Southern District of Ohio

CINCINNATI – The leader of a drug trafficking organization pleaded guilty in federal court. He was the final of 16 individuals who have agreed to plead guilty in a narcotics and firearms conspiracies case.

Ryan Haskamp, 36, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins to conspiring to distribute controlled substances, conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

A federal grand jury indicted all 16 defendants in July 2021, charging the defendants in a firearms conspiracy and in a narcotics conspiracy involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine and 10 grams or more of LSD, as well as detectable amounts of MDMA, DMT, marijuana and ketamine.

In total, as part of this case, law enforcement seized 11 firearms and more than one kilogram of methamphetamine, more than 200 pounds of DMT, more than five kilograms of marijuana, more than 15 kilograms of hashish and hashish oil, more than one kilogram of MDMA, more than 19,000 dose units of LSD, fentanyl, cocaine, and other synthetic and counterfeit drugs.

The case originated with two individuals involved in an Aug. 7, 2020, police chase through Cincinnati that resulted in the deaths of two bystanders in Newport, Kentucky. Mason Meyer, 32, and Kirsten Johnson, 26, both of Cincinnati, were charged federally in August 2020. Ongoing investigation led to the additional 14 defendants and charges.

According to court documents, officials with the ATF, Cincinnati Police and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force were surveilling Meyer in Cincinnati on Aug. 7, 2020, when Meyer drove away. Cincinnati Police officers attempted to stop Meyer when he fled, causing a police chase through Cincinnati and into Covington and Newport, Kentucky.

Local court documents detail that Meyer’s vehicle struck and killed a couple dining on the patio of Press on Monmouth in Newport, Kentucky. Two other pedestrians were struck and suffered minor injuries.

At the time of the chase, Meyer and Johnson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle.

Additional investigation tied Meyer and Johnson to Haskamp’s drug trafficking organization. Haskamp was Meyer’s source of supply of methamphetamine. Haskamp used at least five Cincinnati residences as stash houses to store and sell drugs. He also had others rent Airbnb locations and hotel rooms to further his drug trafficking. Haskamp had packages of drugs delivered to the Airbnb rental properties. Haskamp supplied drugs for redistribution in Cincinnati and Dayton via numerous co-defendants.

Haskamp faces a potential sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison. 

Others convicted in this case include:

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge and agencies with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force and Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force (DART) announced the convictions. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury convicted Sally Njume-Tatsing, 47, formerly of Pickerington, of Medicaid fraud. Njume-Tatsing was found guilty on all 13 counts as charged.

The verdict was announced following a trial that began on Sept. 9 before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.

According to court documents and trial testimony, in 2017, Njume-Tatsing owned and operated three home healthcare businesses named Labelle Home Health. The agencies were located in Reynoldsburg, Mt. Vernon and Parma.

Njume-Tatsing resided in California during the majority of the time she owned the businesses, and despite not being involved in Labelle’s daily operations, she did all of the Medicaid billing for nursing services.

While billing Medicaid for health aide services to individuals in their homes, the defendant inflated the hours of services provided, billed for registered nurses when licensed practical nurses completed the care, and billed for care for patients who were either deceased or ineligible to receive Medicaid.

Njume-Tatsing was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023 and charged with one count of health care fraud and 12 counts of making false health care statements.

Health care fraud is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and making false health care statements carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division announced the verdict returned on Sept. 16. Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth A. Affeldt and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Metzler of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office are representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – A federal jury has convicted a local fast-food chicken restaurant owner with tax crimes.

The verdict was announced today following a trial that began on Sept. 16 before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole.

Richard Bhoolai, 65, of Cincinnati, owned and operated Richie’s Fast Food Restaurants, Inc.

According to court documents and trial testimony, Bhoolai failed to pay over payroll taxes to the IRS during 2017 and 2018.

Bhoolai employed between 22 and 34 employees at the time. Bhoolai withheld federal taxes from employees’ paychecks but failed to transmit the funds to the IRS. Instead, Bhoolai spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for his personal benefit, including using business proceeds to engage in  more than $1 million of gambling activity.

Bhoolai was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023 with eight counts of willful failure to pay over employment taxes, a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; announced today’s verdict. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Trial Attorney Alexandra Fleszar from the Department of Justice’s Tax Division are representing the United States in this case.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former medical director at an Ohio health care system pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to possessing child pornography.

Garrett Norvell, 44, of Westerville, was charged by a bill of information and appeared in federal court this morning to enter his guilty plea.

According to court documents, in June 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an international investigation targeting offenders who used dark web sites and forums dedicated to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

HSI Boston and the FBI obtained information from Norvell’s IP address that showed that, in April 2019, Norvell had an account username and password for a website that offered child pornography of girls 4 to 14 years old.

At the time of the investigation, Norvell served as the medical director of OhioHealth in Ashland, Ohio. He previously worked as an emergency medicine physician at OhioHealth.

In February 2022, agents with HSI and the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a search warrant on Norvell’s person at the Emergency Care Center at OhioHealth in Ashland and seized his phone, laptop, tablet and a thumb drive. Less than a week later, Norvell was removed from all OhioHealth services and facilities and a State Medical Board of Ohio investigation was initiated. In March 2022, Norvell permanently surrendered his license to practice medicine in Ohio.

Forensic analysis of Norvell’s electronics revealed at least 18 files of child pornography, including “Pre-Teen Hard Core” content.

Norvell admitted had an addiction to child pornography and had been watching child pornography since he was approximately 21 years old. He said in interviews that the youngest victim he had viewed in a pornographic setting was an infant.

Norvell pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography of prepubescent minors, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Detroit; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Cincinnati; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; Stephanie Loucka, Executive Director of the Ohio State Medical Board; and other members of the Franklin County ICAC Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski and Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case.

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DAYTON, Ohio – Two Dayton men were sentenced in federal court here today to life in prison for their roles in the narcotics case that caused the 2019 death of Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio.

While attempting to prevent federal agents from seizing approximately half-a-million dollars in fentanyl and other drugs, Nathan Goddard, 44, murdered Det. DelRio. Goddard was sentenced today to life plus 10 years in prison.

Goddard was convicted of murder following a jury trial in March 2024. He and Cahke Cortner, 44, were also convicted of multiple narcotics and firearms charges. Cortner was sentenced today to life plus five years in prison.

“Every day DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers put their lives on the line to protect their communities against dangerous and violent drug traffickers who threaten the safety of the American people. On November 7, 2019, DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the city of Dayton,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.  “Today’s sentences mean these two defendants will never walk free or hurt an innocent person again. DEA is as committed as ever to continuing this fight against violent drug traffickers.  We do it in honor of TFO DelRio and all the other narcotics officers who have given their lives for the pursuit of justice.” 

“We stand with the DelRio family and our law enforcement partners, and we recognize that DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio sacrificed his life to protect this community. As was stated by Deputy Criminal Chief Tabacchi at today’s sentencing, Task Force Officer DelRio ‘was a son of the Dayton community – serving with dignity and selflessness.’ We will never forget his ultimate sacrifice,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “This case is a reminder that, as public servants, law enforcement officers do a dangerous job every day. Today’s sentences should also serve as a reminder to perpetrators of violent crime that we see these matters through to the end and we will hold you accountable.”

“The Dayton Police Department is pleased to see the sentences imposed against Nathan Goddard and Cahke Cortner in the tragic shooting of Detective Jorge DelRio,” said Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal. “They mark a significant step of closure for Detective DelRio's loved ones, our department, and our community. We extend our gratitude to the U.S. Attorney's Office for their diligent efforts throughout this case. It is imperative that those who inflict harm in our community are held accountable.”

“Every day, members of law enforcement put their lives on the line to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the public. Mr. Goddard’s actions resulted in the tragic loss of Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio. While this verdict does not bring him back, we hope his family and our community as a whole can find comfort in knowing that Mr. Goddard will spend the rest of his life in a federal prison,” said DEA Detroit Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene.

“While the FBI is pleased that Goddard and his accomplice will be held accountable for this murder, nothing can make up for the loss of Detective DelRio,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to mourn his death and honor his legacy of service and sacrifice.”

“These individuals are responsible for the death of Detective Jorge DelRio, who was working to keep our community safe from dangerous drug traffickers,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “As a Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer, Det. DelRio was a selfless hero who gave his all, and ultimately his life, to protect the citizens of this nation. ATF is honored to have played a role in holding to account those responsible for Det. DelRio’s sacrifice. I hope these sentences bring some measure of closure to the family of Det. DelRio and send a message to criminals that law enforcement will be relentless in our pursuit of justice.”

According to court documents and trial testimony, on Nov. 4, 2019, Goddard murdered Det. DelRio while Det. DelRio and others were executing a federal search warrant at 1454 Ruskin Road in Dayton.

During the execution of the search warrant, Det. DelRio and other officials announced themselves and entered the home at approximately 6:50pm. Det. DelRio descended the stairway to the basement of the residence, immediately came under gunfire from the basement, and was struck and killed.

As the government proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, from 2018 until November 2019, Goddard and Cortner participated in a narcotics conspiracy involving kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana.

The defendants kept firearms – including handguns fitted with laser sights – to protect the illegal drugs and their illicit proceeds. Goddard and Cortner acquired handguns on the black market referred to as “cop killers” because the firearms discharge bullets that can penetrate body armor. The defendants fitted these guns with high-capacity magazines.

In the residence they used, officials discovered 10 kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, 50 to 60 pounds of marijuana, and more than $55,000 in cash. As the government’s sentencing memorandum notes, the amount of fentanyl recovered from the basement represented millions of potential street sales of fentanyl – enough poison to cause the overdose of almost every person in the Miami Valley.

Goddard and Cortner were originally charged in this case on Nov. 6, 2019, and were charged by superseding indictment in July 2022.

Their co-defendant Lionel Combs III, 45, pleaded guilty just before the start of trial to maintaining a drug premises, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck, Jr. announced the sentences imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. U.S. Attorney Parker recognized the critical assistance of the Criminal Interdiction Team of Central Oklahoma (CITCO).

Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi, Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Christina E. Mahy, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claypoole from the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office are representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in U.S. District today to 120 months in prison for crimes related to trafficking fentanyl and laundering the proceeds.

Nathaniel Williams, 45, possessed with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and committed money laundering.

According to court documents, in August 2023, Williams told an undercover agent that he had bulk amounts of cash from trafficking fentanyl and was looking for ways to transfer the money into the banking system.

Williams provided cash from his narcotics sales to the undercover agent, who then wired $15,120 of the funds into Williams’s bank account via a wire transfer. Williams withdrew $10,000 of the funds in cash a few days later.

On Oct. 18, 2023, agents discovered more than $44,000 in cash at Williams’s residence while executing a search warrant. Officials also recovered approximately 527 grams of fentanyl and fentanyl mixtures in a secret furniture compartment.

Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023 and pleaded guilty in March 2024.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case, which was investigated by IRS-CI and the Cincinnati Police Department Narcotics Unit.

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

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CINCINNATI – The former executive director of the Clermont Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal program theft.

Timothy Holland, 57, of Williamsburg, Ohio, admitted to stealing tens of thousands of dollars intended to assist low-income residents of Clermont County, Ohio.

According to court documents, Holland served from 2012 until 2019 as the executive director for CMHA, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recognized public housing authority for Clermont. CMHA received more than $5.9 million in annual federal funds in both 2018 and 2019 to operate and maintain public housing units as well as provide housing assistance to low-income families and individuals.

From at least 2016 until 2019, Holland caused a loss of at least $86,929. For example, in 2018, Holland used the CMHA credit card for purchases for himself totaling more than $9,500 at Amazon, Sirius Radio, LL Bean, Home Depot and elsewhere. The next year, he used the CMHA credit card for more than $25,000 of retail purchases for himself. Holland used the CMHA vehicle for non-business trips to Canada, using the CMHA credit card to pay for gas and hotels. In addition, Holland used CMHA funds to pay contractors for work done on his home and furnish an office ostensibly for CMHA’s nonprofit arm. His fraudulently funded “man cave” included a $900 game table from Amazon, a 65” TV and high-end furnishings, all paid for using CMHA funds.

“The defendant’s selfish and fraudulent actions not only put vital federal programs at risk, but also jeopardized the availability of HUD-assisted housing for those in our most vulnerable communities who rely on housing assistance programs,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who seek to profit by abusing HUD-funded programs.”

Holland’s plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of three months to 12 months and one day in prison. As part of his conviction, Holland has agreed to pay nearly $87,000 in restitution to CMHA.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Shawn Rice, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Auditor Keith Faber announced the guilty plea entered before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to a crime related to the illegal straw purchases of at least 21 firearms.

Timothy Moorman, Jr., 32, pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a federal firearm form.

Moorman admitted he bought firearms at Cincinnati-area federal firearms licensees and then provided those firearms to co-conspirators the same day or within a few days.

According to court documents, the individuals to whom Moorman provided the firearms immediately trafficked them outside of Ohio. For example, at least nine firearms were recovered in connection with a crime in Canada less than two weeks after Moorman bought them. Two others were traced to crimes in Canada and Detroit within two months of purchase.

Court documents detail that in September and October 2023, Moorman purchased firearms at Bass Pro Shops, Range USA – Cincy West, Range USA – Blue Ash, Target World and North College Hill Gun Store.

Moorman falsely indicated on the required firearms forms that the firearms were for himself and no one else, when in fact he was acting as a straw purchaser.

The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.

Making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – Two Cincinnati men were sentenced in federal court here today to decades in prison for crimes involving the murder of the owner of Madeira Beverage in February 2021 and multiple armed robberies.

Willie James Attaway, 33, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for murdering Roop C. Gupta and committing or attempting four other armed robberies on Feb. 8 and Feb. 9, 2021.

During the two-day crime spree, Attaway brandished a firearm to rob or attempt to rob:

• Feb. 8 – Shell on S. Mason Montgomery Road in Deerfield Township,
• Feb. 8 – Shell on Dixie Highway in Hamilton, Ohio,
• Feb. 9 – Madeira Beverage on Kenwood Road in Madeira, Ohio,
• Feb. 9 – Sunoco on Kenwood Road in Blue Ash, Ohio, and
• Feb. 9 – Marathon on North Broadway in Lebanon, Ohio. 

At the first robbery, Attaway brandished a firearm at the two clerks and demanded that they empty the cash registers, which they did.

Later that night, at a second Shell gas station, Attaway brandished a firearm and said he was not afraid to shoot the clerk. The clerk gave Attaway money from the cash register.

The next day, Feb. 9, 2021, Attaway entered Madeira Beverage and confronted the store’s owner, Roop Gupta, who was working behind the counter. Attaway pointed a firearm at Gupta, and during the ensuing struggle he shot Gupta one time in the left abdomen. Gupta was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Later that evening, Attaway entered the Sonoco in Blue Ash, brandished a firearm, and demanded that the clerk give up the money in the cash register, which the clerk did.

During the final robbery on Feb. 9, Attaway pointed a firearm at the Marathon clerk and said, “Give me what you got.” The clerk reached under the counter, pretending he had a firearm, causing Attaway to flee.

The second defendant, Lamond Johnson, 38, who served as Attaway’s driver during the robberies, was sentenced today to 23 years in prison. Johnson previously pleaded guilty to three counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of attempted robbery.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); announced the sentences imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie D. Garcia and Kyle J. Healey are representing the United States in this case.

The investigation was jointly conducted by ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Madeira Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Cincinnati, Lebanon, Blue Ash and Hamilton police departments, and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office.

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DAYTON, Ohio – Marvin Brown, Jr., 20, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison for assaulting a postal carrier and using a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to court documents, Brown assaulted a mail carrier in December 2023. He and a co-defendant drove around a Dayton neighborhood on Dec. 18, 2023, looking for a mail carrier to rob. Upon finding a postal worker, Brown approached the victim and brandished a handgun at him, demanding his mail bag. Brown discharged the firearm at least twice into victim’s postal vehicle. Brown and the co-defendant sped away with the mail bag and mail contained within it.

Brown was charged federally in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in June 2024.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi is representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – A federal jury has found a former Cincinnati woman guilty on all counts as charged of crimes related to pandemic relief fraud.

Lashawnda Alexander, 40, currently of Katy, Texas, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud.

The verdict was announced following a trial that took place Aug. 26 to Aug. 30 before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland.

According to court documents and trial testimony, in June 2020, Alexander submitted several fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications.

Specifically, on June 23, 2020, Alexander applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for business “Lashawnda Alexander.” Alexander stated in the application that the business employed 10 employees and had $125,000 in gross revenue in the year prior to January 31, 2020.  Minutes later using the same device another application was submitted in the name of a family member claiming that the business employed 10 employees and had $120,000 in gross revenue.

The next day, on June 24, 2020, Alexander applied for an EIDL for business “TressD LLC,” a hair and nail salon that she said employed 15 employees and made gross revenue of $175,000 during the prior year.

In total, Alexander attempted to obtain at least $137,500 and ultimately received $91,000 in EIDL funds. Alexander’s applications contradicted her 2019 tax return. 

In the following months, Alexander bought a Mercedes Benz SUV and moved to Texas all while continuing to collect pandemic unemployment assistance from the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.

Alexander was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2022.

Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Yvonne Dicristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Anthony Springer are representing the United States in this case. The case was investigated by members of the Financial Crimes Working Group Pandemic Fraud Committee.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Terrael A. Alls, 29, of Columbus, was sentenced in federal court here today to 300 months in prison for sex trafficking and use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of racketeering.

According to court documents, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force first received a tip about Alls in February of 2022. Alls provided a business card advertising a modeling agency to a woman when she was staying at the Red Roof Inn on Renner Road in Columbus. The woman found the interaction suspicious and called law enforcement. The business card was for a company called Elite Diamond Studios and the advertised phone numbers were ultimately linked to Alls and various online sex escort advertisements.

Alls, who is also known as “Rell” and “Ace,” recruited women under the guise of modeling for him as a photographer. He lured them in with promises of being “star players” who, as part of his team, would work with his marketing and advertising agency. In reality, Alls served as a manager for his victims, advertising them for sexual escort services on various websites and often filming their sexual exploitation.

Alls controlled some of his victims with drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, then later used their drug dependency against them to continue profiting from their sexual exploitation. For other victims, Alls controlled them with physical violence and threats. He fired a gun near one victim’s head and threatened to pistol-whip her, punched the victims and slammed them onto tables.

The defendant’s laptop had more than 42,000 sexually explicit images, videos and advertisements, including images and videos of the victims identified in this case. Alls used many of those videos to continue to earn money from the exploitation of his victims and revictimize them in the process.

Alls was arrested in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in February 2024.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.

The case was investigated by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and includes resources from the Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, The Ohio State University Police Department, Marysville Division of Police, Salvation Army, Southeast Healthcare, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local attorney pleaded guilty in federal court here today to receiving and possessing child pornography.

The plea agreement for Stephen Chinn, 40, of Columbus, includes a recommended sentence of 60 to 108 months in prison.

According to court documents, in May 2023, Chinn uploaded child pornography to the internet that depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct including sex acts with adults and animals. These uploads were flagged by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

When investigators executed a search warrant in August 2023 at Chinn’s Grandview Heights residence, they discovered a desktop computer containing more than 4,000 child sexual abuse images.

In addition, a forensic analysis of Chinn’s computer revealed he had downloaded and saved other child sexual abuse material in August 2023. The material included prepubescent children engaged in bestiality and sexual intercourse with adults, as well as minor victims subjected to sadistic and masochistic abuse. Forensic data revealed that much of this content was downloaded from a Russian social media site known to be used for the download and exchange of child sexual abuse material.

