Eastern District of Michigan

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today an indictment charging eight people with federal civil rights offenses and violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

According to court documents, Calvin Zastrow, Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, Caroline Davis, Joel Curry, Justin Phillips, Eva Edl and Eva Zastrow are charged with engaging in a civil rights conspiracy and with violating the FACE Act in connection with an August 2020 blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan. In addition, Idoni and Edl were also charged with violating the FACE Act in connection with an April 2021 blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Saginaw, Michigan.

The indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that on Aug. 27, 2020, all eight defendants engaged in a conspiracy to prevent the Sterling Heights clinic from providing, and patients there from receiving, reproductive health services. According to the indictment, Gallagher advertised the Sterling Heights clinic blockade on social media, and he and Curry livestreamed the incident. The defendants convened at a location near the Sterling Heights clinic, where an uncharged co-conspirator who recorded the incident announced that the defendants were “going over to stand in front of the door” and “interpose.”

The indictment also alleges that all eight defendants violated the FACE Act by using physical obstruction to intimidate and interfere with the Sterling Heights clinic’s employees and patients, because the clinic’s employees were providing, and the patients were seeking, reproductive health services.

The indictment further alleges that on April 16, 2021, Idoni and Edl again used physical obstruction to intimidate and interfere with patients and employees of the Saginaw clinic because the clinic’s employees were providing, and patients were seeking, reproductive health services. 

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan, Assistant Director Luis Queseda of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters of the FBI Detroit Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Detroit Field Office and Bay City Resident Agency investigated the case.

The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case.

Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.

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

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today 49 awards to states, territories, and the District of Columbia as part of the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program. This investment of over $231 million will fund state crisis intervention court proceedings, including but not limited to, extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs that work to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. This investment in community safety is authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, historic legislation to address and reduce gun violence.

“The Justice Department is working relentlessly to protect communities from violent crime and the gun violence that often drives it, and the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program is an important part of that effort,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These awards will support the kinds of crisis intervention programs that we know save lives and help protect children, families, and communities across the country from senseless acts of gun violence.”

“The Department of Justice’s strategy to reduce violent crime and gun violence includes prioritizing support for successful, evidence-based programs,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The grants announced today invest in and highlight proven state and local violence prevention and intervention programs, that will make our communities safer.”

“The nearly $8 million dollar grant awarded to the Michigan State Police will help to address the factors that lead to gun violence and protect our communities from being victimized by gun crime, said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “I am delighted to announce this award and remain committed to doing everything we can to reach our goal of preventing gun violence.”

These awards, administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), provide funding to states for the creation and implementation of extreme risk protection order programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related gun violence reduction initiatives. Extreme risk protection order programs empower family members, health care providers, school officials and law enforcement officers to petition a court to temporarily prevent a person from accessing firearms if they are found to be a danger to themselves or others. Funds can also support interventions like drug, mental health and veterans’ treatment courts, gun violence recovery courts, behavior health deflection and outpatient treatment centers.

“Protecting communities from gun crime is an urgent public safety challenge and a critical part of the Justice Department’s work to ensure that everyone in this country can live free from the fear of violence,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The resources we are announcing today will give communities the tools they need to prevent firearm violence and deliver support to those who are at risk of committing or being victimized by gun crime.”

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act also seeks to ensure that extreme risk protection order laws and programs are implemented in accordance with the Constitution and provide for adequate due process protections. Projects funded under this program will need to demonstrate that they have taken measures to safeguard the constitutional rights of an individual subject to a crisis intervention program or ERPO initiative. The Justice Department has long supported state efforts to increase the use of ERPOs and in 2021 the Department released model legislation to help states create their own extreme risk protection order systems and provide for intervention before warning signs turn into tragedy.

Signed into law by President Biden in June 2022, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is the most significant piece of federal gun safety legislation in almost three decades and comes as a response to recent mass shootings and to the far more common, but no less tragic, incidents of community gun violence. Including the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program, the law allocates a total of $1.4 billion to OJP over five years to develop, implement, and sustain meaningful investments in safer communities.

“These awards will help meet two monumental public safety challenges — the alarming proliferation of gun violence in our country and the clear need for front-end interventions to slow the cycle of violence and victimization in our most underserved communities,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “The Bureau of Justice Assistance is proud to make these resources available to states as a critical part of its mission to reduce and prevent crime and to promote a fair and effective criminal justice system.”

For a full list of awards, please visit: https://data.ojp.usdoj.gov/stories/s/O-BJA-2023-171458/b5xz-as5z/. These awards are the latest effort from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs to implement this historic legislation.

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DETROIT – A Detroit man who made phone calls threatening to kill students at the Detroit Job Corps Center pleaded guilty today to making threats in interstate commerce, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

Elroy Knott, 24, pleaded guilty to threatening the Detroit Job Corps Center before United States District Judge Denise Page Hood.  The Detroit Job Corps Center (“DJCC”) is a United States Department of Labor program that provides job training to individuals between the ages of 16-24.  Besides providing free tuition, the DJCC offers room and board to students, with the majority of students residing at the campus.  The DJCC houses approximately 300 students. 

On April 24, and 26, 2022, Knott made multiple telephone calls to the DJCC during which he threatened to “shoot up” the place and to kill residents.  He also threatened to shoot one employee in the back of the head.  Following the threats on April 26, 2022, the DJCC campus was locked down for forty-eight hours, and its activities were substantially disrupted.  Knott was in a relationship with one of the students at the DJCC, and he had previously made threats and been in the possession of firearms.       

Knott faces a maximum of five years in prison for making the threats. 

“The defendant terrorized students and staff at the Detroit Job Corps Center,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.  “We will not tolerate such conduct, and we will do everything in our power to protect schools from the threat of violence.”

“Threats to terrorize the safety of our community will never be acceptable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, “ATF will remain vigilant in our commitment to public safety, whether by threat or actions, we will collaborate with the U.S. Attorney’s office, our federal, state, and local partners to bring those responsible to justice.”

“Elroy Knott threatened to harm Job Corps students and staff. His conduct caused significant disruption to learning at the Detroit Job Corps. Ensuring that Job Corps students can learn in a safe environment is a high priority for the Department of Labor. The Office of Inspector General will work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who threaten DOL students, employees, and contractors,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, DOL-OIG.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Detroit Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosemary Wummel Gardey.

DETROIT - The Detroit Land Bank Authority (“DLBA”), a public organization working on behalf of the City of Detroit and the Detroit Building Authority in the City’s redevelopment and demolition management efforts, has agreed to pay the United States $1,503,000 to resolve allegations relating to unsubstantiated backfill dirt costs invoiced by demolition contractors and paid by the DLBA from December 2016 through June 2022, in connection with the DLBA’s blight elimination program. The United States contends that the claims for payment violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733.

Congress created the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”) in response to the financial crisis of 2008 to restore liquidity and stability to the financial systems of the United States. In 2010, the United States established the Hardest Hit Fund (“HHF”) using TARP funds to provide targeted aid in states hit hard by the economic and housing market downturn. Beginning in 2013, the City of Detroit received approximately $258 million from the HHF to help demolish blighted properties within the City of Detroit and assist neighborhoods with high vacancy rates and blighted residential properties. The DLBA allocated a portion of its HHF award for neighborhood improvement projects, which included acquiring properties, demolishing blighted properties, and providing ongoing property maintenance for neighborhood improvement projects.

“The False Claims Act is an important tool to deter and to hold accountable those who misuse public funds,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “The Hardest Hit Fund’s blight elimination program is important to the safety and rebuilding of Detroit’s neighborhoods, and our office will continue to be vigilant in ensuring that taxpayer funds are properly used for that purpose.”

“I would like to commend the outstanding work of SIGTARP staff and the Detroit US Attorney’s Office in this investigation. This settlement stems from SIGTARP’s review of the Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program in Detroit, and the approval of unsubstantiated costs for backfill dirt by the DLBA,” said Melissa Bruce, SIGTARP Principal Deputy Inspector General. “The requirement to substantiate material costs before reimbursing contractors is critical to ensuring that TARP funds are properly spent on costs that are both reasonable and necessary to achieve the goals of this program.”

This case was investigated by the Office of Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“SIGTARP”). SIGTARP was created as an independent law enforcement agency to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse related to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.

The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney John Spaccarotella from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

DETROIT – A Detroit man was sentenced today to 8 years in federal prison on charges of conspiring to defraud multiple government agencies out of more than $2.2 million in Covid-19 pandemic assistance funds and also to defraud the United States Postal Service (USPS) of more than $200,000, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Andre Martin, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

Chaz Duane Shields, 35, of Detroit, was sentenced this afternoon by United States District Judge Robert H. Cleland in the United States District Court in Port Huron.  Judge Cleland also ordered Shields to pay over $2 million in restitution to the States of California, Michigan, Nevada, and Louisiana, the Small Business Administration, and the USPS.

According to court records, beginning as early as May 2020 and continuing through at least July 2021, Shields and his co-conspirators agreed to submit more than 240 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to over 20 states, in order to fraudulently obtain more than $2.2 million in unemployment insurance benefits.  Shields also successfully obtained a fraudulent $20,833 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.

Separately, Shields defrauded the U.S. Postal Service of over $200,000 through a scheme in which he conspired to submit more than 1,000 fraudulent Domestic Indemnity Insurance claims, in the names of more than 40 separate individuals to the USPS.  Shields and others used USPS Self-Service Kiosks to mail a number of packages.  For each of the packages, the conspirators subsequently filed a fraudulent Domestic Indemnity Insurance claim by attesting that the package contained an item of significant value.  In reality, the packages typically contained empty plastic picture frames with little to no value.  The USPS mailed a check for each successful claim, which Chaz and his co-conspirators cashed, knowing that they were not entitled to the postal indemnity insurance payments. 

Shields has an extensive history of fraud and deceit, having accumulated six separate state fraud convictions – five in Michigan and one in Maryland – since 2016.

“We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute thefts from a multitude of federal programs, especially those aimed at pandemic relief.  Individuals who steal money from the government should know that they will be held accountable.  Today’s sentence sends a strong message that financial crime does not pay,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.

“Shields and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance claims that siphoned off more than $2 million intended to assist individuals who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify fraudsters like this defendant and hold them fully accountable for their crimes."

"Chaz Shields and his co-conspirators submitted more than 240 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to multiple state workforce agencies, resulting in the payment of more than $2.2 million in fraudulent benefits.  Their scheme diverted money away from American workers in need of relief from the financial effects of unemployment.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the unemployment insurance system from those who exploit these benefit programs,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

Co-conspirators Cortney Shaquan Shields, 31, and Daeshawn Tamar Posey, 27, both of Detroit were previously sentenced to 41 months and 63 months in prison, respectively, in connection with this case.  Co-conspirator Brittany Levett Witherspoon, 26, of Warren has also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on May 1, 2023.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the USPS Office of the Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Particka, and Timothy J. Wyse, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Corinne M. Lambert.

