Eastern District of Wisconsin

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 9, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Bobby E. Matjeka (age: 44) of San Antonio, Texas, on charges that he conspired with a Wisconsin resident to produce child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a)&(e).

According to the indictment, between approximately December 10, 2021, and May 2022, Matjeka conspired to use a minor child “to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction.” That visual depiction was then transported across state lines. If convicted, Matjeka faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment. He also could be fined up to $250,000 and would be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

Matjeka was arrested by federal authorities in San Antonio on April 10, 2024, and will be arraigned before the federal district court in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security’s San Antonio and Milwaukee offices, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, the Appleton Police Department, and the San Antonio Police Department.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

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For further information contact:

Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

(414) 297-1700

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 9, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Dakota J. DeGroot (age: 27) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for possessing child pornography as a repeat offender in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5)(B) and 2252A(b)(2). The indictment alleges that DeGroot possessed electronic files containing child pornography on or about January 18, 2024.

DeGroot was previously convicted of possessing child pornography in Winnebago County Circuit Court in 2016. As a repeat offender, upon conviction of the offense alleged in the federal indictment, DeGroot would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in federal prison. He also could be fined up to $250,000 and would continue to be obligated to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections – Division of Community Corrections.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

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For further information contact:

Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

(414) 297-1700

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 9, 2024, U.S. Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced a Green Bay man, Keenan J. Denruyter (age: 32), to 25 years in prison after he pled guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Death, Possessing Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute, and Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition as a convicted felon, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 922.

Court records indicate that in June and July 2023, Denruyter repeatedly distributed counterfeit Percocet® “M30” pills containing fentanyl, resulting in the overdose deaths of two Green Bay females aged 17 and 18. Denruyter was on extended supervision at the time, having been released from state prison for felony cocaine delivery. As part of an ongoing investigation, the Brown County Drug Task Force (BCDTF) made controlled buys during which Denruyter sold fentanyl pills to an informant. BCDTF arrested Denruyter, finding hundreds of additional M30 pills and a loaded pistol. BCDTF’s investigation continued, leading to evidence connecting Denruyter to the two overdose deaths.

In sentencing Denruyter, Judge Griesbach emphasized that trafficking fentanyl is distributing “poison.” The judge considered nationwide data that 7 in 10 counterfeit pills tested at Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Crime Labs contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, that fentanyl is the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds, and that synthetic opiates like fentanyl cause over 73,000 deaths annually in the U.S.—equal to 200 deaths per day.

“Fentanyl continues to cut a devastating swath through families and communities across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Individuals who distribute this deadly poison choose to gamble with the lives of others simply to put a few extra dollars in their own pockets.  I commend the hard work of the Brown County Drug Task Force and all of our federal, state, local, and tribal partners who remain committed to working together to hold individuals like Mr. Denruyter accountable for their deadly and callous actions.”

“This long federal prison sentence sends a strong message that law enforcement will not tolerate firearm violence or drug trafficking in our community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon of the Chicago Field Division.  “I commend the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the DEA and the Brown County Drug Task Force for their commitment in investigating and prosecuting this important case.”

“Far too many lives have been lost across Wisconsin from fentanyl poisonings, and the DEA will continue working with our state, local and federal partners to hold drug traffickers accountable for the harm they inflict upon our communities,” said DEA Special Agent, Sheila Lyons Chicago Field Office.

Brown County Sheriff Todd J. Delain said, “The Brown County Drug Task Force is grateful for our ongoing partnership and collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to hold those who distribute dangerous drugs accountable for their actions.  The distribution of dangerous drugs, like fentanyl, has led to an overall decay of society and all too often death of people who are addicted or using these dangerous drugs.  We will continue to work hard for the people of Northeast Wisconsin by relentlessly pursuing and arresting those that present a serious threat to our community!” 

According to the DEA, illicit fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl—the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil—is considered a potentially deadly dose. The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, using chemicals largely sourced from China, are primarily responsible for most of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in communities across the United States.

This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

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For further information contact:

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Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

(414) 297-1700

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 9, 2024, U.S. Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced a Green Bay man, Keenan J. Denruyter (age: 32), to 25 years in prison after he pled guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Death, Possessing Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute, and Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition as a convicted felon, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 922.

Court records indicate that in June and July 2023, Denruyter repeatedly distributed counterfeit Percocet® “M30” pills containing fentanyl, resulting in the overdose deaths of two Green Bay females aged 17 and 18. Denruyter was on extended supervision at the time, having been released from state prison for felony cocaine delivery. As part of an ongoing investigation, the Brown County Drug Task Force (BCDTF) made controlled buys during which Denruyter sold fentanyl pills to an informant. BCDTF arrested Denruyter, finding hundreds of additional M30 pills and a loaded pistol. BCDTF’s investigation continued, leading to evidence connecting Denruyter to the two overdose deaths.

In sentencing Denruyter, Judge Griesbach emphasized that trafficking fentanyl is distributing “poison.” The judge considered nationwide data that 7 in 10 counterfeit pills tested at DEA Crime Labs contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, that fentanyl is the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds, and that synthetic opiates like fentanyl cause over 73,000 deaths annually in the U.S.—equal to 200 deaths per day.

“Fentanyl continues to cut a devastating swath through families and communities across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Individuals who distribute this deadly poison choose to gamble with the lives of others simply to put a few extra dollars in their own pockets.  I commend the hard work of the Brown County Drug Task Force and all of our federal, state, local, and tribal partners who remain committed to working together to hold individuals like Mr. Denruyter accountable for their deadly and callous actions.”

“This long federal prison sentence sends a strong message that law enforcement will not tolerate firearm violence or drug trafficking in our community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christpher Amon of the Chicago Field Division.  “I commend the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the DEA and the Brown County Drug Task Force for their commitment in investigating and prosecuting this important case.”

Brown County Sheriff Todd J. Delain said, “The Brown County Drug Task Force is grateful for our ongoing partnership and collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to hold those who distribute dangerous drugs accountable for their actions.  The distribution of dangerous drugs, like fentanyl, has led to an overall decay of society and all too often death of people who are addicted or using these dangerous drugs.  We will continue to work hard for the people of Northeast Wisconsin by relentlessly pursuing and arresting those that present a serious threat to our community!” 

 According to the DEA, illicit fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl—the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil—is considered a potentially deadly dose. The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, using chemicals largely sourced from China, are primarily responsible for most of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in communities across the United States.

This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

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For further information contact:

Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

(414) 297-1700

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 9, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against David J. Fuchs (age: 40) of Janesville, Wisconsin.

According to a criminal complaint filed earlier in the case, Fuchs engaged in a conversation with an undercover law enforcement officer from the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, who was posing online as a 12-year-old girl. During the conversation, Fuchs repeatedly described his desire to have sex with the child, sending multiple explicit photographs of himself and requesting explicit photographs from the undercover officer. Fuchs explained to the undercover officer, in explicit terms, how he intended to “teach” the young girl how to have sexual intercourse. During many of the sexually explicit conversations, Fuchs expressed his belief that the 12-year-old girl was in school. He planned to meet the girl at a travel plaza near Madison, Wisconsin, and he promised to bring her art supplies.

On March 15, 2024, Fuchs arrived at the travel plaza and was placed under arrest by U.S. Marshals. In his truck, officers located art supplies and a marijuana pipe.

Fuchs is a registered sex offender, having prior convictions in Wisconsin Circuit Court for attempted second degree sexual assault of a child and sexual assault of an intoxicated victim. Court records indicate that he had been released from state prison in approximately April 2022 and was on supervision at the time of the offenses alleged in the federal indictment. In addition to the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office undercover officer, Fuchs was also communicating with undercover officers from the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Madison Police Department, who Fuchs believed to be underage girls. 

