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5 September 2023
Statement by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field OfficeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office, issued the following statement:
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offer their diverse student body a unique academic and cultural experience built on pride, resilience, and unity. HBCUs and their students strengthen our communities. We are incredibly fortunate to have HBCUs throughout the country, including here in South Florida.
HBCUs were created in the 1800s to provide educational opportunities for Black students who were excluded and unwelcome from attending existing colleges and universities. HBCUs across our great nation are venerable institutions where students thrive and should always be safe from harm. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the FBI stand ready to investigate and prosecute allegations of a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity. We are united in our efforts to protect the safety and security of our South Florida students, visitors, and residents. As Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated last month, “The Justice Department will never stop working to protect everyone in our country from unlawful acts of hate.”
We encourage the community to report all suspected hate crimes to the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) and tips.fbi.gov.
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St. Paul Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Role in Child Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul woman has been sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and restitution to the victims for her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from May 2020 through December 2020, Gisela Castro Medina, 21, conspired with co-defendant Anton Joseph Lazzaro, 32, to recruit and solicit six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant United States Attorneys Melinda Williams, Laura Provinzino and Emily Polachek, said, “Anton Lazzaro and Gisela Castro Medina have been held accountable for their crimes. This case has shown the reality of modern-day sex trafficking: wealth, privilege, and social media used as weapons to target and manipulate vulnerable youth. It’s been a long road and we are grateful to the victims for their strength and resilience throughout.”
According to court documents, in May 2020, Castro Medina met Lazzaro through the Seeking Arrangement website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro began communicating with Castro Medina and a minor victim and invited them to his condo at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis. Before arriving at the Hotel Ivy, Castro Medina told Lazzaro that the minor victim was only 16 years old. Lazzaro provided Castro Medina and the minor victim with alcohol and paid them $600 for commercial sex acts with him. Lazzaro continued to engage in commercial sexual acts with the minor victim and, on each occasion, Lazzaro paid her in the form of an envelope of cash. Half of each cash payment was for Castro Medina.
According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro continued to communicate via Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Signal. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to use WhatsApp and eventually Signal because of the applications’ encryption and deletion features. Castro Medina used social media and her school, friend, and community networks to identify other minor girls for Lazzaro. Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would reach out to the minor and provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro. Castro Medina told the minors that Lazzaro was an older guy with a lot of money, and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy to younger girls.
Castro Medina admitted that, at the time of recruitment, she knew that the victims were minors and that Lazzaro paid the minor victims money in exchange for sex acts. Castro Medina also admitted that Lazzaro provided the minor victims with alcohol, vapes, food, smartphones, high-end purses, rooms in the Hotel Ivy, and transportation. For her role of identifying, recruiting, and introducing minors, Lazzaro compensated Castro Medina with cash and Venmo payments, as well as rent and utility payments for her apartment, tuition payments to the University of St. Thomas, car payments, travel expenses, and other items.
According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro discussed which of the minor victims spoke to law enforcement following the execution of federal search warrants in December 2020. Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro aided and abetted one another to obstruct law enforcement by agreeing to pay off a 15-year-old victim to prevent her from talking to law enforcement about engaging in commercial sex with Lazzaro. Castro Medina picked up the minor victim at her place of employment, drove the minor victim around in her Mini Cooper, and provided her with hundreds of dollars in cash, gift cards, vapes, and alcohol from Lazzaro. Castro Medina also told the minor victim not to text Lazzaro anymore.
On December 19, 2022, Castro Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. She was sentenced today by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz who stated that Castro Medina helped Lazzaro at “every step of the way.”
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – led by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams, Laura M. Provinzino, and Emily A. Polachek are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Southern District prosecutes nearly $11 million in COVID fraud as part of national enforcement actionsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: As part of a coordinated nationwide effort to fight COVID-19 fraud, the Southern District of Georgia has taken action against individuals who illegally obtained nearly $11 million in funds intended to help struggling small businesses during the global pandemic.
As announced by U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg, and in conjunction with the Justice Department’s nationwide effort, the Southern District of Georgia conducted more than 20 enforcement actions from May through July 2023, involving a total of $10.9 million in alleged COVID-19 relief fraud.
“Funding through the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided more than more than $650 billion to assist small businesses navigating the financial challenges of the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Unfortunately, fraudsters tapped into this program for their own profit, and this nationwide effort seeks to hold them accountable for their widespread fraud.”
The CARES act provided small business assistance primarily with grants and forgivable loans available through the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) or Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). The Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with its law enforcement partners, conducted multiple enforcement actions during the May-June period including:
- Kamario Thomas, 42, of Augusta, Ga., was sentenced to 38 months in prison for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering. Thomas submitted more than 60 fraudulent loan applications for pandemic relief and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks for his fraud. Thomas was ordered to pay full restitution in the amount of $4,546,945.
- Bernard Okojie, 41, of McDonough, Ga., was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering after a three-day jury trial. As detailed during trial, Okojie used information for non-existent companies to file more than 20 fraudulent loan applications for pandemic relief aid, causing losses in excess of $3.5 million. He awaits sentencing.
- Jacqueline Somesso, 55, of Savannah, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for Bank Fraud and Misprision of a felony. Somesso submitted a fake pandemic relief loan application resulting in losses of $570,736.87. She was ordered to pay restitution in this amount and to forfeit a money judgment in that amount. The Court also entered a consent order forfeiting her interest in a certificate of deposit of $350,236.54 and a bank account of $3,520.91, both containing fraud money seized from her during the investigation.
- Kyle Waldron, 58, of Douglas, Ga., received service of a civil forfeiture complaint arising from his filing of numerous fraudulent loans applications for pandemic relief aid. The complaint seeks forfeiture of $326,461.33, the amount of fraud money seized from his bank account.
- A civil forfeiture complaint was filed and continues to be litigated concerning an Atlanta condominium on Peachtree Road Northwest. This property, valued at $328,000, was purchased with money obtained fraudulently through pandemic relief loans.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
These cases were investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
The enforcement actions were prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson, Jennifer A. Stanley, Ryan C. Grover, Lindsay Berman-Hansell, J. Bishop Ravenel, Alex Hamner, Marcella Mateo, David H. Estes, and Senior Litigation Counsel Jennifer G. Solari.
Shelton Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding AmazonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OSHANE STEWART, 31, of Shelton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stewart created multiple vendor accounts with Amazon allowing him to sell merchandise through the website on a third-party basis. He often opened the accounts using false names, email addresses and other identifying information. After setting up the accounts, Stewart represented to Amazon that he was shipping it valuable merchandise to be held for sale by the company. In reality, he would not ship the merchandise, and would later falsely claim that it had been lost, supporting his false claims with fabricated documents. Amazon sent Stewart a series of refunds for the purportedly lost merchandise.
Through this scheme, Stewart defrauded Amazon of approximately $742,231.16. Judge Thompson ordered him to pay full restitution.
On November 8, 2022, Stewart pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Stewart who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on December 5.
Two other individuals have pleaded guilty to charges in connection with this scheme. On February 10, 2022, Stewart’s brother, Kenoy Stewart, pleaded guilty and admitted that his conduct resulted in a loss to Amazon exceeding $1 million. Rajhni Yankana pleaded guilty on August 26, 2022. Each awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Amazon. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Second Gunman Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for August 11, 2018, Gang-Related MurderRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO –Jose Aguilar, aka Slim, was sentenced to serve 22 years in prison for his role in the August 11, 2018, murder of then-19-year-old Gerson Romero, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and San Francisco Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Vince Chhabria, United States District Judge.
“We will not surrender the streets of San Francisco to violent street gangs,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey. “Gang violence will not lead to personal profit. To the contrary; where appropriate we will seek severe, impactful sentences, such as the decades-long one imposed here.”
“This sentencing sends a message to criminal gang members that they will face justice for menacing our communities through murder and other violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge King. “This case has been hard fought by the men and women of HSI, the San Francisco Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California, and we hope that this sentencing provides some solace for the senseless loss of loved ones.”
Aguilar, 34, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to the charge on May 3, 2023. According to his plea agreement, Aguilar admitted that on the day of the murder, he was a member of the 19th Street/16th Street Sureños, a San Francisco street gang. He further admitted that the gang was an amalgamation of two gangs, one that claimed “territory” bounded by 19th Street to the South, 16th Street to the North, Folsom Street to the East, and Dolores Street to the West and the other that generally operated around 16th Street and Mission Street, in the Mission District of San Francisco. The gang also operated in Dolores Park and Franklin Square Park (also known as Bryant Park). Aguilar acknowledged that the street gang operated as a “racketeering enterprise” and that members of the gang sought to maintain control of designated neighborhoods by, among other things, committing crimes. In this case, the indictment described, and Aguilar admitted, how members of the 19th Street/16th Street Sureños committed acts of violence, sold narcotics, and engaged in robberies to meet the aims of the criminal enterprise.
Aguilar admitted that on the day of the murder, he and fellow gang members were scouting for rival gang members to retaliate for an earlier drive-by shooting when they spotted Romero and several of his friends. Aguilar and his fellow gang members, including Jonathan Escobar, 24, of Richmond, Calif., concluded that Romero and the others were members of a rival gang. After two pedestrians passed by, Aguilar and his fellow gang members took aim and began firing. The bullets killed Romero. Aguilar and Escobar fired repeatedly, continuing to shoot even after Romero had fallen. Five other victims fled from the gunfire, three of them struck and wounded.
On April 15, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Aguilar and Escobar, charging each defendant with the murder (using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(j)(1) and 2) and with an additional firearm charge (use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A) and 2). Aguilar pleaded guilty to the first count, and the second count was dismissed.
On April 5, 2023, Escobar pleaded guilty to his role in the crime, and on June 28, 2023, Judge Chhabria sentenced him to 26 years in prison for that crime and two others committed while he was in pretrial detention. Aguilar and Escobar both have been in federal custody since their arrest on April 20, 2021.
The case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department’s Gang Task Force and Homicide Unit.
Schulter Resident Sentenced for 2018 MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nacole Ryan Bain aka Nacole Ryan Spears, age 42, of Schulter, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 324 months in prison for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the District 25 Violent Crime Task Force, the Henryetta Police Department, the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On March 28, 2022, Bain pleaded guilty in federal district court to Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. According to investigators, family members reported the victim missing in late June of 2018 after he failed to arrive as expected at his destination in North Carolina. Law enforcement discovered the victim’s wrecked and empty vehicle in south Okmulgee County, and later confirmed the separate discovery of the victim’s remains on July 6, 2018. Under questioning, Bain, a five-time convicted felon, confessed to intentionally shooting the victim with a revolver at his Henryetta home, then removing his remains to a rural property, selling his personal property, and pocketing the proceeds.
The crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Bain will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States at sentencing.
San Jose Man Sentenced for Eight Years and Six Months for Conspiring to Traffic Methamphetamine in Solano CountyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Esteban Gerardo Ramirez, 32, of San Jose, was sentenced today to eight years and six months in prison for conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between Sept. 13, 2021, and March 8, 2022, Ramirez conspired with his codefendant, Marsha Garma Phillips, of Fairfield, to distribute methamphetamine in Solano County. Supplied by Ramirez, Phillips sold over 5 pounds of methamphetamine to an FBI confidential source. Phillips and Ramirez were arrested in Fremont on March 8, 2022, when they were found in possession of 2 additional pounds of methamphetamine. Ramirez has two prior state sentences for methamphetamine trafficking.
Ramirez is in federal custody. Phillips previously pleaded guilty and her next court date is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2023.
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Fairfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Repeat drug and gun offender sentenced to nine years in prison for new crimes committed while on supervised releaseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former resident of Pierce and Thurston Counties was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 9 years in prison for gun and drug crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Deon Jordan, 35, was released from federal prison in September 2020, following an 87-month prison sentence for dealing drugs while armed. Jordan almost immediately violated the terms of his supervised release with drug use as well as firearms possession. Following two contacts with police when he was found to have guns and drugs – including fentanyl - Jordan was charged with new federal crimes. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “Fentanyl is the greatest drug threat facing our country.”
