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28 August 2023
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Duncan, 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 24, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Duncan’s residence and seized electronic devices including a cell phone. A forensic analysis of the cell phone revealed 18 videos and 13 images of child pornography. One image depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female.
A search warrant executed for Duncan’s email account revealed 10 videos of child pornography, including one video that contained 69 individual videos. One of the 69 videos in the collection depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female.
Duncan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Duncan must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Francesca C. Rollo and Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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-46.
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Canadian Man Charged with Traveling to Albany in Attempt to Meet 10-Year-Old for SexRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Alexander MacFayden, age 58, a citizen of Canada, appeared in court today on a charge of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Alfred Watson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
According to a federal complaint, MacFayden engaged in a series of online conversations earlier this year with an individual in Albany whom he believed would allow him to engage in sexual contact with a 10-year-old relative. On August 25, 2023, MacFayden drove from the Toronto area to Albany to engage in sexual contact with the minor. He was arrested in the Town of Colonie that evening, and later admitted he drove to Albany with the intent to engage in sexual contact with a minor. Today, MacFayden was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for tomorrow, August 29.
If convicted of the charge, MacFayden faces up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. MacFayden could also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department, the Rotterdam Police Department, and the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph S. Hartunian is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Boogaloo Movement Supporter Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A supporter of the “Boogaloo” movement was sentenced today to 12 months in prison after having pleaded guilty in April to being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition, and for making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Timothy Allen Teagan, 23, of Plymouth, Michigan, was sentenced before United States District Judge Sean F. Cox.
According to court records, Teagan is a supporter of the anti-government Boogaloo movement. Members of the Boogaloo movement advocate for the violent overthrow of the government. They believe that a civil war or uprising against the government is coming to the United States, and they refer to that conflict as the “Boogaloo.” On July 17, 2022, Teagan completed a Firearms Transaction Record, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473, in connection with the acquisition of a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Westland, Michigan. Teagan applied for the purchase of a Glock 34, 9-millimeter pistol. On the ATF Form 4473, Teagan checked “no” to the question concerning drug use. At the time Teagan prepared the ATF Form 4473 and submitted it, he was a frequent and habitual user of marijuana and was also addicted to the drug. Teagan lied on the ATF Form 4473 because he knew that he would be legally prohibited from purchasing and possessing a firearm if he answered truthfully and admitted that he was addicted to marijuana, or a habitual user of marijuana. Teagan subsequently purchased the Glock 9-millimeter pistol on July 20, 2022.
In addition, in October 2022, Teagan possessed a Diamondback Arms, Inc. DB-15 .556 caliber semi-automatic rifle and ammunition. Teagan stored the rifle and some of the ammunition in his bedroom at his father’s home located in Plymouth, Michigan. Teagan purchased the rifle in December 2019 from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Canton, Michigan. At the time of the December 2019 purchase, Teagan knew that he was a frequent and habitual user of marijuana and therefore not permitted to possess the firearm.
On October 27, 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Teagan’s father’s residence in Plymouth. During the search, agents recovered the DB-15 rifle, Level IV body armor, gas masks, dozens of rounds of rifle and pistol ammunition, an ACOG rifle sight, firearm magazines, and Boogaloo movement flags and patches. The Glock 9-millimeter pistol was recovered from a nearby vehicle.
“Our office stands ready to aggressively prosecute those who seek to circumvent federal firearms laws intended to protect our community, stated U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. .”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Saima Mohsin.
Armed Hamden Drug Distributor Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LATRELL ROUNTREE, also known as “Roundtree,” 28, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation into Rountree and his associates determined that Rountree was stashing narcotics in his apartment on Mix Avenue in Hamden. On May 24, 2022, as investigators arrived to conduct a court-authorized search of the apartment, Rountree threw a backpack from the fourth floor balcony and attempted to flee by climbing over the railing of the balcony to the third floor apartment. He was apprehended outside of the apartment building in a brush line. A search of the backpack revealed approximately 106 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 12 grams of fentanyl, three loaded semi-automatic pistols, and ammunition. An additional quantity of crack was found inside the apartment.