Fuchs faces charges alleging that he attempted to sexually exploit a minor and persuade that minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a). He faces an additional charge of committing a felony offense involving a minor as an individual required to register as a sex offender, contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Section 2260A.

If convicted of the charges, Fuchs faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office, and the Madison Police Department, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander E. Duros.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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For further information contact:

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Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

(414) 297-1700

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The Justice Department has announced that it is monitoring today’s election in the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws.

The Civil Rights Division enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot. The division regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with the federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. In addition, the division also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order.

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, the Civil Rights Acts and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.

Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at   1-800-253-3931.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Merwin J. “Pete” Wynos (age: 36), a former resident of Keshena and enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, received a sentence of 30 months following a conviction for theft in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 661 and 1153(a).

The sentence, imposed on March 20, 2024, by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of a guilty plea entered by the defendant on January 16, 2024. Wynos will also face three years of supervised release once he completes his sentence.

On September 25, 2023, several companies reported thefts of equipment from the site of the new Menominee Indian High School in Keshena. The resulting investigation by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and Menominee County Sheriff’s Office led to Wynos, who was found to have entered the closed, fenced, and locked construction site during nighttime hours. Wynos used a utility vehicle on the site to transport construction tools and electronics he took from construction trailers to his residence. Wynos attempted to sell some of the items at local pawn shops, which reported their suspicions to the police. Wynos was arrested after being caught with others in a car full of stolen construction tools and, after being released from tribal custody, entered the construction site again on November 25, 2023. Wynos was caught on the site in the middle of taking additional items and was re-arrested. Wynos admitted in court to being responsible for three separate theft incidents on the construction site and will pay over $29,000 in restitution to the victims.

In sentencing the defendant, Judge Griesbach noted the need to punish Wynos for the persistent nature of his crimes. Judge Griesbach said “Stealing from hard working people, especially those building a new school that will help your community, shows a persistent willingness to violate the law” requiring punishment. Judge Griesbach noted the need to show the community that there is a punishment for this sort of behavior.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department, Menominee County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.

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Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Merwin J. “Pete” Wynos (age: 36), a former resident of Keshena and an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, received a sentence of 30 months in federal prison following a conviction for theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 661 and 1153(a).

The sentence, imposed on March 20, 2024, by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of a guilty plea entered by the defendant on January 16, 2024. Wynos will also face three years of supervised release once he completes his sentence.

According to court records, on September 25, 2023, several companies reported thefts of equipment from the site of the new Menominee Indian High School in Keshena. Investigators for the Menominee Tribal Police Department and Menominee County Sheriff’s Office discovered that Wynos  had entered the closed, fenced, and locked construction site during nighttime hours. Wynos used a utility vehicle on the site to transport construction tools and electronics that he took from construction trailers to his residence. Wynos attempted to sell some of the items at local pawn shops, which reported their suspicions to the police. Wynos was arrested after being caught with others in a car full of stolen construction tools and, after being released from tribal custody, entered the construction site again on November 25, 2023. Wynos was caught on the site taking additional items and was re-arrested. Wynos admitted in court to being responsible for three separate theft incidents on the construction site and will pay over $29,000 in restitution to the victims.

At sentencing, Judge Griesbach noted the need to punish Wynos for the persistent nature of his crimes. Judge Griesbach said, “Stealing from hard working people, especially those building a new school that will help your community, shows a persistent willingness to violate the law.” Judge Griesbach also described the need to show the community that there is a punishment for this sort of behavior.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department, Menominee County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.

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Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 18, 2024, Douglas T. Murphy (age: 35) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment following his conviction last December at a jury trial. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

According to court records, on the evening of June 4, 2023, and into the early morning hours of June 5th, Murphy repeatedly pointed a Cobra .380 caliber handgun at several children inside a residence located in downtown Oshkosh. Murphy also used the firearm to “pistol whip” his girlfriend, the mother of the children, causing an open wound on her scalp. A 911 call from the children led to an almost 6-hour standoff with law enforcement, who formed a perimeter outside the residence. At around 6 a.m., the City of Oshkosh Police Department SWAT Team entered the residence and arrested Murphy. The loaded firearm was located in close proximity to Murphy at the time of his arrest. 

Murphy is a felon several times over, having been convicted in Waukesha, Manitowoc, and Winnebago Counties.

At the sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious and dangerous nature of Murphy’s conduct during the armed standoff. Based on his conduct and extensive criminal history, Judge Griesbach found Murphy to pose a danger to the community and saw a strong need for a lengthy prison sentence to deter Murphy from engaging in further criminal conduct. Upon Murphy’s release from federal prison, he will serve three years on supervised elease.

The case was investigated by the City of Oshkosh Police Department with the assistance of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Schindhelm and Daniel R. Humble.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 12, 2024, a federal grand jury had returned an indictment charging Bryan S. Peterson (age: 45) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with two counts of distributing child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).  Peterson was arrested and appeared in federal court today.

If convicted of either count, Peterson would face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. He also would face a maximum fine of up to $250,000 per count, and a conviction would require him to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s offices in Monterey, California, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble will prosecute 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

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For further information contact: Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

(414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 12, 2024, a federal grand jury had returned an indictment charging Bryan S. Peterson (age: 45) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with two counts of distributing child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).  Peterson was arrested and appeared in federal court today.

If convicted of either count, Peterson would face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. He also would face a maximum fine of up to $250,000 per count, and a conviction would require him to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s offices in Monterey, California, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble will prosecute 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

###

For further information contact: Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

(414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 12, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment alleging that Nicholas A. Viste (age: 26) of the City of Menomonie, Dunn County, Wisconsin, produced child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).

According to the indictment, on August 6th and 7th of 2022, Viste employed, used, persuaded, and coerced a minor to take part in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct.  If convicted, Viste faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment as to each count charged in the indictment.

This case was investigated by the City of Menomonie Police Department and the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble will prosecute 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

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For further information contact:

Public Information Officer

Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

(414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Louis J. Chevalier (age: 32), a former resident of Keshena and enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, received a total sentence of 36 months following convictions for maintaining a drug-involved residence and felony child neglect.

The sentence, imposed on March 8, 2024, by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of guilty pleas entered by the defendant on December 7, 2023. Judge Griesbach sentenced Chevalier to concurrent 36-month sentences on each count. Chevalier will also face three years of supervised release once he completes his sentence.

According to court records, on March 31, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Chevalier’s residence on Onanekwat Resort West, which is just east of Keshena. When police executed the search warrant, they discovered evidence of drug distribution and use. Police also contacted child protective services, who removed a three-year old child from the residence. The child tested positive for multiple controlled substances and had extensive dental decay from neglect and drug exposure that required surgery to repair.

 At sentencing, Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the defendant’s crimes, specifically mentioning the injuries suffered by the child and the potential for long-term developmental issues. Judge Griesbach described the need for the defendant’s sentence to deter those who might consider similar actions and to protect the community from the destructive effects of abuse of controlled substances. Another person residing in the home was also prosecuted for felony child neglect and was placed on probation for a period of three years.

The case was investigated by multiple agencies as part of the Safe Trails Task Force (STTF) and Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI). NADGI and STTF partner federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement to combat drug trafficking and violent crime on the Menominee Indian Reservation. STTF members are deputized federal officers who identify and target for prosecution individuals who are involved in distribution of dangerous drugs on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Coordination of state resources through NADGI permits efficient communication and evidence processing, which are essential to swift but fair prosecution of offenders.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Menominee County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 4, 2024,  John D. Whelan (age: 77), a psychiatrist, was sentenced to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and lying to federal agents, in violation of  21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C) &846, and 18 U.S.C. § 1001.