At the time, Chinn was employed as a public defender in Franklin County.

Chinn was initially arrested charged locally with Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor and Pandering Obscenity. Chinn was released on bond in that matter. He was charged federally in September 2023, and the federal indictment superseded the charges in his local case.

The case was investigated by the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Grandview Heights Police Chief Ryan Starns; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack announced the guilty plea entered today. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus police officer pleaded guilty in federal court here today to crimes involving more than 10 kilograms of cocaine and money laundering.

Joel M. Mefford, 35, of London, Ohio, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, one count of possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and one count of money laundering.

According to court documents, Mefford was a Columbus police officer assigned to investigate drug crimes. On three occasions between February and April 2020, Mefford worked with another officer to steal and traffic cocaine.

In February 2020, Mefford and the other officer were investigating a drug crime and unlawfully gained access to a detached garage belonging to the subject of the investigation. Without a warrant, they entered the garage and discovered two kilograms of cocaine in the rafters. They unlawfully seized one of the kilograms and left the other to be found during the execution of a search warrant the next morning. The other officer gave the stolen narcotics to another individual to sell.

Similarly, in February and March 2020, Mefford and the other officer were investigating drug-trafficking activity at houses on Ambleside Drive and Kilbourne Avenue in Columbus. On March 7, 2020, the officers took a bag containing multiple kilograms of cocaine from the house on Ambleside Drive and arrested an individual there. They then traveled to the house on Kilbourne Avenue and removed a kilogram of cocaine. That same day, Mefford turned in one kilogram of cocaine to evidence, and the officers stole the other kilograms to be sold.

In April 2020, Mefford and the other officer stole between 10 and 20 kilograms of cocaine from the Columbus police property room and replaced it with fake cocaine. Mefford transported the stolen cocaine in a police cruiser and the other officer later gave the drugs to another individual to sell. The drug proceeds were then given to the other officer, who provided Mefford his cut. Mefford personally received a total of approximately $130,000 from cocaine sales.

Mefford deposited more than $72,000 of the cash derived from the cocaine sales into his personal bank account.

Possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine carries a potential penalty of five to 40 years in prison. Money laundering is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.

Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of Police.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 280 months in prison for two counts of kidnapping a minor.

Nalah T. Jackson, 26, kidnapped two infants in December 2022 and traveled interstate with one of them.

“Jackson left one five-month-old twin baby alone and strapped in a car seat in an airport parking lot in subzero temperatures. Then, she left the other twin baby strapped in his car seat in an abandoned vehicle in another state. Even if her crime had started as a crime of opportunity to steal a running vehicle, Jackson’s blatant disregard for the lives of two helpless infants is heinous,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Today’s sentence represents the serious and significant nature of harm Jackson caused to these children and our community.”

According to court documents, close to 10pm on the night of Dec. 19, Jackson walked out of Donatos Pizza on North High Street in Columbus and drove away in a black Honda Accord that had been left running in the parking lot. Two twin five-month-old infants were buckled in the back seat. The infants’ mother was inside Donatos to pick up a delivery order at the time.

Over the next several hours, Jackson drove from Columbus to Dayton and to various other locations in central and western Ohio.

Jackson arrived at the Dayton International Airport close to 3am. She parked in an economy lot and left the infants in the car while she entered the airport. Jackson attempted to hire an Uber to find the stolen car in the economy lot, but could not pay, and ultimately found the stolen car on foot. After finding the vehicle, Jackson left one of the infants in the parking lot at approximately 4am. A passerby parking their vehicle saw the baby in his car seat wrapped in a quilt between two vehicles and alerted security.

After Jackson left the Dayton International Airport parking lot at high speeds, she traveled to Indianapolis with the second baby still in the vehicle.

She arrived at a Papa Johns Pizza on Indiana Avenue near the university district at approximately 8am on Dec. 20, and exited the stolen car on foot. She never returned to the vehicle, leaving the second baby strapped in his car seat in the back seat of the car.

The baby remained strapped in the car seat for the next two-and-a-half-days while family members, concerned citizens and law enforcement officers continued to search for him.

By happenstance, an Indianapolis woman encountered Jackson after she abandoned the stolen vehicle on Dec. 20. Jackson was selling stolen merchandise outside of a local gas station. The woman gave Jackson a ride to a nearby shopping plaza and gave Jackson her cell phone number in case Jackson came across any more holiday gifts for resale.

That night, the woman noticed several social media posts regarding the kidnapping and recognized Jackson as the alleged kidnapper. The woman called her cousin, and together they formulated a plan to meet up with Jackson to confirm her identity, recover the infant if possible and lead Jackson to law enforcement.

On Dec. 22, the women met up with Jackson, whom they traced to a local residence through a phone number Jackson had previously used to call one of them. The women confirmed that Jackson was the same person identified as the kidnapping suspect and drove her to several shopping centers in Indianapolis, all-the-while surreptitiously attempting to contact law enforcement in Columbus and Indianapolis.

Eventually, one of the women was able to route local law enforcement to their vehicle over the phone by pretending that she was speaking with her boyfriend and providing updates on her location. The women tried to signal to Indianapolis police that Jackson was the kidnapping suspect, and eventually told officers when they were removed from Jackson’s immediate presence.  Jackson provided a false name and another individual’s identification card to the officers. After some time, the officers confirmed Jackson’s identity and arrested her for kidnapping. After the arrest, they let the two women go without interviewing them about their time spent with Jackson.

The two women decided to continue searching for the missing infant. They discovered a bus schedule that Jackson left behind in the backseat of their vehicle and decided to focus their search on a bus route near the university district.

While driving around searching that area to no avail, and with driving conditions worsening quickly due to an impending snowstorm, the women decided to get something to eat before heading home. As they were pulling into a Blaze Pizza, they noticed a black Honda Accord at the nearby Papa Johns and noticed snow had already accumulated on the car.

They drove up to the stolen car and attempted to open the back door, which was locked. The driver’s door did open. Due to an overwhelming foul smell coming from the car, and the silence of the baby, one of the women screamed, assuming the baby was deceased. Upon hearing the scream, the baby alerted and began crying. One of the women removed the baby from his car seat and began comforting him.

The women then noticed an empty Indianapolis police cruiser parked nearby and began looking for officers, who they found on their lunch break inside the Blaze Pizza. Indianapolis police then relocated to Papa Johns Pizza and took custody of the baby, taking him to a local hospital. The infant was treated for dehydration, heart abnormalities due to the dehydration, extreme diaper rash and skin deterioration due to him being buckled in a car seat for three days while sitting in his own excrement.

Jackson was charged federally in January 2023.

U.S. Attorney Parker acknowledged the numerous law enforcement agencies who have assisted in this case, including FBI offices in Columbus, Dayton and Indianapolis; the Columbus, Dayton, Huber Heights, Riverside, Vandalia, Dayton International Airport and Indianapolis police departments; the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; Ohio State Highway Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service’s Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST).

Assistant United States Attorneys Emily K. Czerniejewski and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison for laundering money for online romance scammers.

Pamela Moore, 65, admitted in her guilty plea in February 2024 that she laundered more than $8 million in scam proceeds.

According to court documents, between 2020 and 2023, Moore’s personal and business bank accounts with multiple banks received more than $8 million in criminally derived funds. Moore personally received approximately $1.7 million of the funds, which she used or converted to Bitcoin at the direction of the scammers.

For example, Moore maintained multiple business bank accounts for PSM Custom Designs and Jewelries and used the purported jewelry business accounts solely for money laundering. 

As part of her sentence, Moore will pay $1,680,900 in restitution.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Yvonne Dicristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service; announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Ryan A. Keefe represented the United States in this case.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted two members of the Third World Mob gang with conspiring to traffic more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana. Third World Mob is a violent criminal organization in Columbus.

After an 8-day trial before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., jurors deliberated for less than six hours before finding Klegewerges Abate, 35, and Abubakarr Savage, 34, both of Columbus, guilty on all counts.

Abate, who is also known as “Bells,” “Robell” and “Sosa,” was convicted of conspiring to traffic at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, firearms offenses, and wire fraud related to illegally obtaining COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.

Savage was charged with and convicted of conspiring to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Savage is also known as “Sav” and “Savdripp.”

According to court documents and trial testimony, Third World Mob members brought hundreds of pounds of marijuana into Ohio from other states like California and Georgia to sell in central Ohio. They used U-Haul trucks and rental cars to move the drugs.  Coconspirators used rental houses or houses leased or owned in other individuals’ names as “stash houses” or “trap houses” to facilitate the drug trafficking and to store significant amounts of cash from the drug proceeds.

For example, in August 2019, Abate and others possessed a suitcase with approximately $940,000 in cash in it in a house on Phlox Avenue in Blacklick.

During a November 2022 search of a residence on Chapel Stone Road in Blacklick, law enforcement officials found Abate and two of his co-conspirators, along with more than 700 kilograms of marijuana and three firearms.

Third World Mob leaders and members used violence and the threat of violence to maintain authority over their drug trafficking.

Surveillance video presented at trial showed Abate, a convicted felon, shooting a man at a restaurant in Columbus. Jurors also heard testimony about numerous shootings, a pistol-whipping, and other acts of intimidation.

Abate was also convicted of wire fraud for falsely applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, fraudulently claiming that he had been a self-employed landscaper during the time he trafficked drugs.

In total, seven members of the Third World Mob have been charged federally since 2021. Fellow member Menelik Solomon pleaded guilty in November 2023 and was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison. Coconspirator Teddy Asefa entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and wire fraud just prior to trial. Another defendant stood trial with Abate and Savage and was acquitted of the single obstruction of justice charge against him.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the verdict. U.S. Attorney Parker recognized the assistance from the Columbus, Whitehall and Tucson, Arizona, police departments and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and S. Courter Shimeall represented the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – Three more people have pleaded guilty in connection with a conspiracy to buy firearms online using stolen credit card information, and having the weapons shipped to Cincinnati-area federal firearms licensees (FFLs) for pickup.

