District of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Justice Department today announced that it will surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons.

FBI will send 60 personnel, rotating in 90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period.  This operation is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date.  FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions.

FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and they will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable.  U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals.

“Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

“Violent crime has no borders and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Utah remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to seek justice in Indian Country cases and protecting public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah.

Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization.  At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.

Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.  This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years.  Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.

Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people.  The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Matthew Acquah, 24, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced today to 36 months’ imprisonment, a term of three years’ supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay $452,000 in restitution for his role defrauding Utah-based credit unions out of nearly half a million dollars.  

The sentence, imposed by Chief District Judge Robert J. Shelby, comes after Acquah pleaded guilty in January 2025 to counts of bank fraud, bank fraud conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents and statements made at Acquah’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Acquah admitted that he used fraudulent identification documents to open lines of credit on behalf of unwitting victims and then take out unauthorized cash advances. He also admitted helping plan and execute numerous bank fraud sprees in Utah involving out-of-state coconspirators. According to prosecutors, Acquah was referred to as “Scamdaddy” or “Playboy Prince” by his coconspirators. Acquah arranged airfare for coconspirators, booked hotel rooms, facilitated vehicles and drivers, trained new recruits, and performed other management functions for the bank fraud ring.  

Between December 2023 and June 2024, Acquah admitted that his fraud ring managed to obtain over $450,000 in fraud proceeds from credit unions in Utah.  According to documents filed with the court, Acquah used his share to fund a lavish lifestyle, including an apartment in downtown Los Angeles and a vehicle. He was arrested with over $100,804 in U.S. currency split between his apartment and an offsite storage unit, which will be used to repay victims.

The case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations and the Taylorsville City Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Chinese national was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for a firearm crime after she allegedly possessed an undeclared pistol in her checked luggage and ammunition in her carry-on bag at the Provo Airport.

Xuemei Zhao, 53, of People’s Republic of China, was initially charged by complaint on March 20, 2025. 

According to court documents, on March 20, 2025, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) discovered a black Rossi Braztech Int’l .357 revolver pistol in Zhao’s checked luggage, which was destined for Dallas – Ft. Worth via American Airlines flight 6189. Prior to delivering the suitcase to American Airlines, Zhao did not disclose the presence of the handgun to TSA or American Airlines. In addition to the firearm, Zhao had 9 rounds of .357 ammunition in her carry-on luggage. Zhao was taken into custody and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was contacted and confirmed Zhao arrived on a tourist visa, and had a currently pending asylum application, and was not a lawful permanent resident of the United States (she did not have a “green card”).

Zhao is charged with possession of a firearm by a restricted person (alien). Her initial appearance on the indictment is March 28, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Provo Resident Agency. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Assistant United States Attorney Michael Kennedy of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

 

ST. GEORGE, Utah – A Utah property manager pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and bank fraud after admitting he embezzled funds from homeowners associations, property owners, and tenants in Cedar City. He also admitted to fraudulently presenting cashier’s checks to Las Vegas casinos.

Blake Floyd Cozzens, 35, of Cedar City, was charged by Felony Information on March 24, 2025.

According to court documents and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, from January 2020 to January 2025, Cozzens was the property manager for multiple HOAs and property owners in Iron County, Utah. Cozzens admitted to defrauding HOAs, property owners, and tenants by embezzling funds he was responsible for safekeeping and diverting the funds for his own use. He also submitted fraudulent deposits to an online application that helps manage properties. The California corporation that offers the application lost $210,000 due to Cozzens’ fraudulent conduct. As a result of the scheme, Cozzens fraudulently obtained at least $772,966 from HOAs, property managers, tenants, and the California corporation.

In addition, Cozzens admitted to defrauding a bank in Las Vegas. He did so by presenting seven cashier’s checks totaling $1,414,000 to Las Vegas casinos in exchange for markers, i.e., credits to gamble. After gambling, Cozzens then falsely reported to the bank that he had lost the checks, causing the bank to stop payments to the casinos. Cozzens caused the bank to lose $1,395,673.58.

Cozzens has agreed to pay restitution to the fraud victims. If you think you are a victim in this case, information can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Assistance page or from contacting the Victim-Witness Coordinator at USAUT.Victim.Witness@usdoj.gov or (801) 325-1430.

Cozzens is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge in Room 2B of the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cedar City Police Department, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Stephen P. Dent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City today for a violent crime after he allegedly attempted to rob First Utah Bank.

Christopher Thomas Kirby, 37, of West Valley City, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on March 19, 2025.  

According to court documents, on March 19, 2025, at approximately 1:32 p.m., a man, later identified at Kirby, passed a note to a teller at First Utah Bank in West Valley City demanding money. According to responding officers, the note read “this is a robbery I have a bomb on my [sic] that will explode I need 20,000 in bag.” While the teller went into the vault under the guise of getting the money, she hit the silent alarm button and called 911. Officers arrived and took Kirby into custody.

Kirby is charged with one count of attempted bank robbery. His initial appearance on the indictment was March 26, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by an FBI Task Force Officer assigned to the Salt Lake City Violent Crimes squad and the West Valley City Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Mexican national living in Salt Lake County, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City today for drug and firearm crimes after law enforcement allegedly seized heroin, and a firearm.

Luis Alberto Ramirez-Gonzalez, aka Leonardo Gomez-Ahumada, 28, living in Herriman, Utah, was charged by complaint on March 17, 2025.  

According to court documents, beginning in December 2024, detectives with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization. On March 13, 2025, law enforcement obtained a search warrant on a residence in Magna, Utah. During the execution of the search warrant, Ramirez-Gonzalez was inside the residence Law enforcement seized approximately 300 grams of suspected heroin, which field-tested positive for heroin. On that same day, Ramirez-Gonzalez allegedly possessed a Sig Sauer P320 handgun and ammunition, knowing he was in the United States illegally and therefore restricted from possessing a firearm. Ramirez-Gonzalez was taken into custody.

Luis Alberto Ramirez-Gonzalez is charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and alien in possession of a firearm. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 28, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC).

Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

ST. GEORGE, Utah –Todd Robert Michels, 54, of Washington City, Utah, was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment, and a lifetime of supervised release after he admitted that he attempted to receive images of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents and statements made at Michel’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on November 3, 2023, Michels communicated via the internet with an individual he thought was the father of a seven-year-old boy. Michels was actually communicating with an undercover officer. During these communications, Michels said he wanted to sexually abuse the undercover officer’s seven-year-old son and that he had fantasized about such behavior for a long time. Michels also requested sexually explicit photographs of the child. The undercover officer and Michels ultimately agreed to meet for the purpose of Michels sexually assaulting the seven-year-old boy. Upon Michels’ arrival at the meeting location, he was taken into custody.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case was investigated jointly by The FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A Belgium national and the owner of K & K Strategies is facing federal charges after he allegedly operated a $5 million Ponzi scheme.  The Utah investment owner, who was not licensed to sell securities, allegedly defrauded approximately 75 investors, and used at least $3 million on real estate purchases, investor payouts, a personal chef, a 2002 Chevrolet Corvette, and other personal expenses.

Kenny Dirk Van Der Spek, aka Kenny Vanderspek, 35, of South Jordan, Utah, was charged by complaint on March 12, 2025. He was charged by way of felony information on March 19, 2025.

According to court documents, Van Der Spek, who was the owner and manager of K & K Strategies, LLC, defrauded at least 75 investors in his company between December 2017 and December 2023. K & K Strategies was a Utah limited liability company with a principal address in Salt Lake County and had investors in Utah and across the country. The stated purpose of the business was to help people who were not wealthy invest and teach about stock trading. However, Van Der Spek was not licensed to sell securities.

As part of the scheme to defraud, Van Der Spek lied and manipulated clients to convince them to invest with K & K Strategies. He told them that K & K Strategies was legally operating a hedge fund and that he was licensed to do so. He represented to investors that their investments with K & K Strategies LLC were succeeding, showing them fabricated financial records, when in reality, investors were suffering losses. He also displayed an alleged “live stream” of trades on knkstrategies.com so that investors could “watch [their] money grow.”

