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New Hope Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking, Extortion, and Production of Child Pornography and Agrees to 40-Year Prison Sentence

Source: US FBI

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A New Hope man pleaded guilty today to stalking and extorting a woman and producing child pornography involving two minor victims, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. 

Donald Wayne Carmody, 30, of New Hope, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke to cyberstalking, two counts of extortion, and two counts of production of child pornography. 

According to the plea agreement, Carmody used anonymous text messages to threaten to release pictures of the victim on the internet if she did not send him intimate photographs. Carmody also obtained the victim’s login credentials for her social media accounts and accessed their contents. After Carmody was arrested on cyberstalking and extortion charges for this conduct, investigators discovered a USB thumb drive belonging to him that contained images of child pornography that involved two victims under the age of twelve. The FBI’s Video Forensic Analysis Unit compared the images from the thumb drive, which showed a person’s hand, to pictures of Carmody’s hands taken during the investigation. The Unit identified similar class and distinguishing characteristics between the images, demonstrating that the hand in the images on the thumb drive belonged to Carmody.     

As part of the plea agreement, Carmody stipulated to a 480-month sentence of imprisonment for the offenses. If the Court rejects the stipulated sentence, Carmody or the United States could withdraw from the plea agreement. 

The maximum penalty for cyberstalking is five years imprisonment. The maximum penalty for extortion is two years imprisonment. The maximum penalty for production of child pornography is 30 years imprisonment. Each offense also carries the possibility of a $250,000 fine.

The FBI investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid is prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.  These videos titled “Sextortion Prevention” can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac/videos. 

If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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 and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.

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Two Individuals Charged in Conspiracy to Sexually Exploit Children

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two individuals have been indicted on multiple child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

A five-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Wisam A. Sharieff, 43, of Euless, Texas, and Blake Miller Barakat, aka “Hamna,” 50, of Shelby County, Alabama, with conspiracy to engage in the sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, sexual exploitation of children, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. 

According to the indictment, between September 27, 2024, and October 15, 2024, Sharieff and Barakat conspired together to coerce a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct; and they conspired to receive and distribute child pornography.

FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the FBI Dallas-Fort Worth Violent Crimes Task Force and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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 and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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

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Pelham Man Sentenced to 80 Years in Prison on Child Exploitation Charges

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Pelham man was sentenced today on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon.

U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Neal Richard Goodacre, 54, to 960 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release.  In July, Goodacre pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. These convictions will require Goodacre to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to the plea agreement, in July 2023, the Queensland, Australia, Child Exploitation Task Force discovered images of child pornography on a Russian file-sharing website. Queensland officers connected the account used to post the images to Goodacre at a residence in Pelham, Alabama. On September 13, 2023, HSI executed a search warrant at Goodacre’s residence.  Agents recovered two electronic devices containing 29 images and one video of child pornography. Goodacre produced some of the child pornography he possessed.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the Queensland, Australia, Child Exploitation Task Force and the Pelham Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.

If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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 and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Conspiring to Launder Cybercrime Fraud Proceeds

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A recidivist money launderer from Pennsylvania has been sentenced for his role in an international money laundering conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Toochukwu Michael Okorie, 46, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, to 108 months in prison.  Okorie was convicted in July of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In 2011, Okorie was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

According to evidence presented at trial, from June 2017 through May 2019, Okorie helped launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud proceeds through two front companies: TMO Consulting LLC and Collective Intelligence Forensics LLC. During the conspiracy, Okorie and his co-conspirators would receive wire transfers from business email compromise, romance scam, and other frauds—including from victims in the Northern District of Alabama. Okorie and his co-conspirators would then move the fraud proceeds among bank accounts in an effort to disguise their origin and conceal their fraudulent nature. After paying themselves a commission, members of the conspiracy ultimately would wire the proceeds to bank accounts in Nigeria or use them to purchase automobiles that were shipped overseas.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco previously sentenced two other individuals involved in the money laundering conspiracy: On January 20, 2022, Paulinus Ebhodaghe, 40, of Clementon, New Jersey, was sentenced to 37 months in prison; and Ohimai Asikhia, 37, of Glassboro, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case. 

The U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force provided assistance during the investigation.

For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.

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Philadelphia Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Defrauding Her Employer of More Than $250,000 and the U.S. Government of $23,000

Source: US FBI

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kimberly Lawson, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Michael M. Baylson to 60 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and $244,343 in restitution, for the unauthorized use of her employer’s identity to embezzle from him and his company and her fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”).

In September 2023, Lawson was charged by indictment with one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and four counts of wire fraud, and pleaded guilty to all charges against her in September 2024.

