Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Missouri
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Former Pine Lawn Lieutenant Convicted of Federal Charges
St. Louis, MO – Former Pine Lawn Lieutenant STEVEN BLAKENEY was convicted of criminal civil rights charges arising from his arrest in 2013 of a candidate for the office of Mayor of the City of Pine Lawn.
According to testimony presented at trial, on March 31, 2013, Blakeney, while a police officer with the City of Pine Lawn Police Department, conspired with others to cause the arrest of a mayoral candidate based on false allegations and without probable cause. Blakeney ordered another person to falsely report that the mayoral candidate had stolen a campaign poster from a local business and then arranged for the candidate to be arrested.
Blakeney was convicted of one felony count of conspiracy against rights, one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of falsification of records. The four-day trial was held before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. Sentencing has been set for May 4, 2016.
These charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Reginald Harris and Jennifer Winfield handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Recently-Terminated NYPD Officer Arrested For Interstate Transportation Of Prostitutes
Former NYPD Officer Employed More Than Ten Prostitutes
Earlier today, a complaint was unsealed in Brooklyn federal court charging Eduardo Cornejo, a former officer with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) with transporting women in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution.[1] Until his termination from the NYPD on January 15, 2016, Cornejo was an 11-year veteran of the NYPD who, at the time of the charged conduct, was on modified assignment and was, prior to that, assigned to the 79th Precinct in Brooklyn. Cornejo is scheduled to be arraigned at 2 p.m. today before United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold at the U.S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York.
The charges were announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Diego Rodriguez, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and William J. Bratton, Commissioner, NYPD.
“As alleged, the defendant betrayed the trust of the residents of the city he swore to protect,” stated United States Attorney Capers. “Rather than seeking to eradicate crime from the streets of the city, the defendant promoted prostitution and profited from his exploitation of women.” Mr. Capers praised the joint investigative efforts of the FBI and the Internal Affairs Bureau of the NYPD.
“Throughout his alleged criminal actions, Cornejo not only abused the public trust given to him as an NYPD officer, but he showed no human decency when he facilitated the exploitation of women for profit. Police officers, like all public servants, are held to a higher standard, and should not violate the very same laws they are supposed to enforce,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Rodriguez.
“I commend our Internal Affairs Bureau which takes a proactive role in investigating serious misconduct among the ranks of the NYPD and works closely with prosecutors in building cases against those who violate the very laws that they have sworn to enforce,” said NYPD Commissioner Bratton.
As detailed in the complaint, members of law enforcement observed Cornejo transporting at least ten different prostitutes he employed to motels throughout the New York metropolitan area, including parts of Long Island and New Jersey. Cornejo often engaged in this conduct directly after leaving his work with the NYPD.
As further detailed in the complaint, pursuant to a lawfully authorized wiretap, law enforcement intercepted statements by Cornejo that showed his commission of the crime. For example, in one such statement Cornejo discussed the way he divides monetary proceeds with the prostitutes he employs and also stated that, if he were to stand outside a motel door with “a bunch of girls,” law enforcement would “know what’s up real quick.”
If convicted, Cornejo faces up to ten years of incarceration.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Kevin Trowel are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
EDUARDO CORNEJO
Age: 33
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-M-69 (MDG)
[1] The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Human Trafficking
Public Corruption
Download Cornejo_Complaint.pdf (521.91 KB)
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Western District of Kentucky
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 1, 2016
Former Police Officer And School Administrator Sentenced To 48 Months In Prison For Violating Sex Abuse Laws
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Grayson County, Kentucky, former police officer and school administrator was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release today, by Chief District Judge Joseph H. McKinley, for violating federal and state sex abuse laws, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
Stephen E. Miller, age 45, pleaded guilty to four counts in a superseding information, on July 30, 2015. Miller pleaded guilty to engaging in abusive sexual contact with three female students and third degree sodomy with a fourth female student. The incidents occurred at Bluegrass Challenge Academy between February and August 2013. Miller is in the custody of the United States Marshall Service.
Miller previously worked as a police officer in Leitchfield, Kentucky. He resigned the position following complaints of inappropriate conduct toward two women. Miller then began working at Bluegrass Challenge Academy, a residential, educational program run by the Kentucky National Guard, located on Fort Knox Military Base. Miller had supervisory authority over the Academy students.
John Smith, who was the director of Bluegrass Challenge Academy during the time, has been indicted for failure to report child abuse.If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, and up to one year of supervised release.
Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda E. Gregory and Stephanie M. Zimdahl are prosecuting the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with assistance from the Army Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
Project Safe Childhood
Updated February 1, 2016
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Central District of California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Two L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputies Involved in Use-of-Force Incident Against Shackled Inmate Found Guilty of Obstruction of Justice
LOS ANGELES – Two Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies who were assigned to the 3000 Floor of the Men’s Central Jail were found guilty this afternoon of falsifying reports with the intent to obstruct justice. The false reports were filed after an incident in which a shackled inmate was struck, kicked, repeatedly hit by a flashlight, and pepper-sprayed by the defendants.
Concluding a two-week trial, a federal jury convicted former deputies Joey Aguiar, 28, and Mariano Ramirez, 40. Both men were found guilty of one count of falsifying records with the intent to obstruct justice, a charge that carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
The jury in the case was unable to reach a unanimous decision on a civil rights offense that alleges the deputies unlawfully beat the victim during the incident on February 11, 2009. The jury reported in open court that it was split 10-2 in favor of guilt.
The jury acquitted Aguiar and Ramirez of conspiring to violate the inmate’s civil rights.
United States District Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell scheduled a sentencing date for April 25. Federal prosecutors have yet to decide if they will retry Aguiar and Ramirez on the unresolved civil rights charge.
Aguiar was convicted of one count of falsification of records for submitting a report that falsely stated the inmate, Bret Phillips, who is now 44, was beaten after he had attempted to headbutt deputy Aguiar’s face and that Phillips violently kicked at Aguiar. Mr. Phillips did neither, according to testimony presented at the trial.
It was undisputed that Mr. Phillips was waist-chained with handcuffs binding his hands to a chain around his stomach throughout the entire beating.
During the trial, Chaplin Paulino Juarez, who was an eyewitness to the event, testified that he repeatedly raised concerns about what he had seen with senior LASD officials, but was rebuffed. Chaplin Juarez ultimately relayed his concerns to the ACLU. The information provided to the ACLU by the chaplain later came to the attention of the FBI. By this time the FBI had begun a wide-ranging investigation into civil rights abuses by the LASD in custodial settings, particularly excessive uses of force by deputies on the 3000 Floor of the Men’s Central Jail. Another witness, who was an inmate when Mr. Phillips was beaten, testified that he hid in the shower to avoid being seen by LASD personnel as he watched the deputies beat a defenseless and unmoving inmate.
Ramirez was found guilty of one count of falsification of records for submitting a report that falsely stated the victim had “viciously kicked his legs at deputies.”
During the incident – which allegedly involved an excessive and unreasonable use of force, according to the still-pending charge in the case – Aguiar and Ramirez punched and kicked the victim before using pepper spray on him and then hitting him repeatedly with a flashlight, according to the testimony at trial.
Soon after the incident, the deputies wrote the false reports, which formed the basis of a referral to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for potential criminal prosecution of Mr. Phillips.
“These defendants failed to report accurately the circumstances surrounding the beating of an inmate who was restrained with waist chains in an attempt to obstruct a subsequent investigation,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “This failure to tell the truth and attempt to thwart oversight tarnishes the outstanding work of law enforcement officers everywhere.”
The case against Aguiar and Ramirez is the result of an investigation by the FBI, and is one in a series of cases resulting from an investigation into corruption and civil rights abuses at county jail facilities in downtown Los Angeles. As a result of the investigation, 17 current or former members of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department have now been convicted of federal charges.
16-020
Updated February 3, 2016
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Central District of California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Former Chief of Los Angeles Port Police Pleads Guilty to False Statement and Tax Evasion Charges Related to Corruption Case
LOS ANGELES – The former chief of police for the Port of Los Angeles pleaded guilty today to federal charges of tax evasion and making false statements to FBI agents who were investigating his acceptance of a bribe in connection with the development of a social networking program that would become the official smartphone app for the Port and would then be marketed to other law enforcement agencies.
Ronald Jerome Boyd, 58, of Torrance, pleaded guilty this afternoon to three offenses and as a result faces a statutory maximum prison term of 11 years in federal prison.
Boyd pleaded guilty before United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner on the day he was scheduled to go to trial on a 16-count indictment that was returned by a grand jury last year.
Boyd pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about a scheme related to a smartphone app called Portwatch, which was developed to provide information to the public and to allow citizens to report criminal activity at the port.
