Southern District of Illinois

     A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has returned an indictment charging
Danny Vaughn, 62, of Centralia, Illinois, with 15 felony counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

     According to the indictment, Vaughn purchased computers, cell phones, and gift cards from local retailers using credit cards associated with other people’s accounts. The indictment includes 12 wire fraud charges for separate credit card transactions adding up to over $20,000 – all made over the course of four days in November, 2018, using one victim’s account at Best Buy, Walmart, and
Peoples National Bank. Vaughn allegedly received copies of the victims’ credit cards from co-conspirators, along with packages containing other fraudulently acquired property. The indictment alleges that Vaughn shipped the fraudulently acquired items to addresses overseas, including Malaysia.

     Vaughn is due in federal court for his initial appearance on July 13 at 10:00 a.m. A trial date has not been set. Each of the 14 fraud charges is punishable by as much as 20 years in prison. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory sentence of two years imprisonment in addition to the punishment imposed for any other count.

     An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

     The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the
Centralia Police Department.

     A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has returned an indictment charging Seth
W. Sorensen, 45, with one count of mail theft and four counts of possessing stolen mail.

     According to the indictment, Sorensen stole mail out of a residential mailbox on R&R Drive in
Okawville. The indictment also charges Sorensen with possessing stolen mail addressed to a second
Okawville resident and three residents of Collinsville. All of the crimes charged allegedly occurred in February 2019.

     Sorensen is currently serving a three year sentence for an unrelated crime. His initial appearance and trial dates have not been set. Each charge carries up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

     An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

     The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the
Collinsville Police Department, and the Okawville Police Department.

Fairview Heights, Ill. – U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft today joined Attorney General William P.
Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness
Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time, seniors are particularly vulnerable, isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions. Bad actors have already been exploiting this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scams and fraud schemes. The Department of
Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.

“Here in Southern Illinois, the greatest generation needs our help,” said U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft.
“In the sunset of their lives, our parents and grandparents shouldn’t have to live in fear of being abused or neglected or conned out of their life’s savings. From bad nursing homes and health care fraud to identity theft and telemarketing scams, we take these crimes very seriously and will vigorously prosecute anyone who victimizes senior citizens in this district.”

Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder
Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities. Major strides have already been made to that end:

• National Elder Fraud  Hotline:  833-FRAUD-11.  Earlier  this  year  Attorney  General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who lieve they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.

•  Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. Established in June 2019 to combat   foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S.
Attorneys’ Offices along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants.

• Annual Elder Justice Sweep. In March of this  year,  the  Attorney  General  announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors.

• Money Mule Initiative. Since October 2018, the Department  and  its  law  enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year. In Southern
Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service are continuing to actively investigate and disrupt money mule operations through confrontation, education, and criminal prosecution.

• Holding foreign-based perpetrators and those that flee the United States accountable. The U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois has joined the Department in prosecuting transnational criminal organizations targeting our elder population in a variety of schemes, including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and tech support scams. In 2019, for example, this office prosecuted two of the owners of AFD Medical, a telemarketing scam based in Montreal, Canada, that targeted senior citizens in the United States by offering prescription drug discount cards for $299. These cards were available for free on the internet and provided no real benefit to most seniors. Two others involved in the scheme were also prosecuted in this district, and all four defendants were sentenced to prison.

For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim rvices, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.

A Centralia man who allegedly threatened to shoot local police officers is behind bars this evening. Lashawn L. Wilks, 31, has been charged by federal complaint with unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. United States Magistrate Judge Gilbert C. Sison issued the warrant for Wilks’s arrest immediately after the complaint was filed. Wilks is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court early next week.

According to the complaint, at 2:55 a.m. on May 23, Centralia police officers responded to complaints of loud noise at a house party on North Maple Street. When officers approached to address the noise and multiple cars blocking the road, Wilks reportedly stood in front of a crowd of roughly 70 people and threatened the officers with physical violence if they came onto his property without a warrant. Wilks allegedly told one of the officers, “You all come up on my property there is going to be a shooting. I know my rights. You can’t come anywhere on my property and do a damn thing, or I will shoot a cop’s [expletive] ass.” Wilks also allegedly told police that if they tried to arrest him, they would have to shoot him. Officers were reportedly able to maintain calm with the crowd and avoid a violent incident.

The complaint alleges that in the days following, law enforcement received information from numerous sources that Wilks had several guns in the house during the party and that he had said he was going to “kill a cop” and have a shootout with police if the officers attempted to break up the party.

On May 25, George Floyd died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd lay handcuffed face down in the street. This incident has led to widespread public outrage and ongoing protests across America.

On May 26, Wilks allegedly posted on Facebook, “This is exactly why I told them bitches Friday night I’ma put a shotgun shell in they ass if they step on my property [without] a warrant or some form of probable cause....” Officers also allegedly observed other recent posts where
Wilks appeared to threaten violence to police.

On June 2, law enforcement officers were advised that Wilks and others were discussing plans to organize a protest and then cause a riot in Centralia. Wilks reportedly discussed shooting police officers and the individuals allegedly created a list of specific officers they planned to shoot.

On June 4, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at the residence on North Maple Street and found a 9mm pistol, a rifle, and a 12 gauge shotgun. According to the complaint, someone had attempted to obliterate the serial number on the shotgun, but it was still visible. The complaint alleges that Wilks and one other adult were present at the home during the execution of the search warrant. Wilks allegedly has a prior conviction for domestic battery in Marion County. Federal law prohibits a person who has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from knowingly possessing a firearm.

“The complaint underscores the complexities faced when responding to civil protests,” said
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Most people gather at these events to exercise their constitutional rights and demand that America live up to its promise of equal protection under law.
Those voices need to be heard. At the same time, however, there are those who misuse the protests and deepen social divisions by engaging in acts of violence.” Weinhoeft continued, “The right of the people peaceably to assemble is one of America’s most sacred civil liberties, and it must be protected from those who would corrupt that freedom with violence.”

If convicted of the charge, Wilks faces a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

A complaint is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

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

The  ongoing  investigation  is  being  conducted  by  the  FBI  and  the  Centralia  Police
Department, with assistance from the Wamac Police Department.

Fairview Heights, Ill. – U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today that four local law enforcement agencies will be receiving a total of more than $1 million in grant awards from the
Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program.
Community-oriented policing focuses on building ties and working closely with community members.
The following police departments in the Southern District of Illinois have been awarded COPS funding:

Anna Police Department      $125,000

Brooklyn Police Department $123,044

Caseyville Police Department $125,000

Collinsville Police Department $750,000

These police departments were among 596 law enforcement agencies across the nation chosen to receive COPS grants totaling $400 million. The funds are expected to provide financial support to hire additional full-time law enforcement professionals and enhance local community policing strategies and tactics.

“The Department of Justice is committed to providing the police chiefs and sheriffs of our great nation with needed resources, tools, and support. The funding announced today will bolster their ranks and contribute to expanding community policing efforts nationwide,” said Attorney General
William P. Barr. “A law enforcement agency’s most valuable assets are the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in the name of protecting and serving their communities.”

U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft said, “We are a self-governing nation, which requires a relationship between the government and the community that it serves. In these turbulent times, we see the damage that occurs when those relationships are fractured. These grants reflect a substantial commitment to help strengthen those bonds and provide support for the valuable work these police departments are already doing for the communities they protect. For the residents of
Anna, Brooklyn, Caseyville, and Collinsville, this is very good news.”

he COPS Hiring Program is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime  and advanc public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. Applicants were required to identify a specific crime and disorder problem focus area and explain how the funding will be used to implement community policing approaches to that problem focus area. Forty-three percent of the awards announced today will focus on violent crime, while the remainder of the awards will focus on a variety of issues, including school-based policing to fund school resource officer positions, building trust and respect, and opioid education, prevention, and intervention. The COPS Office received nearly 1,100 applications requesting more than 4,000 law enforcement positions.
For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/.

The Department of Justice today filed a statement of interest in an Illinois federal court in support of a lawsuit filed by Illinois state representative Darren Bailey challenging certain actions of Governor J.B. Pritzker in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Statement of Interest is part of Attorney General William P. Barr’s April 27, 2020 initiative directing Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division, and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Matthew Schneider, to review state and local policies to ensure that civil liberties are protected during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor of Illinois has, over the past two months, sought to rely on authority under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act to impose sweeping limitations on nearly all aspects of life for citizens of Illinois, significantly impairing in some instances their ability to maintain their economic livelihoods.  According to the lawsuit, the Governor’s actions are not authorized by state law, as they extend beyond the 30-day time period imposed by the Illinois legislature for the Governor’s exercise of emergency powers granted under the Act. 

Representative Bailey brought his case in Illinois state court and elected only to assert state law claims.  On May 15, the presiding state court judge ordered Bailey to file his motion for summary judgment by May 18 and instructed the Governor to respond to it by May 21.  A hearing on the motion for summary judgment was scheduled to take place in state court today. Yesterday, however, instead of responding to Bailey’s motion for summary judgment, the Governor removed the case to federal district court. 

“The Governor of Illinois owes it to the people of Illinois to allow his state’s courts to adjudicate the question of whether Illinois law authorizes orders he issued to respond to COVID-19,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division.  “The United States Constitution and state constitutions established a system of divided and limited governmental power, and they did so to secure the blessings of liberty to all people in our country.  Under our system, all public officials, including governors, must comply with the law, especially during times of crisis.  The Department of Justice remains committed to defending  the rule of law and the American people at all times, especially during this difficult time as we deal with COVID-19 pandemic.”

“However well-intentioned they may be, the executive orders appear to reach far beyond the scope of the 30-day emergency authority granted to the Governor under Illinois law,” said Steven D. Weinhoeft, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.  “Even during times of crisis, executive actions undertaken in the name of public safety must be lawful.  And while the people of Illinois must be physically protected from the effects of this public health crisis, including by complying with CDC guidelines their constitutionally guaranteed rights and liberties must be safeguarded as well.”  

In its statement of interest, the United States explains that this dispute belongs in Illinois state court, and that Representative Bailey has raised substantial questions as to whether the Governor’s current response to COVID-19 is lawful.  Although the complaint does not raise any federal constitutional claims, the statement explains, “It is up to the Illinois courts to rule on Plaintiff’s claims, which, because of the sweeping nature of the Orders, may affect millions of lives and raise significant constitutional concerns in other litigation.”  Even in the face of a pandemic, states must comply with their own laws in making these sensitive policy choices in a manner responsive to the people and, in doing so, both respect and serve the goals of our broader federal structure, including the guarantee of due process in the U.S. Constitution. 

The federal case is Bailey v. Pritzker, No. 3:20-cv-474.

East St. Louis, Ill. – Reoffending in the federal system has cost one East St. Louis resident  almost two decades of his life behind bars. In 2017, James T. Keel, 31, was out on federal  supervised release when he was caught selling cocaine from a house in East St. Louis. On Wednesday,  United States District Judge Staci M. Yandle sentenced Keel to 210 months in prison, to run  consecutively to the 27.5-month sentence Keel had already received back in February for violating  the terms of his supervised release.