At the sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Brett H. Ludwig described Whelan as committing an “extremely serious drug offense,” in which Whelan engaged in a scheme to distribute controlled substance prescriptions in exchange for cash. Judge Ludwig recounted how Whelan made more than a quarter of a million dollars by selling improper and illicit prescriptions, abusing his position as a physician. While imposing sentence, Judge Ludwig explained that a significant punishment was necessary because of the serious nature of the offense and to send a message that the “rules apply to everyone, even if you go to medical school.”

“If someone had cash, Mr. Whelan was willing to sell them controlled substances regardless of their actual medical need and regardless of whether the individuals were simply abusing these drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad.  “Rather than seeking to truly care for his patients, Mr. Whelan sought simply to fund a lavish lifestyle.  I commend everyone who worked together to pursue justice in this case.”

“Our communities deserve honest and trustworthy medical doctors. Individuals betraying this trust through the illegal prescribing of controlled substances will be investigated to the fullest extent of the law by the DEA. Today’s sentence reinforces the value of local and federal law enforcement working alongside prosecutors to hold rogue practitioners accountable for their actions,” remarked Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge John G.D. McGarry.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group (LWAM)-Drug Unit investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Kevin Knight prosecuted.

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Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 27, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Arrelio R. Escalante (age 36) of Keshena, Wisconsin, with aggravated assault and domestic violence on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The indictment charged Escalante as follows:

COUNT

DATE

CHARGE

PENALTY

One

On or about February 8, 2024

Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, 18 U.S.C. §§ 113(a)(6) and 1153(a)

Up to 10 years in prison, up to $250,000 fine

Two

On or about February 8, 2024

Domestic Assault by Strangulation, 18 U.S.C. § 113(a)(8) and 1153(a)

Up to 10 years in prison, up to $250,000 fine.

Escalante also faces terms of supervised release and special assessments of $100 per count if convicted.

According to filed court documents, on or about February 8, 2024, Escalante allegedly assaulted a woman with whom he had a domestic relationship by punching her, attempting to strangle her, and strangling her to the point of unconsciousness. The woman suffered serious bodily injuries including severe bruising and a broken nose as a result of the assault, which occurred at a residence on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute the case in the U.S. District Court in Green Bay.

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 27, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Warren J. Grignon (41) of Keshena, Wisconsin, with crimes related to three fentanyl overdoses on the Menominee Indian Reservation, one of which was fatal.

The indictment charged Grignon as follows:

COUNT

DATE

CHARGE

PENALTY

One

On or about December 23, 2023

Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C)

Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, up to life in prison; up to $1 million fine.

Two

On or about December 23, 2023

Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting Serious Bodily Injury, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C)

Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, up to life in prison; up to $1 million fine.

Three

On or about December 23, 2023

Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting Serious Bodily Injury, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C)

Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, up to life in prison; up to $1 million fine.

Grignon also faces terms of supervised release and special assessments of $100 per count if convicted.

According to court documents, on or about December 23, 2023, Grignon allegedly distributed fentanyl to three individuals while at a location on the Menominee Indian Reservation. One of the people died as the result of using the fentanyl provided by Grignon, and the other two were revived but sustained serious bodily injury as the result of using the fentanyl provided by Grignon.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the University of Wisconsin Hospital Pathology Department. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.

 An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 13, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging Anthony V. Brown a/k/a “Ice,” a/k/a “King Ice,” (50), of Keshena, Wisconsin, with drug and firearms crimes on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The indictment charged Brown as follows:

COUNT

DATE

CHARGE

PENALTY

One

On or about January 1, 2024

Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

Up to 20 years in prison; up to $1 million fine

Two

On or about January 1, 2024

Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

Mandatory minimum 5 years in prison, consecutive to other sentences; up to $250,000 fine

Three

On or about January 1, 2024

Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Up to 15 years in prison; up to $250,000 fine

Four

January 15, 2024

Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

Up to 20 years in prison; up to $1 million fine

Five

January 15, 2024

Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Up to 15 years in prison; up to $250,000 fine

Brown also faces terms of supervised release and special assessments of $100 per count if convicted.

According to court documents, on or about January 1, 2024, Brown allegedly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute to another person at a location on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Brown, who previously had been convicted of a felony, also allegedly illegally possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On January 15, 2024, Brown allegedly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute to another person at a location on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Brown also illegally possessed a firearm at a residence on the Menominee Indian Reservation on the same date.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 27, 2024, United States District Judge Brett H. Ludwig sentenced Rodney C. Smith (age: 60) to 41 months’ imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for his willful preparation of false tax returns through his business, Xpert Tax Services in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Smith was also ordered to pay $216,643 in restitution and a $400 special assessment.

According to court records, over the course of four years, Smith prepared fraudulent tax returns for his clients by making knowingly false representations in their returns about the clients’ dependents, wages, and income or losses from businesses. These misrepresentations qualified the taxpayers for a refundable Earned Income Tax Credit to which they were otherwise not entitled, thus fraudulently increasing their tax refunds. The estimated loss associated with Mr. Smith’s scheme was $3.3 million.

Court records reveal that although the IRS executed a search warrant at Smith’s business in 2020, and he admitted to agents that he was knowingly violating the federal tax laws, he nevertheless persisted in his criminal conduct by continuing to prepare false returns for his clients the next year. Smith ultimately pled guilty in October 2023 to four counts of aiding, assisting, counseling, or advising the preparation of a false return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2).

Smith was previously convicted in the Eastern District of Wisconsin in 2010 with conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing a false income tax return.

When imposing sentence, Judge Ludwig emphasized that the loss to the taxpayers in this case was very significant, and that defendants who willfully flout the law must be sentenced in a fashion that promotes respect for the law.

“Mr. Smith willfully and repeatedly sought to defraud the IRS and caused injury to every individual and business who played by the rules and paid their fair share of taxes due to fund vital government operations and programs,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “The sentence in this case reflects the fact that Mr. Smith’s fraud was relentless, and not even a prior conviction or the execution of a search warrant at his business was sufficient to deter him from seeking to line his pockets at the taxpayers’ expense. I commend the hard work of everyone involved in seeking justice in this case.”

“The sentence imposed in this case sends a clear message that those who exploit the tax system for personal gain will be held accountable,” said Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. “Tax preparers are entrusted with accurately and ethically preparing tax returns on behalf of their clients. When individuals like Smith abuse this trust, they not only steal from the government, but they also betray the confidence of the taxpayers they purport to serve. IRS-CI remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of our tax system by holding accountable those who choose to violate their moral and ethical obligations.”

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Biebel.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 27, 2024, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Gene W. Wolf (age: 26) to 174 months in federal prison.

According to court records, on August 31, 2023, agents searched Wolf’s residence in Menasha, Wisconsin, and located three handguns, over 9,000 fentanyl pills, and over $50,000 cash. One of the handguns was a “ghost gun” that was not marked with a serial number. Wolf, a felon with several prior convictions for narcotics trafficking, was prohibited from possessing firearms. After being charged with gun and drug trafficking offenses related to the search, Wolf pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm and acknowledged his role in fentanyl trafficking in the Fox Valley area.

The pills recovered from Wolf’s residence were in the form of counterfeit “Percocet” pills that appeared to be legitimate. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 7 out of 10 fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

“Fentanyl continues to cut a path of death and devastation in communities across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Individuals who sell this extremely dangerous substance – which in this case was disguised as another controlled substance – appropriately face substantial prison terms. This is especially so when the trafficking is accompanied by the unlawful possession of ghost guns and other firearms. Working with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to combat fentanyl trafficking and firearms offenses remains among our office’s highest priorities.”  

“Fentanyl is a scourge on our communities, and we must continue working to keep Wisconsinites safe from this extremely dangerous drug,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to the investigators whose work led to this significant sentence for the defendant in this case.”