DETROIT - A Madison Heights pharmacist was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison based on his convictions for conspiring to distribute over 25,000 opioid pills and for money laundering, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Detroit Division.

Yousef Kosho, 44, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cleland. According to court records, Kosho operated Great Health Pharmacy, in Madison Heights, Michigan. He used the pharmacy to engage in a scheme and pattern of illegal conduct involving the unlawful distribution of prescription drugs. Specifically, Kosho distributed prescription drugs from the pharmacy illegally, outside the course of usual professional pharmacy practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.

Kosho would unlawfully dispense controlled substances by filling prescriptions for patient recruiters, including co-defendant Omar Madison, upon accepting cash payments. At times, these prescriptions would be dispensed in the names of patients who never frequented the pharmacy. Co-defendant patient recruiter Madison would simply provide prescriptions to Kosho for dispensing without ever bringing the patient to the pharmacy. At other times, Kosho would sell entire pharmacy stock bottles of controlled substances to co-defendant Madison, and others without any medical prescriptions. 

Kosho pled guilty to unlawfully dispensing 25,253 dosage units of Schedule II controlled substances including Oxycodone HCl, Oxymorphone HCl, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, and more than 200,000 milliliters of Schedule V controlled substance Promethazine with Codeine.

As part of the court’s sentence, Kohso was also ordered to forfeit approximately $1.2 million in cash that was seized by federal agents during the investigation.  His co-defendant, Omar Madison, pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking conspiracy charge and was sentenced on February 7, 2023, to 72 months in federal prison.

“This pharmacist was spreading poison in our community instead of dispensing medicine and providing sound medical advice,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.  “My office will continue to investigate and prosecute medical professionals who abuse their licenses by selling drugs to satisfy their greed.” 

“Irresponsible and criminal behavior by trusted medical professionals will absolutely not be tolerated. Mr. Kosho will now face the consequences of his unlawful acts. This case is a perfect example of what can be achieved when DEA and our law enforcement partners work collaboratively,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene.

“Our communities rely on our pharmacies to relieve suffering and not contribute to harmful addictions. Today’s sentence highlights the seriousness of Kohso’s conduct” said Charles Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge Detroit Field Office, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.  “IRS-CI will remain vigilant in working with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate those seeking to intensify opioid addiction in our society.” 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison Furtaw and Regina McCullough, as part of the district’s efforts to address the nation’s opioid crisis.  The Eastern District of Michigan is one of twelve districts included in the Attorney General’s Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection initiative.  The case was investigated by special agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations.

DETROIT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan settled a complaint regarding an allegation that a Walmart store located in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan failed to make reasonable modifications to its policies so that an individual with a mobility disorder had an equal opportunity to access the goods or services that Walmart offered for sale. The settlement agreement resolves the Office’s investigation, prompted by the complaint of an individual with quadriplegia  that  he was not allowed to purchase alcohol at the Mt. Pleasant Walmart because his aide who  was assisting him with shopping was not over 21 years old.   

Civil rights enforcement is a priority of my office, which includes ensuring that all public accommodations are fully available to all of our residents.” U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison said. “I commend Walmart for agreeing to take these steps to make its stores more accessible to everyone in the Eastern District of Michigan and across the United States.”

Walmart has fully cooperated with the investigation and has agreed to update its corporate ADA policies to clarify its ongoing responsibilities to make reasonable modifications provide live training on its updated ADA policies for store management and Front End Associates at the Mt. Pleasant Walmart store, assign training on its updated ADA policies for store management and front end associate across the United States, and pay damages to the complainant.

The investigation was led by Executive Assistant United States Attorney Luttrell Levingston. The full and fair enforcement of the ADA is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the agreement, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights.

Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination or experienced a civil rights violation can submit a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at usamie.civilrights@usdoj.gov or by phone at (313) 226-9151. Complaints can also be submitted to the Civil Rights Division through its complaint portal.

DETROIT – A Garden City, Michigan man was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in federal prison for attempted sexual exploitation of children based on his request to an undercover federal agent to create child pornography, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. 

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Collin Patrick Valenti, 25, was sentenced by United States District Judge Victoria A. Roberts. Valenti pleaded guilty to asking a person who he believed was a parent of a young child—but in reality was an undercover law enforcement officer—to create and send a video of the parent performing a sex act on that individual’s minor child.

In addition to the attempt offense that he pleaded guilty to committing, Valenti engaged in the hands-on abuse of a small child. He also pretended to be a teenage girl online to obtain sexually explicit photographs of a minor teenage boy. Valenti admitted that on approximately 50 other occasions he sought sexually explicit images of children from individuals he believed to be the parents of the children.

“This offender requested that another individual create a horrific image of sexual abuse. We can only be thankful that he was communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer and not another abuser so that he could not cause harm to another minor. This office will continue to work with law enforcement agencies as they proactively work to find and stop those who seek to exploit and abuse children.” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.

This case was investigated by the Northeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.  

DETROIT – A Waterford man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Detroit to bank robbery and weapons offenses, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Defendant David Johnson, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III.  According to court records, in June 2018, Johnson and an accomplice walked into the Dearborn Federal Savings Bank at 4111 Telegraph Road and announced a robbery. Johnson’s accomplice pointed a short-barreled shotgun at the tellers as Johnson demanded money. The two men were unable to access the teller area and left the bank empty-handed. The men fled the scene in a car driven by Johnson’s wife and co-defendant, who was waiting nearby. Johnson’s wife then took the two men to the Citizens Bank at 23455 Eureka Road in Taylor, where Johnson and his accomplice walked in with the shotgun and announced a robbery. More than $4,000 was stolen from the Taylor bank, but the money was immediately thrown from the getaway car’s window after red dye packs placed in the bags by tellers exploded while they were driving down Eureka Road. After her arrest, Johnson’s wife told authorities the robbery was exciting and compared herself and her spouse to “Bonnie and Clyde.”

Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the bank robbery offense and not less than 10 years’ imprisonment for utilizing a short-barreled shotgun during the robberies.  The sentencing hearing is set for May 4, 2023.

“Armed bank robbery places the lives of bank employees and customers at risk.  We will continue to remove violent actors who endanger public safety from our community,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

“Violent criminals who use guns during bank robberies deprive employees of their right to feel safe and secure in their workplaces,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Thank you to the Dearborn Heights and Taylor Police Departments for their collaborative efforts during this investigation. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to bring violent offenders to justice and to make our communities safer places to live and work.”

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dearborn Heights Police Department, and Taylor Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Lanning and Tara Hindelang.

DETROIT - A Commerce Township resident was charged with wire fraud in a criminal complaint for his alleged role in a scheme to obtain $963,000 from pandemic loan programs for fictitious businesses, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Joining in the announcement was Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Field Division.

Charged is Ryan Carruthers, 42, of Commerce Township, Michigan. According to the complaint, beginning in approximately April 2020 and continuing through April 2021, Carruthers applied for 14 loans in the names of various businesses from lenders participating in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP was a program overseen by the Small Business Administration (SBA) in which participating lenders provided loans to help businesses keep their workforces employed during the Covid-19 crisis. The SBA would forgive the loans if all employees were kept on the payroll for eight weeks, and the money from the loans was used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. PPP loans were funded by participating banks or lending institutions. Carruthers is also alleged to have applied for a 15th loan pursuant to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, a program in which the SBA provided direct loans to businesses adversely affected by the pandemic. 

The complaint also alleges Carruthers’s businesses were fictitious, and the applications he submitted for these pandemic relief loans fraudulent. Carruthers claimed that his various businesses, with names like “Cobra Kai Karate” and “Pure Juice Bar & Café,” had between three and fifteen employees. The complaint states that there is no evidence that any of these businesses had actual employees. Many of the businesses were not even incorporated until after March 2020, which would have rendered them ineligible for PPP loans.   

The complaint further alleges that Carruthers applied for approximately $963,000 across 15 loans under these programs. Thirteen of the loans were actually funded, resulting in disbursements of approximately $851,000 on those loans. Carruthers is alleged to have used loan proceeds to pay off the balance of the mortgage on his home (approximately $251,000) and to have purchased a Sea-Doo personal watercraft, among other things.

United States Attorney Ison stated, “Mr. Carruthers is charged with lying repeatedly to obtain loan funds intended to help businesses keep their doors open during the Covid-19 pandemic. My office is committed to prosecuting anyone who exploited our national crisis to enrich themselves, and today’s charges are a reflection of that commitment.” 

“Our communities suffered during the pandemic, yet some sought to line their own pockets at the expense of the American taxpayer,” said Angie M. Salazar, HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge. “Our agents will continue to investigate PPP fraud and help hold these offenders accountable to the American people.”

A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint.  When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Carruthers faces up to twenty years in prison on the wire fraud charge. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John K. Neal. The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations.

A Michigan man was convicted by a federal jury today in the Eastern District of Michigan on charges of providing, attempting to provide, and conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, in connection with his support for ISIS in Syria from 2015-2018. He was also convicted of receiving military-type training from ISIS while in Syria.

Ibraheem Izzy Musaibli, 32, of Dearborn, was convicted after a nine-day trial conducted before U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson in Detroit. The jury deliberated for approximately four hours before returning the guilty verdict.

“With this verdict, the defendant is being held accountable for traveling overseas, joining ISIS, and receiving training from the terrorist organization,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The National Security Division, working with our partners, is committed to identifying and holding accountable U.S. citizens who leave this country in order to join and support ISIS and other foreign terrorist organizations. I want to thank the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this investigation and prosecution.”

“Ibraheem Musaibli traveled halfway around the world and joined a vicious, brutal, and violent terrorist organization known — and proud of — its barbaric acts of terror,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Today’s verdicts highlights the dedication of this office, along with our law enforcement partners, in pursuing anyone who poses a danger to the United States—no matter where they are located.”

“This defendant willingly traveled to Syria, joined ISIS, and attended a terrorist training camp,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Today’s verdict demonstrates to anyone who would seek to contribute to ISIS’s terrorist activities that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will be unwavering in its mission to protect the American people by identifying, disrupting, and bringing them to justice.”

Evidence provided during the trial established that Musaibli, originally born in Dearborn, moved to Yemen in April 2015. From Yemen, he traveled to Syria in the fall of 2015 where he attended an ISIS-run religious training camp before undergoing military training where he learned to shoot, carry and otherwise handle a machine gun. Upon graduation from the ISIS military training camp, Musaibli swore allegiance to ISIS and its leader and remained with ISIS for over two and half years. Musaibli was eventually captured by Syrian Democratic Forces in 2018 and turned over to the FBI and flown back to the United States to face terrorism related charges.