Keel was originally prosecuted in 2012 for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and  possession with intent to distribute 30 grams of crack cocaine. He was convicted and sentenced to 
70 months in June 2012 and began serving a term of supervised release in May 2016. In September and 
October 2017, undercover agents working with the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southern 
Illinois (MEGSI) and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office purchased crack cocaine from Keel on  four occasions. Agents then served a search warrant on the residence and recovered 95 grams of  powder cocaine, 64 grams of crack cocaine, 7 firearms, and over $17,000 in cash. It was later  determined that Keel had been selling drugs out of the house for over 9 months before he was  caught.

In handing down the 17.5-year sentence, Judge Yandle emphasized the need to protect the public from 
Keel and deter others who are part of the ongoing drug epidemic plaguing our society. Keel  testified at his sentencing hearing that he hadn’t sold as much cocaine as the agents claimed, but 
Judge Yandle found his testimony “disingenuous” as it contradicted what he told investigators  during a videotaped interview. Judge Yandle further pointed to the number of guns Keel illegally  kept in the house where he was selling cocaine, as well as the length of time he had been selling  drugs. It was clear, she said, that Keel had not learned anything from his previous stint in  prison.

Keel pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2018. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to serve  an additional 10 years of supervised release when his prison term ends.

This case was investigated by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, MEGSI, and the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hoell prosecuted the case.
 

Fairview Heights, Ill. – U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois  joins today with federal officials across the Department of Justice in observance of National 
Police Week. During this week – May 10 through May 16 – we pay special honor to the service and  sacrifice of our nation’s federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. Due to the ongoing  pandemic, all Police Week events will be virtual this year, but our respect and heartfelt gratitude  remain as strong as ever.

“There is no more noble profession than serving as a police officer,” said Attorney General William 
P. Barr. “The men and women who protect our communities each day have not just devoted their lives  to public service, they’ve taken an oath to give their lives in order to ensure our safety. And  they do so not only in the face of hostility from those who reject our nation’s commitment to the  rule of law, but also in the face of evolving adversity – such as an unprecedented global health  pandemic. This week, I ask all Americans to join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our nation’s federal,  state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. Their devotion and sacrifice to our peace and  security will not be taken for granted.”

U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft said, “Law enforcement officers are ‘the thin blue line’ that maintains  order and protects us from chaos. Police work has always involved risk; but we are living through a  moment in history when danger hides in the most routine activities. While most Americans are  sheltering in place, we have witnessed men and women in essential positions heroically serving the  people of this nation in spite of the danger. As they continue to merit our praise and sincerest  gratitude, we pause this week to show our respect to all the law enforcement officers who daily  make this brave act of sacrifice, putting our collective safety ahead of their own. I am especially  proud of the dedicated officers who serve and protect the Southern District of Illinois and who  have continued to work, without fanfare, in the midst of this pandemic.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and 
National Police Week, to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and  sacrifices. Each year during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law  enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and  commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities they swore to serve. Peace Officers Memorial Day, observed every year on May 15, specifically honors law

enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data collected and analyzed  by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 89 law enforcement  officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2019, including Illinois State Trooper Nicholas 
Hopkins here in the Southern District of Illinois. In the early morning hours of August 23, 2019,  Trooper Hopkins, 33, was shot and killed while attempting to execute a search warrant at a  residence in East St. Louis. A 10-year veteran of law enforcement, Trooper Hopkins was a member of  the Illinois State Police SWAT team – a group of dedicated professionals routinely tasked with some  of the most dangerous assignments. His tragic death was deeply felt across the district and still  weighs heavily on the hearts of all who knew him.

Comprehensive data tables and brief narratives describing the other fatal attacks on law  enforcement officers are available at https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2019/home. According to FBI data,  there were an additional 41 officers nationwide who were killed accidentally last year while on  duty. Trooper Hopkins’ name, along with the names of the other fallen officers, has been added to  the wall at the National Law Enforcement Memorial and will be read aloud on Wednesday, May 13,  2020, during a candlelight vigil.

Because public events have been suspended as a result of COVID-19, the vigil will be livestreamed  to the public at 7:00 PM CDT. To register to view this free online event, please  www.LawMemorial.org/webcast.  To  learn  more  about  National Police  Week  and  the virtual candlelight vigil, please visit www.policeweek.org.
 

Next week, April 19-25, 2020, is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme—Seek
Justice | Ensure Victims’ Rights | Inspire Hope—recognizes the individuals and groups whose advocacy has propelled the victims’ rights movement forward for the past half century, inspiring in victims and their loved ones a feeling of hope for progress, justice, and healing.

Although all National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities have been postponed or cancelled this year due to the pandemic, we still honor crime victims in our daily work, ensure victims’ rights, and maintain our steadfast commitment to seeking justice for victims. We also want to remind the community of an important resource and service available during this global crisis.

“The Coronavirus continues to batter every segment of our society,” said U.S. Attorney Steven
Weinhoeft. “It is taking a toll on our economy and every part of our daily lives. But more important is its cost in terms of human suffering. Any individual who seeks to exploit this suffering through fraud, price gouging, or other means can expect to face the full wrath of the federal justice system.  The
U.S. Attorney’s Coronavirus Fraud Task Force is working with local, state, and federal law enforcement officials, and we will aggressively prosecute anyone who further victimizes the good people of this district who are simply trying to survive this pandemic.”

Anyone who has been a victim of a Covid-19 fraud or scam should call the National Center for
Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or send complaints to the NCD e-mail address: disaster@leo.gov. Victims can also contact our office directly at 618-628-3700.

U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois today announced the  availability of nearly $60 million in Department of Justice grants to help communities address  public safety by supporting successful reentry of adult and juvenile offenders into their  communities.

“Our nation is facing difficult public safety challenges that demand strong and immediate action. 
The high rate of recidivism poses a dire threat to community safety and is being met with a robust  response by this Administration,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney 
General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). “The Department of Justice is front and center in  the fight to meet this persistent challenge. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding  available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions.”

The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety  funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs  support a wide array of activities and services, including adult and juvenile reentry initiatives  and research projects designed to improve our knowledge of what works in reentry programming. A  number of funding opportunities are currently open, with several more opening in the near future.

Correctional Adult Reentry Education, Employment, and Recidivism Reduction Strategies Program https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17104
Total Available $7.2 million                                      Deadline 4/27/2020

Improving Community Supervision Outcomes Through Swift, Certain, and Fair Responses https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17096
Total Available $3 million                                         Deadline 4/28/2020

Improving Reentry for People with Substance Use Disorders Program https://bja.ojp.gov/SCASUD20
Total Available $13.2 million                                    Deadline 4/27/2020

Innovations in Reentry Initiative: Building System Capacity & Testing Strategies to Reduce 
Recidivism https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17281
Total Available $4 million                                         Deadline 5/4/2020

Research and Evaluation on Promising Reentry Initiatives  https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17295
Total Available $6 million                                         Deadline 5/5/2020

Review and Validation of the First Step Act Risk Assessment Tool  https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-fsa
Total Available: Determined after selection              Deadline 4/10/2020

Second Chance Act Community-Based Reentry Program  https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17110
Total Available $13.5 million                                    Deadline 5/4/2020

Second Chance Act Evaluation Participation Support  https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17680
Total Available $4 million                                         Deadline 4/28/2020

Second Chance Act Youth Offender Reentry Program  https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/media/document/ojjdp-2020-17350.pdf
Total Available $7 million                                         Deadline 4/28/2020

For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities
 

U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois today announced the  availability of more than $163 million in Department of Justice grants to help communities address 
America’s addiction crisis.

“Our nation is facing the difficult challenge of curbing substance addiction, which threatens  public safety and is among the Administration’s top domestic priorities,” said Katharine T. 
Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). 
“The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight to meet this challenge. OJP is making  historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to  innovative and diverse solutions.”

The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety  funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs  support a wide array of activities and services, including programs designed to prevent overdose  deaths and break the cycle of addiction and crime.

A number of funding opportunities that address the addiction crisis are currently open:

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program  https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17098
Total Available $1.75 million                                    Deadline 5/14/2020

Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program  https://bja.ojp.gov/COSSAP20
Total Available $27 million                                       Deadline 5/21/2020

Enhancing Community Responses to America’s Addiction Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims https://ovc.ojp.gov/funding/awards/2020-v3-gx-k162
Total Available: $19 million                                      Deadline: 5/4/2020

Family Drug Court Program https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17090
Total Available $18.2 million                                    Deadline 4/8/2020 (Extended)

Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program  https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17754
Total Available $28.1                                                 Deadline 5/5/2020

Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17051
Total Available $7.2 million                                      Deadline 4/13/2020 (Extended)

Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative  https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-16930
Total Available $48 million                                       Deadline 4/13/2020

Opioid Affected Youth Initiative https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17352
Total Available $9 million                                         Deadline 4/20/2020

Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17275
Total Available $1 million                                         Deadline 4/20/2020

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners https://bja.ojp.gov/RSAT20
Total Available $4.5 million                                      Deadline 4/6/2020

For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities
 

U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois today announced the availability of more than $65 million in Department of Justice grants to help communities combat human trafficking and serve adults and children who are victimized in trafficking operations.

"Our nation is facing difficult challenges, none more pressing than the scourge of human trafficking. Human traffickers pose a dire threat to public safety and countering this threat remains one of the Administration’s top domestic priorities," said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). "The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight against this insidious crime. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions."

The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including programs that support human trafficking task forces and services for human trafficking survivors. A number of funding opportunities are currently open, with several more opening in the near future.

Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance Program

https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17351

Total Available $1.8 million Deadline 4/6/2020 (Extended)

Multidisciplinary Task Force Program to Combat Human Trafficking

Total Available $22 million Opens week of 3/16/2020

Preventing Trafficking of Girls

Total Available $1.7 million Opens week of 3/16/2020

Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17324

Total Available $2.5 million Deadline 4/20/2020

Services for Victims of Human Trafficking

Total Available $16.5 million Opens week of 3/16/2020

Specialized Training and Technical Assistance on Housing for Victims of Human Trafficking

Total Available $2 million Opens week of 3/16/2020

Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Program

Total Available $5 million Opens week of 3/16/2020

Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking

Total Available $6 million Opens week of 3/16/2020

Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Labor Trafficking

Total Available $8 million Opens week of 3/16/2020

For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, visit https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities

Fairview Heights, Ill. - U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois today appointed a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator and urged the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or sending complaints to the NCDF e-mail address: disaster@leo.gov.

In coordination with the Department of Justice, Attorney General William Barr has directed U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus fraud schemes. The NCDF Hotline can receive and enter complaints into a centralized system that can be accessed by all U.S. Attorneys, as well as Justice Department litigating and law enforcement components to identify, investigate and prosecute fraud schemes. The NCDF coordinates complaints with 16 additional federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state attorneys general and local authorities.

"As our nation weathers this crisis, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois will remain open and continue to serve out its critical mission," said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. "At the direction of the Attorney General, this office will also be working to ensure that anyone who would exploit this public health emergency for their own fraudulent gain is discovered and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Across the world, there have already been reports of online advertisements for fake Coronavirus cures, phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and even malicious websites and apps that appear to share Coronavirus-related information, only to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received. Consumers should also be aware of these other reported scams:

• Private companies purporting to sell COVID-19 tests or lists of infected persons.

