District of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah – Timothy Andrew Nemeckay, 64, of Park City, Utah, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment, and 24 months supervised release. In September 2023, Nemeckay admitted to wire fraud, which involved misappropriating approximately $1.7 million from investors investing in the development of a brewery and restaurant in Utah and California. 

Nemeckay’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow, who also ordered Nemeckay to pay $1,705,778.00 in restitution, and the forfeiture of $308,893.53 in proceeds from the sale of his home in Park City. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, from early 2013 to 2020, Nemeckay lied to investors that Mine Shaft Brewing was raising funds to develop a brewery and restaurant in Park City and later in Santa Clarita, California. Nemeckay was the founder and manager of Mine Shaft Brewing. He lied to investors about what he would do with their money, and he concealed information about his background, including the fact that he was banned from raising securities statewide by the Utah State Securities Division. 

Between 2014 and 2019, Nemeckay misappropriated approximately $1.7 million from 100 investors by comingling funds into his personal and business-related accounts. For example, he used investor money to pay himself, previous securities violations, personal bills and utilities, personal mortgage payments, luxury items at Louis Vuitton and Christian Louboutin, concert tickets, swingers clubs, strip clubs, and vacations to Hawaii and Cancun, Mexico. 

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins made the announcement. 

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

Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Williams and Jacob Strain from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – Axel Castillo Hernandez, 20, of West Valley City, Utah, was sentenced yesterday to 24 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to participating in the burglary of two federal firearms licensees where he and his co-conspirator rammed a vehicle through the front doors of Xtreme Pawn and 1st Cash Pawn in 2022 and stole firearms. 

In addition to Hernandez’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell ordered he serve a term of three years’ supervised release and pay a fine of $250,000.  The sentencing comes nearly a year after Hernandez’s co-defendant, Angel Jovanny Gonzalez-Luna, 21, plead guilty and was sentenced in August 2023. 

According to court documents and statements made at Hernandez’s change of plea hearing in March 2024, Hernandez and his co-defendant, Luna, smashed stolen vehicles through the front of Xtreme Pawn and 1st Cash Pawn in August 2022 and September 2022. As a result, the owners’ vehicles and business owners’ property suffered extensive damage. During the burglaries, Hernandez and Luna stole approximately 30 firearms. According to ATF, one of the stolen firearms was recovered in December 2022 and later forensically linked to a homicide. There is no evidence showing that Hernandez was responsible for, or in any way participated in that homicide; rather, it shows Hernandez and Luna sold or otherwise disposed of the stolen firearms without regard for how they would be used. In October 2023, Hernandez, who was a fugitive for over a year, was arrested, but not without first fleeing from law enforcement by vehicle and on foot. 

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins made the announcement. 

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

An Assistant United States Attorney from 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 – Melvin Roy Hunter, 71, of Salt Lake County, was ordered  by the court to 14 months’ home detention as part of a 40 months’ probation sentence, and ordered to pay $105,301.30 in restitution. 

The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart after Hunter admitted to wire fraud in April 2024. Hunter fraudulently received government benefits from the Social Security Administration, and other government agencies, by assuming the identity of a deceased individual from September 2015 to September 2023.  

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Hunter, who is approximately the same age as the deceased, obtained the deceased’s birth certificate, Social Security number, and other personally identifiable information, and falsely obtained a Utah driver’s license in the name of the deceased. Hunter then used this assumed identity to fraudulently open a Wells Fargo checking account and obtain money from the United States. 

Hunter fraudulently received funds from the United States Social Security Administration, the United States Medicare and Medicaid programs, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the United States Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), and funding for the federal Corona Virus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

The case was investigated by the United States Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the Utah Department of Workforce Services; and the State Bureau of Investigation. 

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A second U.S. Army Reservist from Utah’s 76th Operational Response Command was indicted July 3, 2024, by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for military pay fraud that occurred at Fort Douglas, Utah, during the coronavirus pandemic.  

According to court documents, Captain Jean Philippe Martial, 48, of Midvale, Utah, defrauded the United States out of more than $140,000 in unearned military pay entitlements from June 2019 to September 2021. Last month, Colonel Reece Roberts, formerly of Utah’s 76th Operational Response Command, pled guilty to filing a fraudulent claim against the United States, conspiring to defraud the United States, and other federal crimes. See former press release. 

These announcements come as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ongoing efforts with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service to resolve cases of military pay fraud and corruption that occurred at Fort Douglas during the coronavirus pandemic. 

According to court documents, both defendants misrepresented their residences to qualify for additional pay entitlements, fabricated lease agreements, falsified rent payments, and submitted over a dozen false vouchers to military officials. Charging documents further allege these misrepresentations allowed the defendants to receive family separation allowances, reimbursement for lodging expenses, and other entitlements that were not available to local servicemembers.

Roberts is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.1 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.  Martial’s initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled on July 31, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. 

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating these cases. 

Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting these cases. 

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 returned an indictment today charging a foreign national living in Utah with drug crimes after she was arrested and accused of distributing methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, through a drug trafficking organization, in the District of Utah. 

According to court documents, Leonilde Andrea Lopez Vargas, 35, of Midvale, Utah, was arrested in June 2024 following a criminal investigation that started in November 2023 by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. On June 18, 2024, agents seized approximately 2,813 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl that was estimated to be approximately 28,000 pills. Agents also seized approximately 1,648 grams of field-tested positive heroin, and approximately 1,182.5 grams of field-tested positive cocaine at Vargas’ residence in Midvale. In Vargas’ vehicle, agents seized approximately 478 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine. 

Prior to the June seizure, agents also seized approximately 502.88 grams of field-tested positive heroin, 1,892.11 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine, approximately 670.62 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl, and a digital scale from a storage unit believed to be connected to Vargas in West Valley City, Utah. 

Vargas is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Her initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for July 08, 2024, at 11:30 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 the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. 

Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen 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.

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. 

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – An indictment was unsealed and a foreign national living in Utah will remain in custody after he was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City this week. A U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered the defendant remain in custody pending trial after he was allegedly attempting to sell fentanyl and heroin in the District of Utah.  

According to court documents, Florentino Ramos-Salazar, 29, of West Valley City, Utah, became part of a DEA investigation in June 2024. During the investigation, agents attempted to stop a silver Jeep Cherokee that left a West Valley residence they were surveilling. The driver of the Jeep, later identified as Ramos-Salazar, allegedly initially attempted to evade agents in a parking lot before stopping. After searching the vehicle, agents seized 1,000 blue M-30 pills inside the Jeep. Following Ramos-Salazar’s arrest, agents executed a search warrant for a West Valley residence and seized approximately 958.5 grams of heroin, which field tested positive. They also seized 4470 grams of fentanyl pills, which field tested positive for properties of fentanyl. 

Ramos-Salazar is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment was June 27, 2024, at the 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 United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Holtan 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.

OCDETF
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. 

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 – Jaclyn Allred, 38, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced Monday to 18 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay $5,735.19 in restitution. The sentence comes after Allred admitted to stealing an Amazon delivery truck loaded with parcels in 2021.

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Allred pleaded guilty in January 2024 to theft of interstate shipments. 

On November 15, 2021, Allred, aka “Giggles,” stole an Amazon delivery truck loaded with packages in an apartment complex in Taylorsville, Utah. The estimated value of the packages for delivery exceeded $1,000. Allred admitted that while the Amazon driver was delivering a package to an apartment, she unlawfully entered the van and drove off. At a church parking lot, Allred removed the packages and distributed them to others, therefore depriving the rightful owners of their parcels. 

Allred is one of five defendants charged in 2022. Akanesi Tongia was sentenced to three years of supervised release in August 2023. Sentencing for Teofilo Franki Quintana is scheduled for August 2024. Catrina Cascarejo is scheduled for trial in December 2024 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Charges against Anetone Simanu were dismissed after the defendant died in September 2023. Simanu was not in custody at the time of death. 

The case was investigated jointly by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Taylorsville Police Department. 

An Assistant United States Attorney from 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 – Robert James Waff, 50, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced today to a year and a half imprisonment, three years’ supervised release and ordered by the court to pay $114,066 in restitution. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell, comes after Waff admitted to devising a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department by unlawfully collecting unemployment benefits during COVID-19. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Waff pleaded guilty in March 2024 to aiding and abetting wire fraud. 

From June 2020 to September 2020, Waff devised and attempted to execute a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department (EDD) by applying for unemployment benefits that were funded by the CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Waff assisted three coconspirators in committing the same acts for a share of their unemployment insurance funds. For example, on one occasion Waff submitted an online application for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits through the (EDD) website, while he was a resident of Clearfield, Utah. Waff listed his residence and mailing address as Fair Oaks, CA. Waff also claimed he had lost employment due to COVID-19 and that before losing employment his annual income was $44,000, and that he planned to return to work for his previous employer. Waff’s fraudulent California EDD application and continued renewal of his California EDD benefits resulted in Waff receiving over $36,000 in fraudulent payments. 

