Eastern District of California

FRESNO, Calif. — Oscar Alfredo Castanaza-Ortega (“Castanaza”), 37, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 2,864 marijuana plants in the Twin Springs area of the Sequoia National Forest, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The court also ordered Castanaza-Ortega to pay $7,819 in restitution to the Forest Service for the damage caused by his marijuana cultivation activities and ordered the forfeiture of his firearm and ammunition.

According to court documents, when law enforcement officers arrived in the grow site, Castanaza was in possession of a loaded .38 caliber firearm with the firing hammer cocked back in its firing position and a box of .38 caliber ammunition.  Castanaza admitted that he was getting paid $100 a day to water and trim the plants.

The marijuana cultivation operation caused extensive damage to the public land and natural resources.  Native trees, brush and other vegetation were cut down to make room for the marijuana plants and large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides were found in the area.  Thousands of pounds of trash, irrigation hose, and camping equipment were found at the site.  A helicopter will be needed to remove all of the trash, irrigation lines, and other debris.  Castanaza was ordered to pay $7,819.17 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for the environmental damage.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the California Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), and Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Carole Sachs, 78, an optometrist in Modesto and Turlock, pleaded guilty today to committing over $550,000 in health care fraud, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

According to court documents, from November 2016 through February 2021, Sachs billed Medicare for over $550,000 in optometry services that she did not actually provide to her patients, including the insertion of amniotic membranes, and received more than $295,000. Amniotic membranes are round discs machide from a combination of tissue and cells that are inserted into patients’ eyes to treat dry eyes and other medical conditions. Sachs paid the money back in restitution prior to entering her guilty plea.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the California Department of Health Care Services.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

Sachs is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on March 6, 2023.  She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine.  The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment yesterday against Myron Raphael Tucker, 33, of Bakersfield, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on May 10, 2022, members of the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force were attempting to take Tucker into custody for outstanding charges when he fled on foot to evade capture. As Tucker ran, officers saw him throw a loaded firearm into a pile of furniture in the backyard of a residence. The firearm was loaded with five rounds of Winchester ammunition that was not manufactured in California and an unidentified round of ammunition. Tucker has prior felony convictions for second degree robbery, assault with a firearm, and recklessly evading arrest.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, Bakersfield Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Tucker faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Fidel Gomez Garcia Jr., 46, of Walnut Grove, was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison and fined $25,000 for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. He also forfeited more than $600,000 in assets and U.S. currency involved in or traced to the illegal conspiracy.

According to court documents, Gomez Garcia owned at least five properties in San Joaquin County that he knowingly rented to others for the purpose of growing marijuana. Upon execution of a search warrant at Gomez Garcia’s residence in Acampo, agents found more than 100 pounds of processed marijuana packaged for sale, two firearms, diamond jewelry, more than $36,000 in cash, and multiple new high-end luxury vehicles, including a corvette with the vanity license place “Boss.” 

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the San Joaquin County Metro Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Desmond prosecuted the case.

This effort 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nathaniel John Cummings, 42, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison to be followed by 25 years supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Cummings sexually exploited a very young child. He also used Instagram messenger to receive visual depictions of a different child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On July 29, 2020, a law enforcement team executed a search warrant at Cummings’s residence and located multiple images of child sexual abuse on his cellphone and computer.

When Cummings was 22 years old, he was convicted of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old victim in Alameda County and received a sentence of one year in jail and five years of probation. While on probation for that sexual abuse of a minor crime, at age 25, Cummings was convicted of oral copulation, sexual penetration, and sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old victim.

This case was investigated by the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina M. McCall prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Amandeep Multani, 34, of Roseville, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, opium, and ketamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Multani and his co-conspirators, including co-defendants Parampreet Singh and Ranvir Singh, coordinated cocaine, heroin, opium, and ketamine deals in Canada. They coordinated these deals from California over encrypted cellphone applications. In total, between October 2020 and April 2021, they coordinated sales to undercover officers of approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, 1.5 kilograms of opium, 2 kilograms of ketamine, and multiple samples of heroin, for a total of $637,600 in Canadian dollars and $75,190 in U.S. dollars, in deals in Canada and Sacramento. In addition, Multani and his co-defendants offered to sell up to 100 kilograms of cocaine, up to 25 kilograms of heroin, up to 100 kilograms of opium, and up to 200 kilograms of ketamine on numerous occasions between September 2020 and April 2021.

As part of his plea agreement, Multani has agreed to cooperate fully with the United States.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the York Regional Police in Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Placer County Special Investigations Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

Parampreet Singh and Ranvir Singh have pleaded not guilty. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Multani is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on March 14, 2023. Multani faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This effort 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Keith Willette, 59, of Cameron Park, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for knowing possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, for decades, Willette was a gymnastics coach to young girls in multiple states throughout the country. In the mid-1980s, he met Juvenile Victim 2 and began spending significant amounts of time with her under the auspices of high-level gymnastics training. Willette began continually sexually abusing Juvenile Victim 2 from a young age, and used her to produce child pornography while he lived in the state of Washington. When Willette moved to El Dorado County in the late 1990s, he brought the sexually explicit videos and photographs he took of Juvenile Victim 2 to his home, and kept them until about May of 2004.

In the early 2000s, Willette became the gymnastics coach for Juvenile Victim 1, who was a talented 15-year-old athlete at the time.  When Juvenile Victim 1 was 16 or 17 years old, Willette began taking sexually explicit photographs of her, which he continued to knowingly possess until about April of 2004. 

A restitution hearing to determine how much Willette owes Juvenile Victims 1 and 2 will be held on Feb. 28, 2023. 

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rosanne L. Rust and Christina McCall and Trial Attorneys Alicia Bove and Jessica L. Urban with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aaron Ashcraft, 42, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison after pleading guilty to carrying out a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program of over $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between May 2020 and April 2021, Ashcraft submitted to lenders approved by the SBA at least seven fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications in the names of purported businesses. In the applications, Ashcraft falsely represented that each of the purported businesses had employees and monthly payroll expenses. To support the loan applications, Ashcraft submitted fabricated records, including IRS forms, checking account statements, and payroll summaries. In total, Ashcraft requested over $1.2 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans and obtained approximately $920,000.

