District of Nevada

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Identical twin brothers who admitted to child sex exploitation and child pornography offenses were sentenced on Monday to 30 and 25 years in prison, respectively, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Division.

Justin Anthony Fisher and Joshua Ray Fisher, both 35, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement, conspiracy to sexually exploit children, and distribution, possession, and receipt of child pornography. Additionally, Justin Fisher pleaded guilty to conspiracy to tamper with a victim. U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon presided over Monday’s sentencing hearing. In addition to the terms of imprisonment and supervised release, the Fisher brothers agreed to pay full restitution to the victims of their crimes.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is honored to work alongside our law enforcement partners in bringing these two defendants to justice for their exploitation of underage victims,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “The significant sentences that these defendants received appropriately reflect the devastating impact their crimes have had on their victims and our community.”

“Protecting the most vulnerable in our community is a high priority of the FBI,” said SAC Rouse. “I want to commend the members of our task force for their outstanding work in investigating these offenders and removing them from the community. The combined efforts of the task force exhibit the FBI’s commitment to our community and our partners.”

According to court documents:

• Justin Fisher. From 2015 to 2016, Justin Fisher sexually exploited a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl. He communicated with the 14-year-old girl over Kik, an instant messaging application, and sent her text messages about sexual topics. He lied to the underage victim about his age, convinced her that they were in a romantic relationship, and directed the victim to take nude photos of herself to send to him. In August 2016, Justin Fisher had sex with the victim and produced pornographic images of their sexual encounters. Later, he conspired to and attempted to stop the victim from cooperating with law enforcement. Justin Fisher also admitted to having sex with a 15-year-old girl and producing pornographic bondage photos of her. Justin Fisher shared the sexually explicit images of both underage victims with his brother, Joshua Fisher, and others over on the internet. Justin Fisher used the alias “Sol Castle” on Kik when targeting underage girls. 
• Joshua Fisher. Joshua Fisher admitted to sexually exploiting a 14-year-old girl. The abuse began when the victim was 11 years old. Joshua Fisher admitted that he instructed her on how to pose during live chats so that he could take screenshots of her engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Joshua Fisher shared these images with his brother, Justin Fisher. When law enforcement arrested Justin Fisher, Joshua Fisher directed the underage victim to destroy evidence implicating him, and cancelled a trip to have sex with her. Joshua Fisher used the alias “Ray” when targeting underage girls.

Further, while in custody pending trial, the brothers conspired to have family members destroy evidence of their child sex exploitation. A concerned citizen’s call allowed law enforcement to retrieve additional electronic devices, which revealed at least 50 additional unidentified victims. 

The case is the product of a joint investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children/Child Exploitation Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elham Roohani and Christopher Burton prosecuted the case.

If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, any information regarding Justin and Joshua Fisher, aka “Sol Castle” and “Ray,” please make a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) by calling the 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or by making a report at www.cybertipline.com.

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

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas prohibited person who pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm, based on a prior conviction for domestic violence, was sentenced Monday to 20 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Frederic D. Winston for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for the San Francisco Division.

“This case epitomizes our office’s ongoing violent crime reduction initiative, targeting the nexus between domestic violence and gun crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “Nevada’s domestic violence fatality rate remains far too high. We believe that cases like this one will help reduce the domestic violence fatality rate by taking guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. This case also sends the message to convicted domestic abusers that the Department of Justice is dedicated to prosecuting them for illegal firearm possession.”

“ATF and our partners will continue to work to protect our communities from gun violence,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Winston. “Reducing gun violence and enforcing federal firearms laws are at the forefront of the focus for Project Guardian. Project Guardian emphasizes close coordination by ATF, the United States Attorney’s Office and our state and local law enforcement partners so that those who possess firearms illegally are held accountable.  ATF will continue to work with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure the safety of the people of Las Vegas.”

Angelo Taylor, 31, pleaded guilty on November 26, 2019, to unlawful possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey presided over yesterday’s sentencing hearing.

According to court documents, on June 30, 2018, officers of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance where Taylor allegedly threatened, if police were called, to kill his wife and their seven children and then commit suicide by cop. Through the investigation into the domestic disturbance, officers discovered that Taylor unlawfully possessed a Taurus 9mm handgun in his home. Taylor has a prior conviction for domestic battery in 2015.

The case is a product of an investigation by the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Reese prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the U.S. Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the ATF when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada joined Attorney General William P. Barr in announcing today the Department of Justice’s National Nursing Home Initiative, which will coordinate and enhance civil and criminal efforts to pursue nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to their residents. 

This initiative is focusing on some of the worst nursing homes around the country and the Department has already initiated investigations into approximately thirty individual nursing facilities in nine states as part of this effort. 

“Millions of seniors count on nursing homes to provide them with quality care, and to treat them with dignity and respect when they are most vulnerable,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Yet, all too often, we have found nursing home owners or operators who put profits over patients, leading to instances of gross abuse and neglect. This national initiative will bring to justice those owners and operators who have profited at the expense of their residents, and help to ensure residents receive the care to which they are entitled.” 

U.S. Attorney Trutanich stated: “Gross abuse and neglect of nursing home patients are obviously unacceptable in our communities, whether in Nevada or elsewhere across the country. Working with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue prioritizing the health and safety of vulnerable seniors.”

The department considers a number of factors in identifying the most problematic nursing homes. For example, the department looks for nursing homes that consistently fail to provide adequate nursing staff to care for their residents, fail to adhere to basic protocols of hygiene and infection control, fail to provide their residents with enough food to eat so that they become emaciated and weak, withhold pain medication, or use physical or chemical restraints to restrain or otherwise sedate their residents. These care failures cause residents to suffer in pain and to be exposed to the great indignities. Care failures cause residents to develop pressure sores down to the bone, to lie in their own waste for hours, to starve because they cannot reach the food on their trays and to remain unwashed for weeks at a time. Nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care also force vulnerable elderly residents who cannot leave the facilities to live in filthy and dangerous conditions where there are leaks in the roofs, mold is found growing and rodents found living in residents’ rooms. These are some of the actions and the inactions that the department intends to pursue.

The National Nursing Home Initiative reflects the department’s larger strategy and commitment to protecting our nation’s seniors, coordinated by the department’s Elder Justice Initiative in conjunction with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The Elder Justice Initiative and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are essential to the department’s investigative and enforcement efforts against nursing homes and other long-term care entities that deliver grossly substandard care to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The Initiative and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices also support the efforts of state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, and other elder justice professionals to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation, with the development of training, resources, and information. Learn more about the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada joined Attorney General William P. Barr, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, and Chief Postal Inspector Gary R. Barksdale today in announcing the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history.  Over the past year, prosecutors charged more than 400 defendants, far surpassing the 260 defendants charged in cases as part of last year’s sweep.  In each case, offenders allegedly engaged in financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors.  In total, the charged elder fraud schemes caused alleged losses of over a billion dollars.

Among the individuals prosecuted in the District of Nevada over the past year:

• U.S. v. Castro et al: Mario Castro, Jose Salud Castro, Salvador Castro, Miguel Castro, Jose Luis Mendez, and Andrea Burrow were charged with running a fraudulent mass-mailing scheme that defrauded hundreds of thousands of consumers into paying more than $10 million in fees for falsely promised cash prizes.
• U.S. v. Day et al: Rosanne Day, Robert Paul Davis, Genevieve Renee Frappier, and Miles Kelly, all of whom were executives at PacNet Services Ltd, a payment processing company based in Vancouver, Canada, were charged with engaging in a massive fraud scheme in which PacNet processed payments for companies that mailed fraudulent notifications to consumers in the United States and worldwide.
• U.S. v. Marcks et al: Gina Marcks, Ladda Boonlert, Charles Hill, Wendi A. Maryniak, and Roger Bond, all of Las Vegas, were charged in a 22-count indictment relating to an India-based telemarketing and email marketing conspiracy that targeted seniors. The defendants allegedly obtained over $2.4 million from victims residing throughout the United States.

“Americans are fed up with the constant barrage of scams that maliciously target the elderly and other vulnerable citizens,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “This year, the Department of Justice prosecuted more than 400 defendants, whose schemes totaled more than a billion dollars.  I want to thank the men and women of the department’s Consumer Protection Branch, which coordinated this effort, and all those in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Criminal Division who worked tirelessly to bring these cases.  The department is committed to stopping the full range of criminal activities that exploit America’s seniors.”

U.S. Attorney Trutanich stated:  “The District of Nevada appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative, which has been producing significant results. Going forward, our office will continue aggressively prosecuting criminals who target seniors, as well as conducting outreach sessions to raise awareness and providing guidance to help recognize financial fraud schemes.

This interactive map provides state by state information on the elder fraud cases and education and prevention community outreach efforts highlighted by today’s sweep announcement.  

Elder Fraud Hotline

Attorney General Barr also announced the launch of a National Elder Fraud Hotline, which will provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud.  The Hotline will be staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers.  Case managers will assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed.  When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller.  The Hotline’s toll free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).