• Online resellers peddling fake, low-quality and potentially dangerous health care and hygiene products, including face masks, lotions, and sanitizers.

• Door-to-door sales of professional "decontamination" services.

• Fake charities and phony fundraising offers.

• Medical providers obtaining patient information for COVID-19 testing and then using that information to fraudulently bill for other tests and procedures.

The elderly are likely to be targeted in many of these schemes and should be especially wary of any virus-related marketing efforts that appear to be aimed specifically at older Americans. As the economic impact of the crisis worsens, companies advertising debt relief services, government assistance to displaced workers, or investment opportunities promising quick, high-dollar returns should also be viewed with caution.

On March 19, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen directed each U.S. Attorney to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as the legal counsel for the federal judicial district on matters relating to the Coronavirus, to direct the prosecution of Coronavirus-related crimes, and to conduct outreach and awareness activities. The Southern District of Illinois has appointed the chief of the Fraud and Corruption Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Verseman, to serve as our Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator.

U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois today announced the availability of more than $83 million in Department of Justice grants to help communities improve school security and protect students, teachers and faculty from threats of violence.

"School violence is no longer an abstract threat but has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities. Moving to meet this challenge is among the Administration’s top domestic priorities," said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). "The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight to meet this challenge. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions."

The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including programs designed to tighten school security and improve the reporting of threats. A number of funding opportunities for school safety are currently open, with another opening in the near future:

Research and Evaluation on School Safety

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17308

Total Available $5 million Deadline 4/13/2020

STOP Act School Violence Program (FY20)

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17308

Total Available $71.4 million Deadline 4/13/2020

Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence

https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17926

Total Available $7 million Deadline 4/27/2020

For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, visit https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities.

On the morning of Aug. 23, 2019, Illinois State Trooper Nicholas Hopkins, 33, was killed in the line of duty while attempting to execute a state search warrant in East St. Louis, Illinois. On Wednesday, a federal grand jury in East St. Louis returned an eight-count indictment charging Christopher R. Grant, 46, with several federal crimes, including using a firearm to murder Trooper Hopkins in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

"On that devastating day in August, the U.S. Attorney’s Office pledged every available resource to support this investigation and to support the men and women of law enforcement - today’s indictment keeps that promise," said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. "We continue to mourn for Nick and his family and we will continue our work to honor his sacrifice."

According to the federal indictment, Grant was using the house where the warrant was executed to distribute controlled substances. The indictment charges that Grant knowingly fired a Glock, Model 19, 9mm caliber pistol, causing Trooper Hopkins’ death with "malice aforethought," the state of mind needed to prove it was murder and not an accident.

Grant is also charged with distribution of crack cocaine (three counts), maintaining a drug house, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, use of a firearm to commit murder in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Grant has been held in state custody on first-degree murder charges since the shooting occurred. His initial appearance and arraignment on the federal charges has not yet been scheduled.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said, "The Illinois State Police appreciate the steps taken by the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney, who are working in partnership with the St. Clair County State’s Attorney to ensure that justice is done. The joint state and federal prosecutions recognize the very real dangers the men and women of law enforcement face every day – perhaps now more than ever."

St. Clair County State’s Attorney Jim Gomric said, "In August of 2019, Mr. Weinhoeft and I stood shoulder to shoulder and pledged that the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the death of Trooper Nick Hopkins would constitute a consolidated effort involving both the United States federal government and the State of Illinois. The federal indictment of Christopher Grant by the grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois places us one step further toward the fulfillment of that pledge. My office is thankful to all assets of every agency involved in this investigation. My office more than appreciates all of the diligent effort put forward by Mr. Weinhoeft and Criminal Chief Ali Summers who have worked so hard on this matter."

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

This case is being investigated by the Illinois State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali M. Summers is prosecuting the case.

A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has returned an eight-count indictment charging Sarah A. Delashmit, 35, of Highland, Illinois, with wire fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Delashmit is accused of falsely claiming she had breast cancer and genetic disorders to receive financial assistance and other benefits.

According to the indictment, Delashmit falsely claimed she was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to attend Camp Summit, a nonprofit camp serving individuals with disabilities located in Texas. The indictment further alleges that while at Camp Summit, Delashmit impersonated an individual with disabilities by confining herself to a wheelchair and pretending to need assistance with most daily activities, such as getting dressed and bathing, despite being fully able to walk and care for herself.

In addition, the indictment alleges that Delashmit falsely claimed she was a breast cancer survivor to go on a trip and receive donated items through the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), a nonprofit organization serving young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer based in New York. Delashmit is also accused of making false statements to a credit card company and an internet retailer to obtain a triathlon bicycle valued at $4,499.00 without paying for it.

Delashmit is due in federal court for her initial appearance on March 24, 2020, at 10:00am. A trial date has not been set. If convicted, Delashmit faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the mail fraud and wire fraud charges. The aggravated identity theft charges each carry a mandatory sentence of two years imprisonment.

An indictment merely is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke J. Weissler.

Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois announced today that on February 20, 2020, a federal jury in East Saint Louis returned a guilty verdict against 
Fernando Alvarez-Carvajal, age 49 of Los Angeles, California. Alvarez-Carvajal was convicted of  conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine after a three-day trial.
Evidence presented during the trial established that from October 2016 through December 2018,  Alvarez-Carvajal, along with five co-conspirators, was involved in an operation that distributed  pound quantities of methamphetamine in the Southern District of Illinois, Philadelphia, and  elsewhere. Specifically, Alvarez-Carvajal used his bank account to funnel drug proceeds and served  as a courier of drugs and money for the organization.

Alvarez-Carvajal remains in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending his sentencing  on May 20, 2020 in United States District Court. At sentencing, the defendant will face a term of  imprisonment of from ten years to life in prison. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau  of Investigation and the Alton, Illinois Police Department under the auspices of the Organized 
Crime and Drug Enforcement  Task  Force.  The  case  was  prosecuted  by  Assistant  United  States 
Attorney Karelia  S. Rajagopal and Special Assistant United States Attorney, Donald S. Boyce

James K. Young, 66, of Dupo, Illinois, has pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving child  pornography, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. Young is also charged with five  counts of distributing child pornography, but the United States has agreed to dismiss those charges  at the sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for May 13, 2020, in East St. Louis, Illinois.

Young was discovered by law enforcement during an online, undercover investigation. On May 3, 2018,  a federal search warrant was executed at Young’s home. His desktop computer was seized and found to  contain 2,441 images of child pornography. As part of his plea, Young admitted that he knowingly  received child pornography on Nov. 7, 2017, and April 29, 2018.

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela 
Scott. The 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to  identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
 

Jonathan R. Moore, a/k/a “J-Mo,” 34, of Carbondale, Illinois, and Elijah S. Lacy, a/k/a “E,” 35, of 
Murphysboro, Illinois, were recently sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a  methamphetamine conspiracy. Both Moore and Lacy previously pleaded guilty to one count of  conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of attempted  possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The alleged offenses  occurred in Jackson County, Illinois, between December 2018 and January 2019.

Evidence at the plea hearings established that Moore and Lacy were involved with others in the  distribution of ice. Ice is methamphetamine with a purity level of at least 80%. Moore had multiple  packages of ice mailed from California to Jackson County residences. Moore, Lacy, and others then  distributed the ice in southern Illinois. In late January 2019, Moore arranged to have  approximately 56 pounds of ice mailed from California to three Jackson County residences. Lacy  received one of the shipments.

Earlier today, the district court found Lacy responsible for distributing approximately 12.6  kilograms of ice and sentenced him to 235 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised  release. He was also ordered to pay $700 in fines. Moore, who was found responsible for  distributing approximately 24 kilograms of ice, was sentenced last month to 210 months  imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and $400 in fines.

A third man, co-defendant Kenton Murillo, a/k/a “Nephew,” has also pleaded guilty to his role in  the methamphetamine conspiracy but has not yet been sentenced.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the 
Carbondale Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department,  Illinois State Police, Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, and the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Melissa Scanlan (a/k/a “The Drug Llama”) has been sentenced to 160 months in federal prison in the 
United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois for trafficking fentanyl  throughout the United States via the “dark web,” engaging in an international money laundering  conspiracy, and distributing fentanyl that results in death.

The crimes for which Scanlan was sentenced are as follows: one count of conspiracy to distribute  fentanyl, five counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of selling counterfeit drugs, one count  of misbranding drugs, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and one  count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. The 32-year old San Diego native pleaded  guilty to those charges in October 2019. Scanlan’s co-conspirator, Brandon Arias, 34, was  previously sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.

Facts disclosed in open court revealed that Scanlan and Arias created an account on “Dream Market,”  a dark web1 marketplace where users buy and sell illegal substances and services, and used that  account to sell substantial quantities of narcotics while operating under the moniker, “The Drug 
Llama.” The charged fentanyl distribution conspiracy lasted from October 2016 to August 2018,  during which time Scanlan sold approximately 52,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States.

According to court records, Scanlan and Arias made over $100,000 from their dark web drug  trafficking and split the money evenly. Court records also demonstrated Scanlan’s participation in  an international money laundering conspiracy with Mexican cartel members, as well as her role in  aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl pills to a woman identified as A.W., who later  died.

Commenting on the case, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft assailed the culture of criminality that  exists on the dark web. “Criminals like Melissa Scanlan who recklessly flood our communities with  opioids may think they can evade detection in the shadowy corners and back alleys of the internet. 
But they will find no quarter there. Where they go, we will follow. With the collaboration of  outstanding investigators at our partner agencies, we will use every tool and method available to  find these people and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” U.S. Attorney Steven D. 
Weinhoeft also noted that this prosecution further underscores the critical need for Congress to  permanently criminalize fentanyl analogues.

“Illicit opioid distribution, whether online or through conventional drug distribution methods, and  the resulting overdoses and deaths are a continuing national crisis; those who contribute to that  crisis through their illegal actions will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge 
Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We are fully  committed to disrupting and dismantling illegal prescription drug distribution networks that misuse  the internet at the expense of public health and safety.”

“With accessibility of fentanyl, it is imperative that the Drug Enforcement Administration and its  law enforcement partners exploit all distribution avenues utilized by drug traffickers in Scanlan’s  case,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge William J. Callahan of the St. Louis Division. “Scanlan  distributed poison in our community that resulted in death and she is now being held accountable.”

This case was part of a months-long, coordinated national operation involving the Food and Drug 
Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United 
States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs and 
Border Protection, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and  the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek
J. Wiseman is the prosecuting attorney on the case.

1  The dark web is an underground computer network that is unreachable by traditional search engines and Web Browsers. This false cloak has led to a proliferation of criminal marketplaces, like the one used by Scanlan and Arias.

East St. Louis, Ill.— Mia Lynn Cousett, 33, of Alton, Illinois, pled guilty this morning to 12  felony counts, each charging her with theft of government funds. The stolen funds were social  security checks payable to Cousett’s mother, who died in April 2017.

In court, Cousett admitted that for 12 months after her mother passed away, she continued to cash  her mother’s social security checks and used the funds for her own expenses. Cousett forged her  dead mother’s signature on the backs of each check, deposited the checks into her mother’s bank  account, and then accessed the money using her mother’s debit card. In total, Cousett stole 
$15,601. Cousett also admitted that she used her dead mother’s driver’s license number to conceal  and perpetuate her crimes.

