District of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Oluwole Adegboruwa, 54, of Las Vegas, Nevada, the main defendant and mastermind in a multi-million dollar dark web drug trafficking operation was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment. He was also ordered supervised release for life and the forfeiture of over $20 million, which is among the largest forfeitures holding a defendant financially accountable for his crimes in the history of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jill N. Parish, comes after a jury found Adegboruwa and his co-defendant Enrique Isong, 49, of Los Angeles, California, guilty in May 2024 of multiple federal crimes, including conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and money laundering (see prior press release here). On October 23, 2024, Isong was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, evidence presented at trial, and statements made at Adegboruwa’s sentencing hearing, from October 2016 through May 2019, Adegboruwa, sold more than 300,000 oxycodone pills on dark web marketplaces to customers throughout the United States. The jury found that Adegboruwa organized and supervised a continuing criminal enterprise that earned approximately $9,112,471 in drug proceeds. The jury found that Adegboruwa was unquestionably in charge of the illicit narcotics operation. Each member of his enterprise served in different capacities. Some were tasked with locating and procuring pharmacy grade pills that were then re-sold through various dark web marketplaces. Others were involved in packaging the pills and/or shipping them to customers. At trial, Adegboruwa admitted that he controlled sales on the dark web markets and the monetary accounts, including the cryptocurrency accounts through which the enterprise received the bulk of its profits. Adegboruwa also admitted he was the one who decided to start his online dark web drug sales operation.

“Protecting the community from illicit drugs and dismantling drug trafficking operations is a priority for my office and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “We will continue to prosecute and seek justice for these crimes.”

“This case further demonstrates that true anonymity on the dark web is a myth,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Services State Phoenix Division Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson. “U.S. Postal Inspectors remain steadfast in their commitment to dismantling drug trafficking operations, ensuring the safety of USPS customers and employees alike.”

“Adegboruwa's criminal drug enterprise was complex, sophisticated, and generated millions of dollars in profits concealed in cryptocurrency transactions. This sentencing is a stark reminder that the DEA is relentless in the pursuit of justice, and that drug traffickers cannot hide their illicit activities even in the secretive expanses of the dark web,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen.

“Money laundering continues to be a top investigative priority for IRS-CI,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick for IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office. “The forfeiture amount in this case alone highlights the magnitude of the investigation conducted by IRS-CI special agents, its impact on our community, and IRS-CI’s relentless commitment to uncovering illegal schemes by following the money.”

The case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

Assistant United States Attorneys Thaddeus J. May, Jennifer E. Gully, and Stewart M. Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted 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.

 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned a 16 count indictment charging two Utah businessmen with various financial crimes, including wire fraud and money laundering. The two business partners are accused of defrauding private investors and lenders in restaurant businesses such as Dirty Bird, Everbowl, and Crumbl Cookies.

Aaron A. Wagner, 42, of Alpine, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on October 23, 2024, in the District of Utah and taken into custody. Wagner and his business partner and codefendant, Michael Mains, 46, of Alpine, Utah, were indicted November 6, 2024.

According to court documents, from March 2021 and continuing to the present, Wagner and Mains devised a fraudulent scheme to trick lenders and investors to send millions of dollars to entities Wagner and Mains controlled through Wagscap Food Services, LLC. These entities included, Hello Sugar, Dirty Bird, Everbowl, Crumbl Cookies, Las Botellas, and others. Wagner would tell lenders and investors that their funds would be used for developing certain restaurants. Instead, Wagner used the funds for personal expenses or investments, or to prop up projects for other investor groups, which also included himself as an investor.

Court documents allege Wagner would further trick investors that he was a successful businessman by showing off his own lavish lifestyle, including personal jets, exotic vehicles, and luxury vacations. Wagner failed to disclose a large part of his success was financed by investor funds he allegedly stole from the businesses they were meant to support. Essentially, Wagner used new investor money, obtained through fraud, to falsely appease previous investors.

As a result of the scheme, Wagner brought in more than $40 million from investors. Wagner and Mains diverted millions for their own personal benefit to make purchases, including but not limited to a $4 million dollar second home for Wagner in Scottsdale, Arizona; an $8 million personal airplane; a $4.5 million commercial property to be developed into a nightclub; and $8 million real estate property in Missoula, Montana.

Wagner and Mains are charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, transactional money laundering, and concealment money laundering. Their initial appearance on the indictment was November 8, 2024, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. A jury trial is scheduled for February 3, 2025.

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.  

Assistant United States Attorneys Carl D. LeSueur and Brent L. Andrus of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

If you believe you are a victim of the alleged fraud mentioned in this press release or have information concerning the fraud in this press release, please email wagnermainsfraud@fbi.gov. 

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 – Toddorius Goodwin, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentence today to 36 months’ imprisonment after he participated in a scheme to steal from banks and credit unions in Utah by cashing counterfeit checks.

In addition to Goodwin’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell sentenced Goodwin to five years’ supervised release and ordered him to pay over $214,000 in restitution to the banks and credit unions he stole from. 

In August 2024, Goodwin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity fraud.

According to court documents and statements at Goodwin’s sentencing hearing, from April to October 2022, Goodwin and his associates traveled from Georgia to Utah several times to engage in a sophisticated check fraud scheme. They recruited impoverished individuals locally to take on the risk – as the runners entering the banks to physically cash the forged checks and potentially face arrest. The scheme was a proactive, well-planned, and team-orchestrated crime. Goodwin and his associates stole payroll checks from private mailboxes, altered the “payable to” names on the checks to the recruited individual’s name, and sent that individual into various banks to cash the forged checks in exchange for a small cut of the profit. Goodwin and his associated trained the recruits and coached them through an earpiece from a distance. Goodwin and his associates successfully cashed at least $214,179.51 worth of counterfeit checks in Utah within just a few months. 

“Seeking justice for financial fraud is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Mr. Goodwin’s behavior demonstrates a disrespect for the law and the community. By working with our law enforcement partners, it is our hope, through prosecution, we can deter these crimes from further occurring in our communities.”

“Exploiting the vulnerable to commit check fraud is not only a crime against the law but a grave injustice against humanity," said HSI Las Vegas Special Agent in Charge Chris Miller. "Those who prey on the impoverished to cash fraudulent checks, manipulating their desperation for personal gain, stands as a stark reminder of the darkest facets of greed. This sentencing is a reminder that Justice will find them, and their deceit will not go unpunished.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah in coordination with the Financial Fraud Task Force, comprised of law enforcement throughout the state, hosted the annual Financial Crimes Conference yesterday. Financial institutions also participated in the conference as part of ongoing efforts to curb financial crimes in the Beehive State.

Fraud is on the rise in Utah. In the first two quarters of 2024, fraud cost Utah residents $55.2 million, compared to $36.4 million in 2023, $32.6 million in 2022, and $20.4 million in 2021 during the same two quarters, according to state data by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Additionally, Utah ranks 10 out of 15 states nationwide for imposter scams, according to the FTC. Imposter scams include scammers posing as a government agency, romance scams, a friend or relative with an emergency need for money.

“Working with our federal and state law enforcement partners and agencies, the United States Attorney’s Office has significantly increased the number of financial crime prosecutions in this state,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “By prosecuting these cases and advocating for appropriate federal prison sentences, we are sending a clear message that Utah is not the place to conduct fraud schemes and victimize our citizens.”  

While the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with financial institutions throughout the year in conjunction with our federal partners, the conference brings all participating entities that handle financial crimes together for a day of collaborating and learning through presentations.

Prosecuting financial crimes is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Utah. Financial fraud ranges from phishing scams, identity theft, wire fraud, and cashier’s check fraud to name a few. For example, in January 2024, a defendant was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment for her involvement in an online romance scam that cost victims over $6 million. See release here. In February 2024, Salt Lake Trucking Group owners were found guilty in a financial fraud conspiracy that cost FedEx Ground $108 million. See release here. In August 2024, a Utah man was sentenced to 50 months’ imprisonment after defrauding farmers out of $1.2 million.  

If you or someone you know is a victim of a financial fraud, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/. You may also report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or call the FTC’s consumer Response Center at 877-382-4357. 
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging two Arizona residents with a federal drug crime after they allegedly possessed 40,000 fentanyl pills at a hotel in Salt Lake City.

Dominic Jared Arias Aceves, 22, of Arizona, and Cristo Alexander Urias Salazar 32, a foreign national living in Arizona, were initially charged by complaint on October 23, 2024, in the District of Utah.

According to court documents, in October 2024, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, began a criminal investigation of Aceves and Salazar, and other members of a drug trafficking organization suspected of distributing large quantities of narcotics in the District of Utah. On October 21, 2024, agents obtained and executed a search warrant for a hotel room in Salt Lake City where Salazar and Aceves were believed to be staying. During the investigation, agents seized 3,952 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl, 3.19 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. Agents estimated the amount of fentanyl at approximately 40,000 fentanyl pills. Aceves and Salazar were taken into custody.

Aceves and Salazar are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for November 8, 2024, at 1:30 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 the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF).  

The U.S. 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 athttps://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 – Pedro De Jesus Figueroa-Roman, 20, was sentenced to 53 months’ imprisonment, and three years of supervised release after admitting to possession of 14,000 fentanyl pills with intent to distribute.  