The fraud loss attributed to Lawson for the workplace embezzlement is $250,817.80, and for the fraud against the government $23,000, for a total fraud loss amount of $273,817.80.

In March 2018, Lawson began working as the office manager of an area electrical contracting company, where her responsibilities included tracking employee hours, invoices, and vendor payments, and writing checks to vendors from the company’s bank account. She was also responsible for reconciling bank statements, reviewing images of checks, and confirming the checks cleared. Lawson did not have signature authority on the checks but was authorized to use her employer’s signature stamp to sign the checks he authorized.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, between 2018 and 2020, Lawson used her knowledge and access to divert significant amounts of the company’s money to external accounts that she controlled, through hundreds of fraudulent vendor and employee payments, unauthorized payroll transactions, and unauthorized electronic transfers. To avoid discovery of her fraudulent activities, Lawson intentionally mislabeled entries in the company’s accounting software, making them look authentic by recording them as legitimate payables.

In addition, the defendant attempted to steal money from her employer’s 401k account, submitting two separate loan requests totaling more than $17,000, but her employer learned of and was able to cancel the requests before any funds were disbursed.

In addition to the workplace embezzlement, Lawson fraudulently sought $253,874 in EIDLs from the SBA, filed in 15 separate applications in different names including her own. Only the applications that she submitted in her husband’s and his sister’s names were approved for funding, with each receiving $8,500 and $14,500, respectively, deposited into bank accounts controlled by Lawson. Among numerous false statements made in the applications, Lawson falsely represented that she had a retail business, that her husband had a construction business, and her sister-in-law had a cleaning business.

In 2012, Lawson was convicted in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania of defrauding a different employer of more than $293,000 and received a sentence of 21 months’ imprisonment.

“Kimberly Lawson’s greed is her downfall,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “This is now the second time that she’s being sentenced for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from an employer — and this go-round, she decided to defraud the federal government, as well. Perhaps today’s longer prison term will prove more impactful than her first. Either way, we won’t rest until criminals like this get the message that we will find and punish financial fraud.”

“Through a multitude of deceptions and manipulations, Ms. Lawson stole from her employer and from the United States in the pursuit of her own personal gain,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dave Carter of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentencing serves as a reminder that those who exploit their positions for financial profits will be held accountable. I want to thank our FBI personnel and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts in bringing this defendant to justice.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita Eve.

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Klamath Falls Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Two Women and Holding One in a Cell

Source: US FBI

MEDFORD, Ore.— Negasi Zuberi, 31, of Klamath Falls, Oregon, was sentenced to life in federal prison today for kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women, and holding one in a cell he constructed in his garage.

“There is no place in civil society for this type of terrifying violence,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “I sincerely hope Zuberi’s life sentence will bring some measure of comfort to his victims. Their courage and perseverance are an inspiration to us all.”

According to court documents, on July 15, 2023, while in Seattle, Zuberi posed as a police officer and used a taser and handcuffs to detain his victim in the backseat of his vehicle. Zuberi then transported the victim approximately 450 miles to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping along the way to sexually assault her.

At his residence, the victim was moved from his vehicle into a cell he had constructed in his garage. The woman repeatedly banged on the cell door until it broke open and she escaped. The victim retrieved a handgun from Zuberi’s vehicle, fled his garage, and flagged down a passing motorist who called 911.

On July 16, 2023, Reno Police Department officers and Nevada State Patrol officers located Zuberi in a parking lot in Reno, Nevada. After a short standoff, Zuberi surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody.

While investigating Zuberi’s crimes, federal agents discovered that approximately six weeks prior to the kidnapping in Seattle, on May 6, 2023, Zuberi kidnapped and sexually assaulted another victim. While being held by Zuberi, his first victim observed stacked cinder blocks in his garage that he later used to construct the cell where he detained his second victim.

On August 2, 2023, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Zuberi with kidnapping and transporting a victim with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Later, on February 15, 2024, a second kidnapping charge and charges for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.

On October 18, 2024, a federal jury found Zuberi guilty of all charges.

This case was investigated by the FBI Portland and Reno, Nevada Field Offices, Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon State Police with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada; Klamath County District Attorney’s Office; Reno, Nevada Police Department; Washoe County, Nevada District Attorney’s Office; Nevada State Police; and Klamath Falls Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Nathan J. Lichvarcik, and Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, with assistance from Appellate Chief Suzanne Miles, also of the District of Oregon.

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Seven Chilean Nationals Charged in Connection with Residential Burglaries in Multiple States

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – Seven members of an interstate burglary crew were charged for conspiring to target homeowners across multiple states in residential burglaries, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

Christofer Sanguesa Aguirre, Fabiana Prado Scatarzi, Santana Arturo Castillo Gonzalez, Felipe Andres Del Valle Munoz, Carlos Alfredo Calderon Valencia, Diego Antonio Calderon Leiva, and Pedro Alejandro Salgado Vallejos, all Chilean nationals, were each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to sell and receive stolen property that had crossed state lines and one count of receiving stolen property that had crossed state lines.

