District of Oregon

MEDFORD, Ore.—A Medford man was sentenced to federal prison Monday for distributing fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a local teenager.

John Rocha, 31, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, on September 7, 2021, officers from the Medford Police Department responded to a report of an overdose death of a local 17-year-old high school student. Investigators soon learned that the teenager had taken counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl. Within days, investigators identified Rocha as the victim’s fourth-level drug supplier and, when confronted by law enforcement, he admitted to having recently sold counterfeit pills.

On February 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a five-count indictment charging Rocha and four others with distributing fentanyl, possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On February 20, 2024, Rocha pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE). It was prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

MADGE is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. MADGE is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Medford Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices, the Jackson County Community Corrections, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.

MEDFORD, Ore.—A Klamath Falls, Oregon man with multiple previous drug- and firearm-related convictions was sentenced to federal prison today after he was caught by local law enforcement with methamphetamine and a handgun.

Andrew Miles Devos, 42, was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in January 2020, law enforcement learned that Devos, who at the time had eight prior felony convictions for drug and firearm offenses, was actively selling methamphetamine in Klamath Falls. After further investigation, on January 8, 2020, Devos was arrested when he arrived to complete a drug transaction. Law enforcement officers searched Devos’ vehicle and located 80 grams of methamphetamine, a 9mm firearm, 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a digital scale, and drug packaging materials concealed inside a backpack. 

On June 3, 2020, Devos was charged by criminal complaint with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Later, on September 17, 2020, a federal grand jury in Medford indicted Devos on the same charges.

Prior to being sentenced today, Devos pleaded guilty to a one-count superseding criminal information charging him with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF). It was prosecuted by John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

BINET is a Klamath Falls area narcotics task force comprised of Oregon State Police, the Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon National Guard.

EUGENE, Ore.—A Bend, Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison today for possessing methamphetamine and a firearm.

Dana Lee Johnson, 41, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, on March 26, 2021, a deputy from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Tetherow Resort in Bend after a housekeeper found a bag of suspected drugs in a guest room. Upon arrival, the deputy located a one-gallon plastic bag containing approximately one quarter pound of methamphetamine, two hypodermic needles, and a metal safe. The safe was later found to contain an additional half pound of methamphetamine. Hotel records indicated that Johnson, who had a suspended driver’s license and an outstanding felony warrant for failing to register as a sex offender, was the last guest to stay in the room where the drugs were found.

On April 1, 2021, a deputy returned to the resort after learning that Johnson had contacted the hotel to inquire about the safe he had left behind. One week later, on April 8, 2021, law enforcement officers located and stopped Johnson traveling in a rental vehicle. Investigators searched the vehicle and found more than $7,000 in cash, a rental car agreement in Johnson’s name, and a black backpack belonging to Johnson. Inside the backpack, investigators found and seized an additional half pound of methamphetamine, nearly a half pound of heroin, and a loaded semi-automatic pistol.

On November 18, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a four-count indictment charging Johnson with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

On October 11, 2023, Johnson pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

The CODE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. CODE includes members of the Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sunriver, and Black Butte Police Departments; the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department; the Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices; the Oregon State Police; the Oregon National Guard; DEA; and the FBI.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Tigard, Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison today for transporting an adult victim across state lines for illegal sexual activity and laundering the proceeds through a Portland-based bottled water company.

Johnell Lee Cleveland, 42, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and seven years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $32,115 in restitution to the Oregon Department of Employment. The sum of restitution Cleveland must pay to his adult victim will be determined at a later date.

“In the summer of 2020, Johnell Cleveland received a rare early release from federal prison he could have used as an opportunity to chart a new path away from criminality. Unfortunately, he did the exact opposite, diving headfirst into a remarkable series of crimes,” said Steven T. Mygrant, Chief of the Narcotics and Criminal Enterprises Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “We thank the FBI, IRS, and PPB for their efforts in holding Cleveland accountable and securing this nine-year prison sentence.” 

“Johnell Cleveland has demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the law,” said Douglas A. Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Even after serving a prison term, Cleveland continued his chronic criminal behavior with money laundering, wire fraud, and transporting an adult victim for illegal sexual activity. The FBI, along with our partners, is dedicated to maintaining the safety of our communities, and with Cleveland behind bars, our community is more secure.”

“30 days is long enough to form positive habits; it is also more than long enough to return to bad ones, as Mr. Cleveland unfortunately chose to do,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Seattle Field Office. “Given a second chance, Mr. Cleveland did not choose to better himself. Instead, he proceeded to cause immense harm to the people and to the communities around him. This sentencing shows that CI, along with our partners in law enforcement, will bring justice to repeat offenders as many times as needed, as Mr. Cleveland is finding out today.”

According to court documents, in July 2019, Cleveland was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for distributing cyclopropyl fentanyl, possessing a machine gun and money laundering. In the summer of 2020, nineteen months before his original projected release date, Cleveland sought and was granted a compassionate release from prison based on health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Less than 30 days following his release from prison, Cleveland and an associate submitted a fraudulent insurance policy application for nine pieces of jewelry previously seized by law enforcement. Approximately four months after Cleveland and his associate were issued an insurance policy worth more than $100,000, his associate submitted a false burglary report to the Las Vegas Police Department claiming her Mercedes-Benz sedan and various personal property, including the nine pieces of insured jewelry, had been stolen. Seeking reimbursement, Cleveland quickly notified his insurance company of the purported jewelry theft.

While his insurance fraud scheme was ongoing, in October 2020, Cleveland devised a separate scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID relief program funds. On October 14, 2020, he applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits for a five-month period beginning in April 2020, claiming he was unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, Cleveland was unemployed during this time because he was in federal prison. Despite his false claims, Cleveland’s application was approved, and he began receiving PUA benefits.

Investigators later learned that during this same time period, Cleveland transported for illegal sexual activity an adult woman he had, in August 2020, commenced a romantic relationship with. Cleveland told the woman that he needed money to get his business ventures off the ground and fund their future together. Over time, Cleveland became less friendly and more menacing toward the woman, demanding she travel frequently and engage in more commercial sex. Meanwhile, Cleveland kept all the money the woman earned and threatened her with various punishments he claimed to have used on other women, including locking her in a dog cage.

To conceal and disguise the nature of his victim’s proceeds, Cleveland used the money to pay business expenses for the bottled water company, including costs for bottling and manufacturing, rental of corporate office space in Portland, merchandising, and a monthly retainer with a modeling agency.

On November 3, 2021, Cleveland was arrested without incident in Portland. The same day, investigators seized Cleveland’s vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a secret compartment in the driver-side door that concealed a loaded handgun.

On October 19, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Cleveland and his insurance fraud associate with conspiring to commit and committing wire fraud. Later, in on March 10, 2022, Cleveland was indicted a second time for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; and money laundering. 

On February 4, 2024, Cleveland pleaded guilty to both counts of his fraud indictment and a three-count superseding criminal information charging him with transportation for illegal sexual activity, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and money laundering.

This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS CI, and the Portland Police Bureau Human Trafficking Unit. It was prosecuted by Peter Sax and Nicole Bockelman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

If you or someone you know is in danger, please call 911. If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting 233733. Calls and texts are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Human trafficking is a serious federal crime where individuals are compelled by force, fraud, or coercion to engage in commercial sex, labor, or domestic servitude against their will. Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause unimaginable harm. In February 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland launched a new national strategy to combat human trafficking that aims to prevent all forms of trafficking, prosecute trafficking cases, and support trafficking victims and survivors.

PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5, 2024, as National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.

The office also announced today the appointment of an MMIP Regional Coordinator based in the District of Oregon. Cedar Wilkie Gillette, who since June 2020 has served as the District of Oregon MMIP Coordinator, will now serve as regional coordinator for the Northwest Region under the Justice Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program. The Northwest Region includes the states of California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Ms. Wilkie Gillette will work alongside Ms. Bree R. Black Horse who was appointed in February 2024 in the Eastern District of Washington to serve as the MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northwest Region.

“We are delighted that Cedar Wilkie Gillette will serve as northwest regional coordinator for the Justice Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program is a critical next step in the department’s ongoing effort to address this crisis, which has affected tribes and communities across our region and country. Cedar is abundantly qualified for this position and we are eager for her to expand the great work she has done here in Oregon throughout the Northwest Region,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

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

Launched in July 2023, the MMIP Regional Outreach Program permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered indigenous people. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. 

The regional outreach program program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorney’s Offices promoting public safety in Indian Country and fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022. 

The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered indigenous peoples and human trafficking crisis.

Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.

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

In early 2022, the District of Oregon established an MMIP Working Group to increase multi-agency communication and collaboration in support of and response to Oregon-connected MMIP cases. The working group includes representatives from each of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon, the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior Regional Solicitor’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, and Oregon State Police.

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2020, Ms. Wilkie Gillette served as a law fellow for Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization. She has a juris doctorate from the Vermont Law School and a bachelor’s degree in applied social justice and human rights activism from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Wilkie Gillette is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and a direct descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. She has conducted extensive research on indigenous human rights and environmental justice issues.

EUGENE, Ore.—A Springfield, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for repeatedly possessing and distributing photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Randy Lee Cook, 43, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release.

According to court documents, in 2006, Cook was convicted of state child pornography charges in Missouri and served a significant prison sentence for sending child sexual abuse material to a minor, engaging in sexual chats with the minor, and then engaging in additional sexual chats with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a minor and propositioning the decoy minor for sex. Following his release from prison, Cook was required to register as a sex offender.

In the summer of 2020 and spring of 2021, investigators learned that Cook had resumed distributing child sexual abuse material online, this time using Kik Messenger, an instant messaging mobile application. Investigators traced multiple Kik accounts to Cook and learned he was residing in Springfield. On June 11, 2021, investigators executed search warrants on Cook’s residence, truck, and person. Cook’s phone was found to contain approximately 194 images and 63 videos depicting child sexual abuse.

In July 2021, Cook was charged by criminal complaint with possessing and distributing child pornography and arrested. On July 20, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene indicted him on the same charges.

In December 2023, while Cook’s case was being litigated, an FBI task force officer in Louisiana investigating an unrelated matter began conversing with an individual on Kik who was later determined to be Cook. In conversations online with the officer, Cook claimed to have engaged in sex acts with children and sent the agent an explicit video of a child. On December 14, 2023, Cook was arrested a second time when he was leaving his Springfield residence to plead guilty in federal court.

On January 24, 2024, Cook pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

This case was investigated by the FBI Eugene Resident Agency with assistance from the FBI New Orleans Field Office, Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Shreveport Police Department. It was prosecuted by William McLaren, Marco Boccato, and Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Monmouth, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a teenager in Salem, Oregon.

Javen James Pedro, 21, was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison and six years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, on February 24, 2022, officers from the Salem Police Department responded to an overdose of a 15-year-old teenager. Paramedics quickly transported the teen to a local hospital where he died. Further investigation revealed that on the previous day, the minor victim had purchased and consumed counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl in front of several other juveniles. Investigators also obtained video surveillance footage from a neighbor showing the minor victim completing what appeared to be a drug transaction with a person determined to be Pedro.

Later on February 24, investigators located and arrested Pedro in Monmouth and he admitted to selling ten counterfeit Oxycodone pills to the minor victim the day prior. Pedro further admitted to selling pills to the minor victim approximately five to ten times previously.

On February 24, 2022, Pedro was charged by criminal complaint with distributing fentanyl. Later, on March 17, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Pedro on the same charge.