Sentencing is set for May 20, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. Each  of the charges carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, in  addition to restitution. As part of her plea agreement, Cousett agreed to voluntarily resign from  her position as a letter carrier for the post office in Alton before her sentencing hearing.

The investigation was conducted by agents from the Social Security Administration, Office of the 
Inspector General, Chicago Field Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Chicago 
Division, St. Louis Field Office, and the Alton Police Department.       The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott A. Verseman and Luke J. Weissler.
 

On Feb. 3, Judge Staci M. Yandle of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois entered an order revoking the naturalized U.S. citizenship of convicted terrorist, Iyman Faris. Faris, a native of Pakistan, was convicted in 2003 of providing material support to al Qaeda and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Among other actions in support of al Qaeda, in 2002, Faris evaluated the practicality of a plot to collapse the Brooklyn Bridge in New York using gas cutters, communicating his assessment to al Qaeda via coded messages. In its order revoking his U.S. citizenship, the court found that Faris was ineligible for naturalization and unlawfully procured his citizenship through willful misrepresentation of material facts.

“A top priority at the Department of Justice is protecting our national security, and one of the things we do in support of that goal is tirelessly pursue denaturalization of known and suspected terrorists,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “What Faris did is unconscionable – he pretended to support the United States and the Constitution to naturalize while he actively supported Usama bin Laden and senior al Qaeda leadership in their plans to attack the United States. The denaturalization of Faris and of others who similarly defraud the United States helps defend the integrity of the immigration system, promote the rule of law, and make America safer.”

“Iyman Faris is a traitor to the oath he took renouncing foreign allegiances and pledging to defend the Constitution and our American way of life. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing who took advantage of American generosity with plans to terrorize and murder. He does not deserve the honor of being an American citizen,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. “Becoming a naturalized citizen is a privilege. The process must be guarded for the safety of our nation and to protect and recognize the sacrifices, determination, and honor of those who earn that privilege honestly.”

Faris, 50, was convicted in 2003 in the Eastern District of Virginia of providing, and conspiring to provide, material support to al Qaeda, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Among other actions underlying that conviction, in 2000, Faris traveled to Afghanistan where he met Usama bin Laden and other high-ranking members of al Qaeda at an al Qaeda training camp, researched information about ultralight airplanes for a senior al Qaeda leader, and arranged for airline tickets to be issued to al Qaeda operatives.

In its Feb. 3 order, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois granted the government’s motion for summary judgment revoking Faris’s U.S. citizenship on multiple bases. The court found that Faris’s admitted affiliation with al Qaeda within five years after naturalizing established that he was not attached to the principles of the Constitution and well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States at the time he naturalized in 1999. The court also found that Faris was ineligible for naturalization based on his lies to immigration officers while under oath and his fraudulent entry into the United States in 1994 by using another person’s passport and visa.

Faris is currently serving his criminal sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary at Marion, Illinois, with a projected release date in August 2020. Because of the Court’s order, Faris is no longer a U.S. citizen and may be subjected to removal proceedings.

This case was investigated by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS) National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit (NS/A Unit), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with consultation and support from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 

The case was jointly prosecuted by Chief Tim Belsan and Counsel for National Security John Inkeles and Ed White (ret.) of OIL-DCS’s NS/A Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Biersbach of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.

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

A federal jury in East Saint Louis returned a guilty verdict this morning in a case involving an  illegal alien. Gustavo Alvarez-Gomez, 23, a native of El Salvador, was convicted of unlawfully  possessing a firearm after a three-day trial.

Evidence presented during the trial established that on Feb. 25, 2019, Alvarez-Gomez and a  companion, Jordy Sanchez-Andrade, drove from St. Louis, Missouri, to Pleasant Ridge Park in 
Fairview Heights, Illinois, so they could smoke marijuana and shoot a handgun. Both men entered the  wooded hiking trails and fired off shots from a 9mm pistol. A concerned citizen called the police,  and the Fairview Heights Police Department quickly responded.

Both men were found and arrested in the wooded area of the park. The pistol was recovered nearby. 
Subsequent investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs 
Enforcement (ICE) determined that both men had entered the United States illegally. Federal law  prohibits unlawful aliens from knowingly possessing a gun.

U.S. Attorney Steve Weinhoeft said, “Our illegal immigration enforcement efforts prioritize  identifying and aggressively prosecuting those who enter the United States illegally and commit  other crimes.” Weinhoeft continued, “It is beyond reckless to handle firearms while using drugs,  but this crime is so much more offensive because these two individuals chose to do so at three  o’clock in the afternoon, in a public park that was occupied by a mother and her two young  children, ages 1 and 4.”

An indictment was returned against the pair in April 2019. Sanchez-Andrade, 22, pleaded  guilty.
He is currently in ICE custody awaiting removal proceedings back to his native Honduras.

Alvarez-Gomez remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending his May 8  sentencing before Chief United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel. He could receive up to  ten years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. After his sentence has been served,  Alvarez-Gomez will be referred to immigration authorities for removal proceedings.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Fairview Heights Police Department, Department  of Homeland Security Investigations, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobac o, Firearms and Explosives. The case was tried by Assistant United States Attorney
Alexandria Burns.
 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent than  morphine. While it can help alleviate severe pain when properly prescribed by a physician, fentanyl  is also highly addictive and oftentimes deadly. We increasingly find it manufactured illegally in 
China and Mexico, trafficked by the cartels into the United States, and sold on the streets at  great societal costs.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 70,000 people died from drug  overdoses in 2017, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. 
Sixty-eight percent of those deaths involved a prescription or illicit opioid; in roughly half of  those cases, the fatal opioid was fentanyl. We see those same trends continuing here in the 
Southern District of Illinois. Last month, the Madison County coroner reported that most of the  drug overdose deaths his office reviewed in 2019 involved fentanyl. The stories of local families  directly impacted by those deaths are heartbreaking.

Efforts to curb illicit fentanyl trafficking have been challenged by the proliferation of numerous  chemical variations. These variations – known as fentanyl “analogues” – produce the same powerful  opioid effects as fentanyl but remain chemically distinct. Because federal law identifies and  regulates dangerous drugs according to their chemical properties, the ever-changing permutations of  these fentanyl analogues pose a significant problem. If a particular chemical compound is not  listed on the schedule of controlled substances, law enforcement is powerless to take action  against it.

Thankfully, for the past two years, this challenge has been alleviated through federal regulation. 
On February 6, 2018, in recognition of the unprecedented escalation in opioid-related overdoses as  well as the White House directive to declare the opioid crisis a national public health emergency,  the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) used its emergency regulatory authority to place all  nonscheduled fentanyl-like substances on the list of banned substances. Today, anyone who  possesses, imports, distributes, or manufactures any illicit, fentanyl-like substance is subject to  criminal prosecution.

But that all can change next week. The DEA’s regulatory prohibition on fentanyl analogues is set to  expire on February 6, 2020. “We need immediate legislative action so law enforcement can continue  to regulate fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Steve Weinhoeft. “Fentanyl is a serial killer drug. The 
DEA continues to intercept variations of it being illicitly imported into the United States and  distributed by criminal networks, causing overdose deaths across the country, including here in 
Southern Illinois. I urge extend the ban on fentanyl analogues so law enforcement will have the tools we need to keep our communities safe.”

A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has returned a nine-count indictment  charging Erica S. Rose, 30, of East Saint Louis, Illinois, and Ashley N. McKinney, 36, of Pheba,  Mississippi, with conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and other  felony offenses.

According to the indictment, Rose used her employment with a Belleville-based in-home health care  provider to gain access to the homes of elderly clients in Southern Illinois, where she stole bank  account numbers and other identifying information. The indictment further alleges that Rose  provided the stolen materials to McKinney, who withdrew money from ATMs, deposited fraudulent  checks, and even purchased a car online for over $28,000 – all using the elderly victims’ funds and  identities.

Rose and McKinney are due in federal court for their initial appearance on Feb. 11, 2020, at 1:30  pm. A trial date has not been set. If convicted, the pair faces up to 30 years in prison on the  conspiracy charge. The aggravated identity theft charges each carry a mandatory sentence of two  years imprisonment.

An indictment merely is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed  to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a  jury.

The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Edwardsville Police Department, Belleville 
Police Department, Swansea Police Department, and St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke J. Weissler.
 

The murder of Randy Gori was a senseless and brutal crime. We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office join  the community in shock, grief, and outrage. Other area homicides described in recent media accounts  also appear to be heinous acts of cruelty that demand justice. This office will promptly review any  request we receive to open an investigation, but we cannot assess whether federal law has been  violated until the facts from the investigations are presented to us.

The federal government is a government of limited jurisdiction, and it does not possess general  police powers. That is why nearly all homicide cases are prosecuted in state courts.

Congress has, however, enacted at least 60 criminal statutes where murder or causing the death of  another can be prosecuted federally. These laws generally fall into three categories. The first  category includes statutes where federal jurisdiction is established based on the status of the  perpetrator or the victim. For example, it is a federal crime to murder certain federal officials  and office holders. The second category includes statutes where federal jurisdiction is premised on  the location of the death, such as murders that occur on federal land. The third category includes  killings that occur during the commission of another federal offense, such as a murder committed  during a bank robbery.

Not all of these crimes are punishable by the death penalty. Nor does a homicide automatically  become a death-eligible federal crime simply because someone crossed a state line.

U.S. Attorneys must follow the federal death penalty protocol when they bring charges that carry  the death penalty as a possible punishment. This procedure requires the case to be reviewed and  evaluated by the Capital Case Section within the Criminal Division of the Justice Department in 
Washington, D.C. The process culminates in a decision by the Attorney General of the United States  to seek or not to seek the death penalty against an individual defendant. Those decisions are based  upon the specific facts and laws applicable to the case, with the goal of ensuring that the federal capital sentencing laws are applied consistently and fairly across the nation.

We have a long history of working with our state and local law enforcement partners to achieve just outcomes in southern Illinois, and we will continue to stand with the victims’  families, the police, and the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office as the community seeks  justice for these crimes.
 

On December 11, 2019, Wade Garrett McWhorter, 26, of Vandalia, Illinois, was sentenced to 64  months’ imprisonment for distributing methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm,  United States Attorney, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today.

Court documents established that McWhorter, who pled guilty in August of 2019, was a felon who  possessed and sold three firearms, one of which was stolen, and distributed methamphetamine on  multiple occasions. The offenses occurred in Bond, Clinton and Fayette Counties. McWhorter has been  in custody since his arrest on March 5, 2019.

A federal grand jury charged McWhorter and Aeron Michael Davis in the same indictment. In November,  a federal judge sentenced Davis to 50 months’ imprisonment for his involvement in one of the  methamphetamine sales and one of the firearm sales.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the charges against McWhorter and Davis.
 

Lawrence D. Rutledge, 57, of Belleville, Illinois, has been sentenced to five years of federal  probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $335,934.87 to the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (“U.S. EPA”) for clean-up expenses associated with his illegal storage of  hazardous waste in St. Clair County, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. 
Weinhoeft, announced today. Rutledge pleaded guilty to the charge in July.