Rountree’s criminal history includes felony convictions for firearm offenses.
On April 24, 2023, Rountree pleaded guilty to possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Rountree, who is released on a $200,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 12.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Haven and Hamden Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gresham through 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Evelio Santana, 40, of Indianapolis, Indiana has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on November 15, 2021, investigators with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana State Police, and the FBI, were conducting surveillance on Evelio Santana who had six outstanding warrants for his arrest. Investigators watched Santana pull into the parking lot of a gas station on 38th street in a Polaris UTV. This Polaris UTV was later discovered to have been stolen in Marion County, Indiana.
IMPD officers approached Santana and attempted to place him in custody. As the officers made their presence known, Santana took off running. Eventually, officers arrested him after he fell during the foot pursuit. During a search of Santana’s person, a loaded, semi-automatic handgun fell out of his waistband.
That same day, investigators searched a stolen motorhome which had been in Santana’s possession and recovered a Sig Sauer M400 rifle. The defendant admitted to knowingly possessing both firearms.
Santana is prohibited from ever lawfully possessing a firearm due to his previous felony convictions of two counts of robbery, burglary, auto theft, and multiple thefts.
“Deadly weapons in the hands of violent criminals fuel the shootings and deaths that have devastating impacts on our families,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “I commend the FBI, ISP, and IMPD for their efforts to make our communities safer and hold illegally armed criminals accountable. This sentence should send a message to everyone returning to the community after a conviction for a violent felony. We want you to be successful, contributing, and law-abiding. If you choose to pick up a gun instead, you face a serious term in federal prison.”
“The message sent by this sentence is clear—if you have a prior conviction that makes possessing a firearm illegal and you choose to ignore that prohibition, you will face significant prison time,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “In partnership with other federal, state, and local law enforcement, the FBI will continue to work diligently to protect our communities from those who have no regard for the law.”
“The Indiana State Police will continue to work with its law enforcement partners at all levels to help keep firearms out of the hands of those who are not legally allowed to possess them, and to hold them accountable for their unlawful actions,” said Captain Ron Galaviz of the Indiana State Police.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, IMPD and Indiana State Police investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Matthew P. Brookman. Judge Brookman also ordered that Santana be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Alleged Business Scammers Indicted After Nationwide Scheme to Defraud Investors, Including Elderly, of More than $30MRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging seven defendants, including the founder and former President of Noah’s Event Venue in South Jordan, Utah, with 18 counts of wire fraud.
According to court documents, from January 2015 through May 2019, William J. Bowser, 60, of Hendersonville, North Carolina; Christopher J. Ashby, 49, of Salt Lake County, Utah; Scott W. Beynon, 46, of Davis County, Utah; Jordan S. Nelson, 42, of Salt Lake County, Utah; Scott L. Rutherford, 51, of Utah County, Utah; John D. Hamrick, 64, of Franconia, New Hampshire and the Vice President and Director of Edmund and Wheeler Inc., which is also named as a defendant in the indictment, conspired together to engage in a nationwide scheme to defraud investors. The victims, who were mostly retired and elderly individuals, were defrauded of more than $30,000,000 after being induced by the defendants to invest in Noah Event Centers. As alleged in the indictment, Noah Event Centers were, collectively, an unprofitable enterprise sustained only through infusions of new investor funds. The defendants did not use investor funds as promised in their marketing materials, purchase agreements and related representations. Instead, they misappropriated and diverted investor funds meant for the development and construction of new event centers to pay large commissions, Noah’s operations, prior investors, construction costs of other event centers, and rents on previously sold Noah Event Centers. As part of their alleged scheme, the defendants used the internet, telephone, email, and other means to promote, offer and sell fractional Tenant-in-Common interests in five Noah Event Centers through the use of a network of financial planners, 1031 exchange specialists, real estate brokers and other salespeople, using glossy marketing materials showing pictures of beautifully constructed buildings and promising impressive long-term financial returns.