“Residential burglaries have a traumatic and personal impact upon the people whose homes are violated.  Seven Chilean nationals have been charged with conspiring to target homeowners in residential burglaries across multiple states from New Jersey to Massachusetts, resulting in the theft of expensive wristwatches, designer handbags, and thousands of dollars in cash.  This office will continue to pursue those who commit these serious crimes.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna

“We allege these men and women ransacked houses here in New Jersey and the East Coast, and then quickly traveled across the country, stealing over one hundred thousand dollars in valuables from private homes.” FBI-Newark Special Agent-in-charge Brian J. Driscoll, Jr. said.  “These alleged criminals are part of South American theft groups who have been coming in and out of the United States for months.  They hit an area and immediately disappear, using fake identifications and short-term rentals to evade getting caught.  It’s like chasing ghosts.  We put in a tremendous amount of hard work with incredible partner agencies from here to Oregon.  We caught this group—and a warning to others, this doesn’t end here.”

“This is another outstanding example how cooperation, both on a local and national level amongst law enforcement agencies, yields positive outcomes for public safety in our communities,” said Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris.  “ERO’s contributions to this investigation, initially with the defendants’ arrests on immigration charges, were critical in facilitating the criminal charges.”

“To disrupt these fast-moving, well-traveled crime networks, it often takes strong collaboration and state-of-the-art technology.  Thankfully, we have both,” said Port Authority Police Superintendent Edward Cetnar.  “By working together and leveraging our advanced technology, including CCTV and ALPR systems, we were able to track these subjects across state lines so that we could assist our law enforcement partners in apprehending them.  This operation is a testament to the strength of cooperation throughout our vast law enforcement family, including our longtime partners at the FBI Newark Joint Organized Crime Task Force and the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

Sanguesa Aguirre and Castillo Gonzalez appeared on January 15, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and were detained.  Del Valle Munoz and Calderon Valencia had their initial appearances on January 15, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa L. Fricke in federal court in Tacoma, Washington, and were detained.  Calderon Leiva had his initial appearance on January 15, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daryl F. Bloom in federal court in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and was detained. Prado Scatarzi appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst in federal court in Lafayette, Louisiana today and was detained.  Salgado Vallejos appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts today and was detained.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

The defendants were part of a sophisticated burglary ring that committed multiple residential burglaries in November 2024 in New Jersey and Massachusetts.  The defendants conspired to possess large amounts of jewelry, watches, designer handbags, and other valuable goods, among other items, with the losses totaling over $100,000.

Law enforcement searched a vehicle the defendants were using to transport the stolen goods and recovered multiple pieces of jewelry, designer handbags and belts, perfume bottles, paper currency, watches, and other valuable items, alongside tools commonly used to burglarize residences. After law enforcement stopped the vehicle, Del Valle Munoz and Calderon Valencia fled across the country, eventually appearing near Seattle, Washington before traveling to a residence in Carlton, Oregon.  Law enforcement searched the residence where Del Valle Munoz, Calderon Valencia, and others had arrived and recovered bags and backpacks containing additional gold jewelry, diamonds, and watches, along with additional burglary tools.

The charge of conspiracy to sell or receive stolen property carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; and the charge of receipt of stolen property carries a maximum potential penalty of ten years in prison. Both charges also carry a maximum potential penalty of up to a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater.

Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited the FBI Newark’s Joint Organized Crime Task Force (JOCTF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Driscoll, Jr. in Newark; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris; and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent of Police Edward T. Cetnar, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Colts Neck Police Department, Keansburg Police Department, Fort Lee Police Department, Paramus Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Spring Valley Police Department (NY), Town of Greenburgh Police Department (NY), Wellesley Police Department (MA), Westwood Police Department (MA), Massachusetts State Police, Renton Police Department (WA), King County Sheriff’s Office (WA), Tukwila Police Department (WA), Oregon State Police, Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office (OR), Carlton Police Department (OR), Denver Police Department (CO), Pennsylvania State Police, Novi Police Department (MI), ICE/ERO Portland, ICE/ERO Seattle, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, FBI New York, FBI Philadelphia, FBI Seattle, FBI Portland, FBI Denver, FBI New Orleans, FBI Boston, and FBI Legal Attaché Santiago, Chile.

