Northern District of Ohio

TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted an Ohio man of attempting to entice and coerce a minor into illegal sexual activity and attempted production of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography. Derran Reebel, 52, of Toledo, was found guilty of committing criminal offenses that violate federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of children.

According to court documents, from Oct. 10-15, 2020, Reebel used a social media application to communicate with a minor, namely, an undercover agent purporting to be a 14-year old girl. Evidence presented at trial to the jury included the defendant’s sexually explicit communications which were sent through the app’s messaging function in repeated attempts to persuade the minor into sending him sexually explicit photos and commit sexual acts.

In November 2024, Reebel was convicted of receiving and distributing CSAM, for nearly eight years, from about Jan. 1, 2014 through Aug. 17, 2022. During a federal search warrant execution of his residence, investigators found numerous CSAM items that included visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his possession. Law enforcement officials also discovered that Reebel used social media for a number of years to chat with minors and send them sexually explicit messages and photos of himself.

Sentencing for both convictions has not yet been scheduled. Reebel faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI-Toledo. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s “Project Safe Childhood,” a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the initiative 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, visit justice.gov/psc.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – Curtis Green, 35, of Cleveland, has been sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.

According to court documents, between Dec. 30, 2022 and April 9, 2023, the defendant used his position as a certified pharmacy technician for a hospital in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, to order controlled substances during the course of his employment. Under the guise of ordering on behalf of the hospital, he ordered them for his own unlawful distribution. During this time, Green was found to possess 103 grams of oxycodone and 77.5 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, all schedule II controlled substances.

During a federal search warrant execution of Green’s residence on April 9, 2023, agents seized $72,880 in cash. An additional $2,025 was seized from the defendant on the following day.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mayfield Heights Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Sweeney.

CLEVELAND – David P. Greulich, 61, of Cleveland, has pleaded guilty to driving more than 400 miles across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, to child exploitation, to transporting visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography.

According to court documents, in February 2024, Greulich started communicating with a 14-year old victim living in Jefferson County, New York, on the Snapchat cellphone application. After chatting through the app’s messaging function for several weeks, the defendant drove from his home in Cleveland to New York and picked up the victim from her home on April 20, 2024. He then took her to a hotel where he kept her for two days while he violently and sexually abused her which he recorded on a digital device. Greulich drove across state lines from Ohio to New York a second time on May 11, 2024, to again engage in illicit sexual conduct with the same victim. He took video and photographs of the victim which he later emailed to himself.

During a federal search warrant execution of Greulich’s home in Cleveland, investigators obtained several electronic devices which were found to contain CSAM, including a cellphone with more than 100 images of the victim by herself as well as with the defendant. Upon further investigation, an additional 14 sexually explicit video files of the victim were found in his personal cloud storage account.

Sentencing has been scheduled for June 23, 2025. The maximum sentence varies per count. The defendant faces a maximum combined term of imprisonment of 180 years.

A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Cleveland Office, with assistance from the Jefferson County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Segev Phillips.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged two people from Venezuela with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents.

Dicla Emirlania Perez Rodriguez, 33, and Emileth Noheni Briceno Rodriguez, 39, both citizens of Venezuela, were found to possess fraudulent permanent resident cards, also known as green cards.

According to court documents, on Feb. 17, 2025, the two women had been traveling with others and were discovered asleep in a parked vehicle outside a convenience store in Warren, Ohio. Warren City Police Officers were dispatched to the store after an employee could not awaken anyone in the vehicle. While on the scene, officers discovered that the vehicle registration plate did not match the vehicle, nor was the registered owner with the vehicle. Officers brought the two women, and the others in the vehicle, to the police station for questioning where a Spanish translator could facilitate communication with the defendants.

Upon further investigation, a database query on the number that appeared on a permanent resident card possessed by Briceno Rodriguez was linked to a Chinese national. A query on the permanent resident card possessed by Perez Rodriguez was found to be linked to a Cuban national.

Additionally, both defendants possessed Social Security cards in their names. However, upon further inspection, the numbers listed on each card were, in fact, issued to other individuals whose names did not appear on the cards.

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

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Warren City Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a Guatemalan national of illegally re-entering the United States. Baudilio Ramos, 65, a citizen of Guatemala, was found to be living in Youngstown, Ohio.

According to court documents, Ramos originally came to the U.S. in 1990 on a commercial visa. In 2013, in the county of Rockland New York, he was convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child. After serving a prison term, he was deported from the U.S and returned to Guatemala. The defendant stated that he later paid $3,000 to a “coyote,” a slang term for a human smuggler, who arranged to take him from Mexico into Texas. A second smuggler took him from Houston to New York state. He then relocated to the Youngstown area where he has been living for about the last two years. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Ramos was not registered with the Mahoning County Sex Offender Registry.

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

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.

CLEVELAND — A federal jury in Cleveland convicted a Texas man today for writing and deploying malicious code on his former employer’s network.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Davis Lu, 55, of Houston, was employed as a software developer for the victim company headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, from November 2007 to October 2019.

Following a 2018 corporate realignment that reduced his responsibilities and system access, Lu began sabotaging his employer’s systems. By Aug. 4, 2019, he introduced malicious code that caused system crashes and prevented user logins. Specifically, he created “infinite loops” (in this case, code designed to exhaust Java threads by repeatedly creating new threads without proper termination and resulting in server crashes or hangs), deleted coworker profile files, and implemented a “kill switch” that would lock out all users if his credentials in the company’s active directory were disabled. The “kill switch” code — which Lu named “IsDLEnabledinAD”, abbreviating “Is Davis Lu enabled in Active Directory” — was automatically activated upon his termination on Sept. 9, 2019, and impacted thousands of company users globally. Lu named other code “Hakai,” a Japanese word meaning “destruction,” and “HunShui,” a Chinese word meaning “sleep” or “lethargy.”

Additionally, on the day he was directed to turn in his company laptop, Lu deleted encrypted data. His internet search history revealed he had researched methods to escalate privileges, hide processes, and rapidly delete files, indicating an intent to obstruct efforts of his co-workers to resolve the system disruptions. Lu’s employer suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses as a result of Lu’s actions.

“Mr. Lu was calculating in his intent to inflict damage to a company that provides products and services to businesses and organizations that span a variety of industries and fields,” said Acting United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. “Together with our colleagues from the Criminal Division and the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute those who intend to disrupt business operations, especially, if it has the potential to inflict greater harm on national and international levels. We will hold perpetrators accountable and pursue justice against vindictive employees who break federal laws.”

“Sadly, Davis Lu used his education, experience, and skill to purposely harm and hinder not only his employer and their ability to safely conduct business, but also stifle thousands of users worldwide,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI and its cadre of exceptionally qualified agents and analysts will continue to identify, find, and investigate individuals who seek to carry out deliberate and destructive actions against businesses or organizations for retaliatory or malicious purposes.”

The jury convicted Lu of causing intentional damage to protected computers, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Cleveland Division investigated the case.

Senior Counsel Candina S. Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Riedl and Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

A federal jury in Cleveland convicted a Texas man today for writing and deploying malicious code on his former employer’s network.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Davis Lu, 55, of Houston, was employed as a software developer for the victim company headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, from November 2007 to October 2019. Following a 2018 corporate realignment that reduced his responsibilities and system access, Lu began sabotaging his employer’s systems. By Aug. 4, 2019, he introduced malicious code that caused system crashes and prevented user logins. Specifically, he created “infinite loops” (in this case, code designed to exhaust Java threads by repeatedly creating new threads without proper termination and resulting in server crashes or hangs), deleted coworker profile files, and implemented a “kill switch” that would lock out all users if his credentials in the company’s active directory were disabled. The “kill switch” code — which Lu named “IsDLEnabledinAD”, abbreviating “Is Davis Lu enabled in Active Directory” — was automatically activated upon his termination on Sept. 9, 2019, and impacted thousands of company users globally. Lu named other code “Hakai,” a Japanese word meaning “destruction,” and “HunShui,” a Chinese word meaning “sleep” or “lethargy.” Additionally, on the day he was directed to turn in his company laptop, Lu deleted encrypted data. His internet search history revealed he had researched methods to escalate privileges, hide processes, and rapidly delete files, indicating an intent to obstruct efforts of his co-workers to resolve the system disruptions. Lu’s employer suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses as a result of Lu’s actions.

The jury convicted Lu of causing intentional damage to protected computers, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio, and Special Agent in Charge Gregory D. Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Cleveland Field Office investigated the case.

Senior Counsel Candina S. Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Riedl and Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Two Youngstown, Ohio, residents were sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh on February 26, 2025, for their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and related firearms and drug trafficking charges, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 17 individuals from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; and Youngstown, Ohio, indicted in March 2024 for violating federal narcotics, firearms, and racketeering laws by conspiring to distribute cocaine throughout Western Pennsylvania and Youngstown (read the Indictment news release here).

Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentences on brothers Ruben Noel Sanchez, 29, and Rubel Sanchez, 22. Ruben was sentenced to a total of 13 years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, with the latter two charges having been filed by Information in the Northern District of Ohio. Rubel was sentenced to 10 years of prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

According to information presented to the Court, the Sanchez brothers were part of an organized drug trafficking group that shipped kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico, often mailing drug parcels through the U.S. Postal Service to co-conspirators responsible for selling the cocaine in Western Pennsylvania; Youngstown, Ohio; and elsewhere. This included the Sanchez brothers receiving kilograms of cocaine directly through the mail as well as receiving and paying for cocaine that was shipped to Philadelphia and then transported across Pennsylvania to Youngstown, Ohio. Upon receipt of the cocaine, the brothers and their co-conspirators distributed the drugs to customers and multiple other co-conspirators, who then distributed the cocaine in Youngstown, Ohio, and throughout Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.

In March 2024, investigators executed a federal search warrant at a Youngstown residence utilized by the brothers in connection with their drug distribution operations, where investigators seized three Glock pistols—including one equipped with a machinegun conversion device known as a Glock switch and another loaded with ammunition; three unattached Glock switches; assorted ammunition; baggies of powder and pills that included separate mixtures and substances containing 1) fentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine, 2) fentanyl and xylazine, 3) cocaine, 4) fentanyl, 5) methamphetamine, and 6) heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine; a kilo press plate used in connection with the packaging and distribution of large quantities of powdered controlled substances; and the brothers’ cell phones. Evidence, including from these cell phones and other surveillance, established that the brothers knowingly possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them and possessed the firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking. The brothers each were responsible for distributing and/or possessing with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine, at least 40 grams of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and methamphetamine.

Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service, as well as the New Castle Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and United States Department of Agriculture for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sanchez brothers.

Lawrence County is one of six Western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.

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

CLEVELAND – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO) has filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against 8,207,578 Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, valued at more than $8.2 million. USDT is a virtual currency which are digital tokens of value circulated over the internet. Its transactions are publicly recorded on what is known as a blockchain.

According to court documents, the FBI has identified 33 victims of an investment fraud scheme across the country, including a victim from Northeast Ohio residing in the city of Mentor. In total, victims lost approximately $4.9 million. Five more accounts have also been found to be affected and the FBI is attempting to identify the respective owners. The victims associated with the additional accounts have lost approximately $1,071,086.

Investigators found that scammers initially contacted the victims through seemingly misdirected, or “wrong number,” text messages. The fraudster then gained the victim’s trust and affection using various manipulative tactics. Once trust was established with the victim, the fraudster would share how much success they, or someone they knew, had with investing in cryptocurrency. This personal testimonial lessened any uncertainties the victims may have had about virtual currencies and eventually had the intended effect to persuade the victim to proceed with the investment.

The fraudster would then guide the victim, step-by-step, on how to open a legitimate cryptocurrency account, most often with a U.S. based virtual currency exchange such as Crypto.com or Coinbase. The scammer would walk the victim through the entire process of transferring money from their bank to the newly created cryptocurrency account. Next, the victim received instructions on how to transfer the purchased cryptocurrency assets to an online “investment platform,” which would turn out to be a fake site created by the fraudsters to look like a legitimate company. Information on the platforms promised lucrative returns which encouraged victims to invest further. However, once the victim transferred their funds to the “investment platform” they unknowingly handed over complete control and ownership of their funds to the scammer. 

The complaint also outlines that the perpetrators of such investment fraud schemes often allow victims to withdraw a portion of their “profits” early on in the scheme to build trust and reinforce their belief that the “investment platform” was legitimate. But as the scheme progressed, victims were unable to withdraw their funds and given excuses as to why they could not access their funds. For example, the fraudsters referred to a fake “tax” requirement, stating that taxes must be paid on the proceeds generated from the investment platform. Knowing that the scam would run its course soon, the fraudsters used last-ditch efforts to lie to victims that they had to pay a tax. Ultimately, victims were locked out of their account on the investment platform and lost their funds.

A woman in Lake County, Ohio became the target of such a scam when she responded to a text on her phone from an unknown number in November 2023. She began sharing information via text with the person and the two bonded over topics such as hobbies and religion. Over a period of time, the victim followed instructions from her new “friend” and opened an account at Crypto.com and then transferred funds into the account. When the victim wanted to withdraw funds, her “friend,” relented and said additional payments were needed and she complied. When the victim no longer had any funds left after making additional payments, her “friend” began to threaten her that he would send his friends to “take care of” her friends and family. Having lost her entire life savings of approximately $663,352, including funds from her Roth IRA, the victim filed a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center to report the losses in June 2024. The FBI Cleveland Division subsequently initiated an investigation.

Investigators conducted a blockchain analysis and determined that a portion of the funds stolen from victims were converted to USDT cryptocurrency and placed into three cryptocurrency addresses. Law enforcement officers executed a federal seizure warrant to recover 8,207,578 USDT tokens, in November 2024. Tether Limited then transferred these funds to a law-enforcement-controlled virtual currency wallet.

By the Complaint in Forfeiture filed on Feb. 27, 2025, the United States seeks to forfeit the entire 8,207,578 USDT cryptocurrency. In the complaint, the United States alleges that the cryptocurrency accounts also contained additional funds above the victims’ traceable losses and, as proceeds of fraud, are also subject to forfeiture. Additionally, the complaint alleges that such other funds were involved in money laundering violations.     

The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and the United States must prove these allegations by a preponderance of the evidence at trial.

If successful in this forfeiture action, the United States would seek to return the stolen funds to the victims.

The FBI Cleveland Division is actively investigating cryptocurrency fraud schemes perpetrated on victims throughout the United States, including in the Northern District of Ohio. The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant United States Attorney James L. Morford. The USAO would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in this matter.

If you observe something that you believe might be fraudulent conduct involving an older adult, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to report it.

View Complaint:

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CLEVELAND – Vall Iliev, 69, of Stow, Ohio, has been charged in a three-count information with smuggling foreign-made body armor and then selling it to law enforcement agencies and others, as legitimate, domestically-made certified products. From around 2017 to October 2023, the defendant allegedly imported body armor from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and sold it under claims of being made in the United States and bearing a falsified trademarked label. Body armor is commonly used by those in law enforcement and other agencies for protection from ballistic threats to the torso area.

According to court documents, in May 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Blaine, Washington port of entry (POE) intercepted a Canadian-registered truck found to be carrying more than 200 ballistic body armor plates in boxes marked with the PRC as the origin. Cargo inspectors were unable to determine the manufacturer’s name. The plates were concealed in pre-packaged boxes within a larger shipping container which is a technique known as “Master Carton Smuggling” and typically used in attempts to evade detection by POE officials. The hidden boxes of the unmanifested cargo were pre-labeled and addressed to a business in Stow, Vallmar Studios, which Iliev owned and operated. Investigators found that Vallmar’s business location was used as a warehouse to process the PRC-manufactured body armor before selling to the public through a second business, ShotStop Ballistics, which Iliev also owned and operated in Stow.

ShotStop Ballistics conducted business through its website and sold body armor to the public and law enforcement agencies across the country. The company marketed their Level III and Level IV body armor as “Made in Stow, Ohio” and “NIJ Certified.” The National Institute of Justice, or NIJ, is the research, development, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which has published performance standards for ballistic-resistant police body armor for more than 50 years. It utilizes a standard process by which rounds of ammunition are fired at a distance to certify body armor along a range of established threat levels. Manufacturers and distributors are permitted to use the NIJ trademarked symbol that indicates that the product meets its established standards for protection.

However, inspectors who examined the intercepted body armor originating from the PRC, found that none of the items were shipped with related documentation that stated that the product met standards for NIJ certification. The seized ballistic plates were sent to Oregon Ballistic Laboratories for testing, which is one of five approved NIJ certified facilities in the United States. The final test results report from the laboratory showed that the panels failed to meet NIJ standards for Level III certification. Test failure for Level III indicates that the same plates would not have passed the more rigorous testing required for Level IV.