In 1997, Rutledge started a business called Advanced Asymmetrics, Inc., to synthesize specialty  chemicals for the pharmaceutical industry. The business was located inside a commercial building at 
109 South Kossuth Street in Millstadt, Illinois, in close proximity to a residential area and a  senior living home. Over time, Rutledge accumulated numerous containers of chemicals and chemical  waste at the Millstadt facility. Sometime around 2011, Rutledge stopped paying the county property  taxes on the Millstadt facility, and over the next few years, the electrical service and the water  service (both water supply and sewer) to the facility were shut off.

In August 2015, employees of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (“Illinois EPA”) and the 
U.S. EPA entered the facility and discovered hundreds of containers with labels indicating the  presence of acids, caustics, and other chemicals, as well as hazardous waste. Some of the metal  containers had rusted, and crystallization had started to occur on metal surfaces. Some had even  fallen over and broken open. Sodium cyanide, which is extremely toxic, was stored within one inch  of a container containing acid, presenting the potential formation of cyanide gas. Investigators  also discovered a container labelled as a shock-sensitive picric acid, which is highly explosive.

“The defendant’s abandonment of hazardous chemicals created a highly dangerous situation,” said 
Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Martinez of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Illinois. 
“Companies should take notice that EPA and our law enforcement partners will enforce our hazardous  waste laws that protect our communities and the environment.”

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. EPA – Criminal Investigation Division and the Illinois 
EPA – Collinsville Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Coonan and U.S.
EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel David P. Mucha prosecuted the case.
 

Kyetia M. Hines, 36, of Belleville, Illinois, has been sentenced to two years in prison on her  convictions for conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, announced Steven D. 
Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The charges arise from a  scheme to purchase new automobiles using stolen identities of other individuals.

In October 2018, Hines submitted an online credit application, under the name of an individual  whose identity had been stolen, to Jansen Chevrolet in Germantown, Illinois. Then, on Nov. 1, 2018,  Hines went to Jansen Chevrolet and purchased a new Chevy Malibu using that stolen identity. For  purposes of obtaining financing to purchase the vehicle, Hines provided the dealership with  fraudulent documents containing the stolen names. One such document was a fake temporary Illinois  driver’s license bearing Hines’ picture and the stolen name.

Co-defendant Tamecia C. Buckley, 36, of Belleville, Illinois, has also pleaded guilty to charges of  conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. At her plea hearing, Buckley admitted that  she also purchased a car from Jansen Chevrolet using a stolen identity. Buckley is set to be  sentenced on Jan. 23, 2020.

Both the charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud carry maximum sentences of  twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory  sentence of two years of imprisonment.

The investigation was conducted by agents from the FBI’s Springfield Division – Fairview Heights 
Resident Agency, the Illinois Secretary of State Police, and the Germantown, Illinois, Police 
Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.

Investigators recovered both of the fraudulently purchased vehicles and returned them to Jansen  
Chevrolet.  Employees  of  Jansen  Chevrolet  cooperated  and  assisted  law enforcement officials during the investigation.
 

An East St. Louis police officer appeared in federal district court today and pleaded guilty to obtaining department funds by fraud. Mario H. Fennoy, 48, of Lebanon, Illinois, entered an “open  plea” to the federal indictment returned against him in June, admitting that he falsely submitted  claims for overtime pay for nearly a year while working as a patrol sergeant with the East St. 
Louis Police Department.

According to the indictment, while he claimed to be working overtime, Fennoy was actually spending  extended periods of time at a secondary residence in East St. Louis. Fennoy was also accused of  falsely clearing calls and reporting that he had responded to dispatches when, in fact, he never  left the house. From April 2017 to March 2018, he allegedly submitted over 50 bogus requests for  overtime pay totaling over 200 hours.

Fennoy acknowledged in court today that he obtained the overtime compensation by fraud. The  indictment alleges that the false claims significantly increased Fennoy’s earnings, from his base  salary of $69,382 to $205,000 in total wages in 2017. The parties, however, do not have an  agreement as to the total loss.

Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2020. Fraudulently obtaining money from an organization that  receives federal funds, like the East St. Louis Police Department, carries a maximum sentence of 10  years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution is mandatory.

“The City of East St. Louis is a high crime area served by very dedicated police officers, many of  whom work considerable overtime,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Abuse of the overtime  system by one officer should not detract from the important work of the East St. Louis Police 
Department as a whole.”

The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force, which  consists of agents with the FBI, Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation, and the Illinois 
State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith. Citizens  are encouraged to report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.
 

A pair of Mt. Vernon residents is under federal indictment today for methamphetamine- related  offenses. Malcolm Brooks, 36, and Garry V. Gilliams, 40, are named in a seven-count indictment  returned on Oct. 24, 2019. According to the indictment, the two men conspired to distribute 50  grams or more of methamphetamine within the Southern District of Illinois from December 2018 to 
April 2019.

The two men are also accused of distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on several  occasions. Gilliams is charged separately with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on  two dates in December 2018. The indictment further alleges that on April 21, 2019, Brooks possessed  with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

If convicted of the conspiracy charge, Brooks and Gilliam each face 10 years to life imprisonment,  a fine of up to $10 million, and at least 5 years of supervised release. The same limits of  punishment apply to Gilliams’ alleged methamphetamine distributions last December. All other  charges carry a statutory penalty of 5-40 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5 million, and  supervised release of not less than 4 years.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mt. Vernon 
Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police, the
United States Marshal Service, the Marion Police Department, and the FBI.
 

Fifteen men who allegedly participated in a drug trafficking ring in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, have  been indicted on federal methamphetamine-related charges, Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for  the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. The seven-count indictment was returned on Oct. 
24, 2019, and accuses the following men of engaging in a conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more  of methamphetamine in Jefferson County, Illinois:

•    David D. Hunt, 28, of Dayton, Ohio
•    Trevon M. Taylor, 35, of Mt. Vernon, IL
•    Dedrick R. Bell, 41, of Bluford, IL
•    Chalar L. Taylor, 25, of Mt. Vernon, IL
•    Major J. Monroe, 45, of Marion, IL
•    Carlos D. Knox, 48, of Mt. Vernon, IL
•    Korey B. Alexander, 35, of Centralia, IL
•    Myron T. Seigart, 32, of Mt. Vernon, IL
•    Brandon N. Barnett, 35, of Bloomington, IN
•    Jhytrenton C. Ladd, 27, of Mt. Vernon, IL
•    Keith Peoples, Jr., 33, of Mt. Vernon, IL
•    Nathaniel Nesbit, Jr., 34, of Mt. Vernon, IL
•    Terry M. Turner, 39, of Mt. Vernon, IL
•    Cortez E. Davis, 40, of Mt. Vernon, IL
•    Terwin L. Morgan, 38, of Mt. Vernon, IL

The charged conspiracy allegedly ran from June 2018 through September 2019. If convicted of the  conspiracy charge, all 15 defendants face 10 years to life imprisonment, up to  a
$10 million fine, and supervised release of not less than 5 years.

Hunt and Bell are also charged separately with knowingly and intentionally possessing with the  intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on various dates, while Knox is accused of  distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on one occasion in February 2019. The indictment  further alleges that on separate occasions during the timeframe charged   in

the  conspiracy,   Monroe  and   Turner  each   knowingly  distributed   5   grams   or   more   of methamphetamine.
The additional charges against Hunt, Bell, and Knox are each punishable by 10 years to life  imprisonment, up to a $10 million fine, and supervised release of not less than 5 years. For their  individual counts, Monroe and Turner both face 5 to 40 years imprisonment, a fine of up to
$5 million, and supervised release of not less than 4 years.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be  innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mt. Vernon 
Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police, the
United States Marshal Service, the Marion Police Department, and the FBI.
 

A Greenville man who made $50 from his crimes will repay each dollar with a month in prison. Aeron 
Michael Davis, 28, has been sentenced to 50 months imprisonment and three years of supervised  release for methamphetamine distribution and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Court documents establish that on Feb. 21, 2017, Davis, a previously convicted felon, facilitated  the sale of a .22 caliber pistol by another man, Wade Garrett McWhorter. Davis received
$30 for his part. Six days later, Davis helped arrange for a buyer to purchase under 5 grams of  pure methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice,” from McWhorter. For his efforts on that occasion,  Davis received another $20.

McWhorter and Davis were charged in the same indictment. Davis pleaded guilty in July to the two  counts in which he was named. The following month, McWhorter pleaded guilty to all six charges  against him – three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and three more counts of  distributing methamphetamine. He is due to be sentenced on Dec. 11, 2019.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case.

Initiative emphasizes enforcing gun prohibitions based on domestic violence convictions and mental  health denials

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

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

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

“It is our continued goal to reduce gun violence in Southern Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Steven 
D. Weinhoeft. “We expect Project Guardian to complement our existing PSN program and enhance our  ability to engage proactively with our law enforcement partners in early prevention efforts,  information sharing, and coordinated prosecutions.”

“ATF has a long history of strong partnerships in the law enforcement community,” said Acting 
Director Regina Lombardo. “Make no mistake, the women and men of ATF remain steadfast to our core  mission of getting crime guns off of our streets. ATF and U.S. Attorneys nationwide will leverage  these partnerships even further through enhanced community outreach initiatives and coordination  with local, state, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to cut the

pipeline of crime guns from those violent individuals who seek to terrorize our communities. 
Project Guardian will enhance ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, to include identifying, investigating  and prosecuting those involved in the straw purchases of firearms, lying on federal firearms  transaction forms, and those subject to the mental health prohibition of possessing firearms.”

Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles:

1) Coordinated Prosecution. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state,  local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new  cases involving a defendant who: a) was arrested in possession of a  firearm; b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime  prosecutable in federal court; or c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the  community on behalf of a criminal organization.

2) Enforcing the Background Check System. United States Attorneys, in consultation with the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in their district,  will create new, or review existing, guidelines for intake and prosecution of federal cases  involving false statements (including lie-and-try, lie-and-buy, and straw purchasers) made during  the acquisition or attempted acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees.

Particular emphasis is placed on individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of  domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are fugitives  where the underlying offense is a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; individuals  suspected of involvement in criminal organizations or of providing firearms to criminal  organizations; and individuals involved in repeat denials.

3) Improved Information Sharing. On a regular basis, and as often as practicable given current  technical limitations, ATF will provide to state law enforcement fusion centers a report listing  individuals for whom the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has issued  denials, including the basis for the denial, so that state and local law enforcement can take  appropriate steps under their laws.

4) Coordinated Response to Mental Health Denials. Each United States Attorney will ensure that  whenever there is federal case information regarding individuals who are prohibited from possessing  a firearm under the mental health prohibition, such information continues to be entered timely and  accurately into the United States Attorneys’ Offices’ case-management system for prompt submission  to NICS. ATF should engage in additional outreach to state and local law enforcement on how to use  this denial information to better assure public safety.

Additionally, United States Attorneys will consult with relevant district stakeholders to assess  feasibility of adopting disruption of early engagement programs to address mental-health-  prohibited individuals who attempt to acquire a firearm. United States Attorneys should consider,  when appropriate, recommending court-ordered mental health treatment for any sentences issued to  individuals prohibited based on mental health.