This case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group – Drug Unit (LWAM), with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, the Appleton Police Department, and the Menasha Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros prosecuted the case.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 14, 2024, five individuals were sentenced by United States Senior District Court Judge William C. Griesbach for their involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking organization that operated in the Fox Valley area and elsewhere. The five individuals were sentenced as follows:

Defendant

Conviction(s)

Months of Prison

Mario Rodriguez Diaz (Age: 32), Moxee, Washington

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

168

Luis R. Leon (Age: 29), Appleton, Wisconsin

Money Laundering

84

Rodrigo Diaz (Age: 27), Moxee, Washington

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

80

Julio C. Vargas-Rodriguez (Age: 39), Appleton, Wisconsin

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

72

Darius Robinson (Age: 28), Tacoma, Washington

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

72

According to court documents, Mario Rodriguez Diaz, a Washington resident, was the leader of the drug trafficking organization. He obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico and paid couriers, including Darius Robinson, to distribute the methamphetamine throughout the United States. Rodriguez Diaz obtained and distributed several hundred pounds of methamphetamine from 2021 through 2022.

Court documents established that Luis Leon and Julio Cesar Vargas Rodriguez, who lived and operated in the Fox Valley area, frequently received large quantities of methamphetamine from Mario Rodriguez Diaz. Specifically, they received methamphetamine from a courier approximately 1-2 times per month and distributed over 3 pounds of methamphetamine per week.

Finally, court documents demonstrated that Rodrigo Diaz oversaw the organization’s finances and frequently traveled to Appleton, Wisconsin, to pick up cash that Luis Leon and Julio Cesar Vargas Rodriguez earned from methamphetamine distribution. Drug proceeds were also concealed in bank accounts of a Limited Liability Company (LLC) registered to Luis Leon.

The investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately $300,000 in cash, 125 pounds of methamphetamine, several vehicles, and dozens of firearms.

The defendants were charged based on a multi-year investigation led by law enforcement agents and officers from the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group – Drug Unit (LWAM), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Green Bay Resident Office, the DEA – Madison Resident Office, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division. Several other law enforcement agencies assisted with the investigation, including the DEA – Yakima Resident Office, the Appleton Police Department, the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros prosecuted the case.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 9, 2024, Emilee K. Rueda (age: 42), of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and tax offenses.

According to court documents, Rueda was the office manager and in-house bookkeeper at a small business. Between September 2018 and February 2020, she made more than $650,000 in unauthorized expenditures on antique jewelry, lifelike dolls, trinkets, and other miscellaneous items, intending to resell many of these purchases. Rueda took advantage of her position of trust and made false entries into the business’s books to hide the theft, which was only uncovered after an employee’s paycheck bounced. Rueda also filed false tax returns hiding this illegal income from the Internal Revenue Service.

In announcing the sentence, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of the offense and the importance of deterring others from similar conduct.

“The sentence imposed in this case reflects the substantial financial loss caused by the defendant’s fraud, the harm to all taxpayers caused by her filing of false tax returns, and the sense of betrayal felt by the victim company and its owners, who had trusted and supported the defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “I commend the hard work of the officers and agents who worked hard to hold the defendant accountable for her actions.”

“Individuals entrusted with their employer’s finances are held to a higher ethical standard because their actions can have a significant impact on the financial health and reputation of their organization,” said Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Because she violated the trust between her and her employer, IRS-CI special agents held her accountable for her actions. The investigation of Ms. Rueda’s misdeeds underscores IRS-CI’s commitment to enforcing a just and transparent tax system.”

This case was investigated by IRS-CI and the West Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farris Martini.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 13, 2024, John D. Schaefer (age: 35) of Menasha, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment for production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and 2252A(a)(2)(A).

In November of 2022, law enforcement was contacted by the defendant’s roommate who stated that he had been shown a video produced by Schaefer depicting the sexual abuse of a child who was approximately 15 months old. Further investigation revealed that Schaefer sexually assaulted the child while acting as a babysitter. As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized Schaefer’s electronic items, which contained the video of that abuse and over 2.2 terabytes of child sexual abuse material.

During the sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the horrific nature of the defendant’s actions, the long-term mental health effects that his actions had on his victim and on the children depicted in the over 156,000 images and videos that he possessed and distributed. Judge Griesbach found a strong need to protect the community and sentenced Schaefer to 25 years’ imprisonment. Upon release from prison, Schaefer will serve a lifetime on supervised release and must register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

This case was investigated by the Menasha Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Oshkosh Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 6, 2024, Nikhil S. Mahtani (age: 28) of New York, New York, was arraigned in federal court and immediately entered a guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.

According to court documents, between approximately January 4, 2019, and December 11, 2022, Mahtani placed over 1,000 ads on Craigslist offering high end tickets and luxury box suites to National Football League, National Basketball League, and other professional sporting events around the country. Numerous victims throughout the Eastern District of Wisconsin and elsewhere were victimized by Mahtani, who accepted thousands of dollars in payments for tickets and suites he knew were not real. In one instance, a large group of friends and family arrived at the Fiserv Forum the night the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Championship in 2021, only to be turned away and told their tickets were fraudulent.  As a result of his scheme, Mahtani received approximately $100,000 from victims in Wisconsin and across the United States.

Mahtani faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment when he sentenced by Senior United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach on May 10, 2024. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and could serve up to three years on supervised release.

This case was investigated by the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 31, 2024, Lakeesha S. Jackson (age: 45) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to federal tax and bankruptcy crimes.

According to court documents, Jackson was the owner and operator of Nurturing Concepts LLC, a personal care agency. She willfully failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) more than $100,000 in payroll taxes her business withheld from employee paychecks in the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2017.

Nurturing Concepts then filed a bankruptcy petition under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code listing the IRS as its largest creditor. Jackson admitted to fraudulently submitting a forged bank statement during this proceeding in an effort to hide a $40,000 transfer from Nurturing Concepts to Jackson’s successor business, Center of Care LLC. Jackson further admitted to improperly diverting to this successor business payments made out to Nurturing Concepts.

“Individuals and businesses who engage in this type of tax and bankruptcy fraud not only injure every taxpayer but also place businesses who play by the rules at a commercial disadvantage,” stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with all of our law enforcement partners to hold individuals who engage in these offenses fully accountable for their actions.”

“Business owners have a responsibility to withhold income taxes for their employees and then remit those taxes to the Internal Revenue Service,” stated Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell of the Chicago Field Office. In addition, Campbell stated, “Obstruction and dishonesty are common factors in bankruptcy fraud and IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to lend its expertise in these complex investigations.”

This case was investigated by the Special Agents from the Internal Revenue Services’ Criminal Investigation Division.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Farris Martini. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2024, before United States District Judge Lynn Adleman.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 23, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against registered sex offender Daniel L. Anderson (age 54) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chasity S. Evans (age 37) of Ripley, Tennessee (formerly of Milwaukee). The indictment charges Anderson and Evans with production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and 2251(e). The indictment also charges Anderson with Commission of a Felony Sex Offense by an Individual Required to Register as a Sex Offender, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2260A.

According to the indictment, Anderson and Evans aided and abetted the repeated production of CSAM of a minor child between February 2023 and June 2023. The child is alleged to have been between the ages of 11 and 12 years old during the production of the CSAM. The indictment further alleges that Evans sent the CSAM to Anderson via cell phone, in exchange for small sums of money via Cash App. 

If convicted of producing CSAM, Anderson faces a mandatory 25 years’ imprisonment and up to 50 years’ imprisonment. This enhanced penalty is predicated on Anderson’s 2014 state criminal convictions for child enticement. If convicted of that offense, Evans would face a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment. Each also could be fined up to $250,000 for the production offense. If convicted of committing a felony as a registered sex offender, Anderson would also face a mandatory sentence of 10 years, which would run consecutively to any sentence for producing CSAM.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Memphis, Tennessee field offices) investigated this case, with the assistance of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.