On February 6, 2024, Pedro pleaded guilty to a one-count superseding criminal information charging him with distributing a controlled substance to a person under the age of 21.

This case was investigated by the Salem Police Department. It was prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

A former Oregon Department of Human Services caregiver, Zakary Glover, 30, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release for violating the civil rights of a woman with developmental disabilities who was in his care by sexually assaulting her.

“This defendant engaged in deplorable acts of sexual misconduct and targeted a victim with severe developmental disabilities who was entrusted to his care and could not defend herself,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant breached the public's trust and violated the most basic standards of decency. The significant sentence imposed should send a strong message that the Justice Department will do all it can to hold accountable those who abuse their authority by sexual assaulting people in their custody and under their care.”

“Glover’s crimes profoundly betrayed the trust placed in him as a state health care support specialist,” said U.S. Attorney Natalie Wight for the District of Oregon. “We thank our partners at the FBI, Oregon State Police, and Civil Rights Division for their commitment to this victim and the safety of all Oregonians.”

“The defendant sexually assaulted a woman with disabilities — an egregious abuse of his authority as her caregiver,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Protecting the civil rights of people in the United States is one of the FBI’s most solemn responsibilities, and as such, we will continue to investigate those who violate an individual’s constitutional right to bodily integrity.”

According to court documents, Glover worked as a direct support crisis specialist for the Office of Developmental Disabilities Stabilization and Crisis Unit and was responsible for the care of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. On Nov. 2, 2021, Glover transported an adult female with severe autism, epilepsy, cognitive delays and very limited verbal ability on an outing in Salem, Oregon.

Rather than return the victim to her home after the outing, Glover took her down a dead-end road in Aumsville, Oregon. Glover parked the van and then, using force, attempted to and did cause the victim to engage in a sexual act without her consent. After doing so, Glover forcefully grabbed her by the ankles and attempted to force her into another, non-consensual sexual act. The victim did not consent to any of the sexual conduct, and Glover’s conduct included attempted aggravated sexual abuse.

The FBI Portland Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin W. Bruce for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorney Daniel E. Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A former Oregon Department of Human Services employee was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison today for violating the civil rights of a woman with developmental disabilities in his care by engaging in sexual misconduct with her.

Zakary Edward Glover, 30, of Lebanon, Oregon, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

“Mr. Glover’s crimes profoundly betrayed the trust placed in him as a state health care support specialist,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “We thank our partners at the FBI, Oregon State Police, and Civil Rights Division for their commitment to this victim and the safety of all Oregonians.”

“This defendant engaged in deplorable acts of sexual misconduct and targeted a victim with severe developmental disabilities who was entrusted to his care and could not defend herself,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant breached the public trust and violated the most basic standards of decency. The significant sentence imposed should send a strong message that the Justice Department will do all it can to hold accountable those who abuse their authority by sexual assaulting people in their custody and under their care.”

“Zakary Glover's actions are inexcusable and appalling,” said Douglas A. Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “The FBI will not stand by when people in positions of trust violate and victimize vulnerable community members. Mr. Glover abused his power and today’s sentence sends the message that the FBI and our partners will hold accountable anyone in a position of power who fails the citizens of their community.”

According to the court documents, Glover served as a Direct Support Crisis Specialist for the Oregon Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Disabilities Stabilization and Crisis Unit (SACU). SACU operates several 24-hour crisis residential programs in Oregon that serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As a SACU employee, Glover was tasked with ensuring the health, safety and security of the individuals who lived at the residential facility where he worked.

The victim, who has severe autism and cognitive deficits, was one of the individuals under Glover’s care. As part of his duties, Glover took the victim on outings in a state-owned van. The van used for such outings was purposely secured with child locks and a heavy plastic partition between the front and rear seats so that individuals like Glover’s victim cannot get out.

On November 2, 2021, while on an outing with the victim, Glover drove down a dead-end road near a cemetery in Aumsville, Oregon. Upon reaching the dead-end, he parked the van near the cemetery’s gate and proceeded to engage in sexual acts with the victim without her consent. 

On February 18, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Glover with depriving the victim of her constitutional right to bodily integrity under color of law involving attempted aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping.

On January 9, 2024, Glover pleaded guilty to depriving the victim of her constitutional right to bodily integrity under color of law involving attempted aggravated sexual abuse.

This case was investigated by the FBI Portland Field Office with assistance from Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin Bruce of the District of Oregon and Trial Attorney Daniel Gruner of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Beaverton, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing fentanyl that caused the fatal overdose of a local man.

Billy Ray Trueblood II, 33, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in early March 2019, investigators from the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN) responded to a fatal overdose of a local man in his early thirties who was found unresponsive by his roommates. An autopsy by the Oregon State Crime Lab later confirmed the man died of an acute fentanyl overdose.

Further investigation revealed that the victim became addicted to opioids after using prescription pain killers in college to deal with athletic injuries. Investigators also learned the victim had been purchasing drugs from Trueblood since college and had recently exchanged text messages with him to arrange the purchase of “blues,” a term used to describe counterfeit Oxycodone pills manufactured with fentanyl.

In the days following the victim’s fatal overdose, investigators attempted to locate Trueblood, but were unable to do so until one investigator spotted him on television at a Portland Trailblazers basketball game. After another investigator confirmed the man spotted was indeed Trueblood, the investigators relayed the information to police officers at the game who located and arrested him. During his arrest, Trueblood was found in possession of a large amount of cash and several types of pills including some that resembled those found in the deceased victim’s bedroom.

On November 10, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Trueblood with distributing fentanyl, distributing fentanyl resulting in death, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

On May 30, 2023, Trueblood pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl.

This case was investigated by WIN and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

WIN is a Washington County, Oregon-based multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

MEDFORD, Ore.—A Cave Junction, Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison Thursday for illegally possessing methamphetamine and 12 firearms while on state supervision.

William Thomas Gillespie, 39, was sentenced to 173 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

“This lengthy prison sentence is a just outcome for a man who poses a significant danger to the community. We thank our partners on the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement Team for their dedication and commitment over many months to bringing Mr. Gillespie to justice,” said Nathan J. Lichvarick, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eugene and Medford Branch Offices.

“With Mr. Gillespie’s lengthy criminal record involving drug distribution, illegal firearms, and flight from supervised release, this significant sentence is well warranted,” said Jonathan Blais, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division. “ATF will always investigate those who endanger our communities and citizens through their illegal actions.”

According to court documents, on April 6, 2020, Gillespie was arrested in White City, Oregon attempting to deliver approximately 174 grams of methamphetamine. At the time of his arrest, he possessed six baggies of methamphetamine and a digital scale. After Gillespie consented to a search of his residence, investigators located and seized 12 firearms, including an AR-15 and multiple AK-style rifles. Three of the firearms were found to be stolen and one had an obliterated serial number.

On November 5, 2020, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a three-count indictment charging Gillespie with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, illegally possessing a short-barrel rifle, and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

On June 23, 2021, Gillespie was released from custody pending trial, and, on August 1, 2022, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

On January 2023, Gillespie absconded from his supervised release and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On September 13, 2023, Gillespie was located and arrested in Bandon, Oregon.

This case was investigated by the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement Team (RADE), a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. RADE includes members from Oregon State Police, the Grants Pass Police Department, Josephine County Probation & Parole, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

This case was prosecuted by Judith R. Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

EUGENE, Ore.—A North Bend, Oregon man suspected of abusing multiple children has been indicted in federal court.

Christopher Jay Young, 39, has been charged in a two-count indictment with attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and attempting to coerce and entice a minor.

According to the indictment, on or about January 20, 2024, Young is alleged to have knowingly and intentionally persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and record the conduct. Young’s crimes involving one minor victim, as alleged in the indictment, are part of a broader series of similar abusive crimes he is suspected to have committed involving multiple other children during a similar timeframe.

Between April 4 and 8, 2024, the FBI applied for and obtained multiple federal search warrants for Young’s person, home and vehicles. On April 11, 2024, special agents and deputies from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Oregon State Police, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office executed the warrants and arrested Young.

Five days later, on April 16, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Young. He was arraigned on the indictment Wednesday in federal court in Eugene by a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Young pleaded not guilty and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

Attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison with a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. Attempted coercion and enticement of a minor is punishable by up to life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.

This case is being investigated by the FBI in conjunction with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

EUGENE, Ore.—An Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a conspiracy to torture, mutilate, and murder monkeys, and then produce and distribute videos of those acts in exchange for money raised by an online animal abuse group.

David Christopher Noble, 48, of Prineville, Oregon, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

“The victims in this case cannot speak for themselves, but the impact of the grotesque violence brought upon them is unmistakable. At the direction of David Noble and his co-conspirators, the producers of these animal abuse videos not only killed monkeys but did so in a way that extended their pain and suffering as long as possible,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eugene and Medford Branch Offices. “Today’s sentence should make it clear to others engaged in this heinous conduct that they will be held responsible for their crimes.”

“David Noble's depraved actions not only inflicted unspeakable agony upon innocent creatures but also tainted the very essence of humanity’s moral fiber,” stated Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Under Noble's direction, the production and distribution of grotesque animal abuse videos represented a dark descent into the abyss of cruelty and exploitation. Today’s sentencing underscores our unwavering commitment to holding individuals like Noble accountable for their reprehensible crimes against compassion and decency.”

According to court documents, from January 2022 through February 2023, Noble conspired with others in the District of Oregon and elsewhere to send multiple online payments to co-conspirators overseas to fund the production of videos depicting the torture, mutilation and murder of monkeys. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Noble administered an online group wherein members would raise funds to produce, discuss ideas for, and share animal abuse videos.

In Noble’s messages to the group, he expressed his enjoyment of videos depicting the torture and murder of long-tailed macaques, which members of the group, including Noble, referred to as “rats.” In one message to the group sent in June 2022, Noble expressed that the only thing he did not like in abuse videos was when the torturers “kill the rats too quickly,” and he further expressed a desire that they “keep it alive make it suffer make sure it knows to fear you and that you end its existence at any time.” In another message, Noble claimed “the noises they make from pain and abuse are some of my favorite sounds.”

In 2006, Noble, a former United States Air Force officer, was dismissed from the Air Force and ordered to serve six months in military custody following a court martial for fraud and an unprofessional relationship. In early February 2023, following the investigation in this case, investigators executed a search warrant on Noble’s residence and found approximately 50 videos depicting animal abuse, along with several firearms and ammunition.

On May 18, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Noble with conspiring to engage in animal crushing and creating and distributing animal crush videos, creating animal crush videos, and illegally possessing a firearm as a dishonorably discharged person.

After his home was searched, Noble relocated from Prineville to Henderson, Nevada, and, on June 13, 2023, was arrested in Henderson. The next day, he made his first appearance in federal court in Las Vegas and was ordered detained pending his transfer to Oregon. On July 21, 2023, after arriving in Oregon, Noble was again ordered detained based on the nature of his offenses, including the extreme violence associated, and his possession of firearms.

On January 10, 2024, Noble pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in animal crushing and creating and distributing animal crush videos.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and prosecuted by William M. McLaren and Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Central Oregon drug trafficker who conspired with others to traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine to Madras and Redmond, Oregon, and surrounding areas, was sentenced to federal prison today.

Israel Sarabia, 30, of Culver, Oregon, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, as part of a joint drug trafficking investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE), investigators learned that a Central Oregon drug trafficking organization was using a courier to transport bulk quantities of drugs from either Southern California or Mexico into Oregon. On December 10, 2022, investigators located and stopped the courier in Klamath Falls, Oregon. While searching the courier’s vehicle, investigators located three packages containing approximately 30,000 counterfeit Oxycodone pills that later tested positive for fentanyl.