For the second year, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners also took comprehensive action against the money mule network that facilitates foreign-based elder fraud. Generally, perpetrators use a “money mule” to transfer fraud proceeds from a victim to ringleaders of fraud schemes who often reside in other countries. Some of these money mules act unwittingly, and intervention can effectively end their involvement in the fraud. The FBI and the Postal Inspection Service took action against over 600 alleged money mules nationwide by conducting interviews, issuing warning letters, and bringing civil and criminal cases. Agents and prosecutors in more than 85 federal district participated in this effort to halt the money flow from victim to fraudster. These actions against money mules were in addition to the criminal and civil cases announced as part of this year’s elder fraud sweep.

These outreach efforts have helped to prevent seniors from falling prey to scams and have frustrated offenders’ efforts to obtain even more money from vulnerable elders.

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

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Brandon Patton, 28, of Minot, North Dakota, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense, and felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Daniel Neill for the DEA.

According to court documents, on May 31, 2019, a Nevada Highway Patrol officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Patton was a passenger. At the time of the traffic stop, Patton, a convicted felon, possessed two loaded firearms: a Taurus Millennium 9mm handgun and a Springfield Arms XD .40 handgun. In addition, he possessed 366 grams of marijuana, 149 grams of heroin, and approximately 3,000 grams of methamphetamine, all of which he intended to distribute. Patton has a previous conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in North Dakota.

This case was the product of an investigation by the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaheen Torgoley is prosecuting the case.

Patton is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon on June 9, 2020. Patton faces a total maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with a five year minimum term, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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RENO, Nev. – Dr. Eric Math, M.D., 51, of Reno, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute hydrocodone and oxycodone, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Division.

Dr. Math and seven other co-defendants were charged by a federal grand jury indictment unsealed on May 24, 2019, in connection with their involvement in conspiring to distribute hydrocodone and oxycodone in the Reno area between October 2018 and May 2019. According to court documents, Dr. Math would write prescriptions to his co-conspirators not for a legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of professional practice. The co-conspirators would then fill the prescriptions and give some of the pills to co-defendant Myron Motley for further sales. On several occasions, Dr. Math was paid in cash for writing the illegal prescriptions. He would sometimes also write prescriptions for himself and have a co-conspirator fill the prescription for him.

This case was the product of a joint investigation by the FBI; the Reno Police Department; Nevada Highway Patrol, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Welfare and Supportive Services; the Office of the Nevada Attorney General; the Carson City Sheriff’s Office; the Nevada Department of Corrections; the Nevada Gaming Control Board; the Sparks Police Department; the University of Nevada-Reno Police Department; and the IRS Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Walkingshaw.

Dr. Math is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Larry R. Hicks on June 1, 2020. Dr. Math faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The defendants remaining in the case are:  Myron Motley, 55, of Richmond, California; Michael Kwoka, 56, of Fair Oaks, California; Michael Slater, 42, of Reno; Joseph Jeannette, 51, of Reno; Ivy Elliott, 35, of Reno; and Alesia Sampson, 56, of Grass Valley, California. They are scheduled to appear for a jury trial on May 12, 2020. The charges against them merely are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oxycodone and Hydrocodone are among the most common drugs involved in prescription opioid overdose deaths. Oxycodone and other Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse that can lead to addiction, overdose, and sometimes death.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Pennsylvania resident has been charged for allegedly kidnapping and killing a woman whom he led to believe was his girlfriend, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI.

John Matthew Chapman, 40, was charged by criminal complaint in the District of Nevada on February 20, 2020 with one count of kidnapping resulting in death. Chapman is currently in state custody at Allegheny County jail in Pennsylvania, where he awaits his initial court appearance in federal court on the Nevada criminal complaint. The initial appearance is scheduled for March 2, 2020 in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

According to information contained in the criminal complaint, on November 14, 2019, the Bethel Park Police Department in Pennsylvania conducted a welfare check on the victim at the request of a friend. During the welfare check, neighbors stated that they had not seen the victim or her van in approximately two months, but they had recently observed a person whom they believed to be her boyfriend (Chapman) entering and leaving the victim’s residence. Inside the victim’s residence, officers found a fake CIA identification card with Chapman’s name and photograph, the victim’s cellular telephone, multiple zip ties, and a roll of duct tape.

A family member of the victim told investigators that she was communicating with the victim’s Facebook messenger account. Law enforcement determined that Chapman was pretending to be the victim, including responding to messages as the victim after her death.

On November 15, 2019, Chapman was arrested and interviewed by Bethel Park Police Department detectives. During the interview, Chapman admitted that in September 2019 he drove the victim from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania to Las Vegas, Nevada. He further admitted that he misled the victim to believe the trip was a vacation and they would potentially purchase a residence in Las Vegas. Chapman, however, had planned to kill the victim and had a “kill kit” ready before their departure to Nevada.

Chapman told investigators that he drove the victim out to the desert in Lincoln County, Nevada. Under the pretext of a photo shoot, he bound her hands and feet with plastic zip ties and affixed her to a signpost. He then applied duct tape to her mouth and nose, and watched her die from asphyxiation. After the victim’s body was later discovered, she was a “Jane Doe” unknown decedent until she was later positively identified by the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner through dental records.

The investigation revealed that Chapman returned to Pennsylvania afterwards, and continuously used the victim’s residence following her death and passed it off as his own.

If convicted, Chapman faces the maximum penalty of life in prison or death. A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is the product of an investigation by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Cartier-Giroux and Allison Reese are prosecuting the case.

The publicly filed criminal complaint can be found here.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Andres Rafael Viola, 36, an Argentine citizen who resides in Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Frank Burrola for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

According to court documents, in May 2019, Yahoo, Inc. reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that one of its users received 14 images of child pornography from Viola, who was using the darkweb Tor network to distribute child pornography.

On June 7, 2019, federal law enforcement arrested Viola at his Las Vegas residence. Law enforcement determined that Viola had supervisory control over the child victim. A forensic examination of electronic devices that were seized from Viola’s home revealed nearly 350 child pornography images and video, including Viola’s sexual exploitation of the victim and a curated collection of child pornography from other victims. Evidence showed that Viola had used the darkweb to distribute, trade, and share the child pornography he created of the child victim.

For the hands-on offenses related to the child victim, Viola pleaded guilty in Nevada state court to one count of Sexual Assault of a Child under the Age of 14.

This case was the product of an investigation by HSI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elham Roohani is prosecuting the case.

Viola is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II on May 28, 2020. As part of his guilty plea, Viola has agreed to 35 years of imprisonment and he may face deportation from the United States. The statutory mandatory minimum sentence for sexual exploitation of children is 15 years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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

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RENO, Nev. – A Reno resident who used a peer-to-peer file sharing network to download child pornography was sentenced today to three years in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Randall Linscheid, 31, of Reno, pleaded guilty on October 3, 2019, to one count of possession of child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du presided over the sentencing hearing today. In addition to the term of imprisonment followed by lifetime supervised release, Linscheid must register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents, between December 2018 and January 2019, law enforcement discovered that Linscheid had downloaded child pornography via a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. On March 26, 2019, HSI Special Agents and Northern Nevada Cyber Center Investigators executed a search warrant at Linscheid’s residence. Of the electronic devices seized by law enforcement, three contained images and videos of child pornography. All of these devices belonged to Linscheid. During an interview with law enforcement, Linscheid admitted that he had been downloading child pornography images for approximately 16 years and that he would save the images to an external hard drive. A forensic analysis of the three devices that were seized revealed 2,143 images and 39 videos of child pornography.

The case is a product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy St. Clair prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas man who was convicted of making a false statement when he purchased a firearm was sentenced yesterday to 28 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Ray Roundtree of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for the San Francisco Field Division.

“This case stems from the Department of Justice’s new gun violence reduction initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “Lying to a licensed firearms dealer and buying a gun for someone else is a serious offense. Our office will continue to work closely with ATF and local law enforcement to prosecute these crimes.”

 “The goal of Project Guardian is to reduce the threat of gun violence throughout the country,” said Special Agent in Charge Roundtree. “Our focus is removing crime guns from our communities. Part of that focus encompasses identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who lie on federal firearms transaction forms. ATF is happy to announce the continued success of the Project Guardian initiative through this conviction and our continued work and partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.”

In November 2019, a jury found James Williams Jr., 29, guilty of making a false statement during a purchase of a firearm. According to court documents, between May 2017 and May 2018, Williams purchased 35 firearms, mostly handguns, and many of the same make, model, and caliber from various Las Vegas firearms dealers over approximately a one-year period. In May 2018, when purchasing one of those firearms, Williams made a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer regarding his residential address in Las Vegas. As proven at trial, Williams in fact did not reside at the address that he falsely listed as his residence on the Firearms Transaction Record form. At sentencing, U.S. District Chief Judge Miranda M. Du noted that numerous firearms bought by Williams have been recovered by law enforcement officers at crime scenes in multiple states.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chief Judge Du sentenced Williams to three years of supervised release.

The case was the product of an investigation by the ATF, with the assistance of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Grimmer and Tony Lopez prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the ATF when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

For more information about Project Guardian, visit https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barr-announces-launch-project-guardian-nationwide-strategic-plan.

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RENO, Nev. – The lead defendant in a large drug trafficking ring was sentenced today to 14 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Division.

