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Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that David Jose Gomez Cegarra, 24, and Jesus Segundo Hernandez-Gil, 19, both of Venezuela, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with bank theft and conspiracy to commit bank theft. The charges carry a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey E. Intravatola and Douglas A.C. Penrose, who are handling the case, stated that the defendants are members of the Tren de Aragua Gang, which has been designated by the White House as a Global Terrorist Organization. They are accused of participating in an ATM Jackpotting scheme. ATM Jackpotting involves removing an ATM’s cover and infecting the ATMs hard drive with malware or removing the hard drive and replacing it with an infected hard drive, which allows the operator to assume control of the ATM and cause it to dispense currency.

According to the complaint, Gomez-Cegarra, Hernandez-Gil, and other co-conspirators successfully completed an ATM Jackpotting scheme at a Radius Federal Credit Union in Kenmore, NY, on October 5, 2024. Video surveillance shows that at approximately 4:05 p.m., a vehicle, driven by Gomez-Cegarra,  approached the drive-up ATM, a co-conspirator exited the vehicle and opened the ATM utilizing a key, appeared to install something in the ATM, pressed buttons, and closed the ATM. The vehicle then left the area. Over the next several hours, the vehicle re-appeared multiple times at the ATM and conducted illegal withdrawals. Radius Federal Credit Union reported that $110,440.00 was stolen from the ATM during this ATM Jackpotting event.

Gomez-Cegarra, Hernandez-Gil, and other co-conspirators are also believed to be responsible for ATM Jackpotting events St. Maly’s Federal Credit Union in Framingham, Massachusetts, on October 6, 2024, at First National Bank of Dryden in Dryden, NY, on October 17, 2024, and at two Community First Bank locations in Mount Vernon, Illinois, on November 11, 2024. During these events, approximately $187,000 was reported stolen.

On November 11, 2024, the Mahomet, Illinois Police Department stopped Gomez-Cegarra and Hernandez-Gil in a vehicle together for suspicious activity. Both men presented Venezuelan identifications. They were arrested by the Mahomet Police Department, and ultimately charged by the Mount Vernon Police Department in relation to the incidents that occurred at the Community First Bank locations in Mount Vernon, IL.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Kenmore Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Phillips, the Homer, NY, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Pitman, the Framingham, MA, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Lester Baker, and the Mahomet, Illinois, Police Department.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Matthew Fisher, 51, of South Wales, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that between June 2022, and November 2023, Fisher was employed as the Associate Director of Enrollment and Management at the Gow School, a private boarding school in South Wales, NY. Fisher resided on the Gow School campus. He utilized hidden cameras in his residence to create and attempt to create videos of at least five minor males engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During the investigation, several of Fisher’s electronic devices were seized and found to contain child pornography depicting the five victims and several yet to be identified minor individuals.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Transit Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Patterson, and the East Aurora Police Department, under the direction of Chief Patrick Welch.

Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

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Source: US FBI

ROCHESTER, N.Y. –Acting U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti announced today that Ashley Jackson, 36, of Webster, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with health care fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Jackson was the sole owner of Roc City Transport in Webster. Between February 2018, and November 2022, Jackson and others submitted fraudulent claims for payment to Medicaid, seeking reimbursement for non-emergency transportation they allegedly provided in connection with their transportation services. Jackson submitted reimbursement claims for Medicaid transportation trips that were not actually performed, individual rides were billed as group rides, and kickbacks were paid to recipients to drive themselves to an appointment rather than Roc City. Most of the Medicaid beneficiaries using Roc City were being transported to methadone clinics in Rochester, NY, up to six days a week. Roc City is accused of fraudulently billing Medicaid for approximately $40,123.29.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Acting U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti announced today that Munef Fadhel, 37, of Lackawanna, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to health care fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that between June 2017, and December 2020, Fadhel defrauded the Medicaid program. Fadhel was an owner of Great Lake Transportation, Inc., a transportation company that provided rides to Medicaid beneficiaries. While working at Great Lake Transportation, he knowingly submitted multiple false and fraudulent records seeking transportation reimbursement for trips. Fadhel submitted claims for shared rides which he certified as individual rides in order to claim a higher reimbursement amount. This resulted in a loss to Medicaid in excess of $95,000.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra.