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow, comes after Figueroa-Roman’s co-defendant, Juan Robles-Ramos, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to the possession of heroin with intent to distribute. In July 2024, Robles-Ramos was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release.

According to court documents and admissions made at Figueroa-Roman’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning in July 2023, he was selling large amounts of narcotics on behalf of a Mexican drug trafficking organization. In July 2023, an undercover officer purchased 472 grams of methamphetamine from Figueroa-Roman. Two months later, law enforcement arranged and completed a second controlled narcotics purchase with Figueroa-Roman’s co-defendant, Robles Ramos. On October 5, 2023, law enforcement seized 14,000 pills of field tested positive fentanyl, 1,435 grams of field-tested positive heroin, and $4,192 in U.S. currency at a residence in Clearfield, Utah, where both Figueroa-Roman and Robles-Ramos were residing.

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

The FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) consisting of the FBI and Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force (DMNSF) investigated 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.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict against a repeat sex offender for the possession of child sexual abuse material.

Daniel David Egli, 50, of South Jordan, Utah, was indicted for possession of child pornography by a federal grand jury in June 2022.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Egli’s was first convicted of possession of child sexual abuse material in 2004 and then again in 2010. In addition, he has had several violations of the conditions of his supervised release. Most recently, in the spring of 2021, while Egli was serving another term of federal supervision, he again violated his conditions of release. During a routine check by his probation officer, law enforcement found Egli possessed an unauthorized laptop and smart phone. These unauthorized devices were seized, along with other unauthorized electronic devices.

Subsequently, in May 2021 a warrant was issued for Egli’s arrest, and he was taken into custody. A search of his residence at that time revealed additional unauthorized electronic devices. Further investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Intermountain West Regional Computer Forensic Lab of the electronic evidence demonstrated that Egli had accessed, viewed, and possessed nearly 500 images of child sexual abuse material, which led to the June 2022 federal charge.

Egli’s sentencing is scheduled for February 27, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

The United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of 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 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.

MOAB, Utah – Two Colorado residents were charged by misdemeanor information today, alleging they trespassed, disrupted, and stole from the historic Cave Springs Cowboy Camp in Canyonlands National Park, located in the District of Utah.

According to court documents, on March 23, 2024, Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, of Durango, Colorado, entered a fenced-off area of Canyonlands National Park where they then handled and stole numerous historic artifacts preserved in the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp. This historic camp was protected by fencing and clear warnings prohibiting visitors from entering the area, which McKnight and Spencer disregarded.

McKnight and Spencer are charged with theft of government property, less than one thousand dollars; possessing or distributing cultural or archaeological resources; and walking on or entering archaeological or cultural resource. McKnight and Spencer's initial appearance for the misdemeanor information will be scheduled for a later date at the United States District Court in Moab.

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

The case is being 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 are prosecuting the case.

An 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 – United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in San Juan County for the Nov. 5 general election.

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

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

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

On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at 801-325-3311.

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

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

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

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a foreign national living in Utah with multiple drug crimes after he was arrested for allegedly possessing narcotics.

Luis Refugio Brindas Guzman, 27, of Salt Lake County, was initially charged by complaint on October 4, 2024, in the District of Utah.

According to court documents, in July 2024, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, began a criminal investigation of Guzman and other members of a drug trafficking organization suspected of distributing large quantities of narcotics in the District of Utah. In October 2024, undercover officers arranged to purchase a large quantity of methamphetamine. Guzman arrived at the site of the purchase in a Nissan Rogue. During the search of the Nissan Rogue, agents seized approximately 6,682 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine, two grams of field-tested positive heroin, and a marijuana roach (the end of a joint). Guzman was arrested.  

Agents then executed a search warrant at Guzman’s residence and seized approximately 7,145 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine, 1,215 grams of field-tested positive heroin, 3,587 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl, and a 9mm handgun. The fentanyl was estimated at approximately 35,000 fentanyl pills.

Guzman is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial appearance on the indictment was October 31, 2024, 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 Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF).  

The U.S. 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 an indictment charging a foreign national living in Utah with drug crimes after he allegedly possessed fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.

Yoni Lerma-Renteria, aka Yoni Lerma-Acosta, 30, of Salt Lake County, was initially charged by complaint on October 10, 2024, in the District of Utah.

According to court documents, in September 2024, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force began a criminal investigation of Lerma-Renteria and other members of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large quantities of narcotics. In October 2024, agents executed search warrants for Lerma-Renteria’s residence and vehicle. During the search, agents recovered approximately 4,490.5 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl and 15 grams of field-tested positive cocaine. Agents estimated the fentanyl at approximately 45,000 fentanyl pills.

Lerma-Renteria is charged with possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for October 30, 2024, 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.

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

The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF).  

The U.S. 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 foreign national living in Utah accused of committing drug crimes was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City.

Sabino Osvaldo Gomez-Perez, 36, of Salt Lake County, was initially charged by complaint on October 11, 2024, in the District of Utah.

According to court documents, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, began a criminal investigation of Gomez-Perez and other members of a drug trafficking organization suspected of distributing large quantities of narcotics in the District of Utah.  On October 9, 2024, agents executed a search warrant for a motel room where Gomez-Perez was staying in Salt Lake County. Agents suspected that Gomez-Perez was using the hotel room to traffic drugs. During the search, agents seized 5,857 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl. Agents estimated the fentanyl at approximately 58,000 fentanyl pills.

Gomez-Perez is charged with possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for October 30, 2024, at 2:15 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 the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF).  

The U.S. 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 – United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Bryant Watson will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Watson has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Utah, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Higgins said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.  Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).  

United States Attorney Higgins stated that: “Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Watson will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (801) 325-3311.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 1-800-Call-FBI.

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

United States Attorney Higgins said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.  It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The lead defendant in a scheme that manufactured, sold and distributed 120,000 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards was sentenced today.

Nicholas Frank Sciotto, 34, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell to 12 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay a $40,000 fine, after he admitted in July 2024 that he conspired to defraud the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by selling and distributing counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards. In turn, Sciotto obtained over approximately $400,000 in profits.  

According to court documents and statements made at Sciotto’s sentencing hearing, between March 2021 and September 2021, Sciotto promoted, manufactured, sold, and distributed illegal and counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards across the country. He also sold the COVID-19 vaccination record cards wholesale to several coconspirators, including Kyle Blake Burbage, 33, of Goose Creek, South Carolina. Together, the coconspirators enabled numerous people to use fake vaccination record cards to masquerade as being vaccinated, so they could evade public health and safety protocols across the nation. Sciotto engaged in this scheme–without regard for any public health consequences or risks that he exposed individuals to during the pandemic, without their knowledge or consent, and he undermined the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination program and other governmental health and safety regulations and protocols at significant profit.

On Facebook, Sciotto sold each card for $10 with a 10 card minimum per order, plus $5 for shipping and directed buyers to a mobile payment service to complete the transaction. In furtherance of the crime, Sciotto made a fake badge and identified himself as a volunteer with a major COVID-19 testing company in Utah to trick a print shop worker into believing Sciotto worked for a hospital and was authorized to print out thousands of copies of COVID-19 vaccination record cards.

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

The case was investigated jointly by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. 

Assistant United States Attorney Todd C. Bouton and Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachi J. Jepson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud

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

 

ST. GEORGE, Utah – A federal grand jury in St. George returned an indictment charging a Southern Utah business owner with tax crimes.  

According to court documents, Phyllip Hallman Heaton, 42, of Washington City, Utah, owns and operates Zion Outfitter, an outdoor retail and rental shop near the entrance of Zion National Park. It is alleged that, between 2018 and 2022, Heaton underreported over $5.4 million in sales. He did so by providing his tax-return preparers with profit and loss statements that underreported Zion Outfitter’s gross receipts, falsely representing to his tax preparers that the profit and loss statements were accurate, signing and authorizing the filing of tax returns with the IRS that he knew were false, and structuring cash deposits into Zion Outfitter’s checking account. This resulted in Heaton evading over $1.8 million in taxes.

Heaton is charged with five counts of evasion of assessment of income tax and five counts of fraud and false statements. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for October 28, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the St. George Courthouse.

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

The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI).

Assistant United States Attorney Stephen P. Dent 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 – United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins is warning the public to be vigilant to fraud attempts in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region and quickly caused major devastation there and across states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and others. As we have seen in the wake of previous national disasters, fraudsters will target victims of the storm along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storm. Unfortunately, criminals exploit disasters for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions.
The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene. Solicitations can originate from phone calls, texts, social media, e-mail, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, and other similar methods. Before making a donation to benefit victims of Hurricane Helene, individuals should adhere to certain guidelines, including:

• Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf. 
• Do not be pressured into making contributions as reputable charities do not use such tactics. 
• Do not respond to any unsolicited communications (e.g., e-mails and texts), and never click links contained within those messages because they may be targeting your personal information, to include bank and credit card account information, and other identifiers such as dates of birth and social security numbers.
•  Rather than clicking on a purported link to a charity, verify its legitimacy by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming whether the organization is a valid charity.
•  Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities. 
• Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals. 
• Know that legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services, and their website will normally end in .org rather than .com.
• Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. 

The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to deter, investigate, and prosecute fraud in the wake of disasters. More than 50 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Complaints of fraud may be reported online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Complaints may also be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721, a hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A convicted felon had his initial appearance today on two separate indictments, and will remain in custody. The defendant was arrested last month after allegedly committing mail robbery, and drug and gun crimes in the Spring of 2024 while on federal probation.

