Divisions
CRIMINAL DIVISION
The Criminal Division is the largest division in the office. Assistant United States Attorneys investigate and prosecute cases arising from a vast array of criminal activity. Since the 9/11 attacks, the Criminal Division assumed new responsibilities due to the fight against terrorism, using criminal law tools to detect, disrupt, and incapacitate terrorists and terrorist supporters. The Criminal Division is divided into three sections: National Security and Violent Crime; Narcotics and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF); Economic Crime; with Criminal Appeals and the Victim-Witness program serving the division as a whole.
National Security and Violent Crime Section (NSVC)
The district's highest priority is to prevent death, injury, and destruction from domestic or international terrorism in the district and elsewhere. Another high priority is to protect children from being sexually exploited. Prosecutions include crimes such as providing material support to terrorist organizations, bank robbery, car jacking, kidnapping, civil rights and hate crimes violations, human trafficking, illegal re-entry by aliens, possession of firearms by convicted felons and illegal aliens, arson, illegal trafficking in firearms, and offenses involving possession of other illegal weapons and explosives. The Assistants in this section are involved in a wide variety of prosecutions and initiatives including the following:
The district's Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council (ATAC) and Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) which focuses its efforts on preventing terrorism and prosecuting terrorism related crimes. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Shorbagi - Defendant sentenced on charge of material support of terrorists.
U.S. v. Ahmed and Sadequee - Defendants indicted for providing material support to terrorists.
Gang Cases & the Organized Crime Strike Force. Strike Force enforcement in the Northern District of Georgia is sometimes directed against traditional organized crime. In more recent years, however, most organized crime prosecutions have been brought against gangs operating in the district. Gang crimes are prosecuted by attorneys in both the TVC section and the Narcotics section, but are coordinated by the TVC Section. Recent gang prosecutions have resulted in lengthy prison sentences for gang members in MS-13, the Brownside Locos, and Killing Every Spot. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Prudente - Four Sur-13 gang members sentenced to life in prison.
U.S. v. Romero - “Brownside Locos” street gang sentenced in federal RICO case.
U.S. v. Beverly, et al - Sixteen members of Black Mafia Family charged in cocaine distribution conspiracy.
U.S. v. Ramirez - Members of “Killing Every Spot” street gang sentenced to federal prison.
U.S. v. Villenas-Reyes - Defendants sentenced to multiple life prison terms in Rome racketeering case.
Human Trafficking: This office has a longstanding commitment to investigating and prosecuting those who engage in human trafficking by enslaving individuals in employment or the illegal sex trade. One example of this was the 2002 prosecution of United States v. Pipkins in which prosecutors used the federal racketeering (RICO) statutes to prosecute and convict 15 notorious pimps who targeted children between the ages of 12-17. Their prosecution resulted in imprisonment of the defendants, passage of a new state law, and establishment of a shelter for victims. In 2004, the United States Attorney’s office partnered with HHS to create the coalition consisting of over 100 members including federal, state, and local law enforcement and many non-governmental organizations. The coalition’s goals are twofold: to raise awareness of the topic in the public so that victims may be identified more readily; and to provide training to law enforcement and to non-governmental organizations on how to assist victims as well as prosecute the cases. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Jimmie Lee Jones, aka “Mike Spade” - Defendant sentenced to 15 years on federal sex trafficking and Mann Act charges.
U.S. v. Norris, et al - Defendants indicted in forced prostitution scheme.
Civil Rights Violations: Civil Rights cases typically involve situations when a person in a position of authority in state, local, or federal government uses their office to deprive another individual of civil rights. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Junnier and Smith - APD officers charged in connection with shooting of an elderly woman.
U.S. v. Dammiano - Cedartown police officer sentenced for depriving Hispanic drivers of civil rights.
U.S. v. Walker & Ramsey- Defendants who murdered DeKalb County Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown sentenced to life imprisonment.
Project Safe Childhood (PSC): In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Lebowitz - Doctor admits to abusing boys and producing child pornography.
U.S. v. Sommerville - Defendant sentenced for possessing and distributing child exploitation images.
U.S. v. Kapordelis - Doctor sentenced to 35 years in prison for producing, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN): This national initiative brings community leaders and law enforcement together to identify communities with gang and gun-related crime problems and to apprehend and incarcerate those who commit such crimes. Investigations target the most serious felons who possess dangerous weapons and other individuals who are involved in violent gang-related activity. Recent firearms prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Dorsey - Armed Career Criminal sentenced to 15 years in prison.
U.S. v. South - Defendant sentenced to 25 years for manufacturing and distributing pipe bombs, possessing sawed-off shotgun, and selling methamphetamine.