Jose Valentin Mora, aka Cholo and Magic, 38, of Reno, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In a separate case, Mora pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, from January 25, 2018 to about June 14, 2018, Mora and his co-conspirators worked together to possess and distribute large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in Reno and elsewhere. On several occasions, Mora sold the drugs to his co-conspirators, who would then resell the drugs in Reno. Law enforcement seized over 12 pounds of methamphetamine from the drug trafficking ring.

On June 14, 2018, during the execution of a search warrant, investigators recovered a Bersa Thunder .380 caliber pistol in Mora’s dresser drawer. Mora is a felon with a conviction in Washoe County for trafficking in a controlled substance. Accordingly, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Chief Judge Miranda M. Du sentenced Mora to five years of supervised release.

Sixteen other co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the drug trafficking ring. With the exception of one defendant who remains a fugitive, each of those co-defendants pleaded guilty and either has been sentenced or is awaiting imposition of sentence.  Mora’s co-defendants, whose guilty pleas correspond to the various roles they played in this drug conspiracy, face a maximum penalty of between four years and life in prison.

This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force with significant assistance by federal, state, and local law enforcement partners including the Reno Police Department, Sparks Police Department, and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Keller and Andolyn Johnson are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Conor Climo, 23, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm — specifically, the component parts of a destructive device.

“Law enforcement’s swift action on this case, and today’s resulting guilty plea, is part of DOJ’s national strategy to disrupt and proactively stop potential bias-motivated mass violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “The defendant’s threats of violence — which were motivated by hate and intended to intimidate or coerce our faith-based and LGBTQ communities — have no place in this country. We remain fully committed to working with our law enforcement partners to assess threats and intervene before mass violence can occur.”

“The FBI’s Las Vegas Joint Terrorism Task Force is committed to protecting our community from any threat of domestic terrorism and I could not be more proud of the work they did in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI Las Vegas Division. “The FBI will always be proactive to combat threats that cross a line from free speech to potential violence.”

According to court documents, Climo was communicating with individuals who identified with the white supremacist extremist group Feuerkrieg Division, which is an offshoot of the US-based white supremacist extremist group Atomwaffen Division. Feuerkrieg Division members share a common goal of challenging laws, social order, and the government via terrorism and other violent acts. The organization encourages attacks on the federal government, critical infrastructure, minorities, and members of the LGBTQ community.

Climo admitted that, during online conversations between May 2019 and July 15, 2019, he discussed setting fire to a Las Vegas synagogue, and making Molotov cocktails and improvised explosive devices. Climo further admitted that he conducted surveillance on a bar that he believed catered to the LGBTQ community, located on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas, in preparation for a potential attack.

On August 8, 2019, the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force executed a search warrant at Climo’s residence. During the search, law enforcement located components that could be readily assembled into a destructive device, strong oxidizing agents that can be used as fuels, and numerous hand drawn schematics to construct improvised explosive devices. Law enforcement also seized an AR-15 rifle and a bolt-action rifle from Climo’s bedroom.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes law enforcement partners from local, state, and federal agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Dickinson of the District of Nevada is prosecuting this case, with assistance from the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the National Security Division.

Climo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan on May 14, 2020. Climo faces a faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The Climo prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Disruption and Early Engagement Programs (DEEP), a national strategy to disrupt potential mass shootings and other rapidly mobilizing threats and the need to implement timely, effective and efficient responses.

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Today, Attorney General William P. Barr addressed the National Sheriff’s Association in Washington, D.C., announcing significant actions to facilitate the apprehension, prosecution, and removal of aliens who are in the United States illegally and have committed criminal acts. Attorney General Barr explained, among other things, that “sanctuary” policies jeopardize public safety by preventing local law enforcement from sharing information and honoring federal detention requests in the context of immigration crimes.

In the District of Nevada, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has successfully prosecuted criminal aliens who unlawfully returned to the country and committed significant crimes in the United States. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with our state, federal, and local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and to ensure our borders are protected,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, Nicholas A. Trutanich. “Hampering federal enforcement efforts poses a risk to public safety.”

Ernesto M. Santacruz, Jr., Deputy Field Office Director, Nevada (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) stated: “We value the cooperation provided by the local law enforcement here in Nevada and know that the indispensable relationship ensures the safety of the people and communities in this state. We must continue to work together to make sure the criminal aliens are off our streets and not released back into the community to reoffend.”

As a recent example, on January 13, 2020, defendant Eric Yokani Moreno-Ochoa was sentenced to 50 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawful reentry in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1326. Moreno-Ochoa — who previously had been removed three times from the United States within a five-year period — has prior felony convictions for burglary and trafficking in controlled substance, including 23.8g of methamphetamine.

Over the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada has prosecuted more than 180 illegal reentry cases, many of which involved convicted felons who repeatedly returned to the United States following deportation. 

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A federal jury found a Montana man guilty yesterday for his role as a broker for a Swiss company involved in a multimillion-dollar international fraud scheme.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich of the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement. 

Following a five-day trial, Sean Finn, 51, of Whitefish, Montana, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud, four counts of wire fraud and four counts of securities fraud.  He was acquitted of one count of wire fraud.  Sentencing has been scheduled for May 12, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson of the District of Nevada, who presided over the trial.   

According to the evidence presented at trial, Finn conspired with others in the United States and Switzerland to promote investments and loan instruments that he knew to be fictitious.  Finn and his co-conspirators told victims that, for an up-front payment ranging from $100,000 to $1 million, a Swiss company known as Malom Group AG (Malom), whose name stood for “Make A Lot Of Money,” would provide access to lucrative investment opportunities and substantial cash loans.  The evidence showed that to effectuate this scheme, the defendant and his co-conspirators provided victims with fabricated bank documents purporting to show that Malom held hundreds of millions of dollars in overseas bank accounts, as well as documents falsely stating that Malom had previously closed similar deals.  The evidence showed that when victims wired their money into an escrow account controlled by the co-conspirators, the money was released and disbursed to, among others, Finn for his own personal use.  The evidence further showed that shortly before he was indicted in 2013, Finn fled to Canada, where he was arrested in 2014 and ultimately extradited back to the United States in 2018.  According to the evidence presented at trial, losses to the victims from the scheme totaled approximately $4 million.        

Finn was charged together with five other defendants.  Two of these defendants, Anthony Brandel and James Warras, were found guilty of conspiracy and multiple counts of wire fraud and securities fraud following a jury trial in 2015.  Brandel and Warras were each sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on Aug. 3, 2016.  A third defendant, Joseph Micelli, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud in 2015 and was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on Feb. 23, 2016.  The other two defendants, Martin Schlaepfer and Hans-Jurg Lips, remain at large outside the United States.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office investigated the case.  Assistant Deputy Chief Anna G. Kaminska and Trial Attorney Blake C. Goebel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.  Deputy Chief Brian Young of the Fraud Section previously handled the prosecution.  The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division, which conducted a parallel civil-enforcement investigation, as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, also provided valuable assistance.  

The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section plays a pivotal role in the Department of Justice’s fight against white-collar crime around the country.

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

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal jury found a Montana man guilty Tuesday for his role as a broker for a Swiss company involved in a multimillion-dollar international fraud scheme.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich of the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement. 

Following a five-day trial, Sean Finn, 51, of Whitefish, Montana, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud, four counts of wire fraud and four counts of securities fraud. He was acquitted of one count of wire fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 12, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson of the District of Nevada, who presided over the trial.   

According to the evidence presented at trial, Finn conspired with others in the United States and Switzerland to promote investments and loan instruments that he knew to be fictitious. Finn and his co-conspirators told victims that, for an up-front payment ranging from $100,000 to $1 million, a Swiss company known as Malom Group AG (Malom), whose name stood for “Make A Lot Of Money,” would provide access to lucrative investment opportunities and substantial cash loans. The evidence showed that to effectuate this scheme, the defendant and his co-conspirators provided victims with fabricated bank documents purporting to show that Malom held hundreds of millions of dollars in overseas bank accounts, as well as documents falsely stating that Malom had previously closed similar deals. The evidence showed that when victims wired their money into an escrow account controlled by the co-conspirators, the money was released and disbursed to, among others, Finn for his own personal use. The evidence further showed that shortly before he was indicted in 2013, Finn fled to Canada, where he was arrested in 2014 and ultimately extradited back to the United States in 2018. According to the evidence presented at trial, losses to the victims from the scheme totaled approximately $4 million.       

Finn was charged together with five other defendants. Two of these defendants, Anthony Brandel and James Warras, were found guilty of conspiracy and multiple counts of wire fraud and securities fraud following a jury trial in 2015. Brandel and Warras were each sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on Aug. 3, 2016. A third defendant, Joseph Micelli, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud in 2015 and was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on Feb. 23, 2016. The other two defendants, Martin Schlaepfer and Hans-Jurg Lips, remain at large outside the United States. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office investigated the case. Assistant Deputy Chief Anna G. Kaminska and Trial Attorney Blake C. Goebel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. Deputy Chief Brian Young of the Fraud Section previously handled the prosecution. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division, which conducted a parallel civil-enforcement investigation, as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, also provided valuable assistance.  