Van Der Spek is charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. His initial appearance on the felony information is scheduled for March 20, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office, and the Utah Division of Securities.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko J. Jepson and Assistant United States Attorney Mark Y. Hirata, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

A felony information is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Jacob Welch Dalton, 28, of Saratoga Springs, Utah, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay $1,553,806 in restitution.  Dalton defrauded approximately 45 investors in a securities fraud scheme by obtaining investments from people that he knew personally or through social media.

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jill N. Parrish, comes after Dalton pleaded guilty to securities fraud on September 30, 2024.

According to court documents and statement made at Dalton’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from October 2022 to December 2023, Dalton lied to investors to unlawfully obtain money and property by selling securities, that is investments in his company, Rogue Liquidity, LLC.  As part of the scheme, Dalton provided falsified documents and fictitious information to investors electronically and by telephone. Dalton lied to investors about Rogue Liquidity, LLC, and its success by claiming it operated as an investment liquidity fund that pooled investor funds for guaranteed risk free return on principal and investment of up to 60%. Rather, the company had no liquidity pool and investors’ funds were used almost entirely for his own use. He also lied and created fictitious investor track records to obtain investor funds.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case was investigated jointly by the Utah Division of Securities and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Provo Resident Agency.

Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Woolf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Colombian national was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City today for drug and firearm and immigration crimes after law enforcement seized approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills and a firearm during the execution of a search warrant.

David Estiven Alvear Carcamo, 20, of Kearns, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on March 5, 2025.  

According to court documents, beginning in January 2025, the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization suspected of distributing large quantities of narcotics into Utah. During the investigation, on March 4, 2025, agents executed search warrants on a residence in Sandy, Utah, and a vehicle. During the execution of the search warrant on the vehicle, Carcamo, who was the registered owner of the vehicle, was its sole occupant. Agents seized approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills weighing 2.35 pounds, and a handgun from the vehicle.

Carcamo is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. His initial appearance on the indictment is March 20, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), consisting of the FBI and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force (DMNSF).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Davis County man pleaded guilty in court today to embezzling approximately $1.7 million from his employer for his own benefit.

Timothy Sean Edgar, 44, of Farmington, Utah, was charged by felony information March 11, 2025, for wire fraud and money laundering.

According to court documents and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, beginning in 2021 and continuing until October 2024, Edgar defrauded his employer to obtain money and property by stealing and lying. As part of Edgar’s scheme, he fraudulently opened a sales channel through a popular online marketplace and used his employment credentials to access the vendor portal and redirect Automated Clearing House payments to his personal bank account. Edgar then made payments back to his employer using his personal credit card.  Edgar embezzled approximately $1,778,251 from his employer.

Edgar is scheduled to be sentenced August 7, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the North Salt Lake City Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf and Jacob J. Strain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
 

ST. GEORGE, Utah – A man accused of forcing a victim to engage in commercial sex acts and forcing the victim to provide him with the proceeds while he was behind bars for an unrelated state offense appeared in court today for federal sex trafficking charges.

Aaron Kern, 27, most recently of St. George, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 11, 2025. During his initial appearance on the indictment, he was ordered detained by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Kohler in St. George.

According to court documents, from November 2023 to December 2024, Kern allegedly recruited and violently threatened a victim to engage in commercial sex acts and provide him with a large portion of the proceeds.  Kern’s illegal acts to traffic an individual for sex acts were allegedly committed while Kern was incarcerated for an unrelated state offense. Kern also forced the victim to attempt to smuggle suboxone, a controlled substance, into the correctional facility where he was housed. When the victim demonstrated any resistance to Kern’s attempts to have her engage in commercial sex acts, he would threaten her. On one occasion, he told the victim, “obviously the only thing that is going to work is me breaking your face when you don’t want to listen,” and “you are going to have a lot of days where you are drinking through a straw.”

Kern also made threats to the victim regarding her family members’ safety. During the investigation, law enforcement found online prostitution advertisements that Kern dictated and ordered the victim to place. Investigators also found in Kern’s jail cell a handwritten contract that he wanted the victim to sign as well as handwritten notes and journal entries describing how he needed to break the victim down.

Acting United States Attorney Felice Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the Washington County Drug/Gang Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – U.S. District Court Judge Jill N. Parrish sentenced Richard Villanueva Mitchell, 54, of Midvale, Utah, to two years’ probation for bankruptcy crimes.  The U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Utah recommended a sentence of 48 months' imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release after a federal jury found him guilty of bankruptcy fraud, false bankruptcy declaration, and bribery in bankruptcy in August 2024.

See prior press release here: Salt Lake County Man Found Guilty on All Counts for Bankruptcy Crimes

According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Mitchell filed for bankruptcy in May 2017 and sought to eliminate over $600,000 in debts and disclosed little to no assets. In October 2017 it was discovered that Michell owned and controlled several storage trailers full of hundreds of new household appliances located at a storage facility. These appliances included dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, dryers and ranges, appliances that Mitchell had previously borrowed roughly $500,000 to purchase. Evidence at trial showed that Michell planned to hide the assets from the bankruptcy court and sell them for his own benefit. Mitchell was self-employed, supplying, installing and repairing appliances for building contractors.

“Mr. Mitchell attempted to selfishly deprive the bankruptcy system established for honest debtors seeking relief in a financial crisis,” said Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Fortunately, our hardworking law enforcement partners and prosecutors were able to gather strong evidence of Mitchell’s guilt and achieve a guilty verdict in this case.”

The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Brent L. Andrus and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Kuhn of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A Mexican national, in the United States illegally, appeared in court today after he was charged with drug and immigration crimes.

Juan Alexis Castanon-Chavez, 27, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was initially charged by complaint on March 3, 2025. A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment March 12, 2025.  

According to court documents, agents with the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force began an investigation into Castanon-Chavez and other co-conspirators of a drug trafficking organization suspected of distributing large quantities of narcotics into the United States. On March 2, 2025, agents arranged a controlled delivery of narcotics from Castanon-Chavez to an informant. Agents observed Castanon-Chavez drive to and away from the location of the controlled delivery in a Volkswagen Golf. Law enforcement conducted a stop of the vehicle for a traffic violation and a K9 officer alerted positive for narcotics. Castanon-Chavez was taken into custody. Inside the vehicle, agents seized approximately 7,930 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine.

Castanon-Chavez is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and illegal re-entry of a previously removed alien. His initial appearance on the indictment was March 13, 2025 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. A two-day jury trial is scheduled for May 16, 2025.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), consisting of the FBI and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force (DMNSF).

Assistant United States Attorney Vernon G. Stejskal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a Mexican national, in the United State illegally, with firearm and immigration crimes.

Gerardo Lopez-Gutierrez, 44, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on March 6, 2025.

According to court documents, on March 4, 2025, Lopez-Gutierrez was approached by law enforcement for unlawful camping. During the interaction, Lopez-Gutierrez was in possession of a Ruger AR-556 rifle and a records check showed the firearm was reported stolen out of Moab, Utah.  Lopez-Gutierrez is restricted from possessing a firearm after he was convicted of re-entry of a previously removed alien in the District of Arizona. As a result, Lopez-Gutierrez was taken into custody.

Lopez-Gutierrez is charged with felon in possession of a firearm, alien in possession of a firearm, and illegal re-entry of a previously removed alien. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 14, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Assistant United States Attorney Victoria K. McFarland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
 

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Texas man admitted to a felony, after he boarded and hid in a lavatory of a Delta Airlines flight to catch a free flight to Austin, Texas, from Salt Lake City International Airport.

Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, 26, of Leander, Texas, was indicted in April 2024. Prior press release here: Alleged Airline Stowaway Passenger Facing Federal Charges

According to court documents and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, in March of 2024, Fleurizard intentionally boarded Delta Airlines flight #1683 and hid in the lavatory. Prior to boarding, Fleurizard was captured on surveillance footage in the boarding area taking photos of multiple passenger’s phones and/or boarding passes while they were not looking. Surveillance footage also showed Fleurizard used his phone as a boarding pass when he boarded the plane. However, Fleurizard did not purchase a ticket, and was not authorized to board. Fleurizard further admitted his actions caused the flight, which had pushed away from the gate, to return to the gate where he was met by law enforcement and taken into custody.  

Fleurizard is scheduled to be sentenced May 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan N. Reeves and Michael Kennedy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
 

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dane Bowler, 43, of Veyo, Utah, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment today, and a lifetime of supervised release after he admitted to attempting to engage in sexual acts with a 13-year-old and was convicted of coercion and enticement.    

According to court documents and statements made at Bowler’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, between November 1, 2023 and November 6, 2023, Bowler communicated via cellphone and the internet with an individual he thought was a 13-year-old. Bowler was actually communicating with an undercover officer. During these communications, Bowler attempted to engage in sexual activity with the minor. Bowler had been previously convicted of this very same offense in federal court in 2007 and was sentence to 60 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release in that case.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case was investigated jointly by the State Bureau of Investigation and The FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney Brady Wilson and Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Utah man with robbing multiple credit unions over the course of five months.

Dennis L. Dyches, 57, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was charged by complaint on March 4, 2025.

According to court documents, from October 2024 to February 2025, Dyches allegedly robbed five credit unions across the Salt Lake Valley, and robbed one of them twice. On October 11, 2024 Dyches allegedly robbed the Mountain America Credit Union in Murray, Utah. Less than a week later, on October 16, 2024, Dyches allegedly robbed a Golden West Credit Union in West Jordan, Utah. In this robbery, he allegedly handed a note to the bank teller that read, “Give me the money and no one will get hurt.” The teller complied and Dyches left the bank on foot.

On November 20, 2024, Dyches allegedly walked into a Granite Credit Union in Midvale, Utah, and handed the teller a note that read, “This is a robbery, open the drawer, don’t talk to anyone, don’t push the button.” The teller complied, gave the money to Dyches and he left the bank. In December 2024, Dyches allegedly robbed an America First Credit Union located inside a Macey’s grocery store in Murray. In February 2025, Dyches allegedly robbed the same America First Credit Union inside Macy’s grocery store in Murray.  

On February 27, 2025, Dyches allegedly robbed an America First Credit Union inside a Dan’s Foods grocery store in Salt Lake City. During this robbery, Dyches allegedly approached the teller and showed a note that read, “This is robbery” and “Give me everything.” The teller complied, took the money from the drawer and gave it to Dyches. After taking the money, Dyches was seen on surveillance video walking to the underground parking lot where he drove away in a black Jeep Cherokee with a black license plate. The vehicle was traced back to a Dyches’ family member as the registered owner.

On March 4, 2025, Dyches was taken into custody without incident. During a search of the black Jeep Cherokee, law enforcement seized articles of clothing and accessories that matched the descriptions of the suspected robber.

Dyches is charged with six counts of credit union robbery. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 13, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Joshua Michael Bowden, 43, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to attempting to engage in sexual acts with an 11-year-old and was convicted of coercion and enticement of a minor.  

According to court documents and statements made at Bowden’s change of plea and sentencing hearing, on September 28, 2023, while in Utah for a business trip, he began engaging in an online conversation with an individual he thought was the father of an 11-year-old boy. The individual Bowden was communicating with was an undercover officer. During communication, Bowden expressed his interest to engage in sexual acts with the 11-year-old boy. When Bowden arrived at the meet up location to act on his interest, he was arrested. A search of Bowden’s phone found child sexual abuse material.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney Joey Blanch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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

St. George, Utah – United States District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen sentenced a Beaver County man to 364 days incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release after he assaulted a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) employee.

Kristopher Edward Boger, 52, of Beaver, Utah, was charged by superseding indictment with assault on an employee of the United States with a dangerous weapon in August 2024. In December 2024, he was found guilty of simple assault following a jury trial. Boger’s brother, Jeremiah Boger, was found not guilty of assault on an employee of the United States.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on May 10, 2023, a U.S. Forest Service engineer was on federal forest land examining the conditions of a USFS road that had been damaged due to frequent work truck traffic, making the road almost unusable. The USFS engineer observed attempted repair of the road by Jeremiah Boger, which was not consistent with a prior recommendation and remained deficient. As a result, the USFS engineer contacted Jeremiah, Kristopher and the contractor.

According to statements and testimony at trial, the meeting turned violent when Jeremiah pushed the USFS engineer. Almost immediately after, Kristopher struck the USFS engineer on the side of his head/face with a hard hat. Kristopher then put his hands around the USFS engineer’s neck, started to choke him, and said “I’m going to kill you…” The contractor intervened and pulled Kristopher off the USFS engineer. Kristopher then drew his handgun and fired it. The engineer and contractor then fled the scene and called 911.

In imposing the statutory maximum sentence for simple assault, Judge Allen noted the seriousness of the offense and that it was fortunate no one died as a result of the deadly altercation.

"No one should fear for their life while doing their job to ensure road safety for travelers,” said Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Choosing violence is never the answer and our office along with our law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute crimes that threaten public safety in our communities.”

The case is being investigated jointly by the United States Forest Service and the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brady Wilson and Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Misiona Patane, 60, of Lehi, Utah, was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment and a term of five years’ supervised release after he defrauded family and other acquaintances out of more than $3.4 million over a five-year span. Patane also forged legal documents, sent emails from sham email accounts, and pretended to be a private lawyer and an agent with the Utah Attorney General’s Office to further his scheme to defraud.

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., comes after Patane pleaded guilty in December 2023 to multiple counts of bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents and statements made at Patane’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Patane admitted that beginning in April 2015 and continuing through May 2020, he defrauded two sets of victims for his own benefit, including a relative who suffered a traumatic brain injury and had a trust to allow for a lifetime of care.  As part of the scheme, Patane opened and fully controlled bank accounts in victims’ names and in the name of a charitable organization he helped run. Patane abused his position of trust by diverting funds and personal tax returns to various bank accounts under his custody and control. Mr. Patane repeatedly stole from the charitable organization, funding extravagant travel, gambling habits, and other expenses.

In October 2016 through 2018, Patane stole large sums of money from a trust that was created to manage a vulnerable victim’s finances while he was under the care of a Utah court-monitored conservatorship. To obtain money from the trust, Patane lied about his identity, the cost of services and care, and other expenses for the victim. Additionally, Mr. Patane used the charity to launder money and payments to himself. From 2017 through 2018, Patane fabricated an audit of the charity and pretended to be a lawyer, academy administrator, and others to receive payments for fictitious fines related to care. From 2016 to 2019, approximately $2.5 million was spent, less than $150,000 of which was spent on care or services for the victim. In the span of only three years, the victim was left financially destitute.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Tanner Zumwalt and Seth Nielsen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, of Durango, Colorado, were sentenced today after they trespassed onto a fenced-off historical site at Canyonlands National Park and disturbed artifacts on display.

McKnight was sentenced to a one-year ban from federal public lands in Utah and one year of probation. Spencer was sentenced a two-year ban from federal public lands in Utah and two years’ probation.

In addition to their bans, a U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered McKnight and Spencer to pay fines and restitution totaling $1,500. The sentence comes after the defendants pleaded guilty to possessing or disturbing cultural or archaeological resources, and walking on or entering archeological or cultural resource, Class B misdemeanors.

According to court documents and statements made at McKnight’s and Spencer’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on March 23, 2024, McKnight and Spencer, entered a fenced-off area of Canyonlands National Park where they then handled numerous historic artifacts preserved in the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp. The artifacts include an antique horse tack and cabinetry. This historic camp was protected by fencing and clear warnings prohibiting visitors from entering the area, which McKnight and Spencer disregarded.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the National Park Service (NPS).