“The goal of supervised release is to help offenders return to the community and live a crime-free life. Sadly, Mr. Jordan chose to reject any assistance and instead carried on with criminal conduct,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This nine-year sentence is now needed to keep the community safe from the drugs Mr. Jordan trafficked and the guns he was prepared to use to protect his deadly stash.”
In October 2022, Jordan was found passed out in a car under the freeway in downtown Seattle. After being identified by police, Jordan fled from the scene and hid a gun that he carried under a nearby car. Police seized that weapon and when they searched the car Jordan had been in, they found three more firearms as well as distribution amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, fentanyl pills and more than a kilogram of methamphetamine. A warrant was issued for Jordan’s arrest.
In November 2022, Jordan was located near a Seattle homeless encampment. Federal officers surveilled the area, and observed Jordan get into a car. When the car stopped at a convenience store, officers moved in. Jordan was arrested with a 9 mm Baretta pistol in his pocket and a second unregistered 9 mm handgun with an extended magazine in his backpack. Jordan had fentanyl pills, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, drug ledgers and more than $10,000 cash in his possession.
In April 2023 Jordan pleaded guilty to illegal firearms possession, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In asking for a 12-year prison sentence for both the new crimes and the violations of supervised release, Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham wrote to the court, “Simply put, whenever Jordan is not in custody, he sells drugs while using firearms to protect his business… When released, he exhibits complete disregard for the law and the Court by possessing firearms and ignoring the terms of his supervision. Furthermore, the fact that Jordan consistently carried loaded firearms and ammunition makes clear he is willing to fire these weapons if necessary to protect his drug stash…. Jordan’s actions put his entire community at risk.”
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Physician Convicted in $9.5 Million Health Care Fraud Conspiracy to Accept KickbacksRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A federal jury in Nashville has convicted Doctor Benjamin T. Toh, 68, of Chicago, Illinois, for his role in a more than $9.5 million health care fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2022. He was convicted of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute after a two-week trial.
According to the evidence at trial, the defendant, who was enrolled as a Medicare provider and licensed to practice medicine in multiple states, worked with purported telemedicine companies to obtain access to Medicare and Medicaid patients around the country. From March 2019 through September 2019, he and others caused the submission of more than $9.5 million in fraudulent ]claims to Medicare and Medicaid for cancer genetic tests. The defendant ordered thousands of these tests despite never actually meeting the patients in person or via telemedicine and never reviewing test results.
In exchange for providing signed orders for genetic testing, the defendant was paid kickbacks by co-conspirator telemedicine companies. These companies were, in turn, paid by co-conspirator marketing companies that targeted Medicare and Medicaid patients through door-to-door marketing, at senior fairs, at nursing homes, and at other locations, and convinced patients to provide their genetic material via a mouth swab kit.
The marketers then provided the swab kits to a lab in Spring Hill, Tennessee, for laboratory cancer genetic testing and in exchange for kickbacks paid to them by the lab. The lab billed Medicare and Medicaid for the tests.
“The defendant abused the trust Medicare placed in him to enrich himself and his co-conspirators at the expense of Medicare recipients and taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “The jury’s verdict should serve as a powerful reminder that health care providers who do so will be held accountable.”
Based on the count of conviction, the defendant faces up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced on January 9, 2024. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a second conspiracy charge.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah K. Bogni and Robert S. Levine are prosecuting the case.
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Ohio Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –Judy Ann Goodman, 32, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was sentenced today to two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2022, Goodman conspired with Western Regional Jail inmate Corey Michael Perkins during phone calls to assist the smuggling of a package of suboxone and methamphetamine into the jail. The phone calls were recorded by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Goodman admitted that she helped to pay a woman working at the jail to transport the drugs into the jail. Goodman further admitted that Perkins instructed her on what to do with the package and arranged a meeting between Goodman and the jail worker.
Investigators intercepted the package when the jail worker attempted to deliver it. Goodman admitted that the package contained 126 Suboxone strips and approximately 7.3 grams of suspected methamphetamine. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the controlled substances were buprenorphine and 6.8 grams of methamphetamine.
Perkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine. The jail worker, Bryanna Danielle Kern, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone. Both await sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the investigations section of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe, Courtney L. Finney, and Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-220.
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Niles Man Indicted for Possessing A Firearm as A Felon and Possessing A MachinegunRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Lawrence Edward Slaughter II, 19, of Niles, with possessing a loaded Glock handgun when he was ineligible to possess firearms because of a prior felony conviction. The indictment also alleges that the handgun had been modified to a fully automatic firearm using a conversion device. A conversion device meets the federal definition of a “machinegun.”
“Gun violence is an epidemic across America and here in Michigan that inflicts immense trauma on communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “The prevalence of machinegun conversion devices in the Western District is a particularly troubling trend that my office takes seriously. Criminals who traffic or possess these devices face the prospect of federal prosecution.” At the conclusion of the press conference, U.S. Attorney Totten affirmed his Office’s commitment to protect communities in every corner of the state: “Rest assured that whether you live in a big city or a small town, whether you work in a major metropolitan center or make your living working the land in the rural parts of the state: we are here to protect you and we will go anywhere to do so.”
The indictment charges Slaughter with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a machinegun. The maximum possible penalty for felon in possession of a firearm is 15 years in prison; the maximum penalty for possession of a machinegun is 10 years.
“Removing violent offenders from our communities is one of the highest priorities of the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “We are proud of our partnership with the Niles Police Department and of our combined efforts to remove the most violent offenders from this community.”
“The Niles Police Department reaffirms its commitment to combatting illegal gun violence and possession within our community,” said Niles Police Department Captain Chad Mitchell. “By joining forces with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Niles Police Department aims to bolster its resources, intelligence-sharing capabilities, and prosecutorial strength to target and apprehend those involved in illegal gun activities.”
The indictment was announced during a press conference at Niles Police Department with U.S. Attorney Totten, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan Devin Kowalski, Niles Department of Public Safety Director Mike Dawson, Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey, and the Michigan State Police. Video of today’s press conference can be viewed on the U.S. Attorney’s Facebook Page.
The case was investigated by the Niles Police Department, the Michigan State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in Saint Joseph, Michigan. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LaToyia Carpenter.
A copy of the indictment is attached. The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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New Britain Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing and Selling Catalytic ConvertersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERTO ALICEA, 31, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation into the coordinated theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.
The investigation revealed that Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford, purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Alicea, and then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey. Business records seized during the investigation revealed that, between December 2021 and May 2022, Downpipe Depot paid Alicea approximately $540,000 for catalytic converters.
Alicea’s criminal history includes convictions for larceny, criminal trespass, property damage, assault with a firearm, carrying a dangerous weapon, and engaging in a police pursuit.
Alicea has been detained since his arrest on August 23, 2022. On June 13, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for his role as a drug runner in a conspiracy to distribute internationally sourced fentanyl operating out of Lawrence, Massachusetts., U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Ramon Jaquez Diaz, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The defendant was convicted by a federal jury for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl on April 6, 2023.
“For an international drug conspiracy to function, criminals perform various jobs- including delivering the drugs to suppliers and customers. Regardless of the role, those involved in conspiracies to distribute fentanyl will be prosecuted and punished,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s crime and should serve as a deterrent to those who pollute our communities with this deadly poison.”
“New Hampshire is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, as deaths from fentanyl soar. The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those, like Mr. Diaz, who are contributing to the crisis,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence holds Mr. Diaz accountable for his crimes, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to put other callous distributers like him behind bars.”
At trial, the government introduced transcripts from recorded telephone conversations between Jaquez Diaz and his co-conspirators, wherein the co-defendants discussed Jaquez Diaz’s role as the runner in the New England area. The evidence against the defendant also included law-enforcement surveillance.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth R. Aframe, Heather A. Cherniske, and John Kennedy are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Maryland Security Guard Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Maryland security guard was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for tax evasion.
In December 2022, Gaston Gilberto Reyes of Germantown was convicted of six counts of tax evasion following a jury trial. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Reyes did not file income tax returns for the years 2011 through 2020 and thus did not report more than $1.6 million in income from his employment as an armed security guard at federal buildings in Maryland. In addition to not filing tax returns, Reyes provided his employers with false Forms W-4 claiming he was exempt from federal income tax withholding, causing little or no federal income taxes to be withheld from his wages. In total, Reyes caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $330,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel ordered Reyes to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution in the amount of $219,167 to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and George Meggali of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Marianna Resident Pleads Guilty to Mail FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Marianna, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of mail fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Erica Pinkney, age 38, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Pinkney had previously served as the Secretary and Tax Collector for Marianna Borough. While employed in those roles, Pinkney used the Borough’s credit cards to pay for personal purchases. Then, to pay toward the balance of those credit cards, Pinkney used money that had been collected from Borough residents in order to pay the residents’ tax, water, and garbage bills.
Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for January 3, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Pinkney be released on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Pinkney, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service.
Lantry Woman Sentenced for LarcenyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lantry, South Dakota, woman convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on September 1, 2023.
Trude Clown, age 47, was sentenced to all time served through October 11, 2023, equal to approximately one-and-a-half months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay restitution of $20,143.61 and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Clown was indicted for Larceny by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. She pleaded guilty on May 31, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from Clown purchasing a variety of goods and services between February 1, 2022, and June 1, 2022, with information she obtained from the victim’s bank card. Clown used this information to make numerous unauthorized purchases online and from businesses located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Clown was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kunia Woman Arraigned on Scheme to Defraud Pandemic Unemployment Assistance RecipientsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – On September 5, 2023, Oseola Vakameilalo, 54, of Kunia, Hawaii was arraigned in federal court and pled not guilty to all 12 charges in an indictment relating to fraud in connection with the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) unemployment insurance program. Federal law enforcement arrested Vakameilalo on September 5, 2023, after a federal grand jury had returned the indictment on August 24, 2023. Trial was set for October 31, 2023, before Senior District Judge Susan Oki Mollway. Vakameilalo was ordered released on pretrial conditions.
According to the indictment, Vakameilalo is charged with wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Hawaii residents of PUA unemployment benefit payments to which they were qualified to receive. In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Congress created the PUA program to provide emergency unemployment payments to certain workers whose livelihoods were impacted adversely by the COVID-19 pandemic, but who were ineligible for traditional state unemployment insurance benefits.
The indictment alleges that Vakameilalo purported to assist individuals with filing claims for PUA unemployment benefit payments. Among other things, she created profiles for them on the Hawaii Department of Industrial and Labor Relations (DLIR) website using their personal information, including social security number and date of birth, as well as their bank account information to receive direct deposits of benefit payments. The indictment further alleges that, for each individual claimant, Vakameilalo then logged onto the Hawaii DLIR website with the username and password she had created for the claimant and submitted weekly certifications that the claimant remained eligible for benefit payments so that the claimant could obtain payments.
The indictment alleges that after the claimant had received a certain number of payments, Vakameilalo used the claimant’s log-in credentials to access the claimant’s DLIR account without the claimant’s knowledge and consent. While falsely purporting to be or to represent the claimant, Vakameilalo then changed the bank account she previously had designated to receive the PUA unemployment benefit payments from the claimant’s bank account to her own. The indictment alleges that Vakameilalo continued to use the claimant’s credentials regularly to log on to the claimant’s Hawaii DLIR account, without the claimant’s knowledge and consent, to submit the certifications required for the benefit payments to continue, knowing that the payments would be made to her own bank account and not the claimant’s. According to the indictment, Vakameilalo fraudulently obtained approximately $52,270 in PUA unemployment benefits that were intended for other individuals.
