Two Portsmouth Men Convicted in Gold Shop Attempted Robbery and the Murder of Robert Nelson

NORFOLK, VA—Kevin Stevens, Jr., 21, and Xavier Holley, 20, both of Portsmouth, Virginia, have been convicted by a federal jury on charges relating to an October 2010 conspiracy to rob the Gold Shop in Portsmouth, Virginia, and the murder of Robert Nelson at the Gold Shop. Both were convicted of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, two counts of attempted robbery, one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence causing the death of Robert Nelson.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the verdicts were accepted by Chief United States District Court Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Stevens and Holley face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a mandatory consecutive five year sentence when they are sentenced on October 23, 2012.

According to court records and evidence at trial, between October 4 and 6, 2010, Stevens and Holly conspired and attempted to rob the Gold Shop located on Portsmouth Boulevard in Portsmouth, Virginia. During the October 6, 2010 attempt, a firearm was used and discharged, resulting in the death of Robert Nelson, who was working at the Gold Shop at the time.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Portsmouth Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch and V. Kathleen Dougherty prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery

CONCORD, NH—Thomas Gould, 49, of Chelsea, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 37 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to robbing the Citizens Bank in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on July 18, 2011, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

At a change of plea hearing held on February 13, 2012, Gould did not dispute that he entered the Citizens Bank in Portsmouth, approached a teller, and placed a small brown lunch bag on the counter. Gould told the teller that the bag contained a bomb. Gould demanded all of the teller’s 100- and 20-dollar bills. After the teller provided a sum of money, Gould left the bank on foot to a car parked in a parking lot across the street from the bank. A surveillance camera captured an image of the vehicle. The New Hampshire State Police Explosives Unit responded to the scene and determined that the bag contained a ticking alarm clock but did not contain a bomb.

Gould was arrested by federal and state authorities the following day at a hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. None of the robbery proceeds were recovered.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Portsmouth Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police participated in the investigation of this case and was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Donald Feith.

Chicago Physician Receives Four Life Sentences for Illegally Distributing Pills That Led to Deaths of Four People

He Was Largest Physician Dispenser of Oxycodone in the U.S. from 2003-2005

CINCINNATI—Chicago physician Paul H. Volkman was sentenced in U.S. District Court to four consecutive terms of life imprisonment for illegally prescribing and dispensing pain pills outside the scope of a legitimate medical practice that resulted in the deaths of four people between 2003 and 2005.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Robert L. Corso, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division; Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Kyle W. Parker, Executive Director of the Ohio Board of Pharmacy; Richard A. Whitehouse, Executive Director, State Medical Board of Ohio and representatives of 12 other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois who conducted the investigation announced the sentences imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith.

A jury convicted Volkman, 64, on May 10, 2011 of 18 crimes including four counts of illegal drug distribution that resulted in death. He received a life sentence on each of those counts. Sentences on 13 other counts range from 10 to 20 years and were ordered to be served concurrently. He was sentenced to an additional five years in prison to be served consecutively for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Volkman was also ordered to forfeit $1.2 million.

The government presented 70 witnesses during the eight-week trial. Government witnesses included pharmacists who refused to fill prescriptions from Volkman, law enforcement agents and officers who investigated the deaths, Volkman’s employees, individuals who received pills from Volkman, medical experts and family members of the victims.

Evidence presented during the trial showed that Volkman prescribed and dispensed millions of dosages of various drugs including diazepam, hydrocodone, oxycodone, alprazolam, and carisoprodol.

“Volkman was the physician at the center of a criminal scheme to distribute millions of controlled substances to hundreds of individuals in exchange for cash—a scheme that brought addiction, diversion, and death to southeastern Ohio and beyond,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tim Oakley and Adam Wright wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court. “During the course of this conspiracy, Volkman was the top physician purchaser of oxycodone in the country.”

Volkman made weekly trips between Chicago and three locations in Portsmouth, Ohio and one location in Chillicothe, Ohio before task force investigators led by DEA Diversion investigators shut him down in 2006. Customers paid between $125 and $200 cash per visit. After a brief visit with him, they received a prescription for pain medicine. The “clinics” opened their own dispensary in 2003 after local pharmacies refused to honor prescriptions he wrote.

Volkman also directed his customers to the East Main Pharmacy in Columbus which filled more than 5,500 prescriptions for high doses of oxycodone and other drugs between September 2005 and February 2006. Pharmacy owner Harold Eugene Fletcher pleaded guilty in January 2011 to illegal distribution of oxycodone and committing financial and tax crimes. Fletcher was sentenced on January 9, 2012 to 27 months in prison.

“Cooperative investigation by law enforcement, combined with the support of community groups and victims, are addressing the problem of addiction and illegal drug diversion,” U.S. Attorney Stewart said. “Such united efforts must continue.”