Assistant United States Attorneys Luisa Gough and Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging Honduran nationals with distributing fentanyl in the District of Utah, and with other drug and immigration crimes.

Jerez Navarro-Zuniga aka “Jeren Navarro” 27, a Honduran national and U.S. citizen living in West Valley City, Utah, was charged by complaint on February 18, 2025.  Helen Coello-Turcios, 20, of West Valley City, Jose Amilcar Zuniga-Acosta, 25, of West Valley City, and Naaman Navarro-Hernandez, 35, of Taylorsville, Utah, were charged by complaint on February 20, 2025.

According to court documents, beginning in December 2024, agents with the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) began investigating a drug trafficking organization. A controlled drug purchase was arranged, and law enforcement officers observed Navarro-Zuniga provide fentanyl to a middleman to deliver to a customer. The fentanyl was later seized and tested positive for fentanyl.

On January 7, 2025, law enforcement watched a female later identified as Coello-Turcios, conduct an alleged drug transaction. A traffic stop was conducted on the suspected customer and law enforcement seized approximately 10 fentanyl pills.

During the investigation, on February 12, 2025, SBI agents observed Navarro-Zuniga make a short term stop at a storage unit registered under his name, and conduct an alleged drug transaction with the driver of a Nissan Sentra. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver of the Nissan consented to search the vehicle. Agents seized approximately 4,500 fentanyl pills in the vehicle. On February 13, 2025, surveillance footage showed Navarro-Zuniga entering and exiting his storage unit with a backpack. A traffic stop was conducted on a Chrysler 200 registered to, and driven by Navarro-Zuniga. Coello-Turcios was at passenger.  Law enforcement seized $34,199.00 from the vehicle.  During the investigation, agents also seized approximately 10 pounds of pills that tested positive for the presence of fentanyl at Navarro’s and Coello-Turcios’ residence.

On February 13, 2025, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a Nissan Altima driven by Navarro-Hernandez and seized 2,500 fentanyl pills that were separated into approximately sale-ready 100 pill baggies. On the same day, a search warrant was executed at Navarro-Hernandez’s residence in Taylorsville and 11,000 fentanyl pills were seized.

According to court documents, Zuniga-Acosta and Navarro Hernandez are in the United States illegally. They were both previously deported and reentered the United States illegally.  

Navarro-Zuniga, Coello-Turcios, Zuniga-Acosta and Naaman Navarro-Hernandez are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and other charges. Zuniga-Acosta and Navarro-Hernandez are also charged with reentry of a previously removed alien. All defendants’ initial appearances on the indictment are scheduled for March 10, 2025 at 2:15 and 2:30 p.m. in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Narcotics Squad, and the Utah County Major Crimes (UCMC) Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Utah Highway Patrol.

Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Mexican national with multiple drug crimes after law enforcement seized illicit drugs, including fentanyl in the District of Utah.

Juana Gabriela Sancion Castaneda, 41, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was charged by complaint on February 19, 2025.

According to court documents, in January 2025, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) began conducting a criminal investigation into Castaneda and other members of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large quantities of narcotics in the District of Utah. On February 18, 2025, agents executed a search warrant at Castaneda’s residence in Salt Lake County and seized approximately 867 grams (almost two pounds) of field-tested positive fentanyl, and 794 grams (about 1 and ¾ pounds) of field-tested positive heroin. The fentanyl seized was approximately 8,000 fentanyl pills. Castaneda was subsequently detained.

Castaneda is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Her initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 10, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), consisting of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force (DMNSF).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Mexican national with drug crimes after law enforcement seized fentanyl and heroin from his vehicle during a traffic stop.  

Miguel Mario Soto De Santiago, 23, of Bluffdale, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on February 20, 2025, and taken into custody.

According to court documents, the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) began conducting a criminal investigation into Soto De Santiago and other co-conspirators of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing narcotics throughout the District of Utah and the United States. On February 19, 2025 agents stopped a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee in Juab County that was registered to Soto De Santiago. A K-9 officer positively alerted for the presence of narcotics. Agents seized approximately 5,027 grams (about 11 pounds) of field tested-positive fentanyl and approximately 1,103 grams (over two pounds) of field tested-positive heroin.  

Soto De Santiago is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 6, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), consisting of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force (DMNSF).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned and indictment charging a Venezuelan national, restricted from possessing a firearm and ammunition, with a gun crime after an alleged shooting incident in Summit County, Utah.

Manuel A. Pimentel-Gonzalez, 24, of Eagle Mountain, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on February 21, 2025.

According to court documents, on May 19, 2024, a dispute erupted at a party at a rural property in Summit County. During the investigation, security footage depicted a heavily built male, later identified as Pimentel-Gonzalez, reach into a parked BMW X7 sport-utility vehicle and remove a large firearm with a wooden feature. Pimentel-Gonzalez then shouted profanities and insults in Spanish. Immediately after Pimentel-Gonzalez stepped away from the camera view, several gunshots were heard on the security footage. Investigators recovered at least 42 shell casings, four firearms, and bullet damage to vehicles at the scene.

During the execution of a search warrant in Eagle Mountain, Utah, law enforcement located a white BMX sport-utility vehicle, with gunfire damage. Investigators also found Pimentel-Gonzalez with at least one gunshot wound that he attempted to treat himself. A Draco 92 9x19 mm firearm with a wooden feature was also seized and later linked to expended shell casings recovered from the shooting scene in Summit County. At the time of the shooting, Pimentel- Gonzalez was on probation for a prior state firearm conviction by a restricted person.

Pimentel-Gonzalez is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. His initial appearance on the indictment has yet to be scheduled before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by an ATF Task Force Officer with the Utah Department of Corrections.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An alleged member or associate of the Florencia 13, a criminal organization, appeared in court today after he allegedly attempted to murder another person in the District of Utah on Christmas.

Javier Pedregon-Magana, aka “Big Payaso” and “Paya,” 24, of West Jordan, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City on February 12, 2025.

According to court documents, on December 25, 2024, Pedregon-Magana allegedly engaged in a pre-meditated attack on an unwitting and defenseless victim, stabbing him approximately seven times. Pedregon-Magana then drove the victim’s car and attempted to run the victim down as he fled on foot. As a result of the multiple stab wounds, the victim required immediate life-saving medical attention to prevent exsanguination.

According to court documents, Pedregon-Magana is a member of a criminal street gang (CSG). The stabbing was motivated, in large part, by defendant’s desire to restore his good standing with the CSG.  

Pedregon-Magana is charged with violent crime in aid of racketeering – assault resulting in serious bodily injury, violent crime in racketeering – assault with a dangerous weapon, and violent crime in aid of racketeering – attempted murder.  His initial appearance on the indictment was February 26, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by the Sandy City Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Metro Gang Unit.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Kasey Todd Reed, 32, of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment, and ordered by the court to three years’ supervised release after he committed a violent crime that involved shooting a firearm at his domestic partner’s home.

The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Sam comes after Reed pleaded guilty on December 6, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while within Indian Country.

According to court documents, and statements made at Reed’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on May 30, 2022, Reed was involved in a domestic dispute with his partner, and after being pepper sprayed, Reed threatened to return to the victim’s home to harm her. Upon his return, Reed pointed a loaded .38 five-shot revolver at the victim’s residence and fired five rounds towards the home that housed multiple occupants as he drove past in his vehicle.  

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Vernal Resident Agency.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Pead of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging two men, a Mexican National illegally in the United States and a Utah man, after they were accused of distributing methamphetamine in the District of Utah.  

Alphonzo Robert Bell, 42, of Midvale, Utah, and David Alejandro Jimenez-Angel, 24, of Jalisco, Mexico, were initially charged by complaint on February 2, 2025.