Andres “Junior” Garcia, 35, of Salt Lake City was indicted twice by a federal grand jury in June 2024 once for robbery of mail, and then for distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of firearms and ammunition. Since Garcia’s arrest, both indictments have been unsealed.

According to court documents, in February 2024, Garcia allegedly stole mail from a U.S. Postal Service van and threatened the postal worker when he confronted Garcia. As alleged, Garcia reached into his sweatshirt, as if he had a weapon, and told the postal worker to “get back.” Garcia then ran off with the mail. In the second case, in March 2024, on three separate occasions, Garcia allegedly sold 500 fentanyl pills, four ounces of methamphetamine and three firearms, including a Bersa Firestorm pistol, a Smith & Wesson M&P 9C pistol, and a Girsan MC 1911 S XLV pistol, and associated ammunition.

Garcia, a convicted felon, is restricted from possessing firearms and ammunition and was on felony probation at the time he allegedly committed these new offenses.

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

The cases are being investigated jointly by Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake, Metro Gang Unit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  

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 federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict against a Salt Lake County resident after he made repeated death threats to the Salt Lake County Sheriff, and other government offices in the spring of 2024.  

Ryan Gregory Bracken, 44, of West Valley City, Utah, was convicted of four counts of stalking and one count of interstate communication of threats. Bracken was originally charged by way of complaint on April 4, 2024, and arrested on April 5, 2024. On April 17, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Bracken. On August 21, 2024, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Bracken.

According to evidence presented at trial, Bracken repeatedly called the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office prior to April and left threatening voicemails. The Information Technology Specialist with Salt Lake County government revealed that between March 20, 2024 and April 2, 2024, Bracken called multiple Salt Lake County government offices, including the Sheriff’s Office, the County Recorder’s Office and the Assessor’s Office 37 times. Twenty-nine of those calls occurred on April 1, and April 2, 2024, and were verbally abusive and threatening.

For example, On April 2, 2024, Bracken called the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office to speak with the elected Sheriff regarding a “fraudulent Sheriff’s sale” on his property and called it a “criminal act.” Bracken threatened to “open fire” on the first person who shows up to his property to evict him. Bracken made specific reference to having a 7.62 millimeter firearm. In a separate call on the same day, Bracken made multiple threats that if the Sheriff’s sale of his property occurred, he would hold the Sheriff responsible for treasonous acts and she would swing from a rope.

Additionally, on April 1, 2024, the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office received an aggressive, verbally abusive and threating voicemail from a phone number identified as Bracken’s. Bracken also repeatedly called the Salt Lake County Assessor’s office and made numerous threats using abusive, and vulgar language.

Bracken’s sentencing is scheduled for January 7, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. 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 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 is prosecuting the case.
 

UPDATE

Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release below against Keaira Woods, in this case was dismissed on April 2, 2026. 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging residents from Texas and Louisiana after they allegedly robbed $200,000 from an ATM while it was being serviced by an ATM technician.

According to court documents, Calvin Brantley, 29, Jevaunte Reese, 32, Lashawn Charleswell, 31, and Keaira Woods, 26 all from Houston, Texas, and Tiras Jack, 44, and Harold Oliver, 37 of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, allegedly robbed a Mountain America Credit Union ATM in Taylorsville, Utah.

As alleged in the complaint, on September 11, 2024, Taylorsville Police Department and special agents from the FBI responded to a duress alarm at the Mountain America Credit Union. Upon arrival, law enforcement spoke to an ATM technician who was present during the robbery. The technician is contracted through a company that repairs ATM machines and has access to the cash stored inside. During the service call, multiple males pushed the ATM technician down and one told him to “stay down.” The technician saw the men take the boxes out of the ATM which contained $200,000 in cash, and run and take off in a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee that was parked nearby. During the investigation, police identified a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Colorado license plate and a white Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Florida license plate. Both license plates belonged to rental car companies that had license plates removed from rental vehicles and stolen. Using a GPS tracker on one of the license plates, law enforcement identified the location of one of the white Jeep Grand Cherokee at a rest stop in Paragonah, Utah, and took six people into custody. Additionally, $195,691 was recovered from inside the vehicle.

Brantley, Oliver, Reese, Charleswell, Jack, and Woods are charged with credit union robbery. Brantley, Oliver, Reese and Charleswell are scheduled for their initial appearance on the indictment on October 7, 2024. Jack and Woods are scheduled for their initial appearance on October 8, 2024, in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

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

The case is being investigated by the Taylorsville Police Department and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

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. 

Attachments:

Salt Lake City, Utah – Hillary Brown, 41, of Taylorsville, Utah, was sentenced today to 12 months’ home detention, five years’ probation, and ordered by the court to pay $148,310.25 in restitution after defrauding the Social Security Administration (SSA) and other government agencies for approximately 15 years.

On July 9, 2024, Brown pleaded guilty to wire fraud before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was then sentenced before Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Sam.

According to court documents and statements made at Brown’s sentencing hearing, beginning by at least May 13, 2009 and continuing until June 1, 2023, Brown deceived SSA to fraudulently obtain funds from the United States. She did so by providing the government with false and exaggerated information. Brown falsely claimed she was experiencing debilitating effects from an October 2008 stroke to such a degree that she had right side paralysis and could not work.

On December 15, 2009, Brown underwent a psychiatric assessment to support her application for SSA benefits. The examining doctor documented Brown’s self-reports that she was struggling with brain damage. However, just days prior, Brown completed upper-level college coursework with As and Bs. Unaware of this mismatch in information, SSA granted Brown Title II disability benefits on December 16, 2009. From the outset of her benefits, SSA provided several notices to regularly remind Brown of her obligation to report any improvements in her condition to SSA. However, within months of receiving benefits and claiming cognitive and physical disabilities, Brown graduated from college. She later obtained a driver’s license by certifying that she did not have a condition that impaired her ability to drive, despite claims to SSA that she could not drive due to crippling physical symptoms. She also obtained various physical certifications, including a Pilates Mat Teacher Training program diploma in July 2010, a certification indicating she completed 850 hours of requirements and testing to become a certified Pilates instructor in June 2015, and a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certification in October 2018. Meanwhile, Brown continued to receive disability benefits and did not report any improvements in function to SSA.

After learning Brown was active and working, on February 13, 2021, SSA sent Brown a letter explaining she was not eligible to receive disability benefits and had received overpayment. Brown requested that the overpayment be waived and continued to claim she was too disabled to engage in substantial work, while also continuing to teach physically active classes and post about them on social media.

In the winter of 2022-2023, Brown submitted more false statements to SSA about her ability to work – claiming that right-side paralysis and other ailments still prevented her from working, and that they made basic functions like walking, standing, or using her arms difficult. However, during the same time frame, SSA agents observed and recorded hours of footage documenting Brown’s capable lifestyle and active Pilates teaching.

Once SSA had the opportunity to review Brown’s activities since receiving disability benefits, it became clear that she was never eligible for benefits. In fact, evidence from 2009 to 2023 indicates that Brown was highly functional within months of her stroke.

“Since 2009, Ms. Brown defrauded the government and stole from benefit programs that provide a critical safety net to those who truly need them and legally apply,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “My office, and our law enforcement partners, are committed to protecting these important benefits for their rightful recipients and holding to account those who fraudulently drain them.”

“For 15 years, Hillary Brown defrauded SSA by feigning a disabling condition. By purporting debilitating effects from a stroke and partial paralysis, her false exaggerations caused SSA to improperly pay her disability benefits. This sentence holds her accountable for her criminal acts,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I am grateful for the outstanding work of our Cooperative Disability Investigations Division for conducting this investigation and continually working to protect SSA disability benefits for those who are truly eligible to receive them. I thank Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachi J. Jepson for prosecuting this case.” 

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

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – Thomas Fairbanks, 71, of Cache County, Utah, was sentenced today to an additional 30 days’ imprisonment for failure to appear in court for a sentencing hearing in a securities fraud case. The one month sentence will be served consecutively to his 27 months’ securities fraud sentence, which was imposed in April 2024. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, on May 24, 2023, Fairbanks failed to appear in front of U.S. District Court Judge Jill N. Parrish for his sentencing in a 2019 securities fraud case, after he was convicted by a jury on August 30, 2022. After his failure to appear, a warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was later arrested in February 2024. According to court documents in the 2019 case, the defendant was convicted of a securities fraud scheme in connection with his fraudulent company SupplyLine Partners. As part of the scheme, Fairbanks created a pitch deck to advertise the entity, ran seminars to find investors, and ultimately convinced at least two individuals to invest with him in his fake entity. SupplyLine was never a registered company nor was Fairbanks authorized to sell securities.

Fairbanks took victims’ money and did not invest as he said he would, never returned the money and did not pay out the promised 6% interest. In total, Fairbanks defrauded two victims out of $270,232.

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

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

St. George, Utah – Markeith Candler, 42, of Sterling, Colorado, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment for drug crimes and possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. 

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, comes after Candler pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.  In addition to his term of imprisonment, Candler was sentenced to five years of supervised release. 

