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US v. Ronnell Taylor, Barry Nealer, & Michael Galanis (20-CR-17)

Three southwestern Pennsylvania residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  The one-count Indictment, returned on January 16, named Ronnell Taylor, Jr., 37, of Jeannette Pennsylvania; Barry Nealer, 40, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Michael Galanis, 31, of Export, Pennsylvania, as defendants.

According to the indictment presented to the court, between March 2016, and August 2017, the defendants knowingly and willfully conspired to commit wire fraud, including, among other alleged conduct, by activating and programming cell phone numbers later used by individuals impersonating employees of the United States Internal Revenue Service to defraud victims in the United States.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government

The United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, United States Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Victims of all crimes under federal investigation are entitled to services under the Victims' Rights and Restitution Act (VRRA), including notification of court events. For further details, please refer to Title 34 United States Code section 20141 or the VRRA link posted at https://www.notify.usdoj.gov.

Now that charges have been filed in federal court, victims of the charges filed are, in addition, entitled to the following rights, according to the Crime Victims' Rights Act, Title 18 United States Code section 3771:

  1. The right to be reasonably protected from the accused;
  2. The right to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of any public court proceeding, or any parole proceeding, involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused;
  3. The right not to be excluded from any such public court proceeding, unless the court, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding;
  4. The right to be reasonably heard at any public proceeding in the district court involving release, plea, sentencing, or any parole proceeding;
  5. The reasonable right to confer with the attorney for the Government in the case;
  6. The right to full and timely restitution as provided in law;
  7. The right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay;
  8. The right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim's dignity and privacy;
  9. The right to be informed in a timely manner of any plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement; and
  10. The right to be informed of the rights under this section and the services described in section 503(c) of the Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (34 U.S.C. 20141(c)) and provided contact information for the Office of the Victims' Rights Ombudsman of the Department of Justice.

Please understand that these rights apply only to victims of the counts charged in federal court, and thus you may not be able to exercise all of these rights if the crime of which you are a victim was not charged. You may contact the Victim/Witness Coordinator if you have questions about the progress of your case, your rights or the services to which you are entitled, or how you can assert them during the proceedings. If you believe that a Justice Department employee has not provided you with these rights, you may file a complaint with the Justice Department’s Victims’ Rights Ombudsman. For more information, go to http://www.justice.gov/usao/resources/crime-victims-rights-ombudsman. If you have questions about filing a complaint against an employee, you may contact the Ombudsman by email at usaeo.VictimOmbudsman@usdoj.gov.

If you believe you are a victim in this case and would like to opt-in to receive notifications or if you have any questions about your rights, please contact the Victim Witness Coordinator at 412-894-7400 or Email the Victim Witness Coordinator.

Updated April 13, 2023