In total, by helping others commit the same fraudulent filings, the actual loss resulting from fraudulent UI benefit claims exceeded $100,000.
 
“Mr. Waff stole money intended for citizens who were honestly unemployed and hurting during COVID-19,” said United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “His repeated behavior in aiding others to commit the same crime took more money away from people who needed help during the pandemic. My office will prosecute people who defraud the government and taxpayers.”

“Mr. Waff tried to cash in on the Covid-19 pandemic and stole money from those who legitimately needed it,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The pandemic may be over, but the FBI will continue to investigate those who willfully defraud federal government programs for personal gain.”

“Robert Waff stole from our nation’s unemployment insurance (UI) system by fraudulently filing for UI benefits in his name and the names of others who were not entitled to such benefits. He took advantage of the UI system at a time when so many deserving American workers were suffering from pandemic-related economic challenges.  The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General remains committed to combatting UI fraud. Our efforts to hold individuals accountable for their fraudulent schemes will continue. I would like to acknowledge the outstanding investigative work of the Salt Lake City FBI, the California Employment Development Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-OIG and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah in this collaborative investigative effort,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

The case is was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Division and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (OIG).

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

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 defendant in a financial crimes case appeared in federal court today following the return of an indictment by a federal grand jury in St. George after he and another defendant allegedly ran an unlicensed money transmitting business where bulk cash was converted into crypto currency. 

Last week, Brian Garry Sewell, 52 of Washington County, Utah and Puerto Rico, was arrested in Salt Lake City. Keen Lee Ellsworth, 57, of Toquerville, Utah, is scheduled to appear in court for his initial appearance on the indictment June 24, 2024. 

According to court documents, Sewell and Ellsworth participated in a scheme from March 2020 to September 2020 where they managed an unlicensed money transmitting business without registering it as required by law. Ellsworth used his entity, Ellsworth & Associates, to send more than $2.5 million to Sewell in dozens of transactions. Sewell then used his entity, Rockwell Capital Management, to convert the funds into cryptocurrency. Neither Ellsworth & Associates nor Rockwell Capital Management obtained a license to operate a money transmitting business. 

In addition, from June 2020 to May 2021, Sewell used Rockwell Capital Management to transfer over $2.6 million on behalf of a separate entity. Sewell received the funds via wire transfer and then converted the funds into cryptocurrency. 

In a separate case, Sewell also appeared in court today after he was indicted last week by a federal grand jury charging him with multiple federal crimes, including wire fraud, false statement in connection with loans, and money laundering (case # 4:24-cr-00055).

According to court documents, from December 2017 to April 2024, Sewell engaged in a scheme to obtain money from investors by lying about his experience, education, and ability to generate large returns. As a result, Sewell’s fraudulent behavior led to him obtaining at least $2.5 million. For example, Sewell falsely claimed to investors that he ran previous cryptocurrency funds that generated significant returns; that he received a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree from Stanford University; that he generated high returns with little risk of loss; and concealed from investors that he used Rockwell Capital Management as an unlicensed money transmitting business. 

As alleged in the indictment, in July 2020, Sewell fraudulently submitted a mortgage application to a mortgage lending company in connection with a federally insured home mortgage. He did so, for example, by submitting a fabricated W-2 that stated his 2019 wages were $180,000; submitting a fabricated earnings statement from Rockwell Capital Management that stated his 2020 wages were $15,000 per month; and stated he had 22 years of schooling, when in fact he had obtained a GED and did not complete college. 

Sewell is also accused of making false statement to Chartway Federal Credit Union to influence their approval on a loan application. For example, Sewell submitted a fabricated W-2 stating his 2019 and 2020 wages were $350,000 each year, and he stated in this application that his 2021 wages from Rockwell Capital Management were $175,000 through June 2021. 

Sewell and Ellsworth are both charged with conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business. Sewell is also charged with unlicensed money transmitting business, and theft of government property. Additionally, in case 4:24-cr-00055, Sewell is charged with wire fraud, false statements designed to influence the Federal Housing Administration or a mortgage lending business, false statements designed to influence a federally insured credit union, and money laundering – spending. 

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

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

The case is being investigated jointly the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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. 

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 –Porter R. Hamblin, 20, of South Salt Lake, Utah, pleaded guilty today to three counts of false odometer statements. Last week, Hamblin’s co-defendant, Austin Weilacher, 21, of South Salt Lake, also admitted to the same crimes that defrauded unsuspecting used car purchasers through odometer fraud. 

According to court documents, and statements made at the change of plea hearings, beginning in May 2023 to July 2023, Hamblin and Weilacher engaged in a fraudulent scheme to sell vehicles with broken or false odometers. Hamblin and Weilacher admitted they purchased higher mileage vehicles and then advertised the vehicles for sale on local websites, usually KSL.com. They also admitted they sometimes listed the vehicles with different Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) and/or with lower mileage. Hamblin and Weilacher would then sell the vehicles for an inflated price to consumers in the Salt Lake Valley. The purpose of the scheme was to receive inflated prices for the vehicles and then use the cash from the fraudulent sales to purchase other vehicles to sell to unsuspecting consumers, or to purchase high end vehicles for themselves. As a result of the scheme, Hamblin and Weilacher caused buyers of used vehicles to pay more for the vehicles than they would have paid if they had known the vehicles’ correct mileage readings. 

Hamblin is scheduled to be sentenced August 16, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.1 and Weilacher is scheduled to be sentenced August 29, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.1. 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 Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake (UPD). 

Assistant United States Attorney Stewart M. Young of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. 
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a foreign national living in Utah for drug crimes after he allegedly possessed over 38,000 grams of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute in the District of Utah. 

According to court documents, Fermin Castro-Tovar, 25, of West Valley City, Utah, sold illegal narcotics to an undercover agent during a controlled purchase. This controlled purchase from Castro-Tovar was one of several controlled purchases made by agents with the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, which received information that a drug trafficking organization was trafficking narcotics in the Salt Lake Valley. During the investigation, agents viewed video surveillance of Castro-Tovar accessing a storage unit in question days before agents seized approximately 24,020 grams of field-tested presumptively positive methamphetamine. Agents also seized approximately 3,401 grams of field-tested methamphetamine at Castro-Tovar’s residence. Additionally, agents seized approximately 11,417 grams of field-tested presumptively positive methamphetamine at an apartment.  

Castro-Tovar is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 14, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the 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 FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. 

Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen 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.

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.

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 dual citizen living in Utah was indicted by a federal grand jury today in Salt Lake City for federal drug crimes after FBI agents seized a variety of narcotics, including approximately 196,000 fentanyl pills. 

According to court documents, Francisco Jesus Bravo, 34, of West Valley City, Utah, became part of a criminal investigation in April 2024, by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force for allegedly intending to distribute large quantities of narcotics into Utah. As part of the investigation, in May 2024, agents seized approximately 19,802 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive fentanyl that is estimated to be approximately 190,000 pills and a digital scale from Bravo’s storage unit in West Valley City. 

Agents also seized approximately 2,968.5 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive methamphetamine; approximately 624.72 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive fentanyl that estimated to be approximately 6,000 pills; approximately 295.77 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive heroin; and a digital scale at Bravo’s residence in West Valley City. At a residence in Kearns, Utah, agents seized 860.28 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive heroin. As a result, Bravo was arrested. 

Bravo is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 13, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the 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 FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. 

Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen 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.

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.

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – A Davis County resident was indicted by a federal grand jury today for multiple financial crimes after he allegedly abused his position as a former IRS employee and attempted to steal more than $2 million in tax credits.

According to court documents, Rodney Quinn Rupe, 46, of Syracuse, Utah, devised a scheme from July 2021 to March 2024 to fraudulently obtain money from the IRS and Exxon Mobil Corporation (ExxonMobil) and divert the money for his personal use. As a former IRS account management employee, Rupe had access to certain taxpayer accounts and case processing tools in an IRS computer database where he had the ability to adjust tax, credits, penalties, and interest to certain taxpayer accounts.

As alleged, Rupe abused his access to an IRS database to divert tax credits owed to ExxonMobil to Ex Xo Exteriors Ltd., an entity created and controlled by Rupe. For example, in July 2021, Rupe accessed an IRS database to assign a newly created employer identification number (EIN) to Ex Xo Exteriors Ltd. After diverting the tax credits in the IRS database owed to ExxonMobil, Rupe then transferred the diverted tax funds from one tax year to another, which resulted in a refund in the form of a United States Treasury check in the amount of $2,100,377.38. The refund consisted of the diverted tax credits and interest owed to ExxonMobil. In January 2024, after receiving the refund, Rupe attempted to deposit the U.S. Treasury check at multiple America First Credit Union locations on several occasions. 