Musaibli faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison when he is sentenced. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan, Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI Counterterrorism Division and Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hank Moon and Michael Martin for the Eastern District of Michigan prosecuted the case, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

DETROIT – Three family members of the former executive director of the St. Clair Housing Commission, Lorena Loren, were sentenced today to federal prison after having pleaded guilty to various federal offenses due to their involvement in Loren’s fraudulent scheme to steal money from the Section 8 program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and James Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Lorena Loren (now deceased) had previously pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 37 months in prison for conspiring with several family members to steal federal funds provided to the St. Clair Housing Commission by HUD to administer low-income housing programs within St. Clair County.  As part of her scheme, Loren stole approximately $336,000 in federal funds, including money earmarked for HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program, commonly known as Section 8 housing, which allows low-income families to lease privately owned rental properties with the assistance of HUD rental subsidies. 

Today, the following three family members were sentenced before the Honorable Mark A. Goldsmith:

Brian Loren (Lorena Loren’s husband), age 61, was sentenced to 9 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit federal program fraud of approximately $73,000. According to court records, Brian Loren conspired with his wife and others to embezzle money from the St. Clair Housing Commission.  Brian Loren and another individual opened a joint bank account at a PNC Bank in Deland, Florida. Between August 2014 and August 2016, fraudulent Section 8 rental subsidy payments were issued to the PNC Joint Account Holder to benefit Lorena Loren, Brian Loren, and the PNC Joint Account Holder. 

Ryan Loren (Lorena Loren’s son), age 36, was sentenced to 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to receiving unlawful compensation from HUD with the intent to defraud.  Ryan Loren admitted that, from August 2008 through August 2016, he made false statements to HUD regarding where he lived in order to receive improper funds from HUD, and later he lied about it during his testimony before a federal grand jury.  Ryan Loren agreed that he illegally received between $40,000 and $95,000.

Kayla Loren (Ryan Loren’s wife and Lorena Loren’s daughter-in-law), age 33, was also sentenced to 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to receiving unlawful compensation from HUD with the intent to defraud.  Like her husband, Kayla Loren admitted that, from August 2010 through August 2016, she made false statements to HUD regarding who lived with her in order to receive improper funds from HUD.  Kayla Loren admitted that she had also lied about her actions while testifying before a federal grand jury.  Kayla Loren also agreed that she received between $40,000 and $95,000.

As required by their plea agreements, the defendants paid the remaining restitution owed to HUD prior to sentencing.  The total amount of restitution paid by these three defendants was $99,835.29.  For the whole case, $336,340.22 in restitution has been repaid to HUD as a result of the prosecutions of the Loren family.

U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison commended the work of HUD and the FBI in conducting this criminal investigation and said, “The HUD Section 8 program serves some of the neediest in our community, very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled.  We are committed to prosecuting public officials who steal from any federal program and anyone who assists public officials in depriving lawfully-entitled citizens of the vital assistance they need.  We are equally committed to prosecuting anyone who lies before a grand jury.  Truthful testimony under oath is the foundation of the American system of justice. There will be penalties for those who attempt to erode that foundation.”

"HUD OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of Federal housing programs and bringing justice to those who abuse these programs for personal gain," said Special Agent-in-Charge Machelle Jindra. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable bad actors and protect the programs that HUD beneficiaries rely on."

 “Having been trusted to serve the residents of St. Clair as a public official, Lorena Loren instead conspired with her family to steal federal funds for herself and her family, and today that family is admitting their collective role in that criminal scheme,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “This case is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to rooting out public corruption in order to protect the integrity of the institutions that are supposed to serve the best interests of our citizens.”

The case was originally prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison, when she was an Assistant United States Attorney.  Today’s sentencing was conducted by  Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Resnick Cohen and Craig A. Weier.

The case was investigated by agents of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.   

DETROIT – A Dearborn resident was convicted by a federal jury today in the Eastern District of Michigan on charges of providing and conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and attending an ISIS training camp.

The convictions were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison of the Eastern District of Michigan, and James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan, office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Ibraheem Izzy Musaibli, 32, of Dearborn, Michigan, was convicted after a 9-day trial conducted before United States District Judge David M. Lawson in Detroit. The jury deliberated less than 4 hours before returning their guilty verdicts.

Musaibli, a natural-born U.S. citizen, was convicted on charges of providing and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, and attending an ISIS training camp.

Evidence provided during the trial established that Musaibli, born in Detroit, began looking into ISIS while in Michigan in 2015. He then traveled to Yemen in April 2015 and continued to research ISIS—including downloading ISIS propaganda and an ISIS book on how to get into Syria. From Yemen, he traveled to Syria in the fall of 2015 where he attended an ISIS-run religious training camp before undergoing ISIS military training where he learned to shoot, carry, and otherwise handle an AK-47 assault rifle. Upon graduation from the ISIS military training camp, Musaibli swore allegiance to ISIS and its leader. Musaibli remained with ISIS for over two and a half years. Musaibli was eventually apprehended by Syrian Democratic Forces in 2018, turned over to the FBI, and flown back to the United States to face terrorism charges.

Musaibli faces a statutory maximum penalty of 50 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 11, 2023.

“Ibraheem Musaibli traveled halfway around the world and joined a vicious, brutal, and violent terrorist organization known—and proud of—its barbaric acts of terror,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “Today’s verdicts highlights the dedication of this office, along with our law enforcement partners, in pursuing anyone who poses a danger to the United States—no matter where they are located.”

“This defendant willingly traveled to Syria, joined ISIS, and attended a terrorist training camp,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Today’s verdict demonstrates to anyone who would seek to contribute to ISIS’s terrorist activities that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will be unwavering in its mission to protect the American people by identifying, disrupting, and bringing them to justice.”

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hank Moon and Michael Martin of the Eastern District of Michigan with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

DETROIT – A Gibraltar man was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Travis Timmons, 33, of Gibraltar, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Judith E. Levy. Timmons pleaded guilty to using his cellular phone to create a video of himself performing a sex act on a child who was less than ten years old. In addition, he also pretended to be a younger male online, engaging in inappropriate conversations with minor females and offering them vape pens in exchange for sexually explicit images and sex acts. When law enforcement attempted to arrest Timmons, he jumped out of his window and fled.

“This offender engaged in hands-on abuse to create sexually explicit images of a young child. This sentence holds him accountable for this serious offense. Our commitment to vigorously work to keep children in our community safe is unwavering.” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.

“We must protect the most vulnerable members of our community – our children – from sexual exploitation,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “I would like to thank the Gibraltar Police Department for their partnership during this investigation. No amount of prison or restitution can make these victims whole but lengthy prison sentences, like the one in this case, send a strong message to these offenders that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will use all our available resources to bring them to justice.”

This case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Gibraltar Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.

DETROIT –A Detroit man who photographed his sexual assaults of a young child and forced an adult to engage in prostitution was sentenced to life in prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Field Division, and Michael Patton, Chief of West Bloomfield Township Police Department.

Ryon Travis, 39, was convicted of production of child pornography and sex trafficking after a jury trial in July 2022. Travis was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Bernard A. Friedman.

Police began investigating Travis in connection with identity theft. When detectives searched Travis’s cell phone for evidence of fraud, they found something far more alarming: explicit photographs of child sexual abuse depicting the penetration of a prepubescent child. And when law enforcement returned to Travis’s home a second time to gather additional evidence related to child pornography, they found an adult woman chained at the neck to a pole in the living room. Investigators learned that multiple women lived in Travis’s home, and he considered all of them his “wives.” Travis arranged commercial sex dates for all of the women. When one of the women tried to leave, Travis forced her to continue engaging in prostitution by placing a chain around her neck.

“Child sexual abuse leaves an indelible mark on victims. The documentation of the abuse makes this crime even more egregious. This defendant also forced an adult woman to engage in prostitution by physically restraining her with a chain. The public needs to be protected from Ryon Travis, and this lengthy sentence helps to do just that,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.

“Predators like Travis tear at the very foundation of our communities, not only victimizing children but subjecting multiple women to sex trafficking” said Angie Salazar, HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge. “It is my hope that this sentence brings some measure of peace to the survivors, knowing that he will remain behind bars.”

This case was investigated by the West Bloomfield Township Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Woodward and Andrea Hutting.

DETROIT – A Sanilac County trucker was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for transporting a minor across state lines to engage in unlawful sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. 

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Kenneth George Zehnder, 37, of Lexington, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terrence G. Berg. Zehnder, an interstate truck driver, pleaded guilty to taking a 15-year-old girl out of the state of Michigan with the intent to sexually assault her.

In August 2019, Zehnder took the 15-year-old girl on an interstate trucking trip, where he sexually assaulted her nearly every night. After being assaulted in the cabin of the semi-truck, the victim texted 911, and police found the truck using information she provided. Video from Zehnder’s truck showed him leaving the driver’s area of the truck at the time of the assault and later emerging from the sleeping area pulling up and buttoning his pants. Zehnder was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting the victim in Minnesota. After Zehnder’s arrest, a 12-year-old girl who Zehnder took on a different out-of-state truck trip earlier that summer also reported to police that Zehnder sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions in different states during that trip. Both minors reported that Zehnder had assaulted them for years prior to his arrest.

“This sentence holds this offender responsible for the damage and terror he inflicted on this minor. I applaud her bravery for notifying the police and bringing him to justice. This office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to harm children.” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.

“The defendant in this case sexually abused his victims for years,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Those same victims demonstrated remarkable courage, bravely reporting the crimes in the face of their abuser and helping to bring an end to the perpetrator’s abusive actions. The FBI and its law enforcement partners across the nation will continue working to protect our communities from predators like Mr. Zehnder whose actions cause incalculable damage to their young victims.”

This case was investigated by the Northeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Department, and the Michigan State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne in a cooperative effort with the Stearns County Attorney’s Office.  

A Dearborn woman was convicted on Friday by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, related to her participation in a multi-year scheme to obtain more than $65 million from numerous pharmaceutical co-pay assistance programs, announced U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. 

Joining Ison in the announcement was James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A six-day trial, conducted before United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds, resulted in the conviction of Suzan Berro, 23. Berro’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 1, 2023, where she faces a maximum of twenty years in prison on each count.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Berro, engaged in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent reimbursement claims to numerous pharmaceutical manufacturer’s co-pay assistance programs.  These manufacturer-sponsored “coupon” programs exist to assist real patients with the often-high costs associated with name brand prescription drugs. The evidence showed that Berro, who participated in the scheme for nearly a year, was a biller for multiple pharmacies.  In that role, she created fake “prescriptions” for fake “patients” by taking addresses from real estate lists, making up names and birth dates, selecting expensive name brand, and then ultimately pairing them with real doctors’ names and credentials.  The evidence showed that the conspiracy went to great lengths to make the supposed patients appear real, including ensuring that all three addresses—the real doctor, the fake pharmacy, and the made-up patient—were in close, geographic proximity.  However, witness testimony revealed that the majority of pharmacies only existed on paper and never opened to the public, nor even ordered inventory. In total, Berro and her co-conspirators submitted fraudulent claims on behalf of more than 40 pharmacies, totaling over $65 million.

