https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/former-minister-government-bolivia-owner-florida-based-company-and-three-others-charged

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Southern District of Florida

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Former Minister of Government of Bolivia, Owner of Florida-Based Company, and Three Others Charged in Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme

Miami, Fl. – Two Bolivian nationals and three United States citizens were arrested last week in Florida and Georgia on criminal charges related to their alleged roles in a bribery and money laundering scheme. The former Minister of the Government of Bolivia and another former Bolivian official are accused of receiving bribes paid by a U.S. company and individuals to secure a Bolivian government contract, and then using the U.S. financial system to launder those bribes.

According to court documents, Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, 57, Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal, 51, Luis Berkman, 58, Bryan Berkman, 36, and Philip Lichtenfeld, 48, engaged in the bribery scheme between approximately November 2019 and April 2020. During that time, Luis Berkman, Bryan Berkman, and Lichtenfeld paid $602,000 in bribes to Bolivian government officials for the benefit of Murillo, the former Minister of Government of Bolivia, Mendez, the former Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Government of Bolivia, and another Bolivian government official. The bribes were paid so that Bryan Berkman’s Florida-based company would obtain and retain business from the Bolivian Ministry of Defense, specifically, an approximately $5.6 million contract to provide to the Bolivian Ministry of Defense tear gas and other non-lethal equipment. To promote the bribery scheme, Bryan Berkman, Luis Berkman, and Lichtenfeld then laundered the payments to Bolivian government officials through bank accounts in Florida and Bolivia and orchestrated the payment of $582,000 in cash for Murillo and Mendez, according to the charges.

All five individuals are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami office made the announcement.

HSI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jil Simon and Assistant Chief Gerald M. Moody Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx P. Calderón is handling asset forfeiture.

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

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov., under case number 21-mj-06320.

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Eastern District of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Former Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Official Sentenced to Over One Year in Prison for Fraud and Embezzlement

PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Paul Dignam, 59, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 13 months in prison, one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $3,500 fine by United States District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno for a scheme to defraud the City of Philadelphia of approximately $119,000 over the course of several years.

In November 2020, Paul Dignam pleaded guilty to mail fraud and embezzlement from a program receiving federal funds. At the time of the charged offenses, the defendant was a long-time employee of the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (“PPR”) Department, serving most recently as the Regional Manager for the South Region. In this position, Dignam oversaw and managed the PPR programs and operations in this section of the city including activities for members of the community, fund-raising, general maintenance and supervision of personnel.

In 2011, Paul Dignam opened a bank account that purported to be for use by a recreation advisory council, a commonly used governance structure in PPR that exists to support local recreation centers and playgrounds by helping to raise funds, develop programs, and maintain play sites. Beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2019, the defendant allegedly misused this bank account by repeatedly writing checks on the account made payable to himself. He helped conceal this fraud by having bank statements mailed to his personal residence and having another individual act as a signatory on the account. The defendant then forged the other individual’s signature on the misappropriated checks and falsely noted in the memo line of the checks that they were “reimbursements” for expenses he incurred by making purchases on behalf of PPR. In sum, Paul Dignam wrote himself approximately 102 checks worth approximately $119,000.

Paul’s brother, Leo Dignam, 61, also of Philadelphia and formerly an Assistant Managing Director with the City of Philadelphia, also pleaded guilty in November 2020 to charges of wire fraud and embezzlement from a program receiving federal funds in connection with similar misuse of public money, and was sentenced last week to 15 months in prison.

“Just like his brother, the defendant abused the trust placed in him by his superiors and the citizens of Philadelphia, specifically supporters of Parks and Recreation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Stealing money from a bank account meant to support programming and maintenance of facilities, some in desperate need of repair, is inexcusable – but now he has been held accountable.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/former-philadelphia-parks-recreation-official-sentenced-over-one-year-prison-fraud-and

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of New Jersey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Postal Employee Admits Dumping Mail, Including Election Ballots Sent to West Orange Residents

NEWARK, N.J. – A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier from Hudson County today admitted he discarded mail, including 99 general election ballots sent from the Essex County Board of Elections to West Orange, New Jersey, residents, from his assigned routes in Orange and West Orange, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of desertion of mails.

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

Beauchene admitted that on Sept. 28, Oct. 1, and Oct. 2, 2020, he discarded into dumpsters in North Arlington, New Jersey, and West Orange 1,875 pieces of mail that he was assigned to deliver to postal customers in West Orange and Orange, New Jersey. This mail included 627 pieces of first-class mail, 873 pieces of standard class mail, two pieces of certified mail, 99 general election ballots destined for residents in West Orange, and 276 campaign flyers from local candidates for West Orange Town Council and Board of Education. Law enforcement recovered the mail on Oct. 2, 2020, and Oct. 5, 2020, and placed it back into the mail stream for delivery.

The desertion of mail charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the USPS-Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara F. Merin of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/postal-employee-admits-dumping-mail-including-election-ballots-sent-west-orange-residents

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of Columbia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Ohio Man Arrested in Alabama for Assault on Law Enforcement during Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Defendant Repeatedly Attacked Police, Punched and Struck Officers

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, an Ohio man was arrested in Alabama for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Kenneth Joseph Owen Thomas, 38, of East Liverpool, Ohio, is charged with federal offenses that include assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; and engaging in physical violence on Capitol grounds, among other charges. Thomas made his initial court appearance in the Northern District of Alabama on May 26.