Rupe is charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, and theft of government property. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for July 3, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the 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 Internal Revenue Service Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). 

Assistant United States Attorney Stewart M. Young 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 foreign national living in Utah appeared in court Monday after he was indicted May 29, 2024, by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for multiple federal drug crimes involving methamphetamine and 10,000 fentanyl pills. 

According to court documents, Francisco Javier Quintero-Obeso, 21, of Magna, Utah, became part of a criminal investigation in December 2023 by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force for allegedly intending to distribute large quantities of narcotics into Utah. During the investigation, agents seized approximately 3,758.58 grams (package weight) of a field-tested positive methamphetamine mixture; approximately 1,072.81 grams (package weight) of a field-tested positive fentanyl mixture – which is estimated to be 10,000 pills; and $9,420 at Quintero-Obeso’s residence. As a result, he was arrested. 

Quintero-Obeso is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. A three day jury trial is scheduled for August 5, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 3.1 at the 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 FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. 

Assistant United States Attorney Bryant L. Watson 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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 Salt Lake City woman pleaded guilty to using the dark web to attempt to carry out a murder for hire in 2023 in the District of Utah. 

According to court documents, Krista Renae Stone, 23, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty May 30, 2024, by felony information to use of interstate commerce facilities in commission of murder-for-hire. Beginning in March 2023 and continuing through September 2023, Stone used the internet, specifically the dark web, with the intent to murder another person. 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, where the victim was located, and how she wanted the job done. 

Stone is scheduled to be sentenced July 15, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.3 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the 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.

Assistant United States Attorney Carol A. Dain 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.
 
    
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A United States Magistrate Judge ordered a Weber County resident to remain in custody following the alleged sell of fentanyl laced pills that led to the death of another person. On May 8, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the defendant. 

According to court documents, Cullin Anthony Bullen, 37, of Roy, Utah, was contacted on December 19, 2023, by the victim in a death resulting drug case. As alleged, the victim was purchased “roxies,” which is slang for Roxicodone prescription pills. Bullen purchased 25-30 pills from a third individual for $20 each. Bullen then sold the “roxies” to the victim for $25 per pill. On December 20, 2023, the victim was found dead. The medical examiner’s preliminary report determined the cause of the victim’s death was fentanyl intoxication. 

Bullen is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. His initial court appearance on the indictment was May 29, 2024, at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 

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

The case is being investigated jointly by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Tremonton City Police Department.  

Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan N. Holtan 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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 – Qwana McCook, 30 of White Mesa, Utah, was sentenced today to 15 years’ imprisonment, five years supervised release and ordered by the court to pay $250,000 in restitution. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Robert J. Shelby, comes after McCook admitted to stealing a truck from a victim, who had her 5-year-old daughter in the back seat, and later crashing the vehicle which ejected and killed the child. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, McCook pleaded guilty in March 2024 to robbery and first degree felony murder while on the White Mesa Indian Reservation.

On May 8, 2022, McCook unlawfully took a vehicle from the victim’s mother without her permission while on the White Mesa Indian Reservation. Despite pleas from the child’s mother and family members, McCook did not return the child home and instead purchased alcohol. As alleged, in court documents and by McCook’s passenger and co-defendant, McCook began drinking and driving. At the time of the crash, McCook was traveling well above the speed limit. As a result of the crash, the child was ejected from the truck and declared dead at the scene. 

“This case is a horrific reminder that carjackings threaten the lives of innocent victims. McCook’s senseless actions are reprehensible and caused the terrible death of a young girl,” said United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “My office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who use violence to destroy the safety of our communities.”  

“McCook’s extremely selfish decisions that day will forever impact a family who is left grieving the loss of their young daughter,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Although nothing will bring the child back, we hope the sentence will send a sobering message about the devastating consequences of drinking and driving.”

McCook’s co-defendant, Augustice Yellow, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and will be sentenced at a later date. 

The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Nation Patrol and Investigations and the Utah Highway Patrol.  

Assistant United States Attorney Thaddeus J. May of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

St. George, Utah – Stephanie Nicole Summers, 54, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced today to over three years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release and ordered by the court to pay $904,650 in restitution. The sentence, imposed by U.S. Senior District Court Judge David Nuffer, comes after Summers admitted to scamming victims in Southern Utah and across the United States. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, from May 2016 to February 2022, Summers fraudulently obtained $904,650 from over a dozen victims. Summers, acting on behalf of Diversified Trade Company, LLC and Summers Companies, Inc., along with other entities, promised customers she could help obtain financing for their business ventures, when in fact she could not. Summers instructed victims to send money to bank accounts she controlled and then spent the money on personal expenses by withdrawing it in cash, making transfers to other entities she controlled, and diverted it for other unrelated business expenses. Summers did not use the victims’ money for agreed-upon purposes. 

Summers also persuaded victims to invest in her companies by promising high returns, misrepresenting her credentials and how she intended to use investors’ money. For example, Summers claimed she was a successful international businesswoman who controlled over 20 entities in the United States, the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, and Panama, which she did not. Summers told victims her business, Summers Companies, Inc., successfully managed businesses in various industries, including real estate, hospitality, mining, oil and gas, technology, and mortgage finance. Summers also fraudulently claimed she could help secure financing for victims’ business ventures and represented she would use the victims’ money on their business ventures, when she did not. Summers told victims their investments were secure and were earning returns, when in fact they were not. In 2016, Summers defrauded victims in Southern Utah by falsely representing that she was an experienced and successful business owner who could secure millions of dollars in financing for their business adventure. 

“Ms. Summers defrauded Utah citizens and people across the country of nearly $1 million for her own personal benefit. She lied to the victims and abused their trust to take their hard-earned money,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Summers repeated criminal behavior shows a complete disrespect for the law and the people she victimized. My office will continue to prosecute these types of crimes to seek justice for victims and to protect Utah citizens from future financial fraud.” 

“Fraudsters like Summers are expert manipulators motivated by greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha. “The FBI will investigate those who defraud others for personal gain. We also remind the public that when presented with an investment opportunity or guaranteed a high rate of return, due diligence is key.”

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

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

Salt Lake City, Utah – A man and woman in Salt Lake County were indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City today for federal drug crimes after law enforcement seized approximately 11,435 grams of methamphetamine and 3,835 grams of heroin from a vehicle in which they were traveling.

According to court documents, Armida Viridiana Cayetano-Ruiz, 32, and Carlos Gerardo Brindas-Guzman, 30, both foreign nationals living in Salt Lake City, became part of a criminal investigation in April 2024 for allegedly distributing large quantities of narcotics into Utah. During the investigation, agents with the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force received information that Cayetano-Ruiz was a suspected multi-state drug trafficker. On May 11, 2024, agents stopped Cayetano-Ruiz and Brindas-Guzman in Juab County, Utah, for a traffic violation. During the stop, a K-9 Officer alerted to a positive indication of narcotics on the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement seized 11,435 grams (package weight) of field-tested- positive methamphetamine and 3,835 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive heroin. Cayetano-Ruiz and Brindas-Guzman were arrested. 

Cayetano-Ruiz and Brindas-Guzman are charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Their initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for May 30, 2024, at 9:15 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the 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 FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. 

Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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.

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 – After a two week trial, a federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict against two foreign nationals on all counts and returned a special verdict form requiring the forfeiture of $380,395.64 in cash.

On May 20, 2024, Oluwole Adegboruwa, 54, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Enrique Isong, 49, of Los Angeles, California, were found guilty of multiple federal crimes including conspiracies to distribute oxycodone and commit money laundering. During the conspiracies, Adegboruwa and Isong used the U.S. Mail and interstate commerce to commit their crimes, which generated more than $8 million in criminal proceeds. 

According to evidence presented at trial, from October 2016 through May 2019, Adegboruwa, sold more than 300,000 oxycodone pills to customers on dark web marketplaces, including Hansa, Dream Market, Wall Street Market, and Alphabay (which have since been dismantled by law enforcement). Customers paid Adegboruwa, who operated his vendor pages as “King Odua” and “Alagbada726,” with cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, which he later sold for traditional currency.

Adegboruwa testified at trial and admitted that he was the only one who had access to his vendor pages on the dark web markets to process orders from customers. He then directed others in Las Vegas and in Los Angeles to package and ship the pills around the United States.

Jurors convicted Adegboruwa under what is commonly referred to as the “kingpin statute” for organizing a continuing criminal enterprise and directing at least five others in the drug distribution conspiracy. 