 “This was a complicated scheme that abused dozens of programs established to help those who are legitimately unable to afford their medications, said U.S. Attorney Ison.  Our office will continue to investigate and unravel these schemes, and will we vigorously pursue those who are responsible. 

"The jury's verdict confirms an alarming and unacceptable trend of individuals attempting to exploit segments of the health care system designed to help those who legitimately need prescription assistance," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office. "The FBI will continue to work with our federal partners to identify fraudsters like this defendant and hold them accountable for their crimes."

The case was led by the FBI with the assistance of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan A. Particka and John K. Neal. 

DETROIT – An Inkster resident with 14 prior felony convictions was sentenced to 86 months in prison for bank robbery in federal court this afternoon in Detroit on charges stemming from his robbery of the Dearborn Federal Savings Bank, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.  This defendant had been apprehended by police after fleeing the bank and hiding out in a port-a-potty.

Joining United States Attorney Dawn Ison in the announcement was Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Issa Shahin, Chief, Dearborn Police Department.

Charles William Woolery, age 52, was sentenced to 86 months by U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith.

According to court records, on the afternoon of March 2, 2022, Woolery entered the Dearborn Federal Savings Bank wearing a black facemask.  He approached a victim teller, handed her a note, and gestured to his hip as if he had a weapon.   The note demanded the teller to “smile” and put money in a bag or Woolery would “kill everyone.”  The teller, fearing for her safety, placed $1,690 in cash in a black bag and handed it to Woolery.  Woolery then fled the bank on foot.  He was later arrested by Dearborn police officers hiding out in a port-a-potty located in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn on Michigan Avenue near the bank.  Officers found the $1,690 cash in the front pocket? of a Detroit Lions’ hoodie that Woolery was wearing. Officers also recovered Woolery’s facemask and paper like that of the robbery note in the port-a-potty where Woolery was hiding.

“Today’s sentence appropriately takes this defendant’s long criminal history into account,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.  “Our office stands ready to prosecute individuals who use violence or threats of violence to threaten our community.”

“Criminals who use threats of violence during robberies and other crimes create a level of fear and risk to life that are unacceptable,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “This case is an example of the FBI’s commitment to working collaborative with our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime across Southeast Michigan. I commend the Dearborn Police Department for quickly apprehending this defendant and thank them for their continued partnership.”

“The Dearborn Police Department would like to thank the FBI and US Attorney’s Office for the continued partnership in working to keep dangerous criminals off the streets of Southeast Michigan," said Chief of Police Issa Shahin.  "The Dearborn Police Department will continue to use all of our available resources to keep our residents safe."

This case is being investigated by special agents of the FBI along with the assistance of the Dearborn Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosemary Gardey is prosecuting the case.

DETROIT – A Jackson, Michigan man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography after sexually assaulting at least six children in the process, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations.

Bryant Joseph Shepherd, 60, was sentenced on January 10, 2023 by United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith. For nearly nine years, Shepherd violated children who he encountered by secretly recording them changing in his home. He also collected commercial child pornography. But worst of all, Shepherd made videos of himself sexually assaulting multiple children. To coerce a victim, Shepherd would promise money and candy. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations detected Shepherd’s unlawful activities in 2019 when he was found to be using a Peer-to-Peer file-sharing program to share child pornography. Troopers with the Michigan State Police and federal agents executed a search warrant at Shepherd’s home in early January 2020, seizing electronic devices. A review of those devices led to the discovery that Shepherd had personally victimized at least six children by covertly recording them, or, in two cases, molesting and sexually assaulting them. Shepherd was subsequently charged in federal court with eight counts of production of child pornography, and the distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. He was also charged in Jackson County for his sexual assault of one of his victims. That case is still pending.

“This defendant committed one of the most serious offenses recognized under the law – producing child pornography. While there is nothing that will take away the enduring harm caused by this defendant, we will work tirelessly to protect our children and ensure individuals who commit crimes like this are held accountable for their misdeeds.” U.S. Attorney Ison said.

Predators like Shepherd belong behind bars, far away from the members of our community they would seek to exploit and victimize”, said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie Salazar. “Working with our partners, we will continue to prioritize the innocence and safety of children by diligently investigating child exploitation cases.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

DETROIT – An offender who possessed child pornography only four months after his release from federal prison for the same offense was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Office of the Department of Homeland Security.

Jacob Jeffrey Baron, 34, of Fort Gratiot, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sean F. Cox. As part of his plea, Baron admitted that he possessed and uploaded files of child pornography involving pre-pubescent children engaged in sex acts to Dropbox, a cloud storage service. Agents later found evidence of 191 child pornography images on Baron’s cellular phone. Baron was under supervision at the time of the offense because he had just completed a 4-year prison sentence for another federal child pornography conviction.

“Every time an image of child sexual abuse is downloaded or viewed it is a revictimization for the child involved. This significant sentence demonstrates that we will continue to protect children from recidivist offenders,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.

“Repeat offenders like Baron are a clear and present danger to our communities and our children,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie Salazar. “Our special agents and law enforcement partners will continue to investigate these despicable crimes and bring child predators to justice.”

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Myra Din and Christopher Rawsthorne.

DETROIT - A registered sex offender living in Dearborn who sought and obtained a sexually explicit image from a minor was sentenced to fifteen years in Federal prison for sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. 

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Anthony John-Hamernik Girard, 32, of Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith. Girard admitted that, while online, he requested that a 16-year-old minor create and send him an image of the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and that he received a sexually explicit image from the same minor. In that same chat, he told the 16-year-old that he “kinda” wished that she was younger.

Police in Perrysburg, Ohio investigated Girard after he began sending sexually explicit messages to a minor Girard believed was a 14-year-old girl but was actually an undercover police officer. From this investigation, law enforcement discovered that Girard had other contacts with minors, including telling a 13-year-old that she was “beautiful” before she told him that she wanted no further contact with him.

“A prior conviction that resulted in a designation as a sex offender did not prevent this offender from lurking online and exploiting a minor. This sentence demonstrates that recidivist offenders who engage in online exploitation will receive significant penalties to keep our children safe.” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.

“Sexual exploitation is one of the most depraved crimes committed, and this case is especially disturbing because the defendant engaged in this behavior following a conviction that put him on the sex registry,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable members of our community from harm and exploitation.”

This case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Perrysburg Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Rawsthorne and Lisandra Fernandez-Silber.

DETROIT – A former Wayne County Roads Division employee pleaded guilty today to conspiring to steal over $1.7 million in county funds, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced.

Ison and Worthy were joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington.

Kevin Gunn, 64, of West Bloomfield, pleaded guilty to defrauding Wayne County out of nearly $2 million in taxpayer funds. Gunn, and fellow Wayne County employee John L. Gibson, 54, of Detroit engaged in a scheme to use taxpayer dollars to make unauthorized purchases of generators and other power equipment from retailers in southeast Michigan which they sold for personal profit. A federal grand jury indicted Gibson for these crimes in October 2022.

In March of 2021, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department began an investigation into the misuse of taxpayer dollars. The Sheriff’s Department then solicited the assistance of the FBI to investigate the criminal actions of Gunn, Gibson, other employees of the Wayne County Roads Division, and vendors to Wayne County. At the beginning of the investigation, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office secured a search warrant which broke open the case and led to the uncovering of the embezzlement scheme. Investigators with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office have played an ongoing and important role in the investigation.  

As part of the scheme to defraud, between January 2019, and August 2021, Gunn and Gibson solicited approved Wayne County vendors to purchase generators and other power equipment from local retailers on behalf of Wayne County. The vendors would then submit invoices for these items to Wayne County. In order to conceal the scheme to defraud, Gunn instructed the vendors to falsify the invoices they submitted to the Roads Division, and list items the vendors were authorized to sell to the county under their contracts, rather than the generators and power equipment they were unlawfully acquiring at Gunn’s and Gibson’s request. Roads Division employees would then approve and pay each vendor’s invoice with taxpayer funds. After these fraudulent purchases were verified and approved by Roads Division employees, Gibson took possession of the equipment, paid Gunn for the items, and resold the generators and other items for personal profit.

A review of invoices from Wayne County vendors revealed that between January 16, 2019, and August 3, 2021, Wayne County vendors purchased 596 generators, and a variety of other power equipment including lawnmowers, chainsaws, and backpack blowers. The purchase of these items was not authorized under any vendor contract with Wayne County nor were the items ever provided to or used by Wayne County. The total value of equipment purchased as part of the scheme was approximately $1.7 million in taxpayer funds.  Gibson and Gunn were arrested in May by FBI agents, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Investigators, and Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies.

Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement, Gunn faces a sentencing guideline range of 57-71 months in prison.  Sentencing has been set for May 31, 2023.

Conspiracy to commit federal program theft carries a maximum sentence of up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.  Federal program theft carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. 

United States Attorney Dawn Ison said, “Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of months of collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who worked together to seek justice for the citizens of the Eastern District of Michigan. We thank Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and her uncompromising efforts to eliminate corrupt public officials who abuse their power and steal from the hardworking taxpayers of Wayne County.”      

“This is the one of the worst types of betrayal of the public trust. Wayne County remains committed to sussing out corruption where we find it - no matter who is involved. We continue this work today. I want to thank CEO Evans for his continued cooperation, my detectives, and especially the United States Attorney’s office for their successful prosecution of the defendant,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy.

"The actions of this individual are nothing short of disgraceful,” said Sheriff Raphael Washington. “To brazenly steal from hardworking taxpayers and fraudulently line his own pockets while holding positions of public trust make these crimes all the more deplorable.”

“Public officials are entrusted to use taxpayer money for its intended purpose, not for their personal benefit. Today, Mr. Gunn is being held accountable for violating that trust,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “I would like to thank the Michigan Attorney General's Office and the Wayne County Prosecutor, Wayne County Executive, and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office for their partnership on this investigation.”

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.

DETROIT – A shooting in broad daylight at a gas station in Detroit has led to federal firearm charges, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

James Taylor, age 27, of Detroit, MI, was arraigned today on an indictment that charged him with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of felon in possession of ammunition.  Each count carries a maximum of 10 years imprisonment. The defendant was ordered detained pending trial. The case has been assigned to the Honorable Robert H. Cleland, U.S. District Court Judge, Eastern District of Michigan.

The charges in this case stem from an incident on April 25, 2022. According to an affidavit filed in the case, just after 7:00 pm, Taylor was caught on a surveillance camera firing shots at the driver of another vehicle at a gas station located near Livernois and Waverly Street in Detroit. After the other driver fled from his vehicle, Taylor circled around the gas station several times in an apparent effort to look for the other driver. Taylor then took the other driver’s car from the gas station. Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident. Taylor, who was on pretrial release in Wayne County for a different felony offense, was on tether at the time of the shooting.