According to court documents and statements made at Candler’s sentencing hearing, on January 12, 2024, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper conducted a traffic stop for speeding. Inside the vehicle, Candler was the rear passenger. During a check of the vehicle, a K9 provided a positive indication to narcotics. During a search of the vehicle, troopers found a Glock 22, later identified as Candler’s. The firearm possessed a switch, that allowed for the gun to be used as an automatic weapon and was loaded with a magazine and a round in the chamber. Additional magazines, including large capacity magazines, were found next to the firearm. Troopers also found 743 grams of a white powdery substance that later tested positive for cocaine and found one pound of marijuana. 

For more than 20 years, Candler has been committing violent and weapons-related offenses and serving sentences for those crimes. For example, while on probation for a prior robbery, Candler committed an armed robbery at a credit union where an employee was held at gun point. He served 120 months’ imprisonment, and five years’ supervised release for that armed bank robbery.

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

The case was investigated jointly by the Department of Public Safety Utah Highway Patrol and the State Bureau of Investigation. 

Assistant United States Attorney Chris Burton 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 https://www.justice.gov/psn.
 

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
  
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.  

“Stopping gender-based violence is a priority in the District of Utah and it is critical that we work together,” said United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “Through our robust partnerships with state, local, federal, and tribal law enforcement, and community organizations, we remain committed to addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking through prosecution and providing access to justice for victims and survivors.”

“Domestic abuse was once considered a private matter to be suffered alone in the shadows”, said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. VAWA has steadily shone a light on this issue, resulting in significant decreases in domestic violence over the past few decades. We recognize firearms are often used by abusers to carry out acts of domestic violence. To combat this, we encourage our law enforcement partners to seek all available federal funds so we may continue to disrupt this violence, and strengthen our support of all victims.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Utah has always prioritized cases involving firearms and domestic violence offenders. Part of our office’s current strategic plan is to expand relationships with groups focusing on domestic violence prevention, such as victim advocacy groups, shelters, and resource centers. We also continue to organize training with our law enforcement partners to specifically address prosecutions involving persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of violence and offenders subject to a protective order. 

Additionally, this month in the District of Utah, a man who was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend while within Indian Country will be sentenced to federal prison. Last month, a Utah woman who attempted to commit a murder for hire to kill her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment. These successful outcomes would not be possible without the tireless work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors in the pursuit of justice.  

Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.

In the District of Utah, the following jurisdictions have been designated: Salt Lake County.

The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders.  All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.  
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – Neil Alan Johnson, 44, of Lehi, Utah, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $324,519 in restitution and forfeiture.

The sentence, imposed by a U.S. District Court Judge, comes after Johnson pleaded guilty to wire fraud in February 2024 after he defrauded the COVID-19 relief program, a federal program through the Small Business Administration (SBA) intended to help American businesses and employees weather the economic shock of the global COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to court documents and statements made at Johnson’s sentencing hearing, from March 2021 through November 2022, Johnson devised and engaged in a scheme to defraud and obtain money by lying and fraudulently submitting a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Application to the SBA for approximately $324,519 on behalf of his company.  Then after obtaining the full loan amount, Johnson fraudulently submitted a PPP Loan Forgiveness Application to the SBA for the entire amount of the loan. His company, named “Neil Johnson,” was located at his home in Lehi, Utah. Johnson submitted the loan applications as the sole proprietor of the company. 

In furtherance of his scheme, Johnson lied on the applications. For example, on the initial loan application, he falsely represented that his self-named company had 21 employees, and an average monthly payroll of $129,808.69, even though it did not. On the loan forgiveness application, he falsely represented that the company’s payroll cost between March 25, 2021 and September 9, 2021, was $352,463.80, and that he had used all $324,519 of his loan funds to pay his employees’ payroll. In reality, Johnson illegally used up to $102,000 of the PPP-Loan proceeds to buy back his house in Lehi and transferred over $39,000 of the loan proceeds to a separate account. 

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

The Utah Federal COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force investigated the case, which includes Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of Inspector General’s U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). The public is encouraged to share information about the abuse of the Paycheck Protection Program or other SBA programs by submitting a complaint here.

Assistant United States Attorney Todd C. Bouton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – Calvin Perry, 53, of Sandy, Utah, was sentenced today to 12 months’ home detention, four years’ probation, and ordered by the court to pay $130,901 in restitution after defrauding the Social Security Administration (SSA) for at least six years. 

On July 1, 2024, Perry pleaded guilty to theft of government property before a U.S. District Court Judge. 

According to court documents and statements made at Perry’s sentencing hearing, beginning by at least March 2017 and continuing until October 2023, Perry stole funds from the United States, specifically benefits from the SSA. Perry was initially granted SSA disability benefits in November 2012 after he claimed he could not work due to a back injury. At that time, and on several later occasions, the SSA reminded Perry of his duty to update the SSA of various changes, including those related to work, income, and improvements in his condition. Yet, in March 2017, Perry began working full time at a lawncare company, earning a monthly salary of $4,400, without notifying SSA. In October and November 2023, SSA agents observed Perry actively engaged in manual labor for this company including, heavy lifting and unloading large equipment while bending and twisting his back.

After SSA received reports of Perry’s work concealment, it gave Perry the opportunity to complete a Continuing Disability Review Report. However, he failed to respond, and SSA suspended Perry’s benefits. In November 2023, Perry visited the South Jordan SSA Field office and filed a Continuing Disability Review Report and a Work Activity Report, claiming that he had not worked since 2011 and still struggled with basic tasks like standing, walking, and getting dressed. However, in December 2023 SSA agents interviewed Perry and his employer, who both admitted that Perry had been working for several years.

In total, Perry received overpayment of $130.901.00 in Social Security benefits. Additionally, according to court documents, Perry is a repeat offender, having a prior state conviction in 2005 for attempting to receive unemployment benefits while he was employed.

The case was investigated jointly by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachi J. Jepson 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 today charging a Salt Lake County man with multiple violent crimes after he allegedly shot another man inside a vehicle after an argument. 

According to court documents, Maxwell Archibald, 21, of Taylorsville, Utah, fired a handgun at a passenger he was in a vehicle with on August 14, 2024.  As alleged in the affidavit, officers with the Unified Police Department responded to an incident in progress at a Maverik gas station in Midvale, Utah. Upon police officers’ arrival, the shooting victim stated he was with two friends, the owner of the vehicle and Archibald. According to the shooting victim, an argument ensued between Archibald and the owner of the vehicle over who was going to drive the vehicle. The shooting victim intervened, and a physical altercation took place inside the vehicle between the shooting victim and Archibald. Archibald then brandished a handgun and fired at the victim but missed. Archibald fired at him again, shooting him in the arm. The shooting victim and the owner of the vehicle then fled from the vehicle and Archibald drove off in the vehicle.

According to court documents, the owner of the vehicle called police and reported the vehicle as stolen. When law enforcement attempted to stop Archibald, he fled. Subsequently, Archibald crashed the car and was taken into custody after a foot chase and short struggle.  Police recovered a firearm that matched the one used against the victims. 

Archibald is charged with carjacking, and using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled September 5, 2024, at 1:30 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. 

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

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda for the Office 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 foreign national living in Utah, who is also a felon, was ordered by the court to remain in custody after a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City indicted him for multiple federal crimes. 

According to court documents, Armando Reyes-Ascension, 43, of Salt Lake City, a foreign national, who was previously deported from the United States in July 2003 and March 2020, illegally reentered the United States in May 2024.

As alleged in court documents, Salt Lake City police officers received multiple anonymous tips of a man selling large amounts of fentanyl pills from an apartment in Salt Lake City. During surveillance, officers observed a man, later identified as Reyes-Ascension, exit the apartment and make multiple “short stay” stops in known drug areas. Officers then stopped Reyes-Ascension and obtained a search warrant. During a search of Reyes-Ascension’s vehicle, officers found more than 7,000 pills that field-tested positive for fentanyl. Officers also found more than $32,000 cash. In June 2024, Reyes-Ascension was deported a third time from the United States.  

In August 2024, Reyes-Ascension, was found back in the United States illegally. According to court documents, on August 7, 2024, Salt Lake City Police officers were patrolling the area of 1300 South Main Street when they observed a man wearing a backpack and riding a bicycle against traffic. Officers stopped the man, later identified as Reyes-Ascension, for a traffic violation. During an initial search, officers found drug paraphernalia and Reyes-Ascension was taken into custody. During a further search of his backpack, officers found a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield Firearm with a loaded magazine, more than 2,000 pills that field-tested positive for fentanyl, and more than $55,000 cash. Officers also located several dangerous weapons and coins. In total, over the span of three months, Reyes-Ascension, was found in possession of more than 9,000 fentanyl pills, a loaded firearm, several dangerous weapons, and $87,000 cash. 

Reyes-Ascension is charged with reentry of a previously removed alien, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and felon in possession of a firearm.  His initial appearance on the indictment was August 29, 2024, at the 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 jointly by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Salt Lake City Police Department, and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. 

Assistant United States Attorney, Bryan N. Reeves, 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 final defendant who pleaded guilty to an odometer fraud scheme was sentenced today to time served, one year of supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay restitution. 