Throughout the course of the years-long conspiracy, Iliev worked with a PRC broker company to find inexpensive manufacturers to make Level III and Level IV body armor. Once orders were placed, manufacturers were directed to ship the items to the defendant’s Vallmar business. When the PRC shipments arrived at the Summit County business, the defendant instructed employees to affix labels to the body armor plates stating “NIJ Certified” and “Made in Stow, Ohio” before going on sale to the public, to law enforcement departments, and to other agencies that rely on ballistic-resistant body armor for protection.

Investigators found thousands of Chinese-produced body armor plates at Vallmar and ShotStop, which served as warehouses to receive, but had no means of producing, Level III or Level IV body armor. The ShotStop location housed a laser printer which was used to print the fake DOJ certification labels that Iliev’s employees were instructed to place on the sub-standard body armor before selling and shipping to customers.

Investigators also found marketing videos produced by Iliev which he used to advertise the body armor products he sold with claims of being manufactured in Ohio and certified by the NIJ. The NIJ certification labels included fictitious “patent pending” on some products such as “Level III+” and “Level IV+HD” certified, which are non-existent designations.

Although Iliev’s companies initially obtained and held valid NIJ certifications, he never sought to confirm through NIJ-certified testing that the body armor quality he imported through co-conspiring Chinese business associates met NIJ performance standards for ballistic resistance. These standards are crucial for buyers to make informed purchases about a product’s safety levels.

These charges are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial. It will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland Office alongside the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Duncan T. Brown for the Northern District of Ohio.

If you have purchased ShotStop Ballistics body armor from 2018 onward, for product safety reasons, HSI recommends discontinuing use. For those who purchased items in question from ShotStop Ballistics, please email a copy of your invoice to faultyarmor@hsi.dhs.gov with “ShotStop Invoice” in the subject line no later than Monday, April 7, 2025.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Acting United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio has announced sentencings for several defendants who were charged in connection with a 2023 violent crime reduction initiative. The initiative was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to focus on the reduction of gun-crime violence.

Malachi Berry, 22, Darvell Jackson, 21, Steven Armstrong, 20, Nimar Linder, 22, Terrez Wilson, 20, Maurice Hardman, 20, all of Cleveland, and Brandon Kimbrough, 24, of Euclid, were each sentenced to imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson after pleading guilty for their roles in a firearms-trafficking conspiracy. Each defendant’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

Malachi Berry was sentenced to 89 months in prison for conspiracy to possess machineguns and conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. According to court documents, he was responsible for arranging the sales of 13 firearms, including ones that were reported stolen and had the serial numbers obliterated. Some of the items intended to be trafficked included machineguns. Berry brokered the firearms sales by recruiting others to sell them after he negotiated the prices.

Darvell Jackson was sentenced to 168 months in prison for conspiracy to possess a machinegun, conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. According to court documents, he sold seven firearms, including at least one stolen firearm and one firearm with an obliterated serial number, some with high-capacity magazines, and four machinegun conversion devices.

Nimar Linder was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Linder, a convicted felon, possessed and sold five firearms, including multi-caliber pistols with high-capacity magazines and a pistol with an obliterated serial number.

Terrez Wilson was sentenced to 26 months in prison for possession of a machinegun. According to court documents, he sold a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistol with a machinegun conversion device knowing that the firearm was intended to be trafficked.

Maurice Hardman was sentenced to 33 months in prison for possession of a machinegun and conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. According to court documents, he sold a Glock, Model 32Gen4, .357 caliber Sig-pistol with an affixed machinegun conversion device. In a separate transaction, Hardman sold a Glock, Model 19Gen5, 9mm pistol.

Brandon Kimbrough was sentenced to 29 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Kimbrough, a convicted felon, possessed and sold a Taurus, Model G3, and a 9mm pistol with a high-capacity magazine.

Steven Armstrong was sentenced to 26 months in prison for possession of a machinegun. According to court documents, he admitted he could acquire “buttons,” a term used for machinegun conversion devices, and “ghost Glocks,” a term used for privately made, unserialized firearms. Armstrong also sold a machinegun conversion device.

The investigation preceding the indictment was led by the ATF, with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI Cleveland Division, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, the Ohio Investigative Unit, Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Division, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office. This operation was also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative.

These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Galvin and David Toepfer.

CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury returned a 32-count superseding indictment charging Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair, 42, recently of Bratenahl, Ohio, his brother Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair, 31, recently of Pepper Pike, Ohio, and their associate Michael Leon Smedley, 56, of Cleveland, with multiple fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, and public corruption schemes. The initial 22-count indictment was issued Jan. 24, 2024.

All three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and Hobbs Act conspiracy. The Al Zubair brothers were both charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, four counts of money laundering, theft of government funds, and aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Zubair Al Zubair was also charged with harboring a fugitive and willful failure to file a tax return.

According to court documents, from June 2020 through August 2023, the Al Zubair brothers allegedly employed several deceptive strategies to obtain money and property from victims. Their schemes involved investment fraud, a Small Business Administration COVID-19 relief Emergency Income Disaster Loan, cryptocurrency mining, and commercial and residential real estate transactions.

One scheme was international in scope and involved military munitions. After the Al Zubair brothers found a buyer who was looking to purchase military-grade weapons, they made contact with individuals in Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and New York about finding sources to supply the munitions their buyer was seeking. The true intent was not the actual sale of the munitions, but rather to convince the purchaser to transfer a commission to the brothers for arranging the transaction.

The Al Zubair brothers’ ill-gotten proceeds allowed them to acquire a trove of jewelry, luxury timepieces and vehicles, as well as more than 80 firearms. Zubair Al Zubair also leased a high-end residential property in Bratenahl, Ohio, before being evicted in August 2023.

The superseding indictment alleges that the two made exorbitant claims about their extraordinary wealth and government connections. Zubair Al Zubair said he was a member of the royal family of the United Arab Emirates through his marriage to a princess. His brother, Muzzammil, claimed to be a hedge fund manager. According to the superseding indictment, he was not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or as a broker with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and his only education on hedge funds came from watching YouTube videos. Using the illusion of being extremely educated, successful, and well-connected, the brothers befriended a public official employed with the city of East Cleveland to help them to carry out their elaborate and deceptive plots.

As the chief of staff and executive assistant to the mayor of East Cleveland, Smedley allegedly used his position to help navigate red-tape bureaucracy and obtain specific outcomes for the Al Zubair brothers in return for things of value including checks, food and meals at high-end restaurants, and offers of future employment. For example, Smedley secured official letters on city letterhead to sway administrative and judicial proceedings, helped obtain appointment of Zubair Al Zubair as an International Economic Advisor to the city, obtained city business cards in Zubair Al Zubair’s name, and even provided the brothers with City of East Cleveland Police Badges.

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

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of actors unique to this case. These include each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and the IRS−Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd and Om Kakani for the Northern District of Ohio. 

CLEVELAND – Angela Frase, 60, of Sterling, Ohio, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty to four counts of mail fraud for accepting insurance checks after she knowingly submitted false claims. Frase was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $327,072.

Frase pleaded guilty to devising a scheme that took place from July 2 to Aug. 23, 2019, to defraud a homeowner’s insurance company. According to court documents, the scheme began when Frase called fire emergency services on July 2, 2019, and again on July 3, 2019, to report a fire in her home. Fire marshals were unable to determine the cause of the fire at the time. The insurance company then housed Frase and her husband at an extended stay hotel. An investigation later conducted by insurance company experts determined no evidence of electrical failure as the cause of the fire.

On the morning of Aug. 6, 2019, the fire department responded to a natural gas leak at the Frase residence. Home remodeling employees entered the home to work on the damage caused by the fire but were forced to evacuate due to the strong smell of natural gas. The fire marshal later determined that the stove was turned on, filling the residence with explosive-causing levels of natural gas. Frase and her husband were the last people in the home prior to the discovery of gas and claimed to have locked the doors. There was no sign of forced entry.

On Aug. 6, 2019, at approximately 10:43 p.m., Frase left her extended stay hotel room, drove to her home on Spruce Street in Seville, Ohio, and started a fire. Investigators later learned through her cellphone location data that she remained in the area of her home from 10:54 p.m. until 11:39 p.m. and then returned to her hotel room. On Aug. 7, 2019, at approximately 12:36 a.m., the Sterling Fire Department and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home in reference to a fire and explosion. The Ohio State Fire Marshal later determined the cause of the fire was incendiary in nature. In addition to starting the fire, Frase spray-painted what appeared to be racial disparities on her own garage and vandalized her neighbor’s vehicle.

On Aug. 11, 2019, between 9:30 and 10 p.m., Frase returned to her home and again spray-painted hate speech on her own garage. When a sheriff’s deputy responded and discovered the words, Frase told the deputy that she saw two suspicious individuals running through the field behind her property. Three days later, on Aug. 14, Frase called authorities again after she placed a stuffed doll painted black with a noose tied around its neck in her own mailbox. On Aug. 23, she once again contacted law enforcement to report that she found an envelope at her residence while walking around the property that had a racial slur written on it and inside was a plastic bag filled with an unknown white substance and the word “die.”

From Nov. 1, 2019 to June 17, 2020, the insurance company mailed four checks to Frase for property losses and damages which she accepted. She was later charged with four counts of mail fraud for attempting to swindle money from the homeowner’s insurance company through intentionally deceptive actions.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and Ohio’s Division of State Fire Marshal. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.

AKRON, Ohio – A 51-count superseding indictment was unsealed today charging 17 Ohio residents of operating a large-scale drug trafficking scheme based in Akron. The Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) is alleged to be responsible for trafficking distribution quantities of controlled substances in the Summit County, Ohio area including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as Alprazolam, which is more commonly known under the brand name Xanax. Three other defendants were indicted separately for their involvement in the conspiracy.

According to court documents, the investigation that led to the indictment began in December 2023 and continued to around August 2024. The alleged leader, Joe Nathan Sanders-Taylor, 41, of Akron, was believed to be the center of the DTO that distributed illegal drugs throughout Northeast Ohio. He was regularly supplied by co-conspirators who funneled drug inventory from sources connected to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG or Jalisco Cartel). Sanders-Taylor developed a drug distribution process that employed a number of individuals to serve as drug dealers throughout the Northeast Ohio region.

Court documents show that Sanders-Taylor used a network of associates to re-sell the drugs, assist with financial transactions, or act as lookouts while drug deals took place. Several co-defendants and other members of the conspiracy maintained and used residences in Summit County, Ohio, to store and distribute their drug supplies, or to manufacture controlled substances. Members of the conspiracy also possessed firearms to further their illegal business activities and protect their drug inventory.

Sanders-Taylor was arrested on June 10, 2024, after he engaged in a pursuit by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Interstate 77 in Summit County. As he fled from police, he threw two loaded firearms with high-capacity magazines from the vehicle. Sanders-Taylor crashed the vehicle and then fled on foot and attempted to carjack two separate vehicles with people still inside. Sanders-Taylor was later discovered to have prior federal convictions which prohibits him from possessing firearms. Further investigation of the incident determined that he also possessed distribution amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The remaining defendants were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests.

The superseding indictment charges the following 17 defendants:

• Joe Nathan Sanders-Taylor, aka Red, 41, Akron
• Brooke Marie Logan, aka Bee, 29, Akron
• Tyrell Jerome Jennings, aka 50, 35, Cleveland
• Christopher Michael Andrews, aka Blondy, 28, Akron
• Crystal Marie Harris, 50, Akron
• Ronald Oscar Clark, 58, Akron
• Chelsey Marie Connelly, 35, Akron
• Angela Grace Wade, 47, Akron
• Demardre Leshawn Johnson, aka Icey, 37, Akron
• Denetris Condra May, aka D-May, aka Mayday, 38, Akron
• John P. Burton, 41, Akron
• Brian Keith Hinkle, aka Hizzle, 38, Akron
• Joshua Lee Hackney, aka Country, 38, Akron
• Matthew Dion Inman, 54, Akron
• Thomas Franklin Casanova, 27, Akron
• Donnie Keith Eugene Schaffer, 30, Akron
• Julia Francesca Stavole-Habimana, 26, Richfield

The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants did unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, all Schedule II controlled substances, and Alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance.

In addition, three other defendants involved with this drug trafficking and firearms conspiracy were charged in a separate superseding indictment:

• Robert Parham, 54, Akron
• Laverne Fortson, 50, Akron
• Jeffery Goldbach, 54, Ravenna

According to court documents, in July 2024, Parham had 28 firearms, which included a machine gun, distribution amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in his possession at his apartment in Akron. Fortson and Goldbach also possessed distribution amounts of narcotics at their residences.

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

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the superseding indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI Akron Field Office, with assistance from the Akron Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Girard Police Department, Barberton Police Department, Liberty Police Department, and the University of Akron Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.

TOLEDO, Ohio – Gary Matthew Hughes, 36, of Piqua, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after pleading guilty to coercion or enticement of a minor. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $114,000 in restitution.

From about September to October 2023, Hughes communicated with a purported seven-year-old daughter of an undercover agent. He admitted that his intent was to engage in sexual activity with the girl. During the investigation, agents also found multiple files of child sexual abuse materials on his personal cellphone.

The case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio.

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

To report child sexual abuse, please visit www.cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND - Conner Matthew Walker, 21, of Rocky River, Ohio, was sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), and one count of possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment.

Walker admitted to harming his victims and recording the sexual abuse on his cellphone from September 2023 through January 2024. He connected with an 11-year-old victim through a children’s app and coerced her to send him sexually explicit photos. Two additional victims were identified as toddlers at a home daycare in Parma Heights, Ohio, where Walker resided occasionally. He further exploited his young victims when he uploaded and shared the content he produced to social media chat forums. Investigators searched Walker’s cellphone and discovered he possessed more than 1,000 additional CSAM images and videos.

The case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report child sexual abuse, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A six-count indictment was unsealed today charging Mark John Buschman, 60, of Viroqua, Wisconsin, for allegedly selling firearms and related parts without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia, shipping the prohibited items, and then lying to federal inspectors about it.

According to the indictment, Buschman allegedly conducted an illegal export conspiracy for more than five years, lasting from about February 2019 to about December 2024. Buschman obtained firearms and firearms parts in the U.S. and advertised the items for sale on eBay and other online marketplace-style websites. When buyers in Saudi Arabia expressed interest in the items for sale, he agreed to sell and ship the items out of the country to them. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Saudi Arabian-based buyers paid the defendant approximately $398,000.

Court documents indicate that serial numbers from some of the firearms and firearms parts were removed before he shipped the items. The defendant then prepared the items further before shipping them by concealing the firearms and firearm parts inside of common household appliances and tools such as toasters, coffee makers, space heaters, fans, and landscaping edge trimmers. For example, the defendant concealed rifle barrels in items such as car axles, and smaller pistols inside of toasters. Using a fake return address, the defendant shipped the items through the U.S. Postal Service to freight forwarders, which are companies that specialize in the logistics of shipping items from one country to another. The defendant allegedly shipped the items to freight forwarding companies that operated out of Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon, and elsewhere without declaring that the shipments contained firearms and firearms parts.

Buschman is charged by indictment with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; attempted smuggling of goods from the United States; transporting and shipping firearms with removed, obliterated, or altered serial numbers; mailing firearms as nonmailable prohibited items; unlawful dealing in firearms without a license; and making false statements to law enforcement. If convicted on all counts, Buschman faces a maximum penalty of 42 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Homeland Security Investigations Cleveland Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Cleveland Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives are investigating the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Shepherd and Jerome J.  Teresinski for the Northern District of Ohio, Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan for the Western District of Wisconsin prosecuted the case.

CLEVELAND – A six-count indictment was unsealed today charging a Viroqua, Wisconsin, man for allegedly selling firearms and related parts without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia, shipping the prohibited items, and then lying to federal inspectors about it.

According to allegations in the indictment, Mark John Buschman, 60, conducted an illegal export conspiracy for more than five years, lasting from about February 2019 to about December 2024. Buschman obtained firearms and firearms parts in the U.S. and advertised the items for sale on eBay and other online marketplace-style websites. When buyers in Saudi Arabia expressed interest in the items for sale, he agreed to sell and ship the items out of the country to them. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Saudi Arabian-based buyers paid the defendant approximately $398,000.

Court documents indicate that serial numbers from some of the firearms and firearms parts were removed before he shipped the items. The defendant then prepared the items further before shipping them, by concealing the firearms and firearm parts inside of common household appliances and tools such as toasters, coffee makers, space heaters, fans, and landscaping edge trimmers. For example, the defendant concealed rifle barrels in items such as car axles, and smaller pistols inside of toasters. Using a fake return address, the defendant shipped the items through the U.S. Postal Service to freight forwarders, which are companies that specialize in the logistics of shipping items from one country to another. The defendant allegedly shipped the items to freight forwarding companies that operated out of Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon and elsewhere, without declaring that the shipments contained firearms and firearms parts.