At trial, the jury also heard testimony from co-defendants who have already pleaded guilty. They described the ways in which Adegboruwa directed them to sort, package, and ship oxycodone pills to minimized damage and detection. The jury also heard from a Utah customer who discussed the process of ordering from Adegboruwa’s dark web vendor pages and how the ordered products arrived at his home via U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail.

After the jury returned guilty verdicts against Adegboruwa and Isong on all counts, they returned a special verdict form on May 22, 2024, requiring Adegboruwa to forfeit $380,395.64 in cash, $15,500 in lieu of a 2017 Dodge Charger, and 26 money orders totaling $9,400. The jury also found that Adegboruwa had to forfeit cryptocurrency now valued at more than $15 million.

Adegboruwa and Isong are scheduled for sentencing in August 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. 

The case is being 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 are prosecuting the case. 

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.
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah commends the announcement of the Department of Justice’s new resource for prosecutors, “Framework for Prosecutors to Strengthen Our National Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Involving Adult Victims.”

The announcement was made Monday in Dallas, TX at the Conference on Crimes Against Women by Rosemarie Hidalgo, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).  The guide, written by prosecutors for prosecutors, sets out five principles that, if implemented, will lead to better outcomes for victims, safer communities, and greater accountability for perpetrators of sexual assault and domestic violence.

“The framework announced today reaffirms our commitment to expanding access to justice for all survivors, who deserve respect and the right to be heard,” said the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Director Rosie Hidalgo. “Enhancing the prosecution response to sexual assault and domestic violence in a trauma-informed manner is a key piece in ending gender-based violence, as part of a broader coordinated community response that includes services and support for survivors, and can have a real, immediate impact on the safety of survivors and entire communities.”

Declinations of meritorious allegations may result from misconceptions about how crimes involving sexual assault and domestic violence are committed and reported, how victims give their accounts, and the evidence required to prove their accounts. This guide equips prosecutors to build provable cases by: (1) relying on the evidentiary value of the victim’s account to frame the investigation; (2) meeting with victims and working with investigators and victim specialists to do so; (3) using the law and evidentiary rules effectively; (4) being thoughtful about what justice and accountability look like; and (5) sustaining a productive, healthy, and committed workforce by redefining success– all of which are rooted in a prosecutor’s primary obligation to seek the truth and uphold the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law.

More than 120 state, Tribal, military, and federal prosecutors, as well as advocates, academics, and investigators from an array of jurisdictions were consulted in developing this guide. This guide is designed to encourage prosecutors with all levels of experience to implement its principles when evaluating, investigating, and prosecuting allegations involving sexual assault and domestic violence. In conjunction with this guide, OVW launched a new webpage with resources designed to assist prosecutors in implementing the guide and its principles. This guide further serves as a complement to the Justice Department’s 2022 updated guidance on Improving Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence by Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias.

OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW funds national training and technical assistance and undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.

Salt Lake City, Utah – A foreign national living in Utah was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City today for multiple federal drug crimes after agents allegedly seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. 

According to court documents, Mauricio Hermosillo Becerra, 26, of Taylorsville, Utah, was stopped in a vehicle by members of the West Valley City Police Department and the Metro Narcotics Task Force on May 7, 2024, after leaving a residence under surveillance. As part of a larger investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the residence was under surveillance for alleged narcotics distribution in connection with a Las Vegas based drug trafficking organization.

As alleged in the complaint, during Hermosillo Becerra’s traffic stop, agents seized approximately three pounds of methamphetamine, several ounces of heroin and approximately 2,000 counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills from the vehicle. During the investigation, agents also seized 23 pounds of methamphetamine, 15,000 fentanyl pills, 2.7 pounds of heroin, and 239 grams of cocaine from Hermosillo Becerra’s residence in Taylorsville. All the narcotics field tested positive. 

Hermosillo Becerra is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for May 23, 2024, at 10:45 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 

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

The case is being investigated jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), West Valley City Police Department, and the Metro Narcotics Task Force (MNTF). 

Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelsy B. Young 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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 felon and foreign national living in Utah was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City today for federal drug and gun crimes.  

According to court documents, Rafael Maldonado-Solario, 46, of Salt Lake City, was under investigation by agents for allegedly distributing fentanyl in the Salt Lake Valley. On May 9, 2024, agents seized 2,290 grams of blue pills stamped M30 at Maldonado-Solario’s apartment in Salt Lake City. The pills were field tested and confirmed to contain fentanyl. Law enforcement also seized a Taurus CCP .380 handgun inside Maldonado’s apartment. As a previously convicted felon, Maldonado-Solario is restricted from possessing a firearm. 

Maldonado-Solario is charged with possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for May 23, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the 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), Utah State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO). 

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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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 convicted felon was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City today for multiple federal crimes after Salt Lake City Police detectives allegedly seized approximately 45 pounds of methamphetamine, 15,000 fentanyl pills, and two firearms from his home and from a storage unit associated with him.

According to court documents, on May 9, 2024, Anthony Owen Pawley, 65, of Murray, Utah, was stopped for a traffic violation by detectives assigned to the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team. During the traffic stop, a canine officer alerted to narcotics. While searching the vehicle, detectives found five pounds of suspected methamphetamine and several hundred blue pressed pills suspected to contain fentanyl. During the investigation, detectives also found approximately 40 pounds of field tested and confirmed methamphetamine and approximately 15,000 fentanyl pills, along with two firearms at his residence and at a storage unit in Murray associated with Pawley. 

SLCPD

Pawley is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and felon in possession of a firearm. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for May 24, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 

U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah and the Salt Lake City Police Department made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the Salt Lake City Police Department and 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

The Salt Lake City Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) is a specialized unit within the department tasked with combating violent crime by identifying and apprehending violent criminals and fugitives. Operating under the SLCPD’s Special Operations Division, VCAT collaborates closely with the Investigations Division, patrol divisions, and Data and Research divisions to pinpoint and enforce targeted measures in hot spot areas and regions experiencing a surge in violent crime. Established to address emerging violent crime trends and the activities of repeat violent offenders in Salt Lake City, VCAT coordinates efforts with detectives, the Salt Lake Information Center (SLIC), and the SLCPD’s Crime Intelligence and Analysis Unit (CIAU) to identify and apprehend violent offenders.

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, Utah – In honor of National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. The week is observed Saturday, May 11 through Friday, May 17, 2024. 

“As our country recognizes National Police Week, the Justice Department joins families and communities in remembering the members of the law enforcement community who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the public,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland.  “Policing is difficult and dangerous, yet time and time again, law enforcement officers answer the call, showing up for their communities when they are needed the most.  Their devotion to duty is matched only by that of their loved ones who make daily sacrifices to support them.  The Justice Department is committed to doing everything in our power to help provide our law enforcement partners with the resources they need to carry out their noble work on behalf of the public.”

 “This week in the District of Utah, family, friends and the community said their final goodbyes to Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser who was killed in the line of duty over one week ago. As we honor National Police Week, we recognize law enforcement who paid the ultimate sacrifice, like Sgt. Hooser, to serve and protect our communities at all costs. We thank all law enforcement for their dedication and commitment to public safety.”

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, U.S. Attorney Trina Higgins will recognize federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement with United States Attorney’s Awards for Law Enforcement for their dedicated work in seeking justice in federal cases prosecuted in the District of Utah. 

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.

Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe. 

On Monday, May 13, the names of more than 280 officers killed in the line of duty in 2024 who have been added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial were read during a Candlelight Vigil. To view a recording of the livestream of this event, visit https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2024/candlelight-vigil/. 

To learn more about National Police Week and the virtual candlelight vigil, please visit www.policeweek.org. 
 

ST.GEORGE, Utah – Bradford, Leland Fishback, 40, of St. George was sentenced today to over two years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release and ordered by the court to pay $685,845.05 in restitution. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Robert J. Shelby, comes after Fishback admitted to fraudulently obtaining government funds from programs intended to help employees and small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Fishback pled guilty in September 2023 to wire fraud, money laundering, and false claims.  

Fishback admitted that from 2020 to 2022, he devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money by fraudulently submitting requests for Employee Retention Tax Credits, by filing 22 Forms 941s with the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of his four businesses: Circle CPA; Fishback Tax; Snowflake Shavery; and World Horizons Outreach. As a result of his fraudulent filings, Fishback received $482,058.46 from the IRS. 

Additionally, Fishback fraudulently submitted at least seven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to the Small Business Administration on behalf of his four businesses. Fishback’s false statements about the entities’ number of employees, wages paid, gross receipts, and profit and loss resulted in him receiving $77,629 in PPP loans. 

Fishback also admitted to submitting at least five applications for Economic Injury Disaster (EID) loans to the Small Business Administration of behalf of his four business. His false applications led to him receiving $137,573. 