Other notable TVC cases:
[Return to Top]U.S. v. Mock - Serial arsonist sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Narcotics and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) are the United States' primary weapons against the highest level drug trafficking organizations operating within the United States, importing drugs into the United States, or laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. OCDETF Assistants, working with a variety of federal investigative agencies and deputized state and local officers, use the most powerful investigative tools, including court-authorized wiretaps and other cutting-edge electronic surveillance, confidential sources, and undercover operations, to attack these organizations. While this Section prosecutes many cases targeting local and regional drug organizations, it focuses its efforts on international cartels that import illegal drugs from other countries and use Atlanta as a distribution and money-laundering hub for the eastern United States. Cases prosecuted typically involve long-term investigations and numerous defendants, as they are designed to eliminate the sources of supply and financial networks involved in high-level drug trafficking. Atlanta is the Core City for OCDETF’s Southeast Region, which includes Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas, and Mr. Nahmias serves as the Core City U.S. Attorney for this region.
The Section also includes two Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) who are designated to work with the Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). This task force consists of federal and local drug agents who focus on identifying and arresting the most prolific regional drug traffickers operating in DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Cobb Counties, which contain the highest concentration of large-scale drug traffickers in the Atlanta metropolitan area. One recent HIDTA investigation resulted in the marijuana “grow house” indictment: 25 defendants indicted in indoor marijuana “grow house” operation as a result of HIDTA work.
In March 2007, members of the OCDETF law enforcement agencies began operating out of the “David G. Wilhelm OCDETF Strike Force,” a special cooperative drug task force named after the slain U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Special Agent In Charge (ASAC). The strike force is based in DeKalb County in offices located inside the FBI complex. The Strike Force is designed to investigate and prosecute the highest-level members of international drug cartels that have operations in metro Atlanta and throughout the United States. To this end, the Strike Force will focus on national investigations that are coordinated with OCDETF Strike Forces located in other cities and investigators located throughout the United States and the world.
Recent OCDETF prosecutions include:
[Return to Top]U.S. v. House - Lead defendant sentenced for involvement in largest ecstasy ring in Southeast.
U.S. v. Nguyen - Couple snared in Operation Candybox sentenced for laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds.]
U.S. v. Moreno-Gonzalez - Defendant in Operation Enigma sentenced to 40 years for laundering drug proceeds.
28 Defendants arrested in Operation Long Whine.
U.S. v. Vega - DEA seizes 174 pounds of ICE (crystal methamphetamine).
Economic Crime Section
Because fraud schemes are limited only by the imagination of the criminal, this section prosecutes a wide variety of fraud-related offenses that cause economic harm to the government (such as counterfeiting, health care, tax, and benefits fraud), financial institutions and businesses (such as corporate fraud, intellectual property fraud, bank fraud, and mortgage fraud), and private individuals (such as ponzi schemes and investment fraud).
[Return to Top]Computer crimes: Fraud crimes are increasingly committed using the internet. This greatly increases the number of potential victims, enabling criminals to defraud people they never see. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Rosalanko - Defendant sentenced for selling stolen Home Depot gift cards on eBay.
U.S. v. Rembert, et al - Defendants indicted for posting non-existing items for sale on eBay.
Mortgage Fraud: The district has successfully prosecuted many complex, sophisticated mortgage fraud schemes and has obtained a substantial number of guilty pleas and convictions, including convictions of attorneys who participated in the fraudulent transactions. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Cox - Defendant sentenced to over 26 years for multi-state mortgage fraud & identity theft scheme.
U.S. v. Hill - Leader of $112 million mortgage fraud scheme sentenced to 28 years in prison.
U.S. v. Parker - Mortgage broker sentenced for mortgage fraud.
U.S. v. Hairston - Husband and wife sentenced for mortgage fraud/bankruptcy fraud scheme.
U.S. v. McFarland - Closing attorney sentenced to 30 years in prison for mortgage fraud.
Identity Theft: The office participates in the Northern District of Georgia Financial Crimes/Identity Theft Task Force, a partnership which includes financial institutions, and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies joined together to investigate and prosecute offenses involving the manufacture, acquisition, and use of false and stolen identities to defraud citizens of North Georgia. The task force also focuses on educating law enforcement, victims and the general public about all aspects of identity theft. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Cox - Defendant sentenced to over 26 years for identity theft & mortgage fraud scheme.
U.S. v. Yaman - Defendant sentenced in international identity theft scheme.
U.S. v. Knight, et al - Defendants accept stolen mail as payment for methamphetamine and use mail to commit identity theft.
U.S. v. Mixon-Hampton - Defendant on bond re-arrested in second identity theft scheme and sentenced to 71 months imprisonment.