The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section plays a pivotal role in the Department of Justice’s fight against white-collar crime around the country.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The last defendant in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Kareen Anderson, also known as Webb, 55, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson also sentenced Anderson to five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Anderson conspired with his co-defendants to sell methamphetamine. On several occasions between August 2016 and October 2016, Anderson negotiated the sale of and/or sold methamphetamine at a supermarket, an apartment complex, and a fast food restaurant. He sold a total of at least 150 grams of methamphetamine.

Anderson was previously convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon and has numerous arrests in California for assault with a firearm, carjacking, robbery, and burglary.

This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI.

Co-conspirators Londa Lynette Gates and Melanie Lowe both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison. Robert Smith, a separately charged co-conspirator, was sentenced to 14 years. Co-conspirator Derrick James Haywood was also charged separately and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – George Stone, 70, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty today to one count of dealing in firearms without a Federal Firearms License (FFL), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

According to court documents, Stone, an unlicensed firearms dealer, admitted that he sold dozens of firearms without an FFL. Stone sold some of those firearms to undercover law enforcement officers. A subsequent search warrant executed at Stone’s residence resulted in the seizure of 32 firearms, many bearing price tags and marked for sale.

The case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Burton is prosecuting the case.

Stone is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan on May 5, 2020. Stone faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the ATF when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal grand jury indicted a Las Vegas man today for alleged federal child exploitation violations, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Barry Allen Gabelman, 49, was charged with one count of coercion and enticement and one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. Gabelman is in federal custody pending his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts on February 11, 2020.

According to allegations contained in the complaint and indictment, from about October 31, 2019 to December 6, 2019, Gabelman exchanged sexually explicit messages and photos via his Skout social media account, as well as his WhatsApp messaging account, with individuals whom he believed to be an 11-year-old girl and her step-father. In reality, a law enforcement officer posed as both the girl and step-father. During their communications, Gabelman discussed having sex with the 11-year-old girl. On December 6, 2019, Gabelman traveled to a pre-determined location to have sex with the girl. Officers arrested Gabelman at the meeting place.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bianca Pucci is prosecuting the case.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If convicted, Gabelman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison for coercion and enticement and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for transfer of obscene material to a minor. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A felon who pleaded guilty to selling a loaded firearm and methamphetamine outside a fast-food restaurant was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Michael Villareal, 42, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Villareal has four prior felony convictions between 1996 and 2010, and he is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents, on May 28, 2019, Villareal met a buyer outside a fast food restaurant and sold the buyer a loaded Glock 19 handgun and 27.4 grams of methamphetamine for $580. The handgun was loaded with 15 rounds.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Villareal to four years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaheen Torgoley is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Barbara Doutt Forbes, 58, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty today to one count of tax evasion, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Tara Sullivan for the IRS-Criminal Investigation.

According to court documents, from 1997 to 2017, Forbes owned six pawn shops in North Dakota and South Dakota. From 2009 to 2012, she directed employees to delete gold jewelry from the stores’ electronic inventory and send that jewelry to her in Las Vegas. Forbes then sold the gold jewelry to a refining company in Philadelphia. In exchange, the refining company wired a total of $855,116 to Forbes’ personal bank accounts. Forbes failed to report this income on her tax returns. During an IRS audit of her tax returns, Forbes created and provided to the IRS false bank statements that omitted the wire transfers. As a result, Forbes owed $281,388 in income taxes to the United States. As part of her plea agreement, Forbes agreed to pay the full amount of owed income taxes back to the IRS.

This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Mickelson is prosecuting the case.

Forbes is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey on May 11, 2020. Forbes faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A Las Vegas resident who admitted to committing nine bank robberies after escaping from a correctional facility was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Division.

William Etheridge, 57, pleaded guilty in October 2019, to 11 counts of bank robbery, carjacking, and escape. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey sentenced Etheridge to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $18,397.90 in restitution.

According to court documents, on May 18, 2017, Etheridge escaped from the Northwest Regional Reentry Center, a contracted correctional facility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Oregon, where he was in custody for a federal bank robbery conviction. Shortly after his escape, between June 2, 2017 and July 19, 2017, Etheridge robbed nine banks in Oregon and Washington, and attempted to rob another bank in Oregon.

On July 25, 2017, Etheridge, who was armed, stole $18,120 from a credit union in Las Vegas. He demanded that one of the tellers leave the credit union with him, then carjacked a vehicle with two victims inside. At Etheridge’s request, the victims dropped him off at a motorcycle dealership to purchase a motorcycle for use as a getaway vehicle. Law enforcement arrested Etheridge while he was at the dealership.

This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Dickinson prosecuted the case.

Etheridge was investigated in three federal jurisdictions for his crimes: the District of Nevada, the Western District of Washington, and the District of Oregon.

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A Las Vegas, Nevada, tax return preparer was sentenced to 40 months in prison yesterday for tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Michael A. Sandoval provided payroll and tax preparation services for individuals and companies through his Las Vegas business Nevada Financial Solutions Inc. (NFS). When two of Sandoval’s clients provided NFS with $471,178 in payments to be forwarded to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as money due for their quarterly employment taxes, Sandoval did not provide those payments to the IRS, but instead spent the funds for his personal benefit. At NFS, Sandoval also filed and caused the filing of false individual income tax returns for a substantial number of clients by reporting fraudulent deductions, including false Schedule C business losses, charitable contributions, and state and local tax deductions. These fraudulent deductions caused a tax loss of over $2.8 million. On his own individual tax returns, Sandoval fraudulently understated his income from NFS for the years 2010 through 2017, causing an additional tax loss of $100,138. In total, Sandoval caused a tax loss totaling $3,425,654 to the IRS.

Sandoval previously pleaded guilty to one count each of tax evasion, aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return, and making and subscribing a false tax return.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Gloria M. Navarro ordered Sandoval to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution of $281,630 to a client and of $100,138 to the United States.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn and Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Claudia Ann Merrill, 61, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs out of more than $1.75 million in veterans benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

According to court documents, from on or about January 1, 2014, through October 1, 2019, Merrill devised and executed a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Merrill admitted that she submitted false applications in the names of veterans, as well as the surviving spouses of veterans, in connection with VA health care programs known as Veterans Pension and VA Aid and Attendance. In furtherance of the scheme, Merrill altered medical records to ensure that the veteran or surviving spouse’s physical or mental condition rendered them eligible for the benefits. She then fraudulently directed benefit payments into bank accounts she controlled, and concealed the benefits from the veterans and surviving spouses. As a result of the scheme, Merrill fraudulently caused the VA to pay out $1,755,412 in benefits that it otherwise would not have paid but for the scheme.

This case was the product of a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns is prosecuting the case.

Merrill is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan on May 15, 2020. Merrill faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of her guilty plea, Merrill agreed to pay approximately $1,755,412 in restitution. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. - A Las Vegas, Nevada, tax return preparer was sentenced to 40 months in prison yesterday for tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Michael A. Sandoval provided payroll and tax preparation services for individuals and companies through his Las Vegas business Nevada Financial Solutions Inc. (NFS). When two of Sandoval’s clients provided NFS with $471,178 in payments to be forwarded to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as money due for their quarterly employment taxes, Sandoval did not provide those payments to the IRS, but instead spent the funds for his personal benefit. At NFS, Sandoval also filed and caused the filing of false individual income tax returns for a substantial number of clients by reporting fraudulent deductions, including false Schedule C business losses, charitable contributions, and state and local tax deductions. These fraudulent deductions caused a tax loss of over $2.8 million. On his own individual tax returns, Sandoval fraudulently understated his income from NFS for the years 2010 through 2017, causing an additional tax loss of $100,138. In total, Sandoval caused a tax loss totaling $3,425,654 to the IRS.

Sandoval previously pleaded guilty to one count each of tax evasion, aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return, and making and subscribing a false tax return.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Gloria M. Navarro ordered Sandoval to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution of $281,630 to a client and of $100,138 to the United States.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn and Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.

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U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich issued the following statement:

"Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is 40 to 60 times more potent than heroin. A small amount can cause a fatal overdose. The scheduling of fentanyl (and fentanyl-related substances) has assisted U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide with prosecuting drug traffickers who poison our streets and neighborhoods. Traffickers line their pockets at the expense of our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, and neighbors. In Nevada, for example, a drug trafficker was brought to justice after she sold a prescription pill laced with fentanyl to an individual who died from an overdose.

"The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to stem the opioid crisis. Law enforcement needs all the resources and tools available to combat this deadly drug epidemic. But without appropriate legislation before the DEA’s temporary scheduling of fentanyl analogues expires on February 6, 2020, prosecutors and law enforcement would lack a critical legal tool to attack the opioid crisis. The proposed Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues legislation can help save thousands of American lives."

RENO, Nev. – A tribe member today was arraigned in federal court before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Carla Baldwin for the murder of an individual on tribal land, announced Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI.

Steven Bryan, 51, of Reno, was indicted with one count of murder in the first degree. According to the indictment, on or about December 13, 2019, on the Carson Indian Colony, Bryan allegedly shot and killed an individual in the head with a rifle.