Further investigation revealed that the courier was traveling to Sarabia’s residence and that he had been tasked by Sarabia with bringing him fentanyl from Southern California or Mexico. On March 15, 2023, investigators located and arrested Sarabia near his residence in Culver. On the same day, investigators located and seized 519 grams of methamphetamine, more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, 41 grams of cocaine, and nine firearms from the residence of a co-conspirator who was working for Sarabia and storing drugs on his behalf.

On March 15, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Sarabia and an accomplice with conspiring with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, and distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. A third individual was also charged with conspiracy. 

On August 21, 2023, Sarabia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by DEA and CODE. It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

The CODE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. CODE includes members of the Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sunriver, and Black Butte Police Departments; the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department; the Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices; the Oregon State Police; the Oregon National Guard; DEA; and the FBI.

PORTLAND, Ore.— Every April, the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) to honor crime victims, promote their rights and recognize victim advocates. This year’s observance, the 43rd annual commemoration, takes place April 21-27, 2024, with the theme: Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office joins its federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners in taking this opportunity to highlight the importance of providing necessary services at the earliest possible stage of victimization and litigation. Early intervention helps prevent further victimization and encourages victim involvement in the criminal justice system, mitigating the cycle of violence and restoring hope for the future.

“Through the work of our victim services team, our new special victims unit, and all our staff who work on victim cases, seeking justice on behalf crime victims is central to our mission and continues to be a top priority for our office,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, victim advocacy organizations, community groups and state, local, and tribal agencies host rallies, candlelight vigils, and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services.

OVC and U.S. Attorney’s Offices encourage widespread participation in the week’s events and in other victim-related observances throughout the year. For additional information about this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and how to assist victims in your community, please visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov. For ongoing updates from OVC and ideas for how you can support crime victims throughout the year, please subscribe to OVC’s email notifications at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/subscribe/.

If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911. If you believe you have been the target or victim of a crime, please contact your local law enforcement agency or your nearest FBI field office immediately. The FBI Portland Field Office can be reached at (503) 224-4181 or by submitting tips online at tips.fbi.gov.

PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that it will join 10 other U.S. Attorney’s Offices in establishing a multi-agency task force to address carjacking, an important public safety threat impacting communities in Oregon and beyond.

“We are pleased to join our Justice Department colleagues from across the country in taking this important, targeted step to address carjacking, a dangerous, violent crime. We thank all our law enforcement partners for their ongoing commitment to protecting Oregonians through this and other violent crime reduction efforts.” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

“The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do so by targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime and by acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. We’re seeing results — with violent crime declining broadly nationwide,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, we are launching seven new carjacking task forces across the country to build on the success of task forces in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where available data shows that carjacking rates are now falling. When prosecutors, officers, agents, and analysts come together to crunch data, share intelligence, and apply best practices, we can make real progress in the fight against all forms of violent crime, including carjacking.”

In keeping with the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, the District of Oregon carjacking task force will focus federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting individuals responsible for committing carjackings and related crimes throughout the state. 

Carjacking task forces have proven to be an effective part of successful violent crime reduction strategies by focusing on a significant driver of crime and taking violent offenders off the streets. For example, carjackings in Philadelphia declined by 31 percent from 2022 to 2023, and armed carjackings are down 28 percent in the District of Columbia so far this year compared to the same period in 2023. In Chicago, carjackings decreased 29 percent from their high in 2021 through the end of 2023.

Local efforts to combat carjacking have already produced positive results. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging, Raheim Carter, 41, a Portland resident, with carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On March 15, 2024, Carter and an accomplice are alleged to have stolen a vehicle at gunpoint from a North Portland resident. Carter and the accomplice are alleged to have approached the victim while he was unloading groceries from his vehicle, demanded he hand over his keys at gunpoint, and drove off with the vehicle. The case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau with assistance from the FBI.

The newly formed carjacking task forces will be led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with state and local law enforcement partners.

PORTLAND, Ore.—The owners of ConsoliDebt Solutions, LLC, a debt consolidation service that operated in Oregon and other locations between April 2019 and April 2024, have been indicted in federal court for knowingly and intentionally defrauding their customers.

Javier Antonio Banuelas Urueta, 54, and Dalia Castilleja Saucedo, 38, both residents of Oregon and Washington State, have been charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiring to commit and committing mail and wire fraud.

According to the indictment, from approximately April 2019 and continuing until their arrests, Banuelas and Castilleja are alleged to have devised and carried out a scheme whereby they used ConsoliDebt Solutions to collect money and property from various clients in exchange for purported debt consolidation or reduction services. Banuelas and Castilleja directed their clients to deposit funds directly into ConsoliDebt bank accounts, transfer funds to the company, or mail in personal checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders. 

Banuelas and Castilleja are further alleged to have used client funds to pay for various personal expenses such as car leases, loan repayments, residential rent, and various wire transfers.

Banuelas was arrested Tuesday in Portland, Oregon. He made his first appearance in federal court the same day and was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending further court proceedings. Castilleja is still at large.

Mail and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release per count of conviction.

Anyone with information about Banuelas, Castilleja, or ConsoliDebt Solutions, LLC, are encouraged to contact Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) by submitting a tip online at  https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form or by calling (866) 347-2423.

This case was investigated by HSI. It is being prosecuted by Rachel K. Sowray, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

EUGENE, Ore.—A Lane County, Oregon, diesel repair shop and its owner pleaded guilty today in federal court to knowingly and intentionally tampering with pollution monitoring devices on at least 184 vehicles in violation of the Clean Air Act.

Diesel & Offroad Authority, LLC, located in Veneta, Oregon, and its owner and operator, Christopher Paul Kaufman, 38, a resident of Veneta, pleaded guilty to tampering with pollution monitoring devices.

As part of their plea agreements, Diesel & Offroad Authority and Kaufman have agreed to pay $150,000 each in criminal fines and serve three years terms of probation. 

“Diesel & Offroad Authority and its owner put profits over our community’s health and safety by amplifying diesel engines’ noxious fumes,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eugene and Medford Branch Offices. “We will continue working closely with our partners at EPA to hold accountable businesses that violate our nation’s environmental protection laws.”

“The defendants in this case illegally tampered with the onboard diagnostics systems and removed the emissions control components from hundreds of diesel trucks,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA CID) in Oregon. “The pollution that results from vehicle emissions can lead to serious health conditions and has been linked to increased respiratory disease and childhood asthma. This guilty plea demonstrates that EPA will vigorously prosecute those who violate laws designed to protect our communities from harmful air pollution.”

According to court documents, beginning in at least 2018 and continuing through 2022, Diesel & Offroad authority tampered with and disabled emissions control systems of at least 184 diesel vehicles in violation of the Clean Air Act. Diesel & Offroad Authority charged its customers approximately $2,300 each for the emissions modifications and collected more than $378,000 for the unlawful services over an approximately four-year period.

As owner of Diesel & Offroad Authority, Kaufman oversaw and participated in the illegal modification of vehicles, including by procuring various automotive parts used in the process and engaging in and directing employees in the removal of emissions control equipment.

On March 12, 2024, Diesel & Offroad Authority and Kaufman were charged by federal criminal information with violating the Clean Air Act by tampering with pollution monitoring devices.

Diesel & Offroad Authority and Kaufman will be sentenced on July 17, 2024.

This case was investigated by EPA CID. It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

If you witness an environmental event that may lead to an immediate threat to human health or the environment, please call 9-1-1. After alerting local emergency authorities, please also report incidents to the EPA’s Report a Violation website (https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations) or by calling the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Nevada man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing more than $163,000 in Covid relief program funds while on supervised release for two separate state criminal convictions.

Justin David Goulet, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $163,100 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

According to court documents, in late December 2020, Goulet was released from Oregon state prison after completing concurrent sentences for felony forgery and theft. Less than four months after his release from prison, in April 2021, Goulet devised a scheme to defraud SBA of funds appropriated by Congress to help businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, Goulet applied for two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and successfully obtained one for $163,100.

To support his fraudulent applications, Goulet registered a straw company called Statement Venture Group, LLC, and falsely claimed to be doing business as an independent contractor while imprisoned in 2019. He further submitted bogus tax filings, including one purportedly created by a New York accounting firm, to the SBA to substantiate robust (and fictional) revenues and payrolls. Goulet used most of the $163,000 he obtained on travel, living expenses, cars, and illegal drugs.

On February 8, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Goulet with wire fraud and, on August 30, 2022, he pleaded guilty.

This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Since January 2021, more than 50 people have been charged in the District of Oregon for their roles in fraud schemes targeting federal Covid relief programs. Together, these defendants attempted to steal more than $778 million in federal funds. 23 individuals have been convicted for their crimes and sentenced to a combined total of 477 months in federal prison and 894 months of probation and/or supervised release. 

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

MEDFORD, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment today charging a local man with illegally possessing and selling explosives.

Wesley Allen Armstrong, Jr., 56, a Medford resident, has been charged with distributing explosives by a non-licensee, possessing with intent to distribute and distributing fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, in March 2024, detectives from the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE) notified special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) of Armstrong’s alleged possession of and desire to sell explosives. On March 27, 2024, Armstrong was arrested after selling eight cast explosives, seven non-electric shock tube detonators, and a small quantity of fentanyl. Investigators executed a search warrant on Armstrong’s vehicle and located and seized a loaded pistol and an additional quantity of fentanyl.

On March 28, 2024, Armstrong was charged by federal criminal complaint with dealing explosives without a license, possessing stolen explosives, possessing explosives as a convicted felon, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl; made his first appearance in federal court; and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings. He will be arraigned on today’s indictment at a later date.

This case was investigated by ATF and MADGE. It is being prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

MADGE is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. MADGE is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Medford Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices, the Jackson County Community Corrections, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including MADGE.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that it has forfeited on behalf of the United States 14 real properties located in Oregon—together worth more than $5.7 million—that were used by an interstate drug trafficking organization to illegally grow marijuana for redistribution and sale in other states. The owner of a 15th property agreed to pay the government $400,000 in lieu of having their property forfeited.

Beginning at an unknown time, and continuing until September 2021, the properties, located in Clatsop, Columbia, Linn, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties, were used as illegal marijuana grow houses by an interstate drug trafficking organization led by Fayao “Paul” Rong, 53, of Houston, Texas. On July 19, 2023, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, Rong was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

“This prosecution and yearslong effort to forfeit properties used by the Rong organization to grow and process thousands of pounds of marijuana demonstrate the long reach of our commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable and mitigating the damage these criminal organizations inflict on neighborhoods and communities,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

“The goal of drug traffickers is to generate profits through their crimes,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Seattle Field Division. “The DEA and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the Oregon State Police worked hard in this case to investigate and forfeit the ill-gotten gains of this organization, benefiting our entire community.”

“The Oregon State Police is committed to disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations operating within our state. Our priorities include safeguarding Oregon’s natural resources and mitigating the impact illicit marijuana has on them,” said Tyler Bechtel, Oregon State Police (OSP) Lieutenant. “This case is a great example of the results that can be achieved when all levels of law enforcement work together toward our common goals.”

According to court documents, Rong purchased numerous residential houses in Oregon using several different identities and, with others in his organization, used them to grow and process marijuana and prepare it for transport to states where its use remains illegal. In a 12-month period beginning August 2020, Rong’s organization trafficked more than $13.2 million dollars in black market marijuana.