According to court documents, on February 4, 2025, law enforcement from the Unified Police Department (UPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a buy operation using a confidential informant (CI). During the buy operation, the CI purchased eight ounces of methamphetamine from Bell using $2,800 in government funds. Bell provided a portion of the funds to Jimenez-Angel. The total weight of the methamphetamine was approximately 246 grams. Bell and Jimenez-Angel were detained immediately after the controlled buy. During the investigation, detectives seized a Taurus, model G3C handgun, 9mm caliber. Immigration authorities confirmed Jimenez-Angel is in the United States illegally.  

Bell and Jimenez-Angel are charged with distribution of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting. Bell is also charged with distribution of methamphetamine, and felon in possession of a firearm. Bell’s initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for February 20, 2025. Jimenez-Angel’s initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for February 27, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by the Unified Police Department’s (UPD) Directed Enforcement Unit (DEU) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Williams of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City after he allegedly robbed two banks on two different days in Salt Lake County.  

Robert Buckley Hardy, 47, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was originally charged by complaint on February 7, 2025, and taken into custody.

According to court documents, Hardy, entered a Chase Bank in Cottonwood Heights on January 30, 2025, at approximately 3:17 p.m. Hardy allegedly asked the bank teller if an appointment was necessary and was told no. Hardy then handed the teller a manila envelope with several documents and left the bank. The documents referenced several United States and government actions regarding money laundering, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and corruption. One document also stated, “assume that this is an active bomb threat.” One document read, “I need $2001 for it to be considered a felony and get the un-kompromised FBI bank robbery division to respond.”

Court documents allege, on February 6, 2025, Hardy entered a Chase Bank in Salt Lake City at approximately 2:04 p.m. Hardy allegedly told the teller it was a robbery and gave the teller various manila envelopes with documents inside and a typed note that read, “poor people steal because they are hungry. Rich people steal because they are greedy.” The note also said, “I need this evidence chain in the hands of the FBI bank robbery division and the local and federal police.” The note read, “please stuff at least $2001 into the bag for me. And make certain the FBI gets this.” The teller complied and gave Hardy $2001.00.

Surveillance footage from the investigation and a Utah Driver's License photo identified Hardy. Hardy was taken into custody without incident.

Hardy is charged with bank robbery. His initial appearance on the indictment is February 21, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.  

The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The first woman presidentially appointed as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah and sworn into office as the 38th United States Attorney to serve in the State of Utah, leaves the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Honorable Trina A. Higgins was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on January 31, 2022. Her last day as United States Attorney is February 16, 2025.

Under Higgins’ leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah focused on cases that have the largest impact and cause the most harm to Utah citizens. Working with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office significantly increased the number of financial crime prosecutions in Utah; brought more complex narcotics and firearm cases focused on defendants higher in criminal organizations; and prosecuted many significant violent crime cases, including murders, sexual assaults, child exploitation, human trafficking, robberies, and carjackings.

During her tenure, The U.S. Attorney’s Office tried 35 jury trials, including three homicides committed in Tribal communities. United States Attorney Higgins was the trial attorney in one case where a man brutally murdered a Navajo woman in front of her two young daughters in the Navajo Nation. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.

United States Attorney Higgins also served on several Attorney General’s Advisory Committee subcommittees for Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Those included the Environmental Justice Subcommittee, the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee, and the Native American Issues Subcommittee.

Maintaining the United States Attorney’s strong partnerships with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, United States Attorney Higgins made it a priority to strengthen and build upon those relationships to pursue justice and better serve the people of Utah.

Leaders in the law enforcement community offered comments regarding U.S Attorney Higgins’ service.

“Strong partnerships between law enforcement and prosecutors are essential to upholding the rule of law. U.S. Attorney Higgins has been an invaluable friend to the FBI and a staunch supporter of our mission,” said Mehtab Syed, Special Agent in Charge of the Salt Lake City FBI. “During her tenure, she championed the safety of Utahns, and we thank her for her years of dedicated public service.”

“United States Attorney Trina Higgins has been an engaged and dedicated law enforcement partner as well as a steadfast advocate of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Her extensive experience as a career prosecutor, and unwavering commitment in her pursuit of justice have been pivotal in the successful prosecution of many complex cases.”

“I would like to thank United States Attorney Higgins for her many years of dedicated service as a federal prosecutor and as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah,” said U.S. Marshal Justin Martinez of the District of Utah. “USA Higgins is a consummate professional and has always kept the lines of communication open.  USA Higgins is an extremally effective leader and a real change agent.  She will be greatly missed by the U.S. Marshals Service and every federal, state and local agency she works with.”

“With appreciation, we thank United States Attorney Higgins for her dedication to DEA efforts in the state of Utah,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen. “Cooperation and hard work between DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, has led to many successful prosecutions. On behalf of the men and women of DEA, we wish nothing but the best for United States Attorney Higgins now and into the future.”

"HSI is grateful for its long-standing relationship with United States Attorney Higgins and her staff," said HSI Utah Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Crane. "The collaboration has had a significant impact on public safety throughout Utah and stands as an example for future collaborations."

“United States Attorney Higgins has been a tremendous partner in supporting the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s efforts to safeguard the U.S. Mail, postal workers, and the public,” said Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division.  “United States Attorney Higgins was committed to holding accountable those who harm postal employees or exploit the U.S. Mail for illicit activities, including narcotics distribution.  It has been a pleasure to collaborate with United States Attorney Higgins and we wish her continued success in all her future endeavors.”

“I want to thank United States Attorney Higgins for her partnership and outstanding leadership in working with our local law enforcement agencies,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “She prioritized complex and violent offender cases to improve safety within the communities we serve.”

“United States Attorney Trina Higgins’ dedication to justice and service to the community is truly exceptional and will be greatly missed,” said Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown. “Her career as a dedicated prosecutor made our city safer—whether it was prosecuting some of our first Project Safe Neighborhood cases or complex, high-profile, or challenging cases. United States Attorney Higgins handled every case with professionalism and a true sense of duty. Never did she hide from the difficult cases. We will always remember USA Higgins’ compassion for crime victims and their families. She made sure victims’ voices were heard and understood in the pursuit of justice. While we will miss United States Attorney Higgins greatly, I know her legacy will endure through the District of Utah because of her distinguished career.”

United States Attorney Higgins has been in public service for 30 years. Prior to her leadership role as U.S. Attorney, Higgins served as an Assistant United States Attorney for over two decades and as a Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney. At the time of her nomination, Higgins was serving as the Mediterranean Legal Advisor at the United States embassies in Valletta, Malta and Nicosia, Cyprus. A Utah native, Higgins earned her undergraduate degree from Weber State University and Juris Doctor degree from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, where she also worked as an adjunct professor for a decade. 
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Tiffany Ann Bright, 39, of Washington, Utah, was sentenced today to 36 months’ probation, and ordered by the court to pay $150,000 in restitution after she stole unearned veteran disability benefits for years.

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow comes after Bright pleaded guilty to wire fraud and theft of government funds on October 29, 2024.

According to court documents, and statements made at Bright’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from December 2013 to April 2022, Ms. Bright unlawfully stole veteran disability benefits from a prior partner.  In the summer of 2013, Bright helped the veteran set up an online benefits account to start receiving disability benefits, but later changed the direct deposit information to bank accounts wholly owned by her. Bright submitted fraudulent documentation to the U.S. government to increase the payments, and lied about her marital status to receive the veteran benefits. To carry out the scheme, the payments were transmitted via interstate wire from New Jersey to Bright’s account in Utah.

In 2022, the veteran received a letter about his benefits, indicating changes had been made to his account. The veteran was unaware benefits were being paid still. He had assumed the benefits were being used to pay off his education debt.

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case was investigated jointly by the Department of Veteran Affairs, Criminal Investigations Division, and the Washington City Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON — A grand jury in the District of Utah returned a superseding indictment today charging Ian West, 50, of Mountain Green, Utah, with assaulting a former dating and intimate partner by strangulation and attempted strangulation while working overseas with the U.S. military, and then cyberstalking the same person after returning to his home in Utah.

