“Today, Specially Designated Global Terrorist Mohammad Bazzi accepted responsibility for his role in conspiring to secretly move hundreds of thousands of dollars from the United States to Lebanon in violation of sanctions placed on him for assisting the terrorist group Hizballah,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This outcome demonstrates our commitment to enforcing sanctions imposed to starve terrorism financiers of funds, and the stark consequences that will be enforced when they are ignored.”

“As alleged, while ostensibly operating as a defense contractor for NATO and other ally countries, the defendant and his Aratos Group were double dealing, helping to fuel Russia’s war effort and their development of next generation weapons,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Our Office continues to work tirelessly to ensure that disruptive technologies do not fall into the wrong hands.”

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, New York, United States District Judge Gary R. Brown sentenced Daniel Mullan to 30 years’ imprisonment for sexually exploiting a child and the possession of child pornography. 

“This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself.  He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives. My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively root out corruption and self-dealing from our community’s public institutions and hold public officials accountable to the constituents who elected them.”

“Russia used sophisticated malware to steal sensitive information from our allies, laundering it through a network of infected computers in the United States in a cynical attempt to conceal their crimes.  Meeting the challenge of cyberespionage requires creativity and a willingness to use all lawful means to protect our nation and our allies,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “The court-authorized remote search and remediation announced today demonstrates my Office and our partners’ commitment to using all of the tools at our disposal to protect the American people.”

“How senseless it was for Acevedo to callously take a human life to maintain and burnish his status as the leader of a violent street gang whose members felt insulted by the taking of a piece of jewelry,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “With today’s verdict, the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison. Protecting our communities from gang and gun-related violence is a priority of my Office and I commend the attorneys, Special Agents, and detectives whose work brought the defendant to justice.”

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said: “Congratulations to Layaliza for receiving a Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.  Layaliza’s vision, skill, and tenacity as a litigator and supervisor on behalf of the United States have enhanced the stature of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and furthered the mission of the Department of Justice.”

“Like the faulty components that he bribed a government official to purchase and caused damage to a Department of Energy laboratory, Montenes’s scheme has gone down in flames and he must now face the consequences for his crime,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This Office will continue to root out corruption that undermines the integrity of competitive bidding in the procurement process.”

Timothy Martinez was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn of all four counts of a superseding indictment charging him with attempted receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and two counts of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.  Martinez is employed as a police officer by the New York City Police Department, and immediately prior to his arrest, was on active duty in the U.S. Army Reserve. 

“Today is a bad day for criminals who relied on the defendant’s platform as the gold standard to verify that the credit cards they stole from hard working individuals living in the Eastern District of New York and across the world had value,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s indictment and global takedown of the Try2Check website demonstrates that the Office, together with our partners, will disrupt cybercrime operations no matter where they are based.”

“As proven, the defendant was caught red-handed trying to facilitate the smuggling of a large stash of cocaine hidden in an electronics compartment of the aircraft.” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This corrupt airline mechanic not only abused his position of trust and undermined the security of a vital border crossing in our district, but was also willing to potentially endanger the safety of travelers as well as the community.”

An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Taesung “Terry” Kim and Dacheng “Bruce” Lu with perpetrating a health care fraud scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary prescriptions and over-the-counter products that were not actually dispensed, to pay illegal kickbacks and bribes, and to launder the proceeds of their scheme.  The defendants were arrested this morning and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak.

  Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Joseph Harris, also known as “Luis Santana,” and “Joey Moscato,” was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to 21 years in prison for sex trafficking multiple victims by force, fraud, and coercion.

Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, former New York City correction officer Katrina Patterson was sentenced by United States District Judge Carol B. Amon to a year and a day in prison for accepting more than $34,000 in bribe payments in exchange for smuggling contraband into Rikers Island. 

“Odabi and his co-conspirators callously abused the trust of an elderly victim to line their pockets with millions in stolen cash,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This Office and our partners will work tirelessly to ensure that those who prey upon some of the most vulnerable members of our community are called to account for their crimes.”

A federal jury in Brooklyn returned a guilty verdict today against Marvin Pippins, also known as “Mukk,” a member of the Brooklyn-based street gang 5-9 Brims, on counts of racketeering conspiracy, murder-in-aid-of racketeering, murder conspiracy, narcotics trafficking and use of a firearm. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today that the United States has entered into a consent decree barring USA Halal Foods, Inc., also known as As-Salaam Halal and Fine Foods Wholesale Distributors (USA Halal Foods), and its President, Kashiif Saeed (Saeed), from offering for sale or transporting any misbranded meat or poultry products to the general public. 

“Today, the jury has served justice on the defendant for his violent crime and disregard for the law, which tragically cost a young man his life,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “I commend the prosecutors and the investigators for their dedication to reducing gun violence in our district and holding repeat offenders accountable for their actions.”

Earlier today, in federal court in Houston, Jose Wilfredo Ayala-Alcantara, also known as “Indio de Hollywood,” a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as “MS-13,” was transferred to the Eastern District of New York where he, together with 12 other high-ranking MS-13 leaders, are charged with directing the transnational criminal organization’s criminal activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, and elsewhere over the past two decades.