Buschman is charged by indictment with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; attempted smuggling of goods from the United States; transporting and shipping firearms with removed, obliterated, or altered serial numbers; mailing firearms as non-mailable prohibited items; unlawful dealing in firearms without a license; and making false statements to law enforcement.

If convicted on all counts, Buschman faces a penalty of 42 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cleveland Office (of the Pittsburgh Division), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Elements of the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also assisted HSI. The Vernon County Sheriff's Office and the La Crosse County Sheriff's Office assisted with the execution of the arrest and search warrants.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Shepherd and Jerome J.  Teresinski for the Northern District of Ohio. Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan of the Western District of Wisconsin U.S. Attorney’s Office, assisted during the investigation of this case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

TOLEDO, Ohio – After a six-day trial, a federal jury convicted two men of participating in a vast money laundering conspiracy that robbed victims from across four states of their life savings. Pranay Kumar Mamidi, 27, and Kishan Vinayak Patel, 26, both nationals of the Republic of India, were found guilty of participating in a money laundering conspiracy, concealing the source of the money, and using the illegally gained money to further promote a criminal enterprise. 

According to court documents, from about May to November 2023, Mamidi and Patel, along with other co-conspirators, engaged in a multi-layered scheme to launder proceeds derived from a fraud known as a phantom hacker scam. In this type of scam, a scammer, acting as a customer service representative for a store or bank, contacts a target victim and falsely informs them that their bank account has been hacked or compromised. Next, the victim is directed to a fake federal law enforcement agent for supposed assistance. The fake federal agent then proceeds to obtain the victim’s savings by deception, typically threatening imminent seizure or arrest.

In one common example, elderly victims are contacted by someone pretending to be an Amazon, Inc. employee, who informs the victim of suspicious activity on their accounts. Next, the victim is contacted by another person who claims to be from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and informs the victim that their identity was stolen. The victim is then contacted by another individual who claims to be a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent. The fake DEA special agent claims that the account in question is being investigated for facilitating fraud and has resulted in supposed arrest warrants for the victim. Fearing legal actions, the victim follows the scammer’s instructions to pull their savings from their bank account and convert funds into cash or gold bars. The victim is further instructed to give another supposed law enforcement official cash and/or gold bars at a designated drop-off point such as a gas station or fast food restaurant. After the drop, the victim is then sent a receipt which appears to be from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and completes the illusion of a legitimate transaction.

According to court documents, the defendants in this case served as money launderers for other co-conspirators throughout the world who participated in phantom hacker schemes based out of India. The U.S. based money laundering infrastructure allowed funds illegally taken from victims to be distributed throughout the world. Investigators estimate that the total amount of money laundered is in the tens of millions of dollars.

Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Mamidi and Patel each face a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of conviction.

Six other defendants also named in the second superseding indictment filed in August 2024 were also charged. The following have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing: Dileep Kumar Sakineni, age 26; Balaji Rakesh Mulpuri, age 26; Avi Jitendrakumar Patel, age 22; Sai Hruthik Thodeti, age 25; and Srinivas Ravi Valluru, age 31, all nationals of the Republic of India; and Hiren Jagdishbhai Patel, age 33, of Columbus, Ohio.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI-Cleveland Field Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Melching and Dexter Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio.

The investigation and prosecution of this case is in response to the Elder Justice Initiative Program originating from the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 (EAPPA). The mission of the EAPPA and Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and scams that target the nation’s elderly population.

If you suspect fraudulent conduct involving an older adult, please contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to report it.

TOLEDO, Ohio – Jeremy Dean Chesser, 42, of Maumee, Ohio, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp, II, after he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually exploiting minors by means of production of child pornography, also referred to as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), and to receipt and distribution of child pornography. He was also ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution and $15,300 in assessments.

At the time of the offenses, Chesser was employed as a firefighter and was also a father to 10 children that included biological, adopted, and foster children. In 2022, he sexually exploited a two-year-old and produced child pornography of the toddler. From 2022-2023, Chesser sexually exploited a second minor who was 13-14 years old. He sought the minor out online, pretended to be a 16-year-old boy, and proceeded to convince that minor that they were in a relationship. Chesser then induced that minor to produce and send him sexually explicit photos.

During execution of a federal search warrant on Chesser’s residence, his cellphone was seized and found to contain a large volume of CSAM involving 65 other minors. Investigators discovered that Chesser had been receiving and distributing child pornography for more than 10 years.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI-Toledo Field Office, FBI-New Haven, Connecticut Field Office, and the Maumee Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracey Tangeman and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – William Hartson, 26, of Massillon, Ohio, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson, after he pled guilty to smuggling illegal drugs in checked baggage on a flight from Los Angeles to Cleveland. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, on March 4, 2024, Hartson and a co-conspirator, Dalvin Rogers, 29, Cleveland, Ohio, flew together from Los Angeles to Cleveland. A law enforcement canine alerted airport security personnel to the presence of controlled substances on checked baggage belonging to Hartson and Rogers. After the two men retrieved their luggage, they proceeded to leave the baggage claim area and were encountered by federal agents. The agents received verbal consent to search their luggage and found several bricks of suspected drugs wrapped in wet towels. A field test conducted by the agents confirmed the substances were cocaine. The drugs weighed in at approximately 7.63 kilograms, or nearly 17 pounds, with a street value of more than $175,000.

Hartson’s co-defendant was previously sentenced. Rogers was sentenced Aug. 29, 2024, to 63 months in prison and four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Investigations (DHS-HSI) with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi­-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, USMS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, and USBP, along with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret A. Sweeney for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio, has returned a six-count indictment related to cyberstalking and making online threats. The indictment charges Logan Stanford, 28, of Shelby, Ohio, with cyberstalking at least three individuals. He is also charged with making interstate threatening communications.

According to the indictment, from Sept. 1, 2021, through May 31, 2024, Stanford used various electronic communication methods to stalk his victims online, known as cyberstalking. This form of threatening behavior can include unwarranted emails, instant and direct messaging, or liking and commenting on social media posts. Stanford allegedly created many accounts under different names on various online platforms. He found victims to target and repeatedly sent them numerous harassing comments. Many of the electronic messages Stanford sent his victims were sexual or violent in nature or threatened to cause them physical harm. He also created multiple email accounts under different names to send similar intimidating messages.

The FBI Cleveland Division is the investigating agency on the case which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Joyce and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.

January is National Stalking Awareness Month. To learn more, or to make a report, visit stalkingawareness.org/what-to-do-if-you-are-being-stalked/. 

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

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently recognized the work of its employees and others for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of the nation’s laws at the 72nd Annual Attorney General’s Awards held Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington D.C. The event was celebrated at the DOJ’s Constitution Hall and followed by a reception for more than 400 award recipients and their guests.

The prosecution team from the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio was among the award recipients for the successful outcome of the United States v. Aimenn Penny case.

Team members Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian S. Deckert, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Shepherd, and Victim Witness Specialist Allison A. Kretz were honored with the John Marshall Award for “Excellence in Litigation,” one of the Department’s highest recognitions presented for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance.

The team was honored for its exceptional service in the prosecution of Penny for the 2023 firebombing of the Community Church of Chesterland, in Chesterland, Ohio. According to one of the nominators, the team’s exemplary cooperation and dedication allowed for the rapid identification and arrest of Penny, with the prosecution resulting in Penny receiving an 18-year prison sentence.

The investigative agents on the case from the FBI Cleveland Division, were also recognized at the ceremony.

AKRON, Ohio – Soumya Rudra, 42, of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after he pled guilty to traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and to possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.

According to court documents, Rudra met the victim, who was 14-years old at the time of the incident, on the “Kiss Kiss” dating game app. He then used the Snapchat social platform to text and talk to her via video calls throughout several months in 2023. In late November 2023, Rudra made a 400-mile trek from Pennsylvania to Ohio to meet the underage victim. He admitted to picking her up in his vehicle to drive her to a hotel for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual acts with her. During the investigation, the defendant’s electronic devices recovered in the hotel room were found to contain multiple CSAM images involving other minors.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI-Canton Field Office and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – Richard Seawright, 28, of Cleveland, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, after he pled guilty to reselling firearms he acquired legally, reselling them without a federal firearms license, and lying on paperwork that he was the actual buyer.

According to court documents, Seawright legally bought more than 50 firearms from around April 17, 2018, to about Dec. 12, 2022, at federally licensed dealers throughout Northeast Ohio. He admitted to lying on federal firearms transaction record forms which he completed and submitted when the firearms were purchased. The forms are a requirement of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to inform buyers about the specific restrictions on the receipt and possession of firearms. Each buyer must certify that they do not intend to transfer or sell the firearm. Seawright admitted to making the purchases with the intent to sell them to others who were not legally allowed to buy or own firearms. The practice of acquiring firearms for others who are legally prohibited from buying, owning, or possessing them is known as ‘straw purchasing.’

During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered that Seawright’s purchases from the licensed firearms dealer, were in fact re-sold to others and found to have been used in multiple acts of violence. Firearms that Seawright purchased were traced to crimes using the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN. Ballistic cross analysis determined that firearms originally purchased by the defendant had multiple NIBIN connections to other shootings including one that resulted in a homicide.

This case was investigated by ATF-Cleveland and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A Cleveland woman has been sentenced to 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to transport and sell stolen U.S. Treasury bonds across state lines, forging treasury bonds, and using a false social security number. According to court documents, Toni Laverne Smith, 71, had in her possession, U.S. Treasury bonds that were believed to have been stolen from the residence of an elderly female in 2011.

The investigation discovered that from about September 2011 to April 2012, Smith and a co-conspirator transported U.S. Treasury bonds, which they knew were stolen, across state lines. They used fake identification cards with the name of the victim to negotiate the sale of more than 350 forged Series E and EE, U.S. Treasury bonds with a face value of $268,500. The sale netted approximately $299,364 in proceeds which included interest on mature bonds. Additionally, they used the social security number of the victim to open bank accounts at several financial institutions as far away as Michigan and Illinois. Smith had eluded capture for more than a decade. Federal authorities apprehended Smith June 3, 2024, on unrelated charges.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Healy for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report stolen treasury bonds, visit https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/manage-bonds/lost-stolen-destroyed-ee-or-i-bonds/ or call 844-284-2676.

CLEVELAND – The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio is responsible for prosecuting criminal organizations whose members violate federal laws in any of the 40 northern counties in the state of Ohio that the district serves.

As an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice, OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. Its mission is to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations using a nationwide strategy, led by prosecutors, that combines targeting, coordination, intelligence-sharing, and directed resourcing to have the greatest impact in disrupting the operations of organized crime.

The task force approach facilitates coordination among various federal and local agencies to solve crimes, with agents and officers working side-by-side in the same location, led by a federal prosecutor. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to share information and collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi­-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle large-scale criminal operations. Such criminal networks include all forms of transnational crime, including but not limited to drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security.  They may involve, among other illegal activity, the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio.

In the Northern District of Ohio, agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, USMS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, and USBP investigate OCDETF cases with ties to the District, working with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

“No one group or agency can effectively combat organized crime, and particularly transnational organized crime, while working in a silo. The OCDETF framework allows our federal investigative agents to coordinate with each other and local law enforcement, sharing both resources and intelligence,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “This model allows us to come together and build the best cases possible that put the members of large-scale criminal networks behind bars and bring their criminal operations to a halt.”

Notable operations and cases prosecuted by the OCDETF Unit in 2024 include:

U.S. v. Ojeda-Elenes, et al. – Four individuals, including two individuals with direct connections to the Sinaloa Cartel based in Culiacán, Mexico, were sentenced to prison for a drug conspiracy involving more than 240 pounds of fentanyl and nearly 100 pounds of cocaine.

U.S. v. Mullins, et al. –Twenty-one members and associates of a Cleveland-based, violent street gang known as the Fully Blooded Felons were arrested and charged between December 2023 and November 2024. The defendants are alleged to have committed numerous federal crimes, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, firearms violations, conspiracy, and drug trafficking.  To date, three defendants have pled guilty.

U.S. v. Whittaker, et al. – Fifteen people in Lorain County were charged in a 19-count indictment after authorities seized large quantities of fentanyl that included more than 42,000 fentanyl pills.

U.S. v. Bryant, et al. – According to court documents, Brandon Bryant was one of 24 members of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking organization that operated on Cleveland’s eastside between September 2019 and February 2022. He was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug felony. Bryant was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release following his release from prison. The other 23 co-defendants have also been convicted and sentenced. Some of the more notable prison sentences for his co-defendants include the following: Devon Fair, 35 years; Ramel Drew, 27 years; and Branea Bryant, 24 years.

U.S. v. Lumbus et al. – Eleven people were charged in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that involved the importation of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and synthetic cannabinoids into the United States, and the distribution of those drugs in Ohio and other states.

To report crimes, visit https://tips.fbi.gov/home.

CLEVELAND – Combatting elder fraud continues to be a top priority for the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio, in 2024 and beyond. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal law violations that occur in any of the 40 northern counties in the state of Ohio which the district serves.

Prosecutors in the USAO’s White Collar Crimes Unit carry out the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiatives, which include a commitment to combatting elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and other scams that target our nation’s senior citizens. Elder fraud schemes take a variety of forms that range from small-scale identity thefts to mass mail fraud schemes that steal money and other assets from thousands of elderly victims. Annually, these fraud schemes bilk seniors out of billions of dollars throughout the country.

“Many fraud crimes that target our elderly population involve criminals taking advantage of this group’s trusting nature. Fraudsters falsely claim to be government officials or promise to help with computer issues, persuading victims to provide fraudsters with access to their personal information,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Our office prioritizes prosecuting those who prey on the elderly members of our communities in an attempt to steal their savings.”

Notable cases in 2024 that involved elder fraud include:

U.S. v. Alahmad - A caregiver forged a power of attorney document and used it to apply for, and receive, credit and debit cards in the name of the victim who was an elderly adult. The victim was in a nursing home rehabilitation facility while the defendant made unauthorized withdrawals and purchases using the victim’s credit and debit cards. Alahmad was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $46,064.30.

U.S. v. Xie – A Chinese national college student on an F‐1 Visa traveled across the country, worked as a “money mule” who picked up cash from older victims, and then transferred the funds to his handler. Xie was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay $188,000 in restitution.

U.S. v. Wehman – The defendant was charged with wire fraud for stealing from his grandfather by using credit cards, debit cards, and a line of credit. He was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $376,069.46 in restitution.

U.S. v. Turnipseede – The defendant defrauded approximately 72 investors out of more than $8.5 million through a Ponzi scheme that promised investors double-digit profits achieved through a purported algorithm designed to generate double-digit returns through various sports wagering businesses. Defendant used investor money to maintain the business, seek new sources of funds, pay off earlier investors, and fund personal expenses. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 3, 2025.

U.S. v. Alexander – The defendant and other involved individuals engaged in a cold‐calling scheme that targeted older investors throughout the United States. They used aggressive and deceptive tactics and promised large returns if the victims participated in wine and whiskey investments. The court sentenced Alexander to three years of probation and ordered him to pay $202,195.58 in restitution.

U.S. v. Mangukia – Defendants were charged in a conspiracy for falsely posing as customer service employees at a company or bank. Co-conspirators contacted a victim and falsely claimed that the victim’s account was at risk or had been compromised by a hacking event or similar computer intrusion. The conspirators directed the victim to make a wire transfer, convert cash to cryptocurrency at a Bitcoin ATM, and withdraw cash to purchase gold coins and bars. Defendants then traveled to Ohio to pick up the gold bars.

U.S. v. Chaudhary – Defendants were charged as part of a conspiracy for falsely posing as customer service employees at a company or bank. Co-conspirators contacted a victim and falsely claimed that the victim’s account was at risk or had been compromised by a hacking event or similar computer intrusion. The conspirators directed the victim to withdraw cash and had a conspirator pick up the cash from the victim's home.

U.S. v. Kai – The defendant approached victims through social media to invest money into cryptocurrency. Victims were instructed to deposit their money through a “service director” affiliated with a cryptocurrency business. The service director informed the victims that deposits were to be made in person and in cash-only transactions. During one of these transactions, Kai was identified as the individual in a vehicle scheduled to take the victims’ money.

Additionally, USAO staff conducted numerous public outreach efforts to educate the community to be aware of elder fraud scams including:

• “Courier and Grandparent Scams,” National Consumer Protection Week Meeting
• “Tops Scams for 2024,” St. Mary of the Woods Senior Living Community, FBI Organized Crime Conference, and Parma Snow Branch Library
• “Elder Fraud Scams and Robocalls,” St. Mary of the Woods Independent Living
• “Elder Fraud and Cold Calling Investment Scams,” AARP Podcast interview

To report crimes, visit https://tips.fbi.gov/home or https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/financial-exploitation .

CLEVELAND – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Rebecca C. Lutzko announced today that she will step down as the region’s chief federal law enforcement officer, effective 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 3, 2025. Under the Vacancies Reform Act, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik will become the Acting United States Attorney, effective midnight on Jan. 4, 2025.