“The type of brazen behavior alleged in this case is shocking, and it is a miracle that someone was not injured or killed,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “We will not tolerate it any longer. My office will work closely with our federal partners, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Detroit Police Department to ensure the most violent are taken off the street. This is an example of that type of coordination.”

“Crime gun intelligence utilized in this case illustrates ATF’s priorities on effectively identifying and removing violent criminals from our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai. “The efforts of our federal, state, tribal, and local partnerships have had a significant impact on reducing the threat of gun violence.”

The United States Attorney’s Office and the ATF are focused on prosecuting those individuals who are using firearms to commit violent acts against people in the Eastern District of Michigan. The strategy is a part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN continues to be the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.

An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by ATF with the assistance from the Detroit Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys assigned to the Violent and Organized Crime Unit within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

DETROIT – A Macomb County federally licensed firearms dealer was charged in an indictment with illegally importing Glock conversion devices from Russia and failing to keep proper records, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Assistant Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Detroit Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Chase Farmer, 23, of St. Clair Shores, illegally imported Glock conversion devices and drop-in auto sears using a Russian website from November 2020 to March 2021.  Glock conversion devices and drop-in auto sears are used to convert standard firearms into machineguns that allow the firearms to fire multiple rounds at once, and, thus, are highly dangerous devices.  Farmer, owner of the federally licensed firearms dealer, Shall Not Be Infringed, LLC, based in Clinton Township, was licensed to deal in firearms, but he was not licensed to import firearms, including these dangerous Glock conversion devices, into the United States.  Farmer attempted to hide his purchase from authorities—including by making the orders under an alias and falsifying the details in his PayPal payments to Russia—but ATF agents were able to detect the purchases and recover evidence of Farmer’s crimes, which also included his failure to keep proper records as licensed firearms dealer.

This case has been assigned to United States District Judge Gershwin A. Drain. The defendant could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Princ.

DETROIT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan settled a complaint regarding the failure of a local law office to provide free American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation services for a client who is deaf, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The settlement agreement resolves an investigation into the Julie B. Griffiths Law Office (now the Law Office of Griffiths & Willing), a family law practice located in Flint, Michigan. The complainant, who is deaf and whose primary language is ASL, alleged that they were repeatedly denied requests for an interpreter throughout the course of their representation. ASL is its own distinct language, with grammar and syntax that are unique from English. The settlement agreement requires the law practice to provide ASL interpreters and other auxiliary aids and services free of charge to ensure effective communication with their clients, as required by the ADA.

The ADA protects the rights of all individuals, regardless of disability, to fully and equally enjoy the benefits and services offered by places of public accommodation, including law offices. It requires places of public accommodation to provide the necessary auxiliary aids and services to ensure that communication with its customers is effective. Such aids and services can include ASL interpreters for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and must be paid for by the place of public accommodation.

“The legal system can be confusing and overwhelming. People often seek legal counsel because they are faced with a challenging situation that requires making difficult, and hopefully informed, decisions. Effective communication between attorneys and their clients is critical to that process, and it is one of the many important protections that the Americans with Disabilities Act provides to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “Individuals who have disabilities are entitled to the same access to legal services as others at no additional cost, and my office will continue to vigorously enforce the civil rights of all citizens in our district.”

Under the terms of the settlement, the Law Office of Griffiths & Willing will adopt new ADA policies and practices, train its staff on those policies, report any future complaints from individuals who have disabilities to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and provide monetary compensation to the complainant. The Law Office of Griffiths & Willing will also write and circulate an article discussing the requirements of Title III of the ADA to raise awareness of this issue amongst local practitioners.

The investigation was led by AUSA Michael El-Zein of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, a member of the Civil Rights Unit. The full and fair enforcement of the ADA is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the agreement, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights.

Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination or experienced a civil rights violation can submit a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at usamie.civilrights@usdoj.gov or by phone at (313) 226-9151. Complaints can also be submitted to the Civil Rights Division through its complaint portal.

WASHINGTON –The Justice Department announced today that the United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act (FCA) against NH Learning Solutions Corp (NHLS). The complaint, filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that NHLS violated the FCA by knowingly submitting false claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for inflated tuition benefits under the Post-9/11 GI-Bill. Michigan-based NHLS provides technology education courses at approximately fifteen locations in the Midwest and Northeast.

“The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an important part of our promise to support our nation’s veterans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s complaint demonstrates our commitment to hold accountable companies that improperly seek to profit from this promise and the women and men who have served our country.”

“The U.S. government provides veterans with access to programs for higher education through the Post-9/11 GI Bill,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Our Office is prepared to pursue those who flout the rules that safeguard the integrity of important veterans’ programs.”

Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the VA pays tuition and fees directly to qualifying schools on behalf of enrolled students. The VA pays the actual net cost for tuition and fees charged by the school after it has applied any scholarships, waivers, grants or other assistance designed to defray the cost of tuition and fees. This requirement is commonly referred to as the “Last Payer Rule,” and ensures that the VA is the payer of last resort and receives the benefit of any tuition-based, financial support available to a student.  

The government’s complaint alleges that NHLS knowingly submitted false claims for inflated tuition and fees in violation of the Last Payer Rule at five of its school locations in Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan. More specifically, the complaint alleges that NHLS repeatedly reported tuition and fees to the VA on student invoices where it failed to deduct the tuition scholarships, grants, or waivers it provided to certain veterans, thereby causing the VA to overpay NHLS for educational assistance benefits under the Post-9/11 GI-Bill for these veterans.  

“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds is a top priority,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley of Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG)’s Central Field Office. “The VA-OIG is committed to investigating allegations of fraud that would impact VA’s programs and services.”

The lawsuit is captioned United States v. NH Learning Solutions Corp., No. 22-cv-13045 (E.D. Mich.), and is being handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

The United States is represented in this matter by Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Wilson of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Spaccarotella for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

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FLINT – A 37-year-old Flint Man was sentenced today to 9 years in federal prison for using the stolen identities of dozens of victims to commit identity theft and bank fraud, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Joining in the announcement was Special Agent in Charge John Marengo, U.S. Secret Service and Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Detroit Division. of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

U.S. District Judge Shalina D. Kumar sentenced Michael Johnson-Brown today to 9 years in prison following his guilty pleas to bank fraud, committed while on pretrial release, and aggravated identity theft charges.

According to court records, from 2017 to 2021, Johnson-Brown used stolen social security numbers and other personal information to open lines of credit, provided by banks for retail stores, in his victims’ names. Over four years, Johnson-Brown used the fraudulent credit accounts at retail stores to steal more than $422,000 worth of merchandise. He launched his scheme while on parole for identity theft and even continued doing it after he was arraigned on federal charges and released on bond. Johnson-Brown had a long history of cheating and deceiving people, having previously been convicted of eight fraud crimes between 2008 and 2016. He has three prior federal convictions for bank fraud and two state-court convictions for identity theft.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Blaine Longsworth.

DETROIT – Hassan Chokr, the man who threatened preschoolers, parents, and other individuals outside a Jewish synagogue in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with lying on a federal firearms form when he sought to buy a shotgun, a rifle, and a semi-automatic pistol, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.   

Joining in the announcement were Special Agent-in-Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Paul D. Vanderplow, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Field Division.

Chokr, 35, of Dearborn, Michigan, is charged with attempting to purchase three firearms on December 2, 2022, at a federal firearms licensee in Dearborn, Michigan.  In seeking to make the purchases, Chokr filled out a federal firearms form.  On that form, Chokr falsely claimed that he had not been previously convicted of a felony.  He also falsely claimed that there were no felony charges currently pending against him.  However, Chokr was convicted in 2017 of Felony Financial Transaction Device – Stealing/Retaining Without Consent.  He also has a charge of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Felonious Assault) currently pending against him in state court.  After Chokr submitted the firearms form at the gun store, his purchase was denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), and the firearms were not transferred to Chokr.  The three weapons that Chokr sought to purchase were as follows:  a Landor Arms, 12-gauge shotgun; a Del-ton, 5.56mm rifle; and a Glock, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. 

Chokr is currently charged by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office with ethnic intimidation based on his conduct outside of the Jewish synagogue on December 2, 2022.  The events at the Dearborn gun store that are the subject of the criminal complaint took place later in the day after the incident at the synagogue.  

The defendant faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of the offense. 

A criminal complaint is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson, the Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s office.

DETROIT – A violent gang member and three-time convicted felon from Jackson, Michigan was sentenced to 57 months in prison today for being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Craig Kailimai, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette.

United States District Court Judge Laurie J. Michelson sentenced Maurice Charvake Knighten, 24, of Jackson, Michigan, following his guilty plea to felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, Knighten was arrested on November 18, 2021 by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office after the firearm was found during a traffic stop.  The ATF then tested the firearm and ballistically linked the firearm to four prior shooting incidents. Three of the shooting incidents were in Jackson.

“The gun seized in this investigation will no longer be used to terrorize this community.  My office is committed to removing violent offenders using guns from the streets.” said U.S. Attorney Ison.

“Knighten is a known member of a violent and vicious criminal gang.  Today’s sentencing is an important component to the reduction in violent firearms related crimes,” said, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, “We are proud of the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s office, along with our federal, state, and local partners in getting violent repeat offenders off our streets.”

“Jackson County is a safer place today! That’s because admitted gang member, and multi-convicted felon, Maurice Knighten has been sentenced to federal prison,” said Sheriff Schuette.  “On November 18, 2021, Deputy Codi Barlond arrested Knighten in possession of a handgun. Ballistics have shown the handgun to be linked to three shootings in Jackson and one shooting in Lansing. All of these shootings were cowardice “drive-by” style shootings, typical of gang members, which threaten lives and spread fear throughout the community. Through an excellent police investigation, and assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office, Knighten’s reign of cowardice intimidation has come to a close.  I deeply appreciate the partnership the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has with the United States Attorney’s Office in bringing this violent criminal to justice.”

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

This case was investigated by special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police, the City of Jackson Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew R. Picek and Matthew Roth. 

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced that Kenneth Pilon, 61, has pleaded guilty in federal district court to willfully intimidating and attempting to intimidate citizens from engaging in lawful speech and protests in support of Black Lives Matter. Pilon will be sentenced on March 23, 2023.

Pilon pleaded guilty to two hate crime charges. Specifically, he pleaded guilty to count 1 of the filed information, which charged him with violating the law by calling nine Starbucks stores in Michigan and telling the employees answering his calls to relay specifically racial threats to Starbucks employees wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts. Pilon threatened to kill Black people, using a racial slur to refer to his intended victims.

Pilon also pleaded guilty to count 4 of the filed information, which charged him with violating the law by placing a noose inside a vehicle owned by R.S. and D.S. Attached to the noose was a handwritten note, reading: “An accessory to be worn with your ‘BLM’ t-shirt. Happy protesting!”