In early September 2021, a coordinated law enforcement operation led by DEA and OSP targeted Rong’s organization. Federal, state, and local law enforcement partners executed search warrants on 25 Oregon residences and Rong’s home in Houston. During the precipitating investigation and ensuing search warrants, investigators seized nearly 33,000 marijuana plants, 1,800 pounds of packaged marijuana, 23 firearms, nine vehicles, $20,000 in money orders, and more than $591,000 in cash.

The Rong organization takedown followed a 14-month investigation initiated by OSP after the agency learned of excessive electricity use at the various properties, which, in several instances, resulted in transformer explosions. Multiple citizen complaints corroborated law enforcement’s belief that Rong was leading a large black market marijuana operation. With the assistance of the Columbia and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices, OSP found associated marijuana grows in Clatsop, Columbia, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, and Polk Counties. On February 18, 2022, Rong was arrested by DEA agents in Houston.

This case was investigated by DEA, OSP, and the U.S. Marshals Service with assistance from the FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Oregon Department of Justice; Portland Police Bureau; the Yamhill, Clatsop, Marion, Multnomah, Columbia, and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices; Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team; and Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. Forfeiture proceedings were handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division.

The proceeds of forfeited assets are deposited in the Justice Department’s Assets Forfeiture Fund (AFF) and used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of other law enforcement purposes. To learn more about the AFF, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/afp/assets-forfeiture-fund-aff.

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

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man is facing federal charges after he was caught using Telegram, an encrypted messaging service, to sell various controlled substances to minors.

Rocky Allan Rainwater, 24, has been charged by criminal complaint with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, early in 2024, law enforcement obtained information that an individual, later determined to be Rainwater, was allegedly using Telegram to advertise the sale of various illegal narcotics including cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, Xanax, Adderall, and marijuana. In addition to delivering drugs locally, Rainwater, using the Telegram username “smokeyinpdx,” also advertised that he would sell and ship drugs to out-of-state customers. Investigators soon determined that Rainwater was advertising and selling drugs to both adults and minors.

On March 22, 2024, law enforcement arrested Rainwater while he was engaged in a cocaine sale. Investigators searched his vehicle and located a loaded .22 caliber pistol, 73 grams of cocaine, 465 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, and smaller quantities of LSD and dextroamphetamine. A subsequent search of Rainwater’s Portland residence returned additional quantities of cocaine, LSD, and methamphetamine, an electronic scale, .22 caliber ammunition, and $1,490 in cash.

Rainwater made his first appearance in federal court Monday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Today, he was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF). It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

CCITF, led by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, works to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in and around Clackamas County, and reduce illegal drugs and related crimes throughout the community. The task force is comprised of members of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Canby Police Department, Oregon State Police, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). CCITF is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A local drug trafficker who sourced large quantities of fentanyl from out-of-state contacts with ties to Mexican cartels for redistribution and sale in the Portland area and directed the transport and sale of firearms was sentenced to federal prison today.

Francisco Moncada, 28, who maintained residences in Portland and Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in October 2021, special agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Portland District Office began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in the Portland area and parts of Washington State. In April 2022, investigators learned that Moncada, who was later determined to be a manager within the drug trafficking organization, was communicating with multiple Portland area drug traffickers to discuss fentanyl sourcing.

On April 18, 2022, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle being used by Moncada and several associates to transport approximately 15 pounds of fentanyl. Just under two weeks later, on April 28, 2022, officers stopped Moncada a second time and seized an additional 10 pounds of fentanyl. Within days, investigators also obtained information that Moncada had instructed other members of his organization to sell various firearms.

On May 20, 2022, investigators searched Moncada’s Portland and Vancouver residences and seized seven firearms and two pounds of fentanyl. Between October 2021 and August 2022, investigators located and seized 50 pounds of fentanyl, 40 pounds of methamphetamine, and smaller quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana from Moncada and his associates, and made 16 arrests connected to their organization.

On May 21, 2022, Moncada and three others were charged my federal criminal complaint with conspiring with one another to possess and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. On June 14, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Moncada and eight associates for conspiring with one another to distribute fentanyl. Moncada was also charged with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On December 20, 2023, Moncada became the tenth member of his organization to plead guilty and, today, becomes the seventh member to be sentenced to federal prison. Four others are awaiting sentencing, and one is a fugitive.

This case was investigated by DEA with assistance from the FBI Vancouver Resident Agency, Vancouver Police Department, Oregon State Police, Oregon City Police Department and Washington State Department of Corrections. It was prosecuted by Bryan Chinwuba, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

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

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Washington State man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing fentanyl and aiding and abetting the armed robbery of a 14-year-old.

Levi Joseph Blomdahl, 28, of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in 2021, as a part of an ongoing investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) into Portland area fentanyl trafficking, Blomdahl was identified as a Pacific Northwest fentanyl dealer. In September 2021, Blomdahl was the victim of a drug-related robbery and shooting on Hayden Island in Portland during which he exchanged gunfire with the robber and sustained gunshot wounds. The robber, Anthony Pastorino, 44, also of Vancouver, fled the scene before police arrived and Blomdahl was taken to a local hospital to receive medical treatment.

Further investigation revealed that beginning in January 2021, Blomdahl made multiple trips from Portland to Phoenix, Arizona, to purchase fentanyl he would return to the Pacific Northwest for redistribution and sale. On November 18, 2021, HSI special agents executed a federal search warrant at Blomdahl’s Vancouver residence where they located and seized approximately 600 grams of fentanyl, two firearms, ammunition, and smaller amounts of other controlled substances.

While investigating Blomdahl’s drug trafficking, HSI learned that he had also aided and abetted the armed robbery of a 14-year-old boy in September 2021, in Vancouver, five days before Blomdahl himself was the victim of an armed robbery. It was revealed that Blomdahl was in close contact with another individual who, while pretending to be a police officer, stole a motorcycle offered for sale online by the 14-year-old. During the robbery, Blomdahl sent messages to the robber, including one encouraging him to place the boy under “arrest.” Blomdahl further contacted the victim’s mother, posing as the victim, to try and gain access to the boy’s online sales account.

On March 10, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Blomdahl with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On September 14, 2023, Blomdahl pleaded guilty to a two-count superseding criminal information charging him with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and aiding and abetting motor vehicle theft.

On May 3, 2023, Pastorino was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for his role in the armed robbery of Blomdahl.

This case was investigated by HSI, the Portland Police Bureau, and Vancouver Police Department. It was prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Warm Springs, Oregon man with seven prior domestic violence convictions was sentenced to federal prison today for assaulting his then-girlfriend on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in December 2020.

Alfred Dee Kaulaity, 47, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Kaulaity’s federal sentence will run consecutive to a 78-month state prison sentence previously imposed following a domestic violence conviction in Jefferson County, Oregon.

“The victim in this case courageously turned in her abuser to stop his dangerous pattern of violence” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Our Special Victims Unit is intently focused on holding domestic abusers accountable and stopping this violence in our communities.”

“Everyone has the human right to live in safety, free from violence and abuse. The FBI has a duty to recognize and defend this right,” said Aubree M. Schwartz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Domestic violence is rarely an isolated incident; the cycle of abuse frequently spans years, oftentimes with several victims as in the case with Alfred Kaulaity. The FBI fully investigates domestic violence with intense commitment to the safety and confidentiality of victims and encourages reporting of these heinous crimes to bring offenders to justice and protect others from harm.”

According to court documents, on December 3, 2020, Kaulaity was dining with his girlfriend at the Indian Head Casino on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Kaulaity became angry with his girlfriend for speaking to a male friend and, while driving away from the casino, struck her with the back of his hand, injuring her and leaving a scar on the bridge of her nose. Kaulaity then threatened to kill his girlfriend while driving her from Oregon to northern California.

After several days, Kaulaity’s girlfriend purchased flights to different destinations for Kaulaity and herself. When deboarding her flight to Portland, airline employees observed the women’s injuries and reported them to Port of Portland police. The woman told officers she had been assaulted by her boyfriend but did not identify him out of fear. Six months later, in June 2021, Jefferson County Sheriff deputies responded to a reported assault of the same woman. The woman identified Kaulaity as her assailant and reported his prior December 2020 assault.

On May 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Kaulaity with kidnapping, domestic assault by a habitual offender, assault resulting in substantial bodily injury, and interstate domestic assault. On December 1, 2023, he pleaded guilty to domestic assault by a habitual offender.

In June 2022, Kaulaity was convicted at trial of coercion and assault constituting domestic violence in Jefferson County Circuit Court for an assault involving the same victim as in his federal case and, following trial, was sentenced to a total of 78 months in Oregon state prison. Kaulaity’s federal sentence imposed today will run consecutive to his state prison sentence. Prior to his two Oregon domestic violence convictions, Kaulaity had six prior domestic violence convictions in Oklahoma spanning seventeen years and involving three different victims.

Kaulaity was ordered today to pay $1,432 in restitution to his victim and $3,494 to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Account.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Domestic violence is a serious crime that can include both physical and emotional abuse, and it is frequently hidden from public view. Many survivors suffer in silence, afraid to seek help or not knowing where to turn. The traumatic effects of domestic violence also extend beyond the abused person, impacting family members, friends, and communities.

If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.

If you need assistance or know someone who needs help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Many communities throughout the country have also created support networks to assist survivors in the process of recovery.

The StrongHearts Native Helpline offers culturally specific support and advocacy for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence. Please call 1-844-762-8483 or visit www.strongheartshelpline.org for more information.

PORTLAND, Ore.— An Idaho man who formerly supervised order-fulfillment and warehousing operations for the Jacklin Seed Company, a Liberty Lake, Washington producer and marketer of grass seed and turfgrass, was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in multiple schemes to defraud the J.R. Simplot Company and Jacklin, its former subsidiary.

Richard Dunham, 66, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Dunham was also ordered to pay $348,065 in restitution to Simplot.

According to court documents, from 1997 until its sale in 2020, the J.R. Simplot Company, a major privately held supplier of agricultural products headquartered in Boise, Idaho, owned and operated Jacklin. During this time, much of Jacklin’s business operations, including a seed-blending and warehousing facility, were located in and around Albany, Oregon. Dunham, who supervised Jacklin’s Albany operations, had the authority to purchase grass seed from certain Oregon growers over others.

At some point between 2013 and 2015, Dunham, Jacklin general manager Christopher Claypool, of Spokane, Washington, and others realized that growers’ preference for higher-yield grasses was creating substantial shortages of lower-yield varieties Jacklin had contracted to deliver to its customers. Dunham and Claypool recognized that these shortages would either cause Jacklin to fail to deliver on its existing contracts or require Jacklin to pay a premium to growers to acquire necessary inventory, substantially eroding company profits. The pair anticipated that either result would negatively affect their careers.

From January 2015 and continuing until at least the summer of 2019, Dunham and Claypool directed Jacklin employees, at the Albany facility and elsewhere, to fulfill customer orders with different varieties of grass seed than the customers had ordered, to conceal such substitutions from the customers, and to invoice the customers as though no substitutions had taken place. Together, they referred to this scheme as “getting creative.”

To conceal the unauthorized substitutions, Dunham and Claypool directed Jacklin employees to package the substitute seed varieties with false and misleading labels. They also directed employees to invoice the customers under the original terms of their contracts, notwithstanding the unauthorized substitutions. As a result of this scheme, Simplot refunded or credited more than $1.5 million to defrauded buyers.