According to court documents, West was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, working as a teacher with the U.S. Department of Defense when he strangled the victim on or about March 31, 2024. After the assault in Japan, West returned to his home in Utah and began to cyberstalk the same person by setting up fake online profiles advertising massage and escort services, including some that featured intimate photos of the victim with personal contact information. These profiles led to the victim receiving multiple unwanted communications from people seeking sexual encounters.

West was charged by indictment on Jan. 15, with assault of a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner by strangling, suffocating, or attempting to strangle or suffocate. West was charged by superseding indictment on Feb. 12 with cyberstalking. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Taryn Meeks of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hirata for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Randall Walker Holland, 51, of West Jordan, Utah, was sentenced today to seven years’ imprisonment and a life term of supervised release after he admitted to distributing images of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents and statements made at Holland’s change of plea and sentencing hearing, from May 2, 2024 thru May 9, 2024, Holland used his cellphone to communicate via social media and text messaging with an individual he believed had access to, and was abusing, a 12-year-old victim. The individual Holland was communicating with was an undercover officer.  During Holland’s communication he sent over 1,000 videos files of child sexual abuse materials to the undercover officer. Holland also discussed his interest in engaging in sexual acts with the 12- year-old victim. When Holland arrived at the meeting location, he was arrested by law enforcement.

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and the West Valley City Police Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol A. Dain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah gymnastics coach and owner of USA Gymnastics World pleaded guilty to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Adam Richard Jacobs, 34, of Woods Cross, Utah, was charged by indictment in April 2023. See press release: Utah Gymnastics Coach Arrested on Child Exploitation Charges

According to court documents and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, Jacobs, beginning on a date unknown and continuing until March 2023, transported a minor from Utah to other states including Florida and Texas as his gymnastics coach. During this time, he placed a hidden camera in the minor’s hotel room and bathroom to produce child sexual abuse materials. Jacobs further admitted that all electronic devices seized pursuant to a search warrant served in March 2023 were used to further participate in the production of child sexual abuse materials.

As stated in court documents, a USA Gymnastics World employee discovered a hidden camera twice in a unisex restroom at the facility and contacted police. A subsequent investigation recovered approximately 120 video files of victims in the restroom. Approximately 40 videos showed Jacobs setting up the cameras in his home and at USA Gymnastics World.

Jacobs is scheduled to be sentenced August 14, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Woods Cross Police Department, the Utah Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Kaysville Police Department, Clearfield Police Department, the United States Secret Service, and the Davis County Attorney’s Office.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Carl Hollan and Assistant United States Attorney Carol Dain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah County man was ordered to detention in federal court today after he was indicted by a federal grand jury last week and charged with a federal drug crime for allegedly attempting to have carfentanil shipped to Utah for distribution.

Carfentanil is most commonly used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other large mammals. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine, and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which itself is 50 times more potent than heroin.

According to court documents, Clint James Pendleton, 29, of Provo, Utah, attempted to receive a package containing approximately 20 grams of carfentanil on January 22, 2025. The package was destined for an address in Payson, Utah, but was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Los Angeles International Airport in California. The package was opened and the suspected carfentanil was tested and presumptively identified as carfentanil and weighed approximately 20 grams. Subsequently, the package was tracked to Pendleton who had signed up to receive tracking updates on the package. Additionally, law enforcement discovered Pendleton allegedly had a history of his criminal activity written in a notebook that included amounts of controlled substances purchased, prices, and tracking numbers, including for carfentanil. The DEA has identified carfentanil as “crazy dangerous” and a serious growing concern as it is becoming more prevalent in our communities.

Pendleton is charged with attempted possession of carfentanil with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment was February 5, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC).

Special Assistant United States Attorney Pete Reichman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

ST. GEORGE, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today after a fraudster was arrested following a federal grand jury’s return of an indictment this week charging him and his business partner with multiple financial crimes.

According to court documents, Thomas Paul Madden, 66, of Washington City, Utah; and Jeremy Tyler Grabow, 54, of Ladera Ranch, California, engaged in a scheme from September 2017 to the present, to defraud investors in Cascade IR, LLC and Savitar Systems LLC. Using his entity, Cascade, Madden lied to investors about his ability and intent to sell them penny stocks, repeatedly using investors’ money for Ponzi payments and personal expenses. This part of the scheme resulted in Madden taking in over $23 million from over 200 investors.

Beginning in 2021, Madden and Madden and Grabow used their entity Savitar, to further defraud investors. They told investors that Savitar was working with various partners on a large casino and resort project in Mexico that would generate high returns on investments. But Savitar did not have the represented business partnership and lacked any legitimate business operations. Instead, Madden and Grabow diverted investors’ money to the Ponzi scheme. The Savitar scheme resulted in Madden and Grabow obtaining over $2 million from at least 10 investors.

Madden is charged with four counts of wire fraud. Madden and Grabow are both charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Madden’s initial appearance on the indictment is February 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in St. George. Grabow’s initial appearance is scheduled for February 24, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in St. George.

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by the Utah Division of Securities and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen P. Dent and Joseph M. Hood of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

If you think you are a victim in this case, information can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Assistance page.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins announced today that the District of Utah collected $12,954,017.21 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $8,385,272.13 was collected in criminal actions and $4,568,745.08 was collected in civil actions.  

Additionally, the District of Utah worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $2,978,609.99 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $12,350.00 was collected in criminal actions and $2,966,259.99 was collected in civil actions.

For example:    •    A Washington County man paid the remaining balance of $2,139,926.35 in restitution in FY2024 after he was ordered by the court in 2022 to pay $3.2 million dollars. The defendant was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment after he failed to file financial reports with the United States Treasury after bringing currency in excess of $10,000 back into the United States from China. See press release: Washington Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison and Ordered to Pay $3.2 Million Dollars for Kickback Scheme

•    In July 2024, A Utah businessman was sentenced to imprisonment and ordered by the court to pay $10,250,834.53 in restitution after he admitted to defrauding hundreds of trusting investors throughout the United States out of millions of dollars in his smartphone company, SAYGUS. See press release: Smartphone Fraudster Sentenced to 29 Months’ Imprisonment After Cheating Investors Out of $10M

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

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Utah, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $4,625,653 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Rafael Antonio Torres, 21, of West Jordan, Utah, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, and five years’ supervised release for a January 2023 shooting in which two people were shot and killed.  

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball, represents the mandatory minimum sentence allowed by law. Torres was originally charged by indictment in March 2024.

According to court documents and statements made at his change of plea and sentencing hearing, Torres admitted to discharging a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Information presented at sentencing revealed that on January 31, 2023, Torres and a relative had met in the parking lot of a Taylorsville apartment complex with a potential customer seeking to purchase THC vape cartridges.  Shortly before midnight, Taylorsville police responded to multiple calls of “shots fired” and located two deceased men in a vehicle that had crashed into a snowbank. Witnesses described a third person, later identified as Torres, fleeing from the vehicle’s rear seat.

In a statement to police shortly after the incident, Torres admitted to having been the rear seat passenger, and confirmed that he had been armed with a handgun.  Torres further admitted that he fired at least one round at the front seat passenger.  

According to court documents, Taylorsville Police recovered THC cartridges and two firearms from the crashed vehicle, one firearm with each of the deceased men. Forensic tests later determined that the two men had shot and killed each other.  Further forensic testing confirmed that a third gun had been fired inside the vehicle. The third firearm, belonging to Torres, was not recovered until months later when a citizen located it under heavy brush and reported it to Taylorsville Police.  

“This case is a tragic reminder of the deadly consequences of mixing drug trafficking with firearms. Two young men lost their lives and a third must now be imprisoned,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute gun crimes, particularly when they result in a loss of life. I commend the outstanding work of the Taylorsville Police Department and prosecutors for their work in bringing this case to a resolution.”