Ms. Lutzko was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on June 7, 2023 and, while pending Senate confirmation, was installed as the interim U.S. Attorney on June 9, 2023, by the United States District Judges for the Northern District of Ohio. 

“It has been the single greatest honor of my career to lead the Office and serve the people of northern Ohio as their United States Attorney,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “I thank President Biden, Senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and the Judges of our District Court for giving me that opportunity.”

During her tenure as U.S. Attorney, Ms. Lutzko led an office of approximately 175 prosecutors, civil litigators, and administrative and support personnel in its mission to enforce federal civil and criminal laws, advocate for crime victims, and represent the interests of the United States, its agencies, and their employees in court. In this role, she oversaw prosecutions involving violent crime and organized gang activity, financial crime, national security matters, public corruption, hate crimes and other civil rights violations, drug trafficking organizations, child exploitation, cybercrime, and firearms crimes, among others. On the civil front, she oversaw investigations and the filing of affirmative actions in areas as diverse as protecting the environment, ensuring fair housing, protecting disability rights, and addressing healthcare frauds and controlled substance violations in which the Office recovered tens of millions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse. She hired several new civil and criminal Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA), created the district’s first e-Litigation unit, and implemented numerous internal training, efficiency, and accountability measures.

“I am incredibly proud of the work our office has undertaken and our employees’ collective efforts to do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons. We have been strategic in the types of cases we have pursued to maximize the positive impact to the communities that we are honored to serve, and we have held ourselves to standards of excellence and integrity in pursuing those cases,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “We have accomplished much in a limited amount of time, despite challenging budgetary constraints. I have dedicated almost 20 years of my career to prosecuting criminals and seeking justice so that life can be better for Ohioans. I am confident that our Office’s many career public servants will continue to uphold the Department of Justice’s norms, making impartial, reasoned, and fair decisions to obtain justice. Credit for our successes during my tenure belongs to them, and to our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers for their unending dedication and redoubled efforts to help our Office combat both violent and non-violent crimes to keep our citizens and their neighborhoods safe and free from financial harm, to allow our citizens to enjoy their civil rights, and to prevent additional crime before it happens.”

The Northern District of Ohio covers the state’s 40 northern counties and is home to more than 5.7 million people. The main office is in Cleveland, with branch offices located in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown.

Under U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s leadership, the Office has achieved noteworthy success in criminal and civil cases. Even with her focus on strategic case selection emphasizing impact over numbers, the Office remained one of the most productive large U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the nation according to several different metrics. Some of the more notable cases and outreach efforts include the following:

Public Safety & Violent Crime Reduction

U.S. Attorney Lutzko has prioritized combatting violent crime and promoting public safety, encouraging the use of data-driven strategies to identify and focus on the most significant drivers of crime and through purposeful case selection and charging decisions, with the goal of prosecuting cases that will have significant, positive community impact. She and her staff worked closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and other law enforcement partners to open a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) in the District in 2024. Located in a single facility, a team of firearm evidence examiners, intelligence analysts, and investigators can now rapidly collect, analyze, and share information about guns used in violent crimes. The CGIC serves as a hub for federal and local law enforcement to investigate and prevent gun violence in the region, utilizing cutting-edge technology and tracing systems to rapidly develop and pursue investigative leads to identify, prosecute, convict, and lock up the bad actors who commit violent crimes and remove “crime guns” from the streets faster, so neither continue to endanger innocent people in neighborhoods throughout Northern Ohio. Notably, violent crime rates have dropped significantly in Northern Ohio this year.

Some other notable investigations and cases include:

• Violent Crime Reduction Operation – After a three-month, violent crime reduction initiative in the summer of 2023, a total of 84 defendants were charged in connection with firearms-trafficking, straw purchasing firearms, narcotics, conspiracy, and other firearms offenses. The investigation was led by the ATF and resulted in the seizure of more than 255 firearms, of which 47 were traced back to other crimes. The seizure also included 17 untraceable firearms, also known as “ghost guns.” Seventy defendants were charged federally and the remaining 14 faced state charges. Sixty of those entered guilty pleas, 49 of which have been sentenced to date. Of the 14 defendants charged in the state, 12 have pled guilty and been convicted and sentenced. Noteworthy prison sentencings for charged federal firearms violations include Darvell Jackson, sentenced to 168 months; Cortez Buggs sentenced to 132 months; Kenneth Smith sentenced to 135 months; Darion Shelton, sentenced to 100 months; and Willie Earl Jackson sentenced to 84 months.
• U.S. v. Mullins, et al. – Twenty-one members and associates of a Cleveland-based, violent street gang known as the Fully Blooded Felons were arrested and charged beginning in December 2023 and continuing into 2024. The defendants are alleged to have committed numerous federal crimes, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, firearms violations, conspiracy, and drug trafficking. As the indictment alleges, the gang styled themselves after a Mafia crime family, conspired to commit numerous violent acts, and operated an open-air illegal drug market in Cleveland’s Cedar Central neighborhood for years.
• U.S. v. McKillips – A Sandusky man was sentenced to 41 months in prison after his guilty plea to interstate communication of threats and unlawful possession of a machine gun. He made multiple online threats to harm or kill law enforcement officers, including by posting a photo of himself aiming a semi-automatic rifle at an officer parked in a police vehicle down the street.
• U.S. v. Sledge, et al. – In October 2024, an Ohio father-son team were indicted for the murder of an on-duty U.S. Postal Service mail carrier. The Office has also separately brought several other indictments and/or obtained convictions for defendants throughout the district who have robbed mail carriers to steal their blue-mailbox keys and mail.
• U.S. v. Matheny – On Oct. 26, 2022, a bank in Lorain, Ohio, was robbed by a man armed with a small silver semi-automatic firearm. The teller reported that the suspect entered, approached the counter, and slid a note under plexiglass indicating that it was robbery, that he had a gun, not to touch the alarm, and to hand over all fifty, hundred, and twenty-dollar bills. When the teller retrieved the cash from her drawer and handed it to him, he walked away with more than $4,000 from the bank. The Lorain Police Department investigated anonymous tips and reviewed surveillance videos. Two days later, Matheny was located and then arrested after a police chase. A bookbag containing a loaded firearm, fentanyl, cocaine, and two cellphones were seized from Matheny. Matheny was convicted on all counts after a five-day trial in April 2024. In August, he was sentenced to 78 months in prison, plus 84 months consecutive for brandishing a firearm in during the course of a robbery, for a total of 162 months.
• U.S. v. Hansen – After he pled guilty to committing three, armed bank robberies in Michigan and Ohio, a Toledo man was sentenced to 348 months in prison and ordered to pay $44,908.73 in restitution. In the Ohio robbery, Hansen aimed a pistol at bank employees and customers and forced them to lie down on the floor. After growing frustrated with the speed at which tellers were retrieving the money he demanded, Hansen grabbed money containers from a bill-dispensing machine and fled with approximately $82,000. Officers apprehended Hansen a short time later.

In addition to bringing criminal prosecutions to combat violent crime, U.S. Attorney Lutzko and USAO staff also engaged in affirmative public outreach activities in an effort to promote public safety. For example, she brought together local community organizations and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority to work with the USAO to identify individuals recently released from state prison who were deemed at high-risk for committing future violent crime, but amenable to making positive change in their lives. That partnership is continuing with a pilot program that pairs those individuals with needed services and hands-on mentors to assist participants in charting a new course for themselves that avoids criminal conduct.

Taking a different tack, under U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s direction, the USAO also led a “Safe Storage” awareness campaign to highlight firearms safety and help prevent accidents, self-harm, theft, and other unauthorized use of firearms. Thus far, the campaign has included public in-person events, public service announcements, and information dissemination. Additional events are scheduled for 2025.

Healthcare Fraud

As chief law enforcement officer in a district with multiple, sophisticated healthcare providers and facilities, U.S. Attorney Lutzko prioritized fighting fraud, waste, and abuse in federal healthcare programs through a combination of robust criminal and civil enforcement efforts. The Office’s notable criminal convictions and sentences and civil settlements and judgments obtained during her tenure include the following:

• U.S. v. Singh – In February 2024, a jury convicted Ankita Singh, M.D., of six counts of healthcare fraud for signing false orders for orthotic braces that patients had never requested and did not need. Although she never saw, examined, or even spoke to these patients, she signed more than 11,000 such prescriptions for approximately 3,000 Medicare beneficiaries, causing the submission of more than $8 million in fraudulent bills to Medicare for devices that were not medically necessary. Singh was sentenced to 26 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,470,931.02 in restitution.
• U.S. v. Bailey, et al. – From 2017 through 2020, 21 individuals involved with the healthcare nonprofit entity Eye for Change Youth and Family Services, Inc., conspired and manipulated billing, falsified records, and used the identities of clients without authorization to bill Medicaid. Twenty defendants pled guilty, while one, Eric King, was convicted at trial in August 2023 for his role in the scheme, and for continuing to engage in similar fraudulent conduct at another provider. King and the scheme’s leader, Alfonso Bailey, were each sentenced to 36 months in prison (in Jan. 2024 and June 2023, respectively). The defendants were ordered to pay $4.5 million in restitution, with more than $4.3 million forfeited from Eye for Change and Bailey.
• Investigation of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation – The Cleveland Clinic Foundation agreed to pay $7,600,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting grant applications for health-related-research funding to the National Institutes of Health that contained materially false information.
• U.S. ex rel. White, et al. v. Rite Aid Corp., et al. – Rite Aid Corporation and 10 subsidiaries and affiliates agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle the government’s allegations of filling medically unnecessary prescriptions under the False Claims Act and Controlled Substances Act.
• U.S. ex rel. Rzeszutko v. Elixir Insurance Co., et al. – Three Rite-Aid subsidiaries, Elixir Insurance Company, RX Options LLC, and RX Solutions LLC, agreed to a $101 million settlement that resolved allegations that they violated the False Claims Act when they did not accurately report drug rebates to the Medicare program.
• U.S. v. Gerber, et al. – In August 2024, a federal court permanently enjoined Ohio physician Gregory Gerber, M.D., from prescribing opioids and other controlled substances, and ordered him to pay $4.7 million in a civil case alleging Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act violations. Gerber also pled guilty to criminal drug-trafficking charges for writing numerous medically unnecessary prescriptions for addictive painkillers, including over 800 illegitimate prescriptions for a drug he was being paid to promote. In March 2024, Gerber was sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay $861,892.13 in criminal restitution.

Other Fraud Schemes & Public Corruption

In addition to the serious long-term effect that financial crimes may have on individual victims, such crimes undermine the well-being of financial institutions and harm our entire community. Similarly, public corruption undermines the public’s confidence in the public institutions and officials central to our democratic society. Accordingly, during U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s tenure, the Office both criminally prosecuted such crimes and engaged in public outreach to prevent such crimes from occurring in the first place. Lutzko also served as a member of the White Collar Crime Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC).

Notable efforts and case success in these areas included the following:

• Elder Fraud Outreach – U.S. Attorney Lutzko and her staff engaged in several outreach events to bring awareness to senior citizens about the dangers of financial scams.
• Government Supply Chain and Procurement Fraud Task Force – In 2024, the Office stood up this task force, bringing together white collar crime AUSAs, homeland security investigators, and numerous other federal investigative agencies to address large-scale supply chain and procurement fraud in government contracting, prioritizing fraud in connection with military, law enforcement, and public safety. A first of its kind in this District, the task force will focus on government contractors who provide faulty, counterfeit, or otherwise dangerous products, such as substandard medications or supplies purchased by the Veterans Administration, counterfeit or faulty electronics or software provided to NASA, or similar products supplied to the military.
• U.S. v. Eid – A Perrysburg man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for filing false tax returns and engaging in wire fraud that defrauded educational and government entities. He admitted to falsifying his income for his children to qualify for aid packages to colleges and private schools.
• U.S. v. Page – A Toledo man who described himself as a “social-justice activist” was sentenced to 42 months in prison after a jury convicted him of wire fraud and money laundering. Page defrauded donors of more than $450,000 that they collectively gave to his nonprofit organization, “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta,” based on Page’s false representations about how their money would be spent.
• U.S. v. Khan – In November 2023, a Michigan man was sentenced to 97 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to bank fraud and attempted tax evasion in connection with a massive check-kiting scheme involving numerous banks. He was also ordered to pay more than $150,000,000 in restitution to the victims of his bank fraud and the IRS, and to serve three years of supervised release once released from prison.
• U.S. v. Pounds – A Toledo-area man was sentenced to 94 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in a scheme to obtain Small Business Administration (SBA)-financed loans from the Economic Injury Disaster Loans program and the Paycheck Protection Program under false pretenses.  He was also ordered to pay $4,239,940.43 in restitution to the SBA.
• Fresh Mark Inc. Investigation – An Ohio meat processing company entered into an agreement with the USAO for a hiring manager’s involvement in an identity theft scheme and making false statements on government forms. Under the terms of the agreement, the company paid more than $3.7 million to the federal Crime Victims Fund in November 2024 and agreed to abide by compliance-reporting requirements for a two-year period.
• U.S. v. Spivak, et al. – A jury convicted two men for conspiring to artificially inflate prices on “penny stocks” being sold to investors. After a trial that proceeded in two stages for over four weeks in August and September 2024, the two were found guilty of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Spivak was also found guilty of two counts of wire fraud at trial, then pled guilty to four other counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and a separate count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. His codefendant was found guilty of a securities fraud conspiracy and one count of securities fraud in the second stage of trial. Two other defendants also pled guilty.
• U.S. v. Barr – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to an organized scheme that defrauded the Lucas County Auditor of more than $622,000. From March 2018 through November 2020, he conspired with others to obtain money by pretending to be legitimate vendors with which the county was approved to do business.
• U.S. v. Graham, et al. – Two Ohio men were charged in a bribery scheme in which a municipal prosecutor allegedly agreed to help a criminal defendant with his pending cases in exchange for auto repair work. According to the indictment, Graham was a prosecutor for the Warren Municipal Court. The other defendant had two criminal cases pending in the same court. It is alleged that in October 2019, Graham assisted the codefendant with his criminal cases, and in return, he performed repairs to Graham’s truck.
• U.S. v. Cheney et al. – Six defendants pled guilty and were sentenced to a total of 355 months for a COVID-19 fraud conspiracy. From March 2020 to August 2021, they obtained nearly $3,000,000 in federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits using other people’s identities to apply for benefits in several states. The defendants, all residents of Northeast Ohio, were sentenced to numerous years in prison. Dates for future proceedings for a seventh defendant are yet to be determined.

Civil Rights

U.S. Attorney Lutzko led a comprehensive approach dedicated to protecting the civil rights of Ohioans through criminal and civil enforcement actions, community outreach, and a strong partnership with the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. She also served as a member of the AGAC’s Civil Rights Subcommittee. The Office’s efforts included the following:

• U.S. v. Penny – In January 2024, an Ohio man was sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for firebombing a church and attempting to burn it down because the church supported the LGBTQ+ community. He was convicted of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, a hate-crime statute, and of using fire and explosives to commit a felony.
• U.S. v. Durant – In April 2024, a woman was sentenced to two years of probation and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of intentionally damaging a reproductive healthcare center and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. She did so after learning that the clinic offered pregnancy counseling, free pregnancy testing, and ultrasounds, but not abortion services.
• Investigation of Case Western Reserve University – The USAO entered into a settlement with a private Ohio university to resolve Title IX violations. The agreement requires extensive reforms to ensure the University enacts appropriate response protocols for students and employees to report sex discrimination and to provide adequate support to those affected.
• U.S. v. Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, Inc. et al. – A federal lawsuit was filed against two organizations and seven individuals, alleging they violated the FACE Act on two days in June 2021 by physically obstructing entrances to reproductive health facilities.
• U.S. v. Pedaline and TLP LLC – A federal lawsuit was filed against an owner and manager of residential rental properties, in Youngstown, Ohio, for engaging in sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The complaint alleged that Pedaline sexually harassed female tenants at properties that he owned or managed in Youngstown since 2009. Pedaline entered into a consent decree with the USAO and agreed to pay a $10,000 civil penalty and $189,000 to aggrieved persons allegedly harmed by the defendant’s actions.
• Protecting Places of Worship Forum – More than 150 leaders from different faiths attended the “Protecting Places of Worship” forum, sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI-Cleveland, and the DOJ’s Community Relations Service. U.S. Attorney Lutzko gave opening remarks, and legal and security experts provided information about how to identify, report, and protect against hate crimes.
• Interfaith Council Initiative – The USAO reestablished an interfaith council to bring together members of our area’s diverse faith communities to address issues that are important to them, including the protection of Civil Rights and the freedom to worship without fear. Ms. Lutzko and USAO staff also visited several different houses of worship and faith-community gatherings during her tenure as part of the Office’s continued outreach efforts.
• The USAO partnered with the Beachwood City School District and DOJ’s Community Relations Service to hold a Fall 2024 program under the DOJ’s “United Against Hate” umbrella, wherein representatives from law enforcement, community organizations, and members of the public engaged in a discussion about practical strategies and skills to constructively address and resolve conflicts and to prevent acts of hate.
• Also in connection with the Department’s “United Against Hate” initiative, the USAO sponsored a community engagement program in the Fall of 2023 at The LGBTQ Center in Lakewood.  It addressed identifying and reporting hate crimes and related civil rights violations.
• Voting with a Disability – In February 2024, U.S. Attorney Lutzko took part in an online forum to highlight concerns and address issues encountered by voters with disabilities. Advocacy groups and others from throughout the state listened to the presentation and identified areas of concern. This event was held in partnership with the USAO for the Southern District of Ohio.
• Pride in CLE – Ms. Lutzko and USAO staff marched alongside thousands of community members to support diversity, acceptance, and inclusion for all.