Fishback further admitted to submitting false applications for unemployment benefits to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation. His false statements led to him receiving $45,831 in unemployment benefits. 

In total, Fishback’s false statements resulted in him claiming $903,882.88 and receiving $685,845.05 in COVID-relief funds. 

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

Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dent and Jennifer K. Muyskens of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 

SALT LAKE, Utah – James Weston Fawcett, 43, of South Jordan, Utah, was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, and a life term of supervised release after he admitted to uploading child pornography on a social media platform. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Fawcett knowingly distributed material that contained child pornography between December 8, 2022 and January 15, 2023. Fawcett admitted he uploaded child pornography on two separate occasions to the social media platform “Wickr.” In total, Fawcett uploaded 18 videos and 11 images of child pornography to two chatrooms on the social media platform. At the time the files were uploaded, one of the chatrooms had approximately 200 members that could choose to preview or download the files to their phones or computers. Several of the videos contained images of children under the age of 12. During a search of Fawcett’s residence, officers found thousands of images of child pornography on his electronic devices. Officers also found an image of child pornography where Fawcett superimposed his face on the adult male pictured with a child. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

Assistant United States Attorney Allison H. Behrens of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 

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

 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A Utah man was ordered to remain in custody by a U.S. Magistrate Judge for his alleged involvement in a death resulting drug case from Uintah County, Utah. On April 17, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the defendant with supplying fentanyl to a victim that killed her. 

According to court documents, Jerod Arthur Young, 48, of Fort Duchesne, Utah, intentionally distributed fentanyl to the victim on November 15, 2023, which resulted in her death. During the investigation, law enforcement determined from the victim’s phone that she communicated with Young and engaged in a financial transaction with him around her time of death. The fentanyl pill near her body when she was found deceased tested positive for fentanyl, and a medical examiner determined that the cause of the victim’s death was fentanyl toxicity, and that the amount of fentanyl in the victim’s system was toxic and lethal.

Young is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. His initial court appearance on the indictment was May 1, 2024, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. A three day trial is scheduled for July 9, 2024. 

U.S. 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’s Vernal Resident Agency.

Assistant United States Attorney Sam Pead 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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 County man was ordered to remain in custody today by a U.S. Magistrate Judge following the death of a woman on Christmas day after he allegedly supplied her with fentanyl.  On May 1, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the defendant.

According to court documents, Jared Kory Titcomb, 28, of Spanish Fork, Utah, allegedly distributed fentanyl to a victim on Christmas Eve, 2023. As a result of using the fentanyl, the victim was found dead by a family member on Christmas morning. During the investigation, law enforcement found that the victim reached out to Titcomb on Christmas Eve to purchase fentanyl. The investigation also showed the victim died of a drug overdose and that she had fentanyl in her system at the time of her death. 

Titcomb is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. His initial court appearance on the indictment was May 7, 2024, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the 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 Spanish Fork Police Department and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force. 

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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 – In recognition of National Fentanyl Awareness Day, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah joins state, local, federal, Tribal, and community partners to raise awareness and educate the public about the lethal dangers of fentanyl. Watch PSA here. 

According to the DEA, fentanyl has saturated the drug market in Utah. It is cheaper, more potent, and more widely available than ever before.  According to the CDC, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Fentanyl is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States. Over 150 people die every day from synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Last month the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the DEA, announced the first Utah Drug Overdose Task Force to combat fentanyl and other illicit drugs in the beehive state. The task force is made up of 10 state, local and federal law enforcement offices throughout the Wasatch Front. For more information on the task force, click here.

For more information about the dangers of fentanyl and facts, visit CDC.gov or DEA.Gov/FentanlyAwareness

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.  

In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities.

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

“The tireless work by prosecutors and law enforcement in the last 12 months of prosecuting three individuals involved in homicides in Tribal communities in the District of Utah is proof that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to pursuing those who commit violence against Native Americans,” said United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “The work is never done, but through prosecution, we will continue to seek justice for the victims and their families and be the voice of victims who can no longer speak.” 

“The FBI remains unwavering in our pledge to work with our law enforcement partners to address the violence that has disproportionately harmed Tribal communities and families,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We will continue to prioritize our support of victims and will steadfastly pursue investigations into the crime impacting American Indian and Alaska Native communities.”

“DEA’s top priority is protecting all communities from deadly drugs, like fentanyl, and drug related violent crime,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.  “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”

Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases
Last July, the Justice Department announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.  

Last August, in the District of Utah, U.S. Attorney Higgins hosted the 30th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Salt Lake City. The three day event brought over 200 professionals from the four corner states who are involved in victim services and public safety in tribal communities. The district’s MMIP Coordinator, Tad May, was one of several trainers to discuss strategies and best practices to make tribal communities safer. 

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

Not Invisible Act Commission Response
The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. The NIAC response, announced by Attorney General Garland during a visit to the Crow Nation, recognizes that more must be done across the federal government to resolve this longstanding crisis and support healing from the generational traumas that Indigenous peoples have endured throughout the history of the United States.  

Addressing Violent Crime and the Fentanyl Crisis in Indian Country
As noted in the joint response to the NIAC, research suggests that certain public safety challenges faced by many American Indian and Alaska Native communities—including disproportionate violence against women, families, and children; substance abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons. Further, fentanyl poisoning and overdose deaths are the leading cause of opioid deaths throughout the United States, including Indian county, where drug-related overdose death rates for Native Americans exceeds the national rate.

Therefore, federal law enforcement components are ramping up efforts to forge stronger partnerships with federal and Tribal law enforcement partners to address violent crime and the fentanyl crisis, which exposes already vulnerable communities to greater harm.  For instance:

In the past 12 months, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Utah tried and convicted defendants in three homicides in Tribal communities. Most recently, in February 2024, an Aneth, Utah man was found guilty of murdering a Navajo woman in front of her two young daughters on the Navajo Nation. In November 2023, a Fort Duchesne, Utah, man was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment for shooting and killing a Native American man. In August 2023, a Bluff, Utah man was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment after a federal jury convicted him of murder in the second degree of a Ute Tribe member.

Accessing Department of Justice Resources
Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.
For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.

Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is alerting the public about a reported scammer making phone calls claiming to be with our office and requesting restitution payments. 

This week, the office received multiple phone calls from concerned citizens regarding an individual who identifies himself as a member of the Financial Litigation Unit (FLU) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, requesting restitution payments. The caller further claims the individual failed to appear in court regarding COVID-19 relief funds. All callers are then given a phone number to make a payment. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office will never call requesting a payment of restitution over the phone. Past due restitution payment letters are sent from our office, but criminal restitution payments are made to the federal court. Civil debts are paid through the Nationwide Central Intake Facility or through Pay.gov. If you receive a phone call from this individual or anyone claiming to be with the U.S. Attorney’s Office asking for restitution payments, this is a scam. If you think you are a victim of a scam or know someone who is, report it to the FBI at IC3.gov or the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

 

St. George, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today following the arrest of a Nevada man who was indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury for multiple federal crimes, including bank fraud. 

According to court documents, Kyle Eugene Duncan-Carle, 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada carried out a scheme to defraud multiple credit unions from January 2023 through September 2023 in the District of Utah. Duncan-Carle conducted the scheme by obtaining stolen U.S. Treasury checks made out to individuals and companies, assuming the identity of the individuals whose names were on the checks, opening credit union accounts under the assumed identities, and then depositing the checks and withdrawing the funds. The scheme resulted in Duncan-Carle obtaining at least six stolen treasury checks that totaled $7,075,695.55. This included an incident in April 2023 when Duncan-Carle assumed a victim’s identity, opened an American First Credit Union account under the victim’s name, and deposited a stolen tax-refund check for $821,333 made out to the victim. Duncan-Carle was arrested over the weekend in Lyon County, Nevada. 

Duncan-Carle is charged with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and receipt of stolen government property. Because Duncan-Carle was arrested in Nevada, his initial court appearance on the indictment will take place at a United States District Courthouse in Nevada. 

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

The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); the Internal Revenue Service Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.  

Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen P. Dent and Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case. 
 
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Salt Lake County man with multiple violent crimes after he allegedly stole from a dollar store and a jewelry business while armed. 

According to court documents, on May 6, 2023, Carlos Anthony Martinez, 24, of Salt Lake City, robbed, at gunpoint, a dollar store employee in Grantsville, Utah, of money and merchandise. 

On May 26, 2023, Martinez allegedly entered Fred Meyer Jewelers inside Smith’s Marketplace in Bountiful. Martinez carried a hatchet in one hand and a handgun in the other and smashed the top of a glass display case with the hatchet. At this time, an employee confronted Martinez and Martinez pointed the handgun in the employee’s direction. Martinez stole jewelry and ran out of the store, leaving the hatchet on the display case. Bountiful Police officers responded to the scene and searched for Martinez. Martinez was arrested April 15, 2024, following a signed arrest warrant by the court. 

