Western District of North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Roland Vance Watson, 55, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced today to 40 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for producing child pornography and committing a felony involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Watson was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.

Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

The criminal investigation began in January 2023, after law enforcement received information from a concerned adult that Watson had exchanged inappropriate text messages with a minor female. According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, investigators determined that, between August 2021 and February 2023, Watson had sexually abused three minor females on multiple occasions. Three cell phones seized from Watson and Watson’s home were forensically analyzed and multiple sexually explicit text messages were recovered between Watson and one of the minors.  In some of the texts, Watson induced the minor to send him explicit images and videos of herself in exchange for gifts and candy. The phones also contained child pornography produced by Watson that depicted Watson sexually abusing the minors and other sexually explicit images and videos featuring the minors in various states of undress.

According to court records, in 1991, Watson was sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in New Jersey. As part of Watson’s sentence, he was ordered to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board in any state or jurisdiction where he worked or resided. Court documents show that after Watson moved to North Carolina, he failed to register as a sex offender.

Watson will remain in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The investigation was conducted by HSI and the Hickory Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Six alleged members of the La Mara Salvartrucha, or MS-13 gang, have been charged with racketeering charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Two of the defendants are charged with murder in aid of racketeering. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on April 16, 2024, and was unsealed this morning.

Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

The four individuals charged with racketeering (RICO) conspiracy are Fredy Mauricio Buruca, aka “Piranha,” “Machete,” and “Insoportable,” 26, of Salisbury, N.C.; Santos Guillermo Ramirez Mancia, aka “Azazel,” “Timido,” and “Johnny,” 32, of Annapolis, Maryland; Juan Francisco Sanchez Estrada, aka “Nene” and “Turbo,” 30, of Salisbury; and Luis Fernando Guardardo Moreno, aka “Fantasma” and “Scrappy,” 26, of El Salvador.

The two individuals charged with murder in aid of racketeering activity are Christian Alejandro Garcia Santa Cruz, aka “Crimen,” 31, and Aderly Jose Veliz-Ronquillo, aka “Chanchin,” 30, both of Annapolis.

Ramirez Mancia is also charged with accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering.

“Street gangs threaten the well-being of our communities and spread violence, fear, and intimidation,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Our coordinated law enforcement efforts prioritize the investigation and prosecution of dangerous gangs to dismantle their operations and disrupt their criminal activities.”

“Finding, arresting and prosecuting those involved in gang activity greatly increases public safety and makes a dramatic impact in our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Burns. “Cases like this reflect that great work that we and our law enforcement partners do to protect the homeland.”

“Violent gangs including MS-13 can wreak havoc in our communities. The FBI is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to target and dismantle gangs that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said Special Agent in Charge DeWitt. 

According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants were leaders and members of the MS-13 sub-unit, or clique, known as the Hollywood Locos Salvadorians Clique (the HLS clique), which operated in and around the Western District of North Carolina and other areas in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. From at least December 2018 and continuing through November 2022, as members of the HLS clique, the defendants allegedly were engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that consisted of multiple acts and threats involving murder, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking.

The investigation into the gang’s criminal activity revealed that these criminal acts were allegedly sanctioned by MS-13 leadership and were committed to promote a climate a fear and intimidation within the gang, to maintain the gang’s control and to expand its territory, to enforce discipline within the gang and punish any acts of disrespect, to intimidate witnesses and discourage cooperation with law enforcement, and to retaliate against rivals, or “chavalas.”

Participation in criminal activity was also intended to increase respect and ranking of members within the gang and to open the door to promotion to a leadership position. The indictment alleges that on November 6, 2022, Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo committed murder in aid of racketeering against a victim identified as W.G.M., for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing position in the MS-13 enterprise. Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo allegedly used and carried a firearm during and in relation to W.G.M.’s murder. Later, Mancia allegedly assisted Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo in order to hinder or prevent their apprehension for murder.

Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo had their initial court appearances, and they are in federal custody. The remaining defendants are in local custody on state offenses and will be scheduled to appear on the federal charges before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Charlotte.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI, HSI, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case, and thanked the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kannapolis Police Department, the Monroe Police Department, the Prince William County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, and the Annapolis (Maryland) Police Department for their invaluable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Lindahl and David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King was honored to host U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland for a visit to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina (WDNC). AG Garland was accompanied by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

Earlier today, AG Garland delivered remarks at the memorial service for slain Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. “Tommy” Weeks Jr., who was fatally shot by a wanted fugitive on April 29.

During their visit to WDNC, AG Garland and Deputy AG Monaco met with U.S. Attorney King, her leadership team, as well as prosecutors and professional staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  In his remarks to the Office, AG Garland discussed Department of Justice priorities, and thanked everyone for their service, dedication and hard work to uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights, and enhance public safety. AG Garland and Deputy AG Monaco fielded questions from the Office about efforts to support Assistant U.S. Attorneys and personnel to pursue significant cases for prosecution and address public safety challenges

“I was incredibly honored to host AG Garland and Deputy AG Monaco,” said U.S. Attorney King. “The last few days have been incredibly difficult for our Office and we all welcomed AG Garland’s words of support and encouragement. As public servants, we remain steadfast in our mission to protect those we serve and advance the cause of justice for communities across the Western District of North Carolina.”

For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and important programs and initiatives please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King and the U.S. Attorney’s Office join the Department of Justice, partners across the federal government, and people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.

“There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.”

“Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day is a time to stand with our Tribal communities in honoring and remembering the loved ones who were lost to violence or remain missing,” said U.S. Attorney King. “It is also a moment to reaffirm our commitment to continue to collaborate with our Tribal partners to enhance public safety, address the root causes of violence that disproportionately harm Tribal communities, and support crime victims, survivors, and their families.”

In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities.

To commemorate MMIP Awareness Day, U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel will participate in the 5th Annual Walk and Vigil for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives on Sunday, May 5, at Oconaluftee Island Park, in Cherokee.

For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website. Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A major drug trafficker responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in and around Burke County was sentenced to 25 years in prison today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Gregory Travis Gowan, 53, of Morganton, N.C., was ordered to serve five years under court supervision upon completion of his prison sentence. 

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Banks Hinceman of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. 

According to today’s sentencing hearing and documents filed with the court, in February 2022, law enforcement investigating Gowan’s drug trafficking activities executed search warrants at Gowan’s residence and vehicle in Burke County. Law enforcement seized over $100,000 from Gowan’s residence and vehicle, as well as a quantity of methamphetamine, and items consistent with drug distribution. Subsequently, law enforcement executed additional search warrants at Gowan’s garage and residence, and more drugs and cash were seized. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Gowan was responsible for trafficking more than 60 kilograms of methamphetamine in Burke County and was a major source of supply for local dealers.

On August 21, 2024, Gowan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Gowan is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Larry Edward Wood, 62, of Mount Airy, Georgia, was sentenced to 188 months in prison today for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Wood was also ordered to serve five years under court supervision after he is released from prison.

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Sheriff Doug Farmer of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Curtis Cochran of the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Devin Holland of the Franklin Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. 

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Wood, a Georgia resident, for suspected methamphetamine trafficking in and around Macon County. In May 2021, a confidential source working with law enforcement purchased methamphetamine from Wood. In July 2021, Wood traveled to Macon County and delivered five kilograms of methamphetamine that was seized by law enforcement.

On July 28, 2023, Wood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Wood remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Swain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On Monday, Calvin Williams, 31, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. for creating counterfeit U.S. passport cards and using them to obtain multiple lines of credit, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, Robert Little, Resident Agent in Charge, Greensboro Resident Office, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents and court proceedings, in from late 2019 until May 2022, Williams forged U.S. passport cards using the personal identifying information (PII) of victims of identity theft. A U.S. passport card is a wallet sized passport that is issued by the U.S. Department of State, serves as proof of U.S. citizenship and identity, and allows for travel to and from certain countries. Court documents show that Williams created the fraudulent passport cards in the names of identity theft victims, substituting the photographs of the victims with his own photograph. Then Williams used the fake passport cards to open multiple lines of credit with various retail and online stores in order to purchase new iPhones and other electronic items. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 30 forged passport cards from Williams. Williams continued the fake passport card scheme after he was placed on state probation for convictions involving identity theft and obtaining property by false pretenses.

On April 19, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to passport forgery. He is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.

If you are aware of, or have been a victim of, fraud associated with a U.S. passport or U.S. visa application, please contact PassportVisaFraud@state.gov

CHARLOTTE, N.C – United States Attorneys Dena J. King, Sandra J. Hairston, and Michael Easley from the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, respectively, gathered on Tuesday morning with local and state leaders to promote community engagement in supporting crime survivors and victims.

“National Crime Victims’ Rights Week emphasizes the importance of supporting and advocating for crime victims and survivors within our justice system,” said U.S. Attorney King. “This year’s theme reflects our dedication to individuals whose lives have been affected by crime and underscores our commitment to ensuring their rights are recognized and upheld every step of the way. When we put victim advocacy at the forefront of our efforts, we ensure that crime victims and survivors have access to the care, support, and resources they need throughout their journey toward healing and justice.”

“Each year, we honor and pay tribute to the victims of crime, to those who are survivors of crime, and to the courageous families who love them,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “We take this time to thank the outstanding victims’ advocates and law enforcement professionals who are dedicated to supporting survivors and seeking justice for all victims. We will continue this work throughout the year and in years to come to seek justice for the victims and to give hope to the survivors and their families.”

“In the face of gun violence and an opioid epidemic claiming far too many lives, we won’t allow our communities to be defined by grief and loss,” said U.S. Attorney Easley. “In National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we highlight the brave victims, survivors, and service providers seeking justice in our courts. We also recognize that true healing requires services and care, wrapping up survivors and ensuring they and their loved ones are never forgotten.”

News reporter Debra Morgan of WRAL emceed the event, which featured music by The 100 Men in Black Ensemble, and an array of speakers delivering messages of hope to victims of crime. Students from Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School were also recognized for their participation in a poster contest featuring butterflies in honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Two service organizations were also featured, including Safe Child and Ship Outreach, for their role in helping survivors of crime.

The U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina are proud to join the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and communities throughout the United States during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in raising awareness of victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and their advocates.

For more information about how to support all victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.

STATESVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte has found two tax attorneys and an insurance agent guilty of conspiring to defraud the United States and helping clients file false tax returns based on their promotion and operation of a fraudulent tax shelter, said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office (IRS CI), join U.S. Attorney Dena J. King of the Western District of North Carolina made the announcement.