“We appreciate the work of the U.S. Attorney's Office in prosecuting this case, thereby giving some sense of justice to the victims’ families and the community,” said Detective Kevin Barrett of the Taylorsville City Police Department. “As law enforcement partners, the Taylorsville City Police Department and U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to stand together fighting neighborhood drug crimes, especially when they involve violence.”

The case was investigated by the Taylorsville Police Department.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah businessman pleaded guilty today to securities fraud and money laundering after admitting he lied to investors and fraudulently sold investment contracts, which are securities, through his company Alpha Influence, LLC for “Alpha Automated Stores.”

Jeremiah Joseph Evans “The Bull,” 29, of Utah County, was charged by felony information on January 21, 2025.

According to court documents and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, from July 2019 to July 2022, Evans fraudulently sold investments in e-commerce stores through Alpha Influence, LLC., a registered Utah corporation. As part of the scheme to defraud, Evans promised investors to secure money in exchange for the Alpha investments. Evans fraudulently obtained approximately $20,894,674 from approximately 530 investors. As alleged in court documents, Evans lied to investors about how successful his company was and how long it was in operation. Evans sold the e-commerce stores to purchasers as a passive investment and promised that the stores would make consistent, predictable, monthly returns despite knowing this was false. He failed to disclose that the majority of the invested funds went directly to Alpha Influence, LLC, and were primarily distributed as commissions to those selling the fraudulent investment and himself, with only a small portion sent to the servicer of the investors’ stores.

Evans is scheduled to be sentenced April 3, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by the Utah Division of Securities and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Woolf, Brian Williams, and Jennifer E. Gully of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Randy Lansing, 41, of Aneth, Utah, was sentenced today to a term of life in prison for murdering a woman he was dating in front of her two young daughters.

The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Nuffer, comes after Lansing was found guilty by a federal jury for murder in the second degree while within Indian Country.

According to court documents, evidence presented at trial, and statements made at Lansing’s sentencing hearing, Lansing murdered Tammy Clark, on April 23, 2022. Clark was a 30-year-old mother of three, who Lansing severely beat and drowned in front of her two young daughters. During trial, the evidence established that on the day of the murder, Lansing drove Ms. Clark, her two young daughters and a second woman to McElmo Creek. At the creek, Lansing violently beat and forcibly drowned Ms. Clark, causing her grievous injuries that included a broken nose, extensive facial swelling, many brain hemorrhages, lacerations to her right cheek, left ear, and inside her mouth, a fractured hyoid (neck) bone, four broken ribs, and extensive blunt force trauma to her torso and extremities.

According to statements and evidence presented at trial, Lansing also threatened Ms. Clark’s young daughter. He later drove Ms. Clark’s beaten body to Aneth in the back of his SUV, where he left the vehicle as his mother contacted neighbors for help. Several neighbors, including an EMT, called San Juan County Dispatch for an ambulance and attempted life saving measures until the ambulance arrived and transported Ms. Clark to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

“Mr. Lansing subjected Ms. Clark to an unthinkable level of brutality before her death, all witnessed by her young daughters,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “He has a history of violence against women, which escalated to the heinous murder of this young mother. While no prison sentence can ever make up for the life stolen from Ms. Clark’s family, it is our hope her children can continue to heal and move forward after being profoundly impacted by the gravity of Lansing’s crime.”

“Randy Lansing’s horrific actions will forever have a profound impact on the victim’s family, especially her two young children,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Albert Kelly of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI will continue to work alongside our tribal and other law enforcement partners to seek justice and support victims of such heinous crimes.”

The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency and Navajo Nation Police Department, Criminal Investigations.

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tad May and Tanner Zumwalt prosecuted the case.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Ryan Gregory Bracken, 44, of West Valley City, Utah, was sentenced today to 60 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release after he made repeated death threats to the Salt Lake County Sheriff, other government offices, and a local law firm.

The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart, comes after Bracken was found guilty by a federal jury in October 2024 of four counts of stalking and one count of interstate communication of threats. See prior press release here.

According to court documents, evidence presented at trial, and statements made at Bracken’s sentencing hearing, between March 20, 2024 and April 2, 2024, Bracken made specific threats to kill law enforcement officers and hold other victims responsible for “treason,” the penalty for which he described as “death.” Bracken believed those he threatened were responsible for – or could somehow stop – the foreclosure of his residence. Bracken also made threats of hangings and shootings, with repeated references to the caliber of ammunition he planned to use to shoot anyone who came on his property, which was subject to foreclosure. For example, Bracken made multiple threats that if the Sheriff’s sale of his property occurred, he would hold the Sheriff responsible for “treasonous acts” and that she would “swing from a rope.” As Bracken’s threats grew more extreme, a multi-agency operation was launched to protect the public from his threatened acts of violence.

“The safety of our citizens is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Bracken’s conduct was extreme, unabated, and dangerous. It is our hope the victims he terrorized may find peace in knowing he is behind bars and justice was served.”  

"I want to thank all the agencies involved in this investigation and bringing it to a closure,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “I appreciate the U.S. Attorney's Office for prioritizing the safety of our community and our public servants."

"The circumstances Mr. Bracken found himself in were not the making of those he callously threatened to harm but the consequences of his actions," said HSI Salt Lake City Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Crane. "We will aggressively pursue those threatening public servants for performing their sworn duties and serving our communities and ensure that individuals like Mr. Bracken face justice for their actions."

The case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Foreign nationals, living in Utah, will appear in court today after they were charged with multiple drug crimes last week for allegedly distributing fentanyl and heroin in the District of Utah.  

Jose Manuel Perez-Flores, 36, of West Valley City, Utah; Victor Flores Esquivel, 48, of West Valley City; Jaime Hernandez-Ruin, 26, of West Valley City; and Eduardo Hernandez-Ruiz, 28, of Murray, Utah, were initially charged by complaint and taken into custody on December 23, 2024.  A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment January 8, 2025.

According to court documents, since approximately September 2024, detectives with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC) began investigating a group believed to be distributing large amounts of heroin and fentanyl throughout Salt Lake County. During the investigation, detectives conducted several controlled purchases of heroin. Following the controlled purchases, detectives obtained and executed search warrants on three residences on December 16, 2024. During one of the search warrants in West Valley City, detectives seized 436 grams of fentanyl (approximately 4,360 individual pills), 200 grams of heroin, $1,592 in cash, drug packaging material, and a digital scale. In a separate area of the residence, detectives also seized, 309 grams of fentanyl pills (approximately 3,090 individual pills), 26 grams of heroin, and $1,041 in cash. Multiple electronic money wire transfer receipts, and cellular phones were also seized from the residence.

At a second residence in West Valley City, detective seized 39 grams of fentanyl (approximately 390 individual pills), and 82 grams of heroin, as well as cellular phones, drug packaging material, and several electronic wire transfer receipts. At a third West Valley City residence, detectives seized 1,912 grams of fentanyl (approximately 19,012 individual pills), and 269 grams of fentanyl pills (approximately 2,069 individual pills) from a vehicle registered to Eduardo Hernandez-Ruiz.  In total, 28,921 individual fentanyl pills, and 308 grams of heroin were seized.

Perez-Flores, Flores Esquivel, Jaime Hernandez-Ruiz, and Eduardo Hernandez-Ruiz are charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. All four defendants also face additional individual charges. Their initial appearance on the indictment is January 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC) and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Reichman of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Glenn Raymond Breeden, 56, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today to 120 months’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release after planning via cell phone to engage in sexual activity with someone he believed was a minor.

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., comes after Breeden pleaded guilty in June 2024 to coercion and enticement/attempted coercion and enticement.

According to court documents and statements made at Breeden’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, in January 2024, Breeden traveled from Florida to Utah. While in Utah, Breeden communicated via cell phone with an undercover law enforcement officer who he believed was the father of a child under the age of 12. Breeden told the father he planned to engage in sexual activity with the minor. Upon opening the door at a hotel in Salt Lake City to let the father and child into the hotel, Breeden was met by law enforcement and arrested.

