District of Arizona

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Terrance Padilla, 34, of McNary, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 276 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Padilla previously pleaded guilty to three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child.

In the summer of 2020, Padilla sexually assaulted three children, under the age of 12, who were in his custody. Padilla is an enrolled member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:                    CR-20-08013-PHX-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:            2022-141_Padilla

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, David Odean McIntosh, 29, of Jamaica, was sentenced by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to 160 months in prison. McIntosh was previously found guilty by a federal jury of Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, Mail Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.

Between 2013 and 2018, McIntosh was one of the leaders of an international fraud ring that targeted thousands of elderly victims around the United States. Jamaican-based scammers and others called elderly victims in the United States, claiming the victims had won a lottery or other prize. To receive their winnings, the victims were told that they must first pay money for taxes and fees. The fraudsters provided some victims with phony letters claiming to be from the IRS that threatened to seize their assets if they failed to pay. McIntosh’s role in this scheme was to distribute “lead lists,” which contained the names and personal information of thousands of primarily elderly individuals for the scammers to contact and lure into the scheme. In addition, McIntosh also conspired to launder portions of the fraudulent proceeds. As part of his sentence, the court ordered McIntosh to pay approximately $1.8 million in restitution. 

The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation in this case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-18-2216-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-142_McIntosh

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Onovughe Ighorhiohwunu, 47, a resident of Kennesaw, Georgia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 130 months in prison for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Ighorhiohwunu was previously found guilty by a federal jury of conspiring to launder more than $1.3 million in proceeds obtained from victims of an internet romance fraud. As part of his sentence, Ighorhiohwunu was fined $25,000 and ordered to pay $1,342,150 in restitution.

Evidence at trial and sentencing established that, between July 2019 and May 2020, Ighorhiohwunu participated in a scheme where conspirators with connections to Nigeria used fictitious or assumed online identities to meet victims in the United States. Conspirators contacted victims through dating websites and games like Words With Friends and then pretended to strike up romantic relationships with them. After establishing relationships, conspirators asked the victims for money, often to help with a phony crisis such as an emergency medical procedure, and usually told the victims their money would be repaid. Conspirators directed at least 10 victims to send large sums of money by mail or wire to Ighorhiohwunu and others, which was then withdrawn in cash and hand-delivered to conspirators or wired to other bank accounts. Ighorhiohwunu received payment for his role in the scheme.

“Internet-based scams like this one starkly illustrate both the greed of the perpetrators and the generosity of the elderly victims,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino.  “Thanks to our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation for unraveling the complex scheme and providing a strong message of deterrence.”

The United States Attorney’s Office encourages the public to be wary of similar scams and to verify with law enforcement and family members before sending money after any online, or phone, solicitations. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.  

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-1119-TUC-SHR-1
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-140_Ighorhiohwunu

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Josiah Kindelay, 26, of San Carlos, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 29 months in prison. Kindelay previously pleaded guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. 

On January 12, 2019, Kindelay, a San Carlos Apache Tribal member, was driving his car across the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation while under the influence of alcohol. Kindelay struck the 68-year-old Native American victim as he was preparing to change his van’s flat tire on the side of the road. The victim suffered serious bodily injury including bone fractures to both legs. As a result, one of the victim’s legs had to be amputated.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, San Carlos Investigation Unit, conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00396-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 139_KINDELAY

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PHOENIX, Ariz. –Sage Jones, 30, of Sacaton, Arizona, was sentenced August 15, 2022, by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 188 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Mr. Jones is a recognized member of the Gila River Indian Community. On March 24, 2021, Jones shot the victim multiple times, resulting in the victim’s death. Jones previously pleaded guilty on May 13, 2022, to Second Degree Murder.    

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Gila River Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette Logan, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-00963-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-138_Jones

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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PHOENIX, Ariz. –Last week, Avery Ulate, 39, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 300 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Ulate previously pleaded guilty to one count of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child.

Ulate admitted to authorities that in 2019 he knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. He also admitted that he had sexually abused the child for years. The crimes took place on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where the child is an enrolled tribal member.    

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-08250-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-136_ULATE

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Friday, Adonijah Josiah Ortega, 19, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged via criminal complaint for Carjacking, Using, Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

The complaint alleges that on August 8, 2022, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Ortega approached the victim while he was entering his vehicle in the parking lot of a Target Store, located at 9350 West Northern Avenue, Peoria, Arizona. After Ortega approached the victim, he pointed a semi-automatic handgun at him, and demanded the victim give him his keys and wallet. 

Ortega struck the victim multiple times in the head with the handgun and fired his weapon twice, striking the victim once in the right thigh. Ortega then took the victim’s keys and fled the scene with the victim’s vehicle. After Ortega fled, the victim limped toward the store where citizens rendered aid until paramedics arrived. The victim was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound and multiple lacerations to his head. 

A conviction for Carjacking carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment. A conviction for Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence carries a minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A conviction for Felon in Possession of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Peoria Police Department, and the Phoenix Police Department are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-5351-PHX-DMF
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-137_ORTEGA

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Luis Alfredo Quintero-Gonzalez, 36, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on August 11, 2022, for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery and Alien Smuggling. Sentencing is scheduled for October 25, 2022, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.

Evidence gathered during the investigation established that Quintero-Gonzalez paid former United States Border Patrol (USBP) agent Carlos Passapera thousands of dollars in cash bribes for smuggling undocumented noncitizens into the United States between August and December 2019.