“These criminal acts were committed for personal gain and at the expense of people who needed and deserved financial assistance during a global pandemic.” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors. “We will pursue criminal consequences for individuals who unlawfully take advantage of federal financial assistance programs created during times of widespread financial need.”
“Charged with investigating allegations of fraud against the U.S. Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance programs, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, the DOL-OIG is committed to working relentlessly to protect the integrity of these vital benefits,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Hawaii, the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Hawaii Attorney General’s Office, the FBI, and our other federal partners for their strong partnership and collaboration on these types of investigations.”
“'This defendant took advantage of those families who came to her for assistance and instead diverted funds for her own personal gain," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. "The FBI will ensure that cases like these will be investigated to the fullest extent of the law."
Vakameilalo is charged with ten counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Each of the wire fraud counts carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Each of the aggravated identity theft counts carries a sentence of two years in prison.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 866-720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates.
Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Advertising Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to advertising child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the dark web.
Scott Allison, 58, of Glasgow, Ky., pleaded guilty to one count of advertisement of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2024. Allison was initially charged by criminal complaint in November 2021 in the Western District of Kentucky, and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in December 2021.
In April 2021, Allison was identified advertising and posting links to CSAM, including images of boys as young as approximately two years old, via a website on the dark web for which he served as a moderator. Allison used at least two different usernames on various websites on the dark web. During a search of Allison’s home in November 2021, an external hard drive was located plugged into Allison’s computer in his bedroom and found to contain approximately 130,000 images and videos of CSAM. Allison also had the content or text of approximately 108,000 posts to child pornography websites saved on his computer. Additionally, a box containing boy’s underwear, diapers and condoms as well as a silicone mold of a boy’s buttocks with partial genitalia were also found during the search.
The charge of advertisement of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Michael A. Bennett, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky; and Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Nashville made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Justice Department Secures Agreement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Baltimore County Fire DepartmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Baltimore County, Maryland, for significant relief and compensation for victims of sexual harassment. The settlement resolves the department’s complaint alleging that the county, through the Baltimore County Fire Department (BCFD), violated Title VII by subjecting several female employees to a hostile work environment on the basis of their sex. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion and prohibits retaliation against employees for opposing discriminatory employment practices.
“Women deserve protection from sexual harassment and sex discrimination in the workplace, and this lawsuit and consent decree demonstrate the department’s commitment to that principle,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Like any other employer, fire departments must take prompt and appropriate actions to correct an ongoing hostile work environment. Addressing sexual harassment in the firefighting industry is critical to efforts to bring more women into a profession where they have faced historic rates of exclusion, marginalization and discrimination.”
According to the department’s complaint, filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, several female employees were subjected to a hostile work environment when a male coworker distributed nude and other inappropriate photographs of female BCFD employees to other coworkers, solicited such photographs from coworkers and posted the photos on a social media site. The complaint further alleges that BCFD failed to take prompt and appropriate actions to correct the ongoing hostile work environment. As alleged, BCFD failed to promptly and thoroughly investigate the harassment and failed to adequately communicate with the victims as the harassment came to light, perpetuating the hostile work environment that the female employees faced.
Under the terms of the consent decree, if approved by the court, BCFD will overhaul its process for investigating complaints of sexual harassment, provide periodic sexual harassment training to its employees and conduct a workplace climate survey to gather information to aid in efforts to keep the workplace free of harassment. The county will also pay $275,000 to compensate female employees that were harmed by the harassment.
“Every workplace should foster respect and dignity for all employees, period,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Our mission to protect civil rights extends to sexual harassment and employers should be on notice that we will vigorously enforce the laws. We are pleased that Baltimore County has agreed to take comprehensive steps to ensure that their employees feel safe, respected and valued at their workplace.”
This case stems from a charge of discrimination by a commissioner for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and investigated by the EEOC’s Baltimore office. The EEOC investigated the charge and found reasonable cause to believe that BCFD violated Title VII. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the charge to the Justice Department.
“Sexual harassment in the workplace too often goes uncorrected,” said Director Rosemarie Rhodes of the EEOC Baltimore Office. “Allowing such behavior to go unchecked when it affects one victim of sexual harassment is too much, let alone when it affects at least eleven victims. It’s critical to remind victims that sexual harassment is against the law, they do not have to tolerate it at work, and they are protected when they complain.”
Employees with complaints of sexual harassment can report them to their local EEOC office or their respective state or local fair employment practices agencies. The contact information for each local EEOC office can be found at www.eeoc.gov/field-office.
The case is being handled by Trial Attorneys Shan Shah and Sharion Scott of the of Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Marquardt for the District of Maryland.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Jackson County Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. Vickie Lynn Parsons, 47, of Ravenswood, pleaded guilty today to four counts of wire fraud. Parsons admitted to a scheme that defrauded an elderly individual in her care of approximately $31,000.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about December 1, 2021, to on or about January 26, 2022, Parsons secretly gained access to the individual’s bank account information to fraudulently conduct numerous online transactions to pay for goods and services for herself and her friends. Parsons used the individual’s bank account to make numerous payments to an electric utility, Parsons’ credit card accounts, her wireless account, and another individual’s department store credit card.
Parsons is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 80 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Parsons also owes at least $31,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-73.
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Indictment Charges D.C. Man with Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Humphrey, 41, of Washington, D.C., a registered sex offender, was indicted today in U.S. District Court on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and transportation and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to a previously filed criminal complaint, on July 3, 2023, Google LLC reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that two Google accounts, later identified as Humphrey’s, uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the Google LLC servers on May 16, 2020, May 17, 2020, August 30, 2020, September 22, 2020, December 1, 2020, and June 16, 2023. In total, Humphrey uploaded more than 40 files depicting the sexual abuse of children. Law enforcement obtained a warrant authorizing the search of Humphrey’s Google account. In his Google account, law enforcement discovered at least three videos that show Humphrey sexually abusing a young girl.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that over the past several years, Humphrey has had unsupervised access to several children. Law enforcement is asking for assistance in identifying and locating additional victims of Humphrey’s abuse. If you have any information that may assist in this investigation, please contact the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099, or send an anonymous text to 50411.
Humphrey previously has been convicted on charges relating to the sexual abuse of children. On March 10, 2020, he was convicted of third-degree sex offense in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Maryland. As a result of this conviction, Humphrey was required to register as a Tier III Sex Offender. Following his release from custody, he failed to register as a Sex Offender, as required by law. On March 17, 2022, Humphrey was charged in Montgomery County for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. He was subsequently found guilty of the offense.
Humphrey was ordered to register as a Tier III sex offender upon release for a March 10, 2020, conviction in Montgomery County, Maryland. On May 2, 2022, Humphrey registered as a sex offender in the District of Columbia as required by law.
Humphrey was arrested on August 11, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
Sexual exploitation of a child carries a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years, in prison. Because of his prior convictions, and his status as a registered sex offender, Humphrey could face a mandatory minimum of 35 years imprisonment if he is found guilty of this offense. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman and Amy Larson, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Friant Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl that Caused an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Bobby Hood, 65, of Friant, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in the summer of 2020 law enforcement learned that Mr. Hood was trafficking fentanyl and heroin. Just a few months later, on Christmas Day, a small amount of fentanyl powder that Mr. Hood distributed led to an overdose death. In that overdose investigation, investigators reviewed phone evidence that corroborated Mr. Hood’s sale of the lethal dose and other instances of his fentanyl dealing. All that information led to federal officers searching Hood, his car, and his residence. Those searches turned up a firearm, 508 grams of methamphetamine, 67 grams of fentanyl, and 1.75 ounces of heroin.
This case is the product of an investigation by FORT, a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno Police Department, and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.
Former county attorney convicted of extorting money from defendant’s motherRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 50-year-old man from Rio Grande City has pleaded guilty to extortion under color of law, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Victor Canales was a Starr County attorney from 2005 to 2022. In that role, he was responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor crimes.
In September 2021, a woman reached out to Canales for assistance because her son had been charged with three misdemeanor offenses in Starr County. He said he could help her and that for $1500, he could take care of the Starr County tickets.
The mother gave Canales three money orders totaling $1500. He deposited the proceeds into his own checking account and used it for his own personal needs rather than depositing the monies into the Starr County account.
Canales then sent a series of letters to Cameron County indicating the three charges against the woman’s son would be dropped.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 15. At that time, Canales faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Canales was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The FBI worked in partnership with the Texas Office of the Attorney General to conduct the Border Corruption Task Force investigation with the assistance of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations and Texas Rangers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Pat Profit is prosecuting the case.
Former LASD Deputy Agrees to Plead Guilty to Depriving a Falsely Imprisoned Victim of His Civil Rights Under Color of LawRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy has agreed to plead guilty to a federal felony offense for depriving a 23-year-old man of his civil rights in Compton in 2020, the Justice Department announced today.
In a plea agreement filed this morning in federal court, Miguel Angel Vega, 33, of Corona, admitted that he falsely imprisoned the victim; engaged in a vehicle pursuit with the victim still unlawfully detained in an LASD SUV, resulting in a traffic collision that injured the victim; and then filed false reports to cover up the deputy and his partner’s unlawful conduct.
Vega agreed to plead guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Vega is expected to formally plead guilty to the charge in the coming weeks.
According to the plea agreement, on the afternoon of April 13, 2020, Vega and his then partner, Christopher Blair Hernandez, 37, were in uniform and on patrol in an LASD vehicle near Wilson Park in Compton as part of their official duties at LASD.
Vega and Hernandez saw two young Black males, one of whom Vega believed was associated with a street gang, outside a skateboard park enclosed by a tall wrought-iron fence within Wilson Park. Vega and Hernandez got out of the SUV, approached the individuals, and ordered them to lift their shirts to search for firearms, which the individuals did not possess.
At this point, from inside the enclosed skatepark, the victim – who is identified in court documents as “J.A.” – began yelling at Vega and Hernandez to leave the Black males alone. J.A. did not threaten Vega or Hernandez or any of the other approximately 10 to 15 people inside the skatepark, who likewise did not pose any danger to Vega or Hernandez. Vega began yelling back at J.A., and while they continued exchanging words, Vega challenged J.A. to a fight, according to the plea agreement.
Shortly thereafter, Vega directed J.A. to come to an opening in the skatepark fence. Vega then grabbed J.A. and confined him in the back of the SUV as Hernandez looked on. Vega detained J.A. in the SUV because Vega was angry that J.A. had told Vega and Hernandez to leave the Black males alone and wanted to teach J.A. a lesson, according to the plea agreement. Although Vega and Hernandez had ample time to do so, J.A. was not handcuffed, his seatbelt was not secured, he never was told he was under arrest, nor was he informed of his rights at any time – all of this in violation of LASD policy. Throughout the ongoing false imprisonment, Vega knew that he and Hernandez did not have any lawful basis to detain J.A., the plea agreement states.
After leaving the park, Vega, who was still driving the SUV with Hernandez in the front passenger seat and J.A. confined in the backseat, continued to taunt and threaten J.A., including telling J.A. that the deputies were going to drop off J.A. in gang territory where J.A. would receive a beating.
According to the plea agreement, while in the vehicle, Vega and Hernandez ignored J.A.’s multiple questions as to why he was being detained. Vega decided to concoct a story that he and Hernandez were arresting J.A. for being under the influence of a stimulant as a pretext to justify their false imprisonment of J.A. To that end, Vega asked J.A. if he was taking any medications to signal to Hernandez that the deputies were going to fabricate and falsely allege that J.A. exhibited symptoms of being under the influence of a stimulant. In fact, Vega did not believe that J.A. was under the influence of a stimulant, and because this purported basis for the false detention and arrest was fabricated, Vega and Hernandez never took any steps to determine whether J.A. actually exhibited any signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance.