“The defendant levied racially-motivated death threats against multiple Black people wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant also used a noose, a vile symbol of hatred and violence that harkens back to the Jim Crow era, to convey a threat of racial violence. Racially-driven threats of violence simply have no place in our society today, and the Department of Justice will continue to prosecute any individual who engages in this type of threatening conduct.”

“The actions of this defendant were threatening to an entire community,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “We hope this conviction sends the message that this type of activity is criminal, and that we will take the necessary action to protect the people of our district.”

“Hate crimes of this nature are meant to not only threaten the victim, but to intimidate an entire community. Because of this wide-ranging impact, hate crime investigations are among the FBI’s highest priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these crimes and to seek justice for the victims and their communities.”

The FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Turkelson for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

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DETROIT – A Pontiac man was sentenced to 10 years in Federal prison for the sexual coercion and enticement of a minor, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Daniel Lee Harvey III, 36, of Pontiac, Michigan, was sentenced to prison by United States District Judge Sean F. Cox. In August 2018, Harvey began messaging the 13 year-old daughter of a family friend on the social media application, Instagram. The conversation turned sexual in nature, and Harvey suggested that he and the child meet up for sex when he returned to the Detroit area for the holidays. He ultimately coerced the girl to film and send him a video of child pornography through the application SnapChat. Harvey then saved a screenshot of the video to his Google Account and requested that the minor delete messages between them. The girl became uncomfortable and told a trusted adult who contacted law enforcement.

“This defendant preyed on a family friend’s minor child online, a serious offense that deserved the punishment handed down by the Court. This sentence helps protect vulnerable minors online and demonstrates that we will continue to fight to keep our community safe for children.” U.S. Attorney Ison said.

"Mr. Harvey's exploitation of this victim is deplorable," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Division. "This office is fully committed to investigating criminals who take advantage of minors in this way. The young victim who reported Harvey's crimes was incredibly brave and we thank her for providing the FBI with the information we needed to hold him accountable."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Sweeney Bean and Christopher Rawsthorne.

DETROIT – A federal jury convicted the leader of the “It’s Just Us” (IJU) street gang of racketeering and murder, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. These convictions conclude a two-week trial held in Port Huron before U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Detroit resident Duane Peterson, 38, was convicted by the jury on all counts of the indictment, including engaging in a racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and narcotics trafficking conspiracy involving over one kilogram of heroin. Evidence at trial showed that Peterson led the IJU street gang for years. At its height, IJU membership reached close to 40 members. IJU terrorized the Detroit community from 2014 through the beginning of 2019 by engaging in violent acts—including murder and attempted murder—obstruction of justice, and witness intimidation. IJU also trafficked fentanyl-laced heroin to Jackson, Flint, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.

Eight defendants were charged in the case. Seven previously pleaded guilty; only Peterson proceeded to trial.

“Today’s verdict sends a message to would-be gang members and violent offenders that we will not tolerate acts of violence in our community,” stated United States Attorney Ison. “This verdict is a result of the collaboration between multiple state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies, and it vindicates our efforts to focus on the most dangerous criminals and their organizations.”

“Duane Peterson was a violent, dangerous man who terrorized the Detroit area for years, trafficking drugs, committing murder, and participating in a number of non-fatal shootings,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The actions of Peterson and his associates had a devastating effect on the safety of the community. This case underscores how the FBI and our law enforcement partners work together to target and dismantle violent gangs using our collective resources.”

Peterson is facing a mandatory life sentence for his convictions.

This case was investigated by various federal and state agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by AUSAs Eaton Brown and Maggie Smith.

DETROIT - A man from Novi was sentenced for orchestrating an unemployment insurance fraud scheme aimed at defrauding the State of Michigan and the U.S. Government of funds earmarked for unemployment assistance during the COVID19 pandemic, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Juila Dale, Director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.

Terrell Dwayne Mason, 40, was sentenced to 57 months in prison.  In sentencing the defendant, United States District Judge Denise Page Hood also ordered Mason to pay restitution to the state of Michigan in the amount of $423,435.

According to court records, between April of 2020 and continuing into February of 2021, Mason filed fraudulent unemployment claims using the identities of federal and state inmates, knowing that the inmates were not eligible to receive such benefits. Mason obtained the inmates’ personal identifying information (PII) from websites on the dark web or from the inmates themselves based on false representations that he would help them improve their credit ratings. Mason pleaded to both wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

“Unemployment insurance is designed to help those in need,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.  “This case is another example of my office’s commitment to ensuring that people who abuse the system pay the consequences.”

“Terrell Mason fraudulently applied for benefits intended to assist workers forced to sit idle during the worst pandemic in a century,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “This investigation reflects our collective determination to root out and punish criminals who used a national emergency to steal from American taxpayers.”

“This sentencing is another example of justice being served,” said Michigan UIA Director Julia Dale. “UIA investigators work closely with our partners throughout law enforcement to prosecute those who steal or conspire to steal taxpayer money that is meant for deserving workers who have lost a job through no fault of their own. Let this be a warning to any bad actors who exploit the public’s trust: We will come after you.”

“The significant sentence in this case underscores the seriousness of the offence. Terrell Mason was on parole when he filed dozens of fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims in the names of prisoners who were ineligible for benefits. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and state partners to investigate those who exploit the unemployment insurance system,“ stated Special Agent-in-Charge Irene Lindow, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Wyse and Mark Chasteen. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

DETROIT - Dr. Victor Savinov, a medical doctor who practices and resides in the Eastern District of Michigan, has agreed to pay the United States $50,000 to resolve allegations that in 2009 he received remuneration in exchange for referring Medicare patients to third-party-owned home health agencies, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto, United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.

The allegations arose from a lawsuit filed in 2009 by whistleblowers, Ruqiayah Madany and John Collins, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and potentially share in any recovery. After the United States conducted its own investigation, it intervened and commenced litigation in the qui tam case in 2014. The original qui tam complaint named over 30 defendants, and the United States has either settled with or obtained judgments against most of those defendants. In March 2022, the Court granted the United States summary judgment against two defendants and awarded the United States nearly $40 million in damages and penalties.

This settlement resolves allegations that Dr. Savinov received kickbacks in the form of a credit card payment, free office space, and free use of a medical assistant in exchange for his referral of Medicare patients to home health agencies. The United States contends that the claims for payment were rendered false because they were tainted by Dr. Savinov’s receipt of unlawful kickbacks, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b). The whistleblowers will receive $11,000 in connection with this settlement.

“The Anti-Kickback Statute was designed to ensure doctors make medical decisions based on the best interest of their patients,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Kickbacks threaten to corrupt that decision-making process, and our Office is prepared to pursue anyone who fails to abide by the rules that safeguard the integrity of the Medicare program.”

“The payment of kickbacks to induce referrals can undermine the trust in our nation’s providers and result in costly reductions to our federal health care programs," said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of
Inspector General. “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to ensure the appropriate use of taxpayer dollars as well as pursue medical providers engaging in improper financial relationships.”

The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys John Postulka and John Spaccarotella from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The case is docketed as United States ex rel. Madany and Collins v. Petre, et al., No. 09-cv-13693. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

DETROIT – Two sets of brothers and six associates in two family-led drug trafficking conspiracies were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victoria A. Roberts in federal court last week. Jamilie Ledesma of Detroit and his brother Jason Ledesma of Inkster, leaders of a major drug trafficking organization in metro-Detroit, were sentenced to 155 months and 120 months, respectively, in federal prison, for conspiring to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. In addition, Curtis Wood of Detroit was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison for his leadership role in a related drug trafficking conspiracy that involved his brother, Kevin Wood of Detroit, who was sentenced to 75 months for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy. 

“Our office will vigorously pursue drug dealers who traffic cocaine and other drugs into our community,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “I commend the excellent work of the federal law enforcement agents who stop individuals who seek to destroy the lives of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones.”

Ison was joined in the announcement by Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to court records, the Ledesma brothers’ drug trafficking organization supplied kilogram quantities of drugs to the Wood brothers’ organization, which distributed the drugs in the metro-Detroit area. The family-led Ledesma and Wood organizations used couriers, vehicles, stash houses, distributors, and various methods to transport and distribute drugs. The case was investigated by the DEA and the FBI and resulted in the seizure of over 12 kilograms of narcotics (including cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl), more than $400,000 in cash, dozens of firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a bullet-proof vest.

Also sentenced in the case were:

• Michael Reynolds of Detroit was sentenced to 60 months for conspiring to distribute cocaine.
• Patrick Harris-Walker of Romulus was sentenced to 60 months for conspiring to distribute cocaine.
• Darius Barnes of Ecorse was sentenced to 50 months for conspiring to distribute cocaine.
• Jerome Bray of Dearborn Heights was sentenced to 30 months for using a communication facility in facilitating the commission of a violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
• Gregory Barnes of Ecorse was sentenced to 18 months for using a communication facility in facilitating the commission of a violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
• And, Deviunda Morris of Detroit was sentenced to time served for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
• Uriel Galvan-Maciel, a Mexican national, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances and has yet to be sentenced.

This case was investigated by the DEA and FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Smith, Trevor Broad, and Paul Kuebler.

DETROIT – Six individuals, including two doctors and the operators of three pain clinics, were charged with conspiring to illegally distribute over 500,000 opioid pills worth over $2.6 million in an indictment unsealed today, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mario Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

The indictment charges the defendants with a drug conspiracy involving Schedule II controlled substances, including Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen (Percocet), and Hydrocodone (Norco), some of the most addictive and commonly diverted opioids having a significant street value.

Charged in the indictment are:

Angelo Foster, 33, of Detroit, Michigan
Brandy King 33, of Detroit, Michigan
Dr. Juan Bayolo, 48, of Lake Mary, Florida
Dr. Renee Gonzalez Garcia, 62, of Henderson, Nevada
Latrina Williams, 45, of Sterling Heights, Michigan
Edward King, 33, of Northville, Michigan

The Indictment alleges that Foster, Edward King, and Brandy King operated several pain clinics in the Metro Detroit area, including Priority One Health Management, Lincoln Park Health Management, and Priority One Health Essentials. At each clinic location, patients were recruited by “patient recruiters” such as Williams, to see Drs. Bayolo and Gonzalez Garcia via telehealth. These doctors were paid to illegally issue opioid prescriptions, with no physical examination, for patients who had no legitimate medical need for the drugs.

As alleged in the indictment, these telehealth appointments allowed members of the conspiracy to receive cash payments in exchange for controlled substance prescriptions issued by doctors. According to the indictment, Drs. Bayolo and Gonzalez Garcia, along with other medical professionals, prescribed more than 500,000 dosage units of Schedule II controlled substances.

The prescribed controlled substances carried a conservative street value of more than $2.6 million.

“It is particularly disturbing when physicians break their oaths and illegally distribute highly addictive drugs. My office remains committed to pursuing medical providers who abuse their roles as physicians to harm our community.” U.S. Attorney Ison said.