Members of the conspiracy falsely claimed on federal forms that they were buying the firearms for themselves, when in fact they were picking up at least some of the firearms for the co-conspirators who had placed the fraudulent online orders. This illegal practice is known as straw purchasing.

Roderico “Rico” Allen, 27, pleaded guilty today to charges of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, in the spring of 2022, Allen attempted to place dozens of online orders for handguns using stolen credit card information. He placed all the orders in the names of other individuals whom he had recruited to pick up the weapons for him. Fraud prevention systems stopped some of the orders, but Allen and his co-conspirators completed the sale of at least six of the firearms. Three others charged along with Allen have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Nehamiah Jones, 24, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 to using stolen credit card information during the spring of 2022 to purchase nine handguns from online retailers for shipment to, and pickup from, Cincinnati-area FFLs. He successfully completed the purchase of three of the pistols ordered in his own name, but the FFLs denied the transfer of six other firearms he had ordered in the name of a co-conspirator. Jones also pleaded guilty to submitting a fraudulent application for a pandemic-related Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in 2021, falsely claiming that he owned a business called “massage on air,” when in fact no such business existed.

Aneesah Williams, 28, pleaded guilty today to one count of making false statement during the purchase of a firearm. According to court documents, Williams successfully obtained eight firearms in illegal straw purchases and attempted to obtain three others.

Williams and Jones were charged along with four others in April 2023. One co-defendant, Zephaniah Jones, has been sentenced to 79 months in prison.

Making false statements during the purchase of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. A conviction for aggravated identity theft requires a mandatory two-year prison term in addition to any other sentences imposed. Making false statements to an agency of the United States is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Jared Murphy, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office; Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge; and Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey announced the pleas entered before U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia and Danielle Margeaux are representing the United States in these cases.

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CINCINNATI – A member of a Russian cybercrime group has been charged federally and appeared in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati today.

A federal grand jury indicted Deniss Zolotarjovs, 33, of Moscow, Russia, charging him with conspiring to commit money laundering, wire fraud and Hobbs Act extortion.

He was arrested by law enforcement in the country of Georgia in December 2023 and has remained in custody since. Georgia extradited Zolotarjovs to the United States this month.

According to court documents, Zolotarjovs is a member of a known cybercriminal organization that attacks computer systems of victims around the world. Among other things, the Russian cybercrime group steals victim data and threatens to release it unless the victim pays ransom in cryptocurrency. The group maintains a leaks and auction website that lists victim companies and offers stolen data for download.

It is alleged that Zolotarjovs was an active member of the Russian cybercrime group, communicating with other members, laundering cryptocurrency received from victims, and extorting victims. Zolotarjovs is the first alleged group member to be arrested and extradited to the United States.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges. U.S. Attorney Parker and SAC Iatarola commend the FBI offices in Cleveland, San Diego, Richmond and Salt Lake City for their vital roles in the investigation and officials in Georgia for their role in the extradition. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney Painter is representing the United States in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Zolotarjovs’s extradition from Georgia.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in federal court here today to 162 months in prison for sex trafficking a missing teen girl.

As part of his conviction, Payton Jamar Brown, 26, was ordered to pay nearly $58,000 in restitution to the minor victim and forfeit his home on Niagara Street in Cincinnati. Proceeds of the sale of his forfeited home will be paid to Brown’s victim as restitution.

According to court documents, from June until October 2022 and again in February 2023, Brown sex trafficked the teenaged girl.

Brown met the victim online and began a relationship with her. The victim began to reside with Brown, who created prostitution advertisements of her. Brown would transport the victim to hotels for prostitution dates that he had arranged. Brown arranged at least 40 prostitution dates in this timeframe and collected the proceeds from the victim.

In October 2022, Colerain police officers responded to Brown’s residence and recovered the victim, who was subsequently taken to a juvenile facility in another state.

In February 2023, the juvenile escaped the facility and messaged Brown on Instagram to pick her up. Brown drove interstate to pick up the victim and her friend and bring them to his residence. Brown again created a prostitution advertisement of the victim and arranged sexual encounters with other men for money.

Throughout his time with the victim, Brown would regularly engage in sex acts with the minor and record those acts with a cell phone. He would then sell the photos and videos to others online.

Brown was arrested by the FBI in February 2023. He pleaded guilty in October 2023.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III; and members of the Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations (RECI) task force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.

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The Justice Department announced today that Kevin Martin, an owner and manager of residential rental properties in and around Athens, Ohio, has agreed to pay $170,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed female tenants and housing applicants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, alleges that, from at least 2010 to at least 2020, Martin requested sex acts from female tenants and applicants; subjected female tenants and applicants to unwelcome sexual touching; made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to female tenants and applicants; demanded that female tenants engage in sex acts with him in order not to lose housing and offered to reduce rent or excuse late or unpaid rent in exchange for sex acts. The lawsuit also alleges that Martin initiated evictions or threatened to evict female tenants who objected to or refused his sexual advances. The lawsuit is the result of a joint investigative effort with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG).

“Every person in our country has the right to seek and obtain safe and affordable housing without being subjected to sexual harassment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “For over a decade, this landlord sexually harassed and degraded women who were simply seeking the stability and safety that comes with having a roof over your head. The Justice Department will continue to hold landlords accountable when they target and exploit vulnerable tenants and applicants.”

“Fair housing is fundamental and this office will continue to work to enforce the protections guaranteed by the Fair Housing Act,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “No one should have to experience sexual harassment by their landlord.”

“We will not tolerate landlords threating or committing sexual harassment or abuse against tenants. Every person deserves to feel safe in their home,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of HUD. “The allegations against the defendant include initiating evictions or threatening female tenants with the loss of their housing if they didn’t comply with his advances. Victims should not hesitate to report such harassment and abuse to law enforcement authorities. HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to hold housing providers accountable for this type of horrible conduct.”

Under the consent decree, which still must be approved by the district court, Martin has agreed to pay $165,000 to former female tenants and applicants harmed by his harassment and a $5,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent decree permanently bars Martin from managing residential rental properties, requires him to retain a property manager for properties he continues to own, and mandates training and the adoption of policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. It also prohibits sexual harassment, a form of sex discrimination. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of sexual harassment in housing may contact the Justice Department by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s  Civil Rights Tipline at 513 684-2055, emailing usaohs.civilrights@usdoj.gov or completing a Civil Rights referral form at www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/file/1513341/download.

Reports may also be made to HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.

The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 45 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $17 million for victims of such harassment.

CINCINNATI – The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction and 20-year sentence imposed against the first Chinese government intelligence officer ever to be extradited to the United States to stand trial.

Yanjun Xu was convicted by a federal jury in Cincinnati in November 2021 on all counts: conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, attempted economic espionage and attempted trade secret theft. He was sentenced in November 2022 to 20 years in prison.

“A jury declared at the end of Xu’s trial that the government had proven him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Now, the appellate court has upheld those decisions,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “This office will continue to pursue justice at every stage of a case.”

The government proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that Xu targeted American aviation companies, recruited employees to travel to China, and solicited their proprietary information, all on behalf of China. Xu was a career intelligence officer, beginning in 2003 and rising to the rank of deputy division director at the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), the intelligence and security agency for China.

On appeal, Xu claimed that the District Court should have granted his motion to dismiss the indictment, that that the District Court erred in allowing expert testimony related to his intent to obtain trade secrets, and that the Court improperly calculated his sentencing guidelines.

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Xu’s arguments and affirmed the District Court’s judgment, upholding Xu’s conviction and 20-year prison sentence.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the appellate decision.

Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Koller represented the United States on appeal. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan, Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter, and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie from the Department of Justice’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

U.S. Attorney Parker commended the integral cooperation of GE Aviation throughout the investigation and subsequent prosecution, as well as the DOJ Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Illinois and the District of Arizona.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 324 months in prison for crimes related to sexually exploiting and sextorting more than 25 known victims in at least four states.

Lorenzo A. Winfield, 23, persistently and aggressively sought out and collected nude files of high school classmates and minor females he met online.

“Acts of sextortion are serious and have no place in our society. As we heard in court today from more than a dozen victims, this conduct creates significant harm,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Today’s sentencing reflects that we will hold such perpetrators accountable for their damaging actions.”

According to court documents, from at least 2016 until 2021, Winfield used extortion tactics to solicit and collect explicit photos of underage girls at his Columbus high school, the Arts and College Preparatory Academy (ACPA), where he was known as the “ACPA Hacker”.

Winfield would contact students at ACPA and demand nude images and videos of them.  He would also hack into victims’ social media accounts and use the photos he obtained in their private accounts against them as leverage for more content.  Winfield would threaten the victims, letting them know he had nude content depicting them or other students and that he would distribute those images and videos unless the victims complied with his demands. On numerous occasions, Winfield followed through on these threats, distributing sexually explicit photos of his victims to others to prove he was serious with his threats in a bid to contain more content. In addition, Winfield told the victims to send him sexually explicit images or videos in order to regain control of their own social media accounts.

Winfield used several social media accounts of his own to engage in the exploitation and extortion of the victims. His accounts were active across platforms such as Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype and Google Hangouts.

Winfield was separately investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office for extorting and exploiting at least four victims in Fairfax and Prince William counties in Virginia.

For example, one identified victim was approximately 11 years old at the time Winfield first contacted her online. During their communications, Winfield obtained nude images of her and videos of her masturbating. Winfield used this content as leverage and eventually sent nude photos of the victim to students at a Virginia middle school to prove he was serious about his sextortion of her. Eventually, as the victim got older, Winfield also sent the images to students at her high school, promising the victim that if she got her friends to help her out by sending him nude images, that he would stop. Winfield threatened to harm the family of the Virginia minor if she did not comply with his requests for sexually explicit photos and videos and continued to exploit and extort her until his arrest.