In addition to Paycheck Protection Program fraud, Ashcraft admitted that, from September 2017 through June 2020, he embezzled at least approximately $780,000 from his former employer—a street-sweeping company in Sacramento. Ashcraft held multiple positions at the company, including chief financial officer. As chief financial officer, Ashcraft had access to the company’s business credit card accounts. Without authorization, Ashcraft used those accounts to pay for personal expenses.

Finally, Ashcraft admitted to defrauding the Maine Department of Labor. According to his plea agreement, in July 2020, Ashcraft applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, falsely claiming that he lived in Maine and was unable to work due to COVID-19. To support his application, Ashcraft submitted falsified IRS forms in which he represented that, in 2019, he operated a business in Maine that received over $160,000 in income and made a net profit of more than $66,000. In total, Ashcraft fraudulently obtained unemployment compensation of more than $58,000.

As part of his sentence, Ashcraft was ordered to pay restitution as follows: a total of $919,598 to three SBA-approved lenders; $45,979 to the SBA; $779,832 to his former employer; and $58,050 to the Maine Department of Labor.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Darnell Bernard Edwards, 33, of Antioch, pleaded guilty today to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in April and May 2019, Edwards transported two minors to the Desert Star Motel in Bakersfield and had them engage in prostitution. Edwards also transported the minors to other locations within California, supplied them with marijuana, and all three had the letter D and a crown tattooed on their bodies.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bakersfield Police Department with assistance from the Antioch Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.

Edwards is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba. Edwards faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison, a fine of $250,000, a lifetime term of supervised release, forfeiture of property, and possible restitution to victims. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Darryl Lynn Kauffman, 74, of Las Vegas, was arrested today in Los Angeles, after being charged in a scheme to defraud intended-parent clients of surrogacy agencies in Placerville and San Francisco, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

On Nov. 3, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Kauffman with 17 counts of wire fraud. The indictment was unsealed today following his arrest.

According to court documents, Kauffman, who was a CPA, held himself out as an escrow agent who specialized in providing escrow services to surrogacy agencies and their clients, the intended parents. California law requires that intended parents using the services of a surrogacy agency use escrow services and a licensed escrow agent for the payment of medical expenses and other fees to surrogate mothers. Kauffman provided escrow contracts to the intended parents through the agencies that listed him as an escrow agent. Kauffman, who was not a licensed agent, also advertised that his specialty was in providing escrow services for surrogacy cases.

According to the indictment, beginning in 2015 and continuing until March 2018, Kauffman defrauded clients from two surrogacy agencies. Intended parents in the United States, Asia, and Europe wired money to Kauffman believing he was an escrow agent and was segregating their funds into individual accounts. In fact, the intended parents were wiring money directly into Kauffman’s business bank accounts where it was co-mingled with funds from other intended parents’ and Kauffman’s other business ventures. Kauffman eventually stopped paying surrogacy fees and expenses as required by the escrow contract and converted the intended parents’ money to his own personal use. Kauffman sent false account statements to the intended parents that listed remaining funds in their escrow accounts when, in fact he had already spent their money. Kauffman ultimately defrauded the intended parents of more than $900,000. 

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the California Department of Consumer Affairs – Division of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko P. Coppola is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Kauffman faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ashley Aurich, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay $7,500 in fines for submitting a false report to try and cover up a criminal civil rights violation for the on‑duty assault of an inmate, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Aurich was a correctional officer at California State Prison, Sacramento (CSP-Sacramento). On Sept. 15, 2016, while escorting an inmate, Aurich watched her partner, Arturo Pacheco, grab the inmate’s legs and pull them out from under him. The inmate, whose hands were handcuffed behind his back, fell forward onto the concrete floor, breaking his jaw and several teeth, and suffering other injuries. That inmate was transported to UC Davis Medical Center where he received treatment for his injuries. Approximately two days later, the inmate suffered a pulmonary embolism and died. While the inmate was receiving treatment, Aurich, Pacheco, and other correctional officers began falsifying reports to cover up the incident.

On Oct. 17, 2022, Arturo Pacheco was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison for criminal civil rights violations.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the cooperation of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Office of Internal Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Rosanne L. Rust prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Andrew Keffer, 46, previously of Chico, was sentenced today to one month in prison to be followed by 150 days of home detention for theft of FEMA benefits issued in connection with the 2018 Camp Fire, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Following the 2018 Camp and Carr Fires, FEMA assistance was available to individuals who, as a result of the fires, had emergency needs for food, shelter, and personal items.  To qualify for certain benefits, an individual’s primary residence—the place where the individual resided at the time of the fire—had to have been destroyed or damaged by the fire, among other eligibility criteria.

According to court documents, FEMA issued Keffer two checks totaling $4,481.85, based on his application for FEMA benefits that falsely claimed Keffer’s primary residence had been destroyed in the Camp Fire.  Keffer cashed the two checks knowing he was not a victim of the Camp Fire and was not entitled to the money.  This case came to the attention of federal law enforcement through a tip from a member of the public.   

This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which allows the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud. Report disaster fraud by contacting the NCDF Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.  

FRESNO, Calif. — Michael Erin Vandeventer, 23, of Sparks, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on April 19, 2020, Vandeventer and others robbed a CVS Pharmacy in Madera. The additional suspects, one armed with a handgun, entered the pharmacy and breached the barrier to enter the employee-only area. Using the firearm as intimidation, the robbers then demanded controlled substances — “oxy,” “promethazine,” and others — and after obtaining them, fled to a getaway car, operated by Vandeventer. A search of Vandeventer’s phone revealed conversations and web searches showing knowledge of and preparation for the robbery.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Madera Police Department, the Fresno Police Department, and the Reno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

Vandeventer is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba. Vandeventer faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — Tan Minh Vo, 50, of San Jose, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana that was shipped from Fresno and intended for distribution in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in November 2018, Vo and co-defendants Patrick Maldonado, 46, of Madera; Elias Zambrano Jr., 43, of Fresno; Tien Van Phan, 58, of Milpitas; Halen Frazier, 36, of Kingsville, Missouri; and David Agustus McGowan, of Kansas City, Missouri,  coordinated the shipment of nearly 500 pounds of marijuana to Frazier in Kansas City. The first shipment was seized from Frazier during a traffic stop after Phan, Vo’s courier, delivered 92 pounds of marijuana to him in two suitcases at a hotel in Kansas City.