5) Crime Gun Intelligence Coordination. Federal, state, local, and tribal prosecutors and  law   enforcement  will  work  together  to  ensure  effective  use  of  the  ATF’s  Crime  Gun

Intelligence Centers (CGICs), and all related resources, to maximize the use of modern intelligence  tools and technology. These tools can greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness in identifying  trigger-pullers and finding their guns, but the success depends in large part on state, local, and  tribal law enforcement partners sharing ballistic evidence and firearm recovery data with the ATF.

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

For more information on Project Guardian, see the Attorney General’s memorandum   at: /media/1122011/dl?inline

Kayla S. Kempfer, 31, of Red Bud, Illinois, has been sentenced to 135 months in federal prison on a  methamphetamine violation. Kempfer previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging  conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. As part of her sentence, she was  also ordered to serve four years of supervised release and pay $200 in fines.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Kempfer was involved with  co-defendants Scott A. Carnell, Jordan D. Vuichard, Jarrett C. Hood, and others in the distribution  of methamphetamine in Southern Illinois. At sentencing, the district judge found that Kempfer was  responsible for the distribution of 1.4 kilograms of ice. Ice is methamphetamine which has a purity  level of at least 80%.

The offense occurred between 2017 and August 2018, in Jackson, Randolph, and St. Clair counties. 
Co-defendants Carnell, Vuichard, and Hood were previously sentenced to prison terms of 192 months,  219 months, and 108 months, respectively, for their roles in the methamphetamine conspiracy.

The investigation was conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County 
Sheriff’s Office, the Sparta Police Department, the New Athens Police Department, the Marissa 
Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Brentwood (Missouri) Police 
Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI. The Randolph County
State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
 

Earlier today, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Brandon 
Arias (a/k/a “The Drug Llama”) was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for conspiring to  distribute fentanyl throughout the United States via the “dark web.”1 The nine-year sentence  represents the culmination of a prosecution that began in January 2019, when a superseding  indictment was filed against Arias (34) and his co-conspirator, Melissa Scanlan (32).

The superseding indictment charged Arias with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, illegally  distributing fentanyl (five counts), selling counterfeit drugs, and misbranding drugs. He pleaded  guilty to all eight charges back in July. Scanlan has also pleaded guilty to her role in the  conspiracy, as well as her participation in an international money laundering conspiracy and a  separate count of aiding the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. She is scheduled to be  sentenced on Feb. 10, 2020. Both Arias and Scanlan have been in federal custody since their arrest  earlier this year.

According to court filings, Arias and Scanlan created an account on “Dream Market,” a dark web  marketplace where users buy and sell illegal substances and services, and sold substantial  quantities of narcotics under the moniker, “The Drug Llama.” The pair ran their illicit operation  from their hometown of San Diego, California. During their nearly two-year run, Arias was actively  involved in Scanlan’s distribution of 1,000 fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl pills every week. They  raked in over $100,000 from their dark web drug trafficking and split the proceeds evenly.

Fentanyl is a highly addictive and oftentimes lethal opioid painkiller.

In recent comments, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft assailed the culture of criminality that  exists on the dark web. “Criminals like Brandon Arias who recklessly flood our communities with  opioids may think they can evade detection in the shadowy corners and back alleys of the internet. 
But they will find no quarter there. Where they go, we will follow. With the collaboration of  outstanding investigators at our partner agencies, we will use every tool and method available to  find these people and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Footnote 1: The dark web is an underground computer network that is unreachable by traditional search engines and users. This false cloak has led to a proliferation of dark web marketplaces, like the one used by Arias.

“Illicit opioid distribution, whether online or through conventional drug distribution methods, and  the resulting overdoses and deaths are a continuing national crisis; those who contribute to that  crisis through their illegal actions will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge 
Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We are fully  committed to disrupting and dismantling illegal prescription drug distribution networks that misuse  the internet at the expense of public health and safety.”

“Drug traffickers who operate from the dark corners of the internet are not immune from arrest and  prosecution,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge William Callahan of the St. Louis Division. “The  men and women of the DEA and our law enforcement partners are well positioned to investigate,  locate, and arrest cyber drug traffickers, and their co-conspirators, who spread their poison in  the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan area, no matter where they operate from.”

This case was part of a months-long, coordinated national operation involving the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI), the Drug Enforcement Administration 
(DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California,  and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern Dist ict of Illinois. Assistant   U.S.
Attorney Derek J. Wiseman is the prosecuting attorney on the case.
 

CALIFORNIA WOMAN KNOWN AS “THE DRUG LLAMA” PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY, TRAFFICKING FENTANYL ON THE 
DARK WEB, INTERNATIONAL MONEY LAUNDERING, AND FENTANYL DISTRIBUTION RESULTING IN DEATH

This afternoon, Melissa Scanlan, 32, appeared at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis,  Illinois, and pleaded guilty to all ten felony charges pending against her in the Southern District  of Illinois, admitting her role in a nearly two-year conspiracy to distribute fentanyl throughout  the United States via the “dark web.”1 Scanlan was one of two people known on the dark web as “The 
Drug Llama.” The other person, co-defendant Brandon Arias, 34, pleaded guilty to all eight charges  against him earlier this year. Both Scanlan and Arias are natives of San Diego, California.

The ten charges to which Scanlan pleaded guilty are as follows: one count of conspiracy to  distribute fentanyl, five counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of selling counterfeit drugs,  one count of misbranding drugs, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering,  and one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.

Fentanyl is a highly addictive and oftentimes lethal opioid painkiller.

As part of her guilty plea, Scanlan admitted that she and Arias created an account on “Dream 
Market,” a dark web marketplace where users buy and sell illegal substances and services, and used  that account to sell substantial quantities of narcotics while operating under the moniker, “The 
Drug Llama.” The charged fentanyl distribution conspiracy lasted from October 2016 to August 2018,  during which time Scanlan sold approximately 52,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States.

1 The dark web is an underground computer network that is unreachable by traditional search engines  and web browsers, creating a seeming anonymity to users. This false cloak has led to a  proliferation of criminal activity on dark web marketplaces, like the one used by Scanlan and rias.

According to court records, Scanlan and Arias made over $100,000 from their dark web drug  trafficking and split the money evenly. Scanlan further admitted her participation in an  international money laundering conspiracy with Mexican cartel members, as well as her role in  aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl pills to a woman identified as A.W., who died as a  result of taking those pills.

Commenting on the case, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft assailed the culture of criminality that  exists on the dark web. “Criminals like Melissa Scanlan who recklessly flood our communities with  opioids may think they can evade detection in the shadowy corners and back alleys of the internet. 
But they will find no quarter there. Where they go, we will follow. With the collaboration of  outstanding investigators at our partner agencies, we will use every tool and method available to  find these people and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Illicit opioid distribution, whether online or through conventional drug distribution methods, and  the resulting overdoses and deaths are a continuing national crisis; those who contribute to that  crisis through their illegal actions will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge 
Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We are fully  committed to disrupting and dismantling illegal prescription drug distribution networks that misuse  the internet at the expense of public health and safety.”

“With accessibility of fentanyl, it is imperative that the Drug Enforcement Administration and its  law enforcement partners exploit all distribution avenues utilized by drug traffickers in Scanlan’s  case,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge William J. Callahan of the St. Louis Division. “Scanlan  distributed poison in our community that resulted in death and she is now being held accountable.”

Scanlan has been held in federal custody since her September 2018 arrest. Her case is set for  sentencing before the Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel, Chief United States District Judge for the 
Southern District of Illinois, on February 10, 2020, at 1:30 pm. By law, Scanlan faces no less than 
20 years in prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in death. She could receive up to life  imprisonment and as much as $10 million in fines.

This case was part of a months-long, coordinated national operation involving the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI), the Drug Enforcement Administration 
(DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security (HSI),  United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the United States Attorney’s Office for the 
Southern District of California, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District  of Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek J. Wiseman is the prosecuting attorney on this case.
 

     Donald K. Novy, 35, of Dittmer, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of an  unregistered destructive device and being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession  of a firearm, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois,  announced today. Novy faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of  supervised release on each charge.

     Court documents reveal that in November 2018, Novy agreed with another person to manufacture a                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    pipe bomb and bring it to Columbia, Illinois, in exchange for methamphetamine. Unknown to Novy, the  other person was working with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)  and was accompanied by an ATF Special Agent working in an undercover capacity. Novy accepted fake  methamphetamine in exchange for the pipe bomb and was promptly arrested. Upon his arrest, ATF found  a Taurus semi-automatic pistol in Novy’s possession. Novy later admitted using methamphetamine on a  daily basis, including the morning of the transaction.

     Novy will remain in custody pending his sentencing on Feb. 11, 2020.
 

An ongoing federal investigation into corruption and self-dealing at an East St. Louis charity has  resulted in new charges being filed against three people. Leonard Johnson, 33, of St. Louis,  Missouri, Jeremy Turner, 31, of Dallas, Texas, and Tiffany Taylor, 37, of Maryville, Illinois, are  all under separate federal indictment for crimes associated with the Lessie Bates Davis 
Neighborhood House (“Neighborhood House”), a non-profit organization in East St. Louis that  receives federal funds.

The indictments come just two months after Christopher Coleman, the former executive director of 
Neighborhood House, pleaded guilty to embezzling over $250,000 from the organization in 2016 and 
2017. Coleman, 42, of Troy, Illinois, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19, 2019, at the federal  courthouse in Benton, Illinois.

Johnson and Turner are both charged with aiding and abetting Coleman’s embezzlement and making  false statements to law enforcement. Coleman allegedly directed the payment of Neighborhood House  funds to business entities controlled by the defendants – approximately $24,000 to Johnson under the business name “JCS Consulting” and over $40,000 to Turner under the  business name “Teach Me Technology, LLC.” According to the indictments, both men then used the  money they received to make cash payments back to Coleman. The indictments further allege that both 
Johnson and Turner later lied to FBI and IRS agents about the existence of the kickbacks to 
Coleman.

Taylor is charged separately with making false statements to a federal agent. The indictment  against her alleges that from 2015 to 2018, Neighborhood House provided fiscal support services for  the administration of federal grant funds to a Cahokia School District after school program. During  that time, a significant number of Apple products – including Apple watches, iPads and MacBook Pro  laptop computers – were allegedly purchased by Neighborhood House and provided to people associated  with the after school program. The indictment alleges that Taylor, a grant manager and writer for  the Cahokia School District, lied to a federal agent by falsely denying that she had requested the Apple watches.

Embezzling from an organization that receives federal funds is a felony offense, punishable by as  much as ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Making a false statement to a federal agent  carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The ongoing investigation of these cases is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Public 
Corruption Task Force, which consists of agents with the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the 
Illinois State Police. The prosecutions are all being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney   Norman
R. Smith. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern 
Illinois Public Corruption Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.
 

A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has returned an indictment charging 
Stephen Kristopher Martin, a.k.a. “Mo” Martin, 26, of Centralia, Illinois, with distribution of  methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm.

An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

If convicted, Martin faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a $1 million fine, and at least 3 years  supervised release on each of three methamphetamine distribution charges. The gun charge is  punishable by as much as 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release.