Quintero-Gonzalez admitted that he conspired to coordinate and coordinated the illegal entry of undocumented noncitizens by acting as the middleman between Passapera and the individuals seeking illegal passage into the United States. While working as a USBP agent, Passapera would receive communication from Quintero-Gonzalez and then pick up the undocumented noncitizens along the U.S.-Mexico border near Lukeville, Arizona. Passapera would then smuggle the individuals through Border Patrol checkpoints and deliver them to locations within the Phoenix area. Throughout the conspiracy, Quintero-Gonzalez and Passapera smuggled at least eight undocumented noncitizens into the United States. In exchange for his role in the conspiracy, Passapera received approximately $64,000 in bribery payments from Quintero-Gonzalez. 

A conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery and Alien Smuggling carries a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. 

Passapera was charged separately for his involvement in the conspiracy in case CR-20-01706-TUC-JGZ-MSA and has pleaded not guilty. His jury trial is scheduled to begin on April 3, 2023, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force, and the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-01529-TUC-JGZ-MSA
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-135_QUINTERO-GONZALEZ

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Jordon Mark Skinner, 29, of Safford, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 48 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Skinner previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for the Purpose of Private Financial Gain, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for the Purpose of Private Financial Gain, and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.  

On June 29, 2021, Skinner was arrested by United States Border Patrol agents for smuggling six undocumented noncitizens, including one unaccompanied minor, in a pickup truck. He initially attempted to flee from law enforcement but stopped his truck once agents deployed a tire deflation device. Further investigation revealed that Skinner had over $1,000, two stolen firearms, an extended magazine capable of accepting 15 rounds of ammunition, several rounds of 9 mm ammunition, six fentanyl pills, and six grams of methamphetamine in his possession. Skinner is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms and live ammunition.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, Sonoita Station, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hopkins, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-02108-TUC-SHR-1
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-134_SKINNER

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Luis Carlos Eriksen, 56, of Nogales, Arizona, was sentenced August 3, 2022, by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 66 months in prison for Smuggling Ammunition from the United States into Mexico and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.

On May 20, 2020, Eriksen drove from Mexico to Phoenix, where he purchased 4,000 rounds of 7.62 x 39 ammunition, and 1,000 rounds of .38 Super ammunition from an ammunition retailer. After loading the ammunition into his vehicle, he began driving back to Mexico. He was stopped by an Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) officer, who discovered the ammunition in his vehicle. Eriksen admitted that he had entered into an agreement with individuals in Mexico to obtain bulk ammunition in the United States and smuggle it into Mexico for payment. Eriksen has prior convictions for drug trafficking offenses and is prohibited from possessing ammunition.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and DPS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela W. Woolridge, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-0542-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-132_Eriksen

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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PHOENIX, Ariz. –Yesterday, Tre C. James, 30, of Pinon, Arizona, was arrested for first-degree murder and several acts of domestic violence. James had his initial appearance yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Camille D. Bibles. A detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, August 9, 2022, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Earlier this week, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment against James. Counts 1 and 2 allege James shot and killed Jamie Yazzie, a Pinon woman who went missing in the summer of 2019, and whose remains were found on the Hopi Indian Reservation in November 2021. Ms. Yazzie was listed as a missing person by both federal and tribal law enforcement, and the circumstances of her disappearance were investigated jointly by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Services, Navajo Nation Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo County Sherriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

James was also indicted for several acts of domestic violence. Counts 3 through 8 allege that James committed acts of domestic violence against three victims – between 2018 and 2021 – including suffocation, strangling, kidnapping, and assault with a dangerous weapon.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is committed to addressing the persistent violence endured by Native American families and communities in the state of Arizona, including by working with Tribal nations to address the important issues of missing or murdered indigenous persons and acts of domestic violence. This office and the Department of Justice view this work as a priority for its law enforcement components.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-08073-PHX-PCT-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-131_James

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Matthew Dylan Ramirez, 20, of Tempe, Arizona, and Jesus Madrid-Varela, 19, of Mexico, both pleaded guilty to Conspiracy and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for November 1, 2022, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.

In May 2021, Madrid-Varela smuggled three undocumented noncitizens into the United States by guiding them through the southern Arizona desert on foot, to a location near Quijotoa, Arizona.

On May 22, 2021, Ramirez picked up and transported Madrid-Varela and the three undocumented noncitizens in his vehicle with the intent to smuggle them further into the United States. While driving, Ramirez passed a Tohono O’odham Police officer who believed Ramirez was speeding. The officer attempted to stop Ramirez’s vehicle but was unsuccessful because Ramirez was driving over 100 miles per hour. Ramirez lost control of the vehicle and it rolled several times, ejecting all four passengers. One of the passengers, a 36-year-old woman from Mexico, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other passengers, including the decedent’s husband, sustained non-fatal injuries. After his arrest, Ramirez admitted that he was recruited through Snapchat by a smuggling organization that was going to pay him $1,000 for driving the undocumented noncitizens to Phoenix.

Ramirez pleaded guilty to the Indictment without a plea agreement. He faces up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Madrid-Varela pleaded guilty with a plea agreement and faces 36 to 57 months in prison.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Tohono O’odham Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Wright, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-01394-TUC-JGZ (EJM)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 128_Ramirez_Madrid-Varela

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Monday, Rey Moreno-Vasquez, 52, of Douglas, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 70 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Moreno-Vasquez previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. 