Child Exploitation

Under U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s leadership, the Office continued its strong tradition of prosecuting crimes against children, who are among our most vulnerable of victims. Notable case examples include:

• U.S. v. Zacharias – In November 2023, a former priest was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of sex trafficking three victims who he first met at a Catholic school in Toledo in 1999. The evidence presented at trial showed that Zacharias used his position of authority as a spiritual leader to groom the boys and grow close with their families before ultimately coercing the victims into engaging in commercial sex acts. Zacharias’s abuse continued for years, assisted by his exploiting his victims’ opioid addictions, which they had developed while taking such drugs to cope with the abuse.
• U.S. v. Patterson – A Canton man was sentenced to 26 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges including sexual exploitation of children, receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography.
• U.S. v. Walker – After FBI agents received a lead that a sexually explicit picture of a two-year old was likely a child residing in Northeast Ohio, agents identified the child and discovered that she spent time at an in-home daycare in Parma, Ohio, where Walker was often present. After he pled guilty to sexual exploitation and child pornography crimes for sexually abusing the child, filming it on his phone, and distributing those videos, Walker was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
• U.S. v. Deitsch – In February 2024, an Ohio man was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison after he pled guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and transportation of a minor across state lines for illicit sexual activity. A month after his release from prison for the abduction of another female, Deitsch traveled to Illinois to pick up a 15-year-old girl who he had met online, then brought her back to Ohio and engaged in sexual activity with her. After serving his prison term, he was also ordered serve 25 years of supervised release.
• U.S. v. Wilcoxon – A Defiance man was sentenced to 30 years in prison in October 2023 after pleading guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse materials. According to court documents, he initiated online chats with a purported 13-year-old and sought to meet with her to have sex. A search of his home uncovered more than 11,000 images of child sexual abuse in his possession.

National Security & Cybercrime

National security remained a top priority of all U.S. Attorney’s offices, including the Northern District of Ohio. Further, the Office continued to be a recognized leader in cybercrime investigations and prosecutions, seeking to apprehend and punish criminal actors who hide behind their computer screens to wreak immeasurable damage worldwide. Office achievements under U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s leadership included the following:

• U.S. v. John Doe a.k.a. “Brain” – In August 2024, the Office filed a criminal complaint against a defendant known as “Brain,” believed to be based in Europe and responsible for building a multi-national ransomware organization known as Radar. This complaint sought injunctive relief to prevent additional attacks on victims from occurring and authorized disruption of the ransomware by disabling foreign and domestic domain names, servers, and IP addresses associated with the criminal enterprise. Victims include businesses and organizations located in more than three dozen countries throughout the world, including a trade union and a manufacturing company located in the northern district of Ohio. The FBI estimates monetary losses incurred by individuals and organizations to be in the millions, and the investigation remains open.
• U.S. v. Vidic – A Croatian man living in Parma Heights was sentenced to three years in prison for possessing a green card that he fraudulently obtained by concealing that he had been charged with a war crime in Croatia before immigrating to the United States. He also falsely stated that his only past military service was in the Yugoslav Army from 1988 to 1989, when, in fact, he fought with the Serb Army of Krajina and its predecessors during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia from 1991.
• Trickbot Malware Conspiracy – Russian national Vladimir Dunaev pled guilty in November 2023 to crimes related to developing and deploying worldwide a malicious software program used to launch cyberattacks against American hospitals, schools, and businesses, including 10 in northern Ohio. Dunaev was responsible for causing those Ohio entities $3.4 million in losses based on Trickbot ransomware attacks. He was sentenced to 64 months in prison in January 2024. A co-conspirator pled guilty earlier and was sentenced in June 2023.

Drug Trafficking

U.S. Attorney Lutzko emphasized prosecuting and dismantling multi-level drug-trafficking organizations during her tenure, particularly those with international connections and/or that peddled highly toxic poisons such as fentanyl on our communities streets. The Office had numerous successes combatting the scourge of drug-trafficking, including the following examples:

• U.S. v. Ojeda-Elenes et al. – Four individuals, including two with direct connections to the Sinaloa Cartel based in Culiacán, Mexico, received sentences in 2024 ranging from two and a half years to 19 years in prison for a drug conspiracy involving more than 240 pounds of fentanyl and nearly 100 pounds of cocaine.
• U.S. v. Whittaker, et al. – Fifteen people in Lorain County were charged in a 19-count indictment after authorities seized large quantities of fentanyl that included more than 42,000 thousand fentanyl pills.
• U.S. v. Hovanec, et al. – A woman was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including conspiring to distribute a controlled substance that resulted in the death of her husband (she intentionally injected him with that substance). Her boyfriend and mother were also implicated in the case and sentenced to 18 and 10 years prison, respectively.
• U.S. v. Johnson, et al. – Twenty members of a drug trafficking operation operating in Sandusky, Ohio, were charged in a 63-count indictment and alleged to be responsible for trafficking distribution quantities of controlled substances in the Greater Sandusky area, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogues in both powder and counterfeit pill form, as well as methamphetamine and cocaine.
• U.S. v. May – A man was sentenced to more than 14 and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs and distributing drugs. He was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release following imprisonment. According to court documents and court records, he led a drug conspiracy in the Youngstown area that distributed fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin.
• U.S. v. Lumbus, et al. – Eleven people were charged in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that involved the importation of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and synthetic cannabinoids into the United States, and the distribution of those drugs in Ohio and other states, including in Ohio’s prisons.

U. S. Attorney Lutzko chaired the Office’s Heroin-Opioid Task Force, partnering with local law enforcement entities and service providers to address the opioid epidemic in Cuyahoga County. Under her leadership, the Office recently spearheaded a successful effort to more quickly connect persons who have experienced a recent overdose with community intervention organizations that assist willing participants begin their journey toward sobriety.

Financial Collections/Forfeiture

As U.S. Attorney Lutzko recently noted, “Asset forfeiture is a vital tool” used “to punish criminals and financially deter, disrupt, or dismantle criminal activity and criminal organizations. When we take the assets used to commit, or gained as the result of crime, we deprive criminals of the tools they need to engage in criminal activity and, indeed, their reason for committing such crimes in the first place. Additionally, forfeiting criminal assets allows us to return money lost by victims who were scammed by criminals in deceitful and fraudulent schemes or otherwise harmed by crime.”  In FY 2024 alone, the Office forfeited over $7.7 million in criminal assets, with more than $50 million of assets still pending future forfeiture.

In addition, the Office continued its tremendous success collecting debts owed to the government based on false claims, environmental damage, controlled-substance violations, and the like, to return that money to the U.S. taxpayers, and further, recovering money for crime victims to make them whole. In FY 2024, the Office’s Financial Litigation Program collected nearly $28 million in victim restitution and taxpayer recoveries of money improperly taken through fraud, waste, and abuse.

Protecting Our Environment & Animal Welfare

The Office worked closely with the DOJ’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division to protect the environment for our district’s residents. Notable examples include:

U.S. v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co., et al. – The Norfolk Southern Railway Company agreed to a settlement valued at over $310 million to hold it accountable, address, and pay for the environmental damages caused by the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and fund health monitoring and mental health services for the surrounding communities, and railway safety measures.

U.S. v. Shepherd – A Kenton, Ohio, man was sentenced to probation, community service, a $5,000 fine, and to pay $22,508.60 in restitution after pleading guilty to dumping over 7,000 gallons of hazardous pollutants into the Scioto River, killing over 43,000 fish and contaminating an 18-mile stretch of the river.

U.S. v. Mt. Hope Auction – A civil complaint filed in September against Mt. Hope Auction alleged that it placed animals in serious danger and violated the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). At the time of the complaint’s filing, Mt. Hope had been cited for 69 AWA violations in less than two years, including repeated violations for failing to provide veterinary care to sick or injured animals. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors observed a calf unable to stand, with its legs splayed in an abnormal position and other animals that were so emaciated that their ribs, scapula, pelvic bones, and individual vertebrae were visible. Mt. Hope Auction entered into a consent decree with the USAO and agreed not to deal or exhibit AWA-regulated animal without a license and allow the USDA access to ensure compliance. If Mt. Hope Auction obtains a new USDA license within the next three years, it agrees to a two-year probationary period.

Career History

Ms. Lutzko first joined the Office as a career prosecutor in 2005. As an Assistant United States Attorney, she prosecuted complex criminal cases involving a range of federal violations, including money laundering; campaign-finance violations; public corruption; multiple types of fraud schemes, including healthcare, tax, government-program, investment, and corporate frauds; and complex narcotics conspiracies, from illegal “street” drugs to illegal online pharmacy operations and other doctor-involved drug trafficking. She served as Chief of the Criminal Division’s Appeals Unit between January 2017 and June 2023, where she oversaw all briefing and arguments by the Office before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She also served as Deputy Chief of the Major Fraud and Corruption Unit from 2010 to 2011.

Before becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ms. Lutzko was an associate at BakerHostetler in Cleveland from 1998 to 2005. She also served as a law clerk from 1997 to 1998 for Judge Alice M. Batchelder of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Ms. Lutzko graduated cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1997 where she earned her Juris Doctor degree with distinction. She graduated magna cum laude in 1993 from Boston University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree. 

CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio is spearheading a new, interagency Supply Chain Oversight and Procurement Enforcement (SCOPE) Task Force, created in 2024, to ensure supply chain integrity and prevent procurement fraud. The task force will serve to support the work of the Government Supply Chain Investigations Unit (GSCIU), led by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), based in Washington, D.C.

The GSCIU investigates procurement and government contract fraud in connection with military, law enforcement, and public health and safety. Examples include investigations into substandard or fraudulent vaccines or medications that are supplied to veterans through Veterans Affairs. Other investigations have focused on faulty electronics and software provided to NASA or the military supply chain, and counterfeit and faulty armor and munitions provided to law enforcement and military personnel.

“As the first of its kind in the district, this task force brings together the USAO’s white collar crime unit, Homeland Security Investigations, and numerous other federal investigative agencies to address large-scale supply chain and procurement fraud in government contracting,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We also must be vigilant about products entering the government supply chain stemming from prohibited sources or foreign countries of concern, which presents a national security issue that may potentially sabotage or compromise systems put in place to protect our country, our servicemen and servicewomen, and our citizens.” 

The task force will hold its first meeting in early February. Topics of discussion will emphasize public health and safety, vaccine and medicine fraud, counterfeit goods, intellectual property theft, and national security. Regional federal agencies that have committed to the USAO-NDOH-led task force include the FBI, NASA, HSI, NCIS, Intellectual Property Rights Center, Defense Criminal Investigative Services, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, Customs and Border Protection, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. ARMY, and Defense Finance Accounting Service.

CLEVELAND – The General Crimes Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio is responsible for prosecuting individuals who violate a wide variety of federal laws in any of the 40 northern counties in the state of Ohio which the district serves.

These Assistant U.S. Attorneys focus on prosecuting crimes that involve firearms violations, illegal drugs, and violent crimes such as armed robberies, carjackings, and/or make threatening communications. They also hold those accountable who sexually abuse children, fail to register as sex offenders, possess and/or distribute pornographic images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and engage in human trafficking.

Reducing violent crime has been a top focus of the Department of Justice and the USAO. To further those efforts, a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) was opened in the District in June 2024. Attorney General Merrick Garland and ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, alongside U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko, announced the center’s opening at a press conference earlier this year. The CGIC serves as a hub for federal and local law enforcement to investigate and prevent gun violence in the region. It utilizes cutting-edge technology and tracing systems to rapidly develop and pursue investigative leads that have helped to drive violent crime rates down in Northern Ohio this year. With these experts located in the same facility, this team of firearm evidence examiners, intelligence analysts, and investigators can rapidly collect, analyze, and share information about guns used in violent crimes.

“Driving down violent crime has, without a doubt, been one of our office’s top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “With the CGIC now fully operational, it allows us to connect the dots between crimes so we can prosecute, convict, and lock up the bad actors who commit violent crimes and remove “crime guns” from the streets faster, so neither continue to endanger innocent people in neighborhoods throughout Northern Ohio.”

Notable operations and cases for fiscal year 2024 include the following:

Violent Crime Reduction Operation – After a three-month, violent crime reduction initiative in the summer of 2023, a total of 84 defendants were charged in connection with firearms-trafficking, straw purchasing firearms, narcotics, conspiracy, and other firearms offenses. The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and resulted in the seizure of more than 255 firearms, of which 47 were traced back to other crimes. The seizure also included 17 untraceable firearms, also known as “ghost guns.” Seventy defendants were charged federally and the remaining 14 faced state charges. Sixty of those entered guilty pleas, 49 of which have been sentenced to date. Of the 14 defendants charged in the state, 12 have pled guilty and been convicted and sentenced. Some notable prison sentencings for various federal firearms violations include Darvell Jackson, sentenced to 168 months; Cortez Buggs sentenced to 132 months; Kenneth Smith sentenced to 135 months; Darion Shelton, sentenced to 100 months; Willie Earl Jackson sentenced to 84 months.

U.S. v. Conner Walker – In early January 2024, the FBI Cleveland Division received a lead that a sexually explicit picture of a two-year-old was likely a child residing in Northeast Ohio. After the FBI confirmed the child’s identity, they learned that she spent time at an in-home day care in Parma, Ohio. Walker was identified as a friend of the day care owner’s adult son who frequented the home and often stayed the night. During an interview, he admitted to sexually abusing the child, filmed it on his phone, and distributed the video online. Walker entered guilty pleas to sexual exploitation, receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography and is currently awaiting sentencing.

U.S. v. Shannon Matheny – On Oct. 26, 2022, a bank in Lorain, Ohio, was robbed by a man armed with a small silver semi-automatic firearm. The teller reported that the suspect entered, approached counter, slid a note under plexiglass indicating that it was robbery, that he had a gun, not to touch the alarm, and to hand over all fifty, hundred, and twenty-dollar bills. When the teller retrieved the cash from her drawer and handed it to him, he walked away with more than $4,000 from the bank. The Lorain Police Department investigated anonymous tips and reviewed surveillance videos. Two days later, Matheny was located and then arrested after a police chase. A bookbag containing a loaded firearm, fentanyl, cocaine, and two cellphones were seized from Matheny. Matheny was convicted on all counts after a five-day trial in April 2024. In August, he was sentenced to 78 months in prison, plus 84 months consecutive for brandishing a firearm during the course of a robbery, for a total of 162 months.

Additionally, to address regional crime issues, the USAO conducted numerous outreach efforts to diverse members of the community. These included discussions with religious and ethnic groups with concerns about the rise in hate crimes.

To report crimes, visit https://tips.fbi.gov/home.

CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio forfeited $7,701,470 in criminal assets for fiscal year 2024 (FY24). The total forfeited assets were from investigations throughout the District’s 40 northern counties in the state of Ohio. The District’s headquarters is located in Cleveland, with branch offices in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown.

At the end of FY24, the USAO had more than $50 million of assets still pending forfeiture orders in cases districtwide. They included items such as cash, cryptocurrency, vehicles, real estate, and jewelry. These assets were acquired from 214 cases brought under the three types of federal forfeiture proceedings, which include criminal, civil judicial, and administrative. Criminal forfeiture involves personal assets used in conjunction with a crime and is included as part of a defendant’s sentence. Civil judicial forfeiture concerns assets derived from or used in criminal activity. Administrative forfeiture involves assets for whom no one has filed a claim contesting the seizure.

Because of the time it can take to process appeals, payments to victims can stem from previous fiscal years. In FY24, a total of $11,077,758 of forfeited funds were earmarked for return to crime victims to whom defendants owed restitution.

Some of the forfeited assets were deposited into the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund (AFF), which was established in 1984 by the Comprehensive Crime Control Act. The AFF is used to restore funds to crime victims and pay expenses associated with forfeiture operation, such as asset management, storage, protection, and disposal. It is also used for a variety of law enforcement purposes. Other assets seized were deposited into the Treasury Asset Forfeiture Fund, which functions in a similar way to the AFF.