According to court documents, Thomas was on the Upper West Terrace at 4:22 p.m. where he was captured on Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) body-worn camera (BWC) footage advancing toward a line of law enforcement and pushing against their shields. As depicted in the footage, Thomas punched and struck the officers with his fist and forearm at least twice. At 4:26 p.m., officers began to dispel the crowd of rioters from the steps. Thomas turned toward rioters and ordered them to “hold the line” against advancing officers, repeating this several times. In subsequent interviews, law enforcement officers confirmed the attack and stated the individual “was one of the first to come in and start hitting [and] pushing officers on the line.”

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, who identified Thomas as #214 on their seeking information photos, as well as the MPD, with significant assistance provided by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office.

In the first 120 days after Jan. 6, approximately 440 individuals have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol breach, including over 125 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

The charges contained in any criminal complaint or indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/ohio-man-arrested-alabama-assault-law-enforcement-during-jan-6-capitol-breach

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Eastern District of North Carolina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Fort Bragg Marriage Fraud Arranger Sentenced for Marriage Fraud and Conspiracy

NEW BERN, N.C. – An ex-soldier from Fayetteville was sentenced today to 44 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On August 18, 2020, Ebenezer Yeboah Asane, a/k/a “Ben” pled guilty to marriage fraud and conspiracy.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Asane, 37, operating from Fort Bragg and his home in Fayetteville, planned and organized the sham marriages of several foreign nationals from Ghana to U.S. Army soldiers based at Fort Bragg. The purpose of the conspiracy was for the foreign-born nationals to evade U.S. immigration laws and obtain lawful permanent residence status and for the soldiers to receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to live off post, as opposed to the barracks.

Asane recruited additional soldiers into the fraudulent scheme to orchestrate photographs to give the appearance the marriages were legitimate and to submit false statements to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in support of the sham marriages. Once charged, Asane also attempted to obstruct justice by asking a witness he knew had been called to testify to lie under oath.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The investigation of these cases is ongoing and being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division at Fort Bragg and the EDNC Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00423-FL-1.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/fort-bragg-marriage-fraud-arranger-sentenced-marriage-fraud-and-conspiracy

I appreciate the confidence of President Biden and Secretary Austin in nominating me at such a dynamic and strategically important time for the Special Operations community. Congress created the position of ASD(SO/LIC) in 1986, and this Committee’s leadership and continued support for the organization have been instrumental in strengthening civilian oversight of Special Operations. The Department’s recent reforms further bolster the roles and responsibilities of ASD(SO/LIC) through a unique direct-reporting relationship to the Secretary of Defense, while ensuring special operations and low-intensity conflict policy is integrated with the Under

Secretary of Defense for Policy. If confirmed, I look forward to working with this Committee to continue to implement these reforms.

As the security challenges facing our nation grow increasingly complex, Special Operations Forces (SOF) will remain critical to U.S. efforts in conducting sustainable counterterrorism, competing for influence with near-peer rivals, and responding to crises. To meet these new and evolving missions, the Special Operations enterprise is undertaking its most comprehensive transformation in a generation. Broadening of skills, rapid fielding of technology, creative adaptation of tactics, and partnering for outsized effects will be even more essential. If confirmed, I will work every day to ensure ASD(SO/LIC) provides the essential leadership and guidance to evolve the force and missions.

As part of this transformation, we must redouble our commitment to ensuring SOF can recruit, develop, and retain the diversity of talent necessary to compete globally. A more diverse force integrates new skills, learned experiences, and perspectives that I believe is an operational imperative. I am committed to ensuring we are providing the necessary role models and resources to recruit and retain that talent in our formations.

We also must ensure that SOF represent the values and ideals of the nation we serve. If confirmed, I will work closely with USSOCOM in implementing the recommendations from its comprehensive review of SOF culture and ethics. Sexual assault and harassment, extremist behavior, and criminal activities violate our oath and corrode the force.

Fundamental to the success of SOF is, and will remain, its people. USSOCOM is the standard bearer for caring for its personnel, from the Preservation of the Force and Family, to the Warrior Care program. As we continue to learn of new challenges across the physical, psychological, cognitive, cultural, and spiritual domains, I am committed, if confirmed, to ensuring that every member of the SOF community receives the best possible care, and is ready to compete, deter, and win in a changing global landscape.

https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/nominations_hruby-rose-rosenblum-maier

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Western District of Missouri

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Clinton Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child Pornography

Identified, Arrested the Same Day He Shared Live Video, Photos with Undercover Officer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Clinton, Missouri, man who was identified and arrested on the same day he shared live video and images of his sexual assault of a toddler with an undercover officer was sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography.

Gino Alexander Maiorano, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Maiorano to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.

On June 23, 2020, Maiorano pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography. Maiorano admitted that he used a 2-year-old victim to produce child pornography on April 12, 2019.

An FBI task force officer in Washington, D.C., acting in an undercover capacity, communicated with Maiorano in an online Kik chat group in April 2019. Maiorano sent two sexually explicit photos and a video of the child victim to the undercover officer on April 12, 2019. The photos and video were shot live during the time Maiorano was chatting with the undercover officer. Investigators immediately began working to identify Maiorano and rescue the child victim.

Emergency disclosure requests were sent to Kik, which led to the identification of a family member of Maiorano. Investigators searching social media accounts found a photograph of a kitchen area that matched the kitchen area depicted in a photograph sent by Maiorano to the undercover agent. Another emergency query to Maiorano’s cell phone provider indicated he had been using his phone at the time he sent the video and images of child pornography to the undercover agent.

Officers arrested Maiorano at his residence on the same day. Officers seized his phone, which contained another video of child pornography involving a different child victim.

This case was prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore and Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the FBI, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Clinton, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

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."

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/clinton-man-sentenced-25-years-producing-child-pornography