, OCDETF is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized-crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation by using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to enforcement.  OCDETF leverages the resources and expertise of its partners in concentrated, coordinated, long-term enterprise investigations of transnational organized crime, money laundering, and major drug trafficking networks.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Alabama man has been charged with devising a scheme to defraud Jefferson County’s retirement plan, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

An information filed today in United States District Court charges GARY DEAN GIBBS, JR., 52, with one count of wire fraud. According to the information, Gibbs’ father was a former employee of Jefferson County, Alabama, who was receiving benefits from The General Retirement System for Employees of Jefferson County (“GRS”). GRS is a retirement plan that provides benefits to retired and disabled employees of Jefferson County, Alabama. The information alleges that, beginning in September 2017 and continuing until February 2022, Gibbs concealed his father’s death from GRS and collected money from GRS to which he was not entitled. According to the information Gibbs used his father’s personal identifiers and forged his father’s signature on documents submitted to GRS to further his scheme. Additionally, the information alleges that Gibbs assumed his father’s identity during telephone calls with a GRS employee.

According to a plea agreement, also filed today, Gibbs agreed to plead guilty to the information. The plea agreement states that Gibbs collected approximately $132,646.12 to which he was not entitled.

The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The FBI investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney George Martin is prosecuting the case.

An information contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: US FBI

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Huntsville doctor has been charged for conspiring to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles. 

An information filed yesterday in U.S. District Court charges, Dr. Eric Beck, 63, of Huntsville, Alabama,  with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  Beck operated Valley Center for Nerve Studies and Rehabilitation in Huntsville.  According to the information, Beck conspired with the owner of QBR, a Huntsville-based testing company, to bill insurers millions of dollars for electro-diagnostic testing that its technicians performed, regardless of whether there was a medical need for them.  Beck billed insurers for tests using his National Provider Identifier (NPI) number, even where he did not conduct the tests, supervise the tests, interpret the test results, or have anything to do with the tests beyond allowing his NPI number to be used for billing purposes.

In a plea agreement also filed yesterday, Dr. Beck agreed to plead guilty to the information.  According to the plea agreement, the defendant caused health insurance programs to be billed over $28 million for medically unnecessary electro-diagnostic testing QBR performed.  Dr. Beck has fully cooperated with the investigative team during its investigation. 

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit health care fraud is five years in prison.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Long and J.B. Ward are prosecuting it. 

An information contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM – On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced three Oklahoma sisters to prison for convictions related to a shooting in Walker County in 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. 

In July 2021, a federal jury convicted the Tulsa, Oklahoma sisters of various crimes related to shots fired at a Florida resident and his wife as they sat in their car at a rural Walker County convenience store. 

Tierzah Mapson, 29, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and discharging of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, two counts of interstate domestic violence and two counts of interstate stalking.

Elisa Mapson, 25, and Charis Mapson, 33, each were sentenced to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and discharging of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and two counts of stalking. 

Testimony at trial showed that Tierzah Mapson and the male victim had a child together in 2013.  In June of 2018, the child’s father and his wife, also a victim, were planning to meet Tierzah Mapson halfway between their home in Orlando, Florida, and her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to take temporary custody of the child.  The victims and Tierzah Mapson agreed to meet on June 18th at a rural convenience store in Eldridge, Alabama, northwest of Jasper.

Testimony and evidence established that the couple drove to Alabama on June 18th, believing that Tierzah Mapson and the child were driving from Oklahoma.  While they waited at the store for over four hours, they received text messages from Tierzah Mapson explaining delays in her travel.  Around 5:40p.m, the victims heard shots, one of which came through the trunk of their car, hitting the child’s father in the shoulder and lodging in his chest.  Store security video showed that as he made two attempts to get out of the car, additional shots hit the ground on his side of the vehicle.  After the two took cover inside the store, the shooting stopped.  The wounded father was later transported to a Tuscaloosa hospital where his wound was treated and determined to be nonlife-threatening. It was later determined that the shots were fired by a rifle from a wooded hill behind a nearby church. 

“These convictions are the result of a collaborative  effort by a multitude of agencies, both here and outside the district,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said.  “ I commend all those who were involved in bringing these defendants to justice.”

“I applaud the sentences handed down today, as the Mapsons showed no regard for human life as they carried out their conspiracy,” SAC Sharp said.  “This case is a perfect example of how law enforcement can combine resources and efforts to bring violent criminals to justice.”    

The FBI North Alabama Violent Crime Task Force and the Walker County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the Walker County District Attorney’s Office, the Orlando, Tulsa, and Eureka-Fortuna (CA) offices of the FBI, the Orlando Police Department, the Hoover Police Department, the Tennessee Valley Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, and the FBI Electronic Device Analysis Unit at Quantico, Virginia.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan Baty and Jonathan Cross prosecuted the charges.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Bessemer man was convicted Tuesday on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

After two days of testimony, United States District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre returned a guilty verdict against Christopher James Moton, 42, at a bench trial. Moton was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Moton was found in possession of a firearm despite being a prohibited felon. A search conducted at Moton’s residence found trafficking amounts of methamphetamine and black tar heroin. Evidence at trial revealed that Moton intended to distribute these controlled substances to drug users in the community.

“Yesterday’s verdict is another success in law enforcement’s efforts to eliminate the distribution of dangerous drugs in our communities and remove firearms from the hands of convicted felons,”  U.S. Attorney Escalona said.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who intend to devastate our communities and ruin lives.”

“This conviction was an outstanding example of law enforcement partnerships working together to remove dangerous criminals from our neighborhoods,” SAC Sharp said.  “Thanks to the great work of my agents and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Moton has been held responsible for his crime.”

The maximum penalty for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is 10 years. The maximum penalty for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine is life in prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory R. Dimler and Allison J. Garnett are prosecuting the case.