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Benanti gets four life sentences, plus 155 years, in bank extortion, robbery spree

Posted at 8:27 pm July 18, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Department at Y-12 Federal Credit Union

The Oak Ridge Police Department responded to a kidnapping and attempted robbery at the Y-12 Federal Credit Union on Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge on Tuesday morning, April 28, 2015. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Michael Benanti

Michael Benanti

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced Tuesday to four consecutive life sentences in federal prison, plus an additional 155 years, for his convictions involving a violent bank extortion and robbery spree in four states and several cities, including Oak Ridge and Knoxville, authorities said.

Michael Anthony Benanti, 45, of Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas A. Varlan in Knoxville on Tuesday.

Benanti had been convicted by a jury after a trial in U.S. District Court in February 2017. The jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed bank extortion, two counts of attempted armed bank extortion, one count of armed bank extortion, three counts of carjacking, three counts of kidnapping, three counts of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and 10 counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

“Often, severe federal penalties, such as mandatory minimum sentences, are the most effective tool to protect the American public from a violent criminal like Benanti,” U.S. Attorney Nancy Harr said in a press release. “The consecutive sentences received by Benanti for firearms violations ensure he will never again be able to victimize families in East Tennessee or elsewhere. The U.S. Attorney’s office is, and remains committed to, prosecuting these crimes and seeking the highest penalties possible to help keep the American people safe.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Knox County, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories, U.S. Tagged With: bank extortion, Brian Scott Witham, carjacking, David P. Lewen Jr., FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kelly A. Norris, kidnapping, Michael Anthony Benanti, Nancy Harr, Oak Ridge Police Department, Renae McDermott, robbery, robbery spree, SmartBank, Steven H. Cook, Thomas A. Varlan, U.S. District Court, Y-12 Federal Credit Union

Pilot Flying J to pay $92 million for diesel fuel discount deception, cooperate with feds

Posted at 3:28 pm July 14, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Federal authorities announced Monday that Pilot Flying J will pay a $92 million penalty and fully cooperate with an ongoing investigation to resolve the company’s criminal liability for fraudulent conduct by employees in deceptively withholding diesel fuel price discounts from hundreds of customers.

Also known as Pilot Travel Centers LLC, Pilot has accepted legal responsibility for the criminal conduct of its employees, which caused more than $56 million in loss to its customers, and agreed to pay full restitution to every victim of the fraud, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a Monday afternoon press release.

Pilot further acknowledged the gravity of its employees’ criminal wrongdoing by agreeing to pay the United States the $92 million monetary penalty—an amount within the fine range recommended by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, the press release said.

“The agreement also expressly states that it provides no protection from prosecution to any individual, and moreover, imposes a continuing obligation on Pilot to provide complete cooperation with the ongoing federal investigation of current and former Pilot employees relating to fraudulent conduct involving the sale of diesel fuel,” the release said.

Pilot must also periodically report to the United States what it has done to ensure that a system of internal accounting controls and other compliance procedures have been established to prevent fraudulent conduct from occurring again in the sale of diesel fuel. In the event Pilot materially breaches its obligations under the Criminal Enforcement Agreement, Pilot has agreed that the United States may file the criminal information, attached to the agreement, and will not contest the allegations in that charging document. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Criminal Enforcement Agreement, David P. Lewen Jr., diesel fuel, diesel fuel price discounts, Direct Sales, F.M. "Trey" Hamilton III, FBI, federal investigation, fraudulent conduct, fraudulent reductions, IRS-Ciminal Investigation, mail fraud, off-invoice discounts, Pilot Flying J, Pilot Travel Centers LLC, rebate amounts, William C. Killian, wire fraud

One Anderson man gets life, second 30 years in meth conspiracy

Posted at 12:51 am March 1, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Jeffery Scott Braden

Jeffery Scott Braden

Two Anderson County men convicted of conspiring to manufacture 50 grams or more of methamphetamine were sentenced to lengthy prison terms this week, federal officials said Friday.

Officials estimate that the conspiracy resulted in the production of about 1,500 grams of methamphetamine.

Jeffrey Scott Braden, 37, of Vowell Mountain—the only one of 42 people indicted in the conspiracy to go to trial—received a mandatory life sentence on Thursday in a hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan in Knoxville, officials said.

Then, on Friday, Varlan sentenced conspiracy leader Lawrence “Stoney” Scriver, 46, of Lake City, to serve 30 years, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a press release. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Clinton, Federal, Government, Knox County, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton Police Department, conspiring to manufacture 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, David P. Lewen Jr., distributing methamphetamine, Drug Enforcement Administration, Jeffrey Scott Braden, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Lawrence “Stoney” Scriver, meth, meth conspiracy, methamphetamine, Oak Ridge Police Department, Operation Meth-odical Destruction, Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Methamphetamine and Pharmaceutical Drug Task Force, Thomas A. Varlan, U.S. Attorneys' Office, U.S. District Court, William C. Killian

Lake City man convicted of conspiracy to make 50+ grams of meth

Posted at 3:05 pm September 6, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Jeffery Scott Braden

Jeffery Scott Braden

He was the only one of 42 people indicted earlier this year to go to trial in an unprecedented meth-making conspiracy, and now the Lake City man has been found guilty, authorities said Friday.

After a three-day federal trial, a jury convicted Jeffrey Scott Braden of conspiracy to manufacture 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; the possession of equipment, chemicals, products, and materials that can be used to make it; and being a felon in possession of ammunition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Braden was tried in U.S. District Court in Knoxville. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Federal, Government, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, conspiracy, conspiracy to manufacture 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, David P. Lewen Jr., Drug Enforcement Administration, Eastern District of Tennessee, indictment, Jeffrey Scott Braden, meth, meth lab, methamphetamine, Operation Meth-odical Destruction, possession of ammunition by a previously convicted felon, possession of equipment chemicals products materials that may be used to manufacture methamphetamine, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Thomas A. Varlan, U.S. Attorneys' Office, U.S. District Court, William C. Killian

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Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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