Bowser, and his co-conspirators are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearance on September 14, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
Assistant United States Attorneys Cy H. Castle, Stewart M. Young, Stephen P. Dent and Peter Kuhn for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
27 August 2023
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on Jacksonville ShootingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following yesterday’s shooting in Jacksonville, Florida:
“Yesterday in Jacksonville, Florida, three people were killed in a horrific act of hate. In the wake of the mass shooting, FBI and ATF agents responded to the scene and are continuing to work closely with local law enforcement on the ground. The Justice Department is investigating this attack as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism. The entire Justice Department extends its deepest condolences to the loved ones of the victims and to the Jacksonville community as they mourn an unimaginable loss.
No person in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence and no family should have to grieve the loss of a loved one to bigotry and hate. One of the Justice Department’s first priorities upon its founding in 1870 was to bring to justice white supremacists who used violence to terrorize Black Americans. That remains our urgent charge today. The Justice Department will never stop working to protect everyone in our country from unlawful acts of hate.”
25 August 2023
Wyoming County Man Sentenced to 300 Months in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Roger Daniel Williams, age 44, of Meshoppen, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 300 months in prison for the production of child pornography videos and images. Williams previously pleaded guilty to the crime on March 30, 2022.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Williams produced videos and images of himself and a child while Williams was engaged in the act of raping the child. The production of these videos and images occurred on various dates beginning in December 2019 and continued through May 2021. Williams also possessed thousands of child pornography videos and images at his residence.
The sentence imposed by Judge Mariani was imposed to run consecutively to a state sentence Williams is currently serving. On January 13, 2022, Williams was sentenced in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania to serve a minimum of 240 months in prison and a maximum of 480 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of rape of child. Judge Mariani’s sentence ensures a minimum sentence of 45 years’ imprisonment for Williams.
Williams is also required to serve a term of five years of supervised release upon release from federal custody and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $45,000 to the identified victims of the child pornography he possessed.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division and the Meshoppen Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
Upon release from custody, Williams will also be required to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) upon release from custody.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
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West Virginia woman sentenced for drug trafficking crimesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Keisha Rae Ogline, age 33, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, officers conducted a search of Ogline’s home and vehicle and found methamphetamine, pills containing fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as digital scales and several firearms. The home was equipped with a video surveillance security system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
West Virginia man sentenced for federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – James Ray Arbogast, age 57, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Arbogast sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant from his Elkins home on several occasions. The sales were caught on video, which shows Arbogast weighing the drugs on a digital scale.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Mountain Region Drug Task Force.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
West Virginia man sentenced for federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew Scott Mayle, age 37, of Philippi, West Virginia, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mayle sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer on two separate occasions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
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Wagner Woman Sentenced for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Wagner, South Dakota, woman convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on August 21, 2023.
Chelsea Andersh, age 29, was sentenced to four years of probation and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Andersh was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2022. She pleaded guilty on May 31, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on September 11, 2021, when Andersh, after smoking methamphetamine and marijuana, gave her five-month old son a bottle and put him back in the bed with her. Later that day, the baby was discovered on his side, his face into Andersh’s body, under her arm, deceased. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was “asphyxia due to smothering due to bed sharing with mother.” The contributing cause was “maternal methamphetamine use.”
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 the Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement, Charles Mix County Sheriff’s Office, Wagner Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Two Indicted for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two New Bedford men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. One defendant was also charged with misuse of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft.
Yohenry Contreras-Lara, 29, and Vinicio DeJesus Marrero Arias, 39, were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Contreras-Lara was also indicted on one count of misuse of a social security number and one count of aggravated identity theft.