While Vega and Hernandez continued driving with J.A. still confined in the back of the SUV, Vega saw a group of young males on bicycles, including one Vega believed had a look of surprise and fear on his face upon encountering the LASD deputies. Believing the young male may possess a firearm, Vega stopped the SUV to let Hernandez get out of the vehicle and proceed on foot, and Vega began pursuing the bicyclist down an alley. As Vega drove the SUV down the alley in pursuit, Vega crashed into a wall and another vehicle, causing J.A. to hit his head and sustain a cut above his right eye that later required stitches, the plea agreement states. Following the collision, Vega removed J.A. from the patrol vehicle and told him to leave. Hernandez responded on foot to the alley shortly thereafter, and Vega told his partner that he had released J.A. Soon after, J.A. walked out of the alley and tried to get help from strangers at a nearby house, court documents state.
After the traffic collision, Vega reported over LASD radio that a person purportedly with a gun had fled through an alley, which prompted numerous LASD personnel to respond to the scene to set up a containment zone. Even though Vega also reported the traffic collision over LASD radio, neither Vega during the radio calls, nor Vega or Hernandez during a subsequent conversation with their supervising sergeant at the scene, initially disclosed that they had detained J.A. at the skatepark or that J.A. had been in the SUV during the collision in the alley.
It was only after Vega learned that J.A. had been independently detained on a neighboring street by another LASD deputy as the purported gun suspect that Vega informed the other deputies and his supervising sergeant that J.A. had been in the SUV during the crash. When asked by the supervising sergeant why J.A. had been in the SUV at the time of the collision, Vega falsely told the sergeant that J.A. had been detained for being under the influence of a controlled substance. While J.A. was at a hospital later in the day to receive treatment for the injuries he sustained from the collision, Hernandez spoke with another deputy who had escorted J.A. to the hospital. Consistent with the plan concocted by Vega earlier in the day to fabricate a false basis for J.A.’s detention and arrest, Hernandez directed the deputy at the hospital to issue J.A. a citation for being under the influence of methamphetamine, even though Hernandez and Vega knew that this accusation was false, according to the plea agreement. The deputy followed Hernandez’s direction and issued the citation.
Vega and Hernandez later authored two incident reports regarding the day’s events. They intentionally included false, misleading, and ambiguous information in the reports to justify, legitimize, and ultimately cover up their unlawful conduct, Vega admitted in the plea agreement. The first report falsely stated that J.A. appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant; that J.A. had threatened to harm people in the skatepark, as well as Vega and Hernandez; that a crowd of people were moving toward the LASD patrol vehicle as the defendants drove away after unlawfully detaining J.A; and that, following the crash in the alley, Vega checked J.A. for injuries and J.A. was placed in another patrol vehicle of an assisting LASD unit until paramedics arrived. The second report likewise falsely stated that Vega transferred J.A. to another patrol vehicle after the collision, which both Vega and Hernandez knew to be false.
Hernandez pleaded guilty on July 24 to one count of conspiracy pursuant to a cooperation plea agreement. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 8, 2024, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The FBI is conducting the investigation into this matter. The LASD’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys J. Jamari Buxton and Brian R. Faerstein of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Finance Director at two non-profits sentenced to 41 months in prison for embezzling over $3 millionRead the Press Release
Seattle – The former Finance Director at two Seattle area non-profits was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 41 months in prison for embezzling more than $3 million from her employers, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Susana Tantico, 63, of Renton, Washington committed the embezzlement over an eleven-year period. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, he could not understand how Tantico went from defrauding one non-profit to another, especially since the first provided medical care to immigrant communities. “You were leaving people who are sick today without the money to treat them,” Judge Robart told Tantico.
“Ms. Tantico chose to victimize non-profit organizations, whose work is critical to our community: one employer provided medical care to those who cannot afford it; the other works to assist youth in the criminal justice system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “But over 11 years, knowing she was putting critical services at risk, she stole millions to finance her mortgage, pay for her vacations, and finance her gambling losses.”
According to records filed in the case, in 1999 Tantico began working for a non-profit that provides healthcare to underserved populations. Ultimately, Tantico became the non-profit’s Finance Director. Between 2011 and June 2020, Tantico secretly embezzled millions of dollars from the healthcare organization. Bank records are available only for the period beginning in December 2016. Between December 2016 and 2020, Tantico stole nearly $2.3 million from the healthcare non-profit. She used the non-profit’s debit and credit cards to withdraw $1.6 million at casinos for gambling. She also used the debit and credit cards to pay for personal vacations, such as a $26,000 family trip to Florida, and trips to Las Vegas and San Diego. Tantico also used the healthcare non-profit’s debit and credit cards for more than $83,000 worth of purchases at Nordstrom, and $40,000 worth of purchases at Apple stores.
After running up these expenses, Tantico used the non-profit’s funds to pay the credit card bills and disguised the payments as legitimate expenses. For example, she categorized expenses for one vacation as “pharmacy supplies” in the accounting system. Throughout this timeframe, Tantico told the non-profit auditors that she was aware of no fraud at the non-profit.
In 2020, Tantico went to work as Finance Director for a different non-profit -- one with a focus on criminal justice issues. Tantico used more than $485,000 of the non-profit’s funds for gambling at casinos. She transferred $21,000 from the non-profit to her mortgage servicer to pay her home mortgage. She also transferred money to her personal bank account. Tantico then altered the bank records to hide the embezzlement.
At one point, Tantico was questioned by one of the organization’s banks about the pattern of withdrawals at casinos. She claimed that the non-profit held youth programs at the casinos, and that the withdrawals were for cash prize giveaways. In all, Tantico stole nearly $893,000 from the non-profit. The non-profit has incurred $132,000 in costs to forensically audit its books, fix its accounting procedures and records, and reply to vendors.
In court today, Dominique Davis spoke about the impact of the embezzlement on his organization, Community Passageways. “This was rough, this betrayal of trust. It almost ruined our whole organization. We barely survived this. We were made out to be villains,” Davis told the court.
In recommending a 41-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson noted, “Tantico abused positions of trust. Tantico was hired (twice) to safeguard the finances of her employers, and they trusted her to manage the funds with integrity. Instead, Tantico not only stole the money, but used her position to hide her theft. She created phony accounting entries that made her expenditures look like business expenses. She doctored bank statements. She lied to auditors. And she showed extreme duplicity by developing financial policies prohibiting the personal use of corporate credit cards, while knowing she was stealing millions of dollars by doing exactly that.” Tantico’s theft averaged about $550,000 per year between 2016 and 2022.
In court today, Tantico said “I am truly sorry… They were my work family…. It’s like I was two separate people…. I always meant to fix it.”
Following prison, Tantico will be on three years of supervised release. She has a restitution obligation of $3,121,572. She provided the court with a $60,000 check today from the sale of her home.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.
Federal Jury Convicts Vestavia Man on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Last week, Eugene Douglas Reid, III, 48, of Vestavia, was convicted of distribution and transportation of child pornography, following a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples made the announcement.
In 2020, FBI Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office, was investigating numerous groups of individuals engaged in the receipt, possession, distribution and possible production of child sexual abuse material through a proactive operation. As part of the FBI’s Operation, online covert employees documented these illegal activities and forwarded the documentation for further investigation to the appropriate FBI field office. The evidence at trial established that Reid had distributed and transported numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material on the Kik messaging application in various private groups during the first half of 2020.
The maximum penalty for distribution of child pornography and transportation of child pornography is 20 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years up to life.
The FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of FBI Milwaukee Division, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, Vestavia Hills Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen S. Osborne and R. Leann White are prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s 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, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Federal Escapee Sentenced for Leading $4.1 Million Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Trevor Scott Sparks, a Kansas City, Missouri, federal defendant who escaped after trial and was recaptured, was sentenced in federal district court today for his role in leading a $4.1 million heavily armed drug-trafficking conspiracy, and directing two kidnappings, both resulting in murders, and numerous assaults. The drug trafficking organization (DTO) Sparks led distributed approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas in 2017 and 2018.
Sparks, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to life imprisonment, plus 60 months consecutive, in federal prison without parole on the drug, money, and gun charges, all consecutive to 33 months for the escape. The court also ordered Sparks to pay a money judgment of $400,000.00, which represents the profits he received from the drug-trafficking conspiracy. That forfeiture amount is based on the unlawful distribution of approximately 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average street sale price of $7,500.00 per kilogram, and an average cost to the DTO of $3,500.00 a kilogram. Sparks and the co-conspirators he supplied are believed to have distributed approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in less than 2 years.
On November 7th, 2022, Sparks was found guilty by a jury of all counts presented during the weeklong trial. The charges included participating in conspiracies to distribute methamphetamine and launder drug proceeds from January 1, 2017, to December 18, 2018, possessing firearms in relation to that drug-trafficking crime, and to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sparks and several of his co-conspirators were arrested out of a residence on Smart Avenue in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri, on December 18, 2018. Located in that residence were numerous firearms, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, United States currency, drug ledgers, and other indicia of drug trafficking. This is the same residence where at least two of the DTO related assaults occurred.
While no one was charged with nor convicted at trial of it, members of the Sparks DTO were found responsible at sentencing by the Court for two murders. In early August 2018, James “Old School” Hampton was seized in St. Louis by members of the Sparks DTO at the direction of Sparks. Hampton was seized because the drug conspiracy was convinced Hampton could help find the drugs and money stolen by co-conspirator David Richards. When they realized Hampton could not or would not help, Hampton was restrained, beaten, and tortured. Hampton was then kidnapped and transported from St. Louis to Kansas City in the trunk of his own car. Brittanie Broyles, who was with Hampton and witnessed him being beaten, tortured, restrained, and kidnapped, was also kidnapped and taken to Kansas City. Once in Kansas City, Hampton was left in the trunk of his car and he and his car were secreted in a co-conspirator’s garage near the Smart residence. Broyles managed to obtain control of another co-conspirator’s cellular telephone and surreptitiously send text messages to friends and family in St. Louis about her and “Old School’s” plight. Once that was discovered by the DTO, Sparks directed the DTO to move from one hotel to another, thereby thwarting efforts to locate Broyles. Her friends and family and law enforcement were unable to locate her before she was murdered by members of the Sparks DTO.
On August 6, 2018, Hampton’s car and body were discovered burning in Bates City, Missouri. This was after members of the DTO retrieved Hampton’s car (and body) from the secreted location and Sparks directed them to take it and burn it because of the odor emanating from the vehicle and to destroy the evidence and Hampton’s body. Witnesses and video identified Co-Defendant Gerald Lee Ginnings of Grandview, Missouri, being followed by Co-Defendant Markus Michael A. Patterson, of Kansas City, Missouri, in another co-conspirator’s car, as Ginnings drove Hampton’s car with his body in the trunk to Bates City, Missouri, where it was found by the Sni Valley Fire Department fully engulfed. Once they extinguished the flames, Hampton’s desecrated body was found in what was left of the trunk. Sparks forgave a drug debt of Ginnings for this duty.
On August 8, 2018, Broyles’s body was recovered near the Super Flea in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri. She had been murdered by two gunshots to her head. While not charged nor convicted of it, the Court at sentencing found that witnesses and evidence implicated Sparks in ordering her killing because of what she knew about Hampton. Ginnings and Patterson were likewise implicated as the two responsible for this murder. Ginnings was sentenced August 25, 2023, to 520 months in federal prison on similar charges to Sparks. Co-Defendant Patterson was sentenced August 17, 2023, to 560 months on the same charges.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone involved in drug trafficking to possesses firearms related to that trafficking and it is also illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Sparks has prior felony convictions for robbery, drug offenses, and assault.
Sparks was the main defendant over two indictments with 32 co-defendants, all who have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in those two cases.