The case was investigated by the West Valley Police Department and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.  

Assistant United States Attorney Joey Blanch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Texas man with a violent crime after he allegedly attempted to steal cash from an ATM technician, while armed with a weapon.

Jawuan Donte Thomas, 22, of Texas, was initially charged by complaint on December 17, 2024, in Salt Lake County and taken into custody.

According to court documents, on December 17, 2024, Thomas attempted to rob a bank technician outside of a Wells Fargo Bank in Draper, Utah. That same morning, a detective with the Riverton Police Department was notified of an intentionally damaged and jammed Wells Fargo ATM in Riverton, Utah. During the investigation, the detective was notified of another intentionally damaged and jammed ATM in Draper. Through surveillance video, detectives ran a license plate that came back to a Jeep. However, the suspect vehicle was not the vehicle associated with the license plate. Shortly after, detectives located the suspect vehicle at the Wells Fargo in Draper. Detectives observed the occupants inside the vehicle pull into the bank parking lot and watch the ATM technician make repairs on the machine. When the technician opened the safe to the ATM, two occupants wearing ski masks exited the vehicle. One of the occupants, later identified as Thomas, was allegedly armed with a screwdriver. Detectives apprehended Thomas, but the other suspect fled in the vehicle.

Thomas is charged with one count of bank robbery. His initial appearance on the indictment is January 9, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by an FBI Task Force Officer from the South Jordan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Riverton City Police Department.    

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Robert Anthony Monsen, 49, of Herriman, Utah, was sentenced today to 18 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay over $561,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Medicare after he fraudulently collected over 13 years’ worth of SSA disability and Medicare benefits.

The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart, comes after Monsen pleaded guilty in September 2024 to theft of public money, property, or records.

According to court documents and statements made at Monsen’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Monsen collected SSA disability and Medicare benefits for the period of September 2010 to November 2023, claiming severe back injuries that rendered him unable to work. Mr. Monsen continually claimed that he was too disabled to work. However, he worked several jobs – including active work for the bail bonds, security, and restaurant businesses. During this time, Monsen concealed his income and functionality from SSA, in part by routing his paychecks through an LLC in another individual’s name. He also took several vacations in the U.S. and overseas, snorkeling, enjoying the beach, and assisting fighters inside the ring at a mixed martial arts event.

According to court documents, until November 2023, Monsen continued to receive Title II Disability benefits at a rate of $1,981.00 per month for himself, in addition to other family benefits. During the 13 years of disability benefits, he did not report any improvements in his condition to SSA, despite continuous reminders that he was obligated to do so if his health improved or if he was able to begin work. In total, Monsen fraudulently obtained over half a million dollars ($561,050.70) in federal funds set aside for some of society’s most vulnerable members. The calculation includes $274,479.10 in Title II disability benefits, $59,492.00 in child auxiliary benefits, and $227,079.60 in Medicare claims.

“Mr. Monsen not only fraudulently obtained over half a million dollars from taxpayers, but he took benefits reserved from individuals who cannot work due to a severe medical condition,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “Protecting the community and vulnerable populations is a priority for my office and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice through prosecution.”

“This 18-month prison sentence was based on Mr. Monson’s deceitful and criminal scheme to defraud SSA. Social Security disability insurance benefits are vital to individuals and their families who qualify to receive them. My office will continue to protect these essential benefits by pursuing perpetrators,” said Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Acting Inspector General for SSA. “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sachiko J. Jepson for prosecuting this case.”  

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko J. Jepson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict Thursday against a convicted felon after he unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition in 2022.

Michael Anthony Rangel, 42, of Ogden, Utah was charged by indictment in September 2022.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in July 2022, officers with the Ogden Metro Gang Task Force conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with Mr. Rangel as the passenger. Rangel, knowing he was a convicted felon and restricted from possessing a firearm and ammunition, possessed a Taurus PT111 G2 pistol. Officers seized the firearm and associated ammunition, and it was later discovered the firearm was manufactured outside the State of Utah and had traveled through interstate commerce. 

Rangel’s sentencing will be held at a later date before U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr. at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by Ogden Metro Gang Task Force.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Branden B. Miles and Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

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

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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the recipients of the Seventh Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing, including Detective Tyler Norman of the Salt Lake City Police Department.

This prestigious award recognizes law enforcement officers who demonstrate exceptional dedication to strengthening trust, promoting community engagement, and enhancing public safety.

“Community policing is essential to building trust and ensuring public safety,” said Attorney General Garland. “These officers have gone above and beyond their duty to foster partnerships with the communities they serve. Their work is an inspiration to us all and a reminder of the profound impact law enforcement can have on individuals, neighborhoods, and society.”

Detective Norman’s relentless pursuit of justice has not only disrupted gang activity but also established him as a leading expert in the field across the county. His tireless dedication, his work to build his own knowledge of the intricacies of the law, and countless hours of investigative work has resulted in the arrest of numerous violent street gang members and the seizure of firearms and narcotics. His efforts have profoundly strengthened public safety throughout the region.    

“I want to thank Detective Norman for his outstanding and selfless work to protect our citizens and keep the community safe,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. “Congratulations on this prestigious achievement.”

The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, and Tribal sworn officers, deputies, and troopers for exceptional efforts in community policing. The awarded individuals have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations, or innovations in community policing.

The awardees were selected from a nationwide pool of nominees for their outstanding achievements in fostering safer, more inclusive communities.

The Department of Justice commends these officers for their service, leadership, and unwavering commitment to their communities. For more information about the awards, visit www.justice.gov.
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Daniel J. Brett, 68, of Murray, Utah, was sentenced to pay a water truck operator $40,000 in restitution today after the worker helped with the destruction of the Broadway Hotel in Tooele, Utah, which contained asbestos.

The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Sam, comes after Brett pleaded guilty in September 2024 to negligent endangerment, a misdemeanor offense. The United States argued for 12 months’ imprisonment with one year of supervised release to follow and $40,000 in restitution.

According to court documents and statements made at Brett’s change of plea and sentencing hearing, from December 9, 2020 to December 14, 2020, Brett negligently caused asbestos, a hazardous air pollutant, to be released into the ambient air by facilitating the demolition of the historic Broadway Hotel, unabated. By not disclosing the presence of asbestos to a contracted third party demolition company, nor following the required process for an emergency demolition, as required by the Clean Air Act, the demolition took place without personal protective equipment. Additionally, the demolition company hired a worker to help with the demolition. The owner worked inside the excavator while his worker, the victim in this case, operated the water truck. In doing so, the worker stood outside of the water truck wetting debris with a hose as building material collapsed to the ground, with nothing to protect him but a dust mask.

According to court documents, the presence of asbestos in the Broadway Hotel was known since 2011. After demolition, the asbestos containing debris pile remained at the site uncovered for fifteen months. Ultimately, an emergency removal action was initiated and cost the Environmental Protection Agency approximately $1.1 million. See former release here.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigated the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Ruth Hackford-Peer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah County man pleaded guilty to securities fraud after admitting he lied to investors and fraudulently sold investment contracts, which are securities, without a license, to approximately 130 clients, through Utah company Alpha Influence, LLC.

According to court documents and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, from March 2020 to June 2022, Kole Glen Brimhall, 27, of Orem, Utah, fraudulently sold investments in e-commerce stores through Alpha Influence, LLC., a registered Utah corporation. Brimhall was not licensed to offer and sell securities, but as part of the scheme, Brimhall sold the e-commerce stores to purchasers as a passive investment and promised that the stores would make consistent, predictable, monthly returns. Brimhall failed to disclose that the majority of the invested funds went directly to Alpha Influence, LLC and then were distributed to sales agents, including himself, for commissions, and only a small portion was sent to the servicer of the investors’ stores.  

Brimhall is scheduled to be sentenced March 24, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 3.4 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated jointly by the Utah Division of Securities and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Woolf, Brian Williams, and Ruth Hackford-Peer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.