Later, agents intercepted calls between Vo, Maldonado, Zambrano, and Frazier in which they discussed the shipment of another load of marijuana to Frazier in Kansas City. That load was intercepted by Arizona troopers after stopping McGowan for nonfunctioning tail lights on his truck. During a search of the trailer, troopers found 384 pounds of marijuana and $1,629 in cash in a hidden compartment.

Following these seizures, agents executed search warrants at Vo’s residence and place of business in San Jose, as well as Maldonado’s residence in Madera and Zambrano’s residence in Fresno. At Vo’s residence, agents found $24,700 and another $20,000 in cash on Vo’s person, which represented proceeds derived from drug trafficking. At his place of business, FIND-BUY-ITEMS, agents found 70 pounds of marijuana and indoor marijuana cultivation equipment. At Maldonado’s residence, agents found 4 kilograms of cocaine, 20 pounds of packaged marijuana, a firearm, and over $45,000 in cash. At Zambrano’s residence, agents found two loaded firearms, more marijuana, and an electronic money counter.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force consisting of agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sheriff’s Offices of Tulare, Kings, and Fresno Counties, the Fresno Police Department, the Arizona Department of Health, and the Kansas City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Vo is scheduled for sentencing on March 13, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba. Vo faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Maldonado, Zambrano, and Frazier previously pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking conspiracy. Maldonado was sentenced to seven years in prison. Both Zambrano and Frazier were sentenced to two years and three months in prison. McGowan is scheduled for a status conference in federal court in Fresno on January 23, 2023. As to him, the charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Hampton is among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. Hampton was intercepted during a 30-day wiretap trafficking a kilogram of powder cocaine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and Aaron D. Pennekamp are prosecuting the case.

On Sept. 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine

On Nov. 17, 2022, Charles Cater, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

On Nov. 17, 2022, Arlington Caine, 48, of Rio Linda, and Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Caine and Hellams are scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2023.

On Dec. 1, Bobby Conner, 51, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Conner is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2023.

Charges are pending against the following defendants: Tyrone Anderson, 40, of Sacramento; Maurice Bryant, 51, of Antelope; Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento; Alex White, 61, of North Highlands; Steven Hampton, 61, of Sacramento; Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove; Jerome Adams, 54, of North Highlands; Dwight Haney, 49, of Sacramento; and Mark Martin, 62, of Sacramento. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

RESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned two indictments Thursday charging two Fresno men with illegal possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

David Mitchell, 58, of Fresno, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, following a traffic stop on Oct. 13, 2022, Mitchell was found in possession of a handgun and methamphetamine. He has a prior felony conviction for petty theft and he is prohibited from possessing guns and ammunition. Later that day, law enforcement officers searched Mitchell’s residence and located more methamphetamine. Officers also uncovered text messages indicative of drug distribution on Mitchell’s phone.

Victor Mata, 43, of Fresno, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Sept. 13, 2022, Mata was found in possession of a handgun with an extended magazine. Mata has a prior felony conviction for transportation of controlled substances and is prohibited from possessing guns and ammunition.

These cases are the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin C. Heinz is prosecuting the cases.

If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In addition, if convicted, the mandatory minimum penalty for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is 10 years in prison up to life and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The United States Attorney’s Office is advising the public to be aware of a telephone scam in which individuals posing as government officials attempt to collect or extort money.

In an attempt to add credibility to their schemes, these individuals may represent themselves as attorneys or law enforcement officers. In some recent cases, individuals have spoofed the phone number of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, meaning that their phone number appears to be coming from the U.S. Attorney’s Office when it is not. The scammers have used the spoofed number to call intended victims within California, claiming to be either a police officer or an FBI agent, and threatening to show up at the intended victim’s house if the person does not pay money for “legal fees.” These calls do not originate from the U.S. Attorney’s Office or any other government agency, and are fraudulent. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will never call members of the public and threaten to arrest them and demand payment of unspecified “legal fees.”

Fraudsters or scam artists will sometimes impersonate government officials to try to add credibility to their scheme. They also frequently target the elderly. We encourage members of the public to be alert for potential phone scams against themselves and their family members, which may include the following warning signs:

• Being told you have won a prize or sweepstakes, and need to take steps to receive it, such as sending money for taxes and insurance before receiving the prize.
• Being asked to provide or to confirm your Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers, or other personal or financial information.
• Use of scare tactics, such as claiming your loved one is in danger, or that you may be arrested if you do not take immediate action.
• Asking you to pay using money transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards.
• Pressure to act immediately.
• Promises to recover money you have lost in other scams, for a fee.
• Demanding that taxes be paid without giving taxpayers the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.

Those who receive these calls are encouraged to report them to the FTC via their website (https://reportfraud.ftc.gov) or by calling 877–FTC–HELP (877-382-4357). Fraud can also be reported to the FBI for law enforcement action at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/report-fraud. In addition, please be cautious about providing any personal information (names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers) to anyone who calls or emails you because it could result in identity theft.

Additional tips to ensure your security and safety:

• Never trust the caller ID number; the displayed telephone number can be manipulated with software.
• Always consider sending unsolicited phone calls to voicemail. Many scam call centers will not leave a message.
• Never click on links contained in unsolicited emails or text messages. The links may route you to fake websites or deploy malicious software.
• Protect your personal and financial information. Never provide this information in response to unsolicited text messages, emails or social media posts claiming to be a government agency.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against Gabriel Joseph Detrant, 49, of Redding, charging him with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Feb. 2, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Detrant was driving in Redding. Detrant stopped the vehicle, and he and a passenger fled on foot. The officers found a Baikal Makarov, Model IJ-70 9 mm handgun loaded with eight rounds by the driver’s seat, and a wallet with a card containing Detrant’s name was found by the driver’s side door. Officers later found Detrant hiding nearby in the bushes in possession of a magazine loaded with eight 9 mm rounds. Detrant is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2018 conviction in Shasta County for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, the Redding Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Detrant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

FRESNO, Calif. — Christopher Jeorge Millican, 29, of Coalinga, was sentenced today to 47 years and six months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for producing and receiving child pornography via the popular instant messaging app, Snapchat, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in July 2018, a parent reported to Snapchat that a user, later identified as Millican, had been engaging in inappropriate communications with her 11-year-old daughter. Snapchat reviewed Millican’s account and discovered images and videos depicting another, then 15-year-old minor, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Snapchat reported the conduct to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which contacted the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Fresno. Investigators identified the minor victim, who informed them that Millican had coerced her into creating and sending him these images. At the time of the offense conduct, Millican was on active duty with the U.S. Navy.