On December 6, 2022, Sparks and fellow federal inmate Sergio Perez-Martinez escaped the Cass County jail where they were being held for sentencing in their respective federal cases. On December 30, 2022, Sparks was apprehended in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri. Also charged in that escape case was Perez-Martinez (still at large), Sparks’ mother and stepfather, and another man, who was the co-conspirator that stored the car with Hampton in it. Sparks was also sentenced today for that escape to which he pled guilty on June 28, 2023.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Robert M. Smith. They were investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Sni Valley Fire Department, the Jackson, Lafayette, Buchanan, Phelps, and Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Departments, the FBI, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the St. James, Mo., Police Department.
Eagle River Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography, Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Eagle River man pleaded guilty today to one count sexual exploitation of a child for production of child pornography and one count possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Michael V. Ross, 32, coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and documented some of the abuse through pictures and videos kept on his cell phone. It is alleged that the abuse occurred between March 2017 and August 2021, sometimes occurring weekly.
The defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey and Adam Alexander are prosecuting the case.
Duvall, Washington, man awaiting sentencing for possessing images of child sexual abuse, pleads guilty to contacting minor online for illegal imagesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Duvall, Washington, man who was given a time-served sentence for possessing images of child sexual abuse, pleaded guilty today to a new crime, committed while he was awaiting the earlier sentencing, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven Michael Burke, 37, will be sentenced for Attempted Enticement of a Minor on December 8, 2023. Both the defense and prosecution will recommend a ten-year sentence. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentencing allowed by law.
According to the plea agreement, while he was awaiting sentencing for possessing images of child sexual abuse, Burke reached out to an 11-year-old child via an internet program asking the child to send sexually explicit images. Burke also sent the child such images. The crime was discovered after Burke was sentenced for the earlier criminal conduct.
Attempted Enticement of a Minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison.
Burke has been in custody since his arrest on May 4, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon.
Cooperating Federal Contractor Resolves Liability for Alleged False Claims Caused by Failure to Fully Implement Cybersecurity ControlsRead the Press Release
Verizon Business Network Services LLC, of Ashburn, Virginia, has agreed to pay $4,091,317 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it failed to completely satisfy certain cybersecurity controls in connection with an information technology service provided to federal agencies. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Verizon took a number of significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government.
“When government contractors fail to follow required cybersecurity standards, they may jeopardize the security of sensitive government information and information systems,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch. “We will continue to pursue knowing cybersecurity related violations under the Department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative and to provide credit in settlements to government contractors that disclose misconduct, cooperate with pending investigations and take remedial measures, all of which are critically important to protecting the nation against cyber threats.”
This settlement relates to Verizon’s Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Service (MTIPS), which is designed to provide federal agencies with secure connections to the public internet and other external networks. The settlement resolves allegations that Verizon’s MTIPS solution did not completely satisfy three required cybersecurity controls for Trusted Internet Connections with respect to General Services Administration (GSA) contracts from 2017 to 2021. After learning of the issues, Verizon provided the government with a written self-disclosure, initiated an independent investigation and compliance review of the issues and provided the government with multiple detailed supplemental written disclosures. Verizon cooperated with the government’s investigation of the issues and took prompt and substantial remedial measures.
“The United States should get the cybersecurity controls that it contracts and pays for to safeguard against cyber threats that could compromise critical information and systems,” said Acting Inspector General Robert C. Erickson of the GSA. “I appreciate the efforts of the investigative team that worked on this case.”
On Oct. 6, 2021, the Deputy Attorney General announced the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative to hold accountable entities or individuals that put U.S information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the GSA’s Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled by Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
SettlementColumbus Woman Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. –A Columbus, Georgia, resident who admitted to possessing photos and videos of children being sexual abused was sentenced to serve ten years in federal prison for her crime.
Townes Ward Borum, 38, of Columbus, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Clay Land today after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Borum will also have to register as a sex offender for life upon her release from prison. Borum is not eligible for parole.
“This case serves as a harsh reminder of the length child predators will go to meet their needs at the cost of innocent and trusting lives,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “In collaboration with our law enforcement and community partners, we will seek justice on behalf of sexually exploited children and do everything within our power to hold predators accountable.”
“People like Borum, who sexually exploit children for monetary gain, do serious lasting harm and facilitate in the continued manufacturing and trading of child sexual abuse material,” said Rich Bilson, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Columbus office. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to find such predators and lock them up so they can do no further harm.”
“This case shows how low predators will go to profit from innocent lives. Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit remains committed to diligently investigating individuals who exploit our children,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey.
According to facts presented at court, GBI was contacted by law enforcement in New Jersey on May 20, 2022, with information that an adult female in the Middle District of Georgia was distributing nude photos of a young child to a man in their jurisdiction. The initial Cybertip leading to the New Jersey man came from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and a subsequent investigation found digital files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the man’s cell phone. The man told authorities that Borum was providing him with the CSAM material, and that they had been communicating on the Whisper app and by text message. The man said he paid Borum’s rent and other expenses in exchange for sexually explicit photos and videos of young children.
A search warrant was executed by GBI at Borum’s Columbus home on May 21, 2022. Borum’s cell phone was seized; it contained hundreds of images and videos of CSAM, including images of CSAM depicting prepubescent minors. Her phone also contained numerous messages between Borum and others discussing the exchange of child sexual abuse material for money. Agents also found online advertisements she created and posted to sell child sexual abuse material. Borum admitted to the facts in court.
The plea agreement in this case is sealed at the request of the Government for protection of minor victims.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by GBI, FBI-Atlanta, FBI-Dallas and FBI-Los Angeles, with special assistance from the Bergen County, New Jersey, District Attorney’s Office and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Coal County Resident Pleads Guilty to Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ronald Wayne Yarbrough, Jr., age 45, of Lehigh, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information charging him with Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.
The Information alleged that on November 24, 2022, Yarbrough instigated a fight outside the family home. During the fight, Yarbrough stabbed the victim in the neck. The victim was later declared dead at an area hospital. The crime occurred in Coal County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Yarbrough will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Bronx Man Charged with Shooting Outside of DeliRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging CHRISTOPHER SCOTT with firing a shot at a victim on a commercial street in the Bronx on August 6, 2023. SCOTT will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Christopher Scott conducted a targeted shooting of an individual on a summer night outside of a deli near the Pelham Parkway Houses in the Bronx. Thanks to the swift action of our law enforcement partners and the prosecutors of this Office, Scott is now facing justice for his alleged violent actions.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “The firing of a gun on a public street will never be accepted as a way of life in New York City. Such a grave act of violence demands accountability. I commend the work of our brave NYPD officers who go in harm’s way, removing illegal guns, and those who pull the trigger, from our communities. I am also grateful for our close alignment with the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York as we work together to build strong cases and hold the most violent offenders accountable.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]
On August 6, 2023, shortly before 10:30 p.m., SCOTT fired a gunshot at an individual (“Victim-1”) near Williamsbridge Road in the Bronx.
Surveillance video captured SCOTT approaching Victim-1, brandishing a firearm, and firing a shot at Victim-1, then following Victim-1 inside a nearby building. A still image from the surveillance footage with SCOTT circled in red is below:
Within minutes after SCOTT fired the shot at Victim-1, and shortly after SCOTT appears to have hidden the firearm used in the shooting under the wheel of a nearby vehicle, NYPD officers arrived at the scene of the shooting, and SCOTT proceeded to interact with the NYPD officers.
After the NYPD officers left the scene of the shooting, one of SCOTT’s associates appears to have retrieved the firearm used in the shooting for SCOTT, and then SCOTT and that associate drove away from the location of the shooting in a grey SUV.
Upon canvassing the scene of the shooting, NYPD officers recovered a shell casing.
On August 14, 2023, shortly before 10:30 p.m., SCOTT was arrested in connection with the above-mentioned shooting. Around the time of his arrest, SCOTT was seen driving the same grey SUV he drove on the night of the shooting. During an inventory search of that SUV, a Springfield Armory model XDS-9 MOD2 OSP 3.3 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol (the “Firearm”) with eight live rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one live round in the chamber was recovered under the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found a preliminary correlation between the shell casing recovered at the scene of the shooting and the Firearm, indicating that the firearm that was used in the shooting was the same firearm found under the driver’s seat of SCOTT’s SUV.
SCOTT was not permitted to possess ammunition or a firearm because of a prior felony conviction for attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
* * *
SCOTT, 26, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of possession of ammunition after a felony conviction and one count of possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, which each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith C. Foster is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Scott ComplaintBitcoin-for-Cash Exchange Business Owner Agrees to Plead Guilty to Failing to Maintain an Effective Anti-Money Laundering ProgramRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Santa Monica man has agreed to plead guilty to breaking federal law by allowing his cryptocurrency-cash exchange company to help scammers and drug traffickers launder millions of dollars in criminal proceeds through his business, the Justice Department announced today.
Charles James Randol, 33, agreed to plead guilty to a single-count information charging him with failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering (AML) program, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Both the information and plea agreement were filed today in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Randol is expected to formally plead guilty to the charge in the coming weeks.
According to his plea agreement, from October 2017 to July 2021, Randol owned and operated a virtual-currency money services business that eventually was known as Digital Coin Strategies LLC. This company offered cryptocurrency-cash exchange services for a commission.
Randol offered his cryptocurrency exchange services in various ways, including meeting anonymous customers in-person to complete transactions, controlling and operating a network of automated kiosks in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties that converted cash to Bitcoin and vice versa, and conducting Bitcoin-for-cash transactions for unknown individuals who mailed large amounts of U.S. currency to him, including to post office boxes that he controlled.
Randol advertised his business on various websites, and he maintained a company website that falsely claimed his business was “a fully compliant…money services business” that was registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the United States Treasury Department. In fact, as Randol admitted in his plea agreement, he repeatedly violated federal law and his company’s own AML policies by facilitating suspicious currency exchange transactions and taking steps to conceal them from law enforcement, including by failing to file required currency transaction reports and suspicious activity reports.
For example, Randol frequently conducted in-person cash transactions that exceeded $10,000 with anonymous or pseudo-anonymous individuals, including people who Randol knew only as “Puppet Shariff,” “White Jetta,” “Aaavvv,” “Aaaa,” “Yogurt Monster,” and “Hood.” In his plea agreement, Randol admitted to engaging in three specific transactions from October 2020 to January 2021 in which he exchanged a total of $273,940 in cash for Bitcoin without requesting a name, proof of identity, Social Security number, or any other information about the buyer or the source of the funds being exchanged. Such transactions violated the Bank Secrecy Act and his company’s AML policy, which required, among other things, that he verify the identity of customers engaging in transactions over $9,999 by obtaining the customer’s full name, address, Social Security number, a verified phone number, and a photocopy of the customer’s official government identification.
- Exchanging Bitcoin for cash sent in the mail from unknown persons
While operating his crypto-exchange business, Randol also conducted hundreds of Bitcoin-for-cash transactions after receiving large cash shipments in the mail from anonymous individuals. In a typical transaction, an anonymous individual would text Randol using an encrypted platform to notify him that a parcel containing cash had been sent to a location that Randol controlled in or around Los Angeles. Once Randol received the parcel, he would count the money and send an equivalent amount of Bitcoin – minus a commission – to a digital wallet controlled by his customers. As with in-person transactions, Randol did not conduct any due diligence on the people mailing him large sums of cash, the source of funds being exchanged, or the purpose of the transaction.
When Randol received the packages, the cash was often packaged in a suspicious manner, including cash hidden inside children’s books, concealed inside fake birthday or holiday presents, buried within puzzle pieces, or wrapped within multiple magazines.
On June 5, 2019, FBI agents interviewed Randol about fraud proceeds that had been mailed to post office boxes he controlled. Two days later, Randol texted a customer stating that he would be taking a “hiatus” from converting cash parcels into cryptocurrency because he “ran into an issue with [law enforcement].” But less than a week later, Randol resumed his cash parcels activity after that same anonymous customer asked Randol if he could exchange $10,000 in cash for Bitcoin.