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Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y. –Acting U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti announced today that  Michael W. Luehrsen, 41, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to perjury, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. As part of his plea, Luehrsen has agreed to pay approximately $2-million dollars in restitution and forfeit approximately $2-million dollars in assets, including investments and real estate proceeds.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Grace Carducci, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2022, Luehrsen testified under oath in his previous jury trial before the United States District Court for the Western District of New York as follows:

Q. Mike, I want to start by talking about your dad. You told Mr. Kruly that on the days that those prescriptions were faxed you were not in town, is that what you said?

A. That’s correct.

Q. Can you tell the jury, where were you?

A. On June 27, 2014, I was actually in California visiting Cornerstone Pharmacy with two physicians. On July 11, of 2014, I was in Boston, Massachusetts.

Q. And how do you remember that?

A. I have photographs from my phone showing me in those particular cities.

Evidence from Luehrsen’s cellular telephone shows that the testimony quoted above was false. Photographs on the cell phone establish that he was, in fact, in Buffalo on July 11, 2014. In addition, telephone records and financial records established that Luehrsen was in Buffalo on that date. At the time of this testimony, Luehrsen was being tried for, among other crimes, conspiring to commit health care fraud. It was a matter material to the  trial whether or not Luehrsen was in Buffalo when an altered compound prescription form was faxed from his father’s home located in the Western District of New York.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2025, before Judge Vilardo.

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Source: US FBI

David Dion, age 47, of Greenwich, New York, pleaded guilty to charges that he distributed and possessed child sexual abuse material.

Source: US FBI

Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that during an arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on February 5, 2025, Alex Patin-Patin, 28, of Ecuador, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with being unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously removed by immigration officials. At a detention hearing held on February 6, 2025, Judge Doyle ordered that Patin-Patin be detained during the pendency of this matter.

According to court records, Patin-Patin unlawfully entered the United States in or around February 2022, and was then removed from the United States by federal authorities in or around July 2022. It is unknown where or when Patin-Patin re-entered the United States, but in April 2024 Patin-Patin was arrested in South Burlington, Vermont, and charged by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office with, among other charges, aggravated domestic assault. Because Patin-Patin had not obtained permission to re-enter the United States, his presence in the country was in violation of U.S. law.

The federal grand jury returned the indictment charging Patin-Patin with this offense in October 2024 and at that time a federal warrant for his arrest was issued. Court records indicate that Patin-Patin’s arrest earlier this week followed surveillance indicating he had been living at an address other than that required by conditions imposed on him by the Vermont Superior Court in connection with his state domestic assault prosecution.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Patin-Patin is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Patin-Patin faces up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement/ Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service.

The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Lasher and Michelle Arra. Patin-Patin is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

Source: US FBI

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Thomas Berrington, age 33, of Colonie, New York, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for his repeated sexual exploitation of a child announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As part of his prior guilty plea, Berrington admitted that between June of 2023 and January of 2024, he repeatedly sexually abused a minor female child for the purpose of photographing and video recording the abuse. The victim was eight years old when Berrington’s abuse of her began.

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also sentenced Berrington to a 25-year term of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment. Berrington will also be required to pay a special assessment of $200, an additional special assessment of $5,000, and register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including from the New York State Police and Colonie Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: US FBI

Indictment Charges Nigerian Citizens Living in the New York City Area with Orchestrating Multi-Million Dollar Bank Fraud Conspiracy Using Stolen Identities from Across the U.S.

Source: US FBI

Christopher McCarty of Manhattan pleaded guilty to mailing a letter containing a threat to kill two New York State judges.