The indictment is the result of an investigation conducted by members of an FBI Task Force,  including the Centralia Police Department, the Carlyle Police Department, and the Marion, Clinton and Washington County Sheriffs’ Offices. The trial date has not been set.
 

Charges have been filed in connection with the September 2018 armed robbery of a federally-insured bank in Centralia, Illinois. Aaron Moss, 21, of Danville, Illinois, is the only defendant named in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury earlier this month. The indictment alleges that Moss and another unnamed person robbed the People’s National Bank in Marion County using a
Glock .40 model 27 firearm.

Moss made his initial appearance and was arraigned today in federal district court, pleading not guilty to both charges. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison on the bank robbery charge and an additional seven years to life for brandishing a gun during the crime.

Trial is scheduled to be held on Dec. 16, 2019, before United States District Judge   Staci
M. Yandle at the federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois.

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and the Centralia Police Department.

An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

An American citizen who spent over a year running the day-to-day operations of a fraudulent tech support call center in Costa Rica is heading to prison. Michael Cary Lawing, 34, of Lincolnton, North Carolina, has been sentenced to serve 18 months behind bars for his role as the CEO of ABC
Repair Tech (ABC) from 2015 to 2016. Lawing pleaded guilty in October 2018 to a one-count felony information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to court documents, Lawing’s company was affiliated with another fraudulent tech support business in South Florida known as First Choice Tech Support, which later changed its name to
Client Care Experts (CCE). Both ABC and CCE purchased pop-up advertisements that would appear suddenly on a person’s computer screen. The pop-ups were made to look like system warnings and falsely informed the victims that serious problems, such as viruses or malware, had been detected on their computers. Often, the pop-ups caused the person’s internet browser to freeze up and stop responding. The pop-ups also typically warned the victims not to shut down their computers or else they would lose all their data. Instead, the ads directed them to call a toll-free number, where they were connected to sales representatives who continued the fraud.

The sales representatives at ABC and CCE would convince the victims to grant them remote access to their computers, where normal computer functions and routine processes were highlighted as evidence of serious computer problems. Victims were never told that the pop-ups that had hijacked their computers were just advertisements purchased by the tech support company, or that in most instances they could make the pop-ups go away simply by rebooting their computers. Instead, they were sold remote “tune-ups” for $250 and anti-virus protection software for another $400. If victims balked at the steep prices, the sales representatives would offer them a discount for being a senior citizen or a military veteran or something else.

From 2013-2016, the two companies – CCE and ABC – combined to defraud more than 40,000 people.
Victims were located in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several
U.S.  territories,  all  10  Canadian  provinces,  the  United  Kingdom,  and  several  other foreign countries. At least 57 victims of the scams were residents of the Southern District of Illinois, representing 22 of the district’s 38 counties, including St. Clair and Madison. All told, the two companies took in over $25 million.

In handing down the 18-month sentence, Chief United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel explained that the need to deter other would-be scammers was a “big factor” in her decision. “The general public needs to see that this kind of crime is taken seriously,” she said.

As part of his sentence, Lawing was ordered to pay back over $266,000 in restitution to ABC victims
– a figure that represents ten percent of the roughly $2.6 million in actual losses incurred by over 10,000 victims during Lawing’s tenure as the company’s top executive. Evidence presented in court showed that Lawing himself made only about $90,000 from the scam. The bulk of ABC’s fraudulent earnings were reportedly reinvested in the company.

Lawing’s sentence comes just one week after CCE’s Vice President, Grand Clark Wasik, 36, of Oakland
Park, Florida, was sentenced to 125 months in prison and ordered to pay over $10 million in restitution. Wasik pled guilty to count one of a 14-count superseding indictment earlier this year.
Two former owners of CCE, Michael Austin Seward, 32, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and Kevin James
McCormick, 46, of Delray Beach, Florida, also pled guilty to their role in the conspiracy and are due to be sentenced on November 18. The Honorable Joe Billy McDade from the Central District of
Illinois, who presided over Wasik’s case, will also conduct the sentencings of Seward and
McCormick.

Since April 2017, 14 other employees of CCE and ABC have also pleaded guilty to federal fraud violations in the Southern District of Illinois:

•      Joseph Ralph Aievoli, IV, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Cory Steven Bachman, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Andrew Douglas Broad, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Director of Training at CCE
•      Ryan Stocker Carr, 24, of Mount Laurel, NJ – Team Leader at CCE
•      Joshua Dennis Cortez, 38, of Lake Worth, FL – Director of Training at CCE
•      Erica Marie Crowell, 30, of Maple Shade, NJ – Salesperson at CCE
•      Nicholas James Davidson, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Patrick M. Dougherty, 36, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Tatum Elyse Espenshade, 27, of West Palm Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Eric M. Iannaccone, 33, of Monroe Township, NJ – Sales Manager at CCE
•      Anthony Vincent Ludena, 30, of Boca Raton, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Robert Thomas McCart, 33, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader at CCE
•      Timothy James Miller, II, 28, of Schwenksville, PA – Salesperson at CCE
•      Jonathan Matthew Richardson, 28, of Lake Worth, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Kyle Evan Swinson, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader at ABC/CCE

Eleven of these additional defendants have been sentenced already:

Because the crimes allegedly took place in connection with telemarketing and victimized 10 or more persons over the age of 55, the maximum punishment in each case is 30 years imprisonment. The defendants could also be ordered to serve up to five years of supervised release and pay a fine of up to $250,000. Under federal law, restitution to identified victims is mandatory.

These cases are part of an ongoing investigation by the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago
Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service and are being prosecuted by Assistant
United States Attorneys Nathan D. Stump, Scott A. Verseman, and Ranley R. Killian.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office raided CCE in June 2016 and has been cooperating with the federal investigation, in addition to bringing its own civil enforcement action against CCE under
Florida state law.

The Federal Trade Commission has been working for some time to shut down illegal tech support scams. For more information about the FTC’s “2019 Tech Support Takedown,” please visit https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/03/ftcs-tech-support-takedown-2019.

Some consumers who were victimized by ABC or CCE / First Choice Tech Support have received additional fraudulent calls. These calls typically come from companies claiming   either
(a) that the technical support the victims purchased has been transferred to them and additional funds are now needed; or (b) that they can help the victims obtain a refund. Victims should be advised that no companies have been authorized to provide them with any tech support services on behalf of ABC or CCE / First Choice Tech Support, or to provide them with a refund for any previous purchases.

The former vice president and sales manager of a fraudulent tech support business known as Client 
Care Experts, LLC (CCE) will be spending the next 10½ years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Steven 
D. Weinhoeft announced today. Grant Clark Wasik, 36, of Oakland Park, Florida, was sentenced  yesterday in federal district court in East St. Louis, Illinois, to 125 months in prison for  conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The court also ordered Wasik to pay over $10.5 million in  restitution to the victims of the fraud scheme.

Wasik was the vice president and sales manager of CCE, formerly known as First Choice Tech Support,  which was based in Boynton Beach, Florida. The company also operated a similar tech support  business called ABC Repair Tech (ABC), located in Costa Rica.

According to court documents, the defendants purchased pop-up advertisements that would appear  suddenly on a person’s computer screen. The pop-ups were made to look like system warnings and  falsely informed the victims that serious problems, such as viruses or malware, had been detected  on their computers. Often, the pop-ups caused the person’s internet browser to freeze up and stop  responding. The pop-ups also typically warned the victims not to shut down their computers or else  they would lose all their data. Instead, the ads directed them to call a toll-free number, where  they were connected to sales representatives who continued the fraud.

The sales representatives would convince the victims to grant them remote access to their  computers, where normal computer functions and routine processes were highlighted as evidence of  serious computer problems. Victims were never told that the pop-ups that had hijacked their  computers were just advertisements purchased by the tech support company, or that in most instances  they could make the pop-ups go away simply by rebooting their computers. Instead, they were sold  remote “tune-ups” for $250 and anti-virus protection software for another $400. If victims balked  at the steep prices, the sales representatives would offer them a discount for being a senior citizen or a military veteran or something else.

From 2013-2016, the two companies – CCE and ABC – combined to defraud more than 40,000 people. 
Victims were located in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several
U.S. territories, all 10 Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, and several other foreign  countries. At least 57 victims of the scams were residents of the Southern District of Illinois,  representing 22 of the district’s 38 counties, including St. Clair and Madison. All told, the two  companies took in over $25 million.

Wasik pled guilty to count one of a 14-count superseding indictment earlier this year. Two former  owners of CCE, Michael Austin Seward, 32, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and Kevin James McCormick,  46, of Delray Beach, Florida, also pled guilty to their role in the conspiracy and are set to be  sentenced on November 18. The Honorable Joe Billy McDade from the Central District of Illinois, who  presided over Wasik’s case, will also conduct the sentencings of Seward and McCormick.

The former CEO of ABC, Michael Cary Lawing, is due to be sentenced on October 15 before the 
Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel, Chief United States District Judge for the Southern District of 
Illinois. Lawing, 34, of Lincolnton, North Carolina, pled guilty to a felony information late last  year. Since April 2017, 14 other employees of CCE and ABC have also pleaded guilty to federal fraud  violations in the Southern District of Illinois:

•      Joseph Ralph Aievoli, IV, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Cory Steven Bachman, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Andrew Douglas Broad, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Director of Training at CCE
•      Ryan Stocker Carr, 24, of Mount Laurel, NJ – Team Leader at CCE
•      Joshua Dennis Cortez, 38, of Lake Worth, FL – Director of Training at CCE
•      Erica Marie Crowell, 30, of Maple Shade, NJ – Salesperson at CCE
•      Nicholas James Davidson, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Patrick M. Dougherty, 36, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Tatum Elyse Espenshade, 27, of West Palm Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Eric M. Iannaccone, 33, of Monroe Township, NJ – Sales Manager at CCE
•      Anthony Vincent Ludena, 30, of Boca Raton, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Robert Thomas McCart, 33, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader at CCE
•      Timothy James Miller, II, 28, of Schwenksville, PA – Salesperson at CCE
•      Jonathan Matthew Richardson, 28, of Lake Worth, FL – Salesperson at CCE
•      Kyle Evan Swinson, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader at ABC/CCE

Because the crimes allegedly took place in connection with telemarketing and victimized 10 or more  persons over the age of 55, the maximum punishment in each case is 30 years imprisonment. The  defendants could also be ordered to serve up to five years of supervised release and pay a fine of  up to $250,000. Under federal law, restitution to identified victims is mandatory.Ten of these additional defendants have been sentenced already:

These cases are part of an ongoing investigation by the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago 
Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. The cases are being prosecuted by 
Assistant United States Attorneys Scott A. Verseman, Ranley R. Killian, and Nathan D. Stump.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office raided CCE in June 2016 and has been cooperating with the  federal investigation, in addition to bringing its own civil enforcement action against CCE under 
Florida state law.

Some consumers who were victimized by ABC or CCE / First Choice Tech Support have received  additional fraudulent calls. These calls typically come from companies claiming either
(a) that the technical support the victims purchased has been transferred to them and additional  funds are now needed; or (b) that they can help the victims obtain a refund. Victims should be advised that no companies have been authorized to provide them with any tech support services on  behalf of ABC or CCE / First Choice Tech Support, or to provide them with a refund for any previous purchases.
 