In addition, a portion of each fiscal year’s forfeited funds are authorized to be shared with local law enforcement agencies that contributed time and resources to federal investigations. In FY24, $10,523,635 was shared across 83 agency partners in the Northern District of Ohio, as well as other districts, for supporting federal prosecution efforts to fight crime.

“Asset forfeiture is a vital tool that we use to punish criminals and financially deter, disrupt, or dismantle criminal activity and criminal organizations. When we take the assets used to commit, or gained as the result of crime, we deprive criminals of the tools they need to engage in criminal activity and, indeed, their reason for committing such crimes in the first place. Additionally, forfeiting criminal assets allows us to return money lost by victims who were scammed by criminals in deceitful and fraudulent schemes or otherwise harmed by crime,” said Rebecca Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “The amount of assets forfeited this year and still pending forfeiture by the court far exceeds our annual office budget. We take pride in returning such significant amounts of money to our community and constituents from the work that our office undertakes.”

Cases with significant forfeitures in FY24 include the following:

• United States v. Christen Clark

  Clark pled guilty to federal drug and gun violations. During a search warrant execution, agents seized six kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, 50 pounds of marijuana, and six handguns. The USAO forfeited $1,004,496 and a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe from Clark.

• United States v. Rocco Ferruccio

  Defendant pled guilty to illegal gambling operations in Canton. The USAO forfeited $1,118,442 seized from Ferruccio’s residence.

• United States v. Christos Karasarides

  Related to the Ferruccio case, Karasarides was convicted of illegal gambling operations in Canton. The USAO forfeited $419,768 in U.S. currency. Karasarides’ residence was also determined to have been acquired with gambling proceeds and forfeited.

• United States v. $774,830 in U.S. Currency

  During an Ohio Highway Patrol traffic stop, a K-9 alerted to the trunk of a defendant’s rental car, and U.S. Currency was seized from a suitcase in the trunk. The defendant declined to provide the source of the currency. The USAO forfeited a total of $774,830.

• United States v. Kevin Clay

  Clay was found guilty of healthcare fraud and agreed to the USAO’s forfeiture of approximately $539,770 in proceeds of his fraud, along with the forfeiture of a home purchased with fraud proceeds. But, as alleged in a pending indictment, before the government took possession of his home, Clay instructed his wife to remove fixtures and appliances from it to sell, profiting about $5,000. In the process, his wife caused more than $20,000 in damage to the home and the government subsequently charged the couple with destruction or removal of property to prevent seizure.

• United States v. 947,883 Tether (“USDT”)

  In this elder fraud case, on Nov. 26, 2024, the United States filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against 947,883 Tether (“USDT”) cryptocurrency, valued at approximately $947,883. At the time the asset was frozen, the cryptocurrency address had a balance of 947,883 USDT, valued at approximately $947,883. If successful in this forfeiture action, the United States would seek to return these stolen funds to the victim of the scheme. Claims made in the Complaint in Forfeiture are allegations that the United States will need to prove should the case proceed to trial.

All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The mission of the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Program (AFP) is to use asset forfeiture as a tool to deter, disrupt, and dismantle criminal enterprises, denying them the proceeds and the instruments of criminal activity. The AFP involves federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies across the country. 

CLEVELAND - In the fiscal year 2024 (FY 2024), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio collected $27,882,120.34 in civil and criminal actions. Of this amount, $12,537,202.34 was collected for civil damages, penalties, and interest owed to the United States, while $15,344,918 was collected for criminal restitution to victims of federal crime.

In addition to those amounts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), working with partner agencies and divisions, also separately forfeited in FY 2024 $7,701,470 in assets connected to criminal activity, with more than $50M in additional assets still pending forfeiture orders. Forfeited assets are deposited into the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund or the Treasury Asset Forfeiture Fund and used to restore funds to crime victims and for various law enforcement purposes.           

Accordingly, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collected a combined $35,583,590.34 in FY 2024.

“Every year, dedicated USAO employees work hard to collect debts owed to the government based on false claims, environmental damage, controlled-substance violations, and the like, and return that money to the U.S. taxpayers. They also work to recover money for victims of crime to make them whole and ensure that justice is served from a financial perspective,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “The USAO’s FY 2024 collection efforts were tremendously successful, and we remain committed, in 2025 and beyond, to using all available legal remedies to collect restitution for victims and recover taxpayer dollars improperly taken through fraud, waste, and abuse.”

Notable collections in FY 2024 include:

Civil Cases

Cleveland Clinic Foundation  – Payment of $7,600,000 to settle False Claims Act allegations relating to federal grant applications and progress reports. That amount is now paid in full.

Ohio Refining Co., Chevron USA Inc., Energy Transfer (R&M) LLC, Pilkington North America Inc., and Chemtrade Logistics Inc.  – Payment of $7,282,518.92 to settle allegations of historic industrial pollution discharges near Toledo. That amount is now paid in full.

Republic Steel  – Payment of a civil penalty as part of a consent decree to settle Clean Air Act allegations. Republic Steel paid $1,051,169.49 as part of the consent decree, which also included air pollution reductions.

Criminal Cases

U.S. v. Aydin Kalantarov  – Defendant was sentenced in May 2023 for conspiring to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court ordered Kalantarov to pay $7,799,400.00 in restitution to the Small Business Association (SBA). In January 2024, the USAO facilitated the transfer of $5,624,627.21 in forfeited funds to the Clerk of Courts for payment to the SBA. 

U.S. v. Matthew Maluchnik  – Defendant was sentenced in October 2023 for committing healthcare fraud and making false statements on his tax returns. The court ordered him to pay $941,068.50 in restitution. In April 2024, the USAO facilitated the transfer of $715,979.50 in forfeited funds to the Clerk of Courts for payment to Maluchnik’s victims.

U.S. v. Christopher Hardin  – Defendant was sentenced in September 2019 for committing mail fraud and was ordered to pay $671,699.73 in restitution to over a dozen victims. In FY2024, the USAO collected $655,574.73 from Hardin for his victims.

The 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, along with the Department of Justice’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.

CLEVELAND – The White Collar Crimes Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio prosecutes those who violate federal law through fraud or corruption in any of the 40 northern counties in the state of Ohio that the district serves.

White collar crimes are usually non-violent and typically involve schemes such as tax evasion, embezzlement, money laundering, insider trading, multiple variations of fraud, bribery, and investment scams. They also include public corruption and abuse of government benefits meant for unemployment, health, or small businesses. These crimes increasingly target victims on their computers or other electronic devices and are becoming more technologically sophisticated. Victims of such crimes can be individuals, large or small businesses, organizations, and government entities.

“White collar offenders frequently hatch elaborate plans to obtain money by deceitful means. They plot and scheme their way to taking advantage of circumstances and human nature, causing financial harm to people, businesses, and governments, and undermining public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Our office has prioritized investigating and prosecuting those who attempt to deceive others—whether individuals, businesses, or government entities and the public at large—by committing crimes to line their own pockets at the expense of victims. We will continue to seek justice and hold wrongdoers responsible for the financial havoc they wreak.”

Notable white collar crime cases for 2024 include:

U.S. v. Basheer Jones – Jones was a former Cleveland city councilman who pled guilty to bribery and wire fraud. He obtained more than $130,000 from local nonprofits through fraud, and then attempted to obtain additional funds through a bribery scheme involving the use of city funds to pay for a nonprofit to purchase a dilapidated property owned by his romantic partner and co-conspirator. He pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud on Dec. 19, 2024. His sentencing is scheduled for April 1, 2025.

U.S. v. Gregory Gerber – Gerber pled guilty to illegal prescribing of opioids and other substances while ignoring the signs of addiction and abuse in his patients. He was sentenced to 42 months in prison and one year of home confinement. He was also ordered to pay $850,000 in restitution for making fraudulent claims for healthcare reimbursement. A civil complaint was also filed against Gerber, and he agreed to a consent judgment to settle the allegations. The order entered by the court permanently prohibits Gerber from prescribing opioids or other controlled substances, permanently prohibits him from managing, owning, or controlling any entity that dispenses controlled substances, and requires Gerber to pay approximately $4.7 million under the False Claims Act.

U.S. v. Yue Cao – Cao was a bank IT security professional indicted for using his position to find accounts of elderly victims, set up online access to those accounts, and steal funds from them. According to court documents, Cao allegedly transferred approximately $2 million from customers’ real accounts to other accounts he had set up in their names, but that he controlled. Dates for future proceedings are to be determined.

U.S. v. Terrence Pounds – From March 2020 through December 2020, Pounds and his co-defendants devised a scheme to obtain Small Business Administration (SBA)-financed loans from the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under false pretenses. Under the guise of operating faith-based, nonprofit organizations, the SBA approved many of their loan applications. Pounds often received a share of the loan proceeds as payment for obtaining the loan. He was sentenced to 94 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. He was also ordered to pay $4,239,940.43 in restitution to the SBA.

U.S. v. Clarissa Cheney et al. – Six defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced to a total of 355 months for a COVID-19 fraud conspiracy. From March 2020 to August 2021, they obtained nearly $3,000,000 in federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits using other people’s identities. They submitted fraudulent applications for PUA benefits to California and other states around the country. The defendants, all residents of Northeast Ohio, were sentenced to prison as follows: Clarissa Cheney, 81 months; Kevin Gilmore, 78 months; Tiara Henderson, 70 months; Ladessa Battle, 24 months; Lynard Mitchell, 78 months; and Marcelys Jones, 24 months. Dates for future proceedings for a seventh defendant, Silas Moultrie, are yet to be determined, as Moultrie was a fugitive for approximately one year before being arrested in West Virginia in September 2024.

To report suspected white collar crimes, visit https://tips.fbi.gov/home.

AKRON, Ohio – Fresh Mark, Inc, has entered into a Non-prosecution Agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio in connection with its hiring manager’s involvement in an identity theft scheme and subsequent obstruction of justice. The company was founded in 1920 and is a nationwide producer of processed meats under the Sugardale and Superior Brand Meats brands, along with several private labels. Between 2013 and 2018, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents arrested multiple Fresh Mark employees who used stolen identities to gain employment with the company.

According to court documents, a hiring manager at Fresh Mark’s Salem facility, Yelwin Omar Munoz-Solis, 43, of Salem, Ohio, conspired with others to steal identities of U.S. Citizens and give them to job applicants at Fresh Mark’s meat processing plants. He then certified I-9 documents, which are used to verify identity and employment eligibility in the United States. Munoz-Solis was charged and subsequently plead guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements on immigration forms submitted to HSI.  

HSI served search warrants at Fresh Mark’s processing facilities in Salem, Massillon, and Canton on June 19, 2018, where investigators detained 146 aliens working at the facility who were in the United States without legal status. Approximately 30 of those individuals were later charged with various immigration violations in federal court.

“Stealing identities to transfer to others not eligible to work is not an acceptable business practice,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Employers must ensure that their hiring practices comply with all federal laws, and businesses caught providing false statements to the government will be held to account.”

“This settlement is a testament to HSI’s commitment to the American people and our Ohio communities,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “I’m extremely proud of the agents and prosecutors, who over many years saw this case through until the end. We should remain vigilant and ensure that all companies abide by the law when it comes labor practices.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Fresh Mark paid a $3,719,997 penalty and will abide by compliance reporting requirements for a period of two years. Pursuant to the Victims of Crime Act Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021, the money will go to the federal Crime Victims Fund.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Toepfer.

CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland, Ohio, has returned an indictment charging an Ohio man for sexual abuse of a person being held in police custody. According to the indictment, Damon K. Perry, 52, of Youngstown, sexually abused a female inmate under federal detention at the Mahoning County Jail on two dates in November 2023. The correctional facility, located in Youngstown, Ohio, serves under contract with a federal law enforcement agency to house detainees at their direction as needed.

The first incident allegedly occurred when the inmate was under Perry’s charge and supervision as she was being held in custody on Nov. 9, 2023. Court documents indicate that the investigation also found a second incident on Nov. 30, 2023, when Perry again engaged in a non-consensual sexual act with the same federal detainee placed under his authority.

“A prison sentence should never include sexual abuse, and certainly not sexual abuse committed by someone to whom we have entrusted a prisoner’s care and custody,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Correction officers have significant power over the inmates they supervise—they are to use their authority to keep prisoners safe, not abuse it and violate a prisoner’s basic rights.”

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General and being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Joyce and Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – The Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio is responsible for litigating civil cases that involve the United States and its agencies throughout the 40 northern counties in the state of Ohio.

The Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this division litigate a diverse docket of both affirmative and defensive court cases on behalf of the United States and its various agencies. Examples include cases that involve federal laws concerning the environment, disability and anti-discrimination, voting rights, fair housing, fraud recovery on behalf of Medicare and Medicaid, and more. The division also recovers money owed to the government or victims of crimes, and collects payment of criminal restitution, fines, and penalties. Additional areas of responsibility include protecting the United States’ interests in medical malpractice actions, bankruptcies, foreclosures, and social security matters.

“Our civil division attorneys perform a broad array of work that protects the public fisc and has far-reaching impacts, from affirmatively protecting individual civil rights to defending the environment to recovering taxpayer money diverted by individuals and corporations through fraudulent conduct or deceptive health care practices,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “The division’s achievements this year are significant, and we will continue our efforts, next year and beyond, to hold accountable those who break federal laws and cheat the U.S. taxpayer, and to otherwise represent the United States’ interests in civil litigation.”

Some of the division’s notable achievements in 2024 include the following resolutions:

Investigation of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation - The Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) agreed to pay $7,600,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act when it submitted federal grant applications and progress reports to the National Institutes of Health that did not disclose that a key employee involved in administering the grants had financial research support from other sources.

U.S. ex rel. White, et al. v. Rite Aid Corp., et al. - Rite Aid Corporation and 10 subsidiaries and affiliates agreed to settle the government’s allegations of filling unnecessary prescriptions under the False Claims Act and Controlled Substances Act, asserted in United States ex rel. White et al. v. Rite Aid Corp., et al. Under the settlement, the government will be paid $7.5 million.

U.S. ex rel. Rzeszutko v. Elixir Insurance Co., et al. – Three Rite-Aid subsidiaries, Elixir Insurance Company, RX Options LLC, and RX Solutions LLC, agreed to a settlement that resolved allegations that they violated the False Claims Act when they did not accurately report drug rebates to the Medicare program. As part of the settlement, Elixir Insurance and Rite Aid will pay the United States $101 million.

U.S v. Gerber, et al. – A federal court prohibited Ohio physician Gregory Gerber, M.D., from prescribing opioids and other controlled substances and ordered him to pay $4.7 million in a case alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act. Allegations against Gerber include writing prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances without a legitimate medical basis, causing a patient’s death due to a fentanyl patch overdose, and receiving kickback payments from a drug manufacturer when prescribing certain drugs that contain fentanyl.

U.S. v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co., et al. – The Norfolk Southern Railway Company agreed to a settlement valued at over $363 million to hold it accountable, address, and pay for the damage caused by the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The USAO worked in conjunction with the Environmental Enforcement Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division to settle the case. The settlement included provisions requiring Norfolk Southern to fund a community health program that will monitor and treat individual medical needs of residents and first responders stemming from the disaster. It also required Norfolk Southern to fund extensive environmental site cleanup to restore the region’s waterways and habitats; to implement expanded rail safety and emergency response measures and measures to improve and protect waterways and wetlands; and to monitor drinking water to ensure it is safe.

Additionally, the USAO’s Civil Division conducted numerous outreach efforts to connect with the community. In 2024, these included the following events:

Voting with a Disability – In February, U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko took part in an online forum to highlight concerns and address issues that voters with disabilities encounter. Advocacy groups and others from throughout the state listened to the presentation and identified areas of concern. This event was held in partnership with the USAO for the Southern District of Ohio.

Legal Aid Society of Cleveland – In April, lawyers and support staff from the USAO volunteered their time and talents at a legal aid clinic. The event was held at the Cleveland Public Library-Memorial Nottingham Branch. Clinic volunteers provided advice and assistance to people with limited financial resources and addressed a range of civil, legal problems, such as landlord and tenant issues, employment, family law, and consumer law.

Summer Camp ADA Compliance – In May the USAO corresponded with numerous summer camps in the district to remind them of their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In particular, summer camps must make reasonable modifications to enable campers with disabilities to participate fully in all camp programs and activities.

Toledo Branch Office – Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Rojas addressed local bar associations, providing current Department of Justice guidance for evaluating requests by debtors to discharge federal student loans. In May, he addressed the Bankruptcy Court Committee of the Toledo Bar Association. In December, AUSA Rojas participated on a panel for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s William J. O’Neill and Pat E. Morgenstern-Clarren Bankruptcy Institute. The Department of Justice issued its student loan discharge guidance, in part, to set transparent discharge criteria and ease the burden on bankruptcy debtors in pursuing adversary proceedings. 

