3 CONVICTED IN TWO-WEEK JURY TRIAL 

Charlotte, NC –  Frank D. Whitney, US Attorney for the Eastern District in Raleigh, along with Kevin B Kendrick, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation here, announced the conviction of 3 subjects resulting from a two-week trial.

Convicted were:  MAHMOUD BASSAR, one count of conspiracy; CARLOS JAVIER MEDINA CASTELLANOS, one count violent crime in aid of racketeering and one count conspiracy; and JOSE ORLANDO, one count conspiracy.  An additional complaint was signed for ORLANDO during the trial alleging that he threatened witnesses by saying Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) would kill them.

 The investigation and charges were based on interstate transportation of stolen property and focused on the involvement of stealing and fencing of infant formula, over-the-counter medication and personal hygiene products.  The stolen items were subsequently sold to distributors in Kentucky, Wisconsin and Ohio.  The stolen property from this case exceeds $14 million.

             “The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate and help prosecute these types of criminal cases, and I am proud of the outstanding law enforcement work done to bring this matter to a conviction,” said Kendrick.

 

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