“Fentanyl is devastating communities across Massachusetts. We will continue partner with local police departments like the New Bedford Police Department and the Bristol County DA’s office to combat the distribution of this deadly drug on our streets,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“Fentanyl is causing great damage to our communities,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office. “Those who distribute this drug are endangering the safety of the citizens of Massachusetts. Fentanyl continues to cause deaths in record numbers and DEA’s top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, county and state law enforcement efforts in Massachusetts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“We will continue to pursue those who misuse the Social Security number of others. This individual allegedly misused the identity of another, remaining in this country unlawfully for two decades. This type of behavior harms innocent lives and damages the integrity of the SSN,” said Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Boston- New York Field Division. “I thank our law enforcement partners for working with us and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”
According to court filings, after Contreras-Lara entered the United States in 2002 on a tourist visa, he allegedly purchased the identity of a United States citizen and posed as that citizen for several years including applying for two Massachusetts drivers’ licenses under an identity that was not his in 2022.
It is further alleged that, following an investigation into fentanyl trafficking in and around the Lord Phillips Apartments in New Bedford, Contreras-Lara and Arias were identified as fentanyl distributors in the area. A search of Contreras Lara and Arias’ residences, as well as an apartment that was being used as a stash location and two storage units, allegedly resulted in the recovery of more than 800 grams of fentanyl and $1.2 million in cash in suspected drug proceeds.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to life years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of misuse of a social security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a sentence of two years to be served consecutively with any other sentence, up to one year 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 U.S. Attorney Levy, DEA SAC Boyle and SSA-OIG SAC MacDermott made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bristol District Attorney’s Office and the New Bedford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Darknet Vendors Plead Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and Other Illegal DrugsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Phoenix, Arizona, couple pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute multiple controlled substances including heroin, methamphetamine, and para-fluorofentanyl over the darknet.
According to court documents, from approximately January 2021 through May 2023, Cheerish Noel Taylor, 36, and Robert James Fischer, 35, ran the darknet monikers “SafeServe,” “Sky_HIGH,” and others across multiple darknet markets. On these markets, the co-conspirators advertised and sold various controlled substances, including crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, Xanax, Adderall, suboxone, and counterfeit pills that the conspirators advertised as oxycodone but that instead were laced with para-fluorofentanyl, a dangerous fentanyl analogue. During the course of the conspiracy, the conspirators made over 1,100 sales of controlled substances over the darknet using these accounts.
The darknet, also called the darkweb, is a portion of the Internet that hosts darknet markets, or hidden commercial websites. A darknet market operates as a black market, selling or brokering transactions involving legal products, as well as drugs, weapons, counterfeit currency, stolen credit card details, forged documents, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, steroids, and other illicit goods.
Fischer and Taylor sold counterfeit oxycodone pills, which they marketed as “pressed m30s” and “blues,” knowing that they did not contain oxycodone, and instead contained fentanyl or a fentanyl analogue. Within the product description for the purported “blues,” the defendant’s darknet vendor page on the site ASAP Market stated that “These are not reg M30s they are PRESSED and are very strong…seasoned users only please.” In another listing for the purported “blues,” the defendants advertised “small fine print: these are NOT from a pharmacy they are PRESSED from Mexico. Seasoned users Only because these are strong AF not for those who are freshly using.”
Fischer and Taylor sold other drugs on the darknet that they advertised as being legitimate, pharmaceutically, produced drugs. For example, the two sold what they described as “pharmaceutical Adderall’ for over $13 per pill.
The two shipped controlled substances nationwide through the United States Postal Service, and attempted to disguise the controlled substances within packages amidst dollar-store goods, such as children’s stickers, beads, birthday cards, and seasonal gift items. At times, the controlled substances were hidden inside of toy packaging.
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8. She faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. Fischer is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2024. He also faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Call is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-112.