Randol admitted that his failure to comply with Bank Secrecy Act requirements, including maintaining an effective AML program resulted in criminals using Randol’s business to launder millions of dollars of criminal proceeds. For example, between June 2018 and early 2020, Randol exchanged Bitcoin for cash that was mailed to him by a New Jersey resident who had been tricked into believing his grandson was facing criminal prosecution after purportedly killing an elderly woman in a traffic accident and that the money the victim was sending would be used to help the victim’s grandson with his legal problems. Based on these lies, the victim drained his savings and retirement accounts. While Randol did not participate in the fraud, his business converted the victim’s cash to cryptocurrency and sent it to various digital wallets without conducting any customer due diligence or investigating the source of the money he was receiving.
- Illegal Bitcoin kiosk transactions
Because to Randol’s deficient AML practices, criminals were also able to structure and launder funds through his Bitcoin kiosks. Specifically, Randol operated numerous Bitcoin kiosks, which were in malls, gas stations, and convenience stores in cities such as Los Angeles, Glendale, Santa Clarita, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, and Riverside.
But the setting on Randol’s kiosks allowed customers to structure funds to avoid currency reporting requirements by creating numerous accounts and by engaging in successive transactions involving up to $3,000. He also set up one or more “test” accounts that contained no customer information, which he allowed customers to use to complete kiosk transactions.
In September 2020, Randol hired a compliance officer for Digital Coin Strategies. Randol ignored this individual’s advice to cease any use of “test” accounts for customer transactions on Bitcoin kiosks. Randol also continued to conduct in-person transactions, despite his compliance officer’s warning that doing so increased the risk that the cash or Bitcoin Randol was receiving was derived from an unlawful source.
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter, with assistance from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the General Crimes Section and James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.
Bakersfield Resident Sentenced for Methamphetamine Sales from Smoke ShopRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Abraham Eduardo Navarro Mendez, 39, of Bakersfield, Calif., was sentenced today to five years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in 2019, agents of Homeland Security Investigations received information that Navarro Mendez was selling methamphetamine from Havana Smoke Shop in Bakersfield. They then conducted two separate undercover drug transactions with Navarro Mendez, who delivered a total of 2.5 pounds of high-purity methamphetamine for $3,750.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations of the Department of Homeland Security with assistance from the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.
Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Derrick Gage, 42, of Bakersfield, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance a Drug Trafficking Offense, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on April 23, 2022, law enforcement officers were on patrol at the Plaza Motel on Union Avenue in Bakersfield when they saw Gage inside a room with a firearm and what appeared to be drugs. The officers searched the room and seized a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun as well as cocaine. Gage is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has prior felony convictions for domestic violence, participation in a criminal street gang, and sales of cocaine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Laurel J. Montoya prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Ardmore Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Pain MedicationRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rebecca Elaine Holloway, age 32, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information charging her with one count of Tampering with Consumer Products, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1365(a) and (a)(4). Tampering with Consumer Products, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1365(a) and (a)(4) is punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
On August 17, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office filed an information that charged Holloway with tampering with consumer products that affected interstate and foreign commerce, specifically fentanyl and hydromorphone, between on or about March 2022 and April 22, 2022.
The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
At the plea hearing on August 31, 2023, Holloway admitted to stealing fentanyl and hydromorphone intended for intensive care patients while she was employed at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Mercy Hospital in Ardmore, Oklahoma. As part of her plea agreement, Holloway confessed she removed the pain medication from their vials, refilled the empty vials with tap water, and returned the tampered vials to the controlled storage locker. Holloway admitted she did so despite knowing the pain medication vials were intended for patients in acute pain and distress, and that by depriving patients of the medication, she knew she was placing them at risk of death and bodily injury.
“Patients rely on the knowledge that they will receive FDA-approved medications to manage their pain,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice healthcare professionals who jeopardize patients’ health by tampering with their pain medications.”
“Our healthcare system is built upon trust,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “This office will not hesitate to prosecute health care workers who abuse that trust.”
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Kara Traster and Associate Chief Counsel Jason Chandler of the Food and Drug Administration represented the United States.
Anyone who was a patient in the Mercy Hospital Intensive Care Unit in Ardmore, Oklahoma, between March 1, 2022, and April 22, 2022, and believes that they may have received a tampered dose of fentanyl or hydromorphone can contact the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations at 214-790-7545.
59 Charged with Illegal Trafficking, Possession, and Use of Firearms, Drug Trafficking, and Conspiracy as a Result of Summer Violent Crime Reduction Effort in ClevelandRead the Press Release
Federal, county, and local law enforcement officials today announced that 59 individuals were charged and arrested in connection with firearms-trafficking, narcotics, conspiracy, or other firearms offenses after a three month, violent-crime-reduction initiative in Cleveland this summer. The vast majority were charged in U.S. District Court, while the remaining individuals were charged in state court. These individuals were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests made during the last two weeks.
“The Justice Department’s work to disrupt and dismantle the criminal gun trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns has never been more urgent than it is now,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why our prosecutors and agents are working more closely than ever before with our local law enforcement partners to get illegal guns off of our streets and hold accountable those who put illegal guns in the hands of violent criminals.”
Indictments and complaints were recently unsealed in federal court. They detail a lengthy investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), that focused on reducing firearms-related crime in several areas of Cleveland by studying data about areas with gun-crime violence, then identifying illegal firearms sellers to disrupt their trafficking. The investigation resulted in the seizure of over 240 firearms, 203 of which law enforcement purchased from illegal sellers and permanently removed from Cleveland’s streets. National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) data shows that a significant number of those firearms are connected to violent criminal activity, including homicides and felonious assaults, that took place in Cleveland and surrounding Northeast Ohio suburbs in 2022 and 2023. Of the purchased firearms, 17 are “ghost guns” – meaning, unserialized and untraceable firearms, typically assembled at home – and 28 are machinegun conversion devices or “switches” – a device that enables a firearm to fire in fully automatic mode.
In one case, law enforcement purchased more than 50 firearms from a group of seven people working together to sell firearms on Cleveland’s streets, even though none of the involved individuals hold a federal firearms license. Those firearms included stolen firearms, firearms with obliterated serial numbers, “switches,” already-loaded firearms, assault rifles, and firearms that had been previously used to commit violent crimes. Sometimes, these individuals also sold controlled substances to law enforcement officers at the same time. In two additional cases, law enforcement purchased, respectively, 33 firearms (including “switches”) and 23 firearms (including “switches”) from two other individuals who do not hold a federal firearms license. Many of these sales took place in public parking lots of business establishments during business hours or in recreational areas while nearby uninvolved, law-abiding citizens were engaged in their day-to-day errands or engaged in recreational activities.
Also, during this investigation, the ATF identified five individuals who were actively engaged in a conspiracy to conduct a home invasion and rob, at gunpoint, what they believed to be a “stash house” containing several kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement intervened before these individuals could carry out their plan. Additionally, during this investigation, law enforcement purchased or seized almost 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 215 grams of cocaine base, almost three kilograms of methamphetamine, 686 fentanyl pills, almost 1.5 kilograms of heroin/fentanyl mix, and 1,144 MDMA pills (otherwise known as Molly or Ecstasy).
Some defendants were charged together, but several others were charged individually. In all cases, however, the charges stemmed from the extensive, targeted, and sustained effort this past summer, led by the ATF and assisted by other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, to clamp down on the illegal firearms trafficking, use, and possession, as well as the associated distribution of drugs, in Cleveland.
The following is a breakdown of the charges in U.S. District Court, according to court documents:
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Malachi Berry, 21; Darvell Jackson, 20; and Steven Armstrong, 19, all of Cleveland, were charged together with conspiracy to possess a machinegun. Jackson and Armstrong were further charged with illegal possession of a machinegun. In the same indictment, these individuals, along with Nimar Linder, 21, of Cleveland, were also charged with conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. Armstrong and Linder were charged as felons in possession of a firearm.
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Carlos Dupree, 43, of Cleveland; Dominique Goldsby, 32, of Cleveland; Jesse Mcdade, 41, of Cleveland; Norman Young, 37, of Cleveland; Martin Goodson, 41, of Cleveland; Lajuan Erwin, 25, of Mayfield Heights; Chevez Moorer, 23, of Cleveland; Aaron Wimbley, 22, of Garfield Heights; Alexander Duncan, 19, of Cleveland; Damien Body, 39, of Cleveland; Derrick Donald, 41, of Cleveland; Nahum Holmes, 31, of Brook Park; Akil Edmonds, 39, of Cleveland; Willie C. Jackson, 36, of Cleveland; and Deandre Smith, 36, of Cleveland, were indicted on distribution of drugs charges.
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Josean Ortiz-Stuart, 34, and Jesus Vega, 29, both of Cleveland, were indicted together and both charged with distribution of drugs. Also named in that indictment was Gerald Matos, 38, of Cleveland, who was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
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Elias Pagan, 32, Ivan Santana, 26, and Angel Santiago, 46, all of Cleveland, were indicted together. Pagan faces numerous charges for distribution of drugs, as well being a felon in possession of firearms, and both Pagan and Santana were also charged with engaging in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license. Santiago is also charged with distribution of drugs.
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Ambray Underwood, 25, of Euclid, was charged in an indictment for conspiracy to distribute drugs, and drug distribution.
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Willie Earl Jackson, 26, of Cleveland, and Shane Plats, 31, of Ashtabula, were charged in the same indictment with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. Wiilie Earl Jackson was also charged in that indictment with trafficking in firearms.
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Deshonn Brown, 19, and Demarius Jefferson, 18, both of Cleveland, were both charged with illegal possession of machineguns.
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Jacob Plumb, 40, of Parma, was charged with distribution of drugs and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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Isaiah Overton, 23, of Cleveland, and Charles Morris, 33, of East Cleveland, were charged in a single indictment with distribution of drugs. Additionally, Overton was charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking Crime.
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Corte’z Buggs, 29, of Cleveland, was charged in an indictment with distribution of Drugs and receipt of firearm while under felony indictment.
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Michael Mcpherran, 38, of Parma, was charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs and distribution of drugs.
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Harold Pearl, 39, of Cleveland, was charged with distribution of drugs and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
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Alante Heard, 33, of Cleveland; Antonio Sweeney, 24, of Cleveland; Maurice Commons, 22, of North Randall; and Markus Williams, 33, of Cleveland, were charged by complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute drugs and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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Marquis Henson, 38; Deon Brown, 19; and Clarence Payne, 38, all of Cleveland, were charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
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Kenneth Smith, 23, of East Cleveland, was charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license, illegal possession of a machinegun, and being a felon in possession of firearms.
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Andre Lewis, 35, of Cleveland, was charged with distribution of drugs and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
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Devaunty Lewis, 31, and Nicholas Johnson, 33, both of Cleveland, were charged jointly in an indictment with conspiracy to engage in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license, and conspiracy to engage in firearms trafficking. Both were individually charged with engaging business in dealing with firearms without a license and trafficking in firearms. Lewis was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Johnson was also charged with engaging in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license.
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Maurice Sterett, 39, of Cleveland; Antonio Cross, 22, of Cleveland; Marvell Roach, 43, of Willoughby; Kenneth Timberlake, 30, of Cleveland; and Travis Williams, 46, of Cleveland, were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to engage in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license. Sterett, Cross, Timberlake, and Williams were further charged, individually, with engaging in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license. Sterett, Cross, Roach, Timberlake, and Williams were also charged with conspiracy to engage in firearms trafficking and individual counts of firearms trafficking. Sterett, Timberlake, Travis Williams, and Roach were also charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. Sterett was further charged with distribution of drugs. Cross was also charged with illegal transfer of a machinegun.
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Darion Shelton, 20, of Cleveland, was charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license, and trafficking in firearms in connection with machinegun conversation devices or “switches.” He has also been charged with illegal possession of a machinegun.