Martinez is charged with interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. His initial court appearance on the indictment is April 26, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the 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 an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police department, investigators from the Department of Public Safety State Bureau of Investigation, and other officers from the Utah Highway Patrol and Bountiful 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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 – Leallen Blackhair, 47 of Utah, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and $18,000 in restitution after he admitted to extorting oil and gas businesses operating on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. He used the extortion money on trips to various amusement parks, dining, and shopping. 

According to court documents and statements and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, Blackhair used his coveted position as the Compliance Supervisor for the Energy and Minerals Department of the Ute Tribe, to extort $109,925 for his own personal gain over the course of three years. 

Blackhair’s responsibilities as a compliance supervisor, included issuing fines to oil and gas businesses working on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation that violated their access permits and business licenses. Blackhair used his position to induce and attempt to induce multiple companies to pay him personally by offering to reduce a fine that would otherwise be assessed against them. Blackhair extorted sixty-six payments totaling $109,925, between August 2010 and May 2013. In December 2022, Blackhair pleaded guilty to eight counts of extortion and one count of attempted extortion.

Ninety-five percent of all revenue for the Ute Tribe comes from the oil and gas industries work on the reservation. As the gatekeeper, Blackhair determined whether businesses could return to work on the reservation. Through extortion, Blackhair more than doubled his $50,000 salary and targeted mostly small, “mom and pop” businesses. Blackhair spent the extorted funds on trips to Disneyland, Legoland, Las Vegas, Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal Pictures, airfare, hotels, rental cars, dining and shopping. Blackhair was sentenced March 22, 2024, before Federal District Court Judge Jill N. Parish. 

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

Assistant United States Cy H. Castle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging two Salt Lake County residents with multiple violent crimes after a woman was allegedly shot by one of the defendants during an attempted carjacking. 

According to court documents, on April 3, 2024, Lt Col Siamelie Nick Mila, 20, and Maddyn Dean Christiansen, 21, of Salt Lake County, Utah, attempted to steal a vehicle in the parking lot of a fitness facility in Murray, Utah, that left a woman shot. Surveillance footage from the area showed the victim walking towards her vehicle when Mila exited a black Audi, driven by Christiansen, and approached the victim. A few minutes later, the victim limped back towards the gym while the Audi left the scene. Through witness statements, interviews, and surveillance video, Mila and the victim exchanged gunfire. The victim, who possessed a concealed carry permit, fired her weapon at Mila after he demanded, at gunpoint, that she give him her car keys. Mila did not legally possess a firearm. The victim was taken to the hospital by emergency personnel. At 10:53 p.m. a male, later identified as Mila, arrived at a local hospital emergency room with a gunshot wound. Following medical care, Mila was arrested. 

Mila and Christiansen are charged with attempted carjacking, and using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Their initial court appearance on the indictment was April 18, 2024. Mila is scheduled for a detention hearing on April 23, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. and Christiansen is scheduled for a detention hearing April 29, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.  

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

The case is being investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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 Texas man for national security crimes after he allegedly took photos of other airline passenger’s tickets and then attempted to take a flight to Texas while hiding in the aircraft’s lavatory. 

According to court documents, on March 17, 2024, Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, 26 of Leander, Texas, boarded Delta Airlines flight #1683 from Salt Lake City International Airport to Austin, Texas. After boarding the aircraft, Fleurizard was assisted by a flight attendant to the front lavatory after witnessing him opening the emergency equipment storage door. While others boarded, Fleurizard remained in the lavatory. After boarding was completed, and before the aircraft doors were secured, Fleurizard exited the front lavatory and made his way to the back of the aircraft and entered the back lavatory. After Fleurizard exited the back lavatory, a flight attendant noticed no seats were available and approached Fleurizard. At this time the aircraft doors were secured, and the aircraft started to taxi to the runway. Fleurizard identified a seat as his to the flight attendant, but the flight attendant verified that the passenger in that seat actually purchased the seat.

Flight attendants searched for Fleurizard’s name on their Guest Service Tool but were unable to locate a valid ticket or booking reservation for him. The aircraft returned to the gate and Fleurizard was met by law enforcement upon exiting the aircraft.

As alleged in the complaint, during the investigation by law enforcement, surveillance footage showed Fleurizard in the boarding area taking photos of multiple passenger’s phones and/or boarding passes while they were not looking. Surveillance footage also showed that Fleurizard used his phone as a boarding pass when he boarded the plane. 

Fleurizard is charged with being a stowaway on an aircraft, and access device fraud. His initial court appearance on the indictment will take place at a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. 

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

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

Assistant United States Attorney Bryan N. Reeves 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. 
 

Attachment: 

wicliffyvesfleurizard.indictment.pdf

Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a foreign national living in Utah with drug crimes after agents allegedly seized 43 pounds of blue M-30 fentanyl pills and other narcotics. 

According to court documents, Elder Alberto Ahumada-Castro, 29, of Murray, Utah, was suspected by federal agents of distributing drugs in the Salt Lake Valley. On April 10, 2024, Ahumada-Castro was spotted by agents overnighting at a motel in Murray, Utah. After obtaining a search warrant for Ahumada-Castro’s vehicle and motel room, agents located and seized approximately 2800 blue M-30 fentanyl pills, approximately $33,000, and a larger amount of blue M-30 fentanyl pills that weighed 43 pounds, 4 ounces. The pills field tested positive for properties of fentanyl. Ahumada-Castro was arrested. 

DEA

Prior to Ahumada-Castro’s arrest, court documents allege that on April 3, 2024, he possessed with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in the District of Utah. 

Ahumada-Castro is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 22, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.  

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

The case is being investigated jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). 

Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Holtan 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. 

St. George, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today by the federal court in St. George following the arrest of a husband and wife in Utah County after a federal grand jury returned an indictment on April 9, 2024. The indictment charges the duo with financial crimes after they allegedly ran a gun and ammunition business and defrauded customers and financial firms of over $600,000. 

According to court documents, John Earl Donaldson, 31, and his wife, Carlie Elizabeth Winters, 29, of Saratoga Springs, Utah, conspired together from December 2021 through January 2023 to illegally obtain money from customers of Urban Armz, LLC. Donaldson and Winters owned and operated Urban Armz, LLC. Through false pretenses, Donaldson and Winters allegedly lied about Urban Armz’s inventory and ability to procure goods for which customers paid. Additionally, Donaldson and Winters fraudulently obtained money from financial firms through false pretenses. 

In furtherance of the crime, the Urban Armz website claimed that the business maintained an office in St. George, when it did not. The website also falsely claimed that the “company clients” included the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. 

As alleged in the indictment, Donaldson falsely represented that he could sell large quantities of ammunition to potential customers for competitively low prices. In December 2021, a customer wired $90,000 to Urban Armz for 300,000 rounds of ammunition. Urban Armz never delivered the ammunition. Instead, Donaldson and Winters spent the customer’s funds on transfers to unrelated parties, shopping, credit card payments, and other withdrawals. 

In April 2022, a company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, paid Urban Armz $300,000 through wire transfers for body armor it intended to donate to Ukraine first responders in war zones. Urban Armz never delivered the body armor. In June 2022, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Ukrainian immigrants and refugees living in the United States paid Urban Armz $217,098.98 for night vision goggles, thermal optics, and other equipment for Ukrainian first responders serving in war zones. Again, Urban Armz did not deliver the equipment and instead Donaldson and Winters spent the money on unrelated parties, shopping and other things. 

Donaldson and Winters are charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Their initial court appearance on the indictment was April 14, 2024, at the United States District Courthouse in St. George, Utah. 

U.S. 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. 

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. 
 

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Sharon Lee Ann Gordon, 66, of Hurricane, Utah, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of home detention, and three years’ probation as a result of a guilty plea for stealing over $230,000 from an HOA during her time as the HOA Treasurer. In addition to her sentence, United States District Court Chief Judge Robert J. Shelby ordered Gordon to pay the remaining $63,448.32 in restitution to the HOA and $20,490 in restitution to the IRS for tax loss for unreported income. 

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Gordon embezzled approximately over $232,000 from four Lava Bluff HOA bank accounts between 2016 and March 2022. In execution of the scheme, Gordon diverted the funds electronically by transferring them directly to her personal account, writing checks to herself and her boyfriend and forging other board members’ signatures, depositing checks representing HOA member fees directly into her personal accounts, writing checks to casinos from HOA accounts, and withdrawing cash from HOA accounts. Additionally, Gordon falsely reported to the Internal Revenue Service her total income from 2017 through 2021.   