An indictment contains allegations is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove them each guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 17, 2024, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Robert C. Starnes with two counts of committing wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. 

According to the indictment, Starnes allegedly operated Robert C. Starnes Financial Services, and was a registered investment advisor. Starnes, citing his role as an investment advisor, would seek investment funds from his clients, promising safe returns on those investments. Once someone agreed to invest, Starnes would ask for funds, which he then deposited into his personal bank account. The indictment alleges that Starnes then used these funds to pay his personal expenses. The indictment further explains that Starnes would provide investors with fabricated account statements showing fake investment returns, and, when an investor asked to withdraw money from these accounts, Starnes would send them funds to continue the scheme by persuading them that he had invested their assets.

If convicted, each count carries a maximum of twenty years in prison and up to three years of supervised release.

The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation and the United States Internal Revenue Service investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Carter B. Stewart will prosecute.

The public is cautioned that an indictment or criminal complaint is merely a charge, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

# #  #

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that on January 23, 2024, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Nigerian citizens John Umukoro, Shedrack Umukoro, and Otaniyen Iduozee with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956. 

According to filed court documents, between November of 2021 and May of 2022, the defendants participated in an extensive scheme to fraudulently obtain and then launder money from American citizens who believed they were loaning funds to their romantic partners.  According to court filings, the defendants posed as older men looking for connections on dating websites and engaged in text-based romantic relationships with older women.  Once the defendants gained their victims’ trust, they began to “borrow” money from their victims, for allegedly urgent and short-term financial needs.  Court filings further indicate that those “loans” were never repaid, however, and multiple victims ultimately lost their life savings.  Finally, filings indicate that after obtaining the victims’ funds, the defendants laundered them through multiple transactions and moved the funds overseas. 

If convicted, each of these offenses carries a maximum of twenty years in prison and up to three years of supervised release.

The Department of Homeland Security investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Taibleson will prosecute.

The public is cautioned that an indictment or criminal complaint is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 23, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment alleging that Zachary A. Zastawniak (age: 23) of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, sexually exploited or attempted to sexually exploit two minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and 2251(e).

According to the indictment, on or about July 7, 2023, and again on August 23, 2023, Zastawniak knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, and coerced two minors to “engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction … of [the victims] engaged in the lascivious exhibition of [the victims’] genitals.” Zastawniak faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment if convicted of either count. He may also be fined up to $250,000 on each count.

This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, the North Fond du Lac Police Department, Oconto Falls Police Department, Oconto Police Department, Oconto County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kingsford, Michigan, Department of Public Safety.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 19, 2024, a jury found defendant Samuel L. Spencer, who used the alias “Bin Laden,” guilty of four counts of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, and one count of Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking following a two-week trial in Milwaukee.

The evidence presented at trial established that between 2005 and 2020, Spencer was a street-level drug dealer who used crack cocaine and heroin, along with false promises of a romantic relationship, to lure female victims to earn money for him by performing commercial sex acts in southeastern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and other midwestern states. The victims testified that Spencer took everything they earned, controlling them with severe physical violence, the threat of withholding drugs, isolation, and other forms of coercion to ensure they complied with his demands.

“The jury’s verdict in this case was the result of tireless work by federal, state, and local law enforcement as well as Mr. Spencer’s victims having the courage to give voice to the trauma they suffered,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad.  “January is Human Trafficking Awareness month, and this case serves as another example of the fact that sex trafficking and labor trafficking can happen anywhere.  If you suspect that someone is being trafficked, please report it to law enforcement or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.  The hotline is staffed around the clock.” 

Spencer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing has been set for May 16, 2024, before Chief Judge Pamela Pepper.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with the assistance of the Milwaukee Police Department, the Glendale Police Department, the Oak Creek Police Department, and the Franklin Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Julie F. Stewart prosecuted the case.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 18, 2024, Anthony J. Michalek (age: 38) of Langlade County, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment for receiving obscene visual depictions of the sexual abuse of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1466A, and for doing so while being required to register as a sex offender.

At Michalek’s sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the horrific nature of the defendant’s actions and the effect that his actions have on child victims.  Senior Judge Griesbach also stressed the danger Michalek presents to the community given his status as a repeat offender, having been convicted in 2007 of sexual assault in Dane County, Wisconsin. Following his release from prison, Michalek will spend 20 years on supervised release and will continue to be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

This case was investigated by the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay and Wausau Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 4, 2024, a federal criminal complaint was issued alleging that Charlotta A. Belgum (age: 38) of Appleton, Wisconsin, produced and distributed child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(b).

According to the criminal complaint, between approximately December 2021 and June 2022, Belgum produced CSAM of a minor child which she then shared with a male acquaintance in Texas via the internet. The complaint further alleges that Belgum frequently engaged in online conversations on a “fetish” website centered around the sexual abuse of children. Belgum faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the production charge. She also could be fined up to $250,000.

This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Appleton Police Department, with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security, Milwaukee Field Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

A criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 4, 2024, a federal criminal complaint was issued alleging that Charlotta A. Belgum (age: 38) of Appleton, Wisconsin, produced and distributed child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(b).

According to the criminal complaint, between approximately December 2021 and June 2022, Belgum produced CSAM of a minor child which she then shared with a male acquaintance in Texas via the internet. The complaint further alleges that Belgum frequently engaged in online conversations on a “fetish” website centered around the sexual abuse of children. Belgum faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the production charge. She also could be fined up to $250,000.

This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Appleton Police Department, with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security, San Antonio Field Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

A criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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MADISON, WIS. – A Janesville, Wisconsin man is charged with unlawfully possessing a destructive device in a complaint filed today in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.  James Morgan, 30, was arrested in Janesville yesterday.   

According to the complaint, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received information indicating that Morgan was involved in the making of, and possession of, destructive devices.  Investigators searched Morgan’s travel trailer yesterday in Janesville pursuant to a federal search warrant.  The complaint alleges that six homemade destructive devices were found in a safe inside the trailer and that materials that could be used for making additional devices were also found, including two 1-pound containers of Pyrodex, a black powder substitute. 

Morgan appeared in U.S. District Court in Madison, Wisconsin today.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker ordered that Morgan be held in custody pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for Friday, December 29.

If convicted, Morgan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Janesville Police Department, and the Whitewater Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin for the Western District of Wisconsin, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on December 20, 2023, United States District Judge Brett H. Ludwig sentenced Steven M. Stathas, (age: 33) of West Bend, Wisconsin, to 180 months’ imprisonment (15 years), after he pleaded guilty to Using a Computer to Attempt to Persuade, Induce, and Entice a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). Stathas’s term of imprisonment will be followed by ten years of supervised release, and he will also pay a $100.00 special assessment.

According to court filings, Stathas, who was required to register as a sex offender after being convicted of two felony sex offenses against minors, began communicating online with a fifteen-year-old who lived in Kentucky in late 2021.  Between September and November 2021, Stathas travelled from the Eastern District of Wisconsin to Kentucky on multiple occasions and engaged in various sex acts with the victim.  Finally, on November 28, 2021, Stathas drove to Kentucky, picked the victim up from her family home without her parent’s consent or knowledge, and drove her to his home in Wisconsin, where he was apprehended by the West Bend Police Department.

 When imposing sentence, Judge Ludwig observed that because of Stathas’s behavior “a permanent scar has been left on the victim’s life.”  Judge Ludwig also noted that “[t]here is no justification for what occurred,” and that [t]his was a vulnerable young girl who was victimized by a man who was twice her age.”  Judge Ludwig additionally stated that “[g]rown men cannot victimize teenage girls, and if they do, a price has got to be paid.”