Austin K. Weilacher, 22, of South Salt Lake, Utah, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge David B. Barlow. His codefendant, Porter R. Hamblin, 20, of South Salt Lake, received a similar sentence on August 16, 2024, after the duo admitted in June 2024 to engaging in a fraudulent scheme to sell vehicles with broken or false odometers. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Weilacher and Hamblin defrauded numerous victims in Utah who purchased vehicles on KSL.com between May 2023 and July 2023. Weilacher and Hamblin admitted they purchased older model vehicles, cleaned them up, and would either break, disable or cover the odometers, generate fake Carfax reports, and then sell the vehicles to unsuspecting Utah customers. The defendants would then inflate the price of the vehicles and use the money to purchase more vehicles to sell to more victims or purchase high end vehicles for themselves. For example, with money made from their scheme, Weilacher and Hamblin purchased a McLaren sports car, which was subsequently destroyed, and Hamblin was set to receive $150,000 in insurance proceeds for the crash of his vehicle. Once victims realized they had been swindled, they would try to contact the defendants, who were unreachable. 

“Mr. Weilacher and Mr. Hamblin created financial hardships for victims trying to purchase reliable vehicles,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute people who harm our citizens through fraud.”

“Fraud of this type puts our communities' safety at risk and negatively impacts legitimate commerce," said HSI Las Vegas Special Agent in Charge Chris Miller. "This case should warn others tempted to engage in fraudulent activity that HSI will aggressively pursue you and ensure you are held accountable."

“We urge the public to exercise caution. If a deal seems too good to be true, it likely is,” said Chief Jason Mazuran, Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake. “Always verify the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and run your own vehicle report before purchasing a vehicle to avoid falling victim to similar schemes. We are pleased that the victims will receive restitution and grateful for the efforts of all involved in bringing this case to a resolution.”

The case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake (UPD). 

Assistant United States Attorney Stewart M. Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to multiple federal crimes after he admitted to engaging in a check fraud scheme to defraud several federally insured financial institutions in the District of Utah. 

Toddorius Goodwin, 34, of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity fraud. 

According to court documents and admissions made during Goodwin’s change of plea hearing, Goodwin and his associates traveled from Georgia to engage in a check fraud scheme in Utah and elsewhere. They recruited impoverished individuals locally to assist with their scheme. Goodwin and his associates stole payroll checks from private mailboxes, altered the “payable to” names on the checks to the recruited individual’s name, and sent that individual into various banks to cash the forged checks in exchange for a cut of the profit. Goodwin and his associates successfully cashed at least $214,179.51 worth of counterfeit checks in Utah within just a few months, from April to October 2022. 

Goodwin is scheduled to be sentenced November 7, 2024, at 1:30 p.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 by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned a superseding indictment August 21, 2024, charging a Salt Lake County man with stalking. The man was arrested on April 4, 2024, via a federal complaint after he was accused of making repeated threatening phone calls to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office and other Salt Lake County government offices.

According to court documents, Ryan Gregory Bracken, 44, of West Valley City, Utah, called the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office on April 1, 2024. In a voicemail, he accused the Salt Lake County Recorder and an employee of being guilty of treason. As alleged, Bracken made a point of stating that the penalty for treason is death. Prior to the voicemail, Bracken had also made repeated phone calls to the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office, which allegedly became increasingly verbally abusive and threatening. 

On April 2, 2024, Bracken called the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office to speak with the elected Sheriff regarding a “fraudulent Sheriff’s sale on his property and called it a criminal act. Bracken threatened to “open fire” on the first person who shows up to his property to evict him. Bracken made specific reference to having a 7.62 millimeter firearm. In a separate call on the same day, Bracken made multiple threats that if the Sheriff’s sale of his property occurred, he would hold the Sheriff responsible for treasonous acts and she would swing from a rope. 

Information obtained from Information Technology specialists with Salt Lake County government revealed that Bracken called various Salt Lake County government offices, to include the Sheriff’s Office and the Assessor’s Office, 32 times in April 2024 alone. 

Bracken is charged with five counts of stalking, and one count of interstate communication of threats. His initial court appearance on the superseding indictment is scheduled for August 27, 2024, at 11:00 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. 

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) and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. 

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. 
 

Saint George, Utah – Ryan Palmer, 56, of Sanpete County, was sentenced today to over four years’ imprisonment, a term of five years’ supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay $1,216,884.49 in restitution after he admitted to bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Palmer took over $1.2 million from trusting farmers who were deceived into thinking he would help them buy and sell farm equipment. 

According to court documents and statements made at Palmer’s change of plea hearing, beginning in 2017 and continuing until December 2021, Palmer devised a scheme to defraud 25 victims by telling them he could sell or obtain farm equipment on their behalf. Palmer operated a farm equipment company called Palmer Equipment, LLC. Palmer falsely represented to clients that he would sell their agriculture equipment on consignment at specific minimum prices, with the understanding that the clients would receive the sale proceeds and Palmer would receive a portion of those proceeds for his services. Instead, Palmer kept all proceeds and lied to the victims about the sale of their equipment. Other times, he promised to purchase seller victims’ equipment, took possession of the equipment, and made partial payments or failed to make any payments. 

On another occasion, Palmer, pledged a victim’s Allis-Chalmers tractor as collateral to obtain a loan without the victim’s authorization. Palmer lied to Utah Independent Bank about who owned the equipment and used a $51,000 loan for his own personal benefit. He then sold and kept the money for himself without delivering the sale proceeds to the tractor’s rightful owner.  

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins made the announcement. 

The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, and the Salina City Police Department. 

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal jury convicted Richard Villanueva Mitchell, 53, of Midvale, Utah, today for bankruptcy crimes he committed in 2017. After a three day trial, Mitchell was found guilty of bankruptcy fraud, false bankruptcy declaration, and bribery in bankruptcy.

According to evidence presented at trial, from April 2017 through November 2017, Mitchell schemed to defraud the bankruptcy court, bankruptcy trustee, and his creditors through fraudulent bankruptcy proceedings. As part of the scheme to defraud, Mitchell concealed several hundred appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, dryers and ranges, appliances that Mitchell had previously borrowed roughly $500,000 to purchase. Mitchell was self-employed, supplying, installing and repairing appliances for building contractors.

At trial, the jury was presented with evidence that Mitchell filed a voluntary bankruptcy petition in May 2017, seeking to eventually discharge more than $1 million in debt. Mitchell’s petition falsely stated he had assets worth less than $50,000. Mitchell filed his mandatory Schedules of Assets and Liabilities and Statement of Financial Affairs, signing them under penalty of perjury, but failed to disclose the appliances, worth over $350,000 by his own later estimation. Mitchell also withheld mention of the appliances when questioned under oath by the trustee about his assets during standard bankruptcy proceedings. While the bankruptcy proceedings were ongoing, Mitchell attempted to conspire with a third party to sell the appliances outside the bankruptcy process, thereby enriching himself and harming his creditors. The trustee eventually learned of the appliances and obtained a court order to sell them at auction to partially satisfy Mr. Mitchell’s debts.

Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2024 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.

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 are prosecuting the case.

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – A Utah woman who attempted to commit murder-for-hire by using the dark web was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment today after she engaged in a murder for hire scheme. 

“I am very troubled by this case,” said Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Sam, who went on to express his deep appreciation to law enforcement for their hard work in this case. “As a result of all that work, a life was saved,” said Judge Sam. 

Krista Renae Stone, 23, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced Monday morning after she pleaded guilty in May 2024 to the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. In addition to her term of imprisonment, Stone was sentenced to three years’ supervised release. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea and sentencing hearing, beginning in March 2023 and continuing through September 2023, Stone used the internet, specifically the dark web, with the intent to murder an ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend. In return for the murder, Stone agreed to pay money. Stone further admitted she engaged with a website offering “hitman for hire” type services and “ordered” the killing of the victim for $5,000 using Bitcoin to complete the order. Stone included a detailed description of the victim, including a photograph, the victim’s location, and how she wanted the murder committed. The website, which is not run by law enforcement, is under investigation. 

“Ms. Stone’s murder-for-hire plot was a brazen attempt against another person’s life that caused extreme emotional harm. Without law enforcement discovering the website Ms. Stone was using and the extensive investigation by law enforcement, the outcome would be far more devastating,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “We are grateful to the agents who worked on this case and hope today’s sentence brings a sense of closure to the victim and her family.” 

"Murder-for-hire turns the sanctity of life into a transaction, making our communities vulnerable to further acts of violence,” said Christopher Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations. “HSI luckily prevented this plot being carried out, and our agents are committed to preventing crimes that would commodify human life.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – A Utah restaurant owner who obtained over $1.88 million by defrauding the COVID-19 Relief program was sentenced today to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment.

Giuseppe Mirenda, 29, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nelson, Jr. after pleading guilty in February 2024 to two counts of conversion of government property. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Mirenda was sentenced to three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Mirenda, a co-owner of five Utah restaurants and Sicilia Restaurant Management, fraudulently applied for and signed agreements for six Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL loans) between March 2020 and June 2020.  In 2021, Mirenda also applied for another $520,000 in EIDL loans, but those loans were denied. Under the CARES Act, EIDL loans were for small businesses struggling from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the EIDL loan applications, Mirenda represented and agreed that the loan proceeds would be used solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic, when in fact he used the loan money for his own personal benefit. Mirenda also misrepresented the citizenship status of his co-owners to improperly obtain the loans.