Similarly, Winfield exploited at least one victim in College Station, Texas. The investigation revealed that the Texas victim sent approximately 50 pictures and videos to Winfield. Winfield demanded explicit images and videos of her daily. On one occasion, when the victim did not comply with Winfield’s demands, Winfield sent images of the victim’s nude breasts and vagina to the victim’s brother and friend. 

The defendant pleaded guilty in December 2023 to sexually exploiting minors, possessing child pornography, and communicating interstate with the intent to extort.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. U.S. Attorney Parker and Special Agent in Charge Iatarola commended the cooperative investigation in this case with FBI divisions and state and local law enforcement agencies in Ohio, Virginia and Texas. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – Lamarion Gray, 19, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to seven and one-half years in prison for the armed robbery of a United States postal carrier last summer. Gray is one of more than a dozen defendants charged in the Southern District of Ohio since 2022 with crimes related to postal robberies.

Court documents say Gray approached a letter carrier delivering mail on foot on the afternoon of July 12, 2023. Gray brandished a firearm, pointed it at the letter carrier, and demanded that she turn over her keys. After the letter carrier gave Gray the keys, Gray fled on foot. Inspectors canvassed the neighborhood, talked with neighbors, and found surveillance footage showing Gray going into his girlfriend’s residence.

Inspectors executed a search warrant at Gray’s residence. They recovered large amounts of stolen mail, including many stolen checks. Gray pleaded guilty on March 1, 2024, to one count of robbery of U.S. property.

“This case is part of a series of mail thefts and bank frauds that have victimized the Greater Cincinnati area over the past few years,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Armed assault on a postal worker has a significant, negative impact on all letter carriers, and eventually on everyone in the community who relies on the U.S. Postal Service.”

Gray’s sentence includes five years of supervised release after he completes his time in prison, and $14,176 in restitution to the victim.

Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; and Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III joined Mr. Parker in announcing the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI - A 44-year-old Cincinnati man, Mark A. Altherr, was arrested by FBI agents on Friday, July 26, and charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and arrest warrant alleges that investigators found more than 262 posts Altherr made on a child pornography website over the past three years. Some of the posts included images that appeared to be minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The victims were alleged to be between the ages of five and 12. Altherr is a fitness education teacher in the Oak Hills Local School District.

“Investigators are now working to identify all of the victims in this case,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Our office and the FBI encourage anyone who might have information about victims to report it to the FBI’s victim resource page listed below.”

“The FBI is always working to protect children in our community,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “As we continue to investigate this matter, we appreciate the support of the public in coming forward with any information they may have about potentially inappropriate actions of Mr. Altherr.” 

Anyone who may have information about this case or who believes they may be a victim is encouraged to visit www.fbi.gov/MarkAltherrVictims and complete the short online form.

Altherr appeared in federal court in Cincinnati on July 29, 2024. He was temporarily detained. A detention hearing is set for August 1, 2024.

Distribution of child pornography is punishable by at least five years and up to 20 years in prison. Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Assistant United States Attorneys Danielle Margeaux and Kyle Healey are representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus woman admitted in U.S. District Court here today that she illegally bought two handguns for an individual who was not allowed to have firearms, a process known as straw purchasing.

Connie Bartley, 41, of Columbus pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.

Court documents say Bartley attended a gun show in Columbus in February 2021 with an acquaintance who had a felony conviction on his criminal record. He picked out two firearms. She filled out the ATF forms indicating that the firearms were for her and bought them. She then gave the guns to him, and he paid her for them. Investigators recovered the firearms three months later when they searched the man’s apartment as part of a federal investigation.

“Don’t lie for the other guy or you’ll find yourself facing harsh consequences,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Keeping firearms out of the hands of people who are not allowed to possess them is vital to reducing violence in our communities.”

Making false statements during the purchase of a firearm is punishable by up to ten years in prison. The court will determine an appropriate sentence under federal sentencing guidelines.

Mr. Parker was joined by Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) in announcing the plea entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.

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An Ohio man was sentenced today for threatening to destroy a reproductive health services facility in Columbus, Ohio, and for conspiring to commit money laundering.

Mohamed Waes, 33, was sentenced to 66 months in prison, three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $273,982.08 in restitution.

“This defendant threatened to burn down a reproductive health clinic in order to intimidate its employees from providing care to patients,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Using threats of violence to obstruct access to reproductive health care is simply unlawful. The Justice Department will continue to protect both patients seeking reproductive health services and providers offering those services, wherever and whenever these criminal violations occur.”  

“Threats of violence against healthcare providers and deception against our financial system are acts that must be punished in our courts of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “We will continue our unified vigilance against such actions and remain prepared to hold accountable those who commit them.”

“IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) enforces the nation's tax laws, but also takes particular interest in cases where someone, for their own personal benefit, has taken what belonged to others. With both law enforcement and financial investigation expertise, our agents are uniquely qualified to assist state and federal law agencies with these types of cases by following the money,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS-CI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a reminder that there are real and damaging consequences for not only stealing money from small businesses, the lifeblood of the American economy, but also trying to hide the proceeds of the crime.”

Waes pleaded guilty on Feb. 9 to a misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits a person from intentionally interfering with or intimidating any person because that person is providing reproductive health services, and to a felony charge of communicating interstate threats. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2022, Waes intentionally interfered with and intimidated employees of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio by threatening over the phone to burn down their building because they were providing reproductive health services.

Waes also previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, Waes attempted to launder a total of $1,972,792.84 in business email compromise fraud schemes proceeds, of which he successfully laundered $273,982.08. As part of this conspiracy, scammers created fake email domains which mimicked legitimate email domains and then sent emails to various companies impersonating vendors and asking that payments be made on actual invoices to bank accounts controlled by Waes and others.

The FBI Cincinnati Field Office and IRS-CI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Rausch and Peter K. Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Columbus man and his Arizona supplier have each pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl in Columbus in 2023.

Court documents say Ontario M. Yarbrough, 26, of Columbus operated a drug house in the city’s Hilltop area. Between April and October 2023, Yarbrough received and accepted five packages and tracked at least 13 packages from Arizona to the Columbus area. At least two packages were opened and each contained fentanyl. The packages were mailed from Arizona by Jose Ruben Leyva, 46, of Buckeye, Arizona, and other co-conspirators. Yarbrough accepted the parcels at various locations in the city.

Investigators executed a search warrant at Yarbrough’s house after he received one of the packages. They found that the package contained almost 500 grams of fentanyl. They also seized ten other bags of white powder, two firearms and ammunition, cash and drug trafficking material from the house. A search warrant executed days later at Leyva’s Arizona house recovered pills and powder containing fentanyl, packaging and mailing materials, other drug paraphernalia and cash.

Leyva pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Yarbrough pleaded guilty on June 13 to the same crime. The crime is punishable by at least ten years and up to life in prison. The court will determine an appropriate sentence and schedule a sentencing hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and officials with the Ohio HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) announced the plea entered before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Arturo Navarrete-Juarez, 29, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to sexually exploiting a minor.

Navarrete-Juarez faces a potential sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison.

According to court documents, between October 2021 and December 2022, Navarrete-Juarez sexually abused at least one minor and created child pornography of the abuse. Specifically, the defendant raped a 6-year-old girl.

In March of 2023, the FBI investigated child sexual abuse material on a Tor network that featured Navarrete-Juarez. The defendant’s face was visible in the videos. Investigators also linked Navarrete-Juarez’s identity to the videos by distinctive tattoos on his hands, arms and chest and by the apartment depicted in the background of the videos.

Navarrete-Juarez was charged federally by a criminal complaint in March 2023. He will be sentenced at a future hearing. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rausch and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to crimes related to armed robberies of United States postal carriers.

Anthony J. “A.J.” Williams, 20, admitted to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, committing aggravated robbery of United States property and conspiring to commit an offense against the United States.

Williams’s plea includes a recommended sentence of 84 to 108 months in prison.

According to court documents, on Nov. 9, 2022, Williams committed an armed robbery of a USPS letter carrier who was delivering mail on Michigan Ave. in Columbus. The postal carrier was delivering mail to an apartment complex’s “cluster box” at the time.

After borrowing a Glock19 from one co-conspirator and being driven by another co-conspirator, Williams approached the mail carrier and brandished the handgun directly at the victim. Williams demanded the victim’s postal keys and then yanked the postal keys off of the carrier’s belt.

Williams sent photos of the stolen key to another co-conspirator who was orchestrating the robbery.

The defendant also worked with that same co-conspirator to plan a postal robbery for Christmas Eve 2022 and repeatedly “fished” for stolen mail with stolen postal keys.

Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested in January 2024.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Fairfield County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 100 months in prison for crimes related to child pornography and sextortion.

Devin Bailey, 27, of Millersport, Ohio, distributed child pornography of a minor victim and used those images, in addition to others, in interstate communications to extort an adult victim for images of herself.

According to court documents, Bailey used multiple personas online to solicit sexually explicit photographs of the adult victim and then used the images he obtained to threaten and extort her for more explicit photographs of herself.

Bailey also sent messages containing child pornography to the adult victim. The victim recognized one of the girls, who was approximately 12 years old at the time, in the images she received.

The minor victim believed she had sent the explicit images and videos to a female in Florida, who in reality was another persona of Bailey’s. Bailey had kept the child pornography for more than five years before sending the photos to the adult victim to coerce her into taking sexually explicit photos of herself.

Bailey also threatened to distribute the child pornography of the known minor female to family members of the adult victim and across the internet if the adult victim did not comply with his demands.

In May and June 2022, Bailey also used numerous email addresses, cell phone numbers and Snapchat accounts to harass the adult victim, threatening to share pornographic images of her and the minor victim she knew. He said if the victim did not send him new explicit photos or videos, he would use the older materials against her.

Bailey’s threats persisted for weeks. He consistently and aggressively messaged the adult victim and, when she indicated she would involve law enforcement, Bailey responded, “Go ahead, they are untraceable numbers, and I can get hundreds more lol.”