“When medical professionals and others scheme to illegally provide medically unnecessary prescription drugs, they put patients at risk and drive up the cost of health care for everyone,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate this type of health care fraud scheme and bring those who operate these criminal schemes to justice.”

“As the fight against the opioid crisis continues, our agency remains committed to investigating those – including medical professionals – who seek to profit from scams involving powerful controlled substance medications,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to detect and take action against bad actors who allegedly participate in such schemes.”

“Those willing to profit off addiction are at the center of the opioid epidemic,” said Nessel. “The medical professionals who betrayed their oath to get rich off of substance use disorder are the most insidious actors in this scheme. I am proud of the work done by my department, in concert with our federal law enforcement partners, to pursue and prosecute those who exploited their positions while Michiganders suffered.”

The case was investigated by special agents and officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison A. Furtaw, Regina R. McCullough, and Lisandra Fernandez-Silber.

The Eastern District of Michigan is one of the twelve districts included in the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

DETROIT - A previously convicted sex offender was sentenced to over ten years in federal prison for possessing over 600 images of child pornography while on probation, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Andrew Gregory, 36, of Madison Heights, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III. At the time the FBI caught Gregory for his current crime, he was already serving a sentence of five years of probation from the Oakland County Circuit Court based on a prior conviction for distributing child sexually abusive materials.

In this case, an undercover employee from the Winnebago County, Wisconsin Sheriff’s Department discovered that Gregory was sending images of child pornography through the Kik instant messaging app. The images Gregory distributed included sexually abusive and explicit images of prepubescent children. Based on the discovery of the images Gregory sent on Kik, FBI agents then executed a search warrant at his home where they discovered that Gregory’s iPhone contained videos of sadistic and masochistic abuse of young children.

“Child pornography permanently records the victim’s abuse, and it leaves an indelible mark on victims. Repeat sex offenders deserve severe punishment for harming the most vulnerable in our society,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.

This case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosemary Wummel Gardey.

DETROIT – A prolific trafficker of child pornography was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for distributing and possessing child pornography, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Dylan Andrew Hill, 30, of Novi, Michigan, was sentenced on November 17, 2022 by United States District Judge David M. Lawson. In July 2020, Hill posted images of child pornography in a group on a social media messaging application, Kik. In a group named “darkweb porn,” Hill distributed at least two sexually explicit images of children under ten years of age. In May 2021, Hill possessed 2,929 images and 984 videos of child pornography when agents executed a search warrant at his residence. Hill admitted to distributing images to between 75 and 100 other people. Hill currently has been criminally charged in Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties in three separate cases with sexually assaulting children.

“This offender is a demonstrated danger to the community and a prolific trafficker of child pornography. This significant sentence protects vulnerable minors and demonstrates that we will continue to fight to keep our community safe for children.” U.S. Attorney Ison said.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Hindelang.

DETROIT - A Royal Oak man who repeatedly abused underage girls was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison for coercing and enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and for receiving child pornography, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. 

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Nikolas Boris Mariani, 21, of Royal Oak, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge David M. Lawson. At the time of his guilty plea, Mariani admitted that in the fall of 2020 he coerced and induced a 14-year-old minor that he met over Snapchat to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and that he received sexually explicit images from the same minor.

Police also found a different 14-year-old runaway hiding nearly naked under Mariani’s bed in a separate incident. She admitted that she met Mariani over Snapchat and that they engaged in sex acts. DNA evidence also linked Mariani to a third incident where he picked up a 14-year-old girl from her home in Flint and engaged in unlawful sex acts with her, later leaving her in a parking lot in Detroit.

“This offender serially exploited minors that he met online.   Our office will work tirelessly to pursue and prosecute individuals who exploit vulnerable children,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.

“The sentence handed down in this case reflects the serious nature of the crimes committed by this defendant, which are particularly troubling given his repeated efforts to harm and exploit minors,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society – our children – and to bringing predators like Mariani to justice.” 

This case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Roseville Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne. 

Detroit, MI – A licensed pharmacist was charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and illegally dispensing prescription cough syrup worth millions of dollars in an indictment unsealed today, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Lynda M. Burdelik, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office.

Zaman Alshafey, 35, of Dearborn, Michigan, was the owner and operator of Med Pro Pharmacy in Livonia, Michigan. Alshafey is charged with distributing misbranded drugs as the promethazine cough syrup was not safe for use except under the supervision of a practitioner licensed by law to administer the drug. Dispensing of promethazine cough syrup without valid prescriptions caused the drugs to become misbranded.     

According to the Indictment, from January 2018 to March 2021, Alshafey ordered more than 300,000 pint-sized bottles of promethazine cough syrup from various wholesale distributors who operate outside the State of Michigan. Alshafey then sold the cough syrup to drug dealers without a valid prescription from a licensed practitioner, and he failed to disclose this to the wholesalers. Alshafey paid the wholesalers via wire transfers from funds derived from the unlawful dispensing of the cough syrup.

“A pharmacist violates the public’s trust by unlawfully dispensing any drug. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners, to identify and target those in the medical community who illegally dispense prescription drugs onto the street.” Ison said.  

“Selling misbranded prescription drugs puts all consumers’ health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Lynda M. Burdelik, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public’s health.”

This case was investigated by special agents with the Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Regina R. McCullough.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

DETROIT – A Michigan man was charged with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for being a felon in possession of a destructive device. The charges were set forth in an Indictment that was unsealed today.

The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison of the Eastern District of Michigan, and James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The indictment alleges that between 2011 and October 2017, Aws Mohammed Naser, 34, formerly of Westland, Michigan, attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel (including himself) and services, knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization and that ISIS engages in terrorism. In addition, Naser is charged with being a felon in possession of a destructive device in October 2017.

Naser faces up to twenty years in prison for attempting to support ISIS and up to fifteen years in prison for possessing the destructive device.  

Naser will be arraigned on the indictment at the federal courthouse in Detroit today at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

"Terrorism poses significant threats to people living in our District and around the world,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.  “We will aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who seeks to aid terrorists.”

“Today’s indictment serves to remind others what can happen if they attempt to provide assistance to a foreign terrorist organization,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI will make every effort to protect Americans at home and abroad and to bring other like-minded criminals to justice.”

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin for the Eastern District of Michigan is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

A Michigan man was charged, in an indictment unsealed today in the Eastern District of Michigan, with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, aka ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for being a felon in possession of a destructive device.

According to the indictment, Aws Mohammed Naser, 34, formerly of Westland, attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel (including himself) and services, knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization, and that ISIS engages in terrorism. In addition, Naser is charged with being a felon in possession of a destructive device in October 2017.

Naser will be arraigned on the indictment at the federal courthouse in Detroit today at 1:00 p.m. ET. If convicted, Naser faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison for the attempted material support charge and up to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a destructive device.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan and Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of FBI Detroit Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin for the Eastern District of Michigan is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

DETROIT – Eight people were indicted by a grand jury for a bank fraud conspiracy scheme stemming from checks stolen from the mail, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Detroit Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Kevin Jones, 57, of Detroit, Flent Curney, 62, of Detroit, John Randazzo, 52, of Warren, Feraud Curney, 38, of Detroit, Filan Curney, 39, of Detroit, Ferris Curney, 34, of Detroit, Melody Leggett, 37, of Detroit, and Katana Jackson, 45, of Detroit, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain checks sent through the United States Postal Service intended for legitimate businesses. The conspirators would then incorporate fictitious businesses with similar-sounding names to the legitimate businesses and then open bank accounts in the names of those fictitious businesses. The defendants then deposited the checks intended for the legitimate business into the fraudulent bank accounts. The conspirators then depleted the money from these accounts via cash withdrawals, debit card purchases, and cashier’s checks. The defendants have been charged with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

This case has been assigned to United States District Judge Denise Page Hood. The defendants could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, and Wixom Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Ramamurthy and Sarah Youngblood.

DETROIT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan settled a complaint regarding the accessibility of a Burger King restaurant located in Indian River, Michigan. The settlement agreement resolves the Office’s investigation, prompted by the complaint of an individual who uses a wheelchair. The complainant alleged that he was forced to rely on the assistance of a stranger to use the bathroom, due to the restaurant’s inaccessibility. The settlement agreement requires the owners and operators of the restaurant to maintain a barrier-free facility, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Burger King restaurant is located near I-75, the major throughfare used to travel north through the Eastern District to the upper peninsula. The ADA protects the rights of all individuals, regardless of disability, to fully enjoy the benefits and services offered by places of public accommodation, which include restaurants. The settlement agreement reinforces the restaurant’s commitment to ADA compliance going forward and acknowledges the remedial steps they have already taken to ensure that the facility is accessible, which includes a remodel of the restrooms to bring them up to ADA standards.

“All Michiganders should be able enjoy the full array of public accommodations our great state has to offer. Civil rights enforcement is a priority of my office, which includes ensuring that all public accommodations, whether they are in Metro Detroit or Cheboygan County, are accessible to individuals who have disabilities.” U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison said.

Under the terms of the settlement, the Burger King will report any future complaints from individuals who have disabilities to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and will ensure any renovations or additions comply with ADA design standards. The restaurant will also provide monetary compensation to the complainant’s spouse, who was traveling with him at the time of the incident.

The investigation was led by AUSA Michael El-Zein of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, a member of the Civil Rights Unit. The full and fair enforcement of the ADA is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the agreement, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights.

Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination or experienced a civil rights violation can submit a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at usamie.civilrights@usdoj.gov or by phone at (313) 226-9151. Complaints can also be submitted to the Civil Rights Division through its complaint portal.

BAY CITY – A Whittemore, Michigan, resident was sentenced today to 75 months on two separate criminal cases related to a $5 million extortion plot using shrapnel-filled pipe bombs the defendant placed outside cellphone stores in Cheboygan, and Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, announced Eastern District of Michigan United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and Western District of Michigan United States Attorney Mark Totten.  Whittemore and Cheboygan are in the Eastern District and Sault Ste. Marie is in the Western District.

Ison and Totten were joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.

John Douglas Allen, 76, was sentenced before United States District Judge Thomas Ludington in Bay City, Michigan. Allen had pleaded guilty to extortion by wrongful use of force, violence, and fear, as well as two counts of attempted destruction of a building using an explosive device in July. 

According to court records, Allen admitted that on September 15, 2021, at approximately 7:36 pm, he placed a United States Postal Service (USPS) box with black tape on it and a wire coming out of it outside an AT&T Store in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.  Later that evening, Allen placed another USPS box with black tape on it and a wire coming out of it outside of a Verizon Store in Cheboygan, Michigan.  The two devices were examined by the FBI laboratory Explosive Unit, which concluded that the two devices were improvised explosive devices (IEDs), also commonly referred to as pipe bombs. Both pipe bombs contained shrapnel.  In addition, threat notes demanding $5 million were placed on cell phone towers in the area as well as mailed to the telecommunications companies.  Based on video footage taken from the cell phone stores and other nearby businesses, as well as an exhaustive investigation by law enforcement, agents were able to determine that Allen was the person who left the packages outside of the stores.  The defendant claimed that he was motivated by what he viewed as immoral content being spread on the internet and cellphones.     