Two individuals indicted with Volkman pleaded guilty to their roles in the crimes and testified against him. Denise Huffman, 57, who owned Tri-State Health Care and Pain Management in Portsmouth, and South Point Pain Management which operated in Portsmouth and elsewhere, pleaded guilty on November 10, 2010 to operating and maintaining a drug involved premises. She is awaiting sentencing. Alice Huffman Ball, 36, pleaded guilty on October 25, 2010 to an identical charge. She managed the clinics. She was sentenced on November 8, 2011 to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

In addition to the agencies listed above, Stewart commended the following law enforcement agencies who participated in the investigation:

■Scioto County Sheriff Marty Donini’s Office

■Scioto County Coroner’s Office
■Portsmouth Police Department
■Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office
■Ross County Sheriff’s Office
■Pipeline 23 Drug Task Force
■Ohio State Highway Patrol
■Kentucky State Police
■Greenup County Kentucky Coroner’s Office
■Carter County Kentucky Coroner’s Office
■Lewis County Kentucky Sheriff’s Office
■Kentucky Office of Inspector General, Office of Drug Enforcement
■Commonwealth of Kentucky Office of Attorney General
■The FBI Portsmouth Resident Agency
■DEA offices in Columbus; Cincinnati; Louisville; London, Kentucky; Cleveland; Detroit; and Chicago.

Bounty Hunter Bloods Gang Member Sentenced for Attempted Murder

NORFOLK, VA—Draindell Domonta Bassett Jr., 23, of Portsmouth, Va., was sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to participating in a pattern of racketeering activity (RICO) including conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and conspiring to distribute controlled substances.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Bassett was sentenced to eight years and four months by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

According to court documents, in the spring of 2006, several members of the Bounty Hunter Bloods/Nine Tech Gangsters (BHB/NTG) street gang had an ongoing feud with a rival gang member who belonged to the Crips street gang. On one occasion the rival Crip gang member had shot a couple of the BHB/NTG gang members. As a result, Bassett and other BHB/NTG gang members searched for the rival Crip gang member in order to kill him. They spotted the rival Crip gang member in the Burbage Grant area of Suffolk, Virginia. Bassett and the other gang members chased after the Crip gang member with a knife. The Crip gang member jumped into an automobile of a stranger and directed her to drive off quickly. The BHB/NTG gang members caught up to the automobile before it had a chance to drive away and kicked dents into the doors as they made efforts to drag the rival Crip gang member out of the automobile. The car then sped away and the Crip gang member was able to escape without harm. Bassett was also involved in the distribution of illegal narcotics.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Portsmouth Police Department, and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys William D. Muhr and V. Kathleen Dougherty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Bounty Hunter Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Double Homicide

NORFOLK, VA—Jamyia Rashad Brothers, 24, of Portsmouth, Va., was sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to life in prison for the murders of two men during the course of a home invasion robbery in Portsmouth, Va. He was also sentenced for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Brothers was sentenced by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Brothers previously pled guilty to the charges on September 16, 2011.

According to court documents, on December 15, 2007, Brothers and another member of the Bounty Hunter Bloods gang/Nine Tech Gangsters (BHB/NTG) executed a home invasion of a residence in Portsmouth, Va. During the course of the home invasion robbery, Brothers shot and killed both John and Ronald Trollinger. John Trollinger was shot in the chest and in the back of the head, and Ronald Trollinger was shot in the chest. Brothers also shot a third individual inside the residence who, after being shot, played dead and was able to survive his wounds. Two other individuals in the residence were able to escape out the backdoor without any injuries. After the shootings, Brothers and the other BHB/NTG gang member fled the scene.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Portsmouth Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys William Muhr and V. Kathleen Dougherty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Bounty Hunter Bloods Gang Members Sentenced for Racketeering Acts

NORFOLK, VA—Kiwanii Edward Mosley, 23, of Portsmouth, Va., was sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to 25 years in prison for participating in a pattern of racketeering activity (RICO) including murder, attempted murder, home invasion, robbery and conspiring to distribute controlled substances. He was also sentenced to 10 years, to be served consecutively, for possession of a firearm in a crime of violence. Mosley previously pled guilty to those charges on August 16, 2011.