Intellectual Property Crimes/Fraud Against Businesses: Many companies have found themselves to be victims of a fraud, sometimes perpetrated by their own employees and sometimes by an outsider who gained their confidence through fraudulent misrepresentations or who used other means to defraud the company. Defendants prosecuted in these cases have found a way to steal a company’s money, goods, name, or valuable information, including trade secrets and other intellectual property. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Harrison - Defendant sentenced for trafficking in illicit Microsoft Windows software labels.
U.S. v. Taylor- Co-owner of 20/20 Payroll Solutions sentenced for stealing money earmarked for state and federal taxes.
U.S. v. Williams - Former employee and coconspirators sentenced for attempting to steal and sell Coca Cola trade secrets.
Corporate Fraud and Investment Fraud: Since 2002, when the President made the prosecution of corporate fraud a national priority, this district has greatly increased its investigations of corrupt conduct by corporations, with the conduct under investigation including accounting fraud, insider trading, market manipulation, securities fraud, and mail and wire fraud based on fraudulent misrepresentations regarding the nature of an investment opportunity. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Moses - Defendant convicted for “pump and dump” securities fraud scheme and perjury.
U.S. v. O’Neal - Defendant induced over 2,000 to invest in fraudulent scheme.
U.S. v. Wright - Hedge fund operator convicted in investment fraud scheme.
U.S. v. Ramunno - Commodity futures trader pleads guilty to stealing millions from investors.
U.S. v. Martin - Financial Advisor sentenced to 11 years for defrauding investor clients of $6.6 million.
Fraud against the Government: The U.S. Treasury and government programs frequently are targeted by criminals. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Patel - Hotel owners charged with falsely claiming expenses for housing Hurricane Katrina evacuees.
U.S. v. Dickerson - Defendant sentenced for fraudulently claiming to be a Hurricane Katrina victim.
Tax fraud - Summary of recent tax prosecutions.
U.S. v. Beaulieu - Corporation pleads guilty to tax fraud.
Immigration Fraud: Past prosecutions have charged individuals with smuggling illegal aliens into the United States and harboring them, as well as individuals involved in organized efforts to produce fraudulent immigration documents that enable illegal aliens to stay and work in the United States unlawfully. Many of these cases are generated by the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force which is led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The goal of the task force is to detect, deter, and disrupt major criminal enterprises and individuals that pose a threat to the national security and public safety through the perpetration of identity and benefit fraud. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Gerald, et al - Several convicted in multi-state amnesty fraud conspiracy.
U.S. v. Cruz, et al- Eight charged in scheme to provide identification documents to illegal aliens.
Health Care Fraud: The prosecution of health care fraud is another important priority of the district, especially since criminal wrongdoing in the health care arena can, and often does, harm our nation’s most vulnerable citizens – the elderly, the ill, and the poor. The district prosecutes frauds against Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies. Medicare is the largest single payer of health care services in the U.S., and most federal health care investigations and prosecutions concern Medicare. All segments of the health care industry are subject to investigation by this office, including hospitals, nursing home chains, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and prescription drug retailers, as well as smaller entities like durable medical equipment suppliers, individual physicians and other health care providers. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Isley - Former Chief Operating Officer of medical supply company convicted on health care fraud and mail fraud.
U.S. v. Muomah - Owner of medical supply company imprisoned for defrauding medicare.
U.S. v. Hurowitz - Physician sentenced for submitting false claims to medicaid.
U.S. v. Topel - Chiropractors sentenced in Vax-D scheme.
Public Corruption
The elimination of public corruption is one of this district’s highest priorities. Federal investigation and prosecution of public corruption is uniquely important because state agencies may be politically unable to investigate and prosecute or may lack the necessary resources or experience, and state law may not be well-suited to such prosecutions. Led by the First Assistant United States Attorney, experienced prosecutors from each section of the Criminal Division participate in public corruption investigations. The United States Attorney contributes to the district's stability by rigorously prosecuting public corruption so that public confidence in government is maintained and justified. Recent prosecutions include:
U.S. v. Campbell - Former Atlanta Mayor Sentenced to Prison.
U.S. v. Mitchell - Fulton County Inspector Pleads Guilty to Soliciting and Taking Bribes.
U.S. v. Scott, et al - Former Technology Director for Atlanta Public Schools Pleads Guilty in E-rate Corruption Scheme.
U.S. v. Schrenko, et al - Georgia State School Superintendent and Deputy sentenced for stealing public funds for Linda Schrenko’s failed 2002 gubernatorial campaign.
U.S. v. Campion - Former DEA Agent pleads guilty to tax fraud.
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