Trenton, New Jersey Man Pleads Not Guilty to Human Smuggling ChargesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Victor Francisco Lopez-Padilla, 35, of Trenton, New Jersey, will be arraigned in the District of Vermont before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on August 29, 2023. He is charged in a two-count indictment that alleges he and codefendant Simon Jacinto-Ramos conspired to commit human-smuggling offenses and brought a migrant without legal status to the United States for the purpose of private financial gain. Lopez-Padilla was arrested in Trenton on August 1, 2023, and was seen for an initial appearance in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey before being transferred to the District of Vermont for further proceedings. Jacinto-Ramos has not yet been arrested in conjunction with the indictment. An arraignment will be scheduled after his arrest.
According to court records, Lopez-Padilla and Jacinto-Ramos, a resident of Montreal, worked together to bring migrants to, and smuggle them into, the United States for their personal profit, while knowing that the migrants lacked legal status to enter and remain in the United States. The defendants arranged transportation for the smuggled migrants from the Montreal area to a remote area of the border between the United States and Canada near Richford, Vermont. They provided a route for the migrants to follow on foot, and they tracked the migrants’ progress via cell phone mapping programs. The defendants then arranged transportation for the migrants in the United States in furtherance of their illegal entry. The United States Border Patrol intercepted at least four such smuggling events between April 2022 and June 2023 that appeared to agents to have been organized by the defendants based on phone data and witness interviews, and those events involved at least 23 smuggled migrants in total.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Lopez-Padilla remains presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted of a crime. Lopez-Padilla faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum sentence of 3 years if convicted as charged. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigative efforts of the United States Border Patrol and thanked Homeland Security Investigations and the New Jersey State Police for their support of Border Patrol in the apprehension of Lopez-Padilla.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher is handling the prosecution of Lopez-Padilla and Jacinto-Ramos. Lopez-Padilla is represented by Devin McLaughlin, Esq.
Transient Woman Sentenced in Fentanyl DeathRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kimberly Watts, 36, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Distribution of Fentanyl Analogue Resulting in Death. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Watts to 240 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On August 22, 2022, Watts provided the victim with fentanyl at the Travel Inn at 108th and L Streets, Omaha, Nebraska. The victim, 31, went back to his apartment, where he used the controlled substance and subsequently died. The fentanyl was a contributing cause of the victim’s overdose death.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Task Force, which is comprised of members of law enforcement from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Tampa Gang Member Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Demetrius Lamar Rahmings (28, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a loaded firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Rahmings to forfeit a Taurus G2C 9mm Pistol and 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition traceable to the offense. Rahmings had been found guilty on May 30, 2023, following a bench trial.
According to court documents, on October 8, 2020, Rahmings was wanted on several outstanding warrants for violent crime charges in state court. Deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension Unit and officers from the Tampa Police Department were monitoring a residence in Tampa that was known to be frequented by Rahmings’s associates. Law enforcement officers observed Rahmings at that residence and when they approached him, he fled on foot into the home. The officers pursued him into the residence, and once inside, Rahmings dropped a bookbag in the hallway and then hid in a bedroom. Rahmings was taken into custody. The officers recovered a Taurus 9mm firearm with an extended magazine loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition, plastic baggies, a digital scale, and an orange ski mask from the backpack.
At the time of this offense, Rahmings had previously been convicted in state court in Florida of multiple felonies, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (2013); aggravated assault with weapon (2013); aggravated battery (2013); possession of a firearm as a felon (2019); and fleeing to elude law enforcement (2019). As a convicted felon, Rahmings is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Rahmings had recently been released from Florida Department of Corrections on February 5, 2020.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
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.
Software Development CEO Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Tax and Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Kishore Kethineni, the CEO of multiple software development and IT services companies in the Bay Area, was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud and for his failure to pay over more than $2 million in employment taxes, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian of the Oakland Field Office. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Edward J. Davila, United States District Judge.