“Tax fraud is not just a crime against the government,” said U.S. Attorney King. “It’s a betrayal of trust to every honest taxpayer. Today’s guilty verdict sends a clear message that we will not tolerate tax fraudsters who promote and operate fraudulent tax schemes. Their conduct compromises the integrity of our tax system and burdens the rest of us with the weight of their deceit.”

“The defendants’ use of tax schemes was clearly intended to conceal income from the IRS,” said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. “Today’s verdict reinforces our commitment to every American taxpayer that IRS CI special agents will continue to identify and help bring to prosecution those who promote illegal schemes designed to evade the payment of taxes.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from 2011 to November 2022, Michael Elliott Kohn and Catherine Elizabeth Chollet, both attorneys and residents of St. Louis, Missouri, and David Shane Simmons, a licensed insurance agent and broker based out of Jefferson, North Carolina, promoted, marketed, and sold to clients a fraudulent tax scheme known as the Gain Elimination Plan. 

The defendants designed the Plan to conceal their clients’ income from the IRS by inflating business expenses through fictitious royalties and management fees. These fictitious fees were paid, on paper, to a limited partnership largely owned by a charity. In reality, Kohn and Chollet fabricated the fees.

Kohn and Chollet advised clients that the Plan’s limited partnership was required to obtain insurance on the life of the clients to cover the income that was allocated to the charitable organization. The death benefit was directly tied to the anticipated profitability of the clients’ businesses and how much of the clients’ taxable income was intended to be sheltered.

Simmons earned more than $2.3 million in commissions from selling the insurance policies, splitting the commissions with Kohn and Chollet. Kohn and Chollet received more than $1 million from Simmons. Simmons also filed false personal tax returns that underreported his business income and inflated his business expenses, resulting in a tax loss of more than $480,000.

In total, the defendants caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $4 million.

A sentencing date has not been set. They face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each charge of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Simmons also faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count of filing false personal tax returns. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte and Trial Attorneys Kevin Schneider and Todd Ellinwood of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, Michael John Worley, 51, of Canton, N.C., was sentenced to 382 months in prison for traveling to Fort Mill, South Carolina, to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor while being a registered sex offender, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Worley to remain under court supervision for the rest of his life and to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.

Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Kevin Tolson of the York County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents and court proceedings, in 2017, Worley was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina. As part of Worley’s judgement, he was ordered to a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Court documents show that in March 2021, the York County Sheriff’s Office began an undercover operation to identify online child predators using social media and other messaging applications to contact minors. On March 12, 2021, Worley began communicating online with undercover sheriff deputies posing as a 15-year-old minor female. During their communications, Worley expressed his interest in engaging in illicit sexual acts with the underage female, knowing that the female he thought he was communicating with was a minor. Worley also referenced his prior federal conviction and said that he was not supposed to be talking to a minor, that he had been in trouble in the past, and that he did not want to get in trouble again. On March 27, 2021, Worley traveled from Haywood County in North Carolina to Fort Mill, for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the minor. When Worley arrived at the residence in Fort Mill where he thought he was meeting the minor, he was arrested by the York County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are committed to actively investigating and prosecuting repeat predators like Worley to combat child exploitation and ensure the safety of our vulnerable young people,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Ensuring the safety of our children is paramount, and I commend Homeland Security Investigations and the York County Sheriff’s Office for their swift action in this case. Thanks to their work, children are protected from this dangerous individual.”

“We all can breathe a little easier knowing that a predator like Worley, who delights in the abuse and exploitation of children, is not roaming around our communities looking to victimize our children,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Burns Kyle Burns. “I am thankful for the great work done on this case and the amazing support of our law enforcement partners.”

“Let this send a strong message to any child predator, if you hunt our children, you will become the hunted,” said Sheriff Tolson.

On March 3, 2023, Worley pleaded guilty to attempting to use a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Worley is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

U.S. Attorney King credited HSI and the York County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation that led to today’s sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina join the Justice Department, law enforcement agencies, service providers, allied professionals and communities nationwide to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) from April 21-27, 2024.

This year’s NCVRW theme is, “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” The theme emphasizes the importance of creating an environment in which victims and survivors feel safe and supported to share their experience and trauma. The theme also aims to ensure that everyone in the community knows and understands where and how crime victims and survivors can find and receive help.

“A crucial aspect of our justice system is supporting and advocating for crime victims and survivors. And that begins by asking an important question: ‘How can we help?’” said U.S. Attorney King. “This year’s NCVRW theme reflects our commitment to crime victims and survivors. This is a commitment that extends beyond legal proceedings and holding offenders accountable. It is a commitment that ensures crime victims’ rights are represented with diligence and sensitivity, and that victims and survivors receive the care, support, and resources they need every step of the way.”

In 2022, there were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.6 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.6 million, only about 42% were reported to police.

This week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina will join the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina to commemorate NCVRW by hosting events that encourage everyone – including friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, and other trusted members of the community – to learn more about how they can assist, support, and empower survivors.

Throughout the nation and in the Western District of North Carolina, victim advocacy organizations, community groups, and state, local, and Tribal agencies will host rallies, candlelight vigils, and other events during NCVRW, to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services.

The Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities in their annual observances of NCVRW. On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, a candlelight vigil will be held on the National Mall from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. eastern time, to pay tribute to victims of crime and the many dedicated professionals and volunteers who advocate on their behalf.

For more information about how to support all victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.

Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Assistance Program can be found here.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced John Allen Wise, 45, of Cashiers, N.C., to 121 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine and illegal possession of firearms, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Doug Farmer of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. 

According to court documents, Wise was on court-ordered supervised release after serving a term of imprisonment on a federal drug conviction. On August 5, 2022, law enforcement with the U.S. Probation Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office arrived at Wise’s residence to arrest him on a supervised release violation warrant and to conduct a planned search. Law enforcement encountered Wise sitting on his front porch with a small bag containing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Law enforcement proceeded to search the residence, seizing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, digital scales and items consistent with drug distribution, a loaded semiautomatic pistol, and multiple rounds of ammunition. Wise’s criminal conviction prohibits him from possessing firearms and ammunition.

On April 24, 2023, Wise pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Wise is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jessie Alan Clark, 42, of Burke County, was sentenced today to 235 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on drug and gun charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Banks Hinceman of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. 

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, in February 2022, investigators with the Burke County Sheriff’s Office and agents with the DEA determined that Clark was engaged in the distribution of methamphetamine in the area. On February 15, 2022, law enforcement observed a truck attempting to evade detection by law enforcement and began to follow the vehicle. While they followed the vehicle, law enforcement observed a backpack being tossed out of the passenger side of the truck and proceeded to pull over the vehicle. Clark was the driver of the truck, and another individual was a passenger. Over the course of the traffic stop, law enforcement searched Clark, the passenger, the truck, and the backpack that had been tossed from the vehicle, and seized $1,915 in U.S. currency, two gallon-sized bags containing methamphetamine, and a loaded Taurus .38 caliber revolver with six rounds of ammunition. Clark is a convicted felon, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

On August 21, 2023, Clark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Clark will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Charlotte indicted Madison Dare Winslow, 24, of Lincolnton, N.C., for allegedly selling fentanyl that led to an overdose death, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Tracy Ledford of the Maiden Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement.

According to allegations in the indictment, on February 14, 2022, in Catawba County, Winslow did knowingly and intentionally distribute a controlled substance, that being fentanyl, that caused a victim’s overdose death. The indictment also alleges that Winslow distributed fentanyl on April 4, 2022, which is after the date of the victim’s fatal overdose.

Winslow is expected to make her initial appearance in court on Thursday, April 18, 2024. She is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

The charges in the indictments are allegations. The defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked HSI and the Maiden Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and remains the deadliest drug threat in the United States. Laboratory testing indicates 7 out of 10 pills seized by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. According to the DEA, in 2023, the agency seized more than 79.5 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. That’s equivalent to more than 376.7 million lethal doses of fentanyl - enough to kill every American across the country. So far this year, the 2024 fentanyl seizures represent over 82.6 million deadly doses.

For information and resources related to substance use disorder, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit the online treatment locator.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that federal prosecutors have reached a settlement agreement with the owners of the Express Inn and Suites LLC (Express Inn) in Gastonia, N.C. The agreement requires the owners of the Express Inn to provide access and accommodations to customers with disabilities, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated an investigation following a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, claiming that the Express Inn violated the ADA by refusing to provide a room to a visually impaired individual based on speculation about the individual’s capabilities. 

Under federal law, private entities that own or operate “places of public accommodation,” including hotels and other places of lodging, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability.

The ADA requires that hotels provide access to individuals with disabilities, and a hotel cannot impose or apply eligibility criteria that screen out or tend to screen out an individual with a disability from full and equal enjoyment of any goods, services, or accommodations.

Upon learning of the complaint, the Express Inn cooperated with the investigation and subsequently agreed to remedy its past discriminatory conduct. According to the terms of the agreement, the Express Inn will provide employee training, update its policies, practices, and procedures to comply with the ADA, and provide monetary relief for the impacted individual.

“My office is committed to enforcing the ADA and protecting all civil rights in this District,” said U.S. Attorney King, who also leads the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Civil Rights.

“People with disabilities have a right to equal access to hotel accommodations and should not be denied lodging on the basis of disability. I want to thank the customer who brought this matter to our attention, and I am pleased that the Express Inn has entered into an agreement that ensures going forward individuals with disabilities will not be denied their rights under federal law.”

Individuals who believe they have been victims of discrimination may file an ADA complaint online at https://www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-833-610-1264 (TTY).

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Janice Powers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. AUSA Powers also serves as the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil-Civil Rights Coordinator.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced criminal indictments against 13 individuals on drug and/or gun charges. The indictments are the result of multiple joint investigations led by federal prosecutors, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Asheville Police Department, into the alleged distribution of narcotics, such as fentanyl, and illegal firearms activity in the Asheville area.

“When our streets are plagued with drugs and illegal guns, our communities pay the price,” said U.S. Attorney King. “The charges announced today are the result of our concerted efforts with our law enforcement partners to remove drugs and illegal guns from our neighborhoods and reduce the violence and criminal activity fueled by the drug trade. We are stronger together. When we join forces, our crime reduction efforts are more effective and we can better protect our citizens and vulnerable communities from dangerous drugs and gun-induced violence.”