In total, Mirenda unlawfully obtained $1,889,400 in EIDL loan funds. In less than a year, he used over $1.1 million of the fraudulently obtained funds to buy a house in West Jordan, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada. Mirenda also misused at least another $81,781 in EIDL loan funds to buy luxury cars, including a BMW M3 and a Jaguar F-PACE, and $39,000 in cryptocurrency. 

Mirenda repaid about $680,000 of the EIDL funds. The United States also recovered approximately $1,251,469.29 from the seizure of the profits made from the forced sale of the two homes in Utah and Nevada.  

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

The Utah Federal COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force is investigating the case, which includes Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of Inspector General’s U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). The public is encouraged to share information about the abuse of the Paycheck Protection Program or other SBA programs by submitting a complaint here.

Assistant United States Attorney Todd C. Bouton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – A Utah man who attempted to steal a car while it was parked at a Home Depot in Salt Lake City, threw the driver into a tree, and attempted to outrun law enforcement was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment. 

Kay Elder, 36, of Farmington, Utah, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jill Parrish today after he pleaded guilty in May 2024 to carjacking. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Elder was sentenced to three years’ supervised release. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Elder approached the 57-year-old victim parked at Home Depot on January 3, 2024, and began yelling at the man to get out of the car and give him the key. The victim exited the car and Elder attempted to strike and kick him but missed. Elder then grabbed the victim and threw him into a tree. Elder then attempted to drive away, but the victim had the vehicle’s car key fob. Elder then ran, attempting to outrun the police. Elder was ultimately arrested. See prior press release here.  

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

Assistant United States Attorneys Carlos A. Esqueda 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.
 

UPDATE

Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release below against Kimberly Dell Davidson-Drolet, Jaxson Davidson, Dallas Davidson, and Kristine Merrill, in this case was dismissed on December 9, 2024. 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging a noncustodial mother, her sister and others with kidnapping after allegedly taking a child from Utah to live at a religious compound in Missouri. 

According to court documents, Kimberly Dell Davidson-Drolet, 53, of Murray, Utah, had a warrant issued for her arrest on December 20, 2023, after she allegedly kidnapped her non-custodial child from Utah to Springfield, Missouri, in January 2023 through June 2024. Drolet was assisted in the kidnapping by her son Jaxson Davidson 30, of Washington, Utah; Dallas Davidson, 23, of Washington, Utah; and Kristine Merrill, 53, of Murray, Utah. All of whom are now in custody. 

According to the complaint, Drolet used the United States Postal Service, cellular and other electronic devices, including a burner flip phone, to conceal her and the child’s whereabouts. Additionally, Drolet went through great lengths to avoid apprehension and formed an elaborate plan to take the child out of Utah with help from J. Davidson, D. Davidson and Merrill.  

As alleged, Drolet and J. Davison left the state of Utah, and drove to Missouri, and Merrill assisted in their departure. After fleeing the state and ignoring the order of the court regarding custody of the child, Drolet remained at large for over a year, and hid the child away from her custodial father and law enforcement. According to the indictment, Drolet planned the kidnapping for 14 months. Throughout the kidnapping, Merrill, J. Davidson, and D. Davidson continued to hide Drolet and the child’s location from law enforcement. Prior to Drolet’s arrest, she was observed with the child who was located at a religious compound led by a religious cult leader, who is also related to Drolet.

Drolet, Jaxson Davidson, Dallas Davidson, and Merrill are charged with kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Merrill's initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for August 13, 2024, at 1:45 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.  Jaxson Davidson, and Dallas Davidson's initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled in Salt Lake City for August 20, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4. Drolet has yet to be scheduled. 

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

The case is being investigated jointly by the United States Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (VFAST), and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Murray City Police Department. 

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. 
 

*Court appearances updated 8/15/24

Attachments: 

Salt Lake City, Utah – The lead defendant in a firearms trafficking case was sentenced to 67 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, and the forfeiture of multiple firearms. 

Leslie Eugene Gittoes, 53, of Ontario, California, also known as “Big Craze,” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge David Sam, after he pleaded guilty in February 2024 to conspiracy to travel interstate with intent to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, from September 2020 to August 2021, Gittoes and his coconspirators, who have been sentenced or awaiting sentencing, intentionally agreed to violate federal firearms laws by conspiring to travel interstate from Utah to California with the intent to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license.  Gittoes admitted he provided monetary compensation to Israel Luis Gonzalez, 60, of Roy, Utah, Emmette James Kibodeaux, 48, of Clearfield, Utah, and Taiesha Ann Kibodeaux, 40, of Clearfield, Utah, in exchange for firearms. Gittoes further admitted that the conspiracy involved 25 to 99 firearms. 

According to court documents, the case was initiated after a 2021 shooting between rival gangs in Ontario, California. The investigation revealed that firearms were transferred from purchasers in Utah to restricted persons, including gang members in the Los Angeles and San Bernadino, California areas. Several firearms were recovered in California and one of the involved firearms was utilized in a gang-related shooting which resulted in death. 

Taiesha Ann Kibodeaux and Emmette James Kibodeaux were sentenced in March 2024. The court sentenced Taiesha to 60 months’ probation and Emmette was sentenced to 52 months’ imprisonment. Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced September 9, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.3 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 

The case was investigated by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Riverside Field Office with assistance from the Salt Lake City Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Victoria K. McFarland and Samuel S. 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 – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is proud to announce we have teamed up with local law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events throughout the community. 

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our communities safer, more caring places to live. Throughout the country, millions of people take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities beginning on the first Tuesday of August. As part of the community, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be at a variety of National Night Out events from August to October. The first event kicks off August 5th at the Murray City Annual Safety Fair and August 6th at Draper City’s “Draper Safety Days.” See full list of events below. 

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is grateful for the opportunity to strengthen our existing partnerships with law enforcement and to interact with the community in which we serve,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “We are looking forward to these events, hearing from the community and sharing information about our office.”

Events: 

1. Murray City Annual Safety Fair
Monday, August 5, 2024, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Murray Park (296 East Murray Park Avenue, Main Parking Lot near Pavilion #5)

2. Draper Safety Days
Tuesday, August 6, 2024, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Draper Park (12500 South 1300 East)

3. North Salt Lake Police Department National Night Out Against Crime
Thursday, August 8, 2024, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Foxboro North Regional Park (1120 West 1100 North)

4. Ogden’s Night Out Against Crime
Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
West Ogden Park (751 West 24th Street)

5. Woods Cross Police Night Out Against Crime
Thursday, August 22, 2024, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
1555 South 800 West, Woods Cross, UT 84087

6. Syracuse City Public Safety Jamboree
Thursday, October 3, 2024, Time TBA
Syracuse Fire Department (1869 South 3000 West, Syracuse, UT 84075)

National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.

Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe. For more information, visit https://natw.org

UPDATE

Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release against Eric Nicholas Gapco in this case was dismissed on May 5, 2026.

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging an alleged unruly passenger onboard an American Airlines flight after engaging in disruptive and life-threatening behavior, including attempting to open the aircraft exterior doors mid-flight.  

According to court documents, Eric Nicholas Gapco, 26, of Delanco, New Jersey, a passenger onboard American Airlines flight #2101, assaulted and intimidated a flight attendant and aircraft crew members on July 18, 2024. As a result of Gapco’s alleged unruly behavior, the flight, which originated from Seattle, Washington, and was en route to Dallas, Texas, was diverted to Salt Lake City International Airport. As alleged in the complaint and detention memo, Gapco failed to follow instructions to remain in his seat, propositioned a flight attendant for sex, was repeatedly loud, vaped, bothered other passengers, locked himself in the lavatory, and attempted to open the aircraft exterior doors multiple times while the aircraft was in flight. As a result, Gapco was restrained by flight crew members and other passengers with flexible restraints to his feet and hands during the flight. Upon landing he was arrested by law enforcement at Salt Lake City International Airport. 

Gapco is charged with interference with a flight crew, and attempted damage to an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. His initial appearance on the indictment is August 1, 2024, at 1:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the 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 jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and Salt Lake City Police Department. 

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. 

Attachments:

UPDATE

Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release below against Bryan Guadalupe Diaz-Lopez, in this case was dismissed on December 18, 2024. 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a foreign national living in Utah with drug crimes after law enforcement seized 20,000 fentanyl pills during an undercover operation, which also led to the seizure of methamphetamine, heroin and additional fentanyl pills. 

According to court documents, Bryan Guadalupe Diaz-Lopez, 21, of West Valley City, Utah, was arrested on July 19, 2024, after he attempted to sell 20,000 fentanyl pills to a confidential informant during a controlled purchase in the parking lot of a Taylorsville liquor store. During the investigation, agents from Homeland Security Investigations and task force officers from the Utah State Bureau of Investigations conducted surveillance at the liquor store when a silver KIA Optima drove through the parking lot and parked near an undercover vehicle. The driver of the KIA Optima was later identified as Diaz-Lopez. Law enforcement seized a black duffle bag with four-gallon plastic baggies that contained approximately 3.83 kilograms of suspected fentanyl pills from Diaz-Lopez’s vehicle. As alleged, agents also seized several thousand additional suspected fentanyl pills from a hotel room associated with Diaz-Lopez. In total, between the KIA Optima and the hotel room, law enforcement seized 23 kilograms of field tested and confirmed fentanyl pills. Agents also seized over 500 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 34 grams of suspected heroin, and 76 grams of suspected cocaine. 