Kethineni, of Dublin, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charges on February 21, 2023. In pleading guilty, Kethineni admitted that he conspired with his two brothers to engage in a scheme in which they fraudulently obtained over $3.1 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The PPP is a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans through third-party lenders to small businesses for payroll and certain other expenses. Kethineni was the sole owner and CEO of four of the companies involved in the scheme: BiteGate, Inc., Dinenamics, Inc., Neelinfo, Inc., and TechPMC, Inc. His brothers were the owners of the three other companies involved: Boxstertech, Inc., Hiretechforce, Inc., and TechGlobalSystems, Inc. From April 2020 through May 2021, Kethineni and his brothers submitted multiple PPP loan applications on behalf of their various respective companies, in which they made fraudulent representations and provided falsified payroll data and records to obtain loans and loan forgiveness under the program.
Collectively, Kethineni and his brothers submitted at least twelve PPP loan applications on behalf of their seven companies. The applications sometimes were virtually identical. The applications resulted in the approval and funding of nine loans totaling over $3.1 million in PPP funds. Upon receipt of the PPP loan funds, Kethineni redirected significant amounts to himself and his family members instead of using the funds for payroll and other authorized business expenses under the program.
Kethineni also admitted to willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes that his company, Neelinfo, Inc., had withheld from the pay of its employees, incurring an employment tax liability of over $2 million over the course of five years (from 2014 through 2018). Kethineni acknowledged that he used a payroll service company to process Neelinfo’s employee payroll and track its employment tax obligations. Every quarter, the payroll service company provided Neelinfo with a prepared Form 941 that reflected the taxes withheld from Neelinfo’s employees, which Neelinfo was required to pay over to the IRS. Despite receiving these prepared tax forms each quarter, Kethineni did not file them with the IRS, nor did he pay over any employment taxes on behalf of Neelinfo, while still causing Neelinfo to make thousands of dollars in other expenditures. At the end of each year, the payroll service also provided Neelinfo with its employees’ Forms W-2, which were used by the employees to file their personal income taxes. However, due to Kethineni’s failure to file any employment tax forms or pay over Neelinfo’s employment taxes as required, some of Neelinfo’s employees were subject to audits and inspection by the IRS after filing income tax returns based on income that Neelinfo never reported.
On February 15, 2023, Kethineni was charged by Superseding Information with one count of failure to pay over employment tax in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7202 and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. Kethineni pleaded guilty to both counts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Davila also ordered Kethineni to serve two years of supervised release—to begin after the prison term—to pay $3,295,514.25 in restitution, and to pay a $15,000 fine. The court also ordered entry of a money forfeiture in the amount of $3,186,315.00.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Annie Hsieh is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Maryam Beros and Lance Libatique. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI and the FBI.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on August 21, 2023.
Tyson Thill, age 45, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Upon release from custody, Thill must register as a sex offender.
Thill was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2021. He pleaded guilty on May 30, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between February 8, 2019, and July 28, 2021, when Thill downloaded an application to use a camera from a remote location on his cell phone. Thill used the app to control the camera of another phone that he hid in a bedroom for the purpose of taking photographs of a minor getting dressed. Thill knew the minor was underage.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper 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 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.
Thill was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sarasota Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jonathan Kyle Eva (51, Sarasota) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Eva faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, deputies from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, after responding to 911 call, encountered Eva at the front door of his residence in the area of 59th Street and North Tuttle Avenue in Sarasota. The deputies entered Eva’s residence and retrieved five firearms (three rifles and two pistols) from the closet in Eva’s bedroom. Among those were a SKS Norinco 7.62x3.99 rifle, a Marlin Firearms Co. Model 60 .22 caliber rifle, and a H&R Arms Co. .22 caliber pistol. During an interview conducted by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Eva stated that he was a felon and that he had possessed the firearms. As a convicted felon, Eva is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha E. Beckman.
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.