To report crimes or file a complaint, please visit https://www.justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint#complaint.

CLEVELAND – Darmani Hawkins, 21, of Aurora, was sentenced to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud; conspiracy to commit bank fraud; and mail theft, as part of schemes to fraudulently obtain coronavirus disease (COVID)-era state unemployment benefits and, separately, to steal checks from the mail, alter them, and deposit them. He was also ordered to pay $681,114.14 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, from 2020 through 2021, Hawkins conspired to fraudulently obtain COVID pandemic unemployment insurance benefits by submitting fake claims, and in 2023, he conspired to steal checks out of the United States mail, deposit them, and keep the proceeds.

In the COVID fraud scheme, Hawkins and his co-conspirators exploited the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security), which had been established to assist people who were out of work because of the COVID-related shutdown. They submitted false unemployment applications to multiple states, making it appear as if they were eligible to receive benefits when, in fact, they were not. Once a state’s unemployment agency approved the applications, the state mailed the unemployment benefits to Hawkins and his co-conspirators in the form of debit cards, which they used to withdraw cash for their personal benefit.

In the bank fraud and mail theft scheme, Hawkins used a social media platform to recruit postal workers to steal checks from the U.S. Postal Service in exchange for a fee. Hawkins also offered to pay people to use their established bank accounts to deposit the checks stolen from the mail. Those who agreed to participate in mail theft deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts that Hawkins had paid others to allow him to access.  Hawkins then withdrew or received the stolen deposited funds. 

“Mr. Hawkins shamelessly exploited federal resources intended to help those who became unemployed as a result of an uncontrollable, life-changing world event. His deceitful actions were selfish and heartless, diverting much-needed funds away from those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “He also manipulated others to steal checks and misuse our banking system in a greedy effort to make easy money. Those, like Mr. Hawkins, who seek to capitalize on the misfortune of others by abusing federal safety nets established to protect the needy, and who steal from the U.S. taxpayer and private citizens, will be held to account and brought to justice.”

“The sentencing of Mr. Hawkins should send a strong message to anyone who believes they can deceive government programs designed to help the American public in times of need. As part of our mission, postal inspectors will aggressively work to protect the public and prevent criminal misuse of the mail,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Pittsburgh Division. “We value our relationships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the law enforcement partners involved in bringing Mr. Hawkins to justice.”

During the investigation, officials determined that Hawkins had caused a loss of approximately $425,000 in the COVID fraud scheme and more than $700,000 in the stolen check scheme.  

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI Cleveland Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erica Barnhill for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report fraud, visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/unemployment-insurance-payment-accuracy/UIFraudReporting or https://www.uspis.gov/report. 

CLEVELAND – Ronald Rendon-Luna, 37, a Mexican national residing in Painesville, Ohio, has been sentenced to 151 months in prison by U.S. District Chief Judge Sara Lioi, after he pled guilty to engaging in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and being an alien in possession of firearms. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, the Cartel, Gangs, Narcotics and Laundering Task Force of the FBI-Cleveland Division conducted a long-term drug-trafficking investigation that led to the arrest and successful prosecution of Rendon-Luna and three other co-conspirators, including two individuals with direct connections to the Sinaloa Cartel based in Culiacán, Mexico.

During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered that, from about June 2022 through January 2023, the leader of the conspiracy, Nefer Ojeda-Elenes, 32, of Upland, California, conspired with Rendon-Luna to use residences in Cleveland and Painesville, and two storage units in Cleveland and Middleburg Heights, to store illegal drugs and proceeds from the sales of the illegal substances. Rendon-Luna, on behalf of Ojeda-Elenes, traveled to area hotels to meet a third co-conspirator, Cameron Harris, 29, of Dayton, who further distributed the drugs in the Dayton, Ohio area. A fourth individual, Trino Alexander Briceno-Matheus, 31, of Miami Beach, Florida, also participated in the conspiracy and is known to have met with Rendon-Luna at an area hotel to pick up approximately $149,640 in proceeds earned from illegal drug activities.

This organization was responsible for distributing approximately 111 kilograms of fentanyl, and approximately 42 kilograms of cocaine during the course of the conspiracy.

“These criminals used their Mexican Cartel connections to bring millions of doses of fentanyl—each one potentially fatal—into our communities and distribute those poisons across our state,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Every day, dangerous drugs like the fentanyl and cocaine that these defendants imported and peddled on our streets destroy lives. Those who seek to expand their illegal drug trade to our District should know that we will use all tools available to stop them from endangering our residents’ lives and the safety of our neighborhoods.”

During a federal search warrant executed at the related residences and storage units, law enforcement officials found illegal drugs in a storage unit, and confiscated several weapons, including an AK-47 and an AR-15 from Rendon-Luna’s Painesville home.

Rendon Luna’s co-conspirators were previously sentenced.

Ojeda-Elenes was sentenced Sept. 17, 2024, to 228 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release.

Harris was sentenced Aug. 20, 2024, to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release.

Briceno-Matheus was sentenced July 23, 2024, to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and interstate transportation in aid of racketeering.

This case was investigated by the FBI-Cleveland Division, with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services, Moreland Hills Police Department, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation & Identification, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Bedford Police Department, Internal Revenue Service, Parma Police Department, Solon Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole, Ottawa County Drug Task Force, Shaker Heights Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Brooklyn Police Department, North Royalton Police Department, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Painesville Police Department, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio HIDTA, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi­-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, USMS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, and USBP, along with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Bullard for the Northern District of Ohio.

AKRON, Ohio – Timothy Hyatt, 36, of Akron, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles Fleming after pleading guilty to four counts of interference with commerce by means of robbery, and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to court documents, from December 2023 to January 2024, Hyatt entered multiple businesses to commit robberies. He threatened employees with a loaded firearm, and in one instance, shots were exchanged between Hyatt and an employee who had obtained a firearm. Hyatt was shot during the scuffle and left the business. After he was treated at a local hospital for a gunshot wound, he was taken to the Akron Police Department, read his Miranda rights, and eventually confessed to committing four robberies.

The business locations Hyatt robbed were:

• Panera Bread, Cuyahoga Falls, Dec. 19, 2023
• Sav-a-Lot, Akron, Dec. 27, 2023
• Game Stop, Akron, Dec. 29, 2023
• Taco Bell, Akron, Jan. 1, 2024

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Akron Police Department, and the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A federal court has entered a consent decree to prevent the Mt. Hope Auction Company from conducting business or exhibiting animals without a license. The Millersburg, Ohio company was a holder of a class B dealer license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, its license renewal was denied due to failing two relicensing inspections and failure to schedule a third, and final, inspection. A USDA license is required to obtain and sell Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulated animals in commerce. Since 2022, the USDA conducted 11 inspections involving Mt. Hope. All 11 inspections identified multiple violations of AWA regulations and standards.

Under the consent decree, the Mt. Hope Auction agrees not to deal in or exhibit AWA-regulated animals without a license, and to allow the USDA access to ensure compliance with this provision. Moreover, if the Mt. Hope Auction applies for and obtains a new USDA license within the next three years, it agrees to a two-year probationary period.

A civil complaint filed in September against Mt. Hope Auction alleged that it placed animals in serious danger and violated the AWA during their three-day, Mid-Ohio Alternative Animal and Bird Sales which it held three times a year. Each of these auctions featured thousands of animals and included more than 200 domestic and exotic species such a sheep, rabbits, parrots, bobcats, red kangaroos, giraffes, Egyptian fruit bats, and sloths. Endangered species such as ring-tailed lemurs were also included in the auction.

If Mt. Hope Auction were to obtain a new USDA license, it would do so under a probationary period and agree to comply with AWA requirements to provide adequate veterinary care to animals consigned at the auctions; handle animals carefully; prevent the public from contacting animals without a responsible employee present; ensure that all facilities and enclosures are sanitary, in good repair and meet the minimum AWA standards; and create and maintain complete and accurate records. Mt. Hope also agrees to maintain veterinary records to allow for future monitoring of veterinary care. If Mt. Hope repeatedly violates the same AWA regulations and standards during the probationary period, its AWA license will be permanently revoked.

“In recent years, Mt. Hope Auction has auctioned off more than 5,000 animals annually, which underscores the widespread effect of their violations,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The company’s ‘business as usual’ approach — risking injury, illness and harm to the animals at its auctions — will not continue. It is important for auction houses dealing in regulated animals to abide by the Animal Welfare Act and provide humane treatment to the animals that come through their doors.”

“USDA is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of animals protected under the Animal Welfare Act,” said Deputy Administrator Sarah Helming for USDA’s Animal Care program. “The partnership between USDA and DOJ helps to ensure enforcement of the AWA regulations for those who put regulated animals at risk.”

“Despite numerous opportunities to correct their business practices, Mt. Hope Auction chose not to comply,” said Rebecca Lutzko, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “Their complete disregard for the laws regarding animal welfare and treatment placed both these animals and the public at large in danger. As this case demonstrates, we will hold accountable businesses that seek to profit from treating animals inhumanely.”

At the time of the complaint filing, Mt. Hope had been cited for 69 AWA violations in less than two years. This included repeated violations for failing to provide veterinary care to sick or injured animals. In one instance, inspectors saw a calf unable to stand, with its legs splayed in an abnormal position and a member of the public reported that the calf had been in the same position since the day before. Other violations reported in court documents include Asian antelopes and cattle that were so emaciated that their ribs, scapula, pelvic bones, and individual vertebrae were visible; sheep and exotic cattle with diarrhea on their hind legs, a fox with eye discharge, birds with feather loss; and a pheasant with a wound on top of its head that was bleeding and its neck matted down from blood drainage as it lay lethargic with little to no reaction to the loud surrounding environment.

The investigation also determined that animal enclosures were unsafe, improperly constructed, unsanitary, damaged or broken, too small, or did not provide adequate ventilation. Several animals were found covered in excrement or unable to move. Court documents further revealed that there was a lack of sufficient food and water for animals. Inspectors discovered rabbits that had been deprived of food and water. Once provided with water, one rabbit drank for more than 40 seconds, a nursing rabbit drank for more than two-and-a-half minutes, and a third rabbit drank for over four minutes.

Mt. Hope also allowed the public to touch animals — including potentially dangerous coyotes, fox and bison — without proper barriers or employee supervision. The complaint also alleged that Mt. Hope had accepted hundreds of animals from sellers who did not hold a USDA license when they were required.

The court entered a temporary restraining order against Mt. Hope on Sept. 13, requiring the auction company to comply with several AWA requirements at its September Alternative Animal and Bird Sale. Mt. Hope canceled that sale. Mt. Hope’s USDA license was set to expire at the end of September, and after failing to demonstrate compliance at two inspections, Mt. Hope declined the third and final opportunity for a re-licensing inspection and terminated the re-licensing process.

The USDA investigated this case. Senior Trial Attorney Devon Flanagan and Trial Attorneys Kamela Caschette and Taylor Mayhall of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Andrachik and Elizabeth Deucher for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report animal welfare violations, visit https://www.aphis.usda.gov/awa/regulatory-enforcement/complaint.

A federal district court in the Northern District of Ohio today unsealed a second superseding indictment against 18 members and associates of a violent street gang known as the Fully Blooded Felons, who have been charged with various federal crimes, including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, firearms violations, and drug trafficking offenses.

The investigation that led to the second superseding indictment took place over the last two years. Agents apprehended individuals in a series of coordinated arrests. They seized cocaine, methamphetamine, over 400 grams of fentanyl, and 15 illegally possessed firearms throughout the investigation.

“The superseding indictment alleges that these 18 defendants were leaders, members, or associates of the Fully Blooded Felons, a violent gang that — for more than a decade — made money and controlled territory in Northern Ohio through murder, arson, robbery, drug trafficking, and firearms possession,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Violence and other gang activities make communities less safe for all of their residents.  Addressing violent crime — including through the arrests announced today — is one of the Criminal Division’s highest priorities.  I am proud of the outstanding work done by our Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, in partnership with our federal, state, and local partners, to make our communities safer places to live by targeting the most violent offenders on our streets.”

“As the indictment alleges, the Fully Blooded Felons styled themselves after a Mafia crime family, terrorizing Cleveland’s streets and operating an open-air illegal drug market in the Cedar Central neighborhood for years. I commend the valiant efforts of our brave law enforcement partners who have worked diligently to win back our streets and protect our community by taking down these bad actors,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “The USAO will aggressively continue to pursue — through RICO prosecutions and other federal charges — violent criminals who seek to secure territory, power, and money by ruthlessly harming others, peddling poisons, and creating an atmosphere of fear. Members of FBF or other violent gangs in this district who have yet to be caught should think twice before continuing to engage in such illegal and destructive behavior.”

“For several years, according to the indictment, these individuals committed a homicide, armed robberies, and unlawfully imported and distributed fentanyl and other dangerous opioids throughout the community,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “The Fully Blooded Felons, a subset of the Heartless Felons criminal network, has been identified as Cleveland’s most significant gang threat and their reign of terror is over thanks to the collaborative efforts of FBI and the Safe Streets Gang Task Force. We will not waver in our mission to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle gangs not only in the larger cities across America, but also right here in northern Ohio.”

As alleged in the second superseding indictment, the Fully Blooded Felons have been in existence in Ohio since approximately 2012, operating primarily out of the east side of Cleveland, as well as Akron, Youngstown, and elsewhere. They are also allegedly active in the Ohio prison system.

According to the facts alleged in the indictment, the Fully Blooded Felons’ structure includes a “Commission,” which is a group of members tasked with maintaining the structure and organization of the enterprise through physical discipline and by determining which illicit means the organization would use to make money.

As alleged in the indictment, the Fully Blooded Felons had rules that members were required to abide by. The rules were disseminated to members online, by text message, and in face-to-face communications. Members were required to abide by “omerta,” or the code of silence. Members were also required to memorize and recite at meetings the “Fully Five,” a set of rules that included following all orders issued by the Commission, pledges of loyalty to fellow members, and being respectful to Capos, a position held by senior gang members. If a member did not know the “Fully Five,” they were punished. Members were also expected to know and abide by the “Fully Commandments,” a similar set of rules.

Fully Blooded Felon members allegedly utilized different two separate stash-houses at a local apartment complex. According to court documents, during the execution of two search warrants, law enforcement recovered over 300 grams of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well as seven firearms.

Members and associates of the Fully Blooded Felons allegedly came together for the common purposes of making money through robberies and drug trafficking, preserving and promoting Fully Blooded Felon territory, and promoting and enhancing the Fully Blooded Felon enterprise and its members and associates’ activities.

According to the indictment, on Sept. 12, 2023, three Fully Blooded Felon members — Raven Mullins, Henry Burchett, and James Clemons — and another individual shot and killed a victim on the west side of Cleveland. After killing the victim, the defendants allegedly fled the scene in a stolen Honda Pilot, which Fully Blooded Felon members later burned.

The second superseding indictment alleges a years-long pattern of racketeering and violence including a murder, kidnapping, assaults, and drug trafficking.

The defendants and their charges are:

• Raven Mullins, 35, also known as Dunny and Dun, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, numerous counts of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Henry Burchett, 29, also known as Noodles, Noo, and Omerta, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, numerous counts of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Elijah Johnson, 37, also known as Loon, of Youngstown, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Demarcus Elliott, 37, also known as Moo and Fast Lane, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Dontez Hammond, 35, also known as Donny and Tez, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and illegal receipt of a firearm and ammunition by a person under indictment.
• Jeffrey Lee, 24, also known as Fatty, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, numerous counts of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Jerrell Jones-Ferrell, 25, also known as Ruga, of Cleveland, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Devonte Johnson, 32, also known as D Nut and Nut, of Euclid, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and felon in possession of a firearm.
• Jerome Williams, 29, also known as Jay, and JT, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Christepher Horton, 41, also known as Cam and Killa, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Deeundra Perkins, 33, also known as Drizzy, of Garfield Heights, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Deon Blackwell, 38, also known as White Boy, of Cleveland, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• James Clemons, 32, also known as Flock, Pope, and Fully Pope Flock, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy and murder in aid of racketeering.
• Alex Darden, 23, also known as Lil’ Pee Wee, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Esmond Williams, 35, also known as Relle, of Cleveland, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Adrionna Null, 27, also known as Ali, of Cleveland, is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering and assault in aid of racketeering.
• Myeasha West, 31, also known as Action, of Lorain, Ohio, is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering and assault in aid of racketeering.
• Kyla Sharie Tyler, 27, also known as Yayeo, of Cleveland, is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering and assault in aid of racketeering.

The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Trial Attorneys Brian W. Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Hanna and Robert F. Corts for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

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

CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio today unsealed a second superseding indictment against 18 members and associates of a Cleveland-based, violent street gang known as the Fully Blooded Felons or “FBF.” The defendants charged are alleged to have committed numerous federal crimes, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, firearms violations, conspiracy, and drug trafficking. The investigation that led to this second superseding indictment took place throughout the last two years, with the initial indictment issued on Dec. 20, 2023, followed by a superseding indictment on April 4, 2024.