In March 2017, law enforcement officers seized a load of liquid methamphetamine that was hidden in 52 sealed beverage bottles that were being transported in a vehicle in the southeastern United States. Investigators later learned that Moreno-Vasquez was involved in a conspiracy to traffic liquid methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States. The investigation led to a second seizure in Arizona in August 2017, in which the liquid methamphetamine was being smuggled in a recreational vehicle destined for Atlanta, Georgia. The liquid methamphetamine was hidden in bottles labeled as iced tea, juice, and ginger ale. The total amount seized by law enforcement was approximately 234 kilograms.  

Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stefani K. Hepford and Ashley Culver, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-18-00549-TUC-CKJ (LAB)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-130_Moreno-Vasquez

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jorge Oliverio Moran-Can, 42, of Guatemala, charging him with Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury.

The initial complaint issued last month, alleged that on July 3, 2022, a United States Border Patrol (USBP) agent responded to a remote location near New Field, Arizona. The agent was tracking a group of suspected undocumented noncitizens in a remote mountainous area when the agent spotted three people hiding near a ledge. When the agent approached them, two of the suspected undocumented noncitizens fled on foot. Moran-Can stayed and initially remained compliant, but when the agent reached out to handcuff him, Moran-Can rammed his shoulder into the agent’s torso causing them both to fall and tumble several yards down a rocky slope. Moran-Can continued to struggle but the agent was able to gain control and handcuff him. The agent sustained abrasions and bruising on his left knee and hip and was treated at a hospital.

A conviction for the crime of assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine, or both. 

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Houston, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:                   CR-22-01661-SHR-LCK
RELEASE NUMBER:           2022-127_ Moran-Can

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office announced its immigration enforcement statistics for April 2022 to June 2022. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the Tucson and Yuma Sectors of the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the three-month period ending June 30, 2022, the United States brought criminal charges in Arizona against 1,044 individuals who illegally entered or re-entered the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 288 felony cases against individuals responsible for smuggling undocumented noncitizens to and within the District of Arizona. 

Reducing migrant smuggling and mitigating the risk to communities impacted by these offenses continues to be a priority for the Office and its law enforcement partners. Some of these prosecutions are directed against leaders and coordinators of non-U.S. citizen smuggling organizations. Other prosecutions are aimed at deterring young adult drivers, often recruited over social media platforms, from engaging in this dangerous activity. Prosecutions against young drivers include three cases brought against juvenile smugglers during this time-period. 

These statistics represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-129_2022 Second Quarter Immigration Enforcement Statistics
 

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PHOENIX, Ariz.- On Tuesday, Ruben Oswaldo Yeverino Rosales, 27, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 413 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Rosales previously pleaded guilty to four counts of Production of Child Pornography and two counts of Cyberstalking. 

Rosales, using an online account in Mexico, coerced a 14-year-old girl in Arizona to take over 600 pornographic images of herself. He then blackmailed the minor into producing additional images by threatening to send, and by actually sending, the images to her family and schoolmates.

Rosales also used the internet to coerce an 18-year-old high school senior in Arizona into taking nude pictures of herself and sending them to him. He later threatened to create a pornographic website to post the images if she did not continue to send him pictures.   

The investigation into Rosales revealed that he used social media from 2015 until the time of his arrest to exploit more than 100 females, mostly minors – some as young as 12 years of age. Homeland Security Investigations was able to identify more than 80 of these victims throughout the United States and in multiple other countries.

Rosales was arrested in Mexico in 2019. In May 2020, Rosales was extradited to the District of Arizona.

Tuesday’s sentencing took into account similar indictments in five other districts, including the Central District of California, the District of South Carolina, the Eastern District of North Carolina, the Eastern District of Missouri, and Northern District of Oklahoma. As part of Rosales’ plea agreement, these indictments will be dismissed.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Goodyear Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle Helart and Sheila Phillips handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-18-01200-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-126_Rosales

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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A Massachusetts man was arrested today in Falmouth, Massachusetts for allegedly sending a communication containing a bomb threat to an election official in the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

James W. Clark, 38, of Falmouth, is charged with one count of making a bomb threat, one count of perpetrating a bomb hoax, and one count of communicating an interstate threat. Clark made his initial appearance today at the federal courthouse in Boston. 

“Illegal threats of violence put election officials and workers at risk and undermine the bedrock of our democracy: free and fair elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Our Election Threats Task Force, working with partners across the nation, will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute illegal threats like these to hold accountable those who threaten our democracy.”

“Throughout Arizona, we are fortunate to have highly professional state, county and local officials who administer elections in a fair and impartial manner,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino. “Democracy requires that we support those officials, and that we take seriously allegations of threats or violence against them.”

“The FBI takes all threat-to-life matters very seriously,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod of the FBI’s Phoenix field office. “While this arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable anyone who tries to intimidate a public official, it also shows that people cannot threaten others with violence and physical harm without repercussions.”

According to the indictment, on or about Feb. 14, 2021, Clark allegedly sent the following message via the website contact form of the Elections Division, Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, addressed to the election official: “Your attorney general needs to resign by Tuesday February 16th by 9 am or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated.”

The indictment also alleges that Clark utilized a web browser to search for the address of the election official and searched for “how to kill” the election official. The indictment further alleges that, on or about Feb. 18, 2021, Clark utilized a web browser to search for “fema boston marathon bombing” and “fema boston marathon bombing plan digital army.”

If convicted, Clark faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for making the bomb threat and up to five years in prison for each of the counts on the bomb hoax and making a threatening interstate communication.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.

FBI Phoenix is investigating the case, with the assistance of FBI Lakeville (Mass.).

Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the Task Force is continuing this work and supporting the United States Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun. 

Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at: tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A Massachusetts man was arrested today in Falmouth, Massachusetts for allegedly sending a communication containing a bomb threat to an election official in the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

James W. Clark, 38, of Falmouth, is charged with one count of making a bomb threat, one count of perpetrating a bomb hoax, and one count of communicating an interstate threat. Clark made his initial appearance today at the federal courthouse in Boston. 

“Illegal threats of violence put election officials and workers at risk and undermine the bedrock of our democracy: free and fair elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Our Election Threats Task Force, working with partners across the nation, will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute illegal threats like these to hold accountable those who threaten our democracy.”

“Throughout Arizona, we are fortunate to have highly professional state, county and local officials who administer elections in a fair and impartial manner,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino. “Democracy requires that we support those officials, and that we take seriously allegations of threats or violence against them.”

“The FBI takes all threat-to-life matters very seriously,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod of the FBI’s Phoenix field office. “While this arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable anyone who tries to intimidate a public official, it also shows that people cannot threaten others with violence and physical harm without repercussions.”

According to the indictment, on or about Feb. 14, 2021, Clark allegedly sent the following message via the website contact form of the Elections Division, Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, addressed to the election official: “Your attorney general needs to resign by Tuesday February 16th by 9 am or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated.”

The indictment also alleges that Clark utilized a web browser to search for the address of the election official and searched for “how to kill” the election official. The indictment further alleges that, on or about Feb. 18, 2021, Clark utilized a web browser to search for “fema boston marathon bombing” and “fema boston marathon bombing plan digital army.”

If convicted, Clark faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for making the bomb threat and up to five years in prison for each of the counts on the bomb hoax and making a threatening interstate communication.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.

FBI Phoenix is investigating the case, with the assistance of FBI Lakeville (Mass.).

Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the Task Force is continuing this work and supporting the United States Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun. 

Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at: tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Gary Restaino announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Sean Lokey will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the upcoming August 2, 2022, primary election. AUSA Lokey has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the District of Arizona, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of voting rights violations and election fraud in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.

“Election Day is an opportunity for Arizona’s citizens to make their voices heard,” said United States Attorney Restaino. “The Department of Justice has strong partnerships with the highly professional and dedicated election officials throughout the state. Together we can do our very best to ensure that every eligible voter who chooses to vote can do so easily and efficiently, without interference or discrimination.” 

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible voting rights violations and election fraud while the polls are open through election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning, challenging, photographing, or videotaping them under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may themselves violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice if needed.

Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote exercise that right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt our elections are brought to justice. AUSA Lokey will be on duty on Primary Election Day on August 2, 2022, to respond to complaints of election fraud, voting rights violations, or intimidation. AUSA Lokey can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 602-514-7516.

The FBI will also have special agents available in the Phoenix Field Division to receive allegations of election abuses on election day. FBI in Arizona can be reached by phone at 623-466-1999 or online at https://tips.fbi.gov/.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .

In the case of a crime of violence, call 911 immediately. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places.

RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-125_Arizona-Primary-Election

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TUCSON, Ariz. –Gilbert Martinez Jose, 22, of San Xavier, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 19 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Jose was previously found guilty by a federal jury on one count of Voluntary Manslaughter, one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and one count of Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.

On September 29, 2018, Jose, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, shot and killed a Tohono O’odham man. He also shot at a Tohono O’odham woman, who was uninjured. The offenses occurred on the Tohono O’odham Nation in San Xavier, Arizona.

The Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances M. Kreamer Hope and Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-2313-TUC-CKJ  
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-124_Jose

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Anthony Medina, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 40 months in prison. Medina previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Bank Robbery. Medina was also ordered to pay full restitution for losses sustained during the six bank robberies.

Over the course of two months in 2021, Medina committed six bank robberies. He stole money from Phoenix branches of Chase Bank, Desert Financial Credit Union, US Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank. Medina was apprehended after fleeing the scene of the sixth robbery. Medina committed the robberies to obtain money to purchase fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The FBI, assisted by the Phoenix Police Department, conducted the investigation in this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Coleen Schoch, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00539-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-123_MEDINA

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On July 14, Jahque Dijion Williams, 21, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 120 months in prison. Williams previously pleaded guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor.   

On July 23, 2020, the Human Trafficking Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department found the 17-year-old minor, who appeared to have been physically assaulted, at a Los Angeles hospital.  The victim indicated that she first met Williams on July 19, 2020, through her social media account and he invited her to a party in Phoenix. At the party, she realized it was a “recruiting party” for commercial sex workers. Williams then transported the minor and another adult female to Los Angeles where he told the minor she would work for him. Williams gave the minor details about the amount of money she would bring back each night. On the trip to Los Angeles, Williams prevented the minor from leaving the car by activating the child lock on his vehicle.  

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Mesa Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated the case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson and Phoenix, handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00687-PHX-DJH-1
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-121_Williams

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TUCSON, Ariz. –Last week, a federal jury found Jeffrey D. McHatton, 68, of Chandler, Arizona, and Robert B. Sproat, 60, of Mesa, Arizona, guilty on 10 counts of Securities Fraud. The case was tried before United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez. Sentencing is scheduled for September 28, 2022. Prior to trial, a third co-defendant, Robert Moss, 56, of Gilbert, Arizona, pleaded guilty to his involvement in the scheme and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that, between 2012 and 2014, McHatton, Sproat, and Moss used a religious charitable organization as a front to entice victims to invest over $1.2 million. Several of the victims targeted in the scheme were elderly. McHatton, Sproat, and Moss fraudulently promoted investments in the recovery of low alpha lead from Central America, gold from the Philippines, and diamonds from Africa, though none of the items were ever produced. McHatton, Sproat, and Moss used large portions of the investment funds for their own personal use. The victims never received a return on investments other than minimal “interest” payments derived from other victims’ money.

The FBI and the Arizona Corporation Commission conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-18-2220-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-122_McHatton et al.

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PHOENIX, Ariz. –Last week, a federal grand jury in Phoenix, Arizona, returned a two-count indictment against Jose Luis Vazquez-Gonzalez, 39, of Mexico, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Importation of Methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico.

The indictment alleges that on June 18, 2022, Vazquez-Gonzalez entered the United States through San Luis, Arizona. At the Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 155 packages hidden in Vazquez-Gonzalez’s car. The packages contained a white crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. The combined weight of the packages was over 163 pounds.

A conviction for each of the charged offenses carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00815-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-120_Vazquez-Gonzalez

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Brandon Hall, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, and Martina Vega, 41, of Superior, Arizona, were charged by criminal complaint with Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens While Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Another. The complaint also charged Hall with Assaulting a Federal Officer.

On July 8, 2022, U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents responded to a citizen’s report claiming seven undocumented noncitizens were headed north from the border near Naco, Arizona. When agents responded, they discovered a silver vehicle, driven by Hall, transporting the group.

Hall initially appeared to stop for law enforcement, but almost hit a USBP agent as the agent approached the vehicle on foot. After Hall fled from USBP agents, he stopped the vehicle, and all of the undocumented noncitizens exited the vehicle. USBP agents later located Hall’s vehicle and apprehended Hall, his passenger Vega and four of the undocumented noncitizens.

A conviction for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Another carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, or both.

A conviction for Assaulting a Federal Officer carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, or both.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Customs and Border Protection’s USBP is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           MJ-22-4679-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-119_Hall et al.

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Rogche Yoe Begay, 25, of Chinle, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 16 years in prison. Begay previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.

On July 16, 2019, Begay stabbed the victim with a knife, killing him. The crime occurred on the Navajo Nation, where Begay is an enrolled member.

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Besancon, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-08185-PCT-DJH            
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-118_Begay

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Monday, Rom Lee Bennett, 33, of Leupp, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 120 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Bennett previously pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor. 

In 2018, Bennett sexually abused the minor at his home on the Navajo Nation, where Bennett and the minor victim are enrolled members.

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Crowley and Sharon Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR 20-08109-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-116_Bennett

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Saif Ali Al Najafi, 25, of Glendale, Arizona, was charged by criminal complaint with Transporting Illegal Aliens while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Another.

According to the complaint, on July 8, 2022, Border Patrol Agents stopped a U-Haul box truck that Al Najafi was driving near Naco, Arizona. An undocumented non-citizen sat in the front passenger seat. Inside the box of the U-Haul truck, agents discovered 13 more undocumented non-citizens, including two minor children.

One witness inside the U-Haul stated the driver opened the cargo door for the group to enter and closed it behind them. The witness said he could hear the driver place a lock on the door, at which point the witness became frightened.  

A conviction for Transporting Illegal Aliens while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Another carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, or both. 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           MJ-22-4680-LCK
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-117_Al Najafi

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Monday, Andre Stephan Stevens, 21, and Tenelle Inez Moses, 32, both of Parker, Arizona, were sentenced by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi. Stevens, who previously pleaded guilty to Robbery, was sentenced to 126 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Moses, who previously pleaded guilty to Accessory After the Fact, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

On October 29, 2019, Stevens assaulted the victim outside of Moses’ residence in Parker. After the assault, Moses and Stevens drove the victim’s vehicle to a remote location near a casino in Parker. The victim was in the back seat when Stevens told Moses to pull over. Moses stopped the vehicle and Stevens threw the victim out of the victim’s own vehicle. Moses and Stevens then fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. Stevens later led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, driving the victim’s vehicle with Moses in the passenger seat. The police pursuit was abandoned due to safety concerns, but Stevens and Moses were arrested later that morning. These offenses occurred on the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) Reservation. Stevens, Moses, and the victim are all enrolled members of the CRIT Tribe.

The FBI and the CRIT Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00317-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-115_Stevens-Moses

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Thursday, Kyle Devan Cachora, 28, of Sells, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 25 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Cachora previously pleaded guilty to Assault With a Dangerous Weapon. 

On July 2, 2020, Cachora, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, stabbed a Tohono O’odham woman. The offense occurred on the Tohono O’odham Nation in San Xavier, Arizona.

The FBI and Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances M. Kreamer Hope, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00956-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-113_Cachora

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On July 8, 2022, Jay Derek Ramirez Ramirez, 21, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 12 months and one day in prison. His brother, Juan Ali Ramirez Ramirez, 23, also of Phoenix, was sentenced on June 22, 2022, to 36 months in prison by Judge Brnovich. Both brothers previously pleaded guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a License.

In July and August 2020, the Ramirez brothers bought and sold at least 40 firearms for profit. Included in those 40 firearms were AR-type rifles, shotguns, Glock handguns, a stolen firearm, and a Privately Made Firearm (ghost gun), as well as an inert grenade, suppressors, body armor, and high-capacity magazines. Some of the firearms the brothers purchased and resold have been connected to crimes in the valley or were found in the hands of prohibited possessors. The Ramirez brothers advertised firearms for sale on social media and sold them out of their family tire shop.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Tobacco, assisted by the Phoenix Police Department, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Coleen Schoch, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-00512-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-114_Ramirez Ramirez

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PHOENIX, Ariz. –Rafael Almanza-Guillen, 41, of Mexico, was sentenced Wednesday by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 63 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Almanza‑Guillen previously pleaded guilty to Unlawfully Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States, Resulting in Death.

On August 1, 2021, Almanza-Guillen brought three undocumented noncitizens from Mexico into the United States in exchange for payment. He led the noncitizens on foot through the desert, in temperatures averaging 106 degrees Fahrenheit. After running out of food and water, the four individuals found themselves stranded in the desert. Ultimately, one of the noncitizens died from hyperthermia, which is abnormally high body temperature. Yuma Border Patrol Agents rescued Almanza-Guillen and the two other noncitizens.  

Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, and the Yuma Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa E. Jennis and Genevieve A. Ozark, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00650-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-111_Almanza-Guillen

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PHOENIX, Ariz. –Alanna Marleice Jackson, 23, of Chandler, Arizona, an enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, was sentenced Wednesday by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On October 7, 2019, Jackson and co-defendant Jose Carpio, stabbed the victim, killing her. Jackson previously pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021, to Voluntary Manslaughter. 

The Gila River Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette Logan, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-00182-02-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-112_Jackson

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesterday, Benjamin Gallegos, 24, of Tucson, Arizona was sentenced by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Gallegos previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit for his role in organizing, managing, and supervising other co-conspirators within an organization that smuggled individuals from Mexico, Central America, and South America, into the District of Arizona. Gallegos was initially charged in 2018 for his illegal conduct, but he was a fugitive until his arrest in 2021.            

This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.

Homeland Security Investigations – Nogales and the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR 21-01322-TUC-SHR(BGM)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-110_Gallegos

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PHOENIX, Ariz. –Jordan Gene Hoover, 35, of Sacaton, Arizona, an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 7.5 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, on August 23, 2017, Gabriel Quinn Enos shot the victim in the face with a shotgun, killing him. After Enos shot the victim, Hoover helped dispose of the victim’s body by throwing the body over a bridge and hiding the victim’s body within the terrain below. Enos was previously sentenced to 15 years for Voluntary Manslaughter. Hoover pleaded guilty to Accessory After the Fact on February 11, 2021. 

The FBI and Gila River Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-00834-01-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-109_Hoover

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On June 30, 2022, three individuals were arrested and charged in a complaint with Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit. Federal agents executed two search warrants resulting in the discovery of 79 undocumented non-citizens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, inside a house and an apartment at the Sundowner complex in Phoenix, Arizona. An additional seven undocumented non-citizens were located in a nearby vehicle driven by Salvador Lopez-Vargas, 36, of Mexico. Jesus Gabriel Villela-Duran, 28, of Mexico, and Eleazar Soto-Diaz, 34, of Mexico, were identified as caretakers of the residences. 

A conviction for Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both.

These charges resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of the JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Douglas, Sells and Phoenix offices, Enforcement and Removal Operations - Phoenix, Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol - Brian A. Terry and Casa Grande Stations - conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           MJ-22-6059-TUC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-108_Villela-Duran et. al

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Maria Arredondo De Sanchez, 56, of Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint on July 1, 2022, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Importation of Methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico.

The complaint alleges that on June 30, 2022, Arredondo De Sanchez entered the United States through the San Luis Port of Entry where Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 105 packages hidden in Arredondo De Sanchez’s car. The packages contained a white crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. The combined weight of the packages was over 108 pounds.

A conviction for each charged offense carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           2022-MJ-02088
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-107_Arredondo De Sanchez

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On June 28, 2022, Juan Carlos Juarez-Torres, 41, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 240 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. Juarez-Torres previously pleaded guilty on October 13, 2021, to conspiracy to import marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In October 2014, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an 18-month wiretap investigation of Mexico-based members of a large international drug-trafficking organization (DTO) that smuggled multiple tons of marijuana from Mexico into the southern Arizona desert. Juarez-Torres coordinated and directed marijuana smuggling activities on behalf of the DTO and the pick-up and repatriation of marijuana proceeds to DTO members in Mexico. Additionally, Juarez-Torres coordinated and directed the purchase and smuggling of firearms and ammunition and the acquisition and distribution of equipment and vehicles for use by the DTO. HSI also intercepted communications between Juarez-Torres and other members of the DTO regarding the killing of rival drug traffickers, bribing public officials in furtherance of the DTO’s illicit activities, and the use of residences to store marijuana smuggled into the United States

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

HSI Phoenix, Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, HSI Mexico City, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, and the West Desert Task Force conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-15-1211-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-106_JUAREZ-TORRES

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The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of Arizona challenging voting restrictions imposed by House Bill 2492 (2022), a recently-enacted law set to take effect in January 2023. The United States’ complaint challenges provisions of House Bill 2492 under Section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) and Section 101 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“House Bill 2492’s onerous documentary proof of citizenship requirement for certain federal elections constitutes a textbook violation of the National Voter Registration Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “For nearly three decades, the National Voter Registration Act has helped to move states in the right direction by eliminating unnecessary requirements that have historically made it harder for eligible voters to access the registration rolls. Arizona has passed a law that turns the clock back on progress by imposing unlawful and unnecessary requirements that would block eligible voters from the registration rolls for certain federal elections. The Justice Department will continue to use every available tool to protect all Americans’ right to vote and to ensure that their voices are heard.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is dedicated to protecting voters in the state,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “We are proud to join the Civil Rights Division in bringing this lawsuit to ensure that all eligible citizens in Arizona have the opportunity to register to vote and exercise their fundamental right to participate in our elections.” 

The United States’ complaint contends that House Bill 2492 violates the NVRA by requiring that applicants produce documentary proof of citizenship before they can vote in presidential elections or vote by mail in any federal election when they register to vote using the uniform federal registration form created by the NVRA. This requirement flouts the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Ariz., Inc., 570 U.S. 1 (2013), which rejected an earlier attempt by Arizona to impose a similar documentary proof of citizenship mandate on applicants seeking to vote in federal elections. The United States’ complaint also contends that House Bill 2492 violates Section 101 of the Civil Rights Act by requiring election officials to reject voter registration forms based on errors or omissions that are not material to establishing a voter’s eligibility to cast a ballot.

The United States’ complaint asks the court to prohibit Arizona from enforcing the provisions of House Bill 2492 that violate the NVRA and the Civil Rights Act.

More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws is available on the Department of Justice’s website at https://www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Complaints about discriminatory voting practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through the internet reporting portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On June 29, 2022, Nathan Brooks Manuelito, 41, of Whiteriver, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 96 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Manuelito was previously convicted by a jury of Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation or Attempted Strangulation, Assault of an Intimate Partner Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that on April 16, 2018, Manuelito repeatedly punched, kicked, and strangled the victim, who was his girlfriend. The victim suffered serious bodily injuries including bruising and a facial fracture. The assault happened on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, where Manuelito is a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

The FBI and the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dimitra Sampson, Jillian Besancon, and Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-18-8252-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-104_Manuelito_et_al

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On June 27, 2022, Fabian Yazzie, 33, of Farmington, N.M., was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 86 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Yazzie had previously pleaded guilty on February 11, 2022, to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.

On March 15, 2018, Yazzie stabbed the victim in the neck and hand with a knife. The assault occurred in Lukachukai, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, where both Yazzie and the victim are enrolled members.

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma Mark and Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-08030-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-105_YAZZIE

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TUCSON, Ariz. –On June 28, 2022, Esdly Amarilis Gonzalez, 28, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to one count of assault on a federal officer. Sentencing is scheduled for September 7, 2022, before United States District Judge James A. Soto. Co-defendant Nayber Eziquiel Juarez-Mantanic, 24, of Guatemala, previously pleaded guilty to one count of assault on a federal officer. Juarez-Mantanic’s sentencing is scheduled for August 29, 2022, before United States District Judge James A. Soto.

On February 3, 2022, a U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agent attempted to conduct an immigration inspection of the vehicle in which Gonzalez and Juarez-Mantanic were passengers. When the agent approached the vehicle and identified himself as a USBP agent in both English and Spanish, Gonzalez and Juarez-Mantanic attempted to run from the vehicle on foot. When the agent tried to detain them, Juarez-Mantanic intentionally struck the agent in the head and shoulders. As the agent was struggling to handcuff Juarez-Mantanic, Gonzalez came up behind them and intentionally struck the agent on his shoulders. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene.

A conviction for assault on a federal officer carries a maximum penalty of 8 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, or both.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Houston and Frances M. Kreamer Hope, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:          CR-22-00271-TUC-JAS (BGM)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-102_Gonzalez_et_al

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On June 28, 2022, Modesta Solano, 51, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Solano previously pleaded guilty on April 6, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

A federal grand jury indicted Solano in October 2020 on drug and firearms charges after Solano sold a handgun and over 4,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover agent in Tucson. Solano was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony drug conviction for which she was sentenced to five years. Solano was on supervision when she committed these new offenses.  

Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Tucson Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR 20-01978-TUC-JCH (MSA)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-103_SOLANO

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced today that the following individuals are in custody following the return of a 70-count indictment by a federal grand jury against 22 Arizonans, including:

• Marcus Wayne Wesley, 35, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Jesus Salazar, 24, of Avondale, Arizona
• Philip Nathaneal Austin, 42, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Alfred Wayne Wesley, 61, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Lequisha Shantai Jack, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Rayvontae Virshon Hampton, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Edward Jewel Norwood, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Michael Dewanz Gibson, 26, of Florence, Arizona
• Joshua Jordaun Jackson, 31, of Buckeye, Arizona
• David Andrew Connelly, 59, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Terry Lee King II, 40, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Lancer Edward Williams Jr., 36, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Tyrell Ann Gray, 53, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Donald Eugene Reed, 60, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Quincy Lamar Davis, 38, of  Phoenix, Arizona
• Joseph Kizzee, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Christopher Duane Guy, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona
• James Donald Estell, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Terry Lee King, Sr., 62, of Phoenix, Arizona
• Christopher Marcus Mitchell, 35, of Goodyear, Arizona
   

Each of the above individuals was charged with either conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, or both. A number of the defendants are also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Furthermore, Marcus Wesley, Hampton, Williams, Austin, Davis, Guy, Estell, and King Sr. are charged with being felons in possession of a firearm. Finally, Hampton, Wesley, and Gray face additional charges for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and Hampton faces additional charges for transferring or possessing a machinegun.   

According to the criminal complaints filed last week, in January 2020, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (“DPS”) began an investigation targeting a drug and firearms supplier in South Phoenix. In February 2021, in conjunction with the DPS investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) Violent Street Gang Task Force began investigating the Lindo Park Crips (“LPC”), a criminal street gang operating in South Phoenix. The investigation targeted numerous LPC members and associates, as well as their drug suppliers. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized over 2,430 grams of cocaine, 35,000 counterfeit M30 pills suspected to contain fentanyl, 26 grams of methamphetamine, 4.5 grams of crack cocaine, 32 doses of MDMA, 8 Glock Conversion devices, and 17 firearms. In connection with the investigation, the FBI also executed over a dozen search warrants on June 23, 2022, leading to the additional seizure of ammunition, narcotics, and 62 firearms.

A conviction for conspiracy to distribute or possessing with intent to sell the amounts of cocaine charged carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine. A conviction for conspiracy to distribute or possessing with intent to sell the amounts of fentanyl charged in the complaint carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine. A conviction for illegally possessing a firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A conviction for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a mandatory penalty of 5 years imprisonment, and a conviction for transferring or possessing a machinegun carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The FBI, Phoenix Police Department, and DPS led the investigation, with significant contributions from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Marshals Service. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-725-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-101_Wesley, et al.

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Ralph Yellow, 78, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 240 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Yellow previously pleaded guilty to one count of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child.

Yellow admitted that in 2012 or 2013, he knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a six-year-old child. The evidence also showed that Yellow engaged in sexual acts with other children for decades. The crimes took place on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where Yellow is an enrolled tribal member.    

The FBI, Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations, and Gallup Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-08133-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-100_Yellow

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Sergio Geovany Cruz-Sabillon, 32, of Rio Lindo, Honduras, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 96 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. Cruz-Sabillon previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico. 

On October 1, 2019, Cruz-Sabillon orchestrated the importation of 13 kilograms (28.6 pounds) of pure methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted and arrested the driver transporting the drugs before she could travel further into the country. 

The evidence showed that Cruz-Sabillon managed and directed this smuggling incident and had encouraged the driver of the narcotics to bring along her young children. Cruz-Sabillon himself had illegally entered the United States a few months before the offense and had set up residence in Tucson, Arizona.   

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00286-RCC (EJM)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-099_Cruz-Sabillon

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Jamaar Charles Samuels, 39, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 72 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Last summer, Judge Rash sentenced Samuels’ co-defendant, Patrick Michael La Fever, 60, also of Tucson, to 97 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. Both men previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and, in La Fever’s case, the conspiracy included the distribution of heroin. 

On April 24, 2020, La Fever was arrested as he attempted to smuggle approximately 1.56 kilograms of heroin into the United States from Mexico through the vehicle lane at the port of entry in Nogales, Arizona. La Fever was released from custody pending further investigation of the incident. Over the following months, La Fever continued to distribute narcotics. In October and November 2020, he engaged in a series of transactions involving the sale of approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, in total. 

La Fever was again arrested on November 12, 2020, during an enforcement operation jointly conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS). At the time of this second arrest, La Fever was in possession of drugs, two firearms, 457 rounds of ammunition, a sword, brass knuckles, and approximately one pound of high explosives.

During the investigation into La Fever’s conduct, law enforcement officers identified Samuels as one of La Fever’s drug associates. Samuels was subsequently arrested and, at the time he was taken into custody, he was found in possession of drugs, over $3,000 in cash, and a stolen firearm.   

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, HSI, DEA, AZDPS, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00920-SHR(LCK) & CR-21-03031-SHR(LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-098_Samuels

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Juan Carlos Rubio, 26, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 30 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Rubio previously pleaded guilty to four counts of Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods from the United States, Smuggling Goods from the United States, False Statements in Connection with Acquisition of Firearm, and Aiding and Abetting False Statements in Connection with Acquisition of Firearm.

In early 2020, Rubio, a former Arizona Department of Corrections Officer, conspired with others to smuggle three firearms and 500 AK-type rifle magazines from the United States to Mexico. On January 18, 2020, Rubio also lied while purchasing a firearm from a licensed dealer, claiming on the required paperwork that he was buying the gun for himself, when he was actually purchasing it for someone else. On February 18, 2020, Rubio aided and abetted a third party in making a similar false statement to a licensed dealer while purchasing a firearm on Rubio’s behalf.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from Custom and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-2526-TUC-JCH (EJM)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-097_Rubio

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Connie Sue Lorenzo-Molina, 30, of Slater, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to nine years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Lorenzo-Molina previously pleaded guilty to Importation of Methamphetamine. 

On May 26, 2021, Lorenzo-Molina entered the United States at the port of entry in Naco, Arizona with over 50 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in her vehicle. During her interview with federal agents, Lorenzo-Molina also admitted to prior involvement in drug smuggling.

Homeland Securities Investigations (HSI) - Douglas conducted the investigation in this case, with the assistance of HSI Kansas City and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley B. Culver, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-01457-JCH (JR)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-096_Lorenzo-Molina

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Bobby Lee Seely, Jr., 48, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 80 months in prison. Seely previously pleaded guilty to making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm.

In September 2020, Seely made the false statement when he attempted to purchase a pistol from a federally-licensed firearms store in Arizona. When Seely attempted to purchase the pistol, he stated on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives form that he was not prohibited from possessing a firearm. However, Seely was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition because he had previously been convicted of a felony offense as well as a domestic violence misdemeanor.

“Federal law doesn’t just prohibit felons from possessing firearms,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence, including where the victim is a spouse or intimate partner, also preclude gun ownership and possession in America. And for good reason: victims are more vulnerable when their abusers have firearms.”

Following his arrest in this matter, agents searched a storage unit owned by Seely and recovered a privately made firearm or “ghost gun” that was loaded with a high-capacity magazine. Agents also found over 100 rounds of ammunition.

The FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen Brook and Aron Ketchel, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-0643-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 094_Seely

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