San Francisco Man Charged with Tax Evasion and Embezzling $2.7 Million from San Francisco CompanyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Aubrey Jackson Shelton II with bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion in connection with his scheme to embezzle more than $2.7 million from his employer, a San Francisco technology company, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. Shelton was arrested today and appeared in federal court to face the charges.
According to the indictment, filed August 15, 2023, and unsealed today, Shelton, of San Francisco, Calif., allegedly embezzled approximately $2.7 million from his employer, a San Francisco-based automobile services and technology company where Shelton worked as the Senior Vice President of Finance. According to the indictment, from November 2013 and through December 2021, Shelton used his exclusive control over the company’s payroll processing software to inflate his salary and bonuses over the authorized amounts and to direct the payroll processor to cause the company to pay him large amounts categorized as “Executive Loan,” “Misc Reimbursement,” “Mileage Reimbursement,” or other reimbursements that were not authorized or expended by Shelton.
In November 2013, Shelton submitted false information to the payroll processor about his salary, causing the gross amount to double despite the fact that his authorized salary had not changed. Then, in 2014, Shelton falsely submitted to the payroll processor that he was entitled to $5,000 mileage reimbursements on twelve consecutive semi-monthly paychecks while reducing his gross salary to the authorized amount. Shelton’s use of mileage reimbursement rather than increased salary resulted in less tax being withheld from his paycheck and the embezzled amounts not being reported to the IRS. Shelton then began submitting false information to the payroll processor claiming he was entitled to amounts described as “Executive Loan” and, later, amounts described as “Misc Reimbursement,” including during irregular payroll cycle runs. During this time, Shelton again increased his salary above the authorized amount and defrauded the company of even more money through misuse of the “Executive Loan” and reimbursement payment categories. Taxes were not withheld from both of these categories, nor were the amounts reported to the IRS. To accomplish his scheme, Shelton submitted false payroll approval documentation to the company’s CEO and submitted false payroll information to auditors, in addition to the false information he submitted to the payroll processor in connection with processing payroll. Shelton submitted false tax returns to the IRS that falsely reported his income by not including the amounts he embezzled from the company.
In sum, the indictment charges Shelton with three counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344(2); five counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; and four counts of tax evasion in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201. Shelton was scheduled to appear today in court for identification of counsel and his initial San Francisco federal district court appearance is scheduled for October 18, 2023.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Shelton faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000, plus restitution, if appropriate, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344. Shelton faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, if appropriate, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Shelton faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and a fine of $100,000 for each violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201. The court also may order an additional term of supervised release to begin after a prison term as part of any sentence. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Stern is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Elizabeth Kim. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Ringleader of a Child Porn Enterprise Gets LifeRead the Press Release
TULSA Okla. – A Broken Arrow man who sexually exploited a young child and was an administrator for a transnational child exploitation chat group was sentenced to life in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Chief Judge John F. Heil III sentenced Cameron Kelly McAbee, 33, to life in federal prison.
“McAbee was the ringleader in a child porn enterprise identified through an investigation by the FBI and our task force partners. In addition to McAbee a group of 47 other predators were identified and have or will face justice in their respective jurisdictions for the trauma they have caused to children,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in Oklahoma and across the nation will continue to identify, track, arrest and prosecute pedophiles who harm the most vulnerable among us.”
On July 26, 2021, the FBI linked the administrator of an online account engaged in child porn activities to McAbee and his Broken Arrow address. The FBI executed a search warrant of the residence and McAbee was taken into custody that same day.
In his plea agreement, McAbee admitted that from July 1, 2019, to July 26, 2021, he knowingly engaged in a child exploitation enterprise, taking part in a series of felony violations comprised of more than three separate incidents, involving more than one victim, and in concert with more than three other people.