This case was investigated by the West Bend Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan J. Paulson and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the United States Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 14, 2023, Douglas T. Murphy (age: 35) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was found guilty following a jury trial in federal court in Green Bay, Wisconsin, of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

According to court documents, on the evening of June 4 and into the early morning hours of June 5, 2023, Murphy repeatedly pointed a Cobra .380 caliber handgun at several children inside a residence located in downtown Oshkosh. Murphy also used the firearm to “pistol whip” the mother of the children, causing an open wound on her scalp. A 911 call from the children led to an almost 6-hour standoff with law enforcement. At around 6 a.m., the Oshkosh Police Department SWAT Team entered the residence and arrested Murphy. The loaded firearm was located in close proximity to Murphy at the time of his arrest. 

Murphy has prior felony convictions in Waukesha, Manitowoc, and Winnebago Counties.

Murphy faces up to a fifteen-year term in federal prison when he is sentenced by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach in March 2024. Murphy will remain in custody pending that hearing.   

The case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department with the assistance of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Schindhelm and Daniel R. Humble.

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 Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

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United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on December 15, 2023, Jack Daly (age: 51) was sentenced to 4 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to (i) commit mail fraud and (ii) lie to the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”). Daly’s term of imprisonment will be followed by two years of supervised release, and he will also pay a $20,000 fine, along with two separate payments of $69,978.37 for restitution and forfeiture.

Publicly filed documents in the case reflect that Daly and his co-conspirator Nathanael Pendley—both lawyers—operated a political action committee (the “Draft PAC”) that solicited donations by promising donors their money would be used to convince David Clarke, Jr., the former Sheriff of Milwaukee County, to campaign for a seat in the United States Senate. Over the relevant period, the Draft PAC raised over $1.6 million. Most of this money was spent on additional fundraising to benefit Daly and Pendley, not genuine efforts to convince Clarke to run for office. 

Court documents indicate that in their solicitations to small-dollar donors, Daly and Pendley falsely suggested that Clarke was still likely to run for the Senate, even after Clarke’s explicit public statement to the contrary. In communications with both Clarke and the FEC, Daly and Pendley also falsely represented that Daly was no longer responsible for the Draft PAC’s operation. 

According to court records, Daly targeted vulnerable victims, including a woman with Alzheimer’s and elderly veterans. One 96-year-old victim, who “lived alone on a very limited income,” noted that Daly and Pendley were “con artists” who “should be punished” because “they scammed many working people,” instead of “using their education to help” others.

When imposing sentence, United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller observed that Daly’s behavior “crosses the line with affirmative actions that tended to mask the true facts” surrounding Clarke’s intentions. Judge Stadtmueller also noted Daly’s “level of experience” as both a fundraiser and lawyer in explaining the sentence.

“At its core, this was a straightforward fraud case,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad.  “The evidence in this case was clear:  Mr. Daly lied to obtain money that he used for his own benefit.  I commend everyone who worked together to seek justice for the victims of this scheme.”

“Using a political action committee, also known as a PAC, to fraudulently solicit donations for personal gain is a serious offense,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “Such actions undermine the integrity of the political process and erode public trust. Jack Daly and Nathanael Pendley used former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke’s name to victimize thousands of individuals who thought they were making legitimate contributions. The FBI will continue to utilize all available resources, and work with our partners to identify, pursue, and bring offenders to face justice.”

Pendley is set for sentencing before Judge Stadtmueller on December 28, 2023.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Knight and Benjamin Taibleson.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 7, 2023, Gerald B. Diamond II (age: 26), a former resident of Green Bay and an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, received a total sentence of 12 years in federal prison following convictions for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and prohibited possession of a firearm.  Diamond previously pled guilty to these offenses on August 21, 2023.

According to court documents, law enforcement stopped the defendant on March 6, 2023, while he was driving a vehicle east of Keshena on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Diamond was arrested on an outstanding warrant related to previous probation violations. A search of the vehicle revealed over two pounds of marijuana, 14.23 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl, 6.69 grams of fentanyl, 2.1 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, other controlled substances, numerous items of paraphernalia consistent with the use and sale of drugs, .22 caliber ammunition, and a Ruger .22 caliber revolver.  Additionally, $566 in U.S. Currency was recovered from the vehicle. The other occupants of the vehicle stated that Diamond was traveling to a nearby mobile home court to supply drugs to a known drug dealer. Diamond later admitted the drugs, cash, firearm, and paraphernalia belonged to him. At the time, Diamond was prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous convictions in Brown and Sawyer County Circuit Courts.

Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Diamond to concurrent 12-year sentences on each count and imposed a three-year term of supervised release to be served upon his release from prison.  In sentencing the defendant, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the crime, the need to deter those who might consider similar actions and the need to protect the community from the destructive effects of abuse of controlled substances.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted. The Sawyer County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin State Crime Lab provided valuable assistance.

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Kenneth B. Gales at 414 297-1700 

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 5, 2023, a Mexican national was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin to 12 months and one day in prison for his role in a scheme to roll back odometers on used motor vehicles.

Israel Sanchez-Pulido, 41, of Mexico City, Mexico, pleaded guilty on September 6, 2023, to one count of odometer tampering, one count of making a false odometer statement, and one count of conspiracy.

As part of his plea agreement, Sanchez-Pulido admitted that, between 2009 and 2014, he purchased 146 high-mileage vehicles at Wisconsin auto auctions, rolled back the odometers, altered the mileage statements on the vehicle title paperwork, and then sold the vehicles with fraudulently low odometer readings to unsuspecting victims, who were primarily from Illinois.  Sanchez-Pulido purchased the cars at auto auctions located in Wisconsin and drove them to a used car dealership in Evanston, Illinois. He then rolled back the odometers, reflecting a much lower mileage, and altered the vehicle title to match the false mileage, often by simply erasing the first digit of the mileage on the title or by writing over the accurate mileage reading. Sanchez-Pulido then represented to buyers the false mileage, which often exceeded 100,000 miles lower than the true mileage and sold the vehicles for more money than the vehicles were worth. The estimated fraud-loss of the 146 vehicles involved in this schemed exceeded $250,000.

On March 5, 2014, Sanchez-Pulido was arrested and charged by criminal complaint. During the subsequent detention hearing, he was granted release after posting a property-secured bond, and he was ordered to return to court for arraignment on April 14, 2014. Sanchez-Pulido never appeared.

He absconded and remained a fugitive for nearly ten years until June 2023, when local law enforcement stopped Sanchez-Pulido for a traffic violation in Illinois and discovered the outstanding arrest warrant from the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Judge Lynn Adelman sentenced Sanchez-Pulido to 12 months and one day of incarceration. At the request of the government, restitution will be addressed on March 1, 2024. 

“Individuals who engage in these types of schemes seek to line their own pockets at the expense of consumers who can least afford it,” stated U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “In addition, after being charged, this defendant absconded and avoided the consequences of his actions for the better part of a decade. I commend our hard-working federal and state partners who helped pursue justice for the victims in this case.”

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Trial Attorney Edward Dunn of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Koenig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, prosecuted the case.

NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually.  Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s odometer fraud hotline at (800) 424-9393. 

More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website at https://www.nhtsa.gov/odometer-fraud and tips on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud are available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/811284.pdf.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.  For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 28, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Charles A. Parham a/k/a “Red,” a/k/a “Cuzzo,” with drug crimes taking place on the Menominee Indian Reservation and at a tribal casino on land owned by the Ho-Chunk Nation.

The indictment charged Parham, a 41-year-old formerly of Wausau, as follows:

COUNT

DATE

CHARGE

PENALTY

One

On or about September 29, 2023

Distribution of Heroin, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C)

Maximum of 20 years in prison; up to $1 million fine

Two

On or about October 12, 2023

Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(b)

Mandatory minimum 5 years, up to 40 years in prison; up to $5 million fine

Parham also faces terms of supervised release and special assessments of $100 per count if convicted.

