News Nearby: Duluth Businessman Indicted in Immigration Fraud and Prostitution Scheme

Officials accused of using English language school to issue fraudulent student visas. Some of the female 'students' allegedly worked in bars as prostitutes instead of attending school.

The head of College Prep Academy in Duluth and other school officials have been indicted on charges of conspiring to bring illegal aliens into the country and issuing them fraudulent immigration documents.  Dong Seok Yi, 52, of Duluth, president and CEO of the English language school named College Prep Academy (CPA), was charged with conspiracy and making false statements in immigration documents, according federal officials. Yi also owns the Korean Times Atlanta, a local newspaper. Also indicted were Sook An Kil, also known as Stacy Kil, 41, of Duluth, academic coordinator for CPA; Chang Seon Song, 51, of Suwanee, the school’s academic director; and Sang Houn Kim, also known as Chris Park, 53, of Diamond Bar, Calif. "These defendants are …

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Lilburn Man Sentenced to Prison for Identity Theft

Norman Uriah Simmonds, 33, was one of the leading defendants in a large-scale credit card theft ring who was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday.

A Lilburn man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for his involvement in a large-scale credit card theft ring involving 10 other defendants. Norman Uriah Simmonds, 33, is one of the two leading defendants in the case, according to a news release. He was sentenced to serve eight years and six months, followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $107,324. The thefts started from June 2009 to November 2010, according to U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates, the charges and other information presented in court. The defendants obtained and possessed electronic devices referred to as “skimmers,” which are capable of copying and storing debit and credit card account information. The 11…

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Lasseter Sentencing May be Delayed Until September

U.S. Attorney's Office seeking at least a 30-day continuance of sentencing for Shirley Lasseter and other defendants in bribery case to facilitate matters related to their cooperation into ongoing investigation of corruption in Gwinnett County.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Friday (July 20) filed a request in federal district court in Atlanta for at least a 30-day continuance of the sentencing hearing for former Gwinnett County Commissioner Shirley Lasseter, her son John Fanning, and Carl “Skip” Cain. The hearing is currently set for Aug. 6. U.S. District Attorney Sally Quillian Yates and Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas W. Gilfillan filed the motion for unopposed continuance in the Atlanta Division of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The court has not yet ruled on the motion to continue the sentencing hearing so it is not known yet whether the sentencing will occur on Aug. 6 or another date. Lasseter pleaded guilty May 31 in the court to accepting $36,500 in…

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Lilburn Man Sentenced for Gun Smuggling

Man sentenced for attempting to smuggle guns to Nigeria from the U.S.

Olamide Ogunyale of Lilburn was given eight months in a federal prison for attempting to smuggle firearms to Nigeria, the U.S. Attorneys Office said Monday. Ogunyale agreed in April 2011 to help someone ship 12 guns and vehicles to Nigeria, telling the person that no paperwork would be needed for the firearms because they would be hidden inside the cars. He told the person how to hide the guns so that they wouldn't be found by U.S. Customs, the office said in an emailed press release. In May 2011, Ogunyal arranged to have the behicles delivered to the Port of Savannah and loaded onto a ship bound for Nigeria. Ogunyal completed the Shipper's Export Declaration paperwork, a form used to declare items being exported, without declaring hte …

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Former DeKalb Officer Indicted for Abusing Position, Lying to U.S. Agents

Lilburn man faces federal charges for allegedly helping others conceal stolen car.

A former DeKalb County police officer from Lilburn has been indicted on federal charges of aiding others to possess and conceal a stolen vehicle, failing to report a federal felony, unlawfully accessing government computer systems and making false statements, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta announced. Donald Bristol, 41, was arraigned late this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge E. Clayton Scofield III. Bristol used his position as a DeKalb County police officer to help two separately-charged defendants hide the fact that they possessed a stolen car, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a statement. Yates said Bristol misused his access to a sensitive law enforcement database to provide his associates with …

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Lilburn Man Sentenced in Illegal Elephant Ivory Case

Pianos keys were made of ivory.

An Atlanta piano import/export company and its Lilburn CEO were sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court for illegally shipping internationally protected elephant ivory. According to a media release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta, Pascal Vieillard, 49, of Lilburn was sentenced to three years probation and fined $17,500. Vieillard is the Chief Executive Officer of A-440 Pianos, Inc., which also was ordered to pay a $17,500 fine, according to the release. Additionally, the company was given three years of probation, “with the condition that all pianos imported by A-440 Pianos are brought through the Port of Atlanta.” The sentences were ordered by U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story. According to U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian …

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Lilburn Man Indicted for 'Lying and Buying' Weapons

Casita Qwanet Washington one of four people charged in making "straw purchases."

A Lilburn man was one of four people indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Atlanta on charges of firearms trafficking, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Casita Qwanet Washington, 34, faces a maximum sentence of 15 years for his role in a "lying and buying," or "straw purchases," of weapons. Others indicted Wednesday were Anthony Vincent Cartman, 40, Erron Denise Love-Morgan, 39, and Tchaka Jamal Shields, 34, all of Marietta. According a news release, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said that from March to May, 2009, the four defendants were allegedly involved in the illegal purchases of more than a dozen weapons. Love-Morgan and Washington bought around 15 weapons from licenced firearms dealers in Georgia. They allegedly …