During the same time, Dunham and Claypool also agreed to import mislabeled seeds from Moore Seeds, a Jacklin supplier based in Debolt, Alberta, Canada, to offset the shortage of one of Jacklin’s best-selling grass seed blends. In doing so, Dunham conspired with the owner of Cankiwi Ventures, Ltd., Moore’s managing entity, to purchase a less expensive seed blend at above-market rates in exchange for Moore’s falsely labeling the seed as Jacklin’s premier blend and shipping it, under that false pretense, to Jacklin in Oregon.

In additional to the undisclosed seed substitutions, Dunham engaged in another scheme while employed with Jacklin. Beginning no later than April 2015, Dunham conspired to obtain kickback payments from grass seed growers and brokers that regularly did business with Jacklin, including Ground Zero Seeds, International, of Yamhill, Oregon, and ProSeeds Marketing, Inc., of Jefferson, Oregon. Between April 2015 and September 2019, Dunham successfully solicited more than $191,789 in kickbacks from Ground Zero and $156,275 from ProSeeds.

On July 7, 2021, Claypool was sentenced to three years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wired fraud and money laundering.

On April 29, 2022, Dunham was charged by federal criminal information with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and, on July 7, 2022, pleaded guilty to both counts.

In two separate cases, Ground Zero Seeds International and ProSeeds Marketing, Inc., pleaded guilty to knowingly concealing schemes to defraud Jacklin. Both companies were sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay criminal fines of $40,000 and $5,000, respectively.  In addition, Ground Zero was ordered to pay Simplot $516,000 in restitution, and ProSeeds was ordered to pay Simplot more than $78,000.

In a third separate case, CanKiwi Ventures, Ltd., the manager of the Canadian grower Moore Seed, pleaded guilty on March 7, 2024, to smuggling mislabeled seed into the United States using false documents and was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $100,000. 

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a Portland teenager.

Tanner Welsh, 21, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, on November 10, 2022, officers from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) responded to a fatal overdose of a 17-year-old teenager. Investigating officers located several small blue pills near the teenager’s body they believed were counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. An autopsy later confirmed the teenager died from fentanyl poisoning.

Further investigation revealed that the teenager had exchanged several text messages with Welsh shortly before overdosing in response to an online ad Welsh posted offering the sale of controlled substances. Investigators also learned that Welsh had personally traveled to the teenager’s house to deliver the fentanyl pills.

On January 24, 2023, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) located and arrested Welsh who admitted selling fentanyl and Xanax pills to the deceased teenager.

On February 8, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Welsh on one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. On December 13, 2023, Welsh pleaded guilty to a one-count superseding criminal information charging him with distributing fentanyl to a person under the age of twenty-one.

This case was investigated by PPB and HSI and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland has returned an indictment charging four Hoover Criminal Gang members for their roles in murdering a Portland man in December 2020.

Taezhon Tyreik Kelly, 23, Anthony Devion Bagsby, 32, and Delane William Roy, 25, all of Portland, and Cocoa Dalonta Taplin, 28, of Fairview, Oregon, have been charged with murder in aid of racketeering, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.

The indictment alleges that on December 11, 2020, Kelly, Bagsby, Taplin, and Roy intentionally murdered D.M., a Portland man, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their position in the Hoover Criminal Gang, a criminal enterprise engaged in racketeering in California, Oregon, Washington, and elsewhere.

Bagsby and Taplin were arrested today in Portland by the FBI, Portland Police Bureau (PPB), and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). Both made their first appearances in federal court and were ordered detained pending a six-week jury trial scheduled to begin on April 30, 2024. Kelly was arrested Tuesday in Halton City, Texas and made his first appearance today in the Northern District of Texas. Roy was arrested today in Kaplan, Louisiana and made his first appearance in the Western District of Louisiana. Both were detained pending their transfer to the District of Oregon.

According to the indictment, the Hoovers are a criminal street gang operating in Oregon known to engage in acts of violence including murder, assault, robbery, sex trafficking, and the distribution of illegal narcotics. The Hoovers originated in Los Angeles in the late 1960s and established a presence in Portland in the early 1980s. The gang has a loose hierarchical structure in which members have different amounts of power and influence based on age and gang activity. To maintain status and increase one’s position in the gang, members are expected to carry out violence on behalf of the enterprise.

This case was investigated by the FBI, PPB, MCSO, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Gresham Police Department, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Washington State man was sentenced to federal prison today for knowingly and intentionally marketing and selling low-quality ballistic protective equipment produced in China to dozens of domestic law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Military.

Jeffrey Meining, 42, of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, from at least 2016 and continuing until 2022, Meining operated a ballistic equipment business called “BulletProof-IT” that sold products to numerous state, local, and federal agencies that included law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and the U.S. Military. Throughout his time in business, Meining lied about where the products he sold were made and their compliance with product safety and performance standards, including those set by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

On his website and other business materials, Meining falsely claimed that the ballistic protective equipment he sold—including helmets, body armor, and shields—were made in the United States, when in fact, most were made in China. For example, in December 2017, Meining purchased 600 helmets from a Chinese company for just over $50,000. At around the same time, Meining sold 600 of the same model helmets for $90,000 to a reseller than in turn sold them to the U.S. Department of State for $107,994.

In addition to lying about the origin of his products on business informational materials, Meining also lied about their origin on contracts with the U.S. Government. In 2016, BulletProof-IT became a supplier of goods to U.S Tactical Supply under a contract with the General Services Administration (GSA), which allowed federal, state, and local government agencies to place orders for tactical supplies from certified suppliers. Under the terms of the GSA contract, the government could only purchase goods made in the U.S. or designated countries. Between 2016 and January 2022, Meining supplied over $1 million in products under the GSA contract, nearly $400,000 of which were substitute products that did not meet required safety standards.

Meining further lied about his safety testing of products, falsely claiming to sell products certified to NIJ standards despite never having paid for any full NIJ testing. Achieving NIJ standards requires, among other criteria, the testing of numerous samples of a particular product. Instead of adhering to these requirements, Meining simply paid for “modified” testing usually completed as part of a product’s research and development. Several of the products Meining offered for sale failed even this more limited testing protocol. Despite these results, Meining continued offering these products for sale and, in several instances, falsified the test results he received to mislead his customers.

On June 28, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Portland intercepted and detained a package from China addressed to Meining that contained helmets and ceramic body armor plates. To release the shipment, Meining submitted doctored test results on which he removed notations of the various products having failed their performance tests.

Throughout his time in business, customers relied on Meining’s false statements and falsified product testing results in making their purchase decisions. For example, in 2019, Meining signed a $247,800 contract with the Mesa Police Department in Mesa, Arizona for the purchase of 840 ballistics helmets. In the contract, Meining falsely verified that the helmets met NIJ performance standards. In another instance, in 2021, Meining signed a $32,680 contract with the U.S. Air Force for helmets and equipment. In that contract, Meining again falsely stated that the helmets met NIJ standards and were made in the U.S.

On November 11, 2022, Meining was charged by criminal information with wire fraud, and, on March 23, 2023, he pleaded guilty to the single charge.

“We are thankful to the many investigative agencies that worked together to hold Jeffrey Meining accountable and deter others from engaging similar reckless criminal acts,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

“In the shadow of deceit, Jeffrey Meining orchestrated a scheme of betrayal, defrauding not only law enforcement agencies but the very fabric of trust woven into our nation’s armor,” said Robert Hammer, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle Field Office. “Through his company, Meining peddled false promises, masqueraded Chinese-made products as American-made, and fabricated test results to conceal their inadequacy. His actions, a grave breach of integrity, endangered the lives of those sworn to protect and serve. Let today’s sentencing serve as a call to fortify our vigilance against nefarious actors who seek to compromise the safety of our nation’s defenders.”

“Mr. Meining’s sentencing culminates his illicit scheme to defraud various local, state, and federal government entities, including the Department of Defense,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “He falsely claimed that the protective equipment he sold to the government, such as helmets and body armor, met specified testing standards and were made in the United States. Mr. Meining’s actions put U.S. servicemembers at risk, degraded American warfighter readiness, and undermined the missions of our military services.”

“This General Services Administration (GSA) contractor supplier made false claims about the country of origin and ballistic protection levels of their products that law enforcement and fire department personnel rely on for safety,” said Terry Pfiefer, Special Agent in Charge of the GSA Office of Inspector General Western Division. “This is unacceptable, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold vendors accountable for such fraudulent acts.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General with assistance from CBP, the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Unit, and the Offices of Inspectors General from the Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Interior, and Department of Veterans Affairs.

It was prosecuted by Quinn P. Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A former federal correctional officer in Oregon was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband into a federal prison in exchange for money.

Nickolas Carlos Herrera, 34, of McMinnville, Oregon, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

“Corruption by any public official or law enforcement officer is unacceptable. Mr. Herrera dishonored both himself and the law he swore to uphold, as well as the justice system he represents, by allowing a free flow of criminal activity in and out of the prison,” said Aubree M. Schwartz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Today’s sentence should send a strong message to all who abuse their positions for personal gain: we will not accept corruption in any form, or at any level.”

“By smuggling drugs, a cell phone, and other contraband into FCI Sheridan, Herrera exchanged the safety and security of the entire institution for his own selfish gain. Today’s sentencing shows that correctional officers who accept bribes and bring contraband into federal prisons will be held accountable for their crimes,” said Zachary Shroyer, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Western Region.

According to court documents, from April 2015 until he was placed on administrative leave in December 2019, Herrera was employed as a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan, Oregon, a medium security federal prison. Herrera used his position to introduce contraband into the facility for the benefit of select inmates, including Donte Hunt, 40, of Portland, who at the time was in custody pending trial on federal drug, gun, and money laundering charges. In the spring of 2019, Herrera started bringing contraband items such as food, clothing, and cigarettes into the facility, which he gave to Hunt.

Later, Herrera brought Hunt marijuana; Suboxone, a Schedule III narcotic; Yeezy brand designer sneakers; and a cell phone. Herrera obtained the items from Elizabeth McIntosh, 34, a non-incarcerated associate of Hunt’s. On at least one occasion, Herrera allowed Hunt to use a staff phone at the prison to call McIntosh to arrange the delivery of contraband to Herrera. Herrera met McIntosh on multiple occasions to obtain items for Hunt and accepted payment from her on Hunt’s behalf.

On September 24, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Herrera, Hunt, and McIntosh with conspiracy and bribing a public official. Herrera and Hunt were also charged with providing contraband in prison.

On May 19, 2022, Herrera pleaded guilty to conspiracy, providing contraband in prison, and accepting a bribe as a public official.

On December 18, 2023, Hunt pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribing a public official. He was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison to be served concurrently with a 300-month sentence previously imposed from his underlying criminal case.

On November 29, 2023, McIntosh pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information charging her with misprision of felony and, on February 13, 2023, she was sentenced to one year of probation.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Portland Police Bureau, and IRS-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Ethan Knight and Katherine Rykken, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

MEDFORD, Ore.—In separate criminal cases, three southern Oregon drug traffickers, including the leader of a Klamath Falls, Oregon, drug trafficking organization, were sentenced to federal prison Thursday following investigations by the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET), announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Juan Jessie Martinez-Gil, 59, a former resident of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release;

Blake Anthony Fulleton, 35, a resident of Klamath Falls, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release; and

Miguel Espana, 31, also of Klamath Falls, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

U.S. v. Martinez-Gil

According to court documents, between August 1, 2019, and September 2, 2021, Martinez-Gil and various associates conspired with one another to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, in the form of counterfeit Oxycodone pills, purchased in Southern California to Southern Oregon. Martinez-Gil and others sold these drugs to distributors in Klamath and Lake counties for further distribution and sale.

On September 2, 2021, Martinez-Gil and several associates were arrested as part of a coordinated law enforcement operation and federal search warrants were executed on five locations and two vehicles connected to the group. Law enforcement located and seized more than seventeen pounds of methamphetamine and several hundred counterfeit Oxycodone pills.

On September 30, 2021, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Martinez-Gil and his associates with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and attempted distribution of methamphetamine.

On November 1, 2023, Martinez-Gil pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

U.S. v. Fulleton

In September 2021, detectives from the Klamath Falls Police Department observed Fulleton, who they knew had multiple active felony warrants, depart a known drug house in Klamath Falls. After fleeing the detectives and crashing his vehicle into a power pole, Fulleton led the officers on a short foot pursuit and was arrested. At the time of his arrest, Fulleton possessed a small quantity of methamphetamine on his person. Detectives searched his vehicle and located a loaded pistol, an additional 480 grams of methamphetamine, a small quantity of heroin, and various drug packaging materials.

On February 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Fulleton with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. On December 11, 2023, Fulleton pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm.

U.S. v. Espana

In 2019, Klamath Falls area law enforcement began investigating Espana for drug trafficking and obtained information that he possessed approximately two pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle. On October 22, 2019, investigators located Espana sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle parked near a Klamath Falls motel and later stopped his vehicle when it departed the lot. Investigators searched the vehicle and located approximately 717 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, drug ledger, and $758 in cash.

On February 3, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Espana with one count of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and, on October 16, 2023, he pleaded guilty to the single charge.

All three cases were investigated by BINET. On Martinez-Gil and Espana, BINET investigators were assisted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). On Fulleton, they were assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Martinez-Gil and Espana were prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Fulleton was prosecuted Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Brassell, also of the District of Oregon.

BINET is a Klamath Falls area narcotics task force comprised of Oregon State Police, the Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon National Guard.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison today for murdering a Milwaukie, Oregon man in his home amid a violent robbery spree that spanned several months and targeted at least six local businesses.

Keandre Dshawn LaMarcus Brown, 27, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $29,991 in restitution to multiple victims.

“Gun violence continues to be one of the greatest public safety threats in our community,” said Steven T. Mygrant, Chief of the Narcotics and Criminal Enterprises Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “Keandre Brown and his accomplices’ string of armed robberies across the Portland area placed many innocent community members at significant risk.”

“Within months of completing a five-year prison sentence for attempted robbery, Keandre Brown went on a three-month crime spree, affecting over 20 victims, and brutally killing one. He used weapons, drugs, and fear to wreak havoc on our streets,” said Aubree M. Schwartz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Today’s significant sentence removes this dangerous individual from our community and highlights the tenacity of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to identify and apprehend criminals like him who threaten public safety.”

“I was among the first responders who arrived on the scene of Keandre Brown’s home invasion robbery after his victim called 911 screaming and begging for his life. After gunshots rang out on the line with our dispatchers, we saw firsthand the tragic result of this brutal murder,” said Luke Strait, Chief of the Milwaukie Police Department. “In the years that have followed, investigators from Milwaukie Police, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have worked tirelessly on what would become one of the most exhaustive investigations and prosecutions our region has seen in the last decade. Our criminal justice system has worked diligently and effectively to bring justice for this victim, his family, and the entire Milwaukie community.”

According to court documents, in the summer of 2016, Brown teamed up with an accomplice, Keith Bryon Woody Jr., 31, also of Portland, to engage in a series of armed robberies targeting multiple businesses in and around Portland. On August 2, 2016, the pair entered and robbed Paulsen’s Pharmacy on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland. Both brandished firearms during the robbery, threatened numerous employees and customers, including by pointing a gun at the pharmacy manager’s head, and made off with controlled substances, cash, and several personal property items including wallets, credit cards, and phones.

Two weeks later, on August 13, 2016, Brown and Woody entered and robbed Fairley’s Pharmacy on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland. The pair again brandished firearms, ordered employees and customers to the floor at gunpoint and zip-tied them, and proceeded to steal eight pill bottles that together contained approximately 1,600 Oxycodone pills.

Brown’s spree continued on August 31, 2016, when he and two accomplices entered and robbed the Lighthouse Deli on SE César Chávez Boulevard in Portland. Brown and his accomplices brandished firearms, zip-tied an employee, and stole cash as well as several wallets, credit cards, and phones from nearby employees and customers.

On September 5, 2016, after several days of planning, Brown, Woody, and multiple accomplices carried out a home invasion robbery targeting a Milwaukie man they believed possessed large quantities of cocaine and cash. The group forcibly entered the residence through a rear door and confronted the homeowner, who quickly retreated into a bathroom and called 911. Brown and Woody, each armed with semi-automatic firearms, positioned themselves outside the bathroom door where the homeowner had barricaded himself, while their accomplices searched the residence. Brown and Woody then fired their respective handguns multiple times at the bathroom door, penetrating the door and killing the homeowner.

Following the home invasion robbery and murder, Brown, with the assistance of others, carried out two additional armed robberies on a single day. On October 18, 2016, Brown and an accomplice entered and robbed a Plaid Pantry convenience store on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland. The pair made off with cash, tobacco products, and various personal property items. Later the same day, Brown and an accomplice entered and robbed a Red Roof Inn on NE 82nd Avenue in Portland. The pair zip-tied an employee and threatened her to turn over cash but left empty handed after finding an empty cash register.

Investigators later connected Brown and Woody to an additional armed robbery of a pharmacy in Vancouver, Washington, on August 22, 2016, during which they threatened employees at gunpoint and made off with Oxycodone pills.

On October 20, 2016, U.S. Marshals arrested Brown and Woody traveling together in a vehicle. Both possessed firearms at the time of their arrest. Soon after, Brown was transferred to Clark County, Washington to face trial on charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Brown was convicted on September 11, 2017, and later sentenced to 360 months in Washington State prison.

On November 4, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a multi-count indictment charging Brown, Woody, and several other accomplices for conspiring with one another to interfere with commerce by threats or violence, possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.

Later, on July 11, 2023, in a separate criminal case, Brown was charged by criminal information with intentionally killing while engaged in drug trafficking. The same day, Brown pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiring with others to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and intentionally killing while engaged in drug trafficking, resolving both of his federal cases.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Milwaukie Police Department with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau, Oregon State Police Crime Lab, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, and Vancouver Police Department. It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart and Thomas H. Edmonds, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

An Oregon man has been charged with hate crimes for intentionally defacing a synagogue in Eugene, Oregon, several times over the course of five months.

Adam Edward Braun, 34, of Eugene, has been charged by criminal complaint with intentionally defacing a synagogue because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people.

According to court documents, on four separate occasions between August 2023 and January 2024, Braun is alleged to have intentionally defaced Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Eugene, by repeatedly targeting the synagogue with graffiti, some of which used antisemitic symbols and phrases. Court documents describe how Braun’s pattern of behavior culminated in the early morning hours of Jan. 14, when Braun traveled to Temple Beth Israel with a hammer and prepared to swing at the glass doors of the synagogue. Braun stopped when he saw that he was being recorded by surveillance camera, and he then moved to a different area of the property and used spray paint to write “White Power” in large letters on the building’s exterior. 

On Jan. 31, officers from the Eugene Police Department, with assistance from the FBI, executed a state search warrant on Braun’s Eugene residence and located multiple pieces of evidence connecting Braun to the attacks on Temple Beth Israel. Investigators also found several items and writings belonging to Braun that were consistent with antisemitic beliefs and biases.

Braun was arrested today without incident by the FBI and made his first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon and Acting Special Agent in Charge Aubree Schwartz of the FBI Portland Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Portland Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Eugene Police Department.

Trial Attorney Cameron A. Bell of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin W. Bruce for the District of Oregon are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

EUGENE, Ore.—An Oregon man has been charged with a federal hate crime for intentionally defacing a Eugene synagogue several times over a five-month period.

Adam Edward Braun, 34, a resident of Eugene, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with intentionally defacing a synagogue because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people.

According to court documents, on four separate occasions between August 2023 and January 2024, Braun is alleged to have intentionally defaced Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Eugene, by repeatedly targeting the synagogue with graffiti, some of which used antisemitic symbols and phrases. Braun’s pattern of behavior culminated in the early morning hours of January 14, 2024, when he traveled to Temple Beth Israel with a hammer and prepared to swing at the glass doors of the synagogue. Braun stopped when he saw he was being recorded by a surveillance camera, and then moved to a different area of the property and used spray paint to write “White Power” in large letters on the building’s exterior.

On January 31, 2024, officers from the Eugene Police Department, with assistance from the FBI, executed a state search warrant on Braun’s Eugene residence and located multiple pieces of evidence connecting Braun to the attacks on Temple Beth Israel. Investigators also found several items and writings belonging to Braun that were consistent with antisemitic beliefs and biases.

Braun was arrested today without incident by the FBI and made his first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Cameron A. Bell, Trial Attorney for the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A former Portland resident was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison today for sexually abusing multiple children, videorecording and photographing the abuse, and posting the illicit videos and photos on a private Snapchat page he maintained and used to entice other children to produce and share sexually explicit images of themselves.

Rolando Daniel Benitez, 30, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison and 10 years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in July and August 2019, Benitez, pretending to be a 15-year-old boy named “Marcos,” sexually abused two children, then ages 14 and 17, used his cell phone to videorecord and photograph the abuse, and posted the child sexual abuse material to a private Snapchat story page he maintained. In at least one of the images posted to Snapchat, Benitez’s online alias “Marcos” was written with black ink on one of the children’s bodies. On at least one occasion, Benitez sexually abused both minor victims together.

Investigators later discovered that Benitez, who moved to Washington state while the investigation was pending, used his Snapchat story page to entice other children to produce and send him sexually explicit images of themselves. Benitez only allowed girls to join and view his private Snapchat stories, and only after the girls complied with his “rules” by sending him photos of their exposed bodies. He further required some of the girls to write and photograph his online alias on their bodies.

A local investigation of Benitez’s crimes was opened after one of his child victims submitted a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline. The victim included Benitez’s full name and phone number in the report and pleaded with authorities to “please stop this man.” Less than a month later, Benitez was arrested in Auburn, Washington, for sexually abusing a 12-year-old child he met on SnapChat.

On January 26, 2021, Benitez was charged by federal criminal complaint in the District of Oregon with producing, advertising, receiving, and possessing child pornography. On October 5, 2023, he pleaded guilty to a three-count criminal information charging him with two counts of sexually exploiting children, and one count of possessing child pornography. 

Benitez’s federal plea agreement is part of a global resolution between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the King County, Washington, Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. On July 7, 2023, Benitez was sentenced in King County Superior Court to 136 months in state prison and a life-term of community custody (supervised release) for his abuse of the 12-year-old child in Auburn. Benitez’s federal and state sentences will run concurrently.

This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) with assistance from the Auburn, Washington, Police Department. It was prosecuted by Gary Y. Sussman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

FBI Portland’s CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

EUGENE, Ore.—A Southern California drug trafficker convicted at trial for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Pedro Keny Verganza, 39, of Los Angeles County, California, was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in December 2019, investigators with the Albany Police Department obtained information that an individual known as “Pelucha” was a source of supply for illegal narcotics transported by a California-based drug trafficking organization from California to Oregon for redistribution and sale. Further investigation revealed that, in mid-February 2020, a courier working with or on behalf of Pelucha was expected to arrive at a fast-food restaurant in Albany, Oregon to complete a sale of methamphetamine and heroin.