According to filed court documents, on or about September 29, 2023, Parham distributed heroin to another person at a location on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Count Two relates to Parham’s possession with intent to distribute at least 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing Fentanyl, which was at a tribal casino in western Shawano County.       

The case was investigated by multiple agencies as part of the Safe Trails Task Force (STTF) and Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI). NADGI and STTF allow federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement to partner in an effort to combat drug trafficking and violent crime on the Menominee Indian Reservation. STTF members are deputized federal officers who identify and target for prosecution individuals who are involved in distribution of dangerous drug on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Coordination of state resources through NADGI permits efficient communication and evidence processing, which are essential to swift but fair prosecution of offenders.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, Shawano County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.

 An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 28, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Merwin J. “Pete” Wynos, Jr., a 35-year-old man from Keshena, with theft on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The indictment charged Wynos with Theft in Indian Country, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 661 and 1153(a). If convicted, Wynos would face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

According to filed court documents, on or about September 23, 2023, Wynos stole more than $1,000 worth of property belonging to four separate companies from a construction site on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department, Menominee County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute.

 An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 4, 2023, Cory J. Herthel (age: 40) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment (15 years) for the online enticement of children located in Venezuela, Cuba, and Spain.

In May 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was contacted by the church where Herthel was employed as a pastor regarding information it had obtained indicating that Herthel had possibly been involved in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a minor living in Venezuela. An ensuing investigation revealed that Herthel sent the child videos of himself masturbating, and at Herthel’s request, the minor sent similar videos and images in return.

According to court documents, Herthel acknowledged knowing the minor from a mission trip he had taken to Ecuador, where he met the child begging on the streets. The child and his mother returned to his native Venezuela, and Herthel kept in touch with the child. Herthel was confronted by law enforcement with images of him masturbating and acknowledged sending the videos to the child whom he knew to be a minor. Herthel also acknowledged asking the child to send him sexually explicit images and masturbation videos and admitted sending the child monetary payments via various online applications. 

According to court records, further investigation by the FBI revealed that Herthel was also exchanging sexually explicit images and videos with a minor child located in Cuba. Herthel assisted the child’s move to Spain with the ultimate goal of bringing him to the United States. Herthel visited the minor on several occasions in Spain and acknowledged engaging in a sexual relationship with the child.

Finally, court records indicate that Herthel also solicited sexually explicit images and videos from a second child in Cuba, to whom Herthel also sent monetary payments.

At the sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach described Herthel’s crime as “terrible” and “an abuse of spiritual authority.” Judge Griesbach also referenced the strong need to deter Herthel and others who may attempt to engage in similar conduct.   Judge Griesbach further noted the serious psychological and emotional scars that Herthel imposed on his victims.

Following his 15-year prison sentence, Herthel will spend 20 years on supervised release and will be required to register as a sexual offender for the remainder of his life.

This case was investigated by the Green Bay and Milwaukee offices of the FBI, with the assistance of the Green Bay Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on November 30, 2023, Matthew Browndorf (age: 53) was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for his willful failure to account for and pay over taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Browndorf was also ordered to pay over $830,000 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.

Publicly filed documents reflect that Browndorf—a lawyer—owned and operated a holding company named Plutos Sama, LLC. Through Plutos Sama, Browndorf also owned subsidiary law firms across the United States, including BP  Peterman, which was based in Brookfield, Wisconsin. As Plutos Sama’s CEO, Browndorf was responsible for ensuring that Plutos Sama and BP Peterman appropriately: collected and remitted payroll taxes; filed the appropriate payroll tax forms with the IRS; remitted funds associated with their employee pension benefit plan; and remitted funds associated with their health care benefit program.

Browndorf unlawfully failed to fulfill these obligations. All told, the total tax loss associated with Browndorf’s crimes exceeded $5,000,000. In addition, Browndorf’s conduct hurt his employees. Court filings indicate that some employees were forced to move in with relatives or borrow money from friends. Others underwent serious medical procedures, unaware that Browndorf had failed to appropriately remit their health insurance premiums, resulting in a lack of coverage and the need to pay out-of pocket for their treatment.

Court filings also documented that Browndorf enjoyed substantial income by virtue of his law practice and other ventures, and nevertheless chose to use the funds  associated with his crimes to fund a lavish lifestyle, featuring sports cars, private flights, club memberships, and luxurious vacations. Court filings also revealed that Browndorf committed additional misconduct while on court supervision, including possessing over $30,000 in stolen goods.

When imposing sentence, Judge J.P. Stadtmueller noted that the extent of harm Browndorf caused his victims “jump[ed] off the page.” Judge Stadtmueller also observed that Browndorf, as a lawyer, “had the skill set” to “know better” but nevertheless chose to enrich himself at his employees’ expense. Browndorf is currently facing a separate federal prosecution for other federal crimes in the District of Maryland.

“Business owners who willfully flout our tax laws not only cause harm to every taxpayer but also put law-abiding businesses at a competitive disadvantage,” stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “This is especially galling when professionals abuse positions of trust and use their criminal proceeds to fund extravagant lifestyles on the backs of their employees and other hardworking Americans. I commend the excellent work and collaboration by all involved in bringing this individual to justice.”

“As a nation, we collectively rely on all citizens to meet their tax obligations,” said Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. “Individuals who attempt to evade paying their taxes add an unfair financial burden to honest taxpayers. IRS Criminal Investigation remains steadfast in its commitment to investigate and bring to justice those who attempt to sidestep their tax obligations.”

Ruben R. Chapa, Chicago’s Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) commented, “EBSA will continue to work aggressively with our criminal law enforcement partners to address the financial harm caused by these types of schemes.”

This matter was investigated by IRS-CI and EBSA. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Knight.

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Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales                                                   

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 17, 2023, William B. Bowers (age: 42) of Appleton, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach.

According to court records, in 1999, Bowers was convicted of two counts of Second-Degree Sexual Assault of a Child in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.  Bowers was sentenced to 20 years in state prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

On February 5, 2020, after being released onto supervision, Wisconsin Probation and Parole Agents were contacted by a concerned individual who observed sexually suggestive websites bookmarked on Bowers’ computer. The following day, a search of Bowers’ electronic devices revealed that Bowers was active on numerous illicit websites and social media applications, in violation of the terms of his state supervision and his rules as a lifetime sex offender registrant. Further investigation revealed that several of Bowers’ devices contained child sexual abuse material.

On May 9, 2023, following a series of legal motions and medical evaluations, Bowers entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2).

At sentencing, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the crime, especially in light of Bowers’ history of child sexual abuse. Judge Griesbach determined that a sentence of 180 months’ imprisonment was a fair and just sentence under federal law. Upon the completion of his federal prison sentence, Bowers will spend the remainder of his life on supervised release. He also must continue to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Division of Community Corrections and the City of Menasha Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 14, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Demario M. Robinson (age: 21) of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.  The indictment charges Robinson with three counts of purchasing and receiving machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) that had been illegally imported into the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 545.

According to a criminal complaint previously issued in the case, the MCDs (commonly known as “switches”) converted semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic firing machine guns. The complaint further alleged that Robinson had purchased and received hundreds of MCDs between July 2022 and June 2023.  If convicted of any of the three importation charges, Robinson would face a 20-year maximum term of imprisonment.

The indictment also alleges that on June 20, 2023, Robinson possessed a machine gun, namely a Glock 9mm handgun that had been converted to firing automatically, and that he possessed a firearm despite being a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 922(g)(1). Finally, the indictment also charges Robinson with possession with intent to distribute marijuana on June 20, 2021, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D). 