Diaz-Lopez is charged possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is August 2, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the 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 jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Utah State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). 

Assistant United States Attorney Cameron P. Warner 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 – A United States District Court Judge sentenced a Utah County man Monday, who posed as a fake doctor, to three years’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release after he scammed consumers looking to heal a variety of ailments, including Coronavirus. 

In March, on the second day of trial, Gordon Hunter Pedersen, 64, of Cedar Hills, Utah, pleaded guilty to committing mail fraud and introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead. 

According to court documents, and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Pedersen posed as a practicing medical doctor, lied about his credentials, and exaggerated the palliative abilities of his consumer products containing silver to make money. Between 2012 and 2020, Pedersen orchestrated and executed an expansive scheme to sell his silver products under the pretense that they were a suitable and effective remedy for various illnesses and ailments including influenza, diabetes, arthritis, pneumonia, and the novel Coronavirus. His fraudulent salesmanship generated thousands of dollars and his sales skyrocketed in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and before approved vaccines were available. Mr. Pedersen distributed his Silver Products through his company My Doctor Suggests, LLC (MDS), where he was 25% owner and the company spokesman and primary marketer. In total, the known revenue of My Doctor Suggests related to this scheme is estimated around $6,110,473.

In addition, Pedersen committed mail fraud by using the United States Postal Service to deliver his silver products in furtherance and in execution of the scheme and his intent to defraud the consumer. His silver products included silver lozenges, silver probiotics, silver soap, silver mouthwash and silver gel. 

“Mr. Pedersen defrauded consumers for years by lying about his credentials and the products he sold. His years of deliberate misrepresentations resulted in financial harm to consumers who trusted in his claims, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Pedersen profited off citizens during a vulnerable time then fled from law enforcement for three years to avoid prosecution. My office remains committed to prosecuting financial fraud and seeking justice for victims.”

“Mr. Pedersen was a modern day snake oil salesman, exploiting vulnerable people, especially during the pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “His sentencing reflects the dedicated work of the FBI and our partners in rooting out fraud and ensuring the community’s safety.”

“The FDA continues to work with its law enforcement partners to protect the public health by identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those who attempted to profit from the pandemic by offering and distributing fraudulent products claiming to treat or cure COVID-19,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “Americans expect and deserve treatments that are safe, effective and meet appropriate standards, and the agency will continue to bring to justice those who place profits above the public health.”

The case was investigated jointly by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigation (FDA-OCI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Salt Lake City Field Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Valuable assistance was also provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob J. Strain and Brian Williams from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Speare Hodges and Sarah Williams from the Department of Justice, Civil Division’ Consumer Protection Branch. James Smith from FDA’s Office of Chief Council also assisted.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

Attachments:

Salt Lake City, Utah – Joe Robert Rael, 55, of Salt Lake City was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, and a term of 60 months’ supervised release for engaging in a conspiracy to traffic narcotics and launder money. 

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., took place on July 18, 2024, after Rael, who also goes by the alias “Jojo,” pleaded guilty February 9, 2023, following a 34-count indictment that involved over 25 defendants in 2021. See prior release here.  

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, from May 2020 to May 2021, Rael and his 26 co-defendants engaged in a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and launder money. During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Rael was a main supplier of heroin and methamphetamine in the District of Utah. Agents further learned Rael had several sources of supply for narcotics, including co-defendants. The investigation also revealed some of the narcotics were obtained directly from the Mexican Drug Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG). Once Rael obtained the heroin and methamphetamine from his sources, he distributed the narcotics to several other co-conspirators. The investigation demonstrated a clear link between street gangs in Utah and Mexican Drug Cartels trafficking narcotics in the United States.

During the investigation, agents estimated more than 420 pounds of methamphetamine and 50 pounds of heroin flowed through the drug trafficking conspiracy in a one-year time period.  For example, in February 2021, agents demonstrated that Rael received more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine and about two pounds of heroin within a few days.

Rael is the 23rd defendant out of 26 defendants to be sentenced. So far, sentences have ranged from 24 months to 192 months’ imprisonment. 

“Mr. Rael is a career offender. He has been convicted in both state and federal court for trafficking methamphetamine and heroin, causing substantial harm within our community,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Protecting our citizens is one of our top priorities. Taking Mr. Rael off the streets and dismantling the operation he and his coconspirators participated in furthers this priority. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who choose to distribute poison in our communities.”

“The sentencing of Rael is an important milestone in DEA’s focus on targeting the most prolific drug trafficking organizations distributing poison in our communities. This DEA investigation, like many others that are on-going, was a collaborative effort with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Utah. Together, our investigators will continue to work tirelessly to dismantle these drug trafficking networks and to protect Utah’s communities,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen.

"ATF, DEA, and our local law enforcement partners have concentrated our resources on disrupting the Norteño gang pipeline responsible for delivering deadly drugs into our communities," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. "The illegal trafficking of drugs tends to run hand-in-hand with the illegal possession of firearms and contributes to deadly gun violence. We hope this 20-year federal prison sentence serves as a strong deterrent to those who contemplate perpetuating violent crime in our communities.”

“The Metro Gang Unit works hand in hand with our federal partners to reduce the narcotics and violence in our community. This case is another example of the success of that partnership,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “We are grateful for the collaboration and diligent work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in seeing this case through.”

“At IRS Criminal Investigation, we are very proud to have worked together with our many skilled law enforcement partners and bring justice in this case and protection for the community,” said IRS:CI Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick. “These criminal enterprises only operate because of the significant financial benefits to the participants. We at the IRS specialize in tracing these finances to disrupt those benefits. In working with our partners at the DEA, ATF, and locally we can each use our expertise to dismantle these conspiracies from every angle and hopefully bring security to Utah communities.”

The case was investigated jointly by The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Metro Gang Unit (MGU).

Assistant United States Attorney Stewart M. Young 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 https://www.justice.gov/psn.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf. 

Attachments: 

Salt Lake City, Utah – Clinton Chukudi Uchendu, 26, of Dunwoody, GA, was sentenced to over two years imprisonment, and ordered to pay $170,000 in restitution after he helped scam hundreds of romance fraud victims out of millions of dollars and personally moved $299,000. The sentence was imposed Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Jill N. Parrish. 

In March 2024, a federal jury convicted Uchendu for his involvement in a romance scam conspiracy that cost victims more than $2 million. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering, mail fraud, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from February 2018 to July 2018, Uchendu provided U.S. based accounts to collect money from victims. Uchendu moved the funds to conceal the origin and destination of funds, often in a complex manner. The object of the conspiracy was accomplished though social manipulators, referred to as “Yahoo Boys,” who set up fake profiles online, developed relationships with their victims, gained the victims trust and then asked the victims for money using a variety of false pretenses. “Yahoo Boys” usually operate overseas, in this case, Nigeria, pretending to be United States soldiers, international businessmen, or celebrities. “Yahoo Boys” rely on their coconspirators in the United States, who have U.S. bank accounts to assist them. These individuals are referred to as “pickers.” As a “picker,” Uchendu provided accounts to collect funds from the victims and to add layers to conceal the source and destination of the funds, to avoid being flagged by banks. Uchendu collected money into bank accounts and then laundered the funds to Nigeria or other destinations. For the time period March 13, 2018 through July 31, 2018, the United States has calculated that the whole group caused $2.4 million in losses to victims.

Uchendu’s co-defendant, Princess Eziyi, is scheduled to be sentenced August 26, 2024, at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 

“Uchendu caused profound and permanent harm to victims. Many suffered significant financial loss in their final years of life and are faced with emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “My office is committed to protecting our citizens, and with our law enforcement partners, we will prosecute these crimes to seek justice for the victims and deter others from committing fraud.” 

“Scammers operating under the guise of companionship and romance are especially cruel because of the emotional and financial toll on the victims, many of whom are seniors,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI is committed to holding perpetrators accountable, in addition to conducting prevention efforts through outreach and education."

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

Assistant United States Attorneys Carl D. LeSueur and Stewart M. Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A U.S. District Court Judge sentenced the final defendant today in a crime that involved a Utah licensed big game outfitter and his employee/cougar hunting guide in the District of Utah. The two defendants were sentenced separately for their involvement in a crime that defrauded hunters by leading canned hunts for commercial gain, in violation of the Lacey Act. 

Wade Lemon, 63, of Holden, Utah, was sentenced July 18, 2024, to two months’ imprisonment, ordered by the court to pay a $10,500 fine, and a one-year commercial ban on federal land. According to court documents, and statements made during his change of plea hearing, Lemon admitted to illegally participating in “canned” mountain lion hunts on January 24, 2021 and December 15, 2020 on Federal BLM and National Forest Service land. Utah law prohibits “canned hunts” of mountain lions. A canned hunt means that a cougar is treed, cornered, held at bay or its ability to escape is otherwise restricted to allow a person who was not a member of the initial hunting party to arrive and take the cougar. The federal Lacey Act prohibits selling in interstate commerce any wildlife taken or sold in violation of state law. The Lacey Act defines the “sale” of wildlife to include providing guiding or outfitting services. 

Lemon owns and operates Wade Lemon Hunting based in Holden, Utah. Lemon advertises his business on his website and boasts nearly 100% success rates yearly. However, Lemon has cheated in illegal canned cougar hunts and has defrauded hunters.  