On February 15, 2020, law enforcement officers observed the courier, later determined to be Verganza, arrive at the fast-food restaurant with another individual. Law enforcement searched the pair’s vehicle and located a cardboard box containing three large heat-sealed and shrink-wrapped packages containing approximately three and a quarter pounds of methamphetamine and two and a quarter pounds of heroin. Subsequent lab tests revealed Verganza’s fingerprints and palm prints inside the box and on the packages of narcotics.

On February 16, 2020, Verganza was charged by federal criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and, on August 19, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene indicted Verganza on the same charge. Later, a charge of possessing with intent to distribute heroin was added by superseding indictment. On October 13, 2023, Verganza was found guilty at trial on both charges.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with assistance from the Albany Police Department and Linn County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Adam E. Delph and John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that it has seized a vehicle purchased for Jon Harder, the former CEO of Sunwest Management and associated companies, who previously admitted to orchestrating a $120 million fraud scheme—one of the largest in Oregon history—and that the proceeds of the vehicle’s sale will be applied to the former defendant’s court-imposed restitution order.

According to court documents, in July 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office obtained information that Harder had purchased a 2023 Ford F-150 truck for a cash sale price of approximately $70,000 using funds provided by a non-familial person. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle was registered solely to Harder and was being stored at his residence in Canyonville, Oregon. On January 19, 2024, acting on a U.S. District Court order, the U.S. Marshals Service entered Harder’s property and seized the vehicle. The court issued an order Tuesday authorizing the sale of the vehicle and the application of the proceeds to Harder’s outstanding restitution balance.

Harder formerly controlled a network of companies that bought, constructed, and managed assisted living facilities. At its height, the organization, Sunwest Management and its related companies, owned approximately 300 assisted living facilities that served more than 15,000 residents. As CEO of Sunwest, Harder knowingly and intentionally misled hundreds of investors about the nature and risks of their investment in Sunwest housing facilities and development projects. He further misled his investors about the financial health of Sunwest, failing to disclose that the company continuously operated at substantial monthly losses. In total, Harder misled more than 1,400 investors, causing losses exceeding $120 million.

Harder was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering, and ordered to pay more than $74 million in restitution to his victims.

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, and the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program. The United States was represented in this matter by Julia Jarrett, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and the District of Oregon’s Financial Litigation Program staff.

The District of Oregon’s Financial Litigation Program (FLP) is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division. The mission and goal of FLP is to fairly achieve the maximum recovery of civil and criminal debts consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and Justice Department policies. FLP attorneys and support staff work with individuals subject to restitution orders to bring closure for crime victims and recoup losses incurred by United States taxpayers.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A real estate developer and part-time resident of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to federal prison today for fraudulently obtaining Covid-relief program funds and laundering a portion of the proceeds while on federal supervised release for a previous fraud conviction.

Michael James DeFrees, 62, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $1.2 million and pay $1.3 million in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

“Michael DeFrees’s crimes demonstrated his indifference to both the many businesses suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and American taxpayers who funded the relief programs created to alleviate these impacts. Prosecuting COVID-19 fraud remains a top priority for the Department of Justice and our partners,” said Ethan Knight, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Fraudulently using pandemic funds for personal gain is deplorable” said SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “This sentence demonstrates that those who defraud the nation’s vital economic programs will be held accountable. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”

“Crime doesn’t pay, as Mr. DeFrees is again finding today,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Financial crime like Covid-relief fraud hurts all of us and undermines programs meant to help those in need. Today’s sentencing is a reminder that IRS:CI is committed to fighting fraud for the well-being of all our neighbors and communities.”

According to court documents, between April 2, 2020, and April 4, 2022, DeFrees used two different business entities to obtain under false pretenses Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans administered by the SBA. The EIDL and PPP programs, initially authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enabled SBA to issue low-interest loans to small businesses adversely impacted by the pandemic and associated shutdowns.

To perpetrate his scheme, DeFrees submitted multiple loan applications to the SBA and two banks in Washington State. In these applications, DeFrees indicated that he was the sole owner of two business entities—Gateway National Corporation, a construction company incorporated in Washington State, and Yacht Harbor, LLC, a real estate development company incorporated in Oregon—and that he, as the sole owner, had never been convicted of any disqualifying criminal offense or recently placed on parole or probation. 

In reality, at the time he submitted the applications, DeFrees was on probation following a 2017 felony conviction in the Western District of Washington for falsifying records in a bankruptcy proceeding. After receiving the loan payouts, DeFrees laundered a portion of the proceeds through a third business entity and spent the funds on personal expenses.

On May 17, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging DeFrees with two counts of wire fraud and one count each of bank fraud and money laundering. On October 26, 2023, DeFrees pleaded guilty to all four charges.

This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan W. Bounds prosecuted the case.

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

PORTLAND, Ore.—Four suspected drug traffickers with apparent ties to a Mexico-based transnational criminal organization are facing federal charges today after they were caught transporting nearly 370 gallons of liquid heroin.

Marco Antonio Magallon, 44; Luis Deleon Woodward, 26; and Jorge Luis Amador, 25, all of Yakima, Washington, and Santos Alisael Aguilar Maya, 32, whose place of residence is unknown, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and possess with intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents, on January 24, 2024, as part of an ongoing, multi-agency drug trafficking investigation, law enforcement obtained information that several individuals working for a transnational criminal organization were transporting a large load of illegal narcotics into the District of Oregon. Late in the evening of January 24 and in the early morning hours of January 25, 2024, investigators observed a rented moving truck driven by Amador and an accompanying red pickup truck traveling west on Interstate 84 near Bonneville, Oregon. Investigators observed the vehicles travel together to a motel in Tigard, Oregon, making one brief stop in a commercial parking lot in Beaverton, Oregon.

Later on January 25, investigators executed federal search warrants on the defendants’ motel room and two vehicles. They located and seized eight 55-gallon barrels containing approximately 370 gallons of a liquid narcotic inside the moving truck and two loaded handguns inside the motel room. All four defendants were arrested without incident. Investigators transported the seized narcotic, which weighed approximately 1.4 metric tons, to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) narcotics room. Lab tests later confirmed the barrels contained liquid heroin.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), WCSO, and the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN). It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

WIN is a Washington County, Oregon-based High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, and HSI.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Fontana, California man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for his role in a local drug distribution ring responsible for trafficking large quantities of illegal narcotics from Mexico into the Portland metro area for redistribution and sale.

Javier Sarabia, 28, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, beginning in April 2019, special agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in Portland and Vancouver, Washington. On April 22, 2019, investigators stopped a vehicle traveling north on Interstate 5 toward Portland. An initial search of the vehicle returned $23,000 in cash and what appeared to be hand-written drug ledgers. Later, while conducting a full search of the vehicles, investigators found two after-market compartments under the vehicle’s front seats concealing 100 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and eight pounds of heroin.

Further investigation revealed that the driver of the seized vehicle had recently communicated with Sarabia who served as a drug load coordinator, stash house operator, courier, and sub-distributor for the trafficking organization. It was later determined that Sarabia himself had arranged for the drugs to be loaded into the seized vehicle.

One month later, on May 28, 2019, as part of an unrelated law enforcement operation, police in Chino, California stopped Sarabia in a vehicle that was found to contain approximately ten pounds of methamphetamine. Sarabia confessed to his involvement in the drug trafficking organization and admitted to personally loading the drugs into the vehicle stopped and seized in Oregon.

On August 14, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Sarabia and eleven others with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances, use a communication facility, and maintain drug-involved premises, and other related charges. On October 18, 2023, Sarabia pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. 

Sarabia is the eleventh person in the conspiracy to be sentenced. The twelfth and final defendant is a fugitive.

This case was investigated by DEA with assistance from the Tigard Police Department. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—An eastern Oregon drug dealer identified by law enforcement as part of an investigation into a fatal overdose on the Umatilla Indian Reservation was sentenced to federal prison today, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Ulises Echevarria-Molina, 40, of Pendleton, Oregon, was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, on May 15, 2021, officers from the Umatilla Tribal Police Department responded to a suspected fatal drug overdose at the Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton and located several counterfeit Oxycodone pills believed to contain fentanyl near the deceased victim. Toxicology reports later confirmed the victim had consumed fentanyl and cocaine prior to their death. 

Further investigation revealed that the overdose victim likely obtained the fentanyl pills from a family member’s supply and the family member had recently purchased fentanyl from a local dealer. Investigators soon identified Echevarria-Molina as a third-level drug distributor to the deceased victim’s family member and, on May 18, 2021, arrested him without incident.

At the time of his arrest Echevarria-Molina possessed approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills and $9,000 in cash on his person. A search of Echevarria-Molina’s Pendleton home returned approximately 24 pounds of methamphetamine, two pounds of cocaine, and 1,500 additional fentanyl pills. Investigators also located and seized $18,000 in cash, digital scales, and various drug packaging materials from Echevarria-Molina’s residence.

On May 21, 2021, Echevarria-Molina was charged by criminal complaint with distribution or possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Later, on May 19, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Echevarria-Molina with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Because of the combination of controlled substances in the toxicology results, Echevarria-Molina was not charged with the overdose death.

On September 5, 2023, Echevarria-Molina pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team (BENT), FBI and the Umatilla Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted Cassady Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

BENT is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force that includes detectives from the Pendleton Police Department, Hermiston Police Department, Boardman Police Department, Oregon State Police, Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Milton-Freewater Police Department, and Umatilla Tribal Police Department.

WASHINGTON— Today, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland presented federal prosecutor Geoffrey Barrow, an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Oregon, with the prestigious John Marshall Award for his exceptional contributions to criminal cases stemming from the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021.

John Marshall awards, presented annually by the Attorney General, are the Justice Department’s highest awards presented to attorneys and other litigation support staff for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance.

“Each of today’s recipients has served with distinction, and in so doing, they have enabled the Justice Department to advance its work on behalf of the American people,” said Attorney General Garland. “Their exceptional leadership, heroism, and dedication have benefited people and communities across the country.”

“We are incredibly proud of the contributions Geoffrey Barrow has made to these important cases. The department’s January 6 prosecution effort is unprecedented in both its scope and complexity, and has required many dedicated public servants, like Geoff, to temporarily put aside their normal duties to represent the interests of all Americans,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Barrow was recognized, together with 14 other department attorneys and litigation support staff, for his innovation and leadership in meeting the extraordinary discovery demands posed by the simultaneous prosecution of more than 1,200 capitol breach defendants. Together, these cases have produced more than 5 million electronic files and an unprecedented amount of surveillance video, police camera footage, and other digital evidence collected on or after January 6. Barrow and his team worked with a contracted partner to create a secure, online repository for all January 6 evidence to expeditiously meet the government’s discovery production requirements across all January 6 cases.

In the 36 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,265 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony.

Department of Justice staff from across the country, including multiple Assistant United States Attorneys from the District of Oregon, have been detailed to the department’s January 6 investigation, which is ongoing. Anyone with information or tips should call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man was sentenced to federal prison today for participating in a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars of cryptocurrency using a SIM swap scam technique that takes over victims’ cellular phone accounts to access sensitive personal information.

Daniel James Junk, 22, of Portland, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $3 million in restitution to his victims.

According to court documents, from at least December 2019 through March 2022, Junk engaged in an online fraud scheme known as SIM swapping to access and steal from his victims’ cryptocurrency exchange accounts. SIM swapping is a cellular phone account takeover scam technique where a victim’s incoming calls and text messages are routed to a different phone. Once a SIM is swapped, an individual may be able to gain access to a victim’s personal accounts including email accounts, cryptocurrency exchange accounts, and other accounts that use two-factor identification.