In 2011, Boyd and two business partners formed BDB Digital Communications, a company that entered into a revenue-sharing agreement with the company developing Portwatch. The parties involved with BDB intended to generate revenues by marketing and selling a similar app – called Metrowatch – to other government agencies. Boyd was set to receive approximately 13.33 percent of all gross revenues generated by the sale of the Metrowatch application.
According to the indictment in this case, Boyd received his financial interest in return for guaranteeing that the Portwatch contract would be awarded to the company. Prosecutors and the defense have agreed to submit evidence regarding the bribery arrangement to Judge Klausner at sentencing.
Boyd pleaded guilty today to making false statements to special agents with the FBI during an interview in October 2014. Boyd admitted that he lied to the investigators when he denied having any financial interest in Metrowatch or having engaged in a conflict of interest.
“Public officials who use their position of leadership for unlawful personal gain erode the public’s trust in government,” said David Bowdich, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Law enforcement officials at all levels have an obligation to uphold the law and remain loyal to the citizens they swore to serve.”
Boyd also pleaded guilty to tax evasion in relation to his personal income tax return for 2011. In his plea agreement, Boyd admitted receiving income from a security business he operated, At Close Range. The income came from the owner of a company doing business with the Port, American Guard Services, and Boyd admitted that he failed to report that income on his personal income tax returns for years 2007 through 2011.
Additionally, Boyd pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of failing to file a 2011 tax return for At Close Range. While he pleaded guilty to one only count of failing to file a tax return for At Close Range, Boyd admitted in his plea agreement that he failed to file tax returns for the business for years 2007 through 2011.
The estimated loss of tax revenue to the Internal Revenue Service for Boyd’s conduct was more than $300,000.
“Our largest enforcement program is directed at the portion of American taxpayers who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their fair share of taxes,” said IRS Criminal Investigation’s Special Agent in Charge Erick Martinez.
Judge Klausner scheduled a sentenced hearing for July 25.
The case against Boyd is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS – Criminal Investigation.
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Middle District of Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 5, 2016
Former Police Department Employee Pleads Guilty To Computer Intrusion
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Tonia Bright (53, Tampa) pleaded guilty today to two counts of obtaining information from a protected computer for a fraudulent purpose. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Her sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Bright was a civilian employee of the Tampa Police Department and worked as a community service officer. As part of her authorized duties, Bright took reports from citizens related to incidents not requiring the response of a sworn police officer. In this capacity, she had access to local, state, and federal law enforcement databases, including the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computerized index that contains the personally identifiable information (PII) of millions of individuals. Bright’s use of these databases was restricted to the performance of her authorized duties.
Between 2009 and 2014, Bright accessed NCIC and other password-protected law enforcement databases to obtain PII, and then provided it to her friend, Rita Monique Girven, on at least ten occasions. Girven used the information to file fraudulent federal income tax returns and claim refunds to which she was not entitled. When Girven received the fraudulently obtained refunds, she shared some of the proceeds with Bright. Girven previously pleaded guilty in a separate case. On November 20, 2015, she was sentenced to 12 years in federal.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Megan Kistler.
StopFraud
Updated February 8, 2016
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Western District of Kentucky
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 1, 2016
Former Police Officer And School Administrator Sentenced To 48 Months In Prison For Violating Sex Abuse Laws
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Grayson County, Kentucky, former police officer and school administrator was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release today, by Chief District Judge Joseph H. McKinley, for violating federal and state sex abuse laws, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
Stephen E. Miller, age 45, pleaded guilty to four counts in a superseding information, on July 30, 2015. Miller pleaded guilty to engaging in abusive sexual contact with three female students and third degree sodomy with a fourth female student. The incidents occurred at Bluegrass Challenge Academy between February and August 2013. Miller is in the custody of the United States Marshall Service.
Miller previously worked as a police officer in Leitchfield, Kentucky. He resigned the position following complaints of inappropriate conduct toward two women. Miller then began working at Bluegrass Challenge Academy, a residential, educational program run by the Kentucky National Guard, located on Fort Knox Military Base. Miller had supervisory authority over the Academy students.
John Smith, who was the director of Bluegrass Challenge Academy during the time, has been indicted for failure to report child abuse.If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, and up to one year of supervised release.
Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda E. Gregory and Stephanie M. Zimdahl are prosecuting the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with assistance from the Army Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