“Gordon abused her HOA position of power to steal thousands of dollars for her own personal benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “Gordon’s greed further emboldened her to hide money from the IRS. By teaming up with our federal partners we will continue to investigate and prosecute these cases.”

 “This case not only saw that those members of the Lava Bluff HOA, were directly harmed by Ms. Gordon’s embezzlement, but as is always the case with tax fraud, the American taxpayers as a whole were victimized,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick. “Gordon believed that she could shirk her responsibility to her community as well as to the American tax system; however, IRS-Criminal Investigation takes its responsibility seriously and will investigate and assist in the prosecution of any violators of these laws.”

 “Money that was designated for the community’s management went to line Gordon’s own pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “This case should serve as an example that fraud never pays. The FBI and our partners are committed to identifying and investigating those who abuse their trusted positions.”

The case was investigated jointly by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, St. George Resident Agency.  

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – United States Attorney, Trina A. Higgins and Acting Special Agent in Charge, Dustin Gillespie, of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division announce the formation of the Utah Drug Overdose Task Force. 

Over the past few years, Utah has experienced a rise in overdose/poisoning incidents, and fentanyl has been the primary catalyst. According to the most recent data by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, 603 Utahns died as a result of drug overdose in 2021. That same year, 67% of Utah overdose deaths were related to opioids and 29% were related to fentanyl. Learn more: https://opidemic.utah.gov/.

 “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, and Utah is no exception, said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “My office and our law enforcement partners are working every day to protect our communities from fentanyl and other illicit drugs and prosecute people who traffic these deadly substances. It is also our goal to raise awareness. Through the Utah Drug Overdose Task Force, I am confident we can make a difference.”

According to the DEA, Fentanyl has saturated the drug market in Utah. It is cheaper, more potent, and more widely available than ever before. 

The Utah Drug Overdose Task Force or UDOTF is a decentralized task force consisting of sworn law enforcement members from agencies across the Salt Lake valley. Led and coordinated by DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, the participants remain with their departments conducting their normal duties and serve on the task force as a collateral duty when needed. The goal of task force is to raise awareness and increase the number of prosecutable cases through proper evidence collection and preservation. 

Currently, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah has 10 cases either indicted or under investigation that are a result of the Utah Drug Overdose Task Force.  

“Through the task force we aim to consolidate intelligence, particularly digital evidence, from various drug overdose and poisoning crime scenes so that we may identify and exploit potential linkages between incidents, said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie, of the Salt Lake City District Office. 

The Utah Drug Overdose Task Force is made up of 10 state, local and federal law enforcement offices: 

•    Drug Enforcement Administration
•    Salt Lake City Police Department
•    Unified Police Department/Salt Lake City Sheriff’s Office 
•    Layton City Police Department
•    Sandy City Police Department
•    Ogden City Police Department
•    Davis County Sheriff’s Office
•    South Jordan Police Department
•    Homeland Security Investigations
•    U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah

Utah Drug Overdose Task Force is made possible through funding for state/local overtime provided by the Department of Justice Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). Funding allows members of the task force to deploy to crime scenes (after hours) when requested to assist and guide a first responder thru the processing of a crime scene. DEA’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) has also assisted with supplies needed by the task force for preserving and securing evidence when at crime scenes. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA created a checklist to serve as a guide for first responders arriving to an overdose/poisoning crime scene.

OCDETF
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

HIDTA
The High Intensity Drug trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States.  Utah is a member of the Rocky Mountain HIDTA (along with CO, WY, and MT).

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A U.S. District Court Judge sentenced Colin Andrew Shapard, 23, of Las Vegas, Nevada to 240 months’ imprisonment today, followed by 36 months supervised release. In December 2023, Shapard pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in serious bodily injury. Fentanyl Shapard shipped via U.S. Mail, nearly killed a Park City, Utah resident after the man overdosed in 2022. See prior release here.

DEA

According to court documents, an investigation into Mr. Shapard began in November 2021 after a Park City resident reported to investigators that he obtained the drugs he possessed from Shapard. The resident also told investigators that in 2016, Shapard was the person who supplied a dangerous synthetic opioid to two 13-year-old middle-school students in Park City, who died as a result of ingesting the substance. Mr. Shapard was charged in juvenile court for the deaths of the two teens. Those offenses were processed through the juvenile court system as Shapard was a juvenile at the time.

In December 2021, subsequent to a search warrant, investigators identified and seized two shipments of counterfeit blue M30 pills laced with fentanyl that were mailed from Las Vegas to Utah. Simultaneously, DEA agents also learned that from December 2021 to May 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized four illicit drug shipments addressed to Shapard from the Netherlands. Additionally, in October 2020 customs enforcement agents in Germany seized two U.S. bound packages addressed to Shapard that contained illegal amphetamine-based drugs. Also in 2020, agents learned that Shapard received a FedEx package to a Midvale, Utah address that contained chemicals utilized in the manufacture of the drug GHB and or fentanyl. In 2022, undercover DEA agents purchased drugs from Shapard. Mr. Shapard told the undercover agent that the “blues” he sold were legitimate pharmaceuticals that he acquired from Canada. Shapard also claimed he tested every shipment of pills he received to confirm they did not contain fentanyl, when in fact they did.

In February 2022, the Park City resident was found on the floor unresponsive by his father. The father called 911 and began CPR. When emergency medical personnel arrived, they administered Naloxone, also referred to as Narcan, to the victim. Narcan is a drug that reverses the effects of opioids, including fentanyl, and is effective only on opioids. The victim was hospitalized and survived. The following day, DEA agents discovered that the victim overdosed on blue M30 fentanyl pills, which were purchased from Shapard. On March 8, 2022, Shapard was arrested. 

 “Community safety is a top priority for my office,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Mr. Shapard not only knowingly sold dangerous synthetic opioids, but he did so while deceiving his customers about the nature of the product. Fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. Had it not been for the quick response from the victim’s family and the fast acting first responders who administered Narcan this would have been a more tragic outcome. My office will vigorously prosecute those who distribute this poison in the state of Utah, particularly those who repeat the same behavior.”

“There is no outcome that can fully heal the destruction caused by Mr. Shapard’s actions. Nevertheless, today’s sentencing is an important step toward justice for the victim and the many family members and friends affected by Mr. Shapard’s distribution of deadly fentanyl. The tireless work on this case by some of DEA’s finest investigators is proof that the DEA is unwavering in its commitment to pursuing those criminals who seek to distribute poison in our communities," said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie, of the Salt Lake City District Office. 

DEA

“Mr. Shapard continued to profit off numerous individuals with his fentanyl-laced pills even after being charged for the deaths of two teenagers in 2016.  The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to bringing all individuals to justice who use the U.S. Mail for their illegal activities.  This significant sentence sends a message to drug traffickers who have no regard for human life, and we thank our law enforcement partners for their excellent teamwork,” said Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson of the USPIS Phoenix Division.

The case was part of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Park City Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

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

 

ST. GEORGE, Utah – James Edgar Conner, 42, of St. George, Utah, was sentenced today to 6 years’ imprisonment, and 15 years’ supervised release after he admitted to receipt of child pornography.  

According to court documents and statements and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, from April 2019 through June 2023, in the District of Utah, Conner knowingly possessed electronic files depicting child pornography. 

An investigation into Conner began in June 2023, when law enforcement received multiple cybertips for a Synchronoss account that belonged to Conner. Synchronoss provides cloud data storage for wireless customers. The cybertips revealed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Law enforcement executed a search warrant for Conner’s Synchronoss account, and the return showed the account was associated with Conner’s cellphone and email address. Inside the account, law enforcement found 23 child pornography videos as well as personal identifying information such as Conner’s paychecks, driver’s license, and work badge. Law enforcement also found several surreptitious videos that Conner covertly recorded of adult women using his restroom. 

On June 27, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Conner’s residence in St. George. Prior to the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement arrested Conner. During the search, officers found a number of digital devices including cellphones and covert camera equipment in the residence, among other items. During an interview, Conner admitted knowingly downloading multiple CSAM videos to his phone, some of which depicted children under the age of 10. 

The case was investigated by the St. George Police Department. 

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

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

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the State of Utah, including the Utah Department of Corrections (UDOC), alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for discriminating against an incarcerated transgender woman on the basis of her disability, gender dysphoria. The department’s complaint alleges that UDOC failed to provide the complainant equal access to health care services after she repeatedly requested hormone therapy, and also failed to make reasonable modifications to its policies and practices to treat her gender dysphoria. Before filing this lawsuit, the department gave UDOC written notice of its findings and an outline of remedial measures necessary to address them.

Gender dysphoria is a serious medical condition marked by clinically significant distress caused by an incongruence between the sex an individual is assigned at birth and their gender identity. Left untreated, individuals with gender dysphoria can experience serious adverse mental health outcomes.