“ATF has a shared commitment with our law enforcement partners to address violent crime relentlessly and from every angle,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “By removing firearms from illegal possessors and shutting down firearms and drug trafficking networks, we’re breaking the cycle of violent crime and making our communities safer.”

“The Asheville Police Department values its local, state, and federal partnerships. This collaboration has made Western North Carolina safer from the destructive influence of those who exploit addiction, and the tragedies caused by gun-related violence. We will continue to work together as a team to foster safer neighborhoods for all residents and visitors.” 

The names of the 13 individuals and the offenses pending against them are:

Darrien Quantael Cannady, 35, of Asheville, is charged with three counts of distribution of a controlled substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base. The alleged conduct occurred between August 2022 and November 2022, in Buncombe County.

Aric Rashad Harper, 30, of Swannanoa, N.C., is charged with possession of machineguns and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that, in November 2022, in Buncombe County, Harper possessed two machinegun conversion kits, commonly known as “Glock switches.” A Glock switch, or “auto sear,” is an illegal conversion device that enables a conventional semi-automatic pistol to function as a fully automatic firearm.The indictment further alleges that, during that time, Harper unlawfully possessed a pistol, knowing that he had been previously convicted of at least one crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

Eric Kelvin Hart, 42, of Asheville, is charged with distribution of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that Hart distributed the methamphetamine in September 2022, in Buncombe County.

Valachie Wendell Hendon, 41, of Asheville, is charged with four counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that, between April and May 2023, Hendon engaged in the distribution of fentanyl in and around Buncombe County and illegally possessed firearms. The investigation led to the recovery of two privately manufactured firearms (ghost guns), eight firearms, including an AR-type rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun, and more than 80 rounds of ammunition, that the government contends were involved in the offenses charged in the indictment and are subject to forfeiture proceedings.

Jamal Marqui McDaniel, 46, of Asheville, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; nine counts distribution of methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine; eight counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and six counts of possession of a firearm and/or ammunition by a felon. The indictment alleges that, between September 2022 and February 2023, McDaniel engaged in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in and around Buncombe County. The indictment alleges that McDaniel, during the relevant period, distributed the controlled substances while in possession of firearms. The investigation led to the recovery of two ghost guns, eight firearms, and ammunition, that the government contends were involved in the offenses charged in the indictment and are subject to forfeiture proceedings. McDaniel’s co-defendant, Glisa Nechole Ponder, 43, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.

Christopher Deshawn Nelson, 41, of Asheville, is charged with four counts of distribution of methamphetamine and three counts of felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that, between June 2022 and August 2022, Nelson allegedly distributed methamphetamine in Buncombe County and elsewhere and illegally possessed three firearms on three separate occasions. Nelson was previously convicted of at least one crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and he is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Dequan Tyrie Payton, 33, of Arden, N.C., is charged with distribution of fentanyl and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that Payton distributed the controlled substances between September 2022 and November 2022, in and around Buncombe County.

Ronald Lee Peak, 43, of Hendersonville, N.C., is charged with two counts of distribution of methamphetamine and two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that between July 2022 and August 2022, Peak possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Buncombe County. It is also alleged that, during that time, Peak illegally possessed two firearms knowing that he had previously been convicted of at least one crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

Breanna Nicole Reed, 27, of Asheville, is charged with three counts of distribution of fentanyl. Reed allegedly engaged in the distribution of fentanyl between June 2022 and August 2022, in Buncombe County. 

Tyrone Eugene Sitton, 46, of Asheville, is charged with three counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. According to allegations in the indictment, between November 2022 and December 2022, Sitton distributed fentanyl in Buncombe County. The indictment further alleges that Sitton, knowing he had been previously convicted of at least one crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly and unlawfully possessed three firearms, including a 12-gauge shotgun and a rifle. The indictment also charges Sitton’s co-defendant, Maurice Antonio Jeter, 42, of Hendersonville, with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Khalil Tirik Shabazz, 28, of Asheville, is charged with three counts of knowingly and intentionally distributing a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. The indictment alleges that Shabazz distributed the controlled substance in July 2022, in and around Buncombe County.

The charges in the indictments are allegations. The defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the ATF and the Asheville Police Department for conducting the investigations that led to the federal charges.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are prosecuting the cases, including Christopher Hess, Alex M. Scott, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annabelle Chambers.

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

In July 2022, as part of PSN, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the ATF, launched  Think Again, an informational campaign to educate the public about gun crimes  and illegal firearms purchasing or misuse and to increase the reporting of illegal firearms activity to law enforcement. The campaign encourages the public to submit an anonymous tip about illegal firearms and other criminal activity to the ATF by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), via text at 63975, or online at WWW.ATF.GOV/ATF-TIPS.

For additional information about our Think Again initiative, please visit our website. You can view our Think Again Public Service Announcements here.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On Tax Day, the U.S. Attorney’s Office heeds a warning against IRS imposter scams and other emerging and existing financial fraud schemes that target unsuspecting Americans, especially older adults. These scams often result in substantial monetary losses, causing financial hardship and emotional distress to individuals impacted by the fraud.

As part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ongoing efforts to warn the public about financial fraud, and specifically fraud targeting older adults, federal prosecutors hosted a game of “Fraud Bingo” today at the Tyvola Senior Center in Charlotte, to educate older adults, caregivers, and individuals who regularly work or interface with older populations about financial predators and scams targeting the elderly.

“On Tax Day, and as we head into the summer months, we want everyone to be vigilant about online scams and cyberthreats, particularly those that target older adults,” said U.S. Attorney King. “From scammers posing as IRS agents to fake timeshare schemes, our best defense against fraud is education. Fraud Bingo is an interactive tool we use to alert older adults of the means and methods scammers employ to perpetrate fraud, and what steps they can take to protect themselves. Through our outreach efforts, we also want to remove the stigma and embarrassment often associated with financial fraud and encourage the reporting of fraud. Alerting the authorities that you have been the victim of a scam can assist with initiating investigations, bringing criminals to justice, and recovering stolen funds. It also helps us keep track of trends, identify emerging schemes, and warn others.”

According to the FBI’s 2023 Internet Crimes Report, the agency’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received a record number of complaints from the American public with potential financial losses exceeding $12.5 billion, a 22% increase compared to 2022. The report also indicates that North Carolina is ranked 13th both in the number of complaints filed with the FBI and in financial losses sustained due to online schemes and financial fraud. Individuals 60 and above filed the most complaints (101,068) and sustained $3.4 billion in losses, the highest among all groups. The report further indicates that tech support scams continue to impact older adults disproportionately, accounting for half of all the financial losses of online schemes. In addition, government impersonation, phishing, romance scams, and non-delivery schemes continue to cost millions in losses for the 60+ population.

Scams Targeting Older Adults

Last month, the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a warning indicating alarming reports of fraudsters impersonating SSA OIG agents. In this latest iteration of government imposter scams, fraudsters request victims to meet them in person to hand off cash. Variations of the scam include fraudsters posing as IRS agents demanding money for unpaid taxes, as sheriff’s office deputies threatening arrest for purported outstanding fines, and as prosecutors or court personnel threatening with prosecution or jail time for failing to comply with jury duty service.

Additional examples of financial fraud targeting older Americans are:

• Tech Support Scams – Convince victims to pay for non-existent problems with their computers.
• Non-Delivery Scams – Induce victims to pay for goods or services online, but never receive them. A variation of this scheme is victims receiving emails or texts messages that appear to be from legitimate shipping companies (e.g., UPS, FedEx) with fake non-delivery notifications, claiming that payment or additional personal information is required to complete a package delivery.
• Romance Scams – Lull victims into believing they are in an online romantic relationship and their paramour needs money to pay for a visit to the U.S. or for some other purpose.
• Grandparent Scams – Dupe victims into thinking that their grandchildren or other relatives are in trouble and need money right away for bail or another emergency.
• Charity Scams – Solicit donations for fake charities, or by altering or “spoofing” caller IDs to show the name of a real charity on the phone.
• Lottery Scams – Scammers use phone calls, letters, or emails to convince victims that a large fee or taxes must be paid before they can receive lottery winnings.
• Debt Collection Scams – Victims are threatened with arrest and jail time if payment for a fake debt is not made immediately. 
• Money Mule/Money Laundering Scams – Convince victims to use their existing or new bank accounts to quickly move funds in and out of those accounts. Generally, the transferred funds are proceeds of other criminal schemes (such as romance schemes) and victims are unwittingly being used to launder the ill-gotten funds.
• Timeshare Scams – Fraudsters target timeshare owners with false promises of resale and exit from their timeshares for a fee.
• Sham Business Opportunities – Convince victims to invest in lucrative business opportunities or fake investments.

Here are some tips on how to avoid falling victim to a financial scam:

• Don’t share personal or financial information with anyone you don’t know.
• If the person asking the information claims to be a relative, a friend, someone you know, or a representative of a financial institution or government agency do not respond right away. Instead, contact the person/entity independently or ask a trusted family member or friend for help.
• Don’t pay a fee for a prize or lottery winning.
• Don’t click on pop-up ads, messages, or virus warnings.
• Delete phishing emails and ignore harassing phone calls.
• Don’t send gift cards, checks, money orders, wire money, or give your bank account information to a stranger or someone who claims to be a relative without verifying the person’s identity.
• Don’t fall for a high-pressure sales pitch or lucrative business deals.
• If you suspect fraud, take the time to talk to a trusted friend or family member.
• It’s not rude to say, “NO.”
• Keep in mind that if you send money once, you’ll be a target for life.
• A good rule of thumb is, if it’s too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.
• And remember, there is no shame in falling prey to an online scammer. These are professional criminals that use tried-and-true tactics to perpetrate fraud.

To report elder fraud please call the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). If you believe you are the victim of a scam or have been contacted by a scammer, file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or contact local law enforcement.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Martin Medina, 32, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for a firearms offense, assaulting federal officers, and assault with intent to commit murder, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the sentence imposed for the weapons and assault convictions, Medina was ordered to serve an additional 30 months in prison for violating the terms of his federal supervised release, for a total sentence of more than 16 years.

Medina was convicted of federal charges in 2012 for abusive sexual contact and related offenses. Medina was sentenced to a term of imprisonment followed by a lifetime of supervised release. As a convicted felon, Medina was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Also, among the conditions of Medina’s supervision were warrantless searches of his person and his residence.