The following is a breakdown of the charges in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, according to court documents:
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Marcel Battle, 30, of Canton: drug trafficking;
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Avant Wilson, 22, of Cleveland: receiving stolen property (motor vehicle);
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Nathan Roby, 44, of Cleveland: drug trafficking;
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Raymond Callahan, 34, of Cleveland: drug trafficking;
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Raphael Deen, 30, of Cleveland: drug trafficking;
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Terry Lyons, 33, of Cleveland: drug trafficking;
If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any penalty after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Attorney General Garland and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement. ATF Director Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott, and Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb provided additional details relating to the initiative, as well as regarding larger firearms enforcement and violence-prevention efforts.
ATF investigated these cases, with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, U.S. Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio Investigative Unit, Customs and Border Patrol, Air and Marine Division, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Galvin and other Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Northern District of Ohio and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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59 Charged with Illegal Trafficking, Possession, and Use of Firearms, Drug Trafficking, and Conspiracy as a Result of Summer Violent Crime Reduction Effort in ClevelandRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Federal, county, and local law enforcement officials today announced that 59 individuals were charged and arrested in connection with firearms-trafficking, narcotics, conspiracy, or other firearms offenses after a three month, violent-crime-reduction initiative in Cleveland this summer. The vast majority were charged in United States District Court, while the remaining individuals were charged in state court. These individuals were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests made during the last two weeks.
United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko made the announcement earlier today. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) Director Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Marshal Peter J. Elliott, and Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb provided additional details relating to the initiative, as well as regarding larger firearms enforcement and violence-prevention efforts.
"The Justice Department's work to disrupt and dismantle the criminal gun trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns had never been more urgent than it is now," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "That is why our prosecutors and agents are working more closely than ever before with our local law enforcement partners to get illegal guns off of our streets and hold accountable those who put illegal guns in the hands of violent criminals."
Indictments and complaints were recently unsealed in federal court. They detail a lengthy investigation, led by ATF, that focused on reducing firearms-related crime in several areas of Cleveland by studying data about areas with gun-crime violence, then identifying illegal firearms sellers to disrupt their trafficking. The investigation resulted in the seizure of over 240 firearms, 203 of which law enforcement purchased from illegal sellers and permanently removed from Cleveland’s streets. NIBIN data shows that a significant number of those firearms are connected to violent criminal activity, including homicides and felonious assaults, that took place in Cleveland and surrounding Northeast Ohio suburbs in 2022 and 2023. Of the purchased firearms, 17 are “ghost guns”—meaning, unserialized and untraceable firearms, typically assembled at home—and 28 are machinegun conversion devices or “switches”—a device that enables a firearm to fire in fully automatic mode.
In one case, law enforcement purchased more than 50 firearms from a group of 7 people working together to sell firearms on Cleveland’s streets, even though none of the involved individuals holds a federal firearms license. Those firearms included stolen firearms, firearms with obliterated serial numbers, “switches,” already-loaded firearms, assault rifles, and firearms that had been previously used to commit violent crimes. Sometimes, these individuals also sold controlled substances to law enforcement officers at the same time. In two additional cases, law enforcement purchased, respectively, 33 firearms (including “switches”) and 23 firearms (including “switches”) from two other individuals who do not hold a federal firearms license. Many of these sales took place in public parking lots of business establishments during business hours or in recreational areas while nearby uninvolved, law-abiding citizens were engaged in their day-to-day errands or engaged in recreational activities.
Also during this investigation, the ATF identified 5 individuals who were actively engaged in a conspiracy to conduct a home invasion and rob, at gunpoint, what they believed to be a “stash house” containing several kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement intervened before these individuals could carry out their plan. Additionally, during this investigation, law enforcement purchased or seized almost 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 215 grams of cocaine base, almost 3 kilograms of methamphetamine, 686 fentanyl pills, almost 1.5 kilograms of heroin/fentanyl mix, and 1,144 MDMA pills (otherwise known as Molly or Ecstasy).
Some defendants were charged together, but several others were charged individually. In all cases, however, the charges stemmed from the extensive, targeted, and sustained effort this past summer, led by ATF and assisted by other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, to clamp down on the illegal firearms trafficking, use, and possession, as well as the associated distribution of drugs, in Cleveland.
The following is a breakdown of the charges in United States District Court, according to court documents:
- MALACHI BERRY, 21, Cleveland, DARVELL JACKSON, 20, Cleveland, and STEVEN ARMSTRONG, 19, Cleveland, were charged together in a Conspiracy to Possess a Machinegun. JACKSON and ARMSTRONG were further charged with Illegal Possession of a Machinegun.
In the same indictment, these individuals, along with NIMAR LINDER, 21, Cleveland, were also charged with Conspiracy to Engage in the Business of Dealing Firearms without a Federal Firearms License.
ARMSTRONG and LINDER were charged as Felons in Possession of a Firearm.
- According to court documents, the following individuals have been indicted on Distribution of Drugs charges:
CARLOS DUPREE, 43, Cleveland, DOMINIQUE GOLDSBY, 32, Cleveland, JESSE MCDADE, 41, Cleveland, NORMAN YOUNG, 37, Cleveland, MARTIN
GOODSON, 41, Cleveland, LAJUAN ERWIN, 25, Mayfield Heights, CHEVEZ MOORER, 23, Cleveland, AARON WIMBLEY, 22, Garfield Heights, ALEXANDER
DUNCAN, 19, Cleveland, DAMIEN BODY, 39, Cleveland, DERRICK DONALD, 41, Cleveland, NAHUM HOLMES, 31, Brook Park, AKIL EDMONDS, 39, Cleveland, WILLIE C. JACKSON, 36, Cleveland, and DEANDRE SMITH, 36, Cleveland.
- Indicted together were JOSEAN ORTIZ-STUART, 34, Cleveland, JESUS VEGA, 29, Cleveland, who were both charged with Distribution of Drugs. Also named in that indictment was GERALD MATOS, 38, Cleveland, who was charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
- Indicted together were ELIAS PAGAN 32, Cleveland, IVAN SANTANA, 26, Cleveland, ANGEL SANTIAGO, 46, also of Cleveland. PAGAN also faces numerous charges for Distribution of Drugs, as well being a Felon in Possession of Firearms, and both PAGAN and SANTANA were also charged with Engaging in the Business of Importing, Manufacturing, or Dealing in Firearms Without a Federal Firearms License.
SANTIAGO is also charged with Distribution of Drugs.
- AMBRAY UNDERWOOD, 25, Euclid, was charged in an indictment for Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs, and Drug Distribution.
- WILLIE EARL JACKSON, 26, Cleveland, and SHANE PLATS, 31, Ashtabula, were charged in the same indictment with Engaging in the Business of Dealing Firearms without a Federal Firearms License. WIILIE EARL JACKSON was also charged in that indictment with Trafficking in Firearms.
- DESHONN BROWN age, 19, Cleveland; DEMARIUS JEFFERSON, 18, Cleveland, were both charged with Illegal Possession of Machine guns.
- JACOB PLUMB, 40, Parma, was charged with Distribution of Drugs and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
- ISAIAH OVERTON, 23, Cleveland, and CHARLES MORRIS, 33, East Cleveland, were charged in a single indictment with Distribution of Drugs. Additionally, OVERTON was charged with Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
- CORTE’Z BUGGS, 29, Cleveland was charged in an indictment with Distribution of Drugs and Receipt of Firearm while Under Felony Indictment.
- MICHAEL MCPHERRAN, 38, Parma, Ohio, was charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs, and Distribution of Drugs.
- HAROLD PEARL, 39, Cleveland, was charged with Distribution of Drugs and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
- Charged by complaint with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Drugs and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime were ALANTE HEARD, 33, Cleveland, ANTONIO SWEENEY, 24, Cleveland, MAURICE COMMONS, 22, North Randall, and MARKUS WILLIAMS, 33, Cleveland.
- Charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm were MARQUIS HENSON, 38, Cleveland, DEON BROWN, 19, Cleveland, and CLARENCE PAYNE, 38, Cleveland.
- KENNETH SMITH, 23, East Cleveland, was charged with Engaging in the Business of Dealing Firearms without a Federal Firearms License, Illegal Possession of a Machinegun, and being a Felon in Possession of Firearms.
- ANDRE LEWIS, 35, Cleveland, was charged with Distribution of Drugs and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
- DEVAUNTY LEWIS, 31, Cleveland, NICHOLAS JOHNSON, 33, Cleveland, were charged jointly in an indictment with Conspiracy to Engage in the Business of Importing, Manufacturing, or Dealing in Firearms without a Federal Firearms License, and Conspiracy to Engage in Firearms Trafficking. Both were individually charged with Engaging Business in Dealing with Firearms Without a License and Trafficking in Firearms.
LEWIS was also charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
JOHNSON was also charged with Engaging in the Business of Importing, Manufacturing, or Dealing in Firearms without a Federal Firearms License.
- The following were charged in an indictment with Conspiracy to Engage in the Business of Importing, Manufacturing, or Dealing in Firearms Without a Federal Firearms License: MAURICE STERETT, 39, Cleveland, ANTONIO CROSS, 22, Cleveland, MARVELL ROACH, 43, Willoughby, KENNETH TIMBERLAKE, 30, Cleveland, and TRAVIS WILLIAMS, 46, Cleveland.
STERETT, CROSS, TIMBERLAKE, and WILLIAMS were further charged, individually, with Engaging in the Business of Importing, Manufacturing, or Dealing in Firearms Without a Federal Firearms License.
STERETT, CROSS, ROACH, TIMBERLAKE, and WILLIAMS were also charged with Conspiracy to Engage in Firearms Trafficking and individual counts of Firearms Trafficking.
STERETT, TIMBERLAKE, TRAVIS WILLIAMS, and ROACH were also charged with being a Felon in Possession of Firearms.
STERETT was further charged with Distribution of Drugs.
Finally, CROSS was also charged with Illegal Transfer of a Machinegun.
- DARION SHELTON, 20, Cleveland, was charged with Engaging in the Business of Dealing Firearms without a Federal Firearms License, and Trafficking in Firearms in connection with machinegun conversation devices or “switches.” He has also been charged with Illegal Possession of a Machinegun.
The following is a breakdown of the charges in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, according to court documents:
- MARCEL BATTLE, 30, Canton, Drug Trafficking.
- AVANT WILSON, 22, Cleveland, Receiving Stolen Property (Motor Vehicle).
- NATHAN ROBY, 44, Cleveland, Drug Trafficking.
- RAYMOND CALLAHAN, 34, Cleveland, Drug Trafficking.
- RAPHAEL DEEN, 30, Cleveland, Drug Trafficking.
- TERRY LYONS, 33, Cleveland, Drug Trafficking.
An indictment or complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictments was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police (“CDP”), the United States Marshals Service (“USMS”), the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (“BCI”), the Ohio Adult Parole Authority (“APA”), the Ohio Investigative Unit (“OIU”), Customs and Border Patrol (“CBP”), Air and Marine Division, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (“OSP”), and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office. This Operation was also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative. The cases stemming from this investigation are being prosecuted by a team of AUSAs in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by AUSA Kelly Galvin, and by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.- MALACHI BERRY, 21, Cleveland, DARVELL JACKSON, 20, Cleveland, and STEVEN ARMSTRONG, 19, Cleveland, were charged together in a Conspiracy to Possess a Machinegun. JACKSON and ARMSTRONG were further charged with Illegal Possession of a Machinegun.
19-year-old pleads guilty to possessing firearm on local middle school groundsRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A 19-year-old Dayton man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to possessing a gun in the parking lot of an area middle school.
Jacob Ruff, Jr. admitted he possessed a firearm on the grounds of Edwin Joel Brown Middle School on May 12, 2023.
According to court documents, ballistics were collected from the scene and sent to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) when Dayton police officers responded to a shots fired call in the parking lot of the school. Security footage of the school implicated Ruff in the crime.