In addition, Allen pleaded guilty to placing letters containing threats aimed at telecommunications providers at cell towers located in the Upper Peninsula. 

“This defendant sought to use terror, threats, and bombs to scare ordinary people going about their business,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.  “We will not tolerate individuals who use fear to try to line their own pockets.”

“A top priority for my office is ensuring the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark “Totten. “Allen’s actions in placing pipe bombs in front of commercial businesses endangered not only the lives of innocent individuals, but also our first responders and the bomb technicians who rendered those devices safe.  My office will continue to aggressively pursue individuals for crimes like this that put our first responders and communities at risk.”

“Today’s sentence demonstrates the gravity of the defendant’s egregious behavior to place the lives of innocent citizens at risk in order to extort money from companies,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This coordinated effort by local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies across Michigan helped protect communities from being further victimized and sends a clear message that crime does not pay.”

This case was investigated by special agents, intelligence analysts, troopers, deputies, and officers from the FBI, Michigan State Police, Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office, Cheboygan Police Department, Sault Ste. Marie Police Department, Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police, the US Coast Guard Investigative Service, US Border Patrol and ATF.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Michael Buckley, Jerome Gorgon, Christopher O’Connor and Theodore Greeley are prosecuting the case in their respective districts.

          BAY CITY – A Whittemore, Michigan, resident was sentenced today to 75 months on two separate criminal cases related to a $5 million extortion plot using shrapnel-filled pipe bombs the defendant placed outside cellphone stores in Cheboygan, and Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, announced Eastern District of Michigan United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and Western District of Michigan United States Attorney Mark Totten.  Whittemore and Cheboygan are in the Eastern District and Sault Ste. Marie is in the Western District.

          Ison and Totten were joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.

          John Douglas Allen, 76, was sentenced before United States District Judge Thomas Ludington in Bay City, Michigan. Allen had pleaded guilty to extortion by wrongful use of force, violence, and fear, as well as two counts of attempted destruction of a building using an explosive device in July. 

          According to court records, Allen admitted that on September 15, 2021, at approximately 7:36 pm, he placed a United States Postal Service (USPS) box with black tape on it and a wire coming out of it outside an AT&T Store in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.  Later that evening, Allen placed another USPS box with black tape on it and a wire coming out of it outside of a Verizon Store in Cheboygan, Michigan.  The two devices were examined by the FBI laboratory Explosive Unit, which concluded that the two devices were improvised explosive devices (IEDs), also commonly referred to as pipe bombs. Both pipe bombs contained shrapnel.  In addition, threat notes demanding $5 million were placed on cell phone towers in the area as well as mailed to the telecommunications companies.  Based on video footage taken from the cell phone stores and other nearby businesses, as well as an exhaustive investigation by law enforcement, agents were able to determine that Allen was the person who left the packages outside of the stores.  The defendant claimed that he was motivated by what he viewed as immoral content being spread on the internet and cellphones.     

          In addition, Allen pleaded guilty to placing letters containing threats aimed at telecommunications providers at cell towers located in the Upper Peninsula. 

          “A top priority for my office is ensuring the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark “Totten. “Allen’s actions in placing pipe bombs in front of commercial businesses endangered not only the lives of innocent individuals, but also our first responders and the bomb technicians who rendered those devices safe.  My office will continue to aggressively pursue individuals for crimes like this that put our first responders and communities at risk.”

          “This defendant sought to use terror, threats, and bombs to scare ordinary people going about their business,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.  “We will not tolerate individuals who use fear to try to line their own pockets.”

          “Today’s sentence demonstrates the gravity of the defendant’s egregious behavior to place the lives of innocent citizens at risk in order to extort money from companies,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This coordinated effort by local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies across Michigan helped protect communities from being further victimized and sends a clear message that crime does not pay.”

          This case was investigated by special agents, intelligence analysts, troopers, deputies, and officers from the FBI, Michigan State Police, Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office, Cheboygan Police Department, Sault Ste. Marie Police Department, Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police, the US Coast Guard Investigative Service, US Border Patrol and ATF.

          Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Michael Buckley, Jerome Gorgon, Christopher O’Connor and Theodore Greeley are prosecuting the case in their respective districts.

###

DETROIT – A Detroit man who sex trafficked two minor girls while he was on bond and an electronic tether for state sex trafficking charges was sentenced to 16 years in prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  

Kollier Radney, 30, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Sean F. Cox after having pleaded guilty in March to two counts of sex trafficking of children and one count of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity.

According to court records, in October 2020, Radney met a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat and convinced to her to travel from Minnesota to Detroit with the promise of a lavish lifestyle. He purchased her plane ticket and arranged for her transportation to and from the airport. In reality, Radney flew the victim to Detroit with the intent that she engage in prostitution. When the victim arrived, Radney created and posted online commercial sex advertisements for her. Shortly thereafter, Radney met his second victim, a 16-year-old girl in Detroit. Radney took both victims to a hotel in Romulus, Michigan, where he rented a room for the three of them. While there, both victims engaged in commercial sex. Radney arranged the meetings between the 16-year-old victim and the sex buyers and took all of the proceeds. He also required the 15-year-old victim to give him a portion of her proceeds to help pay for the hotel room. Radney did all of this knowing that both victims were under 18 years old.

In October 2022, Radney was sentenced in state court to 24 to 240 months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor.  This was the case for which he was on bond when he committed his federal sex trafficking crimes charged in this case.     

“Radney took advantage of two vulnerable children, in one of the most terrible ways, for his own financial gain. Our office will work tirelessly to protect our most vulnerable and rid our communities of sexual predators who prey on our children,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.

“This defendant preyed upon very vulnerable teenagers by promising them shelter, money, and affection. Instead of providing those things, he callously sold them to other men for his own financial benefit,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to working on behalf of victims across the State to hold traffickers responsible for their crimes.”

This case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force (“SEMTEC”) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ranya Elzein and Sara Woodward.  

Bay City, MI – A convicted sex offender was indicted today by the grand jury for murdering a woman and shooting her child on the Isabella Reservation in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

The indictment charges Johnathan Ashford, age 37, of Mt. Pleasant, with murder for shooting and killing an Indian victim on the Isabella Reservation. Ashford is not a Native American. The indictment also charges Ashford with assault with the intent to commit murder for shooting the victim’s child. In addition, Ashford is charged with failing to register as a sex offender, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and after being convicted of a felony, first degree child abuse, and two counts of domestic assault by a habitual offender. If convicted, Ashford faces up to life in prison.

“Our office stands ready to fully investigate and prosecute domestic violence,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.  “Victims of domestic and gender-based violence deserve justice and our protection.”

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  

The case was investigated by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Isabella County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police, Saginaw City Police, Buena Vista Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roy Kranz.

DETROIT – A federal prison inmate was sentenced to 28 years in prison today for murdering a fellow inmate at the Milan Correctional Facility, in Milan, Michigan, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Jonathan Hemingway, Warden, Milan Federal Correctional Institution.

United States District Court Judge Paul D. Borman sentenced Jason Dale Kechego, 41, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, following his conviction for Second Degree Murder after a jury trial. The 28-year sentenced was imposed to run consecutively to the ten-year sentence of imprisonment he was already serving for possessing a stolen firearm.

According to court records, on January 2, 2019, Kechego, along with co-defendant Adam Taylor Wright, 42, killed fellow inmate Christian Maire. Kechego and Wright repeatedly kicked and stomped Maire in the head, and Wright prevented corrections officers from intervening while Maire was allegedly being repeatedly stabbed by co-defendant Alex Albert Castro.  Court records further allege, that Kechego, along with his two co-defendants, then threw Maire’s body down a flight of stairs. They then celebrated his death. Maire died from multiple stab wounds (28 total) and blunt force trauma to the head from being thrown down the stairs.  Kechego and his co-defendants also assaulted and seriously injured three other Milan inmates during their rampage.     

Wright pleaded guilty to second degree murder in February 2022 and was recently sentenced to 292 months for his role in the killing.  Co-defendant Alex Castro, 42, is currently awaiting trial set for February 2023.

“We are committed to protecting the public, prisoners, and correctional staff from dangerous people like Jason Kechego.  This lengthy additional sentence will not only keep him off the streets for decades, but also sends a message that we will hold individuals accountable for the crimes they commit both inside and outside of prison walls,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.

"The safety and security of employees and inmates are undermined whenever a violent act occurs in federal prison," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office. "The length of Mr. Kechego's sentence is a warning to anyone who commits a violent act in prison that they will be held accountable for their crimes."

This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frances Lee Carlson and Andrew R. Picek.

DETROIT – A Pontiac man was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Detroit on charges of possessing cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute those drugs, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a person who is unlawfully in the United States, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Joining Ison in the announcement was James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit.

A four-day trial, conducted before United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds, resulted in the conviction of Edgar Rangel-Tapia, 27. Tapia faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of life when he is sentenced, likely early next year. 

According to the evidence presented at trial, ICE ERO deportation officers were executing a search warrant for documents in April 2021. Tapia was the only person home at the time. During a protective sweep, agents saw a safe full of drugs and cash, and a shotgun behind a dresser. They then contacted the FBI, who secured a second search warrant for drugs, firearms, and related materials. The FBI recovered additional ammunition and a firearm, as well as over $9,000 cash in and around the safe in defendant’s bedroom. Investigators also found two hand-held scales (commonly used to weigh drugs for street sale), materials for packaging drugs for sale, and Tapia’s cellphone, which contained text messages relating to drug transactions.

Tapia entered the United States unlawfully and therefore cannot legally possess firearms.

“Our office will vigorously pursue armed drug dealers who traffic cocaine and other drugs into our community,” said Ison. “We will do all we can to stop them from continuing to destroy the lives of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones who suffer from their illegal conduct.” 

“This case is an excellent example of how federal law enforcement agencies work together to fulfill our joint mission to free our communities from criminals who use firearms and trafficking illegal drugs,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “We remain committed to working with law enforcement agencies at all levels to disrupt drug trafficking and to remove illegal guns from the streets of Southeast Michigan."

“I’m incredibly proud of these officers and their commitment to public safety,” said ICE ERO Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. “They, along with the other members of U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement Detroit Field Office, work tirelessly to identify and remove individuals, like Rangel-Tapia, from the community who disregard our laws and endanger the public.” 

This investigation was led by agents of the FBI Oakland County Gang and Violent Crimes Task Force which includes Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Troy Police Department, Southfield Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Michigan State Police, Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department, with the assistance of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Broad and David Portelli.