According to court documents and court proceedings, on June 14, 2022, at approximately 1:10 p.m., federal probation officers and a deputy with the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) arrived at Medina’s residence, located in Swain County within the Qualla Boundary, to conduct a warrantless search. Medina met the law enforcement officers outside, then quickly ran inside his residence. A federal probation officer began to negotiate with Medina to come outside, but Medina did not comply. Officers with Tribal Alcohol Law Enforcement, Tribal Natural Resources Enforcement, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs arrived to assist. Law enforcement continued to negotiate with Medina, and over the course of the negotiations, law enforcement observed shell casings in the driveway. This led officers to believe that Medina was armed even though he was prohibited from possessing firearms.

According to court records, a SWAT team was called to the scene. Law enforcement reported potential gunfire coming from inside the residence. Medina continued to refuse to surrender, even after law enforcement deployed non-lethal gas into the residence. After deploying more gas into the home, law enforcement was again met with gunfire. Medina continued to fire at law enforcement, causing one of the officers to sustain a non-fatal injury. Eventually, Medina agreed to surrender, and he was taken into custody at 5:51 p.m.

Court records show that following Medina’s arrest, officers executed a search warrant at Medina’s residence, seizing five firearms, including three shotguns, assorted ammunition, extended magazines loaded to capacity for all weapons, two ballistic vests, a ballistic helmet, night vision goggles, a gas mask, various fixed-blade knives, suspected marijuana, and several thousand dollars in cash.

Medina remains in federal custody awaiting transfer to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Probation Office, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, Tribal Alcohol Law Enforcement, Tribal Natural Resources Enforcement, the Office of the Tribal Prosecutor, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A newly-unsealed criminal indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte charges Olumide Olorunfunmi, 41, of Arlington, Texas, and Samson Amos, 52, of Burlington, New Jersey, with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and concealment money laundering, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A third defendant, Emmanuel Unuigbe, 41, of Dallas, Texas, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and is awaiting sentencing.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to allegations in the indictment and filed court documents in Unuigbe’s case, from 2020 through 2023, Olorunfunmi and Amos conspired with Unuigbe and others to launder the illegal proceeds of business email compromise schemes (BECs) and online romance scams targeting elderly victims. Victims of these frauds were directed into wiring and otherwise transferring funds into bank accounts controlled by Olorunfunmi, Amos, Unuigbe and their coconspirators, including bank accounts in the name of Topaz Trading & Logistics Inc., Summit Trading & Financial Services Inc., and Stage 23 Konsult LLC. After receiving the fraud proceeds, Olorunfunmi and Amos depleted the bank accounts through multiple withdrawals and transfers into other accounts, including overseas accounts. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants and their coconspirators caused more than 125 third parties to deposit or transfer over $4.5 million of proceeds stemming from illegal activities.

According to allegations in the indictment, Olorunfunmi and Amos profited by, among other things, keeping a percentage of fraudulent proceeds obtained through the schemes. They also allegedly earned compensation by conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, through which Olorunfunmi and Amos agreed to, among other things, “pay” for the domestic deposits received by others by transferring Nigerian Naria from accounts the coconspirators controlled in Nigeria to other accounts in Nigeria, based upon a “black market” exchange rate for United States Dollars to Naira.

Amos was released on bond after making his initial appearance in court in Charlotte. Olorunfunmi is scheduled to have his initial appearance in Charlotte on April 25, 2024.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business has a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. The concealment money laundering charges each carry a maximum sentence of no more than 20 years in prison.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI for the investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.

If you believe you were impacted by the charged crimes and/or were asked to send money to Topaz, Summit, or Stage 23, please contact the FBI at 704-672-6100. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced that two defendants convicted for theft of Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits in separate cases have been sentenced in federal court.

Henry Lionel Barber, 77, of Charlotte, was sentenced to three years of probation, with eight months of home confinement, for theft of government funds and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $140,541 to SSA. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, from 2009 to 2023, Barber stole SSA survivor’s benefits which were paid monthly in the name of a deceased beneficiary. Court records show that Barber converted United States Department of Treasury checks issued to the deceased beneficiary for his own use. Barber later used ATM cards associated with a bank account in the deceased beneficiary’s name where the survivor’s benefits were direct deposited to make cash withdrawals and other unauthorized financial transactions. Barber collected approximately $140,000 in funds administered by the SSA in the form of survivor’s benefits, which he was not entitled to receive. On October 18, 2023, Barber pleaded guilty to theft of government funds.

In a separate case, Ivan Buxton Gay Jr., 81, of Huntersville, N.C., was sentenced to five years of probation, with eight months of home confinement, for theft of government funds and making a false statement on a passport application. Gay was also ordered to pay $142,000 in restitution to SSA. According to court records in this case, as early as 1992, Gay stole the identity of Alvin Vincent Lee, an infant that died in the 1940’s. Gay used Alvin Vincent Lee’s information, including a birth certificate, to fraudulently obtain a North Carolina Driver’s License and a Social Security card under Alvin Vincent Lee’s name. Court records also show that, in 2006, Gay applied for and began to receive retirement benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the SSA under Alvin Vincent Lee’s name. In total, Gay collected approximately $142,000 in funds administered by the SSA in the form of retirement benefits and SSI. Then, in 2020, Gay applied for a United States passport using Alvin Vincent Lee’s identity, declaring under penalty of perjury that the statements and information on the application form were true and correct. In support of the passport application, Gay provided false documentation and a photograph of himself attesting that it was a correct and true photograph of Alvin Vincent Lee. On November 6, 2023, Gay pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and making a false statement on a passport application.

“Theft of social security benefits is theft of taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office’s prosecutions protect the integrity of the SSA programs and ensure that funds are administered to individuals qualified to receive them. I want to thank SSA-OIG for their partnership and for joining forces with my Office to accomplish our shared mission.”

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the SSA-OIG for its thorough investigation of both cases, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service for its invaluable assistance with Gay’s investigation.

The charges are the result of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina to deter theft of government funds and bring to justice individuals who steal government benefits that millions of Americans rely on.

The cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Eric Frick. Mr. Frick is a prosecutor with the Social Security Administration and is assigned to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, in charge of prosecuting SSA fraud cases. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the SSA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

If you suspect someone of committing fraud, waste, or abuse against Social Security, you can submit a report online at oig.ssa.gov or contact the SSA-OIG’s fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Daniel Allen Childers 34, of Asheville, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison followed by a year of supervised release, for a drug offense involving “unwashed” poppy seeds, said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to court documents and court proceedings, between June 2021 and January 2023, Childers engaged in a conspiracy to distribute unwashed poppy seeds. Unwashed poppy seeds are different from commercially available poppy seeds. Consumers of unwashed poppy seeds generally steep the seeds in hot water, which produces a narcotic “tea” that contains opiates such as morphine, codeine, and thebaine.

Court records show that, in June 2021, Childers contacted a wholesale supplier of unwashed poppy seeds and became a vendor for the seeds. Childers began to sell the seeds online through a website he created for his business, “OrganaSeedSupply LLC” (OrganaSeed). OrganaSeed purported to sell baking goods supplies and services, including poppy seeds for commercial use. Contrary to the website’s claims, Childers exclusively sold unwashed poppy seeds and only listed the other products and services to appear legitimate. Court documents show that Childers obtained pallets of seeds from his supplier, each containing over 1,000 pounds of unwashed poppy seeds. In turn, Childers sold the unwashed poppy seeds online in various size bags, with one pound of seeds costing between $45 and $50. As Childers previously admitted in court documents, Childers knew that his customers would use the poppy seeds to make opiate tea and warned his customers that the seeds contained “opiate alkaloid residue.”

In July 2023, Childers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a material used to make a controlled substance.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dena J. King, Sandra Hairston, and Michael Easley, United States Attorneys for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, respectively, were joined today by officials with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) in hosting a community conversation focused on the use of the Fair Housing Act to prevent and address sexual harassment in HUD-assisted housing.

“Abusing power and control over housing by committing acts of sexual harassment violates a person’s right to equal housing opportunities,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office remains steadfast in our commitment to enforce federal civil rights laws to combat sexual harassment in housing, protect vulnerable tenants and housing applicants, and hold accountable landlords, property managers, owners, and others who violate these statutes.”

“Sexual harassment of citizens who are pursuing safe and affordable housing will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “This reprehensible conduct is often inflicted on people who feel they do not have an avenue to seek help. We hope today’s seminar has provided our partner agencies and organizations with information that can be shared with citizens who may have fallen prey to this illegal activity.”

“In our ongoing commitment to ensure justice and safety for all, we are proud to co-host a community conversation with a focus on combating sexual harassment in housing,” said U.S. Attorney Easley. “This event represents a crucial step in our collaborative efforts to create a safe living environment for all people.”

“Sexual harassment and sexual assault in HUD-assisted housing are discriminatory actions that violate tenants’ rights to safe and fair housing,” said Inspector General Oliver Davis. “We are proud to work closely with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice and will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act by pursuing bad actors who take advantage of tenants and prospective tenants in violation of the law.”

The virtual engagement signified the partnership between the federal agencies to promote the health and safety of tenants residing in HUD-assisted housing. Representatives of all agencies expressed their commitment to working together to bring justice to victims of predatory landlords and other housing providers who sexually harass or sexually assault tenants and/or prospective tenants in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. Discussion topics included information about the scope and use of the Fair Housing Act, tenant rights under the law, how to recognize and report sexual misconduct in housing, and case studies.

Participants included representatives from legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, and other community organizations who assist underserved and underrepresented communities with housing. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences, concerns, and expertise to forge future partnerships and provide resource assistance to beneficiaries when reporting allegations of sexual misconduct in housing.

If you or someone you know has information about or has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation – even if the events occurred years ago – report it to the HUD Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or visit the website at www.hudoig.gov/hotline.

You may also file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint

You may also contact the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-844-380-6178 or visit www.civilrights.justice.gov. 

Individuals who believe they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other housing discrimination may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at:

Western District of North Carolina: Charlotte (704) 344-6222 or Asheville (828) 271-4661

Middle District of North Carolina: (336) 333-5351

Eastern District of North Carolina: (919) 856-4530

For more information on the three North Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Offices, priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit:

Western District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc

Middle District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdnc

Eastern District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A Swain County man is facing a federal charge for allegedly killing his wife in 2013, announced Dena J. King U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Ernest D. Pheasant, Sr., 46, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), is charged with one count of first-degree murder in Indian Country. Pheasant made his initial court appearance on Monday, April 8, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge W. Carleton Metcalf.

