Philadelphia Business Owner Sentenced To 271 Months In Prison For Hiring Hitman, Related Crimes

The Justice Department releaased the below information:

CAMDEN, NJ—A Philadelphia business owner was sentenced today to 271 months in prison for arranging a murder for hire that led to a shooting in Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Ronald Galati, 64, was previously found guilty of all four counts in the indictment against him: conspiracy to commit murder for hire; conspiracy to possess and use a firearm during a crime of violence; murder for hire; and aiding and abetting the possession and use of a firearm during a crime of violence. Galati was convicted following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez, who imposed the sentence in Camden federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

Beginning sometime before June 2013, Galati began saying that he was going to kill Andrew Tuono. Galati told witnesses he would “kill him myself, I will strangle him, I will poke his eyes out” and “I am going to stab him right in the forehead with this thing,” referring to a pointed object.

In June 2013, Galati, members of Galati’s family and associates had dinner with Tuono at a restaurant in Northfield, New Jersey. During dinner, Galati took Tuono into the kitchen and threatened to kill him.

Galati owned and operated American Collision & Automotive Center in Philadelphia, where Jerome Johnson, 46, also of Philadelphia, sometimes worked for him. Galati and Johnson approached two associates, Ronald Walker, 49, of Philadelphia, and Alvin Matthews, 47, of Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, and enlisted them to kill Tuono in a manner that would not implicate Galati. Galati promised to pay Walker $20,000 to shoot and kill Tuono.

Galati provided Johnson with several addresses associated with the intended victim. Johnson gave Matthews a Colt .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun he had obtained near 60th Street in Philadelphia. On Nov. 30, 2013, Johnson telephoned Walker and Matthews and arranged to meet them. Galati called Johnson and told him that Tuono was in New Jersey.

Johnson drove Walker and Matthews to the area where Tuono lived in Atlantic City. During the drive, Johnson told Walker and Matthews that if there was a woman with Tuono, she was not to be harmed. While in Johnson’s vehicle, Matthews gave Walker the gun Johnson had given Matthews the day before. Johnson then dropped Walker and Matthews off around the corner from Tuono’s home.
Walker and Matthews then stalked Tuono from an alley adjacent to the residence. When Tuono and a woman came out of the house, Walker and Matthews approached them and got Tuono’s attention. Walker shot Tuono multiple times. The victim was transported by ambulance from the scene of the shooting to Atlantic City Medical Center for emergency surgery, where he spent six days.
Walker and Matthews were arrested as they fled from the scene.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Galati to serve five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $15,427.94.

Walker, Matthews and Johnson have each pleaded guilty to related offenses and await sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George P. Belsky; and detectives of the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Chief Henry White, for the investigation.

He also thanked the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney R. Seth Williams, detectives of the Philadelphia Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Charles Ramsey; and troopers of the Pennsylvania State Police, under the direction of Commissioner Frank Noonan, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

Note: You can also read an earlier post on Galati via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2015/03/south-philly-auto-shop-operator.html

Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts Against Members Of Violent Loan Sharking And Illegal Gambling Ring

A federal jury today returned guilty verdicts against four defendants charged in a loan sharking and illegal gambling ring that was run out of several Philadelphia businesses, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Ylli Gjeli, 49, Fatimir Mustafaraj, aka “Tony,” 42, Gezim Asllani, aka “Sam,” 35, Rezart Rahmi Telushi, aka “Luigi,” 41, all of Philadelphia, were found guilty following a six-week jury trial of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering collection of unlawful debts, making extortionate extensions of credit, collections of extensions of credit by extortionate means.  Additionally, Gjeli, Mustafaraj and Aslanni were convicted of counts involving extortionate extension of credit.  Finally, Gjeli and Mustafaraj were convicted of illegal gambling. U.S. District Judge William H. Yohn Jr. scheduled sentencing hearings for March 2015.

According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants’ enterprise used businesses in Philadelphia, including the Lion Bar & Grill, Blackbird Café and “Ylli’s 2 Brothers,” to conduct the illegal loan sharking and gambling activities.  The enterprise generated money by making and collecting on loans with usurious rates of interest, and making loans to customers whose debts were incurred through the enterprise’s illegal gambling business.  The evidence established that from October 2011 to 2013 alone, the enterprise extended 125 usurious loans totaling $1.78 million with annual interest rates ranging from 104 percent to 395 percent.  Further, the evidence established that from February 2007 to August 2013, the organization’s online sports betting website contributed more than $2.9 million in gross profits.  