“Millican pursued a methodical and repetitive course of conduct, exploiting or attempting to exploit multiple minors to satisfy his own deviant sexual fantasies,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Today’s significant sentence reflects the serious and harmful nature of Millican’s crimes and should deter him from engaging in similar criminal conduct in the future. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with its federal and local law enforcement partners to pursue all like-minded offenders and seek justice for these young victims.”

“Safeguarding children from predators like Millican is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said HSI San Francisco/NorCal Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “As this sentence proves, these heinous crimes against children will not be tolerated. HSI works with the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to relentlessly pursue anyone involved in this criminal behavior.”

This case was the product of an investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno Police Department, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Hanford Police Department, and several local police agencies across the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.

A California man was sentenced today to 47 years and six months in prison for producing and receiving images of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in July 2018, a parent reported to Snapchat that a user, later identified as Christopher Jeorge Millican, 29, of Coalinga, had been engaging in inappropriate communications with her 11-year-old daughter. Snapchat reviewed Millican’s account and discovered images and videos depicting another, then 15-year-old minor, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Snapchat reported the conduct to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which contacted the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Fresno. Investigators identified the minor victim, who informed them that Millican had coerced her into creating and sending him these images. At the time of the offense conduct, Millican was on active duty with the U.S. Navy.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California made the announcement.

The Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno Police Department, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Hanford Police Department, and several local police agencies across the United States, investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment Thursday that adds four counts of murder in aid of racketeering against defendants alleging that the four murders were committed in furtherance of criminal acts perpetrated by the California Aryan Brotherhood, a white supremacist prison gang, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Thursday’s indictment expands the original 2019 charges by adding four new murder in aid of racketeering counts against five defendants: Ronald Yandell, 58; William Sylvester, 53; Brant Daniel, 46; Pat Brady, 50; and Jason Corbett, 49.

“This superseding indictment strikes at the heart of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang with five defendants now facing murder charges that carry with them the possibility of the death penalty,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “This white supremacist gang plagues our communities inside and outside prison and are responsible for some of the most brutal crimes committed within prison walls. We will continue to use every law enforcement tool to protect the communities impacted by this gang’s violence and criminal activities.”

“Prison gangs, like the Aryan Brotherhood, cannot hide behind bars and commit heinous act of violence without impunity,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “These additional charges deal another significant blow to this criminal organization and sends the message that we are relentless in our pursuit of those who perpetuate violence.”

“I am proud of the dedication and hard work that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation staff put into this investigation while working cooperatively alongside federal investigators and prosecutors,” Chief of CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety (OCS) Derrick Marion said. “Our agents shared their expertise and strong investigative abilities in an effort to combat the dangerous influence of prison gangs both inside and outside of our institutions.”

According to court documents, between 2011 and 2016, Aryan Brotherhood (AB) members and associates engaged in racketeering activity, committing multiple acts involving murder and drug trafficking offenses. Yandell and Sylvester oversaw a significant heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation from their shared cell. They used smuggled-in cellphones to direct their drug trafficking activity from their prison cell to the streets of Sacramento and other California cities. Using a contraband cellphone, Yandell and Sylvester communicated with AB members and associates to direct drug trafficking activities, membership in the AB, order murders, and oversee other criminal activities.

The new charges allege that the five AB members murdered four other inmates as part of their gang activities and conspired to murder several others. The indictment charges that on Oct. 7, 2011, Sylvester murdered an inmate at Folsom State Prison and, on Aug. 12, 2015, Yandell ordered AB associates to carry out an order to murder a rival prison gang member at Folsom State Prison. In addition, the new indictment alleges that AB member Daniel killed an inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison on Oct. 29, 2016, and AB members Corbett and Brady murdered an inmate on July 20, 2018, at High Desert State Prison as part of their role in the gang.

This case is the product of an investigation by the DEA with substantial investigative assistance from the CDCR, the Vallejo Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

If convicted on the murder in aid of racketeering charges, each of the five defendants face a mandatory life sentence, or the possibility of the death penalty. The Attorney General will decide whether to seek the death penalty at a later time. Should the Attorney General determine that the circumstances of the offense are such that a sentence of death is justified, the law requires that notice be filed with the court at a reasonable time before trial. The indictment’s other charges include a range of maximum sentences, including up to life in prison, and a number of defendants also face a range of mandatory minimum sentences of five to 10 years in prison. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shabina Debbie, 54, of West Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to theft of mail by a Postal Service employee and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between October 2018 and February 2019, Debbie stole items from mail that had been entrusted to her in the course of her duties as a postal employee in Sacramento. One of the packages Debbie stole contained more than 3 pounds of marijuana. Debbie agreed to forfeit over $125,000 in cash found in her home during the execution of a search warrant.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.

Debbie is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on March 14, 2023. Debbie faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christopher Matthew Rougeau, 38, of Vallejo, was sentenced today to 21 years and 10 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on April 20, 2022, law enforcement officers found Rougeau in his car and searched him pursuant to a search warrant. They found a pistol in a holster on his hip. On the passenger seat, officers found 159 grams of methamphetamine, which was 94% pure, and a digital scale. In the backseat, officers found another pistol. Rougeau has been previously convicted in California state court of multiple firearm and drug offenses.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

FRESNO, Calif. — Cecilia Aquino, 34, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in at least seven states and submitting fraudulent applications for Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans using stolen identities during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between June 2020 and November 2020, Aquino submitted unemployment insurance claims and SBA loan applications that contained several misrepresentations, including that the named individuals last worked as self-employed dancers, owned interior design businesses, and that they lost their jobs and business revenues because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state agencies that administer the unemployment insurance system, the SBA, and the United States suffered an actual loss of $220,000 and were subject to a potential loss of more than $300,000 because of Aquino’s fraud. Aquino used the money for gambling, rent, shopping, and other personal expenditures.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the SBA Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