According to allegations in the indictment, on December 29, 2013, Pheasant killed his spouse, Marie Walkingstick Pheasant, and did so willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation. The indictment alleges that the murder occurred on the Qualla Boundary within Indian Country.

Pheasant remains in federal custody. His arraignment and detention hearings are scheduled for Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 11:25 a.m., in Asheville.

The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

The charges arose from an investigation by the FBI in North Carolina, the Missing and Murdered Unit of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Office of Justice Services, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, and the EBCI Office of the Tribal Prosecutor. 

Assistant United States Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of cases involving Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) and bring justice to victims and their families. For more information about the Justice Department’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the MMIP section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/mmip.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced federal charges against two individuals charged via criminal indictments with possession of machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as “Glock switches.”

A Glock switch, or “auto sear,” is an illegal conversion device that enables a conventional semi-automatic pistol to function as a fully automatic firearm. Federal law prohibits the possession of a machinegun and defines as a machinegun the converted firearm or a device designed or intended for use in converting a firearm into a machinegun. Furthermore, under federal law, the conversion device is illegal and classified as a machinegun whether it is affixed to a firearm or not.

Trevaris Devar Kennedy, 21, of Statesville, N.C., is charged with possession of a machinegun and possession of a firearm by a felon. Kennedy was arrested this morning and will have his initial appearance in Charlotte on Tuesday, April 9, at 10:20 a.m. According to allegations in the indictment, on December 22, 2023, in Iredell County, Kennedy did knowingly possess a machinegun, that is a device intended to convert a semiautomatic handgun into a machinegun capable of fully automatic fire, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The indictment further alleges that, on that date, Kennedy did illegally possess two Glock semi-automatic pistols, knowing he had been convicted of at least one crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

In the second case, a criminal indictment charges Tiquavion Davonta Ervin, 21, of Charlotte, with possession of a machinegun. As alleged in the indictment, on July 25, 2023, in Mecklenburg County, Ervin knowingly and willfully possessed a machinegun, that being a 9x19mm caliber handgun of undetermined origin, also known as a ghost gun, manufactured utilizing a Polymer80 brand kit and affixed with a Glock switch.

The charges contained in these indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Statesville Police Department handled the investigation into Kennedy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shavonn Bennette is prosecuting the case.

The ATF and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department investigated Ervin’s case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

Both cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In July 2022, as part of PSN, the U.S. Attorney’s Office launched Think Again, a local initiative aiming to raise awareness about gun crimes and illegal firearms purchasing or misuse and to increase the reporting of illegal firearms activity to law enforcement.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Oludayo Kolawole John Adeagbo, 45, a Nigerian national previously extradited from the United Kingdom, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for his role in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise (BEC) scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina (WDNC), and Alamdar S. Hamdani, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX).

Adeagbo, aka John Edwards and John Dayo, arrived in the United States in August 2022 after he was extradited from the United Kingdom to face criminal charges brought against him by federal prosecutors in Charlotte and in Houston. Adeagbo has now pleaded guilty for his criminal conduct in both cases, following the transfer of the case in the U.S. District Court in the SDTX to the U.S. District Court in the WDNC.

A BEC scheme, also referred to as “cyber-enabled financial fraud,” is a sophisticated scam that often targets individuals, employees, or businesses involved in financial transactions or that regularly perform wire transfer payments. Fraudsters are usually part of larger criminal networks operating in the United States and abroad.

There are many variations of BEC scams. Generally, the schemes involve perpetrators gaining unauthorized access to legitimate email accounts or creating email accounts that closely resemble those of individuals or employees associated with the targeted businesses or involved in business transactions with the victim businesses. The scammers then use the compromised or fake email accounts to send false wiring instructions to the targeted businesses or individuals, to dupe the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by perpetrators of the scheme. Generally, the money is quickly transferred to other accounts in the United States or overseas.

The BEC scheme in the WDNC

According to filed plea documents and court proceedings, from Aug. 30, 2016, to Jan. 12, 2017, Adeagbo, his codefendant, Donald Ikenna Echeazu, 42, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom extradited to the United States, and others defrauded a North Carolina university (the University) of more than $1.9 million via a BEC scheme.

Court records show that Adeagbo and his co-conspirators obtained information about significant construction projects occurring throughout the United States, including an ongoing multi-million-dollar project at the victim University. To execute the scheme, Adeagbo, Echeazu, and others registered a domain name similar to that of the legitimate construction company in charge of the University’s project and created an email address that closely resembled that of an employee of the construction company. Using the fake email address, the fraudsters deceived and directed the University to wire a payment of more than $1.9 million to a bank account controlled by an individual working under the direction of Adeagbo and his co-conspirators. Upon receiving the payment, Adeagbo and his co-conspirators laundered the stolen proceeds through a series of financial transactions designed to conceal the fraud.

The BEC scheme in the SDTX

According to information contained in court documents, from November 2016 until July 2018, Adeagbo conspired with others to participate in multiple cyber-enabled business email compromises in an attempt to steal more than $3 million from victim entities in Texas, including local government entities, construction companies and a Houston-area college. As with the scheme in North Carolina, Adeagbo and his co-conspirators registered domain names that looked similar to legitimate companies. They then sent emails from those domains pretending to be employees at those companies to clients or customers of the companies they impersonated, and deceived those customers into sending wire payments to bank accounts the co-conspirators controlled.

Adeagbo remains in federal custody. At sentencing, he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison on each count. According to the plea agreements, Adeagbo will be required to pay a money judgment to be determined by the court and restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is alleged to be at least $14,185,847.42. A sentencing date has not been set.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell in the WDNC sentenced Echeazu to 18 months in prison followed by a year of supervised release and ordered the defendant to pay $655,408.87 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy.

U.S. Attorney King and U.S. Attorney Hamdani commended the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office for handling the North Carolina investigation and the FBI’s Houston Cyber Task Force for conducting the investigation in Texas with the assistance of the FBI’s Cyber and Criminal Investigative Divisions. They also thanked the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the Metropolitan Police Service, the City of London Police, and the Crown Prosecution Service for their substantial assistance, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for securing the arrest and extradition of Adeagbo and Echeazu.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings of the WDNC is in charge of the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the SDTX handled the criminal proceedings in Houston, along with Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).

If you suspect you are a victim of a BEC scheme, you can file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Complaint Crime Complaint Cetner (IC3) at  bec.ic3.gov. The IC3 staff reviews complaints to detect patterns or other indicators of significant criminal activity for potential criminal prosecution. The FBI provides a variety of resources relating to BEC scams through the IC3, which can be located at www.ic3.gov. For more information on BEC scams, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/business-email-compromise.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A large-scale methamphetamine trafficker was sentenced to 192 months in prison today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jeffrey Scott Ohmer, 34, of Morganton, N.C. was also ordered to serve 5 years under court supervision after he is released from prison. Ohmer’s girlfriend and co-defendant, Destiny Nicole Miller, 36, also of Morganton, has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and is awaiting sentencing.

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Alan C. Jones of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on April 5, 2022, CCSO deputies encountered Ohmer and Miller driving in a vehicle that had been reported stolen. Ohmer was the driver of the vehicle and Miller was in the front passenger seat. A traffic stop was initiated during which deputies searched Miller, Ohmer, and the vehicle. Deputies retrieved from Miller’s waistband a zipper bag that contained methamphetamine. Deputies also located in the front seat area of the vehicle a box of quart size Ziploc bags and a set of digital scales. Both Ohmer and Miller were charged with state drug offenses.

Court records show that on October 27, 2022, CCSO deputies encountered Ohmer driving a vehicle and attempted to pull him over for a traffic violation. CCSO deputies searched Ohmer’s vehicle and located a black backpack. Inside the backpack they found 12 Ziploc bags containing methamphetamine with a combined weight of 1.3 kilograms, a handgun with an extended magazine, 29 rounds of ammunition, two bags of marijuana, and digital scales. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Ohmer possessed over 15 pounds of methamphetamine, which he sold to other local distributors.

According to court records, on November 1, 2022, CCSO deputies learned that Miller was attempting to sell a fully automatic machine gun on Ohmer’s behalf. During an undercover operation, Miller met with an undercover officer (UC) and a confidential informant (CI) who told Miller they were interested in buying guns and drugs. Miller sold the UC a machine gun with a silencer, a pistol, and ammunition. Miller sold the CI approximately 7.8 grams of methamphetamine. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and CCSO for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Boykin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Gastonia, N.C., woman pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining $125,317 in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Kelly Bree Mosley, 48, entered her guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to plea documents and today’s court hearing, between May 2020, and April 2021, Mosley used false information to apply for loans from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). To obtain the loans, Mosley submitted applications on behalf of fictitious event planning businesses and in her own name that contained materially false information, including gross revenues, payroll expenses, number of employees, and operational costs and expenditures. Each time Mosley submitted an application, she certified under the penalty of perjury that the information was true and correct, and that Mosley would use the funds as directed by the EIDL and PPP programs. Based on the fraudulent applications, Mosley received approximately $125,317 in COVID-19 relief funds. Contrary to her claims, Mosley used the funds from the PPP and EIDL programs to pay her personal bills, invest in foreign currency, and to pay for plastic surgery, such as liposuction.

Mosley is currently released on bond. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine Mosley’s sentence at a later time, after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A newly-unsealed criminal indictment charges William Mohr Eubank, 37, of Charlotte, with multiple counts of falsely impersonating a federal officer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The indictment was returned on March 19, 2024, and was unsealed upon Eubank’s initial court appearance. 

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to allegations in the indictment, between 2021 and 2024, Eubank falsely claimed to be a federal law enforcement officer on multiple occasions. Specifically, in April 14, 2021, Eubank purported to be a U.S. Department of Justice law enforcement officer working on a Joint Counterterrorism Task Force in order to obtain a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe outfitted with law enforcement emergency lights, siren, console, and partition push bar. The indictment further alleges that, on May 19, 2021, Eubank falsely claimed to be the Deputy Director of the Community Emergency Response Team for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and made false statements to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) in order to obtain CMPD radio codes for his handheld radio and his “DHS-issued” Chevrolet Tahoe. The indictment also alleges that, on January 21, 2024, Eubank pretended to be a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations and made false statements to Sugar Mountain police officers about working with and for various federal law enforcement agencies.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Eubank had his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Charlotte. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez ordered that Eubank remain in custody until his detention hearing.