Kacey Alan Yardley, 47, of Enoch, Utah, was sentenced July 22, 2024, to six months’ bench probation, after he pleaded guilty to his involvement in an illegal canned cougar hunt with Lemon. As part of his probationary terms, Yardley is banned from federal land for commercial purposes. According to court documents, and statements made at his change of plea hearing, Yardley worked for Lemon as a cougar hunting guide and houndsman. On December 15, 2020, while on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, Yardley admitted that during a canned hunt, a cougar was held at bay and its ability to escape was otherwise restricted to allow a hunter who was not a member of the initial hunting party to arrive and attempt to take the cougar.

“This is a unique and important case because hunting is an important part of Utah’s culture,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Canned hunts are illegal because they create an unfair advantage and can lead to inhumane treatment of the animals. It is also unfair to hunters who paid thousands of dollars for a guide and had no idea that they were participating in a canned hunt. My office and our law enforcement partners take these crimes seriously because they negatively impact our state and the hunting community.”

“The Forest Service issues special use permits to many outfitters and guides who provide a valuable service to the public. This case was important to help ensure the legitimacy of permitted services,” said Fishlake Forest Supervisor Mike Elson. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service and the Utah Attorney General’s Office. 

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – Melissa Lynn Trotter, 25, of Sandy, Utah was sentenced today to 15 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,952.67 in restitution after she assaulted federal officers with her car in February 2024. 

The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow for the District of Utah. In May 2024, Trotter admitted to assaulting federal officers with a deadly weapon. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, on February 7, 2024, Trotter violently assaulted several members of the United States Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (VFAST) with her vehicle outside a CVS in West Valley City. Members of VFAST identified themselves as law enforcement and were attempting to arrest Trotter’s fugitive boyfriend when she reversed her vehicle and rammed into a federal officer’s vehicle where Deputy United States Marshals were standing. Trotter than drove over a parking barrier, hitting the CVS building, and drove on a pedestrian sidewalk outside the store and violently rammed another federal officer’s vehicle while attempting to escape from law enforcement. See prior press release here.  

“Trotter’s criminal actions were reckless and dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “My office is committed to doing everything we can to protect law enforcement while they work to protect our communities.” 

“Unfortunately, when pursuing individuals who are wanted and have violent criminal records, incidents like this are all too common,” said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Nick Chournos for the District of Utah. “The United States Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (VFAST) along with state and local partners are committed to protecting our communities.” 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Assistant United States Attorney Kevin L. Sundwall 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 https://www.justice.gov/psn.
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – Jordan Alan Neves Brewer, 37, of Ogden, Utah, was sentenced today to 10 years’ imprisonment, a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution after he admitted to possessing child pornography in 2023. 

The sentence was imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups after Brewer admitted in February 2024 that he possessed child pornography while on supervised release for a prior 2012 federal conviction of the same conduct. Brewer also has a state conviction for possession of child pornography. He was released from his state sentence in 2019 and completed sex offender treatment in 2021. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, on March 30, 2023, a United States Probation Officer conducted a home inspection at Brewer’s residence and found unapproved electronic devices. A forensic search of Brewer’s laptop revealed child pornography involving prepubescent children. 

The case was investigated jointly by the United States Probation Office and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. 

Assistant United States 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 – During a two-day trial, a federal jury convicted a Weber County man today with firearm and drug crimes, including drug trafficking in the District of Utah. 

According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Marc Allen Davis, 52, of Ogden, Utah, is a twice convicted felon restricted from possessing firearms or ammunition. On March 13, 2021, Davis was pulled over by law enforcement after committing several traffic violations in Roy, Utah. During the traffic stop, law enforcement found that Davis possessed a loaded firearm, over 500 grams of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute, and a taser. 

Sentencing will take place before U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr. at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City on a date yet to be scheduled.

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

The case is being investigated jointly by the Roy City Police Department and the Weber Morgan Narcotics Strike Force. 

Special Assistant United States Attorney Branden Miles and Assistant United States Attorney Maria Mooers-Putzer 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 – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a convicted felon with gun and drug crimes. The charges come a month and a half after the defendant allegedly committed a drive-by shooting in Salt Lake County, Utah, and fled from police the following day. 

According to court documents, Cody Charles Burningham, 30, of Salt Lake City, is accused of committing a drive-by shooting on June 3, 2024, in Millcreek, Utah. The next day, multiple law enforcement agencies witnessed Burningham driving a vehicle in Kearns, Utah. Detectives attempted to stop Burningham, but he fled, driving through residential areas at a high rate of speed. After detectives were able to spike the tires of the vehicle, he took off on foot. Burningham was taken into custody without incident. Shortly after the chase, a loaded HS Produkt XD45 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol was recovered. 

According to the complaint, prior to June 4, 2024, Burningham was convicted by the Utah Third District Court for multiple crimes including possession of a firearm by a restricted person. 

Burningham is charged with felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of Alpha PHP (bath salts) with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is July 18, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the 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 a West Valley City Police Detective and a Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). 

Assistant United States Attorney Cameron P. Warner 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 Utah businessman was sentenced in federal court today for the second time this year after he admitted to defrauding hundreds of trusting investors throughout the United States out of $10 million in his smartphone company, SAYGUS. 

Chad Leon Sayers, 60, of Midvale, Utah, was sentenced to 29 months’ imprisonment, 15 of which were ordered to run consecutively to his existing sentence of 41 months’ imprisonment, which was imposed in a separate wire fraud case, for a total of 56 months. See prior release here. The sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Sam also includes 12 months’ supervised release, and ordered to pay $10,250,834.53 in restitution and a forfeiture money judgement in the same amount. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, from 2006 to 2020, Sayers defrauded approximately 300 investors out of $10 million by lying about SAYGUS being on the brink of a multi-billion-dollar pay-out. Sayers claimed to investors he was developing a smartphone called the “V” phone and then later the “V-Squared.” He claimed that a well-known wireless company agreed with SAYGUS to sell and support its phones. Additionally, Sayers told investors that they were capable of receiving 100 times their original investment and that funds would go toward the research, design, and manufacturing of the new smartphone, when in fact no cell phones were being manufactured. Sayers also claimed that SAYGUS was only raising funds through a stock offering to accredited investors, when in fact it was not. 

For over a decade, Sayers spent investment funds on various expenses, including personal loans; personal credit card bills; personal rent; personal legal fees; personal BMW car payments; office rent, ponzi-like “note repayments;” investor lawsuit settlements; legal fees and $144,773 on shopping, entertainment, food and personal care. 

To support his fraudulent scheme and create the impression of a successful consumer product technology company, Sayers rented office space for SAYGUS, and occupied approximately 25,990 square feet (3 floors) for approximately 10 employees.  Additionally, on 26 different occasions, Sayers tweeted that the smartphone would be launching or available by a certain date, when in fact it never launched. Sayers even sent out newsletters to investors, updating them on developments. 

U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of 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. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Hackford-Peer, Jacob J. Strain and Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko Jepson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a dual citizen, living in Pennsylvania, who traveled to Salt Lake City for the purpose of paying for and obtaining tourist visas to promote the illegal smuggling of foreign nationals into the United States. 

According to court documents, Sivarupan Sivaramalingam, 43, of Malvern, PA, was arrested on June 20, 2024, following a criminal investigation into a human smuggling organization. Working in an undercover capacity, an agent with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations was introduced to Sivaramalingam. Sivaramalingam believed that the undercover agent could provide means of entry into the United States for foreign nationals. Communicating through a mobile application used for instant messaging and voice-over-IP service, Sivaramalingam told the undercover agent he would pay approximately $12,500 U.S dollars, per foreign national, for an entry visa or some other valid document to enter the United States. 

On April 8, 2024, Sivaramalingam traveled to Salt Lake City to meet the undercover agent and further discuss the illegal services mentioned for foreign nationals. Sivaramalingam provided the undercover agent hard copies of five Sri Lankan nationals’ passports and asked the agent to process the foreign nationals to obtain entry into the United States. During the meeting, Sivaramalingam and the undercover agent agreed to an initial down payment for the services in the amount of approximately $5,000 to start the process. On April 18, 2024, Sivaramalingam sent a picture of a bank receipt for $5,000 to the undercover agent via the phone app. The next day, the undercover agent received and confirmed that the $5,000 bank transfer was successfully deposited into his account. During May and June, communication continued between Sivaramalingam and the undercover agent and the undercover agent notified Sivaramalingam that he had acquired B1/B2 tourist visas for all five Sri Lankan nationals. B1/B2 tourist visas are not actually valid entry documents, nor authorized, for travel or entry into the U.S. 

On June 20, 2024, Sivaramalingam and the undercover agent met again in Salt Lake City for Sivaramalingam to receive the tourist visas and pay another $6,000 for the undercover agent’s services. It was agreed the rest would be paid upon successful entry of the foreign nationals into the U.S. During the exchange, the undercover agent told Sivaramalingam that the process of getting the visas was not legal or legitimate.  

As alleged in the complaint, the human smuggling organization is believed to be based in the United States, but is smuggling foreign nationals into the U.S. from all over the world, namely India and Sri Lanka. 

Sivaramalingam is charged with Alien smuggling, and human trafficking with respect to involuntary servitude and forced labor. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for July 12, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the 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 jointly by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Oparations (ERO), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Assistant United States Attorney Carlos Esqueda 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.