Yesterday, Dearnta LaVon Thomas, a/k/a “Bloody Razor,” 24, one of the alleged founders and a three-star general of the Bounty Hunter Bloods set in Portsmouth, Va., was sentenced by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson to five years in prison for his racketeering activity and 10 years, to be served consecutively, for possession of a firearm in a crime of violence. Thomas pled guilty to those charges on June 27, 2011.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Mosley was sentenced by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

According to court documents, on December 15, 2007, Mosley and another member of the Bounty Hunter Bloods / Nine Tech Gangsters (BHB/NTG) executed a home invasion of a residence in Portsmouth, Va. During the course of the home invasion robbery three individuals were shot. John and Ronald Trollinger died at the scene as a result of the gunshot wounds they suffered. A third individual was shot and then played dead. He survived his injuries but is disabled as a result of his wounds. A fourth individual was chased out of the back door while being shot at by the other gang member. This individual was able to escape without harm. In addition, on December 8, 2005 Mosley and other BHB/NTG gang members planned a home invasion of an apartment in Suffolk, Va. The gang members mistakenly attempted to enter an apartment that did not belong to their intended target. The female in the residence screamed for help and some of the neighbors came to her assistance armed with handguns. When the gang members attempted to flee a shootout occurred between them and the neighbors who had come to assist. Mosley was also involved in other robberies and the distribution of illegal narcotics.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Portsmouth Police Department and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys William D. Muhr and V. Kathleen Dougherty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

Bounty Hunter Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison

NORFOLK, VA—Darren Antoine Pollard, 35, of Portsmouth, Va., was sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to 21 years in prison for participating in a pattern of racketeering activity (RICO) including a home invasion and conspiring to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in a crime of violence.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Pollard was sentenced by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Pollard previously pled guilty on July 28, 2011.

According to court documents, in the Summer of 2006, Pollard and other members of the Bounty Hunter Bloods/Nine Tech Gangsters (BHB/NTG) executed a home invasion of a residence in Portsmouth, Virginia. Pollard was familiar with some of the individuals who lived at that residence because he had worked with them in the past. Pollard and the other gang members had attended a party at the residence the night of the home invasion. After leaving the party Pollard and the other gang members returned shortly thereafter brandishing firearms and demanding money. A female resident who was sitting on the couch with her young daughter observed one of the male residents running through the house while a gang member chased him with a firearm. The gang member pointed the gun at the female and tore a gold chain from her neck. Pollard and the other gang members then went through the pockets of all the other residents before fleeing the scene. Pollard was also involved in the distribution of illegal narcotics.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Portsmouth Police Department and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys William D. Muhr and V. Kathleen Dougherty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

Bounty Hunter Bloods Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Kill Rival and Distributing Illegal Narcotics

NORFOLK, VA—Draindell Domonta Bassett Jr., 23, of Portsmouth, Va., pled guilty today in Norfolk federal court to participating in a pattern of racketeering activity (RICO) including conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and conspiring to distribute controlled substances.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Bassett entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Bassett will be sentenced on Nov. 21, 2011 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

According to court documents, in the Spring 2006, several members of the Bounty Hunter Bloods/Nine Tech Gangsters (BHB/NTG) street gang had an ongoing feud with a rival gang member who belonged to the Crips street gang. On one occasion the rival Crip gang member had shot a couple of the BHB/NTG gang members. As a result, Bassett and other BHB/NTG gang members searched for the rival Crip gang member in order to kill him. They spotted the rival Crip gang member in the Burbage Grant area of Suffolk, Va. Bassett and the other gang members chased after the Crip gang member with a knife. The Crip gang member jumped into an automobile of a stranger and directed her to drive off quickly. The BHB/NTG gang members caught up to the automobile before it had a chance to drive away and kicked dents into the doors as they made efforts to drag the rival Crip gang member out of the automobile. The car then sped away and the Crip gang member was able to escape without harm. Bassett was also involved in the distribution of illegal narcotics.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Portsmouth Police Department and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys William D. Muhr and V. Kathleen Dougherty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

Bounty Hunter Bloods Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Acts

NORFOLK, VA—Darren Antoine Pollard, 35, of Portsmouth, Va., pled guilty today in Norfolk federal court to participating in a pattern of racketeering activity (RICO) including a home invasion and conspiring to distribute controlled substances. He also pled guilty to possession of a firearm in a crime of violence.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Pollard entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Pollard will be sentenced on November 9, 2011 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

According to court documents, in the Summer of 2006, Pollard and other members of the Bounty Hunter Bloods /Nine Tech Gangsters (BHB/NTG) executed a home invasion of a residence in Portsmouth, Virginia. Pollard was familiar with some of the individuals who lived at that residence because he had worked with them in the past. Pollard and the other gang members had attended a party at the residence the night of the home invasion. After leaving the party Pollard and the other gang members returned shortly thereafter brandishing firearms and demanding money. A female resident who was sitting on the couch with her young daughter observed one of the male residents running through the house while a gang member chased him with a firearm. The gang member pointed the gun at the female and tore a gold chain from her neck. Pollard and the other gang members then went through the pockets of all the other residents before fleeing the scene. Pollard was also involved in the distribution of illegal narcotics.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Portsmouth Police Department and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys William D. Muhr and V. Kathleen Dougherty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.