Aquino is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Feb. 21, 2023. Aquino faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and fine of up to $250,000 for the unemployment insurance and SBA loan fraud, and a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for the identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of three interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against Devin Michael Cuellar, 28, a transient, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, being a drug addict in possession of a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition, destruction of property, receipt of stolen property, theft, and making a false statement to Yosemite National Park rangers, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Cuellar, a convicted felon on parole, broke into a private residence at Koon Hollar Road in Wawona within Yosemite National Park and resided there without permission of the owner for several months during the summer of 2021. During that time, the residence was trashed, a toolbox, flat screen TV, wrought iron candle holders, tools, and other items were stolen from the residence, and items reported stolen from other victims in Wawona were found. A sawed-off shotgun with Cuellar’s DNA was found in the residence, along with ammunition. Cuellar is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he was previously convicted of carjacking and possessing controlled substances for sale and was an unlawful user of methamphetamine and heroin. In addition, Cuellar is alleged to have falsely stated to park rangers that he had not been at the residence.

This case is the product of an investigation by Yosemite National Park Service with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services, and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Cuellar faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the two firearms offenses. He also faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of destruction of property and false statements; three years in prison for receipt of stolen property and one year in custody for theft. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Bobby Conner, 51, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to two counts of using a cellphone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Conner is among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. Conner was intercepted during a 30-day wiretap trafficking crack cocaine and powder cocaine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and Aaron D. Pennekamp are prosecuting the case.

Conner is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

On Sept. 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

On Nov. 17, 2022, Charles Carter, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

On Nov. 17, 2022, Arlington Caine, 48, of Rio Linda, and Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a cellphone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Caine and Hellams are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2023.

On July 22, 2022, Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. Michael Hampton is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8, 2022.

Charges are pending against the following defendants: Tyrone Anderson, 40, of Sacramento; Maurice Bryant, 51, of Antelope; Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento; Alex White, 61, of North Highlands; Steven Hampton, 61, of Sacramento; Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove; Jerome Adams, 54, of North Highlands; Dwight Haney, 49, of Sacramento; and Mark Martin, 62, of Sacramento. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Francelino Mario Alves, 51, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on June 13, 2017, Alves sold a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. On July 12, 2017, Alves sold another pound of methamphetamine to the undercover officer.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

Alves is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on March 7, 2023. Alves faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Richard Turner, 60, of Placerville, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, agents executed a federal search warrant at Turner’s residence in Placerville. During the authorized search, agents located over 40 pounds of methamphetamine. Agents also located six firearms, including one previously reported as stolen. Turner is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has five prior felony convictions, including a conviction for vehicle theft and drug trafficking offenses.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the methamphetamine trafficking offenses, Turner faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Turner faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jong Eun Lee, 48, a Korean national residing in Southern California, was sentenced today to 22 months in prison for a bank fraud conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between January 2016, and December 2017, Lee participated in a nationwide check kiting “bust out” scheme in order to obtain cash from banks. The scheme’s participants obtained a real Republic of Korea passport that was altered to bear a new photograph and name, which they used to open bank accounts with a small amount of cash. The accounts were dormant until a time the participants believed the bank would allow the account holder to deposit a check and make withdrawals before the check actually cleared. At that time, the participants wrote checks from a different bank account with non-sufficient funds, deposited those checks into the dormant account, and then withdrew cash from the dormant account before the checks cleared. The participants would access funds by purchasing a money order and then deposit the money order into yet another bank account associated with the scheme.

Lee is associated with opening source accounts or draining victim accounts. These bust-outs resulted in an actual loss of $378,735 to the banks, and a total intended loss of $756,218 based on additional, unsuccessful bust-out attempts.

On Nov. 10, 2022, Kyung Min Kong, 55, a citizen of South Korea, was sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison. Co-defendant Jeffrey Kim is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2023. Charges are pending against the remaining defendants: Ki Jang, Hee Soung Oh, and Bon Soke Hong, who were all indicted on Oct. 21, 2021. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey B. Hemesath is prosecuting the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Ten defendants arrested as part of Operation Red Reaper have pleaded guilty today to drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

In 2019, Operation Red Reaper was a federal, state, and local law enforcement operation that targeted the criminal activities of the Nuestra Familia Prison Gang in the counties of Kings and Tulare. At the conclusion of the operation, federal charges were brought against 23 of those defendants, with the remaining being charged by the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.

Pleading guilty today are Raymond Lopez, 35, of Pleasant Valley State Prison; Jesse Juarez, 32, of Visalia; Daniel Juarez, 30, of Visalia; Michael Rocha, 40, of Visalia; Angel Montes, 26, of Visalia; Rafael Lopez, 41, of Visalia; Manuel Barrera, 28, of Kettleman City; Joann Bernal, 36, of Armona; Ramon Amador, 33, of Riverdale; and Raul Lopez Jr., 51, of Visalia.

Two co-defendants have been sentenced after pleading guilty. On May 24, 2021, Salvador Castro Jr., 52, of Fresno, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, and on July 11, 2022, Manuel Garcia, 36, of Armona, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

According to court documents, in March 2019, various agencies partnered in an investigation into the Nuestra Familia prison gang and the Norteño street gang in Kings County. The investigation uncovered that the Nuestra Familia was responsible for large-scale trafficking of methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as various firearms offenses and other violent crimes. 

According to court documents, high-ranking Nuestra Familia members Salvador Castro Jr. and Raymond Lopez used contraband cellphones from inside Fresno County’s Pleasant Valley State Prison to arrange the transport of illicit narcotics from drug sources in California and Mexico to a stash house in Kings County. From that stash house, gang members outside of the prison coordinated the preparation and delivery of the drugs to distributors throughout Kings and Tulare Counties.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kings County Gang Task Force, the Special Operations Unit of the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Kings County District Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio, Kimberly A. Sanchez, and Jessica A. Massey are prosecuting the case.