A forensic review of Bailey’s electronic devices revealed that they contained approximately 200 images and 20 videos of child sexual abuse material.

Bailey was charged federally in February 2023 and pleaded guilty in October 2023.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Lancaster Police Chief Nicholas H. Snyder announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Lower Salem, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court here today to 300 months in prison for crimes related to exploiting minor victims in Ohio and in the Philippines.

James A. Sabolick, 58, brought a minor from West Virginia to his hunting cabin in Washington County to engage in illicit sex acts. Sabolick also sent money to Filipino women for their basic living expenses in exchange for child sexual abuse material.

“We are dedicated to working across all levels of law enforcement to hold people accountable for their crimes, no matter where they exploit their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Our priority is putting perpetrators like Sabolick behind bars for significant periods of time so that they can no longer prey on the vulnerable. The sentence imposed today does just that.”

Sabolick pleaded guilty in January 2024 to two counts of sexually exploiting a minor and one count of possessing child pornography.

According to court documents, on July 24, 2021, Marietta police officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle that Sabolick was driving. Sabolick told officers he was alone while attempting to conceal a minor female, who officers discovered in the back seat.

Further investigation conducted by the Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Sabolick had driven the minor from West Virginia to a cabin near his residence in Washington County to engage in various sex acts with the minor.

Some of the sex acts involved abuse such as needle pokes, lighter burns, restraints, strangulation and urination. Items recovered from Sabolick’s hunting cabin and vehicle included panty hose, lubricant and a box of t-pins. Sabolick photographed the minor victim during the sexual abuse.

Court documents detail that Sabolick had met the minor victim when she was approximately 13 or 14 years old. Sabolick possessed several communications and nude images of the minor victim on his phone.

Additional forensic review of Sabolick’s electronics and social media accounts revealed he had communicated with Filipino women he knew through prior trips to the Philippines in 2013 and 2014. In recovered Facebook chats, the women requested money from Sabolick for basic living expenses like food, utility bills, tuition, etc. In exchange, Sabolick requested sexually explicit images of their minor children and offered to send them money for the child sexual abuse material.

For example, in December 2020, Sabolick sent money to a Filipino woman for images of her daughter’s genitalia. Financial records from Paypal, Western Union, Xoom and Moneygram all revealed numerous transactions to the Philippines totaling more than $1,000, including to the Filipino women identified in the investigation on the same days that Sabolick was requesting child pornography from them.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Washington County Sheriff Larry R. Mincks and Marietta Police Chief Katherine Warden announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.

The case was investigated by both the Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which are operated under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.

# # #

CINCINNATI – A disbarred attorney who previously practiced law in the Cincinnati area admitted in U.S. District Court this afternoon that he used false identities to obtain employment with at least seven law firms.

Richard Louis Crosby III, 37, of Mason, Ohio, pleaded guilty to three counts of Social Security number fraud. His plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 37 months in prison.

At various times throughout his scheme, Crosby used identifying information belonging to his elderly father, his girlfriend, a deceased man and others. He falsely told at least one law firm that he was a University of Michigan football player and an ex-Marine.

According to court documents, the Cincinnati Bar Association filed a complaint against Crosby in November 2020. In April 2021, he indicated his intent to resign from the practice of law.

In both June and November 2021, Crosby was indicted and charged in Hamilton County with crimes related to stealing client funds. After his indictments, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio entered an order disbarring Crosby.

In May 2022, Crosby was arrested in both of his Hamilton County cases. He was sentenced to probation in both cases in June 2023.

According to his federal plea agreement, while Crosby’s local cases were pending, he created an email account using “richardcwilliamsesq.” Crosby used the email address and the alias Richard Williams to communicate with a law firm in Washington D.C. in June 2021. The firm briefly employed “Williams.”

In June 2022 – at which point Crosby had been disbarred in Ohio and arrested on the Hamilton County charges – Crosby used his alias to apply online for an attorney position with a law firm in California. The firm offered Crosby a position as an associate attorney with a salary of $150,000. The defendant was employed under his alias for approximately three months and used a firm email address with his alias name.

In September 2022, Crosby used his alias to apply for an attorney position with a law firm based in Miami, Florida. Crosby met with a recruiter via Zoom, and represented himself as Richard Williams, a licensed attorney admitted to the bar in New York and D.C.

Crosby then met with one of the firm’s hiring managers in Florida and was ultimately offered employment in October 2022. His starting salary was $185,000 per year with a $5,000 signing bonus. Crosby used his girlfriend’s Social Security number, passport number and banking information to complete his onboarding paperwork at the law firm.

In April 2023, the firm received an inquiry from an investigator with the Clermont County Child Support Enforcement Office, making the firm aware of Crosby’s true identity. He was subsequently fired.

In July 2023, Crosby interviewed with the founding partner of a different California law firm. He also falsely claimed to work at the law firm of Kirkland and Ellis. After the founding partner asked Crosby to verify with whom he worked with at Kirkland and Ellis, Crosby withdrew his interest in the job.

A few days later, Crosby again used the alias to attempt to obtain employment. He interviewed over Zoom with senior management of a law firm located in Coral Gables, Florida. Crosby doctored a “screen shot” of the name Richard Coleman Williams Jr. in the online D.C. bar membership directory to attach with his resume.

The firm offered Crosby a starting salary of $195,000 per year with a $10,000 signing bonus, but eventually determined Crosby was using a false identity and did not hire him.

In August 2023, the defendant applied for a job at another law firm. The firm, located in Michigan, sent Crosby a letter offering a salary of $145,000 per year and a $10,000 signing bonus. When his credential information had discrepancies, the firm terminated their working relationship before issuing Crosby’s first paycheck.

In September 2023, one month prior to his arrest on federal charges, Crosby used a different alias to apply for a job at another law firm in California. He claimed that he was a University of Michigan football player and an ex-Marine.  Crosby was hired as an attorney at a salary of $250,000 per year. He used the Social Security number of a deceased man from North Carolina in his tax paperwork to the firm.

Crosby was arrested by federal agents in October 2023. As part of his guilty plea, Crosby has agreed to pay nearly $171,000 in restitution to law firms he defrauded.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio announced the charges. The case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and United States Marshals Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.

If you have information related to Crosby’s conduct, please contact the Social Security OIG tip line at 1-800-269-0271.

# # #

DAYTON, Ohio – Dustin Johnson, 38, of New Carlisle, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 22 years in prison for creating child pornography by paying adult females to sexually abuse minor girls live on social media chats.

According to court documents, in June 2022, Johnson paid an adult female to engage in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent girl live on Snapchat. Johnson recorded the communications with a screen recorder app, saving video recordings approximately 10 minutes and 17 minutes in length on separate days in June.

After diligent investigation, law enforcement was able to locate the adult female and the child, who were located overseas. The child victim was 5 years old. Local law enforcement was able to remove the child from the adult female offender’s custody.

Johnson engaged in similar social media chats with other adult females, who at Johnson’s request sexually abused individuals who appeared to be children, on live video chat for Johnson to view.  Johnson also engaged in online chats discussing the possibility of meeting up with other adults who had children so that he could engage in sexually explicit conduct with their children.

Investigators discovered more than 24,000 child pornography files on Johnson’s hard drives. The pornography included more than 500 files depicting bestiality, at least 400 files involving violence or masochistic abuse and more than 3,500 pornographic files depicting infants and toddlers.

Johnson was arrested in February 2023 and pleaded guilty in February 2024 to producing child pornography.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed on July 2 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Christina E. Mahy is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 24 months in prison for committing Social Security number fraud. The defendant stole the identity of a deceased child and used it to avoid a pending criminal prosecution and to obtain thousands of dollars in government benefits.

Christina Vaskovsky, 56, pleaded guilty in March 2024 to five counts of Social Security number fraud. She was charged and arrested in November 2023.

According to court documents, Vaskovsky was indicted in Hamilton County in July 2008 for allegedly stealing $14,500 from her employer. Vaskovsky failed to appear at her trial scheduled in December 2008. A nationwide warrant was issued for her arrest.

In 2010, Vaskovsky obtained a new Ohio driver’s license using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a child who was born the same year as Vaskovsky but who died in 1977 at the age of 10.

The defendant then began using the deceased child’s identity in a variety of contexts over a span of 13 years, including:

• Receiving $19,570 in food stamp benefits;
• Filing bankruptcy to discharge nearly $128,000 in debt;
• Obtaining Social Security disability benefits totaling nearly $39,000;
• Providing the false identity upon being arrested for shoplifting in Kentucky;
• Applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan;
• Receiving more than $11,600 in unemployment benefits;
• Obtaining Supplemental Security Income disability benefits totaling $4,833; and
• Receiving Medicare benefits under the stolen identity totaling more than $116,000.

As part of her sentence, Vaskovsky will pay nearly $191,000 in restitution to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General with assistance from the USDA Office of Inspector General, Ohio BMV Investigations, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Marshals Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Central Ohio man who founded and served as the superintendent of two Columbus charter schools pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to conspiring to commit bank fraud.

Abdirizak Y. Farah, 59, admitted to fraudulently using school funds to help purchase his New Albany home.

Farah founded Focus Learning Academy of Northern Columbus (FLANC) on Dublin Granville Road in 2007. The school serves approximately 700 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Focus Learning Academy of Central Columbus (FLACC) on Cleveland Avenue was founded in 2020 and serves Pre-K through third grade students.

Farah was also employed as a senior policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

According to court documents, in August 2020, Farah purchased a $900,000 home on Lambton Park Road in New Albany. On Aug. 12, two days before his original closing date, Farah requested a $265,000 wire from a Focus Learning bank account to another person and stated the purpose was for “learning materials.”

That same day, Farah submitted a letter to the bank handling his real estate closing, stating he received $260,000 in gifted funds that were unrelated to the real estate transaction.

The next day, on Aug. 13, the person who received the wired funds in turn wired $260,000 to the title company handling the closing.