If convicted, Robinson would be subject to a ten-year maximum term of imprisonment for the possession of machinegun offense and 15-year maximum term of imprisonment for the felon-in-possession charge.  If convicted of the drug offense, Robinson would face a five-year maximum prison term.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Milwaukee Area Safe Streets Task Force.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William Roach and Michael Schindhelm.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant has pled not guilty, is presumed innocent, and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.   

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 15, 2023, a jury found Cornelius Jackson (age 34) of Waukesha guilty of all counts with which he was charged, including four counts of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, and Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking.

The evidence presented at trial established that between 2014 and 2020, Jackson used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to compel female victims to engage in commercial sex acts in cities and states across the country, including in Waukesha, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ohio.

 The evidence showed that Jackson recruited his victims through dating apps and social media. The victims all testified that Jackson kept and controlled all of the money they made, using violence to ensure they all continued to comply with his demands. The victims testified that Jackson strangled them and that they each saw him strangle other female victims. 

Jackson faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 15 years of imprisonment.  Further, he will be required to register as a Sex Offender for life. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation with the assistance of the Waukesha Police Department, Milwaukee Police Department, Ashwaubenon Public Safety Department, and Oneida Police Department. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Abbey M. Marzick.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 8, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Anthony J. Michalek (age: 38) of Langlade County, Wisconsin, with receipt of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct that is obscene in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1466A, and commission of a felony sex offense by an individual required to register as a sexual offender, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2260A.  

According to the indictment, Michalek knowingly received obscene visual depictions of the sexual abuse of children. He faces a mandatory five years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted of that conduct.  Additionally, Michalek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, to be served consecutively, if convicted of committing a felony sex offense as an individual required to register as a sexual offender. 

This case was investigated by the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 9, 2023, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Jaron Jay Jackson (age: 36) to a total sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, followed by ten years’ supervised release, and 25 years of sex-offender registration. Jackson previously pled guilty to commercially sex trafficking two 15-year-old victims, and transporting child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591 and 2252A.

According to court documents, Jackson, who lived in the Milwaukee area, was released from the Wisconsin prison system on extended supervision and subsequently absconded to Illinois, where he began sex trafficking females. Jackson enticed two 15-year-old runaways from Oshkosh and Green Bay to join him in Chicago-area hotels.  Soon after they arrived, Jackson posted sexually provocative pictures of the minor victims as advertisements on sex-trafficking websites. Jackson then directed the minor victims and an adult female victim to engage in commercial sexual acts with clients in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Minnesota. Jackson repeatedly engaged in sexual activity with one minor victim and attempted to do so with the second minor victim, who contacted family members to return home to Wisconsin. Jackson also recorded videos of a minor engaging in sexual activity with him, which officers recovered from his cell phone when they arrested him after he arrived in Wisconsin via Amtrak from Illinois.

In sentencing Jackson, Judge Griesbach emphasized the severity of Jackson’s criminal conduct in targeting and exploiting minors, his aggravated criminal history, as well as the need for just punishment, to protect the public from Jackson, and to deter others from committing such offenses.

The investigation was conducted by the Oshkosh Police Department and the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Milwaukee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Funnell.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 23, 2023, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Scott J. Meyer (age: 52), formerly of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to 130 months in federal prison for attempted child enticement. Following his prison sentence, Meyer will serve a lifetime of supervised release.

According to court documents, in June 2021, Meyer communicated with an undercover officer who he believed was a 15-year-old girl. Meyer requested sexually explicit photos from the girl and encouraged her to run away from home. On July 14, 2021, Meyer planned to pick the girl up and bring her back to his residence in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the purpose of having sexual intercourse. He expressed some concern about the possibility of getting caught and sent the undercover officer a message that stated, “If I show up to meet with you and you’re not who you say you are, I’m going straight to prison for 5-10 years!” Meyer was arrested that day.

Meyer began communicating with the undercover officer just two months after he was released from prison for a similar offense committed in Shawano County, Wisconsin. In that case, Meyer communicated with an undercover officer who he believed was a 15-year-old girl and sent her sexually explicit photographs. 

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the Fox Valley Metro Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander E. Duros.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 17, 2023, defendants Aziz Hassan Bey, Letez Osiris Bey, Minister Zakar Ali, and Divine-Seven El were convicted after a week-long jury trial. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on August 23, 2022, charging the four defendants with conspiring to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. Defendants Aziz Bey and Divine-Seven El were also charged with money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957.

The evidence presented at trial showed that between June 2020 and July 2021, the four defendants participated in a conspiracy to attempt to obtain over $9.5 million in loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and private lenders, through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Each of the defendants filed multiple fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications. The defendants also engaged in a scheme to defraud the SBA into paying approximately $775,000 in EIDL loan proceeds to which the defendants were not entitled. To obtain those funds, the defendants submitted applications for businesses that were not operational and submitted false representations regarding the companies’ number of employees, gross revenues, and cost of goods sold.

Additionally, the evidence demonstrated that defendants Aziz Bey, Letez Bey, and Ali participated in a scheme to defraud state workforce agencies by submitting false and fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI). As part of the scheme, the three defendants filed false UI applications in the State of Georgia. Aziz Bey and Ali received approximately $33,680 and $43,525, respectively, from Georgia, where they had not lived or worked. Defendant Letez Bey filed UI applications in the states of Illinois and California in the names of other individuals, and caused those states to mail debit cards containing UI funds to addresses used by Aziz Bey and Ali.

Letez Bey received hundreds of thousands of dollars in UI funds from unemployment claims in the names of others.

Defendants Aziz Bey, Ali, and El were also convicted of participating in a scheme to defraud lenders by submitting false information to the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to remove liens that lenders held on vehicles, including a Land Rover, a BMW, and a Corvette. As a result, the defendants were able to keep for their own use or sell the vehicles without repaying the outstanding loans.

With the fraud proceeds they received, the defendants transferred funds to each other and purchased personal items, such as vehicles and jewelry. Defendants Aziz Bey and El were also convicted of conducting money laundering transactions. Aziz Bey used fraud proceeds to purchase a Maserati and to write a $43,000 check to El. El also used fraud proceeds to purchase a Porsche and to write a $60,000 check to himself.

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller on February 1, 2024. They face up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy and mail and wire fraud convictions and up to ten years’ imprisonment on the money laundering charges. They also face up to five years of supervised release.

“The jury’s verdict reflects the fact these defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers across the country,” stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “In addition to fraud targeting private businesses, they sought to take unlawful advantage of programs meant to help individuals, businesses, and the entire economy survive the impact of the pandemic. I commend the hard work and relentless efforts of everyone involved in pursuing justice in this case.”  

“This fraud scheme was dismantled through excellent collaboration between the FBI and our law enforcement partners.” Said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “The FBI has an unwavering commitment to combat fraudulent activities and will ensure that those who seek personal gain through such schemes are held accountable.” 

“The jury’s verdict affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of the unemployment insurance program. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate these types of allegations,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys John P. Scully and Benjamin P. Taibleson prosecuted the case.

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Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 16, 2023, Robert J. Solberg (age: 39) of Crivitz, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach.

According to court records, Solberg received $20,833 from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) after applying to the U.S. Small Business Administration. To obtain the money, Solberg falsely claimed that he was not then under indictment or convicted of a felony. In fact, Solberg had months earlier pled guilty to conspiracy to commit odometer tampering and was awaiting sentencing in federal court.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted the aggravated nature of Solberg’s offense and rejected Solberg’s claim that he did not know how to answer the questions accurately. Although Solberg requested a minimal sentence, the judge determined that an 18-month term in federal prison was required to send a message to Solberg that theft from government programs, especially while awaiting sentencing on another criminal matter, would result in serious consequences. After serving his prison term, Solberg also will be required to spend three years on supervised release.   

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel R. Humble and Julie F. Stewart.

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