BOSTON – United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling recognized National Police Week by announcing the recipients of the Annual 2020 Law Enforcement Awards. Over 130 federal, state and local law enforcement personnel who contributed to the success of federal cases during the 2019 calendar year are being recognized for their commitment to pursuing justice and public safety.
These awards recognize the outstanding collaboration, investigative achievement and excellence, victim assistance, community engagement and bravery of agents, troopers, officers, investigators and others who work every day to keep the District of Massachusetts safe. Each year the U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts holds a formal ceremony during National Police Week to honor award recipients; however, due to ongoing pandemic, this year’s event has been postponed.
“The Annual Law Enforcement Awards are an opportunity to recognize and thank the law enforcement professionals who make it possible for cases to be investigated and prosecuted each year,” said U.S. Attorney Lelling. “These awards acknowledge those who take on tough cases – tackle the hardest problems – and do so with professionalism and integrity. Due to COVID-19, our ceremony will look a little different this year, but the sentiment remains the same and is amplified by our gratitude to the law enforcement officers risking their lives to keep us safe during this pandemic.”
The category of Investigative Excellence Award recognizes individuals whose actions led to the arrest of a dangerous subject or the exposure of a significant criminal conspiracy. Recipients in two cases also received the Victim Service Award for extraordinary assistance to victims of a federal crime. The following cases and agencies were honored:
U.S. v. Jean Leonard Teganya
Recipient: Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. v. John Nardozzi
Recipients: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigative Service
U.S. v. Michael Babich
*Victim Service Award
Recipients: Drug Enforcement Administration; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General
U.S. v. Reginald Abraham
*Victim Service Award
Recipients: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. v. Addison Choi
Recipient: Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Investigative Achievement Award is reserved for those who substantially contributed to the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice. Recipients in one case also received the Victim Service Award. The following cases and agencies were honored:
Co-Pay Investigations
Recipients: Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Office of Inspector General
U.S. v. Vinh Q. Huynh, et al.
Recipients: Boston Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Massachusetts State Police; Quincy Police Department
U.S. v. Michael Lee & U.S. v. Richard Silvestri
Recipient: Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. v. Christopher Roeder
*Victim Service Award
Recipient: Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. v. Michael Chapman
Recipients: Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; Worcester Police Department
The category of Exceptional Contributions to a Federal Investigation/Prosecution Award recognizes those whose actions significantly impacted law enforcement’s ability to arrest, apprehend and prosecute a subject of a federal investigation; rescue and respond to victims; develop cooperating witnesses; or identify critical intelligence. The following cases and agencies were honored:
U.S. v. Kenneth Brissette & U.S. v. Timothy Sullivan
Recipients: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. v. Clarance Jones, et al.
Recipients: Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Massachusetts State Police
U.S. v. Fathallah Mashali & U.S. v. Moustafa Aboshady
Recipients: Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations; Marshfield Police Department; Massachusetts State Police
U.S. v. Daniel Gibson
Recipients: Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Internal Revenue Service, Special Enforcement Programs
The Exceptional Bravery Award is reserved for those whose actions showed such concern for others that the recipient’s own safety was in jeopardy while assisting the victim of a federal crime or in the apprehension of a suspect of a federal investigation. The following case and agency was honored:
U.S. v. Dwayne Leaston-Brown
Recipient: Boston Police Department
The Outstanding Collaborative Award recognizes investigators from a multi-agency collaboration whose exceptional efforts to overcome significant challenges led to a successful conclusion. The following cases and agencies were honored:
Document Benefit Fraud Task Force’s Stolen Identity Initiative
Recipients: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service
U.S. v. Erasmo Alexis De Garcia Catillo, et al.
Recipients: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Framingham Police Department; Massachusetts State Police
U.S. v. Ludemis Bonculescu, et al.
Recipients: Braintree Police Department; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Chatham County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Department; Chicago Police Department; Connecticut State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Greenwich (Conn.) Police Department; Houston (Texas) Police Department; Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; Massachusetts State Police; Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; Financial Crimes Task Force, New York Police Department; Richland County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Department; South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; U.S. Secret Service; Waltham Police Department
The category of Excellence in Community Outreach and Prevention Award recognizes individuals, or a team of individuals, who have shown outstanding commitment and/or innovation in the area of law enforcement and community outreach to include training, relationship building, prevention programs and other similar activities. The following programs and agencies were honored:
Project Safe Childhood
Recipients: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Longmeadow Police Department
Project Safe Neighborhood – Western Massachusetts
Recipients: Greater Holyoke YMCA; Hampden County Sheriff’s Office; Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; Westover Job Corps
Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative
Recipient: LIFT – Living in Freedom Together
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