In the following days, several FLANC vendors made payments totaling approximately $265,000 to the person who assisted Farah, and that money was returned to FLANC.

As part of his plea, Farah will forfeit $265,000 to the United States.

“The role of IRS Criminal Investigation becomes even more important in complex financial investigations that can take time to unravel," said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Cincinnati Field Office. "Federal tax laws are normally violated in these types of cases which add additional jail time to sentences. As we often see, the victims are not only American taxpayers, but also individuals and businesses who suffer financial harm.”

Conspiracy to commit bank fraud is a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; James Izzard, Deputy Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) Office of Investigations; and Karen Wingerd, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lamonte K. Brown, 47, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 93 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.

According to court documents, Brown has more than 20 prior adult convictions, many involving firearms and domestic violence.

In his current case, Brown illegally possessed a firearm while on parole and texted someone a photo of the gun along with several threatening messages. For example, he said, “When I get off parloe imm a light yo blok up.” He kept the gun in a plastic bag under his kitchen sink, along with more than nine grams of methamphetamine.

Brown was charged by a federal criminal complaint in August 2022 and pleaded guilty in September 2023. Brown later sought to withdraw his plea, and after multiple hearings, the Court denied the defendant’s motion to withdraw.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the sentence imposed on June 25 by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly and Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court here today to 30 months in prison for committing fraud crimes related to stealing identities to get more than $100,000 in fraudulent lines of credit.

Siyuan Ye, 24, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in February 2024 to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, between January 2022 and August 2023, Ye stole the identities of at least 15 victims. Ye repeatedly obtained Ohio and Florida driver licenses of other individuals without their authorization and then used the licenses to fraudulently obtain credit from retailers in the victims’ names.

He used the fraudulent credit to purchase a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, three motorcycles and a variety of electronics.

For example, in April 2023, Ye used a stolen identity and fraudulent line of credit to purchase $8,400 worth of goods from a Micro Center in Columbus. Ye bought graphics cards, laptops and an Apple watch.

That same month, Ye used the same Ohio victim’s identity to buy a Suzuki motorcycle at Iron Pony Motorsports in Westerville.

Ye also used another victim’s identity to rent an apartment and obtain renter’s insurance.

Ye has no legal status in the United States; he entered the country in 2017 on a student visa to attend The Ohio State University. He did not complete his degree and unlawfully remained in the United States.

As part of his sentence, the defendant was ordered to pay more than $78,000 in restitution.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jared Murphy, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

DAYTON, Ohio – A federal grand jury here has indicted the Midwest Regional “boss” and 13 other members of the “outlaw motorcycle gang” known as the Thug Riders Motorcycle Club (TRMC). The indictment alleges that the TRMC operated a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in acts of violence like murder, arson and assault. Members also allegedly participated in extortion and identity fraud.

The indictment was returned on June 11. Federal and local law enforcement officials arrested all 14 defendants yesterday.

According to the indictment, members of the TRMC Dayton chapter engaged in overt acts in support of their enterprise, including:

• blowing up a former member’s vehicle in Huber Heights in May 2021;
• killing a man during a September 2021 shootout in Harrison Township;
• shooting more than 190 live gunfire rounds into a rival motorcycle gang’s clubhouse in Lexington, Kentucky, in April 2023;
• threatening and extorting former gang members;
• breaking the leg of a patron at Toby’s Tavern in Dayton in June 2023;
• attacking a rival gang member at Chris’s Band Box in Dayton in July 2023;
• engaging in a shootout at a Springfield, Ohio, motorcycle gang’s clubhouse in March 2024; and
• physically assaulting members of another motorcycle gang in London, Ohio, in May 2024.

Individuals charged in the indictment are:

Name

Also Known As

Age

City of residence

Juan A. Robles

Juan the Man

45

Phoenix, Arizona

Joey A. Marshall

King Joe, Diesel

44

Xenia, Ohio

Jared T. Peters

Savage

37

Dayton, Ohio

Brandon W. Fisher

Road Runner

26

Piqua, Ohio

John A. Smith

Chaos

37

Dayton, Ohio

Norman D. Beach

Stormin’ Normin’

49

Dayton, Ohio

Michael S. Henry

Brutal

40

Xenia, Ohio

Daniel B. Hutton

Havok

39

Fairborn, Ohio

Michael L. Reese

Butcher

44

Miamisburg, Ohio

Matthew J. Hawkins

Hawk

32

Pequea, Pennsylvania

Joseph M. Rader

Delta

32

Richmond, Kentucky

Justin J. Baker

Wild Boy

29

Columbus, Ohio

Cody D. Hughes

Tater

28

Columbus, Ohio

Brent A. Egleston

Be Easy

36

Xenia, Ohio

Court documents detail that the TRMC established a Dayton chapter in late 2019. Robles was allegedly instrumental in the creation of the local chapter and is currently the Midwest Regional “boss.” The Dayton chapter maintained clubhouses on Stanley Avenue in Dayton and on Lodge Avenue in Harrison Township.

Robles, Marshall, Peters, Fisher and Smith have each allegedly held leadership roles in the TRMC. Specifically, Marshall served as the Midwest Regional “sergeant at arms”; Peters served as the president of the Dayton chapter; Fisher served as the “sergeant at arms” of the Dayton chapter; and Smith served as “enforcer” of the Dayton chapter.

The Dayton chapter and Midwest Region are both part of the domestic and international outlaw TRMC motorcycle gang that was originally founded in 2003, and remains a violent gang today located throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Morocco, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Germany and the United Kingdom.

According to the indictment, the Midwest Region is made up of chapters in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Midwest Regional chapter meetings are held regularly and are referred to as “church.” Only full or “patched” TRMC members are allowed to attend “church.” Members pay regular dues and fines to the motorcycle gang.

Chapters and Regions fall under the ultimate authority of the national president who sits at the so-called “mother chapter” in Newark, New Jersey.

Count one of the indictment charges Robles, Marshall, Peters, Fisher, Smith, Beach and Henry with racketeering (RICO) conspiracy. The indictment’s remaining three counts charge defendants with assaults, attempted assaults and conspiracy to commit assaults. The racketeering conspiracy as charged in this case is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; John K. Nokes, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Louisville Field Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal; and Huber Heights Police Chief Mark Lightner announced the indictment today.

The Springfield, Columbus, Riverside, Fairborn, Xenia, Lexington and Richmond police departments; Greene, Miami and Clark county sheriff’s offices; Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol contributed to the investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Dwight Keller and Elizabeth L. McCormick are representing the United States in this case.

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

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

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – John Castillo, 31, of Grove City, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

According to court documents, Castillo was a Columbus police officer assigned to investigate drug crimes. In February 2021, he conspired with another officer to steal and sell approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine. Castillo and the other officer took approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine from a house on North Everett Avenue and did not turn it into evidence. They planted two additional kilograms of cocaine for law enforcement discovery later that day at the house. The 10 kilograms of cocaine were stored in the other officer’s basement before they were given to another individual to sell.

Possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea entered before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.

Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of Police.

# # #

CINCINNATI – De-love Kofi Amuzu, 25, of Fairfield, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 78 months in prison for his role as a money launderer in a romance fraud conspiracy that targeted elderly victims looking for companionship online.

According to court documents, members of the conspiracy created fake online dating profiles using stolen photographs and false information, then communicated with the victims via chats, texts and phone calls while pretending to be the imaginary person pictured in the profile. They commonly claimed to be living abroad to explain why they could not meet in person.

The conspirators instructed the victims to transfer money, often tens of thousands of dollars at a time, to accounts controlled by Amuzu. They also commonly instructed victims to mail Amuzu cash or other items of value, like Rolex watches and iPhones. After receiving the victims’ money, Amuzu laundered it to accounts in Ghana. Investigators tracked more than $1.1 million in fraud proceeds that flowed through Amuzu’s accounts. Amuzu was ordered to pay $835,487.65 in restitution.

“According to court documents, several victims lost so much money to the scheme that they were forced to declare bankruptcy,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Anyone who suspects they or a loved one is a victim of such a fraud can report it by calling the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11, or go to the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative website for more information – www.Justice.gov/elderjustice.”

A federal grand jury indicted Amuzu in 2022. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2024, to conspiring to launder money. His case was announced in October 2022 as part of the Justice Department’s National Elder Justice Sweep, an initiative to increase awareness of the various fraudulent schemes targeting the elderly.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Butler County Prosecutor Michael T. Gmoser and Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black. U.S. Attorney Parker also recognized the contributions of Garrett Baker and Susan Monnin of the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as Butler County Prosecutor’s Office Investigator Steve Isgro. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

CINCINNATI - Sharon Romaine Ward, 52, formerly of West Chester, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to fraudulently billing more than $8.5 million to Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs home healthcare programs between 2015 and 2021.

Ward admitted that, when she started Halo Home Healthcare in 2015, she concealed her ownership of the company because she had a prior felony conviction in 2013 for passing forged and fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone while serving as a nurse practitioner in Warren County. The conviction made her ineligible to participate in federal health care programs for ten years.

According to court documents, Halo Home Healthcare routinely overbilled federal healthcare programs, charging them for services it did not perform. In one example cited in court documents Halo continued to bill Medicaid for home health services while the patient was hospitalized. In addition, between 2017 and 2020, Halo hired over 50 employees with significant criminal histories which ordinarily should have excluded them from providing home health services, including one individual who was charged with a quadruple murder while ostensibly working for Halo. 

Ward submitted at least 92,770 claims to Medicaid seeking $8,556,776.58, receiving $8,403,299.24 between 2016 and 2021. Court documents say she also failed to provide accurate information to her business tax return preparer causing false tax returns to be prepared and filed.

Ward pleaded guilty today to one count of health care fraud and one count of making a false income tax return. Health care fraud is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Filing a false income tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison. Terms of the plea agreement include a recommendation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office that the prison term does not exceed five years for the health care fraud. The court will determine an appropriate sentence under federal sentencing guidelines. 