“People with gender dysphoria, including those held in jails and prisons, are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act and are entitled to equal access to medical care just like anyone else with a disability,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Delays or refusals to provide medical treatment for people with gender dysphoria can cause irreparable harm, including debilitating distress, depression, attempts at self-treatment and even death by suicide. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting the rights of all people with disabilities in our country, including those who experience gender dysphoria – and those rights are not given up at the jailhouse door.”

The department’s complaint alleges that UDOC imposes unnecessary barriers to treatment for incarcerated individuals with gender dysphoria that are not required for other health conditions, and unnecessarily delayed the complainant’s treatment. The complaint also alleges that UDOC failed to grant the complainant’s requests for reasonable modifications, including permitting her to purchase female clothing and personal items in the commissary, modifying pat search policies and appropriately assessing her housing requests to avoid discrimination on the basis of gender dysphoria. As a result, her gender dysphoria worsened during her incarceration at UDOC. Twenty-two months after entering custody, she performed dangerous self-surgery and removed her own testicles.

The department’s lawsuit is part of its broader efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with gender dysphoria. These include the Civil Rights Division’s recently filed statement of interest clarifying that gender dysphoria can be a covered disability under the ADA and explaining that correctional institutions violate the Eighth Amendment when they categorically refuse to provide medically necessary gender-affirming care to incarcerated individuals with gender dysphoria and a challenge to Tennessee’s SB1 which makes it unlawful to provide or offer to provide certain types of medical care for transgender minors with diagnosed gender dysphoria.

The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section is handling this matter in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov. 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A foreign national living in Utah will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge today after he was indicted March 27, 2024, by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for federal crimes, including possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute. 

According to court documents, Gustavo Flores-Hernandez, 31, of Salt Lake City, was under investigation for allegedly distributing a controlled substance throughout Salt Lake County, Utah. On March 21, 2024, detectives with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC) executed a search warrant at an apartment in Salt Lake City. During the search, detectives found approximately 12,404 grams (124,044 pills) of blue pills that field-tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. Upon completion of the search, a man later identified as Flores-Hernandez, entered the apartment and was arrested. Flores-Hernandez possessed approximately $9,000 cash and 50 grams (500 pills) of blue pills that field-tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. 

Flores-Hernandez is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial court appearance on the indictment is April 1, 2024, at 2:30 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 jointly by a task force officer with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force, the American Fork Police Department and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. 

Special Assistant United States Peter Reichman 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 – Three Tooele County residents accused of running a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud ring will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge today following a federal indictment. The indictment, returned by a grand jury on Feb. 28, 2024, includes charges of wire fraud and aiding and abetting during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to court documents, Halee Ann Mehlbauer, 38, Timothy George Lopez, 62, and Rick A. Bolton, 65, of Tooele, allegedly ran a PPP Loan fraud ring from July 2020 to January 2022. Mehlbauer, Lopez, and Bolton fraudulently applied for at least 10 PPP loan applications and five PPP loan forgiveness applications that attempted to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration (SBA) of approximately $422,242.50. These were funds Congress allocated for the SBA to provide low-interest loans to eligible small businesses experiencing financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When applying for the loans, Mehlbauer, Lopez, and Bolton used fictitious businesses that did not exist before the pandemic hit, and therefore did not qualify for PPP loans. The defendants also exaggerated and fabricated the number of employees, average monthly payroll, and gross income of their fictitious businesses. Mehlbauer, Lopez and Bolton also submitted fake tax forms and payroll tax forms to support their fabricated payroll and gross income. The defendants never filed the fake tax forms they submitted to their lenders with the IRS. Mehlbauer also transferred at least $49,475.02 of PPP loan funds to herself in checks. The defendants spent the rest of the fraudulently obtained PPP loan funds on unauthorized personal expenses, including debt payments, car expenses and gambling. 

By lying on the PPP loan applications, Mehlbauer, Lopez and Bolton fraudulently obtained at least approximately $195,930.50 in PPP loan funds and obtained forgiveness of at least approximately $155,477.50 of their approved PPP loans, that they were not eligible to receive.  

Mehlbauer, Lopez and Bolton are charged with seven counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting. Mehlbauer is also charged with money laundering. Their initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 28, 2024, at 3:00 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. 

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

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

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 (DOL), 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.

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.

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today, charging a foreign national living in Utah with multiple drug crimes. The woman allegedly possessed and intended to distribute large amounts of narcotics including heroin, methamphetamine and 11,700 fentanyl pills.  

According to court documents, Martha Isela Navarro Chapas, 31, of West Jordan, Utah, and other members of a drug trafficking organization were believed to be distributing large quantities of narcotics in the District of Utah. On March 21, 2024, federal agents with the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force arrested Chapas. Agents advised Chapas they had two search warrants for her residences in West Jordan, Utah. During the arrest, agents also seized approximately 23.35 (package weight) grams of suspected fentanyl pills, approximately 2.05 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive cocaine, and $1,318, that Chapas possessed. 

Shortly thereafter, during the execution of the search warrant at the first residence, agents seized 2,287 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive methamphetamine, 953 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive fentanyl, which included an estimated 9,500 pills, and 417 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive heroin. 

During the execution of the search warrant at the second residence, agents seized 219 grams (package weight) of suspected fentanyl pills, which contained an estimated 2,200 pills. Agents also seized $25,598. 

Navarro Chapas is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Her initial court appearance on the indictment was March 27, 2024, 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 the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. 

Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen 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 Utah County businessman was arrested today after he was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City on March 20, 2024, for wire fraud. Robert Blake Molling, 41, of Lehi, Utah, is accused of fraudulently obtaining over $1.8 million in federal government disaster relief funds. 

According to court documents, from March 2020 to April 2022, Molling fraudulently applied for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds for two of his companies. These were funds Congress allocated for the Small Business Administration to provide low-interest loans to eligible small businesses going through financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Molling lied about his criminal history – falsely claiming that he had no criminal convictions other than minor vehicle violations. In furtherance of the crime, Molling caused multiple wire transfers via interstate commerce, and fraudulently obtained some $1,868,100 in EIDL loan funds and advances he was not eligible to receive. 

Molling is charged with seven counts of wire fraud. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 26, 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. 

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

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

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 (SBA), Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), 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.

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.

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 Murray, Utah, auto shop owner, accused of drug and gun crimes, was released from custody today by a United States Magistrate Judge after he was arrested earlier this month and indicted by a federal grand jury. 

According to court documents, on March 6, 2024, search warrants were executed on the home, vehicle, and business, 5 Speed Auto, of Muayad Kareem, 47, of Sandy, Utah. 

In Kareem’s Mercedes, law enforcement agents recovered an HP laptop bag in the backseat. Inside the bag, agents recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 Special firearm and three bags containing a white powdery substance that field tested positive for synthetic cathinones, α-PVP, known as “bath salts,” worth $11,200. Agents also seized a cell phone inside Kareem’s vehicle. At Kareem’s home, agents seized a flip style cell phone and a fake saltshaker full of small plastic baggies that are used for distribution. During his arrest, agents also recovered a prescription bottle with 366 30 mg Oxycontin pills, another cellphone and $1,600. 

Pursuant to the search of the 5 Speed Auto repair shop in Murray, agents seized approximately 948 blue tablets with “A-51” and “M-30 stamped on them. Agents identified the pills as Oxycodone. From a mini fridge, agents seized approximately 1,067 white oval shaped tablets stamped with “M367” and “M366,” which were identified as hydrocodone and 643 white oval shaped tablets stamped with “G037,” which were identified as Lortabs. From a safe, agents seized $40,000 in cash. 

Kareem is charged with possession of a Pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PVP) with intent to distribute and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He was indicted on March 13, 2024 and his initial court appearance was March 22, 2024. A two-day jury trial date is scheduled for May 28, 2024, in courtroom 8.3 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 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case. 

Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelsy Young 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 violent crime and gun violence, 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.

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 convicted Clinton Chukwudi Uchendu, 26, of Dunwoody, GA, today for his involvement in a romance scam that cost victims more than $600,000. In a five day trial, Uchendu was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of mail fraud, and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. 

According to evidence presented at trial, from February 2018 through October 2018, Uchendu participated in a money laundering conspiracy that involved receiving and transmitting funds from victims of romance scams. 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. 

At trial, the jury was presented with evidence that, Uchendu also participated in mail fraud and aided the operations of an unlicensed money transmitter. Several victims testified to losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition to these victims’ testimony, evidence showed Mr. Uchendu received money from dozens of people from around the United States, whom he did not know, which he transmitted to Nigeria after retaining a portion of the money. 

Uchendu is scheduled to be sentenced June 7, 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. 

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

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