U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and HSI for their investigation of the case and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Sugar Mountain Police Department, the Avery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

STATESVILLE, N.C. – Jessie Leroy Glass, Jr., 50, of Statesville, was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for possession and receipt of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Glass to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison and to pay $5,000 in fines and $6,000 in restitution.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Kyle D. Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Darren Campbell of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to trial evidence, witness testimony and filed court documents, between January and February 2020, Glass received and possessed images and videos of child pornography. As trial evidence established, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into Glass after an individual alerted law enforcement about Glass’s possession of child pornography. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement recovered two cell phones associated with Glass. A forensic analysis of the cell phones revealed that they contained images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers.  In June 2023, a federal jury convicted Glass on all counts.

The Court ordered that Glass not possess electronic devices while he was out on bond both before and after the jury convicted him at trial. At today’s sentencing hearing, the Court granted the government’s request for a higher sentence after the Court found that Glass violated the conditions of his bond on two occasions by possessing electronic devices, including cell phones, that he hid from his supervising probation officer. One of the secret cell phones that Glass possessed after his conviction and while he was on bond contained cartoon images depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Glass is in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI, HSI, and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kimlani Ford and Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced Jake Henry Anderson, 24, of Monroe, N.C., to 300 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Anderson was also ordered to register as a sex offender upon completion of his prison term.

According to Anderson’s guilty plea and other documents filed with the court, between July 8, 2021, and July 10, 2021, Anderson induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produced a visual depiction of the conduct. Court documents show that Anderson befriended the 15-year-old minor female on Snapchat and began to communicate with her. Over the course of their communications, Anderson exchanged sexually explicit images with the minor victim and discussed having sex with her. As their communications progressed, Anderson discussed meeting the minor victim and told her he would make her his girlfriend.

According to court documents, on July 8, 2021, Anderson drove to the minor victim’s house in Tennessee, picked her up from her home and drove her back to his home in Union County, North Carolina. During this time, Anderson engaged in sexual acts with the minor victim. Videos of the sexual acts were recorded and saved in his Snapchat account. Anderson was arrested after the minor was reported missing and law enforcement was able to trace her to the defendant’s home.

Filed court documents show that after Anderson’s arrest and upon seeing the defendant’s picture in the news, another individual contacted law enforcement to report that a 16-year-old female had also been in contact with Anderson. During their communications on Snapchat, Anderson pressured this minor victim to send him sexual images of herself, to leave her family, and to move in with him. Investigators also determined that Anderson had driven by the minor victim’s house and briefly met with her.

On June 29, 2022, Anderson pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

U.S. Attorney King commended Homeland Security Investigations, the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the Rutherford County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Zadih Cadyma, 66, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for fraudulently obtaining $780,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans and money laundering, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Cadyma was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $762,952.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, andDonald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents, Cadyma was a tax return preparer who owned and operated CFE Tax Services in Charlotte and other registered businesses. From 2020 to 2021, Cadyma applied for 10 fraudulent COVID-19 loans from the Economic Injury Relief Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) and three Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for his businesses under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In the loan applications, Cadyma made false representations about his businesses, including gross revenues, monthly payroll expenses, number of employees, and other covered operational expenditures. As a result, Cadyma fraudulently received $550,000 under the EIDL program and $230,000 in PPP loan proceeds. Contrary to claims Cadyma made on the loan applications that the funds would be used for legitimate and permissible business purposes, Cadyma used the loan proceeds for his own benefit and to support his lifestyle, including to purchase a new luxury vehicle.

On April 27, 2023, Cadyma pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and IRS-CI for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings prosecuted the case.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – This morning, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King joined North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, local law enforcement officials and other partners to raise awareness about the fentanyl epidemic and highlight efforts to stem the flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in our communities.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center in Charlotte, U.S. Attorney King said that federal prosecutors are focusing on disrupting and dismantling large trafficking organizations responsible for supplying the bulk of fentanyl distributed throughout the Western District of North Carolina, and holding accountable individuals who sell lethal substances like fentanyl, causing serious bodily injuries, drug poisonings, and overdose deaths. U.S. Attorney King emphasized the importance of working with government agencies, law enforcement, and organizations dedicated to the provision of services for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery to support communities across Western North Carolina.

“Families should not have to face this crisis alone,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office is committed to supporting our communities and our law enforcement partners through this crisis and bringing to justice those responsible for poisoning our friends, our neighbors, and our loved ones. Together, we will fight against this epidemic to free our communities from its deadly grip and make funding available to support vital prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts.”
 

“The fentanyl crisis is devastating our people, and we need everyone at the table working together to combat fentanyl trafficking,” said North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. “I’m grateful to U.S. Attorney King and her office for their partnership in the Fentanyl Task Force and other efforts to hold drug traffickers accountable.”

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and remains the deadliest drug threat in the United States. Laboratory testing indicates 7 out of 10 pills seized by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. According to the DEA, in 2023, the agency seized more than 79.5 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. That’s equivalent to more than 376.7 million lethal doses of fentanyl - enough to kill every American across the country. So far this year, the 2024 fentanyl seizures represent over 82.6 million deadly doses.

For information and resources related to substance use disorder, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit the online treatment locator.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  Today, U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced John Henry Moore, 60, of Charlotte, to life in prison for the armed robbery of two businesses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

In October 2022, a federal jury convicted Moore of two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Today, Moore received an enhanced sentence under the provision of the “Three Strikes” statute, which mandates a sentence of life in prison for defendants previously convicted, on separate occasions, of two or more serious violent felonies.

According to filed court documents, evidence presented at trial, and today’s court proceedings, on December 1, 2018, Moore robbed a Spectrum store located at 2222 South Boulevard, in Charlotte. Trial evidence established that Moore entered the store at approximately 8:00 p.m. and brandished a firearm to employees who were working at the time. Moore then ordered the employees to hand over cash from the registers and Moore fled the scene. Trial evidence established that Moore left behind an umbrella which he had used to prop the door open during the robbery. That umbrella was later tested by the FBI and found to contain DNA which matched the defendant.

According to trial evidence and witness testimony, on December 10, 2018, Moore returned to the same area and robbed the Publix Super Market also located at 2222 South Boulevard, in Charlotte. Trial evidence showed that Moore walked into the store, approached a store employee and demanded cash. During the robbery, Moore kept his hand in his pocket and threatened the employee, warning the victim to not “get shot.” The employee handed Moore cash and Moore fled the scene.

According to trial evidence, law enforcement identified Moore as the person who committed the two robberies. On December 12, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Moore’s residence, seizing a loaded firearm with an obliterated serial number and clothing that matched the description of the items Moore wore during the robberies.

Moore was subject to the mandatory life sentence based on his extensive history involving multiple federal bank robbery convictions. Specifically, Moore previously robbed a bank in Georgia (2004) and three banks in South Carolina (1995) and was on federal supervised release for the latter of those convictions when he carried out the robberies in Charlotte for which he was sentenced today. Moreover, at the time Moore executed the bank robberies in Georgia and South Carolina, he was on federal supervised release for robbing two banks in Charlotte and a bank in Rock Hill, S.C. (1989).

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Cameron of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A newly unsealed federal indictment charges two individuals for their roles in a conspiracy to buy and sell stolen high-end vehicles worth millions of dollars, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The defendants are also charged with gun offenses.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

Andre Lamar Sumner, 41, and Erren Woodson, 39, both of Charlotte, are charged in a conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce, and to possess with intent to sell vehicles with altered Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs). Both defendants are also charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activities. Sumner is also charged with trafficking in motor vehicles with an altered VIN. 

The indictment alleges that, between 2022 and 2024, Sumner, Woodson and others conspired to buy and sell high-end motor vehicles that were stolen from car dealerships, rental car companies, and private parties across the United States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Missouri. As alleged in the indictment, Sumner operated as a “fence” in the conspiracy, buying and selling the stolen motor vehicles. A fence is someone who assists in finding or dealing with buyers for stolen properties. To maximize profits, Sumner sought to fence high-end stolen vehicles such as luxury models made by BMW, Land Rover, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce, as well as trucks and other expensive modes from Chevrolet, Dodges, Ford and RAM. According to allegations in the indictment the conspiracy involved stolen vehicles worth millions of dollars.

The indictment further alleges that Sumner sold the stolen cars to buyers at prices significantly below the vehicles’ fair market values. To avoid detection and to maximize the stolen vehicles’ resale values, Sumner and others regularly altered the stolen vehicles’ original VINs and fraudulently registered the stolen vehicles with various state motor vehicle agencies. According to allegations in the indictment, Woodson purchased stolen vehicles from Sumner and sought potential buyers for Sumner’s stolen vehicles.

The indictment alleges that, during the scheme, Sumner and Woodson were also engaged in the distribution of narcotics and unlawfully possessed a variety of firearms, including handguns, shotguns and rifles, in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities.

The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years. Each charge of possession of a stolen vehicle and trafficking in motor vehicles with an altered VIN carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

This is the third indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte related to trafficking in stolen vehicles. Five individuals were indicted in August 2023, for stealing luxury vehicles from dealerships throughout the United States. Two additional individuals were indicted in November 2023, for orchestrating high-end auto thefts from businesses in South Carolina.

U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with Nantahala Weddings, LLC (Nantahala Weddings) to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at its facilities in western North Carolina, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that everyone has equal access to businesses and facilities available to the public,” said U.S. Attorney King who also serves as Chair of the U.S. Attorney General’s Subcommittee on Civil Rights. “This settlement reflects our commitment. It is critical for companies to maintain accessible facilities so that individuals with disabilities can fully use and enjoy a business’s goods and services. I commend Nantahala Weddings for its cooperation and for taking swift remedial action to ensure its facilities are ADA compliant.”

According to a civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, Nantahala Weddings was violating the ADA by, among other things, charging a fee to transport individuals with mobility impairments up a non-accessible hill to the main wedding ceremony area and failing to offer accessible restrooms to guests. The property offers lodgings for rent and includes several buildings, outdoor pavilions, and open-air gathering areas separated by wooded areas and steep hills.

Upon learning of the complaint, the Nantahala Weddings took prompt action to remedy certain architectural barriers on its own initiative. Thereafter, it fully cooperated with the investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and subsequently agreed to remedy its accessibility issues. The business has already begun implementing the terms of the settlement agreement.