Maggie L. Matlock, 30, of Mason, Illinois, and Nathan G. Kirkley, 25, of Gays, Illinois, were  recently sentenced in federal court on methamphetamine related charges, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United 
States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.

On October 2, 2019, Matlock was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment and fined $200. Matlock had  previously pleaded guilty to a one-count federal indictment which charged that from on or about 
2017, until on or about December 2018, in Effingham County, the State of Colorado, and elsewhere,  Matlock conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine (Ice).

On September 30, 2019, Kirkley was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment and fined
$200. Kirkley had previously pleaded guilty to a two-count federal indictment. Count 1 charged that  from on or about June 2017, until on or about October 2018, in Effingham County, and elsewhere,  Kirkley conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine (Ice). Count 2 charged  that on July 2, 2018, in Effingham County, Kirkley possessed with intent to distribute five grams  or more of methamphetamine.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department, and the Effingham City Police.
 

Demetrius O. Ward, 42, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to the statutory maximum term of 
10 years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession  of heroin. Ward will also be required to serve the maximum three years of supervised release once  he completes his prison sentence.

Evidence in the case established that on Jan. 19, 2019, a St. Clair County sheriff’s deputy  attempted to stop the car Ward was driving. Ward refused to stop and led the deputy on a high speed  chase that did not end until Ward crashed his car into a pole. Ignoring the officer’s commands to  surrender, Ward fled on foot toward an occupied apartment complex armed with a stolen, fully-loaded  handgun and 9 grams of heroin.

The officer chased Ward on foot and repeatedly ordered him to stop. Ward ignored those commands and  continued to run. As he was approaching the apartment complex, Ward accidentally dropped the .9 mm  gun. He stopped, turned around, and while facing the officer bent down and reached to pick it up. 
The officer was forced to make a split-second decision to defend himself and fired his service  weapon, striking Ward in the chest.

At the time of the offense, Ward was prohibited from possessing a gun on account of seven prior  felony convictions, including a 2005 conviction for armed robbery in St. Clair County Circuit 
Court.

“In the aftermath of the shooting, Mr. Ward spoke to the media and claimed that he was the victim  who was merely reaching for money and a cell phone when the deputy tried to kill him,” said U.S. 
Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Those lies were exposed and justice was done in this case. But it is  another stark reminder that the public should always wait for all of the facts to be known before  reacting to an officer-involved shooting.”

Weinhoeft continued, “At a time when law enforcement officers are increasingly under attack, we  must send a clear message about right and wrong. Demetrius Ward may have been shot, but he was no  victim. He was an armed criminal who created a dangerous situation that forced law enforcement to act. He caused his own injuries.”

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

This prosecution was the result of a collaborative investigation by the St. Clair County
Sheriff’s Department, the Illinois States Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
 

Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today  that on September 12, 2019, David Herron, 48, of Centralia, Illinois, pleaded guilty to an  indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine and heroin,  possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a  felon. The conspiracy took place from March 2018 to April 2019.

Court documents revealed that an FBI Task Force investigated Herron’s narcotics trafficking  activities in the Centralia area for several months leading up to his arrest in April 2019. During  that time, Herron was out on bond in two separate pending drug-related cases in Marion County. 
Herron was distributing methamphetamine and heroin from 2 locations in Centralia: a residence and a  mobile home.

At the time of his arrest, Herron was in possession of methamphetamine and heroin packaged for sale  as he left his residence on Hardin Street in Centralia. A search of his residence revealed over 200  grams of 98% pure methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. As a convicted felon, Herron is prohibited  from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

The conspiracy and drug charges each carry a penalty of 10 years to life imprisonment and not less  than 5 years of supervised release. The firearm charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years’  imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release. Federal inmates typically serve 85% of their prison  term. Supervised release follows completion of imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for December 
19, 2019 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. Herron has been detained in the federal  system since his April arrest.

The FBI’s Task Force continues its investigation into narcotics trafficking and related activities  in the Marion-Clinton-Washington County areas. Law enforcement agencies participating in the FBI 
Task Force include the Centralia Police Department, the Carlyle Police Department, and the Marion,  Clinton, and Washington County Sheriffs’ Offices. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.
 

The prison sentence for one inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, just got a lot  longer. Kurt F. Johnson, 56, who was due to be released in 2028, was sentenced earlier today to  serve an additional 216 months behind bars for filing fictitious, involuntary bankruptcy petitions  against federal prison officials. Johnson was convicted of the charges after a three-day jury trial  in Benton, Illinois, last year.

The evidence at trial established that, in January 2018, with the assistance of persons outside the  prison, Johnson succeeded in filing false involuntary bankruptcy petitions against the prison  warden and an officer at the prison. The bogus petitions alleged that each victim was indebted to 
Johnson in the amount of $20 billion, owing to a judgment Johnson claimed to have obtained from the 
International Court of Justice (also known as the World Court). As part of the scheme, Johnson  purportedly canceled $1 billion of the supposed debt and then filed forms with the Internal Revenue 
Service showing the canceled debt as unreported income for his victims.

The mere filing of the fictitious claims resulted in both victims receiving solicitation letters  from credit counseling services and loan companies based upon their supposed bankruptcy. Once the  fraud was discovered, the United States quickly moved to seal the proceedings to prevent further  damage to the victims’ reputations.

At trial, the United States presented evidence that Johnson has a history and pattern of harassing  judges, court personnel, and Bureau of Prisons employees through the filing of fictitious claims. 
Johnson eschewed appointed counsel and represented himself at the trial, testifying in his own  defense that he genuinely believed the World Court had awarded him a default judgment for
$20 billion on account of his placement in the prison’s Communications Management Unit. The jury  deliberated for approximately 40 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on all four counts.

“Kurt Johnson broke the law trying to harm those who enforce it,” U.S. Attorney   Steven
D. Weinhoeft said. “His sentence sends an unmistakable message to all criminals who would lash out  against the men and women who work within the justice system: you will be prosecuted to the fullest  extent of the law.”
Johnson’s sentence also includes a three-year term of supervised release.

Johnson won’t begin serving his 18-year sentence until he finishes serving the last decade of a 
300-month sentence he previously received for an unrelated fraud conviction in the Northern 
District of California. His underlying crime involved a nationwide debt elimination scheme that  raked in over $6 million.

“I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft and our law enforcement partners who serve on the 
Southern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group for their strong commitment to  combating fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases, as evidenced by this prosecution,” stated Nancy J. 
Gargula, U.S. Trustee for Southern and Central Illinois and Indiana (Region 10). The U.S. Trustee 
Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy  system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. Region 10  is headquartered in Indianapolis, with additional offices in South Bend, Indiana, and Peoria,  Illinois.

The case was investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from the Federal Bureau of 
Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Quinley and William E. Coonan prosecuted the case.
 

A registered sex offender who took sexually explicit photographs of a four-year old girl in East 
St. Louis will spend the next three decades behind bars. Andrew Wigfall, III, of East St. Louis has  been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for  producing child pornography. The 47-year old defendant pleaded guilty to the charge earlier this  year.

Wigfall’s crime first came to light on Jan. 26, 2019, when numerous local law enforcement agencies  received calls that his Facebook Messenger account was distributing child pornography. Among the  illicit photographs were images of Wigfall with a nude four-year old girl. The child’s grandmother  saw the pictures and recognized they had been taken in her basement. She explained to police that 
Wigfall was a friend who often came over to her house to play dominoes with her husband when they  were babysitting their grandchildren. She reported that neither she nor her husband had any idea  the photographs had been taken, and they were unaware at the time that Wigfall was a registered sex  offender.

When interviewed by police, Wigfall admitted taking explicit photographs of the girl with his cell  phone just a few weeks earlier. He told investigators he had lost his phone on Jan. 25 and was not  the person responsible for distributing the images over Facebook. Efforts by law enforcement to  track and locate the phone were unsuccessful.

At the sentencing hearing, the victim’s grandmother expressed outrage on behalf of the family: “I  never thought this would happen to us. I’m supposed to protect my children and grandchildren. But  my trust was betrayed…. [Wigfall] wasn’t there to be my husband’s friend. He was there to seek out  my granddaughter.” She added that her husband feels “like it’s all his fault” and that he  constantly “apologizes to me that he let this man into our home.”

In handing down the sentence, Chief United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel explained  that a 30-year term was necessary to protect the public, specifically citing Wigfall’s history of  sexual offending. Wigf  ll has a prior conviction in St. Clair County Circuit Court   for aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

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 individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and  rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. 
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on  the tab “resources.”

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the East St. Louis Police
Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Reppert.

Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, issued this statement following the death of Illinois State Trooper Nick Hopkins:

“We were deeply saddened to learn that Trooper Nick Hopkins will not survive the senseless act of  violence he suffered in the line of duty earlier this morning. The entire federal law enforcement  community stands as one today to mourn his passing. Our hearts go out to his family and all those  who are grieving his loss. We also condemn in the strongest possible terms the despicable, cowardly  act that took his life.”

“Trooper Hopkins was a dedicated officer who served our community with honor, bravery, and  fidelity. He leaves behind an enduring legacy that will live on in the lives he touched; in the  work that the courageous men and women of the Illinois State Police continue to perform; and in a  community that is safer because of his devoted service. His loss underscores the real dangers that  are routinely faced by those who protect and serve us each and every day. Their work is truly heroic, and we are forever in their debt.”
 

A St. Louis-area dentist has been charged with executing a wide-ranging health care fraud scheme  over several years. Dr. Yun Sup Kim, 48, of St. Louis, is under federal indictment for allegedly  defrauding Illinois Medicaid out of hundreds of thousands of dollars from his dental office in 
Swansea, Illinois. The 20-page indictment charges Kim with 12 counts of health care fraud and one  count of wire fraud in connection with his dental practice.

According to the indictment, from September 2014 through the end of 2017, Kim repeatedly billed 
Illinois Medicaid for cavity fillings and surgical tooth extractions he never actually performed. 
The experiences of 10 former patients are outlined in the indictment, including several where Kim  allegedly claimed to have filled cavities on more than half the patient’s teeth in one sitting. The  indictment charges those claims were false and alleges that, in many instances, the teeth Kim  claimed to have filled never had cavities to begin with. Kim is also accused of falsifying dates of  service on numerous occasions to evade billing rules involving reimbursements for dental sealants.

On one particular occasion in 2016, the indictment alleges that Kim billed Illinois Medicaid for a  dental exam, fluoride treatment, and tooth cleaning on a 10-month old girl who was not a patient  and had only two teeth at the time. This incident is the subject of the wire fraud count, which  alleges that the claims were fraudulent and the services never actually rendered.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be  innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

Kim is due in federal court for his initial appearance on September 12 at 2:00 pm. A trial date has  not been set. Each charge of health care fraud is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 
$250,000 fine. The wire fraud count carries a 20-year statutory maximum prison term. Supervised  release on each count is capped at three years. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of over $700,000 in fraudulent proceeds of the charged scheme.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Illinois States Police Medicaid Fraud
Control Unit, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and  the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan D. Stump is prosecuting the case