Anyone who believes they may be a victim, or has information about the theft group or burglaries, is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit the information online at tips.fbi.gov, or call a local field office.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor A. Chenoweth of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                             ###

Defense counsel:

Christofer Sanguesa Aguirre: Claressa Lowe, Esq., Newark, New Jersey

Fabiana Prado Scatarzi:  James N. Green, Esq., Lafayette, Louisiana

Santana Arturo Castillo Gonzalez: Michael Simon, Esq., Mountainside, New Jersey

Felipe Andres Del Valle Munoz: John Carpenter, Esq., Tacoma, Washington

Carlos Alfredo Calderon Valencia: Thomas Weaver, Esq., Bremerton, Washington

Diego Antonio Calderon Leiva: Thomas Thornton, Esq., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Pedro Alejandro Salgado Vallejos: Michael Tumposky, Esq., Boston, Massachusetts

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FBI and Partners Ask Public to Report Information on Ballot Box Fires

Source: US FBI

Observations to consider between October 8, 2024, and now: 

  • Did someone brag or show approval or admiration for the person who placed the devices on the ballot boxes?  
  • Did someone follow the story of these ballot box fires very closely or exhibit an unusual response to the reporting of this story? 
  • Did someone show increased anxiety about the topic or express fears about being identified as a suspect?  
  • Did you notice unusual packages or storing of metal shavings or unexplained fire damage to a home or other structure, a field, or a wilderness area? 
  • Did you notice unusual behaviors such as someone researching thermite, grinding metals, and obtaining small scraps of metal (including pipe endcaps, nuts, and bolts) or welding small projects? 
  • Did someone you know recently dispose of or stop using a Volvo S-60 sedan? 

Reward 

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person responsible for these crimes. Anyone can view or download the FBI’s seeking information poster and the surveillance video from the Portland incident. 

CrimeStoppers of Oregon is offering a separate reward on behalf of Portland Police Bureau of up to $2,500. (CrimeStoppers of Oregon and Portland Police Bureau will be responsible for determining any payment for this separate reward.)

Background information 

The FBI has been working with our partners at the Portland Police Bureau and Vancouver Police Department to positively identify the person responsible for placing homemade thermite devices on ballot boxes.

Surveillance Footage: October 28, 2024, Ballot Box Fire in Portland, Oregon

On October 28, 2024, between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., improvised incendiary devices were placed on ballot drop boxes in Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon (this footage is from Portland). Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the FBI’s toll-free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Transcript / Visit Video Source

Incidents: 

  • October 8, 2024: Ballot box located at the intersection of W 14th Street and Esther Street in Vancouver at approximately 3:45 a.m.
  • October 28, 2024: Ballot box located on the north side of the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center in Vancouver near the SE 162nd Avenue entrance at approximately 2:35 a.m.
  • October 28, 2024: Ballot box located at the intersection of SE Belmont Street and SE 11th Avenue in Portland at approximately 3:08 a.m. 

 
Vehicle: The suspect was driving a black or dark grey 2004 Volvo S-60 sedan with a light-colored interior. The car has a sunroof and dark after-market wheel rims, and, at the time of the crime, is missing the Volvo logo normally affixed to the front grill. 
 
Devices: The suspect welded the three devices using metal for the exterior and inserted thermite into the devices. Thermite looks like metal shavings and/or a metal-based powder. The amount of shavings/powder can be small. 

Tips 

If you have any information on this suspect or these crimes, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit your information online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can remain anonymous. 

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Redmond Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Identity Theft and Evading Tax Debt Payments

Source: US FBI

EUGENE, Ore.—A Redmond, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for using a stolen identity to open more than 30 bank accounts and credit cards and evading payments on his $1.1 million tax debt.

Michael David Anastasia, 69, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $777,899 in restitution to his victim. Restitution to the IRS will be determined at a later date.

According to court documents, from 2002 until January 2020, Anastasia knowingly and intentionally used the social security number of a victim to open numerous bank accounts and credit cards. In addition, between 1991 and 2003, Anastasia received $1.4 million from another victim after convincing them of a fabricated agreement with the United States to secure access to allegedly seized funds. In 2007, Anastasia was convicted of tax evasion for failing to pay federal income taxes on the funds received from the victim.

In November 2015, following his release from prison, Anastasia entered into an agreement with the IRS whereby he would make payments towards his tax debt if he received more than $4,526 per month. Rather than pay his taxes, Anastasia convinced the victim to send funds over this amount to his roommate. Anastasia instructed his roommate to withdraw the overage in cash, which Anastasia stored in a safe in his residence. Between March 2016 and September 2018, Anastasia evaded paying more than $180,000 to the IRS.

On February 15, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a nine-count superseding indictment charging Anastasia with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, tax evasion, and making false statements to financial institutions.

On September 4, 2024, Anastasia pleaded guilty to tax evasion and identity theft.

This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS. It was prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce and William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.