Junk actively participated in an online SIM-swapping community where various individuals would partner with one another to play different roles needed to successfully execute a SIM swap scam. Throughout his involvement in such schemes, Junk performed some aspects of all the required roles including finding victims to target through breached databases or other exploits, porting victim phone numbers to devices controlled by members of the fraud conspiracy, and physically possessing the phone used for the “swap.” Junk and members of his online community also coordinated with one another to plan and carry out various in-person crimes including attempting to steal a 90-year-old victim’s cell phone and committing fraud at cellular telephone stores.

On March 3, 2022, the FBI executed a federal search warrant on Junk’s apartment. Agents seized nearly all of Junk’s electronic equipment including a computer with an active browser showing that Junk was attempting to illegally access accounts in other people’s names when the agents arrived at his residence. The FBI seized more than 71 bitcoin worth approximately $3 million the day of the search. Two months later, Junk surrendered an additional 33 bitcoin worth approximately $1 million.

On March 15, 2023, Junk was charged by criminal information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and, on April 20, 2023, he waived indictment and pleaded guilty to the single charge.

In early January 2024, while awaiting sentencing, Junk was found by law enforcement to possess additional evidence of fraud including multiple victim target lists and approximately 25,000 compromised email addresses. On January 10, 2024, Junk’s release was revoked, and he was ordered into custody pending sentencing.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau. It was prosecuted by Quinn P. Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man is facing federal charges today after authorities intercepted an international parcel he had ordered containing MDMA and quantities of at least 16 different drugs and 42 firearms were found in and seized from his Gresham, Oregon home.

Riley James Hinds, 38, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on January 9, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Los Angeles International Airport seized an inbound package from the Netherlands containing approximately 2.5 pounds of MDMA. The package, addressed to “James Settler,” an alias used by Hinds to open a mailing box at a UPS Store in Gresham, was handed over to special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Portland for further investigation.

On January 26, 2024, investigators arrested Hinds and executed a federal search warrant on his residence. Investigators located and seized quantities of at least 16 different narcotics in Hinds’ residence including MDMA, Adderall, counterfeit Oxycodone, cocaine, ketamine, marijuana, psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, opium, morphine, DMT, mescaline, peyote, GHB, 5-MeO-DMT, and a mixture of unidentified pills. They also located and seized various drug processing tools and packaging materials, 42 firearms, four firearm suppressors, two unfinished ghost guns, and six sets of body armor.

Hinds made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

This case was investigated by HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Portland Police Bureau Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit (PPB-NOC), and the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT) with assistance from CBP. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

MEDFORD, Ore.—On January 24, 2024, a Portland, Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison for his role in an armed robbery targeting a southern Oregon marijuana grower.

Kenan Dizdarevic, 35, was sentenced to 107 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims.

“Mr. Dizdarevic and his accomplices—pretending to be police armed with firearms and outfitted in body armor and ski masks—placed their victims in a horribly dangerous and frightening situation. Our office is committed to holding defendants like Mr. Dizdarevic accountable and combating violent crime throughout Oregon,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eugene and Medford Branch Offices.

“This is a well-deserved sentence,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Mr. Dizdarevic and his accomplices committed robbery, impersonated law enforcement, stole a vehicle and fled from actual law enforcement. Their actions were extremely brazen and posed a great danger to the community.”

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of November 2, 2019, Dizdarevic and another individual entered a residence located on a secluded marijuana grow in Eagle Point, Oregon. Wearing dark clothing, gloves, body armor, and ski masks and armed with multiple firearms, Dizdarevic and his accomplice shouted, “police search warrant” before handcuffing and placing two individuals found inside the residence face down on the floor. Dizdarevic and his accomplice demanded money and guns from the two victims and eventually made off with more than 30 pounds of marijuana and one of the victim’s vehicles.

Soon after, law enforcement located the stolen vehicle traveling with another car on Interstate 5. After a lengthy pursuit that exceeded 120 miles per hour and traversed three counties, the stolen vehicle successfully eluded law enforcement. After being disabled by a spike strip, the second vehicle came to a stop in Douglas County, Oregon, and the driver, who investigators later connected the Eagle Point robbery, fled on foot. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the vehicle and located ski masks, zip ties, handcuffs, tactical vests, and multiple firearms. Investigators determined that Dizdarevic, the driver who fled on foot and was later apprehended, and a third individual traveled together to the Eagle Point robbery in the vehicle. Dizdarevic’s fingerprints, DNA, and various personal belongings were located in the vehicle.

On February 19, 2021, Dizdarevic was charged by criminal complaint with interfering with commerce by robbery; conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and using, carrying, or brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was arrested on June 29, 2022, and on August 23, 2023, he pleaded guilty to a two-count criminal information charging him with interfering with commerce by robbery and conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.

On March 2, 2023, Shannon Christopher Harrop, 34, of Wilsonville, Oregon was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for organizing the Eagle Point robbery Dizdarevic participated in and other robberies. 10 individuals, including Harrop and Dizdarevic were charged and have pleaded guilty for their roles in these robberies. Dizdarevic is the eighth defendant to be sentenced and the final two are pending sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Oregon State Police, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, and Medford Police Department. It was prosecuted by Marco Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—An Aloha, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for possessing and distributing thousands of photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Jason Reuben, 42, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison and 10 years’ supervised release. Reuben must also pay $8,000 in special assessments and $14,000 in restitution, and, upon his release from prison, will be required to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, in June 2022, law enforcement officers in New Albany, Ohio gained access to a private chat group used to share sexually explicit images and videos of children on Kik Messenger, an instant messaging mobile application. Investigators observed one member of the group, later determined to be Reuben, post several illicit media files. Investigators soon discovered that six separate Cyber Tipline reports from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children tracked back to an internet protocol (IP) address associated with Reuben’s Aloha residence.

On July 26, 2022, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Reuben’s residence and seized multiple digital devices containing more than 48,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse, including many depicting the abuse of young children and toddlers. Reuben admitted to possessing the illicit material and accessing the Kik messaging service.

On September 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Reuben with distributing and possessing child pornography. On October 19, 2023, he pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the New Albany Police Department. It was prosecuted by Charlotte Kelley and Gary Sussman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Polk County, Oregon man pleaded guilty today in federal court to multiple charges stemming from his involvement in a scheme to ship export-controlled firearm components, ammunition, and stolen credit cards to multiple foreign countries, including Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.

Alan Michael Placzkiewicz, 76, of Falls City, Oregon, pleaded guilty to one count each of illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon and delaying or destroying mail.

According to court documents, throughout his involvement in the illegal smuggling scheme, Placzkiewicz operated as a mule, receiving packages containing various items, and as directed by others, shipping them to addresses overseas. Placzkiewicz participated in the scheme knowingly and continued participating after being warned by multiple government officials about his reshipping activity.

In October 2020, Placzkiewicz received two packages in the mail at his residence in Falls City and, following his usual course of action when receiving similar packages, opened them, sent pictures of the items they contained through a portal online, repackaged the items, and shipped them to foreign addresses. In this instance, the packages contained four AR-15-style assault rifle stocks and 1,300 rounds of 6.5mm 139 grain bullets. Placzkiewicz relabeled both packages, declared them as containing “camping gear,” and mailed them to an individual in Moscow, Russia. Both packages were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Later, in January 2021, Placzkiewicz received a package containing a credit card issued by a bank to an individual without their knowledge. Placzkiewicz repackaged the card as “office supplies” and reshipped it.

On August 2, 2022, Placzkiewicz was charged by criminal complaint with fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents, and conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud. Later, on May 2, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment charging Placzkiewicz with conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, mail fraud, and unlawfully transferring, possessing, or using a means of identification.

Today, Placzkiewicz pleaded guilty to a two-count criminal information, filed on November 15, 2023, charging him with illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon and delaying or destroying mail.

Illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. Delaying or destroying mail is punishable by up to one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and five years’ supervised release.

As part of his plea agreement, Placzkiewicz has agreed to pay more than $117,000 in restitution to his victims as recommended by the government and ordered by the court. He will be sentenced on April 16, 2024.

This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and CBP. It is being prosecuted by Rachel K. Sowray, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man is facing federal charges today after he was caught transporting more than 200 pounds of methamphetamine on Interstate 5 near Tualatin, Oregon, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Juan Manuel Berrelleza Leyva, 22, a Mexican national residing in Portland, has been charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to possess and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

According to court documents, on January 21, 2024, law enforcement observed the suspect’s vehicle traveling north between Salem, Oregon, and Tualatin. After briefly failing to yield to the investigators’ attempts to initiate a traffic stop, Leyva, the vehicle’s driver and sole occupant, pulled over.

After a narcotics K-9 alerted to the vehicle, investigators searched it and located more than 200 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a duffle bag, suitcase, and trash bag. Investigators also located and seized just over two pounds of heroin. Leyva admitted to entering the United States approximately seven months prior and being responsible for picking up drug shipments in other states and transporting them to the Portland area.

Leyva made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

This case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN). It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

WIN is a Washington County, Oregon-based High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, DEA, FBI, and HSI.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man was sentenced to federal prison today for selling drugs to Portland high school students.

Jonathan Ash Clark, 43, of Portland, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and six months’ supervised release.

According to court documents, on September 28, 2022, officials at Cleveland High School in Portland contacted the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) to request assistance locating a missing student. School officials told police the student was last seen with Clark who they suspected was involved in distributing controlled substances to students. To quickly locate the student who was possibly at risk, the responding PPB officers requested assistance from PPB’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit (NOC) and the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT).

Later the same day, NOC and HIT investigators located Clark with a group of students and he was arrested without incident. A search of Clark’s person and belongings returned small quantities of cocaine and MDMA and a digital scale. In an interview after his arrest, Clark admitted to knowingly selling drugs to high school students he referred to as “kids.”

On September 29, 2022, Clark was charged by criminal complaint with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, distributing controlled substances to persons under 21, and using a person under 18 in drug operations. Later, on October 18, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Clark on similar charges. On October 10, 2023, Clark pleaded guilty to one count of distributing a controlled substance to a person under 21.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and PPB. It was prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

EUGENE, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment Thursday charging a Cottage Grove, Oregon woman with posting a violent threat online, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Elizabeth Ballesteros West, 56, has been charged with one count of transmitting an interstate threat.

According to court documents, in late September 2023, the FBI received an anonymous tip that West was threatening coworkers on Facebook. Later, in November 2023, the FBI learned West had established an account on X (formerly known as Twitter) that she was allegedly using to post and repost memes, videos and statements containing violent messages targeting Black and Jewish people and immigrants. Several of West’s posts included what appeared to be self-produced photos of firearms including several handguns, a shotgun, and an AR-style assault rifle.

On January 3, 2024, West admitted to posting and reposting messages on X that contained hateful and violent rhetoric. West also admitted to possessing multiple shotguns and AR-15 assault rifles at her Cottage Grove residence.

One week later, on January 9, 2024, the FBI executed federal search warrants on West’s person, vehicle, and residence. They located and seized 12 handguns, 16 rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and firearm accessories, and a journal that appeared to contain writings and drawings that included additional hateful and violent statements. On January 12, 2024, FBI agents arrested West without incident at her workplace in Eugene.

West made her first appearance in federal court Thursday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Cottage Grove Police Department, Eugene Police Department, and Lane County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.