New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Narcotics Charges

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MICHAEL DAVIS, also known as “Clep,” “Clip,” and “Michael Smith,” 33, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to firearm and narcotics offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2018, law enforcement began investigating Davis related to a threatening incident in New Haven.  Davis was arrested on December 7, 2018.  At the time of his arrest, he possessed distribution quantities of heroin and cocaine.  A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed a Smith & Wesson SD 40 handgun.

Davis’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions for narcotics offenses and a conviction for escape in the first degree.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Davis pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for August 7, 2019.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Gentile.

Pennsylvania Man Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Defrauding Lending Company Of More Than $400,000

CAMDEN, N.J. – The president of a staffing company was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for defrauding a commercial finance lending company out of more than $400,000, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jeremy Hare, 48, of Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb to an information charging him with wire fraud. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.

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

Hare was the president and managing member of Apollo Search Partners LLC, a staffing agency with an office in New Jersey. On June 16, 2017, Hare had Apollo enter into a financing agreement with a commercial finance lender that offered funding to companies so that they could meet payroll and other obligations. The lender agreed to provide funding to Apollo. In order to get funding, Apollo would provide the Victim Company invoices and supporting time cards for each person Apollo staffed with a client.

Between June 20, 2017 and Aug. 15, 2017, Hare submitted more than 15 invoices to the lender even though Apollo never staffed most of the individuals listed on the invoices and the time sheets submitted with the invoices included hours that were never worked. Based on those invoices, the lender provided more than $400,000 to Apollo between June and August 2017. To date, the lending company has not received reimbursement for that funding.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Hare to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $411,838 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Sarah Devlin of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Ronald L. Greenblatt Esq., Philadelphia

Largo Man Sentenced For Transporting Child Pornography

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Kirk David Blank (50, Largo) to nine years in federal prison for transporting child pornography. The court also ordered Blank to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victims of his offense and to forfeit the electronic devices that he had used in the commission of the offense.

Blank had pleaded guilty on December 13, 2018.

According to court documents, Blank was a member of an online chat group where members discussed the sexual abuse of children and shared child pornographic images and videos. Between September 3 and September 13, 2017, Blank distributed multiple links to online cloud storage accounts containing images and videos that depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In total, the links that Blank shared contained approximately 2,630 child-pornographic images and videos. Blank admitted to law enforcement officers that he had shared the links with the group because he desired to be elevated to the position of an administrator in the chat group.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.