Barrera, Amador, Montes, and Raul Lopez are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on March 6, 2023, and the remaining defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge de Alba on March 20, 2023. They face a range of mandatory minimum sentences from between five to 15 years in prison and a range of maximum sentences, including up to life in prison. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Charges are pending against the remaining defendants. The charges are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This effort 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Joshua Klomp, 48, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography following a prior sex offense conviction, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

According to court documents, in 2018, during a probation visit in 2018, Klomp was found to be in possession of two cellphones that contained thousands of images and video files of thousands of images and video files of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. At the time he possessed these images and video files, Klomp was on federal supervised release for a 2006 federal conviction for possession of child pornography. Klomp served 10 years in prison for that offense. Prior to that federal conviction, Klomp was also previously convicted in Butte County in 1995 of committing a lewd and lascivious act with a child.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.

Klomp is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Feb. 14, 2023. Klomp faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento attorney and filer of thousands of disability discrimination lawsuits pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return on which he underreported the income he earned from many of those lawsuits. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott Norris Johnson, 60, of Carmichael, owned and operated Disabled Access Prevents Injury Inc (DAPI), a legal services corporation. First using DAPI, and later a law firm, Johnson filed more than 4,000 lawsuits in the Eastern District of California and elsewhere under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and related California statutes, naming himself as the plaintiff.

Under the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996, payments related to lawsuit settlements or awards are taxable unless paid on account of personal physical injury or physical sickness. Johnson, who worked as an attorney at the IRS earlier in his career, was required to report the taxable portion of the lawsuit settlements and awards he received. He nonetheless intentionally underreported this income on his 2012, 2013, and 2014 tax returns. By understating the lawsuit settlements and awards, Johnson and DAPI paid little to no income tax for tax years 2012, 2013 and 2014. Johnson caused a loss to the IRS of more than $250,000.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine T. Lydon and Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7. 2023, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

FRESNO, Calif. — Marquis Hawkins, 30, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday to five years and 10 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on March 7, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a car that Hawkins was driving. During the traffic stop, the officers searched Hawkins and found a loaded .38‑caliber revolver inside his sweatshirt pocket. Hawkins is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has previously been convicted of two crimes of domestic violence.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A California attorney and filer of thousands of disability discrimination lawsuits pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return on which he underreported the income he earned from many of those lawsuits.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott Norris Johnson, 60, of Carmichael, owned and operated Disabled Access Prevents Injury Inc (DAPI), a legal services corporation. First using DAPI, and later a law firm, Johnson filed more than 4,000 lawsuits in the Eastern District of California and elsewhere under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and related California statutes, naming himself as the plaintiff.

Under the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996, payments related to lawsuit settlements or awards are taxable unless paid on account of personal physical injury or physical sickness. Johnson, who worked as an attorney at the IRS earlier in his career, was required to report the taxable portion of the lawsuit settlements and awards he received. He nonetheless intentionally underreported this income on his 2012, 2013, and 2014 tax returns. By understating the lawsuit settlements and awards, Johnson and DAPI paid little to no income tax for tax years 2012, 2013 and 2014. Johnson caused a loss to the IRS of more than $250,000.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. He also faces also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine T. Lydon of the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Royce Newcomb, 60, of Fresno, charged in connection with schemes estimated to have defrauded investors and the government out of more than $4.2 million was arrested today in Fresno, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

The indictment, unsealed following Newcomb’s arrest, charges him with five counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering for running Ponzi, COVID-19 benefits, and other fraud schemes through his company, Strategic Innovations LLC.

According to court records, beginning in 2017, Newcomb owned and operated Strategic Innovations that purported to make smart home and business products meant to stop package theft, prevent weather damage to packages, and make it easier for delivery services and emergency responders to find homes and businesses. He created prototypes for his products, applied for and was issued patents and trademarks, and received local and national media attention that he used to secure millions of dollars from investors.

Newcomb told his investors that he had been awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation and that he would use their money to further develop and bring his products to market. He also promised them significant returns in as little as three months. But none of these representations were true. Instead, Newcomb used the investors’ money to pay for his personal expenses such as gambling, luxury vehicles, and a mansion, to pay for refunds to other investors, and to pay for new, unrelated projects without the investors’ authorization.

In the midst of Newcomb’s Ponzi scheme, he also received a fraudulent COVID-19 loan for over $70,000 from the Small Business Administration and fraudulent loans for over $190,000 from private lenders. He lied about his company having hundreds of thousands and even millions in revenues to get these loans.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Jeffrey Spivak are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Newcomb faces maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the wire fraud counts, and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the money laundering count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of three interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

FRESNO, Calif. — Due to the efforts of federal and local law enforcement agencies working together over the course of the past 18 months on an investigation targeting local criminal street gangs in Bakersfield, 12 defendants were indicted for drug trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

On Nov. 17, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment against William Arthur Poush, 43, of Bakersfield; Rosa Fernandez, 43, of Bakersfield; Timothy Robert Hingston, 39, of North Hollywood; Spencer Matthew Hopper, 35, of Montrose; and Dale Vincent Perez, 39, of Bakersfield. According to court documents, on Jan. 20, 2022, and Feb. 24, 2022, Poush and Fernandez sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On May 11, 2022, Poush sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl pills to a confidential informant. On Aug. 13, 2022, Hingston and Hopper distributed over 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 400 grams of fentanyl to Poush, and Poush possessed that same quantity with intent to distribute. On Aug. 19, 2022, Poush and Perez conspired to possess with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, and Perez possessed that same quantity with intent to distribute. And on Sept. 1, 2022, Poush possessed over 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Bakersfield residents Dale Wesley Hubbard, 49, and Darlene Crystal Viera, 40, charging them with conspiring and distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court documents, Hubbard and Viera sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on May 3, 2022; and sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on May 25, 2022.

A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Bakersfield residents Manuel Yanes, 25, and Jorge Luis Yanes, 28, charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on June 29, 2022, and on July 22, 2022, Manuel Yanes agreed to sell over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant and Jorge Yanes delivered that same amount of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.

A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Bakersfield residents Luis Mauricio Castenon, 33, and Bryan Steven Reyes, 28, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on July 16, 2020, Castenon sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On Dec. 10, 2021, Castenon and Reyes conspired to distribute and did distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant, and on April 15, 2022, Reyes sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.