The agreement also calls for Ward to pay restitution to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Ohio Department of Medicaid in an amount to be determined at sentencing. Ward also agreed to prepare and file corrected business tax returns with the IRS and pay restitution, plus any interest and penalties. The IRS determined a tax loss of $81,617.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Health Care Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI - Two individuals were charged this week for their involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

Nicholas T. Dryden, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Giancarlo Morelli, of New Jersey, were charged with conspiracy to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos,” and with distributing animal crush videos. Dryden is also charged with the creation of animal crush videos, as well as with production, distribution and receipt of a visual depiction of the sexual abuse of children because a minor was paid to abuse the monkeys.

According to court documents, in March and April 2023, the two co-defendants allegedly conspired to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against baby, adolescent and adult monkeys. The conspirators allegedly funneled money through Dryden, who then paid the minor in Indonesia to commit the requested acts on camera.

The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys having their genitals burned, having their genitals cut with scissors, being sodomized with a wooden skewer and being sodomized with a spoon.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, the charges related to the creation and distribution of animal crush videos each carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and the charges of producing and distributing depictions of the sexual abuse of children each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio made the announcement.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.

Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Oakley for the Southern 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.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine.

Jerrell E. Harrison, 23, of Columbus, was arrested in September 2023 and pleaded guilty in December 2023 to two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Harrison is also known as “T” and “Chubbs.”

According to court documents, in January and February 2023, Harrison sold hundreds of grams of methamphetamine to undercover agents. The drugs field tested at 99 percent and 100 percent purity.

In recordings of Harrison, he discussed owning more than 20 firearms and offered to sell them. He also produced a loaded handgun and stated that he carried his “baby” because one his “trap houses” in the Bottoms was recently shot up, and he had to return fire.

Harrison also offered to sell Glock switches – devices that turn a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machineguns – to the undercover agents.

Additionally, Harrison told the undercover agents he could sell them fentanyl for $1,000 an ounce and said it was the “best price in the city.”

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – Six Cincinnati residents were indicted in connection with a conspiracy involving stolen credit card information used online to place orders for straw purchase firearms.

Those charged include:

Name

Age

Zachary Harris

24

Rickvuion Scott, also known as “Cubb”

25

Teague Jackson

22

Edward Washington

27

Montreal Williams*

37

Markendra Carter*

35

*Williams and Carter remain at large, and law enforcement authorities ask anyone with information related to their whereabouts to call 513-684-3354.

According to the indictment, Harris and Scott used stolen credit card information to buy firearms online. Their coconspirators then picked up the firearms in straw purchases, allegedly falsifying the federal firearms forms required for purchase.

Members of the conspiracy would allegedly place an online order with Range USA on Harrison Ave. in Cincinnati for multiple firearms, at times using stolen credit card information without the victims’ authorization. Other members of the conspiracy would then pick up the firearms in the store, falsely claiming that they were the true buyers of the firearms and were not obtaining the firearms for anyone else.

The 10-count indictment alleges the coconspirators succeeded in obtaining six pistols and one rifle via the illegal straw purchases.

Harris, Scott, Jackson, and Washington appeared in federal court in Cincinnati this week, and the indictment was unsealed today.

Conspiring to make false statements during the purchase of a firearm is punishable by up to five years in prison. Making false statements during the purchase of a firearm and access device fraud are federal crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two years in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Omoruyi O. Uwadiae, 28, of Chicago, offered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court today to cyberstalking, sextortion and identity theft crimes. His scheme involved dozens of victims in multiple states, including Ohio, Colorado and Washington.

According to his plea documents, Uwadiae admitted to obtaining sexually explicit photographs and videos from potential victims and then using the content to threaten them. Uwadiae threatened to distribute the explicit material widely on the internet and specifically to victims’ friends, family members, employers and others.

The defendant demanded money from some victims. From others, he demanded they meet him, have sex with him, or make damaging admissions such as admissions that they were racist. On multiple occasions, Uwadiae carried through with his threats. He sent sexually explicit photographs and videos to the victims’ friends, family members (including at least one victim’s mother, at least one victim’s brother, and at least one victim’s sister), employers and acquaintances, and also posted sexually explicit photographs and videos widely on the internet.

Multiple victims had not publicly disclosed their sexual orientation, which Uwadiae’s actions disclosed, contrary to their wishes. The defendant also used victims’ identifications to create false accounts on social media and post personal information about the victims online.

Uwadiae targeted young gay men on Grindr and other online sites. He would obtain their sexually explicit photographs and videos consensually and then use them to extort. In some cases, he posted their nude images on Male General without their consent and then demanded money or other things of value to take down the images. Male General is a blog marketed to gay men containing, among other things, boards where users can post images and text.

For example, one victim was a student at The Ohio State University who communicated with Uwadiae on Grindr. Uwadiae ultimately demanded that the victim either pay him $200 or have sex with him. When the victim did not comply, Uwadiae created false social media accounts using true photos of the victim, stating, “this guy is gay, see pics for evidence.” The victim had not disclosed his sexual orientation to his family and had told Uwadiae he was concerned that his family would react negatively if they learned he was bisexual.

Uwadiae was charged in the Southern District of Ohio in April by a bill of information.

As part of his plea, Uwadiae pleaded guilty to 22 total counts. He pleaded guilty to eight counts of cyberstalking (punishable by up to five years in prison), seven counts of making interstate communications with the intent to extort (up to two years in prison) and seven counts of unlawfully using a means of identification (up to five years in prison).

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentences and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Columbus Division of Police.

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DAYTON, Ohio – A Springfield, Ohio, man was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 1,200 months in prison for producing and distributing videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Marcus Leon Davis, 34, was arrested on Oct. 25, 2023. His case was unsealed today.

Davis received the maximum sentence on each count as charged and will serve those sentences consecutively.

“Davis’s sexual abuse is among the most abhorrent acts that one can perpetrate against a child. If his behavior against the victims wasn’t bad enough, he chose to record his sexual abuse against them,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “By publishing videos of his sexual abuse against these victims, Davis ensured the abuse will never end. Each time one of those images or videos is shared, traded, downloaded and viewed the children are victimized again. This sentence will forever protect the community from future harm committed by Davis.”

"This sentencing was the result of an intensive investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and our law enforcement partners," said Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service's Cincinnati Field Office. "The Secret Service and our partners are working relentlessly so predators that exploit innocent children face justice for their heinous actions."

According to court documents, from January 2022 until October 2023, Davis sexually abused children and documented the abuse on video.

The defendant published the videos on a child pornography website. Investigators have now tracked the content to other users and websites.

Davis pleaded guilty in February 2024 to two counts of producing child pornography and two counts of distributing child pornography.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service; and Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott announced the sentence imposed on May 13 by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Elizabeth L. McCormick are representing the United States in this case.

U.S. Attorney Parker commended the investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, who worked with the Queensland Police Service, Australian Federal Police, Europol and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations to quickly identify and locate Davis based on the images of child sexual abuse he shared online.

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CINCINNATI – Christopher Lawrence Spicer, 23, of Middletown, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 60 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Spicer led local officers on a high-speed chase in spring 2023 before being arrested.

According to court documents, on March 16, 2023, Spicer was approached by law enforcement while driving a stolen Ford F-150 in a Middletown business parking lot. Spicer backed into a police cruiser and fled throughout Middletown at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour. While fleeing, Spicer ran a red light at the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Jackson Lane. Spicer collided with another vehicle, rendering his own vehicle disabled. He was arrested at that time.

When officers searched Spicer’s truck, they discovered a loaded Romarm/Cugir Micro Draco 7.62x39mm pistol and more than 200 fentanyl pills.

Spicer was charged federally in September 2023 and pleaded guilty in January 2024.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Middletown Police Chief David Birk announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is representing the United States in this case.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mark A. Green, 56, of Senecaville, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 360 months in prison for sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography. Green recorded minor victims using hidden cameras.

According to court documents, in 2022, Green used security cameras that connected to his cell phone to surreptitiously record minors. He placed the hidden cameras in residential bathrooms and bedrooms to capture nude videos of the minors. Green either watched the recordings live or played them back later through the Blink security app.

As part of this investigation, approximately 60 total devices were seized from Green’s home, vehicles and person. Green possessed more than 10,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Within those images and videos recovered, law enforcement identified hundreds of additional hidden camera videos and images with time stamps dating back to 2012. The images and videos depicted minor females in bathrooms and bedrooms in a prior residence.

The investigation revealed Green created sexually explicit videos of at least nine minor females. Two victims indicated that Green had also previously sexually abused them in person.

Green was charged federally in May 2023. He pleaded guilty in January 2024 to two counts of exploiting a minor and one count of possessing child pornography.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Shawn Gibson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Circleville Acting Police Chief Kenny Fisher; Guernsey County Sheriff Jeffrey D. Paden; and Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer Rausch are representing the United States in this case.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Nationwide Children’s Hospital employee who treated child burn patients pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to downloading, exchanging and receiving child pornography.

Ryan Ramos, 38, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing and receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. He faces an imprisonment range of five to 20 years in prison.

Ramos worked at Nationwide Children’s Hospital from 2018 until 2020 and then at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the ICU in burn trauma until 2023.

According to court documents, a 2020 FBI investigation in their Brooklyn-Queens office led agents to discover Ramos’s participation in a Signal app group dedicated to the exchange of child pornography.

Ramos shared hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including abuse of young boys and infants, to the chat group.

Further investigation into Ramos revealed that, in 2018, he had paid a sexual offender in New York City and received child pornography created by the offender in exchange for his payment. Ramos sent more than $500 via PayPal to the child exploiter.

Ramos’s iPhone contained more than 346,000 Signal, Telegram and other online chat messages, in most of which Ramos was distributing, seeking, receiving or discussing child pornography.

Ramos was charged by a bill of information on May 6 and pleaded guilty during his arraignment in federal court this afternoon. He is in custody pending sentencing.

Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

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