Bryan was arrested this morning and remains in custody pending an April 7, 2020, trial date. If convicted, Bryan faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Penelope Brady and Richard Casper are prosecuting the case.

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RENO, Nev. – Robert Barkman, of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced today to 60 days of intermittent confinement by the Bureau of Prisons during a one-year term of probation for illegally trafficking parts from endangered African lions and leopards, announced Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Barkman, 51, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a one count information charging him with wildlife trafficking in violation of the Endangered Species Act. U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones sentenced Barkman to 60 days of intermittent confinement during a one-year term of probation. As part of the terms of his probation, Barkman will be required to perform 100 hours of community service for a wildlife conservation organization, and will not be permitted to work for an organization that handles threatened or endangered species.

In court documents filed in federal court, between March 24, 2016 and April 2, 2016, Barkman admitted to selling and shipping a lion skull and leopard claws to Arongkron Malasukum, a resident of Woodside, New York, for $1,400.  As part of the plea, Barkman further admitted that between January 2016 and October 2016, he received approximately $6,000 for the interstate sale of threatened or endangered wildlife in violation of United States law.

Malasukum previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced in August 2018 for his role in purchasing skulls and other parts from endangered wildlife, and then exporting them to Thailand.  As part of his plea, Malasukum admitted that between April 9, 2015 and June 29, 2016, he exported approximately 68 packages containing skulls, claws, and parts from endangered and protected species, with a total fair market value in excess of $150,000. All of the exports were sent to Thailand.

“This investigation involved the international trafficking of the skulls, teeth, and claws from protected African lions and tigers and depicts just how appalling and widespread wildlife trafficking can be,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the Office of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “I commend our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada and the Department of Justice's Environmental Crimes Section in holding this individual accountable for his crime." 

The investigation was handled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Walkingshaw and Trial Attorney Gary N. Donner of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Martha L. Williams, 42, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty today to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

According to court documents, Williams owns and operates MJW and Associated (formerly known as Across the Board Management), a tax preparation business in Las Vegas. Between 2009 and 2014, Williams prepared thousands of tax returns on behalf of clients of MJW and Associates. For more than 75% of her clients, Williams prepared a false tax return that inflated the taxpayer’s refund by including fictitious deductions related to businesses that did not actually exist. To make these businesses appear legitimate, Williams used the IRS’s website to apply for and receive Employer Identification Numbers for fictitious businesses. As a result of these fictitious tax returns, Williams caused at least $529,782 in tax loss by filing false returns on behalf of her clients.

This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Grimmer is prosecuting the case.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Larry R. Hicks on May 13, 2020. Williams faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison on each count, and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offenses, whichever is greatest. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas man who sold nearly 200 firearms without a Federal Firearms License was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson to two years and five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

“Through Project Guardian, the Department of Justice is focused on preventing and prosecuting gun crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “Today’s sentence will help deter those who ‘lie and buy’ firearms that, all too often, are resold and then used by violent criminals.”

Sylvester Mitchell, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license. Mitchell pleaded guilty to the federal charge in October 2019.

According to court documents, between January 2017 and November 2017, Mitchell purchased approximately 226 pistols. Mitchell purchased firearms on a weekly basis and, on several occasions, went to multiple Federal Firearm Licensees on the same day to buy guns. A few days or weeks after purchasing those firearms, Mitchell — who did not have a license to sell firearms — would place online advertisements offering to sell them. Of those firearms, over 100 were subsequently recovered and found to have been illegally possessed, used in a crime, or suspected to have been used in a crime. As of today, five of the firearms Mitchell illegally sold were recovered in connection with homicides.

Between June 1, 2017 and September 14, 2017, law enforcement conducted multiple undercover firearms purchases from Mitchell based on his online advertisements. On November 7, 2017, during the execution of a search warrant, law enforcement seized 37 firearms, including eight that were advertised as being for sale at the time of the search warrant execution.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Burton prosecuted the case.

This case was part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Dustin M. Lewis, 45, of Henderson, Nev., pleaded guilty today for his role in a bribery scheme involving a federal contract and committing $1.5 million in tax fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

According to court documents, Lewis was a certified public accountant employed by L.L. Bradford & Company, an accounting firm, in Las Vegas. Beginning in February 2015 through about February 2016, Lewis and co-conspirator Frederick J. Leavitt — a public official with the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) — devised and executed a scheme to defraud the United States. Leavitt had been assigned to a selection committee for awarding government contracts to perform auditing services for USBR programs. As part of the conspiracy, Lewis paid more than $150,000 in bribes to Leavitt. In exchange for those payments, Leavitt steered an audit contract to L.L. Bradford. Lewis and Leavitt agreed to conceal the bribe payment from others.

Further, in a separate scheme, Lewis and Leavitt conspired to file fraudulent tax forms for tax year 2013, on behalf of six business entities that, collectively, claimed over $11,000,000 in false and fraudulent business deductions. This caused a tax loss to the United States Treasury in excess of $1.5 million.             

The FBI, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Interior investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Myhre and Patrick Burns are prosecuting.

Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon on April 30, 2020.  The maximum penalty for Honest Services Fraud Conspiracy is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and the maximum penalty for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Lewis agreed to pay restitution of $704,002 to the Southern California Public Power Authority and to pay restitution of $220,770 to OneWest Bank. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Leavitt previously pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing on February 4, 2020.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A North Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance today, January 7, 2020, after being charged in a 15-count indictment for allegedly committing, among other crimes, sex trafficking of children and tampering with a witness, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

 “Sex trafficking is one of the most devastating crimes, especially when vulnerable child victims are exploited,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and this case exemplifies the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to bring justice to perpetrators.”

Jacques Anton Lanier, also known as John Dupree, was indicated by a Grand Jury on December 31, 2019, on eight counts of coercion and enticement, four counts of sex trafficking of children, one count of traveling interstate with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor, and one count of tampering with a witness. Lanier appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts. A jury trial is scheduled for March 9, 2020, before United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro.

According to allegations contained in the indictment, beginning in April 2017 through December 2017, Lanier coerced, enticed, and persuaded eight females under the age of 18 years old to engage in prostitution and sexual activities for which Lanier could be charged with a criminal offense. He recruited four of those victims to engage in a commercial sex act. Lanier also traveled across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct and transferred obscene matter to a victim under the age of 16 years old. In addition, Lanier is charged with tampering with a victim through intimidation, threats, and corruptly persuading that victim to evade legal process — and to recant a prior statement made to law enforcement — between April 2018 and March 2019.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and North Las Vegas Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bianca R. Pucci.

This investigation is 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The second main co-conspirator in a large-scale timeshare resale scam was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for defrauding more than 1,000 victims — many of them elderly — out of more than $3.3 million, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Paul Michael Marciniak, 34, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey sentenced Marciniak to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $3.37 million in restitution to the victims of the fraud scheme.

According to court documents, from October 2010 to April 2012, Marciniak and his co-conspirators (including Daniel Boyar, the leader of the scheme) devised and participated in a telemarketing scam to defraud over 1,000 timeshare owners out of more than $3.3 million dollars. They used stolen data to identify timeshare owners and promised to sell the timeshares in return for the owners paying in advance half of the costs associated with the purported sales. But there were no buyers and the timeshare sales never occurred. This is a common criminal telemarketing scheme known as “the buyer’s pitch.”

The scam operated out of Orlando, Florida, under several different business names including Holiday Advertising, First Capital Financial Services Corporation, Great West Funding Incorporated, Beneficial Business Solutions, Vacation Funding Partners LP, and Property, People, Travel, using fake front companies in various cities across the country, including Las Vegas. The co-conspirators would buy inactive companies that had previously been licensed in their target state, use false identities, and lease temporary office spaces. The co-conspirators created websites with false information including customer testimonials, company officers, and press releases.  They also used telephone numbers that made it appear as if they were calling from the location of the fake front company. These actions were intended to mislead the victims and make the scam appear legitimate. 

20 of Marciniak’s co-conspirators were charged and have pleaded guilty for their involvement in this fraud scheme. 17 of these co-conspirators have been sentenced and the remainder await sentencing.

The case resulted from investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.

Consumers should use caution when previously unknown telemarketers offer unsolicited services. It is relatively easy for scam artists to create the appearance of legitimacy for a fraudulent business front by manipulating information available through the Internet. Fraudsters frequently are able to buy or steal information related to an intended victim that the victim believed was confidential, helping the fraudster trick the victim into believing the fraudster is part of a legitimate business.

Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime at www.ovc.gov. Additional elder justice resources, training, and outreach materials can be found at the Elder Justice Website at www.elderjustice.gov.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich announced today that the District of Nevada collected $14,158,816.85 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2019. Of this amount, $8,506,018.90 was collected in criminal actions and $5,652,797.95 was collected in civil actions. These amounts are approximately double the criminal and civil amounts that the District of Nevada collected in Fiscal Year 2018.

Additionally, the District of Nevada worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $11,775,021.59 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $1,200 was collected in criminal actions and $11,773,821.59 was collected in civil actions.         

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is grateful for the extraordinary performance of the dedicated public servants in our Civil Division, particularly the Financial Litigation Unit and the Asset Forfeiture Unit,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “Due to their efforts, our office is able to contribute significant funds for victim compensation, victim assistance, and law enforcement purposes.”