Members and associates of the enterprise cultivated their reputations within the organization by threatening customers with dangerous weapons such as firearms and a hatchet, and threating to kill, assault or “break the legs” of delinquent customers if they did not pay their debts, and also by physically assaulting subordinate members and associates who stole from the organization.

The evidence at trial demonstrated that Gjeli was a “boss” of the organization, Mustafaraj served as “muscle” to forcefully collect debts owed to the organization, and Asllani and Telushi served as “collectors,” both making loans and collecting the weekly payments from customers.  Gjeli and Mustafaraj directed the other members in the loan sharking activities and illegal gambling business, financed loans and the gambling operation, used intimidation and threats of violence against customers to collect loan payments, and physically assaulted subordinate members and associates who stole from the organization.  Asllani and Telushi assisted Gjeli and Mustafaraj in making loans, and regularly collected weekly loan payments from customers.    

The evidence also demonstrated that the defendants attempted to conceal the existence and operations of the enterprise from law enforcement by limiting their discussions of criminal activities when on the phone, using cryptic and coded language to describe criminal activities, conducting pat-downs and body searches of customers to check for weapons and recording devices, and conducting the enterprise’s transactions primarily in cash.  

The case was investigated by the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police, New Jersey State Police, Montgomery County Detectives, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Margaret Vierbuchen of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Salvatore L. Astolfi of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Alleged Shooter Of Two Pennsylvania State Troopers Added To FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List

 

 

The FBI's Philadelphia Division released the below information:

 

Edward J. Hanko, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, and Frank Noonan, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, announced today the addition of Eric Matthew Frein to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Frein is wanted in connection with the homicide and attempted homicide of two Pennsylvania State Police troopers.

 

On September 12, 2014, a gunman targeted the Pennsylvania State Police Blooming Grove Barracks in Pike County, Pennsylvania, ambushing Corporal Bryon Dickson and Trooper Alex Douglass. Corporal Dickson, 38, was fatally shot and Trooper Douglass, 31, critically wounded. Days later, Frein’s vehicle was found partially submerged in a nearby pond and allegedly contained evidence linking him to the shootings.

 

State arrest warrants were issued after Frein was charged with homicide, homicide of a law enforcement officer, and attempted murder. Frein is also charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He is considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Frein is a 31-year-old white male (date of birth May 3, 1983), 6’1” tall, 165 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He may have shaved his head on both sides and may have long hair on top. He is known to be a heavy smoker, a weapons enthusiast, and a survivalist and has studied the Russian and Serbian languages.

Frein has connections to the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., including the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

“When law enforcement officers are violently targeted, we take it seriously—and personally,” said SAC Hanko. “The FBI is committed to finding this suspect, keeping the public safe, and supporting our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police.”

“On behalf of the Pennsylvania State Police, I would like to thank the FBI for their hard work on this case and for adding Eric Matthew Frein to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list,” said Commissioner Noonan. “All of law-enforcement is committed to apprehending Frein, and we are dedicated to making sure that the danger to the public ends with his arrest.”

Eric Frein is the 503rd person to be placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, replacing former fugitive Jose Manuel Garcia Guevara. The list was established in March 1950; since then, 472 fugitives have been apprehended or located, 156 of them as a result of citizen cooperation.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of Eric Matthew Frein. Tips can be called in to the Pennsylvania State Police at (866) 326-7256 or to the nearest FBI field office.

Additional information regarding Eric Frein, including his wanted poster, is available on the FBI’s Internet home page at http://www.fbi.gov and at the Pennsylvania State Police Internet home page at www.psp.pa.gov.

Philadelphia Man, Known As "King Kobra," Convicted of Sex Trafficking

The U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of PA, released the below information:

PHILADELPHIA—A federal jury today returned guilty verdicts against Rahim McIntyre, 36, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was charged with three counts of sex trafficking.

McIntyre, a/k/a “King Kobra,” caused Internet advertisements to be created in which he advertised various females as available for purchase for purposes of prostitution. The advertisements featured pictures of the females, scantily clad; a description of each female; and a phone number to call to arrange a meeting with a female employed by McIntyre as a prostitute.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 21, 2014. The defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, with a minimum mandatory of 15 years, a $750,000 fine, five years up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment.

McIntyre’s brother, Rashaad McIntyre, was charged in December 2012 with sex trafficking of minors and production of child pornography. He pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Intelligence Center and the Philadelphia First Judicial Court Warrant Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan.