District of Arizona

PHOENIX – On January 31, 2020, a Phoenix-area resident, who is alleged to have been the leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Fallujah, Iraq, appeared today before a federal magistrate judge in Phoenix, Arizona in connection with proceedings to extradite him to the Republic of Iraq.  He is wanted to stand trial in Iraq for two charges of premeditated murder committed in 2006 in Al-Fallujah.

     The arrest was announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey for the District of Arizona.

     An Iraqi judge issued a warrant for the arrest of Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, 42, on murder charges.  The Government of Iraq subsequently requested Ahmed’s extradition from the United States.  In accordance with its treaty obligations to Iraq, the United States filed a complaint in Phoenix seeking a warrant for Ahmed’s arrest based on the extradition request. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Z. Boyle issued the warrant on January 29, 2020, and Ahmed was arrested the following day.

     According to the information provided by the Government of Iraq in support of its extradition request, Ahmed served as the leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Fallujah, Iraq, which planned operations targeting Iraqi police.  Ahmed and other members of the Al-Qaeda group allegedly shot and killed a first lieutenant in the Fallujah Police Directorate and a police officer in the Fallujah Police Directorate, on or about June 1, 2006, and October 3, 2006, respectively.

     The details contained in the complaint are allegations and have not yet been proven in court.  If Ahmed’s extradition is certified by the court, the decision of whether to surrender him to Iraq will be made by the U.S. Secretary of State.

     Ahmed’s arrest was executed by the FBI Phoenix Field Office, HSI Phoenix Field Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. The extradition case will be handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

     If you have questions, please call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.

A Phoenix-area resident, who is alleged to have been the leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Fallujah, Iraq, appeared today before a federal magistrate judge in Phoenix, Arizona in connection with proceedings to extradite him to the Republic of Iraq.  He is wanted to stand trial in Iraq for two charges of premeditated murder committed in 2006 in Al-Fallujah.

The arrest was announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey for the District of Arizona.

An Iraqi judge issued a warrant for the arrest of Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, 42, on murder charges.  The Government of Iraq subsequently requested Ahmed’s extradition from the United States.  In accordance with its treaty obligations to Iraq, the United States filed a complaint in Phoenix seeking a warrant for Ahmed’s arrest based on the extradition request.  U.S. Magistrate Judge John Z. Boyle issued the warrant on January 29, 2020, and Ahmed was arrested the following day.

According to the information provided by the Government of Iraq in support of its extradition request, Ahmed served as the leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Fallujah, Iraq, which planned operations targeting Iraqi police.  Ahmed and other members of the Al-Qaeda group allegedly shot and killed a first lieutenant in the Fallujah Police Directorate and a police officer in the Fallujah Police Directorate, on or about June 1, 2006, and October 3, 2006, respectively.

The details contained in the complaint are allegations and have not yet been proven in court.  If Ahmed’s extradition is certified by the court, the decision of whether to surrender him to Iraq will be made by the U.S. Secretary of State.

Ahmed’s arrest was executed by the FBI Phoenix Field Office, HSI Phoenix Field Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The extradition case will be handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. 

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

PHOENIX – On January 27, 2020, Bruce Robertson, 40, of Fort Defiance, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 4 years’ imprisonment.  Robertson had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Domestic Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury.

     On multiple occasions in 2015 and 2016, Robertson engaged in acts of domestic violence against his then-girlfriend, repeatedly punching her in the face, shoving her, and threatening to smother her.  In one assault, when Robertson attempted to hit his infant child with a large metal belt, his girlfriend shielded the baby with her own body.  As a result, Robertson beat her with the belt.  The matter was eventually referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and agents promptly began an investigation, which led to Robertson’s prosecution.  Robertson is a member of the Navajo Nation, as was the victim, and the crimes occurred near Chinle, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.

     The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On January 24, 2020, Roberto Ramirez, 23, of Tucson, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 204 months in prison.  Ramirez previously pleaded guilty on August 8, 2019, to one count of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy of Life, three separate counts of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly Weapon, and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

     On Christmas Eve 2017, Ramirez transported two undocumented aliens for profit and fled from the Border Patrol checkpoint on I-19 at speeds close to 100 mph.  Three Border Patrol agents were in pursuit when the defendant tried to ram their marked patrol cars with his own car. When that did not stop the pursuit, the defendant fired shots at the agents with a revolver. When his firearm was empty of ammunition, the defendant attempted to reload the weapon but, in doing so, lost control of his car which then rolled multiple times.  One of the undocumented individuals was unrestrained and ejected from the defendant’s vehicle. He suffered head trauma that caused him to be in a coma, and sustained a broken shoulder and collarbone resulting in the permanent disfigurement of one of his shoulders.  The other individual suffered a permanent injury to one of his eyes that will affect his vision for the rest of his life.

     “This case highlights the dangers involved with illegal alien smuggling,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge, Scott Brown. “Recklessly, the driver caused bodily harm to two other people during the rollover, as he callously attempted to flee law enforcement officers while shooting at them. HSI continues to aggressively target and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that profit from the suffering of individuals.” 

     “We are grateful to the Border Patrol agents who put their lives on the line to stop Ramirez from causing even more harm,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey. “These smugglers present a danger to everyone, and we will continue to work with Border Patrol, H.S.I., and other law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute these cases.”

     The investigation in this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution was handled by Liza M. Granoff and Matthew C. Cassell, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On January 14, 2020, Elvira Contreras, 38, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 18 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.  Contreras had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

     Contreras falsely represented to undocumented alien victims that she worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or that she was an immigration attorney who could obtain U.S. immigration documents for them for a fee.  As part of her scheme, Defendant falsely impersonated local immigration attorney Doralina Luna. Defendant was also ordered to pay $89,935.00 in restitution. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility.  The prosecution was handled by Tiffany J. Underwood and Jane L. Westby, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Emanuel D. Haudley, Sr., of Shonto, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 235 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release.  Haudley had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

     On the night of July 17, 2019, Haudley killed the victim near Shonto, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation Reservation.  Haudley is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, as was the victim.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Samuels and Hunter Bridges, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On January 14, 2020, Andrew Lamar Blake, 45, of Phoenix, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 80 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Blake previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Wherein the Aliens’ Lives Were Placed in Jeopardy and During Which Death Resulted.

     During an attempted traffic stop by the United States Border Patrol and Pinal County Sheriff’s Office on April 6, 2018, Blake sped away at a high rate of speed on the I-10 freeway. Blake was driving a truck containing eleven illegal aliens and two co-conspirators. Blake crashed during his flight from law enforcement, rolling the truck.  One victim was killed in the crash, and many others were injured.

     The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Border Patrol. The prosecution was handled by Christine A. Melton and Arturo A. Aguilar, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On January 13, 2020, Trevor Wesley Gabler, 29, of Phoenix, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 54 months’ imprisonment. Gabler previously pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in connection with telemarketing.  Four other defendants pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced, including: Brandon Trevor Ball, 47, of Phoenix, to 60 months’ imprisonment; Jackie Nikiel Whitley, 38, of Phoenix, to 30 months’ imprisonment; Brian Lee Gibson, 37, of Mesa, to 15 months’ imprisonment; and Gordon Lynn Hardy, 57, of Chandler, to a time-served sentence of approximately one year.

     Gabler and Ball managed the telemarketing scheme, which operated from 2015 to 2018 out of several office park locations in Phoenix and Tempe.  They communicated via telephone with elderly consumers, first from a front room, where employees used false names to obtain basic customer information, and then from a back room, where telemarketers also used false names and promised a sham business opportunity in exchange for more than $10,000 per victim.  The opportunities promised to the victims were never fulfilled.                

     The defendants were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,116,625 to 113 victims from around the country, most of whom were over the age of 65.  District Judge Logan also ordered the forfeiture of $78,953 in U.S. currency found during a search Ball’s residence. That money will be applied toward restitution.

     The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Phoenix Police Department, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Special Investigations Section of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Gary M. Restaino, Alanna R. Kennedy, and Mark Wenker, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On January 13, 2020, Jarrett Michael Yazzie (42), of Leupp, Ariz. was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 150 months in prison to run concurrent with his sentence of 120 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.  Yazzie had previously pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault by strangulation or suffocation by a spouse or intimate partner.                

     Between May 1, 2016 and April 20, 2018, Yazzie struck a minor victim in the face with his hand causing serious bodily injury.  In July 2017, Yazzie strangled an adult victim two times, impeding the victim’s ability to breathe.  The assaults happened on the Navajo Indian Reservation and Yazzie is a member of the Navajo Nation.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.  The prosecution was handled by Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On January 7, 2020, Sandra Gamboa, 49, of Phoenix, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton to twelve months and one day of imprisonment. Gamboa pleaded guilty to filing false income tax returns. 

     Gamboa operated SGB Enterprises, a tax preparation business, through which she filed multiple false federal income tax returns with the IRS. For her own tax return, Gamboa listed false information to fraudulently reduce her tax liability. For some of the clients of her tax preparation business, she secretly changed the numbers in the income tax returns before filing them with the IRS, generating falsely-inflated refunds that Gamboa kept for herself. In addition to imprisonment, Ms. Gamboa was ordered to pay $101,287 in restitution to the IRS.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The prosecution was handled by James R. Knapp, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

     TUCSON, Ariz., on January 7, 2020, Lana Leshinsky, 43, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Raner C. Collins to 10 years of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.  Leshinsky previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. 

     On July 13, 2017, Leshinsky sold fentanyl powder to the victim, who ingested the substance during the early morning hours of July 14, 2017, and died shortly thereafter. 

     This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The prosecution was handled by Stefani Hepford and Erica Seger, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On January 6, 2020, Pete Terry, 42, of Sacaton, Arizona, an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 51 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty on October 3, 2019, to Assault on a Federal Officer and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. 

     On March 19, 2019, the defendant pointed a handgun at a Gila River police officer and then attempted to evade other Gila River police officers as they attempted to arrest him.  The defendant drove through the desert, ran stop signs, and eventually hit another Gila River police officer’s vehicle causing serious injuries to that officer.       

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Raynette Logan, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

PHOENIX, Ariz. –  On December 23, 2019, Paul Darrell Burdette, of Payson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 175 months of imprisonment to be followed by supervised release for life.  Burdette had previously been found guilty at trial of one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse.

     On August 6, 2017, Burdette forcibly raped the victim in a wooded area on the Tonto Apache Indian Reservation.  Burdette was convicted after a four-day jury trial that concluded on May 17, 2019.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Tonto Apache Police Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Van Buskirk and Brandon Brown, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

PHOENIX – Last week, DaNeil Francis Wilson, II, 33, of Hunters Point, Arizona, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 252 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  During a jury trial in April 2019, Wilson pleaded guilty to five counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, two counts of Kidnapping, and one count of Assault by Strangling or Suffocating.

     On April 4 and 5, 2018, over the course of approximately 12 hours, Wilson held two victims at his house overnight and extensively beat and assaulted them, causing serious bodily injury.  The incident occurred at the residence he shared with one of the victims on the Navajo Indian reservation.  Wilson and the victims are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.    

    “Wilson tortured the victims over the course of hours, and deserves every day of the long prison sentence he received,” said Michael Bailey, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “No one should be forced to suffer like these victims did, which is why prosecuting and preventing such crimes in Indian Country is a vital part of the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

     “The victims in this case suffered tremendous physical and psychological torment.  Wilson’s acceptance of responsibility came only after one of the victims bravely took the witness stand to recount the ordeal.  The investigation of Wilson, and his 21-year sentence, stand as a testament to the collaboration and dedication of the FBI, Navajo Nation Criminal Investigators, and the United States Attorney’s Office to bring justice to victims of violent crimes in Indian County.” 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.  The prosecution was handled by Christina Covault and Kiyoko Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

Three members of an international conspiracy to import knock-off jewelry from the Philippines and misrepresent it as Native-American have pleaded guilty for their roles in the fraudulent scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey of the District of Arizona. 

On Jan. 6, all three defendants pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Z. Boyle of the District of Arizona.  Laura Marye Wesley, a.k.a. Laura Lott, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit misrepresentation of Indian-produced goods, wire fraud, mail fraud, and entry of goods by means of false statements and smuggling goods, for her role in the manufacture, importation, and sale of knock-off jewelry as Native American-made.  Wesley is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2020.   

Christian Coxon, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to misrepresent Indian-produced goods and to commit wire fraud, for his role in ordering and misrepresenting imported, knock-off jewelry as Native American-made at his retail store Turquoise River Trading Company, located in San Antonio, Texas.  Coxon is scheduled to be sentenced on March 23, 2020.    

Waleed Sarrar, a.k.a. Willie Sarrar, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to misrepresent Indian-produced goods and to commit wire fraud, for his role in ordering and misrepresenting imported, knock-off jewelry as Native American-made at his retail store Scottsdale Jewels, located in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Sarrar is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2020. 

According to information that the defendants admitted to as part of their pleas, from January 2016 through February 2019, they conspired with each other, and others, to design jewelry in the Native-American Indian-style and manufacture the jewelry in the Philippines with Filipino labor.  The defendants also conspired to import the jewelry from the Philippines to Arizona without indelible markings as required by law, and display, advertise, and sell the jewelry to customers based on false representations that the jewelry items were made by Indians in the United States.  To perpetrate the fraud scheme, the defendants and their conspirators communicated by phone, text, and email, including across state and country borders; used private commercial shipping services such as FedEx to import jewelry from the Philippines to the United States; paid for the jewelry inventory through credit cards, including via web-based credit card processors, and by check; and charged the credit cards of customers who purchased the imported Indian-style jewelry. 

As part of her plea, Wesley agreed that she owned and operated LMN Jewelers, a jewelry business that specialized in the sale of Native-American-style jewelry, and co-owned and co-operated Last Chance Jewelers, a similar jewelry business.  She also admitted to removing “Made in the Philippines” stickers from bags of imported jewelry, smuggling jewelry into the U.S. from the Philippines through the U.S. Postal Service to avoid inspection by federal authorities at the port of entry, wiring money to the Philippines to cover the costs of the jewelry-making business there, working with Filipino factory workers who were manufacturing the knock-offs, and delivering the knock-off Native-American-style jewelry to retail jewelry stores in Arizona, Colorado, California, Texas, Minnesota, Utah, and elsewhere.     

The defendants face a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000.  Their sentencing dates have not yet been set.      

The Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA) prohibits the offer or display for sale, or the sale of any good in a manner that falsely suggests that it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian and Indian tribe.  The law is designed to prevent products from being marketed as “Indian made,” when the products are not, in fact, made by Indians.  It covers all Indian and Indian-style traditional and contemporary arts and crafts produced after 1935, and broadly applies to the marketing of arts and crafts by any person in the United States.  The IACA provides critical economic benefits for Native American cultural development by recognizing that forgery and fraudulent arts and crafts diminish the livelihood of Native American artists and craftspeople by lowering both market prices and standards.   

This case was investigated by the Office of Law Enforcement for the Southwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Phoenix Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Crafts Board and Office of Law Enforcement and Security, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations, and the Texas Game Wardens.  Trial Attorney Mona Sahaf of the Criminal Division, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Sexton and Mark Wenker are prosecuting the case.   

PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Alonzo Anagal, of Kayenta, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 15 years of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Anagal had previously pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and assault of a child resulting in serious bodily injury.

     On January 30, 2019, Anagal was driving while intoxicated on Highway 160, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.  Driving recklessly, Anagal caused an accident that killed two people in another vehicle, including a small child, and seriously injured a third person.  After the accident, Anagal’s blood alcohol concentration was tested and found to be .221.  Anagal is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Dustin Tso, of Kaibeto, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to three years of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.  The three years of imprisonment imposed will be served in addition to six months of imprisonment previously served in tribal custody.  Tso had previously pleaded guilty to assault of a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner resulting in substantial bodily injury.

    On January 12, 2019, Tso attacked the victim, including by striking her and strangling her.  The assault occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, and both Tso and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.  Tso’s sentence in this case was enhanced because he committed this crime while in violation of a protection order issued by the Navajo Nation tribal courts.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On December 11, 2019, Senior U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins sentenced defendant Audias Sanchez-Colin to 10 years in prison for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit and Illegal Reentry into the United States of a Removed Alien. The defendant was one of 26 codefendants who had been previously charged in this conspiracy.

     From 2016 through 2018, the defendant was the leader of multiple, large-scale alien smuggling organizations. He and his co-defendants smuggled into the United States approximately 150 unlawful aliens, including 13 juveniles. The co-conspirators also laundered over $1 million in fraudulent proceeds from their alien smuggling operations. 

     The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.  The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.  

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On November 25, 2019, Melvin Woods, 26, of Phoenix, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 84 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. Woods previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. 

     On August 1, 2018, Woods sold blue “M-30” pills that looked like oxycodone to a customer at a pool store in Phoenix.  Shortly after smoking one of these pills, the customer died from a fentanyl overdose. 

     The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Phoenix Police Department.  The prosecution was handled by D.J. Pashayan, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On December 9, 2019, Yohan Humberto Castro-Reyes, 33, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 60 months’ imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release.  Castro-Reyes previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens for profit.  

     On May 14, 2019, Castro-Reyes was arrested for conspiring to harbor and transport between 25-99 illegal aliens.  Castro-Reyes concealed the aliens in a residence and involuntarily detained them through coercion or threat while demanding payment.  Castro-Reyes possessed and brandished a 9mm firearm while harboring the aliens in the residence.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and United States Customs and Border Protection.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Raquel Arellano and Stuart J. Zander, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX – On December 2, 2019, Marcus Bryan Lee, 26, of Chinle, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 17.5 years’ imprisonment.  Lee had previously pleaded guilty to second degree murder.

     On August 5, 2017, during an altercation, Lee stabbed the victim, who later died as a result.  Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation promptly began an investigation, which led to Lee’s arrest and prosecution.  Lee is a member of the Navajo Nation, as was the victim, and the crime occurred near Pinon, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.

     The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

     PHOENIX, Ariz. On December 9, 2019, Andrew Al Littleman, 39, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven P. Logan to 57 months in prison. The defendant previously pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.  The defendant will also be required to register as a sex offender, and will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life. 

     The defendant, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, sexually abused the minor in 2014-2015 while both were living on the reservation.  In 2018, the defendant also possessed between 40 and 50 grams of methamphetamine for the purpose of distributing the drugs on the reservation. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Christine D. Keller and Sharon K. Sexton, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On November 26, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Márquez sentenced Mona Rodriguez, 37, of Tucson, to 30 months in prison. Rodriguez had previously pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud. The court also ordered Ms. Rodriguez to pay $171,631 in restitution for the losses sustained by the victim. 

     Ms. Rodriguez and her mother, co-defendant Margaret Gastelum, provided home care assistance for the 92-year-old homebound victim. In her plea agreement, Ms. Rodriguez admitted that she and Ms. Gastelum gained access to the victim’s banking information and fraudulently used funds from the victim’s bank accounts.  Ms. Rodriguez and Ms. Gastelum also fraudulently used the victims’ credit cards and Ms. Rodriguez obtained a credit card in the victim’s name without the victim’s consent.

     Ms. Gastelum previously entered a guilty plea to wire fraud and was also sentenced to 30 months in prison on August 14, 2019.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Tucson Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wallace Kleindienst for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.

     On November 25, 2019, the final defendant in United States v. Felix-Ramirez, et al, an eighteen-defendant indictment combatting the activities of a transnational drug trafficking organization, was sentenced to prison by Senior U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson. All defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

            The 18 defendants were sentenced to prison time as follows:

• Jose Angel Felix-Ramirez, 30, of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 55 months;
• Arnoldo Ojeda-Zavala, 33, of Durango, Mexico, was sentenced to 57 months;
• Matias Garcia-Martinez, 32, of Villa Juarez, Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 60 months;
• Carlos Erasmo Medina-Amador, 28, of Sonoita, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced to 87 months;
• Jesus Francisco Felix-Ramirez, 23, of Tamasura, Durango, Mexico, was sentenced to 50 months;
• Carlos Ivan Nunez-Estrada, 33, of Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced to 60 months;
• Antonio Ramirez-Rios, 40, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 70 months;
• Manuel Esteban Portillo-Avilez, 46, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced to 60 months;
• Jose Orlando Linares-Sanchez, 26, of San Salvador, El Salvador, was sentenced to 674 days (time served);
• Douglas Mariaga-Munoz, 26, of Cortez, Honduras, was sentenced to 674 days (time served);
• Jose Lorenzo Osorto-Calix, 22, of La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras, was sentenced to 674 days (time served);
• Jose Nunez-Estrada, 21, of Tamazula, Durango, Mexico, was sentenced to 65 months;
• David Jimenez-Perez, 22, of Chiapas, Mexico, was sentenced to 20 months;
• Armando Ramirez-Garcia, 34, of Arenitas, Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 35 months;
• Jose Angel Lozano-Raigoza, 39, of Sonoita, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced to 35 months;
• Raynard Joseph Antone, 43, of Pia Oik Village, Arizona, was sentenced to 15 months;
• Adriana Fonseca-Dominguez, 36, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced to 24 months;
• Edgar Raul Arellano-Garcia, 31, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced to 87 months.

     Multiple agencies participated in the investigation, dubbed Operation Rocky Top 2, as part of the Native American Targeted Investigation of Violent Enterprises (NATIVE) Task Force. Operation Rocky Top 2 determined that the drug trafficking organization, which had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, exploited the remote location and extended U.S.-Mexico border within the Tohono O’Odham Nation.  In order to move large quantities of marijuana from Mexico into the United States, the drug trafficking organization relied heavily on a sophisticated network of mountaintop scouts who used high-powered binoculars, radios, and cellular telephones to guide marijuana backpackers around law enforcement agents working in the area. The drug trafficking organization delivered necessary supplies to the scouts so they could remain in strategic mountaintop locations for extended time periods. Operation Rocky Top 2 successfully identified and targeted specific scouting locations and those individuals providing support to the scouts. Agents seized approximately 4,358 pounds of marijuana tied to cartel scouts during the investigation.

     “This successful operation highlights the importance of our federal law enforcement partnerships and the unique investigative authorities of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI),” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Phoenix. “The west desert portion of the border poses various environmental challenges; however when federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement bands together, we send a clear message to the cartel. You will not operate on the border with impunity.”

     U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey said, “This investigation exemplifies the value of interagency cooperation and cooperation between federal and tribal authorities. The combined resources and expertise of the agencies involved dealt a significant blow to the cartel.”

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the NATIVE Task Force, and the U.S. Border Patrol Casa Grande Station.  The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Border Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tohono O’odham Police Department. These prosecutions were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Houston and Adam D. Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On November 12, 2019, Nathaniel Willie Cortez, 39, of White Cone, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.  Cortez had previously pleaded guilty to one count of domestic assault by strangling or suffocation.

     Cortez admitted that he strangled the victim, with whom he was in a romantic relationship, in 2018.  The assault took place on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where Cortez and the victim are tribal members.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the FBI and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations.  The prosecution was handled by Krista Wood and Amy Chang, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week a federal jury found Van Raymond Brollini, 70, a former resident of Tucson, Ariz., guilty of tax evasion, corrupt interference with tax administration, and four counts of failure to file a tax return.  The case was tried before U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson. Sentencing is scheduled for January 29, 2020.

     The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Brollini, a former engineer at National Semiconductor Corporation, willfully evaded payment of taxes from 2002 through 2004 and failed to file a return as required for four consecutive years.

     A conviction for tax evasion carries a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.  A conviction for corrupt interference with tax administration carries a maximum penalty of 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.  A conviction of failure to file carries a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment, a $100,000 fine, or both. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by the Financial Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On November 25, 2019, Michael Joseph Davis, 36, of Florence, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 8 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty on August 12, 2019, to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. 

      On October 7, 2018, the defendant shot the victim three times with a shotgun, causing serious bodily injury.  The shooting took place on the Gila River Indian Community, and both the defendant and victim were Gila River tribal members.    

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

     TUCSON, Ariz. –Christopher Betances, 34, of New York, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 57 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.  Betances had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. 

     On November 19, 2017, Betances, while serving time in a federal penitentiary, stabbed another inmate in the face, neck, and upper body areas with a shank. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raquel Arellano and Corey J. Mantei, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On November 12, 2019, Cody Mitchell, 28, of Dilkon, Arizona, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 57 months in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release.  Mitchell had previously pleaded guilty to one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor.

     Mitchell admitted that he committed a sexual act against the victim, who was then under the age of 16 years.  The sexual abuse took place on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where Mitchell and the victim are members.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the FBI and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations.  The prosecution was handled by Sharon Sexton and Brian Kasprzyk, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix

PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Jerracy Gilmore, of Chilchinbeto, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to six years of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Gilmore had previously pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

     On February 26, 2019, Gilmore fired a gun multiple times at an occupied vehicle.  One of the shots he fired struck a victim in the ankle.  The crime occurred outside a residence in Chilchinbeto, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation, and both Gilmore and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On November 18, 2019, Timothy Wayne Lewis, Jr., 34, of Casa Grande, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 17.5 years in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty on May 20, 2019, to second degree murder. 

     On September 26, 2018, the defendant shot and killed the victim. The murder took place on the Gila River Indian Community, and the victim was a Gila River tribal member. Lewis is a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation.    

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

PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Louie Josytewa, of Second Mesa, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 27 years of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.  Josytewa was convicted of two crimes at a jury trial earlier this year: (1) Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child, and (2) Offense by a Registered Sex Offender.

     In October 2016, Josytewa sexually abused the seven-year-old victim at a home on the Hopi Indian Reservation.  Josytewa – an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe – had been previously convicted of a sexual offense against a nine-year-old child in 1992.

     “This wasn’t Josytewa’s first time abusing a vulnerable victim, and he deserved every day of this sentence,” said Michael Bailey, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “Prosecuting and preventing child sexual abuse in Indian Country continues to be a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services (Hopi Agency).  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Powell and Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On October 31, 2019, Richard Kingston Shepherd, of Tuba City, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 14 years of imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release.  Shepherd had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

     In July 2018, Shepherd attacked and killed the victim near Tuba City High School, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.  Shepherd is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, as was the victim. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Roland Allen Denny, of Baby Rocks, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 15 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Denny had previously pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer.

     In October 2018, Navajo Nation police and emergency medical personnel responded to a single-vehicle accident near Kayenta, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.  Denny was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was intoxicated.  When first responders attempted to assist Denny with medical treatment, he punched one of the police officers in the jaw.  The officer, like many tribal police officers, holds a Special Law Enforcement Commission from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and is thus authorized to enforce federal and tribal law.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with substantial assistance by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

     Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Project Guardian, a new initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country. Specifically, Project Guardian focuses on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes.

     Reducing gun violence and enforcing federal firearms laws have always been among the Department’s highest priorities. In order to develop a new and robust effort to promote and ensure public safety, the Department reviewed and adapted some of the successes of past strategies to curb gun violence. Project Guardian draws on the Department’s earlier achievements, such as the “Triggerlock” program, and it serves as a complementary effort to the success of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In addition, the initiative emphasizes the importance of using all modern technologies available to law enforcement to promote gun crime intelligence.

     “Gun crime remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across America. Today, the Department of Justice is redoubling its commitment to tackling this issue through the launch of Project Guardian,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Building on the success of past programs like Triggerlock, Project Guardian will strengthen our efforts to reduce gun violence by allowing the federal government and our state and local partners to better target offenders who use guns in crimes and those who try to buy guns illegally.”

     “With Project Guardian we will redouble our efforts to keep firearms from getting into the hands of dangerous individuals,” said Michael Bailey, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “People prohibited from gun ownership by a history of criminal conduct or mental health orders will face prosecution for even trying to get a gun.”

     “ATF has a long history of strong partnerships in the law enforcement community,” said Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Make no mistake, the women and men of ATF remain steadfast to our core mission of getting crime guns off of our streets. ATF and U.S. Attorneys nationwide will leverage these partnerships even further through enhanced community outreach initiatives and coordination with local, state, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to cut the pipeline of crime guns from those violent individuals who seek to terrorize our communities. Project Guardian will enhance ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, to include identifying, investigating and prosecuting those involved in the straw purchases of firearms, lying on federal firearms transaction forms, and those subject to the mental health prohibition of possessing firearms.” 

     Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles:

1. Coordinated Prosecution. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who: a) was arrested in possession of a firearm; b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court; or c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the community on behalf of a criminal organization.
    
2. Enforcing the Background Check System. United States Attorneys, in consultation with the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in their district, will create new, or review existing, guidelines for intake and prosecution of federal cases involving false statements (including lie-and-try, lie-and-buy, and straw purchasers) made during the acquisition or attempted acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees.
    
   Particular emphasis is placed on individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are fugitives where the underlying offense is a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; individuals suspected of involvement in criminal organizations or of providing firearms to criminal organizations; and individuals involved in repeat denials.
    
3. Improved Information Sharing. On a regular basis, and as often as practicable given current technical limitations, ATF will provide to state law enforcement fusion centers a report listing individuals for whom the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has issued denials, including the basis for the denial, so that state and local law enforcement can take appropriate steps under their laws.
    
4. Coordinated Response to Mental Health Denials. Each United States Attorney will ensure that whenever there is federal case information regarding individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm under the mental health prohibition, such information continues to be entered timely and accurately into the United States Attorneys’ Offices’ case-management system for prompt submission to NICS. ATF should engage in additional outreach to state and local law enforcement on how to use this denial information to better assure public safety. 
    
   Additionally, United States Attorneys will consult with relevant district stakeholders to assess feasibility of adopting disruption of early engagement programs to address mental-health-prohibited individuals who attempt to acquire a firearm. United States Attorneys should consider, when appropriate, recommending court-ordered mental health treatment for any sentences issued to individuals prohibited based on mental health.
    
5. Crime Gun Intelligence Coordination. Federal, state, local, and tribal prosecutors and law enforcement will work together to ensure effective use of the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs), and all related resources, to maximize the use of modern intelligence tools and technology. These tools can greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness in identifying trigger-pullers and finding their guns, but the success depends in large part on state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners sharing ballistic evidence and firearm recovery data with the ATF.
    

     Federal law enforcement represents only about 15% of all law enforcement resources nationwide. Therefore, partnerships with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the communities they serve are critical to addressing gun crime. The Department recognizes that sharing information with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners at every level will enhance public safety, and provide a greater depth of resources available to address gun crime on a national level.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On November 4, 2019, U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez sentenced Randolph Guillermo Ramirez-Contreras, 25, and Mario Mauricio Campos-Balderas, 28, each to 37 months in prison to be followed by 36 months of supervised release.  Both defendants had previously pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Heroin. 

     In late May 2018, Ramirez-Contreras traveled from Tucson, Arizona to Los Angeles, California to meet with Campos-Balderas, a Los Angeles resident.  Together, the two men picked up approximately 65 kilograms of cocaine and 7 kilograms of heroin and loaded the narcotics into the cab of a tractor-trailer, intending to deliver the drugs in Georgia and New Jersey.  In the early morning hours of May 26, 2018, deputies from the Greene County Sherriff’s Office located the defendants and the tractor-trailer parked at a truck stop in Greensboro, Georgia, and seized the narcotics before Ramirez-Contreras and Campos-Balderas could complete any deliveries. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Greene County Sherriff’s Office.  The prosecution was handled by Michael R. Lizano and Patrick T. Barry, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

TUCSON, Ariz. - On October 24, 2019, Jessica Diane Ferrell, 34, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ferrell had previously pleaded guilty to Solicitation of a Bribe and Falsification of Records.

     In March 2016, Ferrell, then an employee at the FCC Tucson Bureau of Prisons Facility, sought an inmate’s assistance to arrange the murder of her former romantic partner. In exchange for the inmate’s assistance, Ferrell agreed to provide contraband to the inmate in violation of her duty as a prison employee. To facilitate the murder, Ferrell provided a photograph, a map to the former romantic partner’s home, and other identifying information to the inmate.

     On March 30, 2016, Ferrell received a list of contraband desired by the inmate. Approximately six hours later, Ferrell changed her mind and reported to her supervisor at the facility that she had received the inmate’s contraband request, but did not reveal her prior agreement with the inmate to her supervisor. Nor did Ferrell take any action to protect or notify her former partner.

     “Ferrell solicited an inmate to help her carry out a deadly hit on her ex-romantic partner, in exchange for bribes of contraband.  As a result of the OIG’s investigative work, her plan was thwarted.  Because of this successful prosecution she will rightfully serve 5 years in prison, where she will not be able to further victimize her ex-romantic partner or endanger the public,” said Sandra D. Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Denver Field Office.

     The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. The prosecution was handled by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On October 23, 2019, Christopher James Preston, 52, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 156 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release.  Preston is also required to register as a sex offender. 

     A federal jury previously found Preston guilty in a re-trial of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. The evidence at the re-trial showed that in the summer of 1998, Preston, a member of the Tohono O’Odham Tribe, sexually abused the 10-year-old victim in Tucson, in the San Xavier district, on the Tohono O’odham reservation. At the time, Preston was the victim’s little league coach.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Tohono O’odham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Matthew C. Cassell and Rui Wang, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX – On October 16, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Dominic W. Lanza sentenced Timothy Peter Ray to 27 months in prison for illegally possessing firearms in violation of a court order.  Ray previously pleaded guilty to illegally possessing six firearms and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

     In February 2018, Ray’s ex-girlfriend obtained an Order of Protection against Ray.  The Superior Court Judge found that Ray presented a credible threat to the physical safety of his ex-girlfriend and ordered Ray to not possess firearms or ammunition. 

     In April 2018, Ray told police he had surrendered all of his firearms to his father’s custody.  In January 2019, pursuant to a search warrant, FBI agents searched Ray’s home and seized five semi-automatic firearms, a shotgun, several large capacity magazines, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Ray was prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition because of the Order of Protection.

     The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Brook of the District of Arizona

PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Spencer Parrish, of Sanders, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 41 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Parrish had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.

     On February 2, 2019, Parrish attacked the victim with a knife and stabbed him in the abdomen, causing serious injuries to the victim.  The assault occurred in a residence in Kayenta, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.  Both Parrish and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On October 15, 2019, District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps sentenced Lawrence Halamek, 36, to 35 years’ imprisonment followed by lifetime supervised release. Halamek is also required to register as a sex offender. 

     A federal jury previously found Halamek guilty of one count of Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity and one count of Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct.  The evidence at trial showed that in December 2016, Halamek picked up a minor child from a bus stop and transported the child to a remote area in New Mexico with intent to commit sexual assault.  An Amber Alert led to them being located the next day. 

     In sentencing Halamek, Judge Zipps noted his lack of remorse and insight, and stated that Halamek had taken “advantage of multiple vulnerable victims.” 

     This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sierra Vista Office, Grant County Sheriff’s Department, and Graham County Sheriff’s Department. The prosecution was handled by Carin C. Duryee and Erica L. Seger, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On October 22, 2019, Miguel Sanchez Alvarez, 43, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bury to 36 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release.  Alvarez was convicted on May 24, 2019 after a jury trial on one count of unlawful smuggling of goods from the United States.

     On October 1, 2017, Alvarez and an accomplice attempted to smuggle nine semi-automatic handguns, thirteen magazines and two hundred rounds of ammunition into Mexico via the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona.  The evidence showed that Alvarez owned all of the firearms and ammunition, concealed them at the bottom of a bucket filled with roofing tar, and provided the bucket to his accomplice, Victor Orlando Leal-Medina, to smuggle into Mexico.  Leal-Medina pleaded guilty to the same offense and was sentenced by Judge Bury to 14 months in prison in December 2018.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by ICE/HIS, Nogales, and ATF, Phoenix.  The prosecution was handled by Michael R. Lizano, Brian C. Hopkins and Stefani K. Hepford, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

TUCSON, Ariz. – On October 21, 2019, District Judge James A. Soto sentenced Carlos Cantizano, 46, of Rialto, California, to 120 months imprisonment followed by lifetime supervised release. Cantizano is also required to register as a sex offender.  A federal jury previously found Cantizano guilty of Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. 

     This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by Agents from the Nogales and Douglas Offices of Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution was handled by Carin C. Duryee and Carmen F. Corbin, District of Arizona, Tucson.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On October 15, 2019, John Yoon Yi, 29, of Gilbert, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to 135 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Yi previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. 

     On September 25, 2015, Yi sold three blue “M-30” pills that looked like oxycodone to a customer.  Later that night, the customer died from a fentanyl overdose after consuming one of the pills. 

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Gilbert Police Department and the Mesa Police Department.  The prosecution was handled by Krista Wood, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded over $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

     “Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”  

     Eight Tribes in the District of Arizona were awarded over $7,626,420 in funding. The tribes in Arizona receiving grants that were announced today are Gila River Indian Community, Navajo Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Quechan Indian Tribe, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Hopi Tribe, and Yavapai-Apache Nation.

     “These awards to eight Arizona tribes demonstrate our continued support and commitment to improving public safety in Indian Country,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey.  “These resources will help our tribal partners combat violent crimes and domestic abuse, and provide expanded services for the victims of these crimes.”

     Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.

     The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.

     CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.

     The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.

     Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

     A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On October 16, 2019, United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa sentenced Tao Li, a 39-year-old Chinese national, to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  Li had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to export military- and space-grade technology to the People’s Republic of China without a license in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Notwithstanding the licensing requirement, the Department of Commerce has a policy of denial to export these types of electronic components to the People’s Republic of China.

     Between December 2016 and January 2018, Li worked with other individuals in China to purchase radiation-hardened power amplifiers and supervisory circuits and illegally export them from the United States to China.  The electronic components sought by Li are capable of withstanding significant levels of radiation and extreme heat, and as a result, are primarily used for military and space applications.  Due to the technological capabilities of the electronic components sought by Li and the significant contribution that the components could make to a foreign country’s military and space programs, both parts required an export license from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, prior to being sent out of the United States. Notwithstanding the licensing requirement, the Department of Commerce has a policy of denial to export these types of electronic components to the People’s Republic of China.

     Between December 2016 and January 2018, Li, who resided in China, used multiple aliases to contact individuals in the United States, including representatives of United States-based private companies, to try to obtain the electronic components.

     During his efforts to obtain the electronic components, Li contacted two different undercover law enforcement agents in Arizona.  During his communications with the undercover agents, Li asked both of them to export the electronic components to China without obtaining the required license from the Department of Commerce. Additionally, Li and his coconspirators agreed to pay a “risk fee” to illegally export the electronic components to China.  In furtherance of his request, Li wired money from a bank account in China to a bank account in Arizona.  Li was arrested in September 2018 at Los Angeles International Airport, as he attempted to travel from China to Arizona to meet with one of the undercover agents.  

     “This sentence is well deserved and further demonstrates the lengths of criminal activity by those who seek to engage in illegally obtaining sophisticated materials,” said Scott Brown, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Phoenix. “One of HSI’s top priorities is preventing U.S. military products and sensitive technology from falling into the hands of those who might seek to harm America or its interests. We will continue to aggressively pursue violators wherever they may be.”  

     “Li’s sentencing was the result of a highly successful joint investigative effort with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office that prevented U.S. military technology from falling into the wrong hands,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office.  “It also reaffirms our commitment to protecting America from this type of activity and, equally so, serves as a warning to those intent on illegally exporting our technologies that the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its partners will pursue these crimes relentlessly.”

     “If you steal our military and space technology, you should expect to go to prison,” said Michael Bailey, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “But for the diligent work of HSI and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, our nation’s security would’ve been damaged by Mr. Li.”

     The investigation in this case was conducted by HSI and DCIS.  The prosecution was handled by Todd M. Allison and David Pimsner, Assistant United States Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix, with assistance from Scott Claffee, Trial Attorney, Department of Justice National Security Division.

On October 16, 2019, United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa sentenced Tao Li, a 39-year-old Chinese national, to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  Li had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to export military- and space-grade technology to the People’s Republic of China without a license in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. 

“This case is one of many involving illegal attempts to take U.S. technology to China.  Li attempted to procure highly sensitive U.S. military technology in violation of our export control laws.  Such laws are in place to protect our national security, and the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce them,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers. “We don’t take these crimes lightly and we will continue to pursue them.”

“If you steal our military and space technology, you should expect to go to prison,” said Michael Bailey, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “But for the diligent work of HSI and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, our nation’s security would’ve been damaged by Mr. Li.”

“Li’s sentencing was the result of a highly successful joint investigative effort with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office that prevented U.S. military technology from falling into the wrong hands,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office.  “It also reaffirms our commitment to protecting America from this type of activity and, equally so, serves as a warning to those intent on illegally exporting our technologies that the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its partners will pursue these crimes relentlessly.”

“This sentence is well deserved and further demonstrates the lengths of criminal activity by those who seek to engage in illegally obtaining sophisticated materials,” said Scott Brown, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Phoenix. “One of HSI’s top priorities is preventing U.S. military products and sensitive technology from falling into the hands of those who might seek to harm America or its interests. We will continue to aggressively pursue violators wherever they may be.” 

Between December 2016 and January 2018, Li worked with other individuals in China to purchase radiation-hardened power amplifiers and supervisory circuits and illegally export them from the United States to China.  The electronic components sought by Li are capable of withstanding significant levels of radiation and extreme heat, and as a result, are primarily used for military and space applications.  Due to the technological capabilities of the electronic components sought by Li and the significant contribution that the components could make to a foreign country’s military and space programs, both parts required an export license from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, prior to being sent out of the United States. Notwithstanding the licensing requirement, the Department of Commerce has a policy of denial to export these types of electronic components to the People’s Republic of China.

Between December 2016 and January 2018, Li, who resided in China, used multiple aliases to contact individuals in the United States, including representatives of United States-based private companies, to try to obtain the electronic components. Additionally, Li and his coconspirators agreed to pay a “risk fee” to illegally export the electronic components to China.  In furtherance of his request, Li wired money from a bank account in China to a bank account in Arizona.  Li was arrested in September 2018 at Los Angeles International Airport, as Li attempted to travel from China to Arizona to meet with one of the undercover agents. 

The investigation in this case was conducted by HSI and DCIS.  The prosecution was handled by Todd M. Allison and David Pimsner, Assistant United States Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix, with assistance from Scott Claffee, Trial Attorney, Department of Justice National Security Division.

A federal jury in the District of Arizona convicted Mackenzie Davis, 25, a former Ranger with the Hopi Resource Enforcement Services, of sexually assaulting a female arrestee in his custody and destroying evidence to cover up his crimes.

“Any law enforcement officer who uses his official authority to target and sexually assault a person in his custody will be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Dreiband. “The Department of Justice commends the victim who came forward to report this reprehensible conduct, so that this officer’s crimes could see the light of day.” 

“A sexual assault is doubly devastating to the victim when perpetrated by a law-enforcement officer whose only duty was to protect her from such harm,” said Michael Bailey, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. “It’s also a breach of the community’s trust, and an affront to work of the earnest and honest officers who sacrifice daily on our behalf.”

“The FBI will not tolerate officials who abuse their authority and violate the very people they were sworn to protect,” said Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office. “We too commend the victim who came forward to report this crime. The FBI will continue to work alongside our state, local, federal, and tribal law enforcement partners to protect all of our communities and hold those who abuse their positions of power, accountable.”

Evidence presented at trial established that on Nov. 15, 2016, Davis arrested the victim for driving under the influence. During a nearly two-hour transport to a detention center, Davis pulled over onto the side of the road and sexually assaulted C.A. Another witness testified that he engaged in similar conduct with her five years prior, when he was not a law enforcement officer.   

A jury found Davis guilty of violating C.A.’s civil rights, abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, and destruction of evidence.

The defendant was remanded into custody and sentencing is set for Feb. 24, 2020. The defendant faces up to 23 years imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Flagstaff Resident Agency of the Phoenix Division of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbie Broughton Marsh, and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Maura White of the Civil Rights Division.

PHOENIX – This week, Bryan Joshua Tewanema, 25, of Whitecone, Ariz., was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 355 months of imprisonment.  Tewanema had previously pleaded guilty to second degree murder and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence.

     During the evening of September 13, 2017, Tewanema entered a residence where the victim was staying, forced the victim outside, and then shot the victim with a rifle.  The victim died as a result.  Both Tewanema and the victim were members of the Navajo Nation, and the offense occurred in Whitecone, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.

     The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Navajo Nation Departments of Public Safety and Criminal Investigations.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix

TUCSON, Ariz. – On September 27, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge James Soto sentenced Gary Steven Colldock to 120 months in prison and ordered Colldock to pay a money judgment of $884,203.93 for Bitcoins obtained through his drug trafficking business. Colldock previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

     During a two-week period in October 2015, Colldock mailed over 50 packages of illegal drugs to various buyers across the United States. The investigation revealed that Colldock was a prolific dark web vendor who used the pseudonym “Dr. White” to advertise illegal narcotics, prescription drugs, firearms, ammunition, and Bitcoin on the dark web. During the investigation, law enforcement officials seized various firearms at Colldock’s trailer where he ran his illegal business, over 4,000 rounds of ammunition, Bitcoins, and cash.           

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Price for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.