For example, in May, the District of Nevada recovered $1.76 million prior to sentencing as part of a joint criminal and civil case against pharmacy owner Nelson Mukuna. The matter arose out of allegations that Mukuna paid kickbacks to nurse practitioners, inducing them to prescribe medically unnecessary products to be filled at Mukuna’s pharmacy. In August, the District of Nevada also recovered $2.5 million as part of the settlement in the civil case of United States ex rel. Arik v. Nevada Heart & Vascular, Inc. That case was brought by a whistleblower under the False Claims Act and involved allegations that Nevada Heart & Vascular Center received kickbacks to order medically unnecessary genetics tests.

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Further, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the District of Nevada, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,431,518 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2019. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Five individuals were arrested this morning after being charged in a 22-count indictment relating to an India-based telemarketing and email marketing conspiracy, which  victimized America’s seniors.

“As this indictment again demonstrates, our Office continues to investigate and prosecute national and transnational criminal organizations that victimize the elderly and vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

The indictment charges Gina Marcks, 69, Ladda Boonlert, 71, Charles Hill, 64, Wendi A. Maryniak, 44, and Roger Bond, 36, all of Las Vegas, Nevada, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and email marketing; 16 counts of wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and email marketing; five counts of aggravated identity theft; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to allegations contained in the indictment, from about June 2015 through about April 2017, Marcks, Boonlert, Hill, Maryniak, Bond, and others conspired to commit a telemarketing and email marketing scheme that targeted seniors. Callers located primarily in India allegedly contacted victims in the United States and falsely represented that the callers were agents or employees of the IRS, state or local government agencies, law firms, or loan companies. The callers falsely represented that the victims had outstanding taxes due, open collection accounts, or other financial, civil, or criminal liabilities requiring immediate action. The callers threatened the victims with arrest, lawsuits, or other adverse action if the victims did not immediately send money, including via wire transfers. In other instances, the callers falsely stated that the victim had qualified for a loan, which would be disbursed once the victim sent initial payment via wire transfer or gift card.

The indictment further alleges that victims were also contacted via email. The emails falsely purported to be from law firms, lawyers, judges, and public officials, and claimed that the victims had outstanding taxes, personal debts, or other financial or legal obligations. The emails threatened imminent adverse action, such as arrest. Once a victim responded telephonically, the callers demanded that payments be sent to the defendants via wire transfer.

The defendants are alleged to have fraudulently obtained approximately $2,455,547 in payments from victims residing throughout the United States.

Marcks, Boonlert, Hill, Maryniak, and Bond made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe, who set a trial for February 25, 2020. If convicted on all counts, the defendants each face up to 30 years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and telemarketing and email marketing; 30 years per count of wire fraud; telemarketing and email marketing; two years per count of aggravated identify theft; and 10 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The case was the product of an investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns is prosecuting the case.

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

If you believe you have been a victim of an IRS Impersonation Scam, please submit a report to TIGTA at https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml.

Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

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RENO, Nev. – A Reno resident was sentenced Monday to eight years and two months in federal prison for transporting 10 pounds of methamphetamine from California for sale in Nevada, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Leon DeJesus Munera, aka Looney, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, on April 24, 2018, co-defendant Jose Mora asked Munera to drive to Orange County, California, to pick up a load of methamphetamine for him. Munera and co-defendant Kelsea Riley drove to California to pick up the drugs. Upon arrival in California, Munera picked up six large bundles of methamphetamine, weighing ten pounds, in the parking lot of a restaurant near an amusement park. On their return drive to Reno, Munera and Riley were stopped by police and the methamphetamine was recovered. In addition to drug trafficking, Munera assisted Mora with transporting firearms to co-defendant Alberto Acosta.

These charges stem from an investigation by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force with assistance from federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, including the Reno Police Department and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Keller and Andolyn Johnson prosecuted the case.

Munera and 16 co-defendants were charged for their alleged roles in the drug conspiracy. All 16 defendants have pleaded guilty. Two have been sentenced, and the remainder await sentencing.

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RENO, Nev. – James “Jimmy” Evans Sr., 49, of Reno, was sentenced today to 12 ½ years in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute nearly one pound of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Daniel W. Neill for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

According to court documents, investigators had received information about Evans selling drugs from the garage of his residence. On July 23, 2018, law enforcement had a warrant to search the residence where Evans lived with Bobby Jo Kissel (his wife and co-defendant), along with two of Evans’ cars, for drugs, firearms, and related evidence. Before the search warrant was executed, a detective with the Sparks Police Department learned that Evans had not updated his residential address, which was required as part of his ex-felon registration. The detective observed Evans drive a van to a suspected drug stash location and then to a gas station.

At the gas station, the detective approached Evans, who admitted that he failed to properly update his address. During the interaction, a Washoe County Sheriff’s Office K-9 handler deployed his police dog to the van Evans had been driving. The police dog smelled drug odors from the van. Inside, Evans had a backpack containing 925 grams of pure methamphetamine, 144 grams of heroin, 35 grams of marijuana, and a digital scale. Evans was immediately arrested.

Meanwhile, other law enforcement investigators executed the search warrant at Evans’ residence. Among other things, they recovered an unregistered assault rifle with no serial number, a loaded semi-automatic 9mm pistol that had been reported stolen from Lassen County, and 423 grams of methamphetamine. Kissel was present at the residence during the search warrant execution and, after waiving her Miranda rights, she admitted knowing that Evans was selling methamphetamine. Law enforcement then obtained a search warrant for the suspected drug stash location, where investigators recovered a stolen .357 revolver and pure methamphetamine.

This case resulted from an investigation by the DEA, the Sparks Police Department, and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Keller prosecuted the case.

Evans pleaded guilty in September 2019 to possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine. Kissel pleaded guilty to misprision of felony, which means knowing that a felony was committed, taking affirmative steps to conceal the crime, and failing to notify the authorities. She faces up to three years in prison at a sentencing hearing set on January 22, 2020.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Department of Justice has selected an additional 30 Indian tribes, including tribes within the District of Nevada, to participate in the expansion of the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP), a program that provides federally recognized tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for both criminal and non-criminal justice purposes.

“The Tribal Access Program is strengthening tribal governance and public safety in tribal communities across the United States,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “TAP provides law enforcement and tribal governments real-time access to data that can help locate a missing person, identify a dangerous fugitive or prevent a domestic abuser from obtaining a gun, among many other important functions. The Trump administration is committed to fixing these public safety gaps and serving victims in Indian country. I believe the expansion of this law enforcement tool will prove to be critical in achieving those goals.”

Nicholas A. Trutanich, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada, said: “TAP will complement the new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons coordinator in our office, to help increase public safety and reduce violent crime in Tribal communities. We look forward to working with Tribes and law enforcement partners to further implement TAP.”

TAP is currently deployed to more than 75 tribes across the country with over 300 participating tribal justice agencies, including Reno Sparks Indian Colony.  The program provides software to enable tribes to access national crime information databases and/or a kiosk-workstation that provides the ability to submit and query fingerprint-based transactions via FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Next Generation Identification (NGI) System. 

This fifth expansion of TAP is part of the Justice Department’s continuing focus on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, allowing tribes to more effectively serve and protect their communities by ensuring the exchange of critical data with federal and state databases.

On November 22, Attorney General Barr launched a national strategy to address the issues surrounding missing and murdered Native Americans, and TAP provides the ability for participating tribes to exchange data with FBI CJIS, including data on missing persons from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

In October, the Justice Department announced an unprecedented $273 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

TAP enhances tribal efforts to register sex offenders pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), have orders of protection enforced off-reservation, protect children, keep firearms away from persons who are disqualified from receiving them, improve safety within public housing, and allows tribes to record their arrests and convictions in national databases.

TAP supports tribes in analyzing their needs for national crime information with appropriate solutions, including a state-of-the-art biometric/biographic kiosk-workstation with capabilities to process finger and palm prints, take mugshots and submit records to national databases, as well as the ability to access CJIS systems for criminal and non-criminal justice purposes through the Department of Justice’s Criminal Justice Information Network. TAP, which is managed by the Chief Information Officer and the Office of Tribal Justice, provides specialized training and assistance for participating tribes, including computer-based training and on-site instruction, as well as a 24x7 help desk.

TAP is primarily funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART); the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS); and the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).  TAP prioritized tribal applicants that have a law enforcement agency currently unable to access the FBI CJIS databases; have a tribal sex offender registry pursuant to the Adam Walsh Act and are currently unable to easily submit data to national crime information databases; and/or have a tribal court which issues orders of protection in domestic violence cases.

For more information on TAP, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.

For more information about the Justice Department’s work on tribal justice, public safety issues and victim services, visit www.justice.gov/tribal.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs announced today awards of more than $333 million to help communities affected by the opioid crisis. $1,282,324 will help public safety and public health professionals in the District of Nevada combat substance abuse and respond effectively to opioid-related overdoses. OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan made the announcement during a visit with local, state and federal officials in West Virginia, one of the states hardest hit by the epidemic.

