Owner and Employee of All Sunshine Head Shop Sentenced to Federal Probation

BOISE—U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today that Janet Elaine Shirley, 39, of Boise, Idaho, the former owner and operator of All Sunshine LLC; and Antonio Ricardo Mendoza, 34, also of Boise, an employee, are the latest defendants in Operation Not for Human Consumption to be sentenced over the past several months for offering drug paraphernalia for sale.
Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Shirley today to two years’ probation and ordered her to complete 120 hours of community service. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Mendoza to three years’ probation and ordered him to complete 80 hours of community service. Both Shirley and Mendoza pleaded guilty to the charge on September 5, 2012.
Operation Not for Human Consumption includes the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; and the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office. The U.S. Marshals Service and Idaho State Police provided assistance.

Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Cocaine

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that on January 7, 2013, Martin Tellez Montoya, 22, of Lincoln, was sentenced to three years and one month (37 months) in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine between July 2011 and April 2012. Information provided to law enforcement indicated that Montoya was responsible for the distribution of at least 20 grams of methamphetamine mixture, at least five grams of actual methamphetamine, and less than 25 grams of cocaine during that time frame in the Lincoln area. On five occasions in January and February 2012, Montoya helped his co-defendant, Martin Daniel Sanchez Martinez, deliver methamphetamine and/or cocaine to an undercover Lincoln Police officer. Montoya accompanied Martinez to the locations where the transactions occurred and acted as a translator between the officer and Martinez.
Following the prison term, Montoya will serve four years on supervised release.
The matter was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force, which includes officers of the Lincoln Police Department, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department.

McLaughlin Man Sentenced on Drug Charge

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a McLaughlin man convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon was sentenced on January 4, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann. Nathan Martin, age 30, was sentenced to 109 months in custody, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment.
Martin was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2012. He pled guilty to two counts of a superseding indictment in October 2012.
The conviction stems from Martin knowingly and intentionally conspiring to distribute and possess a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance in 2011, and aiding and abetting a co-defendant who kicked a victim with shod feet and forced a firearm into the victim’s mouth.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Martin was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Leader of Nevada-Alaska Oxycodone Ring Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison and Ordered to Forfeit Over $1.2 Million

LAS VEGAS—A Las Vegas man who operated an illegal drug trafficking organization that transported prescription drugs from Las Vegas to Anchorage, Homer, Kenai, Soldotna, and Wasilla, Alaska, and laundered over $1 million through bank accounts in Las Vegas, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his guilty pleas to conspiracy, drug, and money laundering charges, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Nicholas Ghafouria, 28, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roger L. Hunt. In addition to the prison time, Ghafouria was also ordered to forfeit over $1.2 million in cash and property and must serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison. Ghafouria pleaded guilty on October 1, 2012, and was the last of the 27 defendants charged in the scheme to be sentenced, most of whom were sentenced to prison. Nineteen of those defendants were from Alaska and eight were from Las Vegas.
“Over the last several years, we have been working with state and local law enforcement and health care providers to attack the growing prescription drug abuse problem in Nevada,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “Since January 2010, over 100 individuals, including four doctors and a pharmacist, have been charged in Nevada with unlawfully distributing highly addictive prescription painkillers.”
Between May 2009 and October 2010, Ghafouria organized and led a group of individuals who distributed over 4,000 oxycodone pills in Alaska and laundered at least $1.2 million in cash proceeds from the unlawful distribution of the drugs. Ghafouria and his co-conspirators used various ways to get the drugs to Alaska, including sending them in packages and transporting them on airplane flights. Ghafouria sold the pills for approximately $65 each in Alaska. Co-conspirators in Alaska either provided money directly to couriers who delivered it to Ghafouria in Las Vegas, or they deposited money into bank accounts in Alaska, which was withdrawn in Las Vegas by individuals under Ghafouria’s direction.
The cases were investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation in Las Vegas; the FBI in Las Vegas and Anchorage; DEA in Las Vegas and Anchorage; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Anchorage; Department of Homeland Security in Anchorage; Las Vegas OCDETF; Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; United States Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska; Alaska Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Enforcement; Alaska State Troopers (Soldotna SERT, Soldotna ABI, Anchor Point Troopers); Alaska Wildlife Troopers; Kenai Police Department; Anchorage, Kenai, and Mat-Su Judicial Services; Kenai District Attorney’s Office; Soldotna Police Department; Kenai Adult Probation; Alaska Department of Corrections; United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and Alaska National Guard. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Walsh and Kishan Nair.

Former Police Chief Admits Accepting Cash in Return for Protecting Drug Deals, Purchasing Restricted Police Equipment

PITTSBURGH—A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating the Hobbs Act, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Donald Abraham Solomon, 56, of 145 Lemoyne Avenue, Washington, Pennsylvania, 15301, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Solomon was the Chief of Police of East Washington Borough, Pennsylvania. He received payments from a purported drug dealer, who was an undercover FBI agent, to protect drug shipments and to purchase law enforcement restricted police equipment.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for May 3, 2013, at 3:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Mr. Solomon on bond.
Assistant United States Attorneys Robert S. Cessar and Lee J. Karl are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Donald Abraham Solomon.

Duquesne Man Charged in Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy

PITTSBURGH—A resident of Duquesne, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on January 2, named Shane Brooks, 26, of 807 Oak Street, Duquesne, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, from December 2010 to January 2012, Brooks conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Enticing a Child and Conspiring to Distribute Heroin

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Robert Chin, 65, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute heroin to young women in return for sexual favors, including enticing a child into engaging in sexual activity.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Barry Barnard, Acting Chief of the Prince William County Police Department, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge T. S. Ellis, III.
Chin pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor and conspiracy to distribute heroin, which both carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 5, 2013. Chin will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, from 2007 until his arrest in November 2012, Chin conspired with others to bring heroin and oxycodone into the Washington Metropolitan Area. Chin would then distribute the drugs to young women, including at least one minor, in return for sexual favors. In June 2012, Chin filmed at least some of the encounters with the minor girl in which she performed a number of sex acts with different individuals after receiving drugs from Chin.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Prince William County/Manassas City/Manassas Park Narcotics Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney John Eisinger is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.