A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against David Garcia, 35, of Bakersfield, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, during a traffic stop, officers learned that Garcia was on parole and subject to search terms. A search of his vehicle yielded a stolen, loaded firearm and over 50 grams of methamphetamine.

These cases are the product of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bakersfield Police Department, the Kern County Probation Department, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office, and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Massey is prosecuting the cases.

If convicted, the defendants face various maximum sentences between 10 years and life in prison and $250,000 to $10 million in fines. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

FRESNO, Calif. — Eva Dolores Romero, 55, of Fresno, was sentenced today to four years and two months in prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between Dec. 1, 2020, and Jan. 26, 2021, Romero’s son was an inmate at the Fresno County Jail. Romero conspired with her son and others outside of jail to smuggle methamphetamine and heroin into the jail for distribution among inmates. The plot was unfoiled when law enforcement agents reviewed recorded jail calls and learned about the attempted smuggling set to occur on January 26. On that date, law enforcement intercepted an individual attempting to deliver athletic shoes to the jail for an inmate. The shoes were searched, and hidden compartments were found inside the shoes containing the illicit narcotics.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno Police Department, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment yesterday against Jacob Jacobsen, 27, of Modesto, charging him with four counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Jacobsen came to the attention of law enforcement in Memphis, Tennessee, when the mother of a 13-year-old girl reported that Jacobsen had been communicating with her through Snapchat, requesting sexually explicit content. Investigators with the Memphis Police Department and the Memphis FBI Office executed numerous search warrants and discovered that Jacobsen had been in contact with as many as 175 victims while using the Snapchat screen names “trippinj” and “treydawgg2000.” Jacobsen often purported to be 16 or 17 years old when communicating with victims and requesting that they create and send to him sexually explicit photographs and videos.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Memphis Police Department and the Memphis and Ripon FBI Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Jacobsen faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. The potential punishments for receipt of child pornography include a prison term of 20 years and a fine of $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.

FRESNO, Calif. — Brian Stoffel, 38, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for using a victim’s identity to steal money from the victim’s bank accounts and get fraudulent loans in the victim’s name, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between September 2020 and August 2021, Stoffel obtained the personally identifiable information for an individual and used it to drain the victim’s savings and apply for loans in the victim’s identity. This included a Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) loan for disaster assistance related to a wildfire. Stoffel’s scheme resulted in a loss of $420,000. He used the proceeds for personal expenses, including to buy a new motorcycle and make purchases at retail stores.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Elder Abuse Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

Stoffel is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on February 2, 2023. Stoffel faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and $1 million fine for the bank fraud charge and mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to other counts, for the identity theft charge. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — Lladira Hernandez, 23, of Fresno, was arrested today on charges that she stole over $70,000 from multiple customers’ accounts at a Fresno-based bank where she was previously employed, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in April 2022, Hernandez was hired by the bank as a customer service representative. She began stealing the bank account information for customers she helped over the phone and used it to pay bills for herself and her associates. This included mortgage payments, car payments, and phone bills. In August 2022, Hernandez transferred more than $45,000 from two customers’ accounts into her own account and abruptly quit her job at the bank. She proceeded to withdraw that money from her account and was captured doing so on surveillance video.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations. Hernandez is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment today against Darrell Anderson, 50, and Ricky Phienemanh, 35, both of Olivehurst, charging them with conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, throughout 2020, Anderson sold heroin to an undercover officer. In 2022, Anderson conspired with Phienemanh and Sanit Khamthong, 41, of Marysville to distribute, and did in fact distribute, methamphetamine and heroin. During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Phienemanh and Khamthong were supplying Anderson with large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin. Khamthong was separately indicted in September 2022 and is in federal custody.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office, the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office, the Yuba City Police Department, the Marysville Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Anderson and Phienemanh face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — Miguel Leyva, 35, and Karina Gutierrez, 32, both of Wasco, were arrested today after a federal grand jury indicted them for conspiracy, bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a long-running credit card fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between February 2016 and August 2022, Leyva and Gutierrez stole the personally identifiable information (PII) for individuals some obtained from health care providers where Gutierrez worked. They then used the PII to obtain fraudulent credit cards from banks in the identities of those individuals. Specifically, Leyva and Gutierrez created online accounts with credit reporting agencies for the individuals so they could check credit scores before applying for the credit cards. They then used false identification documents to open the credit cards and provided billing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses over which they had control so any communications from the banks would go to them. They also used checks that had been stolen from trucking and other companies to access the companies’ bank accounts and make fraudulent payments to the credit cards.

Leyva and Gutierrez’s scheme caused an actual loss of over $825,000 to the banks. They spent the proceeds on home appliances, automobile accessories, gardening equipment, designer clothing, concert tickets, professional sporting events tickets, and travel, among other items. Often times, they sold the merchandise for cash on social media sites.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Leyva and Gutierrez face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and $1 million fine for each of the conspiracy and bank fraud charges, 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine for the access device fraud charges, and mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to other counts, for the identity theft charges. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the applicable statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations. Leyva and Gutierrez are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Robert Charles Crist, 56, of Vacaville, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and manufacturing a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 20, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Crist’s home and found a lab he used to manufacture N,N‑Dimethyltryptamine, or “DMT,” a Schedule I controlled substance. Crist traveled to Hawaii to obtain plant materials for manufacturing DMT, which he mailed back to California in order to turn the plant materials into a crystalline controlled substance. Officers also found Crist in possession of a firearm. Crist is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has five prior felony convictions.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Solano County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Crist faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the firearm count and a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted for the manufacturing of a controlled substance count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after considering any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment today against Carlos Aranda, 40, and Daniel Hunt, 37, both of Sacramento, charging them with conspiracy, bank fraud, and possession of stolen mail, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Aranda is also charged with possession of mail keys or locks.