“The opioid crisis has destroyed far too many lives and left too many Americans feeling helpless and hopeless,” said PDAAG Sullivan. “This epidemic—the most deadly in our nation’s history—is introducing new dangers and loading public health responsibilities onto the public safety duties of our law enforcement officers. The Department of Justice is here to support them during this unprecedented and extremely challenging time.”

With more than 130 people dying from opioid-related overdoses every day, the Department of Justice has made fighting addiction to opioids—including heroin and fentanyl—a national priority. The Trump Administration is providing critical funding for a wide range of activities—from preventive services and comprehensive treatment to recovery assistance, forensic science services and research—to help save lives and break the cycle of addiction and crime.

“On behalf of the District of Nevada, we are thankful for the additional resources provided by the Department of Justice to combat drugs and crime in our communities. Along with our local partners, we will use these resources to help stem the opioid abuse epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

The awards announced today support an array of activities designed to reduce the harm inflicted by these dangerous drugs. Grants will help law enforcement officers, emergency responders and treatment professionals across the country coordinate their response to overdoses. Funds will also provide services for children and youth affected by the crisis and will support the nationwide network of drug and treatment courts. Other awards will address prescription drug abuse, expand the capacity of forensic labs and support opioid-related research

The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Nevada:

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program

More than $44 million is being awarded nationwide to jurisdictions, academic institutions, and training and technical assistance providers to establish, expand, assist, and research the effectiveness of adult drug courts, including veterans treatment courts. The Las Vegas Township Justice Court received a $651,324 grant under this program.

Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program awarded $3 million nationwide to provide resources to state, local and tribal governments to create and enhance juvenile drug treatment court programs for youth in the justice system who have substance abuse issues, with a specific focus on opioid abuse. The County of Elko received a $400,000 grant under this program.

Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program

The Office of Justice Programs is making up to $17 million available to support forensic activities related to opioids under the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program. The National Institute of Justice expects Coverdell grant funds to be used, in part, by medical examiners/coroners and forensic laboratories to address the dramatic increase in deaths and the backlogs of seized drugs as a result of the opioid crisis. Laboratories are overwhelmed with drug seizures and requests for toxicological analysis in opioid-related crimes and deaths, which in turn puts pressure on other laboratory sections. Also, medical examiners and coroners are required to conduct unprecedented numbers of autopsies and expend other resources in dealing with opioid deaths. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received a $231,000 grant under this program.

Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, please visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Additional information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized 45 members of federal and local law enforcement from eight law enforcement agencies at its annual Law Enforcement Awards ceremony held at U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. The ceremony honored law enforcement professionals who have gone above and beyond their duties in support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office mission to safeguard Nevada’s communities.

“The recipients of this year’s awards have demonstrated a commitment to excellence, to enforcing the laws, and to protecting the communities they serve day in and day out,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “Recognizing their contributions is a small way to honor them. I commend the brave men and women who wear a badge and make Nevada’s communities safer.”

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Color Guard opened the ceremony. U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich provided welcoming remarks.

The award recipients were honored for their contributions and collaboration towards protecting national security, fighting public corruption, addressing the opioid abuse epidemic, combatting human trafficking, preventing financial fraud crimes, and reducing violent crime on tribal lands. The recipients recognized for their professionalism and dedicated public service came from the following law enforcement agencies:

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)
• Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI)
• Henderson Police Department
• Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
• Washoe County Sheriff’s Office

 

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A Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, theft of government property, and access device fraud, relating to a stolen identity tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Josiah Ntekume was involved in a scheme to file false tax returns using stolen identities in order to obtain tax refunds. Coconspirators provided Ntekume with names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security numbers, and Ntekume used these stolen identities to establish prepaid debit card accounts. The coconspirators then caused fraudulently obtained federal tax refunds to be deposited into those accounts.

When Ntekume was arrested on March 13, 2012, he had in his backpack approximately 250 prepaid debit cards in others people’s names on which more than more than $200,000 in fraudulent tax refunds had been loaded. The backpack also contained several pages of paper listing stolen identities for nearly 200 individuals that were used either to file false tax returns or to establish additional prepaid debit cards. 

Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2020. At sentencing, Ntekume faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count, as well as up to ten years in prison on each count of theft of government property and fraud in connection with access devices. He also faces a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft. In addition to a prison sentence, Ntekume faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn, Stephen K. Moulton, and Arthur Ewenczyk who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, theft of government property, and access device fraud, relating to a stolen identity tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Josiah Ntekume was involved in a scheme to file false tax returns using stolen identities in order to obtain tax refunds. Coconspirators provided Ntekume with names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security numbers, and Ntekume used these stolen identities to establish prepaid debit card accounts.  The coconspirators then caused fraudulently obtained federal tax refunds to be deposited into those accounts.

When Ntekume was arrested on March 13, 2012, he had in his backpack approximately 250 prepaid debit cards in others people’s names on which more than more than $200,000 in fraudulent tax refunds had been loaded. The backpack also contained several pages of paper listing stolen identities for nearly 200 individuals that were used either to file false tax returns or to establish additional prepaid debit cards. 

Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2020. At sentencing, Ntekume faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count, as well as up to 10 years in prison on each count of theft of government property and fraud in connection with access devices. He also faces a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft. In addition to a prison sentence, Ntekume faces a maximum period of three years supervised release, as well as restitution and monetary penalties.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn, Stephen K. Moulton, and Arthur Ewenczyk who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. Nearly $6.5 million will support public safety activities in Nevada. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.

“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”

The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.

“Today’s grant awards exemplify the Department of Justice’s commitment to resourcing crime-fighting and victim services assistance in Nevada,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “These grants will fund a broad range of programs. One award in particular will provide additional resources to further Nevada’s incredible accomplishments on its sexual assault kit initiative.”

The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Nevada:

BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program

The program supports a broad range of state and local criminal justice initiatives and reduces existing gaps in service that impact violent crime, crime victims, enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation. District of Nevada recipients included:

Joint Application for Washoe County Law Enforcement Agencies

City of Reno

$159,075

FY 19 Local JAG Program

City of Carson City

$12,558

North Las Vegas Closed-Circuit Television Project and Ultra Software Application

City of North Las Vegas Police Department

$166,798

FY 19 Local JAG Program

Henderson Police Department

$40,005

Clark County Joint FY 19 JAG Project

Clark County, Nevada

$992,213

Nevada FY 19 State JAG

Nevada Department of Public Safety

$2,165,007

 

BJA National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative

The initiative supports the Department’s criminal justice priorities of reducing violent crime and supporting law enforcement officers and prosecutors by: providing jurisdictions with resources to address sexual assault kits not submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing; improving investigation and prosecution in connection with evidence and cases; and providing sites with resources to collect DNA samples. The Nevada Office of the Attorney General received a grant under this initiative in the amount of $2 million.

BJA Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities Program

This program supports projects designed to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement facilities, and to achieve and maintain compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards. The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services received a grant under this program in the amount of $154,125.

OVC Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program

The program provides funding to develop and enhance crime victim specialist programs within law enforcement agencies to better support victims through the criminal justice process. The grants support connecting victims with community-based direct victim services programs. The Reno Police Department received a grant under this program in the amount of $280,777.

SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program:

The program provides funding to states, jurisdictions, U.S. territories and tribal communities to be used to help meet the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. The Nevada Department of Public Safety and Board of Regents of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, received grants of approximately $500,000 under this program.

For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Attorney General William P. Barr and Department of Justice leadership today announced the recipients of the Third Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing, recognizing the exceptional work of 19 law enforcement officers and deputies from 12 jurisdictions across the country.

Officer Phalon McFate of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department developed Project Daybreak, an initiative used to address violent crime-hot spots in downtown Las Vegas neighborhoods. Since it started, Project Daybreak has significantly contributed to decreasing violent crime – down by 50 percent in these neighborhoods. Through positive police interactions, Officer McFate was able to create and enhance transparency and build trust in these neighborhoods. The success of Project Daybreak is a direct result of Officer McFate’s passion and commitment to her community.

“Honoring and supporting the work of law enforcement of­ficers and deputies is a top priority for the Trump Administration, and today is an opportunity for me to personally express my gratitude and commitment to those who risk their lives daily to protect our communities,” said Attorney General Barr. “The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing honors exceptional police officers and the vital public service they provide. The brave men and women in law enforcement are engaged in an unrelenting and often unacknowledged fight to keep our communities safe each and every day. It is an honor to thank them for their service.”

“This recognition supports the exceptional work and commitment displayed by law enforcement to serve and protect our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office fully supports and is grateful for strong partnerships with law enforcement as we continue to reduce violent crime, build trust in our communities, and make our communities safer places to live.”

President Donald J. Trump established clear directives for the Department of Justice – with three Executive Orders – demonstrating his strong support of the law enforcement community. These Executive Orders commit the Department to working in tandem with state and local law enforcement to restore the rule of law, reduce violent crime, dismantle criminal gangs, and combat the growing drug epidemic. Today the Department of Justice continues to support the President’s directive to honor law enforcement officers by announcing the third annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing.