According to court documents, members of FBF have engaged in criminal activity for more than a decade in Ohio, since approximately 2012. The gang was primarily based on the east side of Cleveland, but also established strongholds in Akron, Youngstown, and other areas. The scope and reach of the gang’s alleged criminal operations included attempts to infiltrate the Ohio prison system.

Federal and local law enforcement agents and officers apprehended individuals in a series of coordinated arrests. They seized several controlled substances, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. They also confiscated 15 illegally possessed firearms throughout the investigation.

“The superseding indictment alleges that these 18 defendants were leaders, members, or associates of the Fully Blooded Felons, a violent gang that — for more than a decade — made money and controlled territory in Northern Ohio through murder, arson, robbery, drug trafficking, and firearms possession,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Violence and other gang activities make communities less safe for all of their residents. Addressing violent crime — including through the arrests announced today — is one of the Criminal Division’s highest priorities. I am proud of the outstanding work done by our Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, in partnership with our federal, state, and local partners, to make our communities safer places to live by targeting the most violent offenders on our streets.”

“As the indictment alleges, the Fully Blooded Felons styled themselves after a Mafia crime family, terrorizing Cleveland’s streets and operating an open-air illegal drug market in the Cedar Central neighborhood for years. I commend the valiant efforts of our brave law enforcement partners who have worked diligently to win back our streets and protect our community by taking down these bad actors,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “The USAO will aggressively continue to pursue—through RICO prosecutions and other federal charges—violent criminals who seek to secure territory, power, and money by ruthlessly harming others, peddling poisons, and creating an atmosphere of fear. Members of FBF or other violent gangs in this District who have yet to be caught should think twice before continuing to engage in such illegal and destructive behavior.”

“For several years, these individuals committed a homicide, armed robberies, and unlawfully imported and distributed fentanyl and other dangerous opioids throughout the community, said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The Fully Blooded Felons, a subset of the Heartless Felons criminal network, has been identified as Cleveland’s most significant gang threat and their reign of terror is over thanks to the collaborative efforts of FBI and the Safe Streets Gang Task Force. We will not waver in our mission to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle gangs not only in the larger cities across America, but also right here in northern Ohio.”

During the investigation, law enforcement officials uncovered the defendants’ patterns of racketeering activity, which included their establishment of an organizational structure for their criminal enterprise involving gang membership hierarchy, titles, and rules. The FBF’s framework was allegedly created by its highest-ranking member, Raven Mullins, who held the self-proclaimed position of “Godfather.” The gang structure included a “Commission” made up of a member subgroup known as “Commissioners.” Together, they maintained the enterprise’s organization through physical discipline and by determining which illicit means they would pursue to generate income. To accomplish their goal of promoting and enhancing their criminal enterprise and its members’ and associates’ activities, and preserving and protecting their territories, FBF members and associates conspired to commit and did commit a murder, assaults, robberies, and drug trafficking.

As the indictment alleges, each FBF member was expected to follow a set of rules that Mullins primarily established. Mullins and the Commission disseminated these expectations to FBF members online, in text messages, and by face-to-face communications. Members were required to memorize and recite a set of rules, known as the “Fully Five,” at meetings, and they faced punishment if they answered incorrectly. Rules included following all orders issued by the Commission, pledging their loyalty to fellow members, and being respectful to the “Capos,” who were FBF members in leadership roles beneath the Commissioners. They were also expected to know and adhere to the “Fully Commandments,” another set of rules similar to the “Fully Five.”

Investigators discovered that gang members occupied two separate units at a local apartment complex that they used as stash-houses to facilitate drug trafficking. While executing two search warrants, law enforcement officers recovered more than 400 grams of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and multiple firearms from these locations.

According to the second superseding indictment, on Sept. 12, 2023, Raven Mullins, Henry Burchett, and James Clemons, along with another unidentified individual, shot and killed a victim on the west side of Cleveland. After killing the victim, the defendants fled the scene in a stolen vehicle that was later set on fire.

The second superseding indictment alleges a years-long pattern of racketeering and violence, including a murder, kidnapping, assaults, and drug trafficking. The defendants and their charges are as follows:

• Raven Mullins, aka Dunny, aka Dun, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, numerous counts of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Henry Burchett, aka Noodles, aka Noo, aka Omerta, 29, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, numerous counts of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Elijah Johnson, aka Loon, 37, of Youngstown, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Demarcus Elliott, aka Moo, aka Fast Lane, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Dontez Hammond, aka Donny, aka Tez, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Jeffrey Lee, aka Fatty, 24, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, numerous counts of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Jerrell Jones-Ferrell, aka Ruga, 25, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Devonte Johnson, aka D Nut, aka Nut, 32, of Euclid, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Jerome Williams, aka Jay, aka JT, 29, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Christepher Horton, aka Cam, aka Killa, 41, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• Deeundra Perkins, aka Drizzy, 33, of Garfield Heights, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Deon Blackwell, aka White Boy, 38, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
• James Clemons, aka Flock, aka Pope, aka Fully Pope Flock, 32, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy and murder in aid of racketeering.
• Alex Darden, aka Lil’ Pee Wee, 23, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Esmond Williams, aka Relle, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Adrionna Null, aka Ali, 27, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering and assault in aid of racketeering.
• Myeasha West, aka Action, 31, of Lorain, Ohio, is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering and assault in aid of racketeering.
• Kyla Sharie Tyler, aka Yayeo, 27, of Cleveland, Ohio, is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering and assault in aid of racketeering.

An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi­-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF), and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Border Patrol, along with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, the Cleveland Division of Police, USMS, the DEA, and the ATF.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul E. Hanna and Robert F. Corts for the Northern District of Ohio, and Trial Attorneys Brian W. Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

CLEVELAND - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO) has filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against 947,883 Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, valued at approximately $947,883. USDT is a virtual currency which are digital tokens of value circulated over the internet. Its transactions are publicly recorded on what is known as a blockchain.

According to court documents, the cryptocurrency fraud scam began in or around October 2023, when an Elyria, Ohio, man was contacted via a pop-up window on this computer with instructions to call a number to resolve a tech issue. The victim was then told that his retirement account had been compromised and that his funds were being wired to accounts in China or Russia and a casino in Las Vegas. He was provided with a purported solution and told that the transactions could be stopped by wiring money. Thinking that he was protecting his retirement account, the victim gave remote computer access to the scammer who then proceeded to withdraw money and move funds into various cryptocurrency accounts. In total, the victim lost his entire life savings of $425,000 as a result of this cryptocurrency fraud scam.

Investigators conducted a blockchain analysis and determined that the stolen funds were converted to USDT cryptocurrency and placed into a virtual currency wallet. Law enforcement officers executed a federal seizure warrant to recover 947,883 USDT tokens, on July 31, 2024, and then transferred these funds to a law-enforcement-controlled virtual currency wallet.

By the Complaint in Forfeiture filed on Nov. 26, 2024, the United States seeks to forfeit the 947,883 USDT cryptocurrency. If successful, the United States would seek to provide compensation to the victim. In the complaint, the United States alleges that the additional cryptocurrency contained in the address is subject to forfeiture as the proceeds of fraud.

The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and the United States must prove these allegations by a preponderance of the evidence at trial.

The FBI Cleveland Division is actively investigating cryptocurrency fraud schemes perpetrated on victims throughout the United States, including in the Northern District of Ohio. The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant United States Attorney James L. Morford. The USAO would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in this matter.

If you observe something that you believe might be fraudulent conduct involving an older adult, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to report it.

CLEVELAND – Basheer Jones, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, has been charged in a two-count information with conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud for using his role as a public official for personal financial gain by seeking to defraud multiple community stakeholders out of more than $200,000. He previously served as an elected Cleveland city council member representing Ward 7.

According to court documents, from about December 2018 to June 2021, Jones allegedly misrepresented and concealed material facts to induce nonprofit organizations to enter into a variety of arrangements that would benefit Jones and his romantic partner co-conspirator. Under the guise of working on projects to benefit the city of Cleveland and revitalize Ward 7, Jones fraudulently sought and obtained funds from local nonprofits while he concealed his connection to his romantic partner, through whom he benefited from these arrangements.

Jones’s schemes were devised to deceive nonprofit entities into making payments toward projects they thought were for the community’s benefit. Instead, the money ultimately went into bank accounts controlled by Jones’s romantic partner. Jones would then direct her to divert those funds to herself, Jones, and to other associates who were involved.

The information alleges that Jones deceptively advised nonprofits to provide funding to move community projects forward or to hire a purported “consultant,” with the full knowledge that the funds would flow back to himself. For example, Jones recommended that a nonprofit hire a consultant for community outreach. Unbeknownst to the nonprofit, the “consultant” who quickly submitted a proposal and whose business was ultimately contracted, was Jones’s co-conspirator and romantic partner. She submitted the proposal and requested $5,000 per month at Jones’s prompting. The investigation discovered that she did not provide the nonprofit with substantial services in exchange for payments she received.

Jones later defrauded the same nonprofit out of an additional $50,000, again through his romantic partner’s consulting business. Jones claimed that he needed $50,000 to plan a community event, which included buying backpacks for schoolchildren, and falsely promised that the city would reimburse the organization. Instead, after the funds were paid, no event was held, and Jones directed his romantic partner to divide the money amongst herself, Jones, and others associated with the scheme.

Some of the projects Jones pushed included seeking community funding to rehabilitate certain distressed properties while concealing his financial interest in them. In one instance, Jones devised a bribery scheme under which he arranged for co-conspirators, including his romantic partner, to acquire a dilapidated property on Superior Road, and used his position as councilperson to pass ordinances allocating city funds to buy that property from them. Jones arranged for a co-conspirator to buy the property a minimal cost. After asking a nonprofit to purchase and rehabilitate the property, and promising city funding, Jones sponsored an emergency ordinance to fund the nonprofit’s purchase and renovation of the property. When Jones was unable to convince the nonprofit to proceed, he arranged to transfer the property to his romantic partner’s consulting business, with the understanding that she too would share the proceeds of the sale with him. After sponsoring another ordinance to reauthorize city funding for the same project, Jones sought to finalize the nonprofit’s purchase of the property from his partner’s entity for $80,000. Ultimately the scheme failed when the nonprofit decided not to proceed with the purchase.

Jones and his partner did succeed in obtaining funds for the sale of a different property to another nonprofit. He misled them to believe that he was helping them to acquire the property from the original owner. Instead, he was simultaneously arranging for his romantic partner to acquire the property from the original owner in the name of another business entity, and then immediately to resell it to the nonprofit. Jones and his partner arranged to purchase the property for only $1, promising to pay a $40,500 city demolition bill. But without paying that bill or disclosing it, Jones’s partner immediately re-sold the property to the nonprofit for $45,000.

These charges are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial. It will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Barnhill and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report fraud, visit justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint.

AKRON, Ohio – Seth Hoover, age 39, of Republic, Ohio, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after being found guilty at a jury trial of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to court documents, an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper observed Hoover make a traffic violation on U.S. Route 250 in Ashland County. During the traffic stop, Hoover presented fake identification.  A search of his vehicle revealed a loaded pistol, approximately 1.8 kilograms of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and items associated with drug trafficking.

The investigation determined the street value of the fentanyl to be approximately $120,000.

This case was investigated by the DEA-Cleveland District Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.

TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted an Ohio man of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography. Derran Reebel, 52, of Toledo, was found guilty of committing crimes that violate federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. According to court documents, Reebel knowingly received and distributed CSAM for nearly eight years, from about Jan. 1, 2014 through Aug. 17, 2022. During a search warrant execution conducted at his residence, investigators found numerous books, magazines, periodicals, films, and video tapes that contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his possession.

Law enforcement officials also discovered that Reebel used social media for a number of years to chat with minors and send them sexually explicit messages and photos of himself.

Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Reebel faces a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI-Toledo. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

TOLEDO, Ohio – A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to an organized scheme that defrauded the Lucas County Auditor of more than $622,000. From March 2018 through November 2020, Darren Barr, age 39, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collaborated with others to carry out a plan to obtain money by pretending to be legitimate vendors with which the county was approved to do business.

In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge James G. Carr for the Northern District of Ohio ordered Barr to serve three years of supervised release and pay $622,793.62 in restitution.

During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered that the fraudsters used information found on public websites to obtain specific details about approved government vendor businesses. Among the information they gathered, were the names of the Lucas County employees who were responsible for paying vendors. Using the data they found, Barr and his co-conspirators created email accounts to look like those of the approved businesses. They also opened fraudulent bank accounts with forged State of Pennsylvania and Internal Revenue Service corporate documents. After each step of the scheme was in place, Barr and his co-conspirators carried out their plan.

First, legitimate invoices were sent to the county employees from the false vendor emails they controlled. Instructions in the email directed the employees to submit payment to any one of the fraudulent corporate bank accounts created by Barr and his co-conspirators. Because they believed the emails to be from legitimate vendors, the employees submitted payments to the sham bank accounts controlled by the scammers.

As soon as payments were received into the fraudulent accounts, Barr would quickly transfer the money into other bank accounts he and his co-conspirators controlled in an attempt to try and conceal their activities.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Melching for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report fraud, visit justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/report-fraud.

CLEVELAND - United States Attorney Rebecca Lutzko announced that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Cuyahoga and Portage Counties for the Nov. 5 general election.

The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day.

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.

On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931.

U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at 216-338-4479 or 419-215-5444 to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns or fraudulent election activity.

Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.

Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.

More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

CLEVELAND - Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials have unsealed an indictment that charged 15 members of a Drug Trafficking Operation (DTO) based in Lorain County, Ohio.

According to court documents, the DTO was allegedly trafficking fentanyl in counterfeit pill form in the cities of Elyria and Lorain and the surrounding Northeast Ohio areas. This announcement was made by United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene, FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen, and Lorain Police Department Chief James P. McCann.

The investigation that led to the indictment took place over the last year and a half. Agents apprehended individuals in a series of coordinated arrests.  They seized large quantities of fentanyl that included thousands of fentanyl pills made to look like legitimate prescription medications. Agents also discovered cash and several illegally possessed firearms during the investigation.

“Given its extreme potency, fentanyl is extraordinarily dangerous—it has poisoned and killed over 3,500 Ohioans in 2023 alone.  Distributing it disguised as legitimate prescription medication, as the indictment alleges the defendants did here, is particularly condemnable because it heightens the overdose danger for those who ingest it,” said United States Attorney Lutzko. “I commend the incredible cooperation among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to take thousands of these deadly pills off the streets. Their dedication and hard work led to a successful disruption of this organization, helping to make our neighborhoods safer and free from the criminals who peddle these poisons on our streets.”

The following defendants were charged in the 19-count indictment:

Ronald Whittaker, 31, Cleveland, Ohio

Tyvez McCullum, 30, Elyria, Ohio

Ivan Barrios, 45, Lorain, Ohio

Tavon Martin, 28, Lorain, Ohio

Jaivon Wint, 27, Lorain, Ohio

Katlynn Caudill, 22, Lorain, Ohio

Nicholas Thomson, 47, Elyria, Ohio 

Max Kennedy, 19, Wellington, Ohio

Jordan Johnson, 29, Elyria, Ohio

Angela Shuck, 35, Lorain, Ohio

Stacey Thomson, 48, Elyria, Ohio

Tyrone Phillips, 25, Elyria, Ohio

Joseph Kushner, 32, Berea, Ohio

Nicholas Burkholder, 29, Elyria, Ohio

Aubrey Brown, 29, Elyria, Ohio

According to the indictment, from about May 2023 to October 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, mixtures and substances containing amounts of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.

It is alleged that McCullum and Whittaker led the conspiracy. After receiving pill supplies from Whittaker, McCullum would redistribute the fentanyl pills to the others listed in the indictment. Those individuals would, in turn, further distribute the fentanyl pills to their own networks throughout the Elyria and Lorain region. The named defendants are allegedly responsible for the distribution of at least 4,406.25 estimated grams of fentanyl and/or 42,793 blue fentanyl pills.

“We will continue leveraging every available resource to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Drug Trafficking Organizations spreading deadly poisons in Ohio. Our collaboration with local, state and federal partners is not just about enforcement, but it’s about safeguarding the future of our communities and ensuring they remain safe and drug-free,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene.

“Illegal drugs are devastating lives and corrupting communities all across northern Ohio,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “This indictment underscores the commitment not only of the FBI, but our multi-agency partners who work collaboratively to identify local drug traffickers and disrupt and dismantle their drug trafficking networks.

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

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, each defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

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

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the DEA, FBI Cleveland Division, HSI, City of Lorain Police Department, City of Elyria Police Department, Lorain County Drug Task Force, United States Marshals Service, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, and the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Corts and Paul Hanna for the Northern District of Ohio.