As part of the settlement, Nantahala Weddings will construct accessible lodging for guests to rent, which will include an accessible entryway, bathroom, and bedroom; build accessible exterior walkways connecting its facilities or, where specified, offer accessible transportation to guests with no surcharge; renovate single use bathrooms and other facilities for ADA compliance; and remedy various other architectural barriers to access.

“We appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office bringing these matters to our attention as – like many small businesses – we were not aware of the ADA’s requirements. We value the opportunity to make our property accessible, and we firmly believe that implementing the recommended changes will ensure all our guests feel comfortable, safe, and welcome,” said Jody Hafey, an owner of Nantahala Weddings.

Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by businesses that serve the public, such as Nantahala Weddings. Such businesses also cannot impose a surcharge on persons with a disability who seek to participate in its goods and services.  Individuals who believe they have been victims of discrimination may file an ADA complaint online here. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-833-610-1264 (TTY).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is handling this matter.

In April 2022, U.S. Attorney King announced the formation of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Team, to focus on prioritizing criminal and civil enforcement actions and increasing education and community outreach efforts. The Civil Rights Team comprises federal prosecutors and staff from the Office’s Criminal and Civil Divisions in Charlotte and in Asheville. U.S. Attorney King has appointed a Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator to lead the Team’s efforts in investigating and prosecuting criminal civil rights violations, including hate crimes, color of law violations, and human trafficking cases. U.S. Attorney King also appointed a Civil-Civil Rights Coordinator, who is tasked with prioritizing civil enforcement actions related to discrimination in housing, lending, employment, and education, and the protection of voting rights and disability rights or access, among other areas. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Team visit our website.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Stephanie L. Roberts, 54, of Gastonia, N.C., pleaded guilty today to stealing thousands of dollars from a non-profit corporation for cancer patients, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

U.S. Attorney King is joined by Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI),Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Trent Conard of the Gastonia Police Department in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents, Roberts served as the executive director of a Gastonia non-profit corporation that provides support and resources for cancer patients. Beginning no later than January 8, 2016, through January 21, 2022, Roberts embezzled more than $136,000 from the non-profit corporation. In addition, Roberts admitted in court today that she failed to pay more than $200,000 withheld from the paychecks of the non-profit corporation’s employees for federal income, Medicare and Social Security taxes to the IRS. Lastly, Roberts made and subscribed under penalty of perjury U.S. Income Tax Returns in which she falsely stated the amount of tax withheld from her wages and claimed that amount was paid to the IRS.

Roberts pleaded guilty to theft in connection with health care, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; failure to truthfully account for and pay over trust fund taxes, which carries a statutory sentence of no more than five years in prison; and making and subscribing a false tax return, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison. According to the terms of Roberts’ plea agreement, she will be required to pay full restitution to the non-profit corporation. Also, at sentencing, Roberts will be subject to additional court fines and a forfeiture money judgement. A federal judge will determine the actual sentence at a hearing not yet scheduled. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended IRS-CI, USPIS, and the Gastonia Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal judge found Evan Thomas Carter, 46, of Seattle, Washington, guilty of indecent exposure on an aircraft following a bench trial yesterday, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez presided over the trial.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. 

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on August 27, 2020, Carter was traveling on American Airlines Flight 560 from Seattle to Charlotte. Trial evidence established that, over the course of the flight, Carter exposed his genitalia to the passengers seated in his row and was rubbing himself. Trial evidence showed that Carter would hide his genitalia when people walked down the aisle and was exposed for at least 20 minutes until the passengers in his row were moved.

Carter was convicted of one count of indecent exposure on an aircraft, a misdemeanor offense punishable by no more than 90 days in prison and a $500 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.

The FBI investigated the case with the assistance of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Forty-eight student government representatives from high schools in North Carolina’s westernmost counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians gathered today at the Cherokee High School on the Qualla Boundary for the 2024 Western North Carolina Student Council Spring Conference (WNC Conference).

The annual conference is an opportunity for high school student leaders to exchange ideas and information on important topics that impact their schools, network with other student body representatives, and collaborate on how to engage their campus communities.

WNC Conference organizers invited U.S. Attorney Dena J. King again this year to lead a panel on youth violence disruption, prevention and intervention. During the panel discussion, U.S. Attorney King shared information on the contributing factors of youth violence and encouraged students to trade ideas with their peers on how to prevent and stop incidents of violence in their schools. U.S. Attorney King also stressed the important role student governments play in facilitating solutions that can reduce acts of violence and enhance safe learning. Over the course of the panel, students had an opportunity to ask questions and share their perspectives on the causes and circumstances that may lead to youth violence and offered possible remedies to help reduce violence on school grounds.

“Student council members are elected to be the students’ voice within their schools and represent the interests, concerns and needs of their peers,” said U.S. Attorney King. “As student leaders, they are also tasked with raising issues that may impact academic achievement and prevent students from thriving in their classrooms. I encourage all students attending the conference to network with each other, share their experiences, and facilitate ideas that can be implemented in their own high schools.”

U.S. Attorney King also stressed the importance of developing effective communication and leadership skills, increasing student involvement within the community, and facilitating positive interactions with law enforcement.

U.S. Attorney King noted, “Today’s event is an opportunity to connect with student leaders, encourage them to make the right choices and develop skills and ideas that will be beneficial to their schools and the students they represent. Helping young people understand the root causes of violence, listening to their input, and sharing perspectives on how to increase safety in their schools can make our broader communities better and safer and strengthen the ties between law enforcement and the youth population we seek to nurture, serve and protect.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Charlotte-based members of a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) were sentenced to prison today for trafficking large quantities of cocaine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

Carlos Hernandez Landeiro, 33, and Holly Christine Furlough, 31, both of Charlotte, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. A third co-defendant, Dante Rashaun Ramseur, 44, of Hickory, North Carolina, was previously sentenced to 121 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, law enforcement conducting an investigation into drug trafficking networks in Catawba County determined that Ramseur was distributing significant quantities of cocaine in the Hickory area. Investigators further determined that the cocaine was supplied to Ramseur by Landeiro and Furlough. On February 13, 2023, Landeiro and Furlough attempted to deliver cocaine to Ramseur, which he then intended to sell to an undercover officer. Later that day, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Landeiro and Furlough’s residence. During the search, law enforcement seized 26 kilograms of cocaine, drug paraphernalia to include a vacuum sealer, a money counter, and more than $120,000 in cash drug proceeds. Court records show that the defendants’ residence where the cocaine was seized is next door to a Charlotte high school.

In September 2023, Landeiro and Furlough pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine near a school. They are currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

This case was investigated by a joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which includes the DEA, the FBI, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cannon Earl Kress, 50, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for distribution of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upon his release from prison, Kress will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Kress to pay $18,000 in assessments and restitution.

Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Andy LeBeau of the Boone Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents and today's sentencing hearing, in October 2022, Kress started a group on Kik where members of the group posted child pornography images and videos and discussed their sexual interest in children. An undercover detective infiltrated the group and downloaded child pornography videos that Kress had uploaded to the group. The undercover detective also chatted with Kress via the Kik messenger application. During those communications, Kress expressed an interest in engaging in illicit sexual acts with a five-year-old female child and arranged with the detective to meet and have sex with the child. On November 2, 2022, Kress traveled to Hickory, North Carolina, for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. Law enforcement was waiting for Kress at the pre-arranged meeting location and arrested him. Law enforcement seized Kress's phone and discovered child pornography videos on it. 

On October 10, 2023, Kress pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. At today’s sentencing hearing, the Court granted the government’s request for the maximum 20-year sentence due, in part, to the nature and circumstances of Kress’s offense.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended HSI and the Boone Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Kimlani Ford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, a federal jury convicted Daniel Wood, 47, of Charlotte, of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. 

According to trial evidence, witness testimony, and filed court documents, on May 1, 2022, Wood attempted to enter a Charlotte nightclub with a loaded firearm in his pants pocket. The security of the nightclub located the firearm when they patted down the defendant prior to entering the club. Security removed the firearm and turned it over to an off-duty CMPD officer. Trial evidence established that while the CMPD officer was in his patrol vehicle examining the firearm, Wood spoke to the officer and explained that he received the gun from someone else and that he had forgotten it was in the pocket of his pants.

Wood is in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set. 

The ATF and CMPD investigated the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

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.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte jury has returned a guilty verdict against two Charlotte businessmen for failing to account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) more than $150,000 in trust fund taxes over five quarters in 2016 and 2017. Richard Brasser, 57, and Gregroy Gentner, 52, both of Charlotte, were convicted of multiple counts of failing to account for and pay over the trust funds taxes.

Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

“When employers willfully fail to collect, account for and deposit with the IRS employment taxes due, they are stealing from the United States Treasury. In addition, employers who willfully fail to comply with their tax obligations unlawfully gain an unfair advantage over their honest competitors,” said U.S. Attorney King.  

“Business owners such as Brasser and Gentner have a responsibility to withhold income taxes for their employees and then remit those taxes to the IRS,” said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. “The failure to pay over withheld taxes is a serious offense. IRS Criminal Investigation vigorously pursues anyone who engages in tax fraud schemes such as these.”

According to evidence presented at trial, witness testimony, and other court documents, rFactr was a company with offices in Charlotte, that sold software and provided ongoing support for that software to companies that were leveraging their social networks as part of their sales platforms. Brasser was rFactr’s Chief Executive Officer and Gentner the Chief Operating Officer. Trial evidence established that from 2015 through 2017, Brasser and Gentner caused rFactr to collect more than $600,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of its employees, but did not account for the taxes by filing Forms 941 with the IRS. Moreover, the defendants did not pay over the withheld taxes to the IRS in a timely manner.

According to trial evidence, Brasser and Gentner had a history of noncompliance with rFactr’s employment tax obligations. Specifically, between 2013 and 2017, Brasser and Gentner failed to comply with rFactr’s employment tax obligations by failing to timely file rFactr’s employment tax returns and failing to timely pay over to the IRS rFactr’s employment taxes. In total, between 2015 and 2017, Brasser and Gentner caused rFactr to owe more than $1.1 million in employment taxes.

At sentencing, Brasser and Gentner each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count of failing to account for and pay over the trust funds taxes.

IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Family First Home Health Care, Inc. (Family First), a home health care agency located in Gastonia, N.C. (now d/b/a Gaston Piedmont Health Care Inc.), and its owner Marion James (James) have agreed to collectively pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that they knowingly violated the Federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts from January 1, 2015, through January 9, 2020, by submitting thousands of fraudulent claims to Medicaid for reimbursement, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Specifically, the United States and State of North Carolina (together, the Governments) alleged that Family First and James billed Medicaid for personal care services that were never performed, such as billing for in-home services on days when patients were hospitalized. Similarly, the Governments alleged that Family First and James billed for years of personal care services purportedly provided to patients in their homes by James’ daughter while she was hours away at college as a full-time student playing on the varsity basketball team, or billed for services provided by an aide after that aide had moved out of state.

The Governments further alleged that Family First and James engaged in a scheme to have family member aides provide personal care services to their own family member beneficiaries (for example, a daughter providing services to her mother) in violation of state Medicaid regulations, and then fraudulently bill for those services as if they were performed by a non-related aide, forging documents and signatures to perpetuate the scheme.

“Medicaid beneficiaries qualifying for personal care services are those that require assistance with daily living tasks, often the elderly. This settlement demonstrates that those who would profit from defrauding government healthcare payors while taking advantage of vulnerable patients entrusted to their care will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney King.

“Submitting false claims to Medicaid undermines the integrity of the program and wastes valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG remains committed to investigating providers who allegedly defraud federal health care programs.”

“These defendants stole hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars while never actually providing the care they claimed to,” said North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. “My office will hold accountable those who defraud the Medicaid system and take away resources from people who need them.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by former Family First employee Heather Coleman. Under those provisions, a private party may file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Coleman v. Family First Home Health Care, LLC and Marion James, No. 3:19-CV-405 (W.D.N.C.). The settlement amount was based on Family First and James’ ability to pay.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Johnson and Investigator Cathleen Hollowell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte investigated the matter, in conjunction with the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Asheville has convicted Keith Ryan Noles, 42, and Tina Jane Hill, 46, both of Marble, N.C., of trafficking methamphetamine and firearms offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Dustin D. Smith of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, in February 2021, more than eight pounds of methamphetamine was intercepted by law enforcement in Texas. Trial evidence established that law enforcement learned the methamphetamine was intended for Hill and Noles in North Carolina from their source of supply. The jury heard testimony that, between 2020 and 2021, their source of supply or his representative made multiple trips to North Carolina to deliver packages of methamphetamine to Hill and Noles, and to pick up cash payments.

According to trial evidence, after the methamphetamine was intercepted in Texas, law enforcement planned a delivery of the methamphetamine to Hill and Noles as originally planned. Law enforcement arrested Noles soon after he arrived to assist with the delivery of the methamphetamine to his and Hill’s residence in Marble, North Carolina. Law enforcement subsequently arrested Hill at the residence.

The jury found Noles and Hill guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Noles was also convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentencing hearings for Noles and Hill have not been set.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended HSI and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case and thanked the Andrews Police Department and the Graham County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annabelle Chambers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are prosecuting the case. Ms. Chambers is a state prosecutor with the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Ashley Welch to serve as SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.  Ms. Chambers is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office.  The SAUSA position helps ensure the effective and vigorous prosecution of federal court cases that impact the counties within the 43rd Prosecutorial District. 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Alyssa Danielle Seabolt, 26, of Murphy, N.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Seabolt to register as a sex offender after she is released from prison.

Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement. 

According to court documents and court proceedings, in 2021, Canadian law enforcement investigating the online trading of child pornography notified HSI about an individual in the United States, later identified as Seabolt, using Snapchat to distribute files depicting the sexual abuse of children. In June 2022, during an interview with HSI agents, Seabolt admitted to producing the child pornography she had shared online.

On April 19, 2022, Seabolt pleaded guilty to using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.

U.S. Attorney King commended HSI for their investigation that led to today’s sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office will host a youth outreach event in Asheville tomorrow as part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

The event, titled “An Intersection of Youth and the Criminal Justice System,” is a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) , in partnership with My Daddy Taught Me That (MDTMT), a youth development organization based in Asheville that receives federal PSN grants.

Adolescents invited to the event will actively engage with representatives of the federal agencies. The speakers will lead discussions through story-telling and interactive sessions on topics centered on promoting healthy choices, fostering good decision-making, handling peer pressure, developing conflict prevention strategies, and enhancing positive dispute resolution skills. In addition, the event will provide a platform for participating youths to relay personal experiences engaging with law enforcement and share ideas on how to interact with law enforcement in effective, positive, and productive ways.

“Engaging with young people is a key component of our efforts to enhance community safety and develop trust and respect between law enforcement and those we serve,” said U.S. Attorney King. “We are looking forward to connecting with young people and speaking to them directly about how the decisions they make today can impact their future and share ways they can maintain a path to success. We will also share practical tools and skills for safe and effective interactions with law enforcement and what young people can do to help increase safety in their schools and neighborhoods.”

“As law enforcement professionals, it is a privilege to take a moment and share what we’ve learned and experienced in our work to make communities better and safer,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Our hope is that by highlighting what makes our work so rewarding, we can encourage young people to make the right choices and take the right steps towards a better opportunity.” 

“My Daddy Taught Me That is a program designed to uplift and support the development and education of youth and young males,” said MDTMT Founder Keynon Lake.  “Our mission is to foster and empower boys to become healthy men, and to develop into the leaders of tomorrow. This is facilitated through education, hands-on activities, and participation in innovative and unique events like this, that will have a positive and long-lasting effect on all those who participate.”   

MDTMT is a youth development program designed to support youth through advocacy, education, and mentoring.  For more information on MDTMT, please visit https://mydaddytaughtmethat.org/.

Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, PSN is a collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to enhance public safety. On May 26, 2021, the Justice Department launched a strategy strengthening PSN, so that it is built on the core principles of 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 of those efforts.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – John Calvin Davis, III, 27, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud for executing a scheme involving stolen checks, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. King in making today’s announcement.

According to filed plea documents and court proceedings, from August 2022 to January 2023, Davis obtained approximately 50 checks that were stolen from mailboxes in Charlotte. Davis then fraudulently endorsed the stolen checks, deposited the checks into accounts he controlled, and then withdrew the funds before the victims or the bank had an opportunity to determine that the checks were stolen. Through this scheme, Davis fraudulently obtained $304,355.56 in fraudulent proceeds.

Davis was released on bond following the guilty plea. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the USPIS and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassye Cole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King will be joined by professionals in the criminal justice field for a panel discussion at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) on the topic of “Diversifying the Criminal Justice Landscape.”

The event is a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Black Law Society of UNC Charlotte, as part of ATF’s “Law Enforcement Leaders of America” (LELA) program, which aims to advance diversity in the criminal justice profession.

“The LELA program is focused on introducing college students to a multitude of career paths within the criminal justice field. The goal of the program is to promote diversity in all areas of criminal justice and foster an inclusive workplace that mirrors the communities we serve,” said U.S. Attorney King. “A diverse workforce, defined not only in terms of race and gender, but also religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, culture, ethnicity, disability, and socioeconomic background, brings a unique understanding and perspective that can help improve public safety and develop creative solutions in our crime reductions efforts. I am looking forward to engaging directly with undergraduate students and stimulating their interest in careers they may not have considered up to this point.”

“Through our LELA program, we’re reaching a number of young candidates early in their job search, highlighting the benefits of public service and encouraging them to consider a very worthwhile career,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “ATF and our partners have held panel discussions with students at colleges and universities across the Carolinas, detailing the many opportunities available in public safety. This field can be both rewarding and challenging, so we gather a diverse and experienced panel to detail the reason they decided to enter public service and the steps they took to overcome the challenges in their way.”

U.S. Attorney King will be joined in this panel discussion by criminal justice professionals representing federal, state and local government agencies, who will share valuable perspectives on career paths, job preparation, and overcoming challenges and roadblocks. College students attending the event will also receive practical information on a broad range of topics related to the hiring process, internship opportunities, and career advancement. Following the panel discussion, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and network with the panelists. 

U.S. Attorney King has participated in multiple LELA events held on college campuses throughout North Carolina, primarily at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College, Winston Salem State University, and North Carolina Central University, U.S. Attorney King’s alma mater.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Charlotte-area business partners were sentenced to prison late yesterday for executing a fraudulent investment scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Marlin Hershey, 54, of Cornelius, N.C., was sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Dana Bradley, 53, also of Cornelius, was sentenced to 10 months plus one day in prison followed by two years of supervised release. In addition, the court imposed significant restitution and financial penalties on the defendants, including more than $333,000 in restitution to victims and combined forfeiture and fines of more than $600,000.

North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall and Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to filed documents and court proceedings, from approximately 2009 to 2021, Hershey and Bradley conspired to defraud numerous victims who invested in two unregistered securities offerings promoted by the defendants, Performance Retire on Rentals, LLC (Performance Retire), and Distressed Lending Fund (DLF). To execute the scheme, the defendants provided victims with investment materials that contained false and misleading statements and did not disclose material information. For example, the defendants did not disclose to investors negative information about the defendants’ backgrounds and the financial troubles of the entities for which they were soliciting investments. The defendants also did not inform investors that the defendants received undisclosed “management” fees, and commission-like payments that were typically 10% of the victims’ investments. To further conceal the scheme, the defendants sent to investors periodic performance reports that disclosed false information about the status and health of their investments and made Ponzi-style payments to existing investors using new investors’ money. Eventually, both Performance Retire and DLF failed, causing financial losses to investors.

On June 1, 2023, the defendants pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy. They will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the Securities Division of the North Carolina Secretary of State and the FBI for their joint investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Ryan and Taylor Stout of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte charges Antoine Johnson, 48, and Kimberly Maddox, 43, formerly of Huntersville, N.C., currently residing in Georgia, with fraudulently obtaining approximately $2 million in bank loans and COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, announced Dena J. King U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants owned and operated Pick Up and Go Moving International, Inc. and affiliated businesses (collectively, PUGMI). Johnson was the president of PUGMI and Maddox the vice president. The indictment alleges that, between 2018 and 2023, the defendants fraudulently obtained multiple lines of credit, bank loans, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program loans on behalf of their businesses totaling approximately $2 million. To secure the loans, the defendants allegedly lied on loan applications about PUGMI’s income, gross revenues, expenses, and number of employees, and submitted fabricated supporting documents that included fraudulent tax returns and fictitious financial statements.

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and making false statements to a financial institution and face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

In making the announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI for their investigation of this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassye Cole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.