On May 31, 2023, Ruff was arrested after fleeing from law enforcement at the site of a loud block party in a public roadway. Once he was apprehended, officers discovered a gun in his fanny pack.
Agents with the ATF test fired the weapon and submitted shell casings to NIBIN, which matched the shell casings collected at Edwin Joel Brown Middle School.
Ruff was charged federally in June 2023.
Possessing a firearm in a school zone is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Through the violent-crime reduction program, stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; John Nokes, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline H. Gentry. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
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4 September 2023
Sturgis Woman Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Custody for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Sturgis, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine). The sentencing took place on August 28, 2023
Devan McKenzie, 27, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
McKenzie was indicted for three counts of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl) by a federal grand jury in December of 2021. She pleaded guilty on April 14, 2023.
Beginning around February of 2020, McKenzie began selling controlled substances with Brook and Dustin Staeffler. The group made arrangements to obtain the drugs in Colorado and then transport them to South Dakota. McKenzie transported the substances on several occasions and recruited her own sub-distributors to further sell the drugs in the Rapid City area. Overall, the conspiracy was responsible for at least 1.29 kilograms of methamphetamine, 857.5 grams of fentanyl, and 860.5 grams of heroin. During the investigation, law enforcement executed search warrants at McKenzie’s residence, and located drugs and items indicating she was actively engaged in selling illegal substances.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is local a drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
McKenzie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Justice Department to Monitor Polls in Rhode Island for Compliance with Federal Voting Rights LawsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE , RI – The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department announced today its plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in four jurisdictions for the September 5, 2023, federal special primary election in Rhode Island’s First Congressional District.
Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the Civil Rights Division has regularly monitored elections in the field in jurisdictions around the country to protect the rights of voters. The Civil Rights Division enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot.
For this election, the Civil Rights Division will monitor polls on Election Day in the cities of Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket.
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 Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Act.
Civil Rights Division personnel also will be available to receive complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws by telephone toll-free at 800-253-3931 or by a complaint form on the department’s website https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Visit Civil Rights Division | Voting Section | United States Department of Justice for more information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights law.
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1 September 2023
Westbank Resident Pleaded Guilty to Theft of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TYREN TYRONE SHENALL (“SHENALL”), age 19, pleaded guilty on August 31, 2023 to one count of for theft or receipt of stolen mail matter, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708.
According to court documents, on November 15, 2022, SHENALL along with his co-conspirators Eric Williams and Kelan Gennings, stole U.S. Mail from post office mailboxes located at the Covington Post Office using a postal arrow key to access said mailbox. At sentencing, which was scheduled by Judge Eldon Fallon for November 30, 2023, SHENALL faces a maximum prison term of five years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
West Virginia man admits to federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA –Steven Michael Hawley, age 36, of Moorefield, West Virginia, has pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hawley worked with others to sell methamphetamine in Moorefield and from a house on Fitzwater Drive in Hardy County. Hawley, was the last of five co-conspirators to plead guilty.
Hawley is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
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West Texas Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Producing, Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PECOS, Texas – A Ward County man was sentenced in a federal court in Pecos Monday to 188 months in prison for production and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Elroy Wilkerson, 60, was arrested on Nov. 17, 2022 based on a complaint alleging he had been taking nude photos of a minor at his home in Monahans. Ward County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for Wilkerson’s residence and seized six cellphones for forensic analysis. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Midland provided assistance and found 36 confirmed images of child pornography of the child victim as well as two videos in which the child victim is seen nude.
Wilkerson was found guilty in a jury trial in April on one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
“This 15-year federal prison sentence sends a clear message that those who exploit and prey on our children for sexual gratification will face severe consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I commend the jury for their dedication to justice and decision to find this defendant guilty on both charges. I also recognize and appreciate the successful investigative efforts of our local and federal law enforcement partners.”
“The harm that child predators cause to the most innocent members of our society is devastating and endures a lifetime,” said Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola for the Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Division. “Homeland Security Investigations will continue to vigorously investigate these cases alongside our law enforcement partners to hold these offenders accountable for the harm they cause in society.”
HSI and the WCSO investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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United States Attorney Kevin Ritz Inducted to Memphis-Shelby County Schools Alumni Hall of FameRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz was honored recently as one of several notable graduates to be named to the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Alumni Hall of Fame. At a gala and award ceremony on August 24, MSCS paid tribute to Memphians whose compelling stories and professional achievements provide inspiration to city students. In addition to U.S. Attorney Ritz, this year’s honorees included The Memphis State Eight, Velma Lois Jones, Dr. Derrick Payne, Dr. Quodarrius Toney, Pastor Tony Wade, Thaddeus Young, and Dr. Charlie Caswell, Jr.
Selected photos of the gala and a video highlighting Mr. Ritz’s accomplishments are available below.
A graduate of Ridgeway Elementary School, White Station Junior High, and White Station High School, Ritz credits his MSCS experience with providing the grounding for his lifelong dedication to public service.
“I’m very proud to be a public-school graduate; it’s something I talk about whenever I introduce myself to any community or law enforcement group,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “I had terrific teachers who taught me how to write and helped build the foundation for me to become a lawyer that specialized in writing. I attended schools that were extremely diverse and taught me to learn from and interact with people who are different from me. I value so highly what the Memphis-Shelby County Schools did for me. This is just a tremendous honor.”
After graduation, Ritz received his J.D. from the University of Virginia, his M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and his B.A. with High Distinction from the University of Virginia, where he was a Jefferson Scholar. Between college and law school, Mr. Ritz worked for the United States Department of State. He then returned to Memphis, where he clerked for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Julia Gibbons before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ritz later became the Chair of the Tennessee Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section, President of the Federal Bar Association’s Memphis Chapter, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.
Past MSCS Hall of Fame inductees include Elvis Presley, Benjamin Hooks, Penny Hardaway, actress Kathy Bates, songwriter/producer David Porter, former Memphis Police Department director Toney Armstrong, and designer and CEO Brandice Daniel.
For more information about the 2023 MSCS Alumni Hall of Fame, visit scsk12.org/hof.
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United States Attorney Kevin Ritz among Memphis-Shelby County Schools 2023 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees.
U.S. Attorney Ritz: “I value so highly what the Memphis-Shelby County Schools did for me. I'm extremely proud to be a graduate of our public school system.” U.S. Attorney Ritz with Dr. Charlie Caswell, who was also honored at the Hall of Fame Gala.U.S. Postal Service Employee Charged with Assaulting a Supervisor at Postal Facility in Carmel Mountain RanchRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 1, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Edwin Cuadrado, Jr., a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, was arrested and charged in a federal criminal complaint with stabbing a supervisor on August 25 at a mail facility in Carmel Mountain Ranch.
At a hearing today in federal court, U.S. Magistrate Judge William V. Gallo ordered Cuadrado held without bond after the government argued he is a flight risk and danger to the community. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 12 at 9:30 before Judge Gallo.
The criminal complaint alleges that Cuadrado used a knife to stab a supervisor in the back of the head.
According to the criminal complaint, Cuadrado first engaged in a verbal and physical altercation with one of his USPS supervisors at a nearby gas station late in the afternoon on August 25. Shortly thereafter, Cuadrado drove his USPS vehicle into the main employee parking lot of the USPS mail processing and distribution facility located at 11251 Rancho Carmel Drive. While in the parking lot of that facility, three different supervisory USPS employees attempted to speak with Cuadrado regarding the recent altercation. Cuadrado responded by brandishing a knife and stabbing one of the supervisors before leaving the scene. Responding paramedics treated the wound to the back of the supervisor’s head before that supervisor was taken to a hospital for further treatment.
Cuadrado remained at large until he was arrested by investigators on the morning of August 30.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23-MJ-3140
Edwin Cuadrado Jr. Age: 37 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
8 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1) – Assault on a Federal Employee or Officer
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; $250,000 fine.
8 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1) and (b) – Assault on a Federal Employee or Officer Inflicting Bodily Injury
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison; $250,000 fine.
AGENCY
United States Postal Inspection Service
San Diego Police Department
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Files Lawsuit Seeking Damages from Southern California Edison and Tree Service for 2020 Bobcat Fire in Angeles National ForestRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States today filed a complaint alleging that the Bobcat Fire – one of the largest wildfires ever in Los Angeles County – was caused by the failure of Southern California Edison and its tree maintenance contractor to properly maintain trees that came into contact with power lines and caused the 2020 blaze.
The lawsuit filed in United States District Court alleges that the SCE and Utility Tree Service (UTS) were negligent and therefore are liable for damages sustained by the United States during the fire that burned more than 114,000 acres, nearly 100,000 of which were in the Angeles National Forest.
The United States Forest Service sustained fire suppression costs in excess of $56 million, and it incurred property and natural resource damages of over $65 million, according to the complaint.
“Forest Service investigators determined that the Bobcat Fire ignited due to a tree in contact with power lines (conductors) owned and operated by SCE and maintained by SCE and UTS,” the lawsuit states. “The contact resulted in ignition of vegetation on a branch, which fell to the ground and spread.”
The wildfire started on September 6, 2020, and ultimately destroyed 171 structures and 178 vehicles, damaged 47 structures, and resulted in the widespread evacuation of residences. Nearly three years later, more than 100 miles of trails and numerous campgrounds remain closed to the public.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Quist and Joseph W. Tursi of the Civil Division’s Complex and Defensive Litigation Section are handling this matter.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and Law Enforcement Officials to Announce Successful Conclusion of Major Gun Trafficking ProsecutionRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join with law enforcement officials on Friday, September 1, 2023, to announce the final outcome in a case that targeted the illegal trafficking of over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The press conference will follow the final sentencing hearings in the case, scheduled for 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. This media advisory will be updated with the time of the press conference upon the completion of both hearings.
Thompson will be joined by officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and other law enforcement partners.
WHAT: Announcement of the successful conclusion of United States v. Jones et al (5:22-cr-46).
WHERE: The Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse and Federal Building, 110 North Heber Street, Beckley.
WHEN: Friday, September 1, 2023. Time TBA.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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U.S. Attorney Charges 40-Year-Old Man with Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Melvin Padilla, the Chief of the Bedford Police Department, announced the arrest of JOHN LORD. LORD is charged with persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing a 15-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity. LORD was presented yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them. As this arrest shows, we will use every tool available to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those who sexually exploit children.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: "Lord’s alleged actions, enticing a vulnerable member of our society – a child – for sexual activity, are abhorrent. The FBI takes the alleged crime very seriously, we are tireless in our efforts to investigate and hold accountable any person who harms a child.”
Bedford Police Chief Melvin Padilla said: “The safety and security of our residents is our primary focus, and thanks to the diligent work of our officers and the cooperation and assistance from our federal partners, the defendant was quickly identified and apprehended.”
According to the Complaint filed on August 31, 2023, in White Plains federal court:[1]
On or about August 30, 2023, LORD persuaded and enticed a 15-year-old minor (“Victim-1”), who he had met and communicated with on an online application, to engage in sexual activity with him.
On August 30, 2023, LORD sent text messages to Victim-1 asking to meet to engage in sexual activity. Hours later, LORD was discovered with Victim-1 in a wooded area in Katonah, New York. LORD was naked from the waist down with his penis exposed. Victim-1 was in his underwear. When approached, LORD grabbed his underwear and fled.
Later that evening, LORD was apprehended and arrested by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Bedford Police Department. LORD was interviewed by Bedford Police and admitted that he engaged in sexual activity with Victim-1 on August 30, 2023, as well as on prior occasions. On August 30, 2023, LORD was charged in Bedford, New York, with Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree.
Mr. Williams stated that the investigation is ongoing. Mr. Williams requests that any individuals who may have encountered JOHN LORD or whose children may have had any communications with LORD to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
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LORD, 40, of Sedona, Arizona, is charged with one count of coercion and enticement, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, the Bedford Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office in connection with this investigation. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaun E. Werbelow is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Lord Complaint