According to court documents, Aranda, Hunt, and others engaged in a conspiracy to obtain and counterfeit postal keys, which used to steal mail from the U.S. mail system. From the stolen mail, Aranda, Hunt, and their conspirators obtained identifying information, financial information, and financial instruments of other people. The conspirators periodically gathered together at motel rooms to alter or “wash” checks together. The conspirators then took the checks and attempted to negotiate, deposit, or cash them.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Aranda and Hunt face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count of bank fraud, and a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the counts of conspiracy and possession of stolen mail. Aranda further faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of possession of a mail key or lock. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jeremy David Dosier, 26, of Stockton, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in August 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Dosier’s home in in Stockton and found Dosier in the bathroom destroying a large quantity of methamphetamine in the bathtub by turning on the faucet and breaking off the faucet. Agents were able to recover 3.5 pounds of methamphetamine. Next to the bathtub were several open bags that had contained the methamphetamine the defendant destroyed. On Oct. 14, 2022, Dosier pleaded guilty and admitted that he had possessed approximately 10-13 pounds of methamphetamine before agents arrived at his house.

During the search of Dosier’s residence, agents also seized a loaded 9 mm pistol under a couch cushion and $11,830 in cash.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the San Joaquin County Metro Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Desmond prosecuted the case.

This effort 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One defendant was sentenced and two others pleaded guilty today for their participation in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin in the Eastern District of California, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

On June 3, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a 45-count indictment against 15 individuals for offenses related to a conspiracy to traffic cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin. Today, Charles Carter, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison for a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. Arlington Caine, 48, of Rio Linda, and Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, each pleaded guilty to two counts of using a cellphone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

According to court documents, Carter, Hellams, and Caine are among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. Specifically, Carter was intercepted during a 30-day wiretap trafficking kilograms of cocaine, kilograms of heroin, and methamphetamine pills. Carter was also intercepted planning to rob another heroin dealer of 3 kilograms of heroin worth $75,000. Hellams was intercepted on the wiretap arranging to obtain and sell over 630 grams of cocaine. Caine was intercepted on the wiretap arranging to obtain and sell over 40 grams of crack cocaine and over 110 grams of powder cocaine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and Aaron D. Pennekamp are prosecuting the case.

Caine and Hellams are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. They face a maximum statutory penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

On Sept. 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

On July 22, 2022, Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. Hampton is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8, 2022.

Charges are pending against the following defendants: Tyrone Anderson, 40, of Sacramento; Maurice Bryant, 51, of Antelope; Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento; Alex White, 61, of North Highlands; Steven Hampton, 61, of Sacramento; Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove; Bobby Conner, 50, of Sacramento; Jerome Adams, 54, of North Highlands; Dwight Haney, 49, of Sacramento; and Mark Martin, 62, of Sacramento. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Jaime Alejandro Sanchez Robles, 33, of Mexico, charging him with conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, manufacture of marijuana, and depredation of public lands and resources, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Oct. 20, 2022, law enforcement officers went to a marijuana growing operation in a remote area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest located in Trinity County. At the grow, agents observed that water was actively being diverted from a nearby stream, and they found the remnants of over 1,200 pounds of soluble fertilizer, 20 gallons of liquid fertilizer, over 50 pounds of rodenticide, and at least one dead animal. Law enforcement officers eradicated 1,708 marijuana plants and arrested Sanchez Robles.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office. Integral Ecology Research Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems, analyzed and documented the environmental damage. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Sanchez Robles faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Julius Rucks, 41, of Butte County, pleaded guilty Monday to three counts of distributing fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Dec. 6, 2018, Jan. 10, 2019, and April 3, 2019, Rucks sold a total of 1,000 counterfeit pharmaceutical tablets that were found to contain fentanyl to an undercover agent.

Rucks is set to be sentenced on Feb. 6, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller. Rucks faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jason Keith Arnold, 46, of Chandler, Arizona, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin and methamphetamine on the dark web, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Arnold, along with co-defendants David White, 50, and Alicia McCoy, 31, both of Chandler, operated the vendor accounts “TheSickness” and “SicknessVersion2” on Dream Marketplace. Dream Marketplace was a website on an encrypted part of the internet known as the “dark web” because it is only accessible via sophisticated encryption technology and is not visible to normal search engines such as Google. The encrypted nature of Dream Marketplace provided individuals such as Arnold—who previously owned tattoo parlors in Arizona—with relative anonymity to sell narcotics and other illegal goods and services over the internet.

Through his dark web accounts, Arnold and his co-conspirators conducted thousands of transactions for illegal drugs, including “pure gun powder heroin” and “uncut” methamphetamine. The conspirators used the U.S. Postal Service and other shippers to send these drugs from Chandler to customers throughout the country in packages purporting to contain candy. Arnold and his co-conspirators accepted payment for these narcotics in cryptocurrency, and accounts associated with the conspiracy grossed more than $350,000 during the time that “TheSickness” and “SicknessVersion2” were operational.

On Feb. 17, 2022, White was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Charges against McCoy are pending. The charges are only allegations; she is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, which includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of illicit dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Vladimir Alex Avdeyuk, 40, of Lincoln, was sentenced today to one year and a day in prison and ordered to pay $467,057 in restitution for tax evasion and corrupt endeavor to obstruct the administration of the Internal Revenue Laws, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Avdeyuk repeatedly and intentionally filed false tax returns and took numerous steps to obstruct an IRS audit of his returns. Avdeyuk filed Form 1040 individual income tax returns for himself and his spouse that substantially underreported his business income for tax years 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. Avdeyuk operated a sole proprietorship involved in construction work, particularly repairs and reconstruction after fires. If Avdeyuk had reported his business income correctly, he would have owed a total of at least $467,057 in additional tax for 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. Avdeyuk also obstructed the Internal Revenue Service’s audit of his tax returns for tax years 2012 and 2013 by submitting multiple false documents to the IRS and lying to IRS agents on multiple occasions.

On Dec. 7, 2017, in a recorded interview, Avdeyuk admitted that he had misidentified deposits submitted the false promissory note, created a false gift letter and was actually the donor, created a false loan application and knowingly omitted the business income.

Approximately three years after his confession, Avdeyuk intentionally filed another false tax return: a Form 1040 individual income tax return for the tax year 2016, which he had backdated to April 18, 2016 (forgetting that the deadline for a 2016 tax return would be in April 2017, not April 2016). On the Schedule C-EZ appended to that return, Avdeyuk reported that his business had gross receipts of $23,314, when he knew that was false because he had failed to report at least $554,577 in additional gross receipts. If he had reported his true gross receipts and expenses, his additional tax due would have been $84,231.

This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko P. Coppola prosecuted the case.