The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, and tribal sworn rank-and-file police officers and deputies for exceptional efforts in policing. The awarded officers and deputies have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations or innovations in community policing. The Department received nominations for 414 individuals ranging from state police departments, to local police, to campus public safety agencies. This award highlights the work that troopers, officers and deputies do to prevent, intervene in, and respond to crime and public safety issues.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – After a three-day trial, a federal jury found James Williams, Jr., 29, guilty of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Ray Roundtree of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for the San Francisco Field Division.

“I am proud to announce Nevada’s first conviction under Project Guardian—our new gun violence reduction initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “Lying to a licensed firearms dealer and buying a gun for someone else is a serious offense. My office will continue to work closely with ATF and local law enforcement to prosecute these crimes.”

“Public safety is at the forefront of ATF’s mission,” said Special Agent in Charge Roundtree. “Our focus is removing crime guns from our communities. To reiterate what ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo said, the focus of Project Guardian is to enhance our crime gun intelligence. This enhancement will encompass identifying, investigating and prosecuting those involved in the straw purchases of firearms, lying on federal firearms transaction forms, and those subject to the mental health prohibition of possessing firearms. We are very happy to announce Nevada’s first Project Guardian conviction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between May 2017 and May 2018, Williams purchased 35 firearms, mostly pistols, and many of the same make and model, from various Las Vegas firearms dealers. In May 2018, when purchasing one of those firearms, Williams made a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer regarding his residential address in Las Vegas, Nevada. At trial, his former roommate testified that Williams had not lived at that address for over a year at the time he made the false statement. The jury at trial found Williams guilty of falsely stating his address in the Firearms Transaction Record form that he completed when he purchased the firearm and acquitted him of illegal acquisition of a firearm for one set of those purchases. 

The case was the product of an investigation by the ATF, with the assistance of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Grimmer and Tony Lopez prosecuted the case.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Miranda M. Du on January 29, 2020. Williams faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the ATF when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

For more information about Project Guardian, visit https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barr-announces-launch-project-guardian-nationwide-strategic-plan.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in 11 U.S. Attorney’s offices, including the District of Nevada, who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response on missing and murdered cases. The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.

“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.”

“The FBI recognizes the violence that tribal communities face and is fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to provide support to those impacted by these crimes,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We are dedicated to delivering justice and to the FBI’s mission to protect all the people we serve. We reaffirm our focus on allocating resources to serve Native American needs.”

“Our Native American communities in Nevada are full of families and friends – all of whom live lives of meaning. But too often those lives are terrorized by violence, or worse, cut short,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “In the last 12 months alone, our office has charged four homicides on tribal lands. We are dedicated to ensuring the victims of these crimes get justice. And, with the addition of a new MMIP Coordinator position, we reaffirm our commitment to prevent violent crime on tribal land before it happens.”

“We are very pleased that the U.S. Attorney General is establishing a position in Nevada to work with tribes in addressing this crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons,” said Chairman Arlen D. Melendez of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. “It shows progress in better communication between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to solve these crimes. Our mission is to bring the missing home and support the families of the murdered through their grief.”

The strategy has three parts:

Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people.  The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana.

Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case.  FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others. MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.

Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.

More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the FBI, and the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).

Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Latonia Smith, 25, of Las Vegas, with five counts of sending threatening communications through the U.S. Mail, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada announced.

According to court filings, Smith is alleged to have sent anonymous threatening letters between September 30, 2018, and October 1, 2019 to her mother’s former supervisor and to attorneys and staff defending a lawsuit filed against her mother’s former employer. As an example, one of the letters threatened: “your throat will be slit you will be recorded as the blood spills from your neck and just as you gasp to take your final undeserving breath three bullets will be placed right through your skull.”

Smith was arrested on November 1, 2019, in connection with the charges and is presently detained awaiting arraignment.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Reno Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Myhre.

Smith faces a maximum sentence of 25 years, if convicted on all counts. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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RENO, Nev. – After a six-day trial, a federal jury found Eric Romero-Lobato, 39, guilty of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm related to a March 4, 2018 attempted robbery of a restaurant in Sparks, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

United States District Judge Larry R. Hicks presided over the trial and scheduled a sentencing hearing on March 31, 2020. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Romero-Lobato, armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, attempted to rob a Restaurant in Sparks, Nevada with another man.  During the attempted robbery, he fired a shot inside the restaurant. Romero-Lobato was not apprehended until May 14, 2018, when police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in Reno.  Romero-Lobato led the police on a high speed chase before wrecking the car he stole. When police apprehended Romero-Lobato, they recovered a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.  Through forensics, the firearm was determined to be the same firearm discharged in the robbery attempt. The attempted robbery case was investigated by the Sparks Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Earlier, in July 2019, a separate jury found Romero-Lobato guilty of one count of carjacking, one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm for the May 14, 2018 carjacking incident.

Romero-Lobato is in custody and is awaiting a jury trial on a separate indictment, which charges that Romero-Lobato is not a United States citizen and illegally reentered the United States.  The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Rachow and Penelope Brady prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Douglas Haig, 57, of Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty today to engaging in the business of manufacturing ammunition without a license, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI’s Las Vegas Division, and Special Agent in Charge Ray Roundtree of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced.

According to court documents, from about July 2016 to about October 19, 2017, Haig operated an unlicensed ammunition manufacturing business known as Specialized Military Ammunition (SMA). SMA’s manufacturing was conducted in a workshop located in Haig’s Arizona residence. Haig maintained a website for SMA through which he advertised and sold ammunition that he manufactured. He promoted and sold ammunition he manufactured at gun shows in Arizona and other states. He traveled to at least one gun show in Nevada where he sold ammunition he manufactured, and, on multiple occasions, he shipped ammunition that he manufactured to customers in Nevada. Haig operated the ammunition manufacturing business despite knowing that federal firearms law required a license for such activity.

The case arose out of the joint investigation by the FBI and ATF with assistance from the Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, of the October 1, 2017, mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas. The Cybercrime Lab within the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section also provided important assistance to the investigation and prosecution of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Burns and Tony Lopez are prosecuting the case.

Haig is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan on February 19, 2020. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Haig on August 22, 2018.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Six Las Vegas, Nevada area residents were charged with running a fraudulent mass-mailing scheme that tricked hundreds of thousands of consumers into paying more than $10 million in fees for falsely promised cash prizes, the Department of Justice has announced.

The unsealed indictment charges Mario Castro, 51, Jose Salud Castro, 70, Salvador Castro, 53, Miguel Castro, 55, Jose Luis Mendez, 45, and Andrea Burrow, 49, with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.  The indictment, secured by the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, also charges Salvador Castro with making a false statement to investigators.  U.S. Postal Inspectors arrested five of the defendants last night. The sixth, Jose Salud Castro, turned himself into authorities this morning.

According to the indictment, the defendants’ prize-notification scheme led victims, many of whom were elderly and vulnerable, to believe that they could pay a small $20 or $30 fee to claim a large cash prize.  The indictment alleged that none of the victims who submitted fees ever received a large cash prize.

“The Department will pursue and prosecute those who defraud elderly or vulnerable consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We have alleged that these defendants perpetrated a cruel hoax on their victims and relentlessly targeted many with repeated fraudulent mailings.”

The indictment asserts that the defendants operated the scheme from 2010 to February 2018, when postal inspectors executed multiple search warrants and the Department of Justice obtained a court order shutting down the fraudulent mail operation.  Mario Castro, Jose Salud Castro, Salvador Castro, Miguel Castro, and Jose Luis Mendez allegedly worked at the printing and mailing businesses that sent the fraudulent mail and shared the profits from the fraudulent prize notices.  The remaining defendant, Andrea Burrow, opened victim return mail, sorted cash and other payments, and entered data from the victims’ responses into a database that the scheme used to target past victims with more fraudulent mail, according to the indictment.

The defendants are alleged to have ignored multiple cease and desist orders from the United States Postal Service that prohibited their mailing companies from sending fraudulent mail.  The defendants responded by changing the names of their companies and using straw owners to hide their continuing fraud. 

Three of the defendants’ co-conspirators – Patti Kern, Edgar Del Rio, and Sean O’Connor – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud earlier this year.

“It will be a priority of this office to dismantle organizations like this one that prey on the elderly and vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute these large-scale frauds that operate in Nevada and across the country.”

“Many people who received these solicitations in the mail thought they were winners, but they were not.  In fact, they were victims of scams exploiting the vulnerable.  For many years, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been at the forefront of protecting consumers from fraud.  The consequences of this type of financial fraud scheme are far reaching and damaging.  Anyone who engages in such conduct should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable,” said Inspector in Charge Delany De Leon-Colon of U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group at National Headquarters. 

The mail fraud and conspiracy charges each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  The false statement charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison.  Each charge also carries a statutory maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offense.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Timothy Finley and Daniel Zytnick of the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Dickinson of the District of Nevada. 

Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors.  In particular, this past March the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 260 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep.  The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.  Additional information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat elder fraud is at: https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/elder-fraud.

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

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

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

“Project Guardian’s focus is to reduce the threat of gun violence in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “It builds on our past crime reduction successes and ensures the department’s prosecutorial resources make the maximum impact on public safety.”

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

Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles:

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

For more information on Project Guardian, see the Attorney General’s memorandum at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/project-guardian-memo-2019/download.

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