McAbee admitted to being an administrator of an online messenger platform and group chats where members of the group exchanged numerous images and videos depicting the rape and molestation of children. He stated that the groups involved at least 21 members and at least eight child victims. As part of gaining access to one of the groups, McAbee required members to show proof of access to a child victim and they were expected to share images and videos of the sexual abuse of that child to maintain access to the group, as well as share other images and videos of child sexual abuse obtained elsewhere. McAbee admitted to being partly responsible for confirming a prospective member’s access to a child victim and admitting them to the group. McAbee also admitted that from July 1, 2019, to July 26, 2021, he had a minor engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions that he would share online in these group chats.
The investigation into McAbee and the chat groups, led to the identification of 47 other alleged child predators from the United States, Australia, Canada, and Norway and led to the rescue or identification of more than 100 child victims.
McAbee will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office (Tulsa Resident Agency), FBI Atlanta Field Office, Broken Arrow Police Department, and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Ashley M. Robert are prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Led by United States Attorney’s 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, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Registered Sex Offender Convicted of Gun Crime in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Thursday found a registered sex offender guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm after he was caught by St. Louis police with a gun during a domestic dispute.
Mario Long, now 52, was arrested Aug. 6, 2020, after St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to a home in the 4600 block of Louisiana Avenue. Long’s then-girlfriend had locked him out of the house during a dispute. Long shattered the glass on the home’s front door, assaulted his girlfriend and then got a gun from a bedroom, according to testimony at trial. The girlfriend’s daughter called police and said Long was threatening them both with the gun.
When police arrived, Long was shouting at his girlfriend. He walked into a bedroom and hid a Taurus 9mm handgun, witnesses said during the trial. Long is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing a firearm. His prior convictions include unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, assault, child molestation, statutory rape and statutory sodomy.
Long is scheduled to be sentenced later this year. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Hoag and John Ware are prosecuting the case.
Readout of Justice Department Leadership’s Meeting with Civil Rights Groups Ahead of 60th Anniversary of the March on WashingtonRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division met with civil rights organizations today at the Justice Department.
Leaders from over a dozen organizations discussed an array of critical topics including voting rights, constitutional policing, and the Department’s redlining initiative.
“When I became Attorney General, I laid out three co-equal priorities for this Justice Department: to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland told the civil rights leaders. “I have also made clear that protecting civil rights is not only the responsibility of one storied Division in our Department – it is the responsibility of every Justice Department employee, every single day. It is central to the mission of every component, every team, every agent, and every prosecutor in this Department.”
Attorney General Garland highlighted recent significant civil rights work including the Department’s work to secure a ruling that portions of Texas Senate Bill 1 violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the opening of a civil pattern or practice investigation of the Memphis Police Department and the City of Memphis; and the Department’s efforts to combat unlawful discriminatory practices in the housing market, including by securing the largest redlining settlement in the Department’s history earlier this year.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco spoke about some of the Department’s other work to promote civil rights, including the Department’s implementation of Executive Order 14074, Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety and the establishment, in this regard, of the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database. She also discussed the Department’s ongoing efforts to reform the Federal Bureau of Prisons, including by holding employees who commit sexual abuse against adults in custody accountable for their crimes and improving access to counsel.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke discussed additional issues that the Civil Rights Division is aggressively working to address, including hate crimes prosecutions across the country, Department efforts to intervene in lawsuits challenging gender-affirming care, and a new proposed rule to improve web and mobile application accessibility for people with disabilities. She also discussed the Department’s joint resource document issued with the Department of Education to help colleges and universities understand the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. University of North Carolina et al. (collectively SFFA).
The meeting comes in advance of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. Department leadership recognized that this year’s theme, “Not A Commemoration, A Continuation,” is a reminder that more work remains to be done. That theme aligns with the Attorney General’s commitment to fulfill the Department’s founding purpose and historic responsibility to protect civil rights. When the Department was founded in 1870, in the wake of the Civil War and in the midst of Reconstruction, its first principal task was to protect the civil rights guaranteed by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. This meant confronting white supremacists who used violence and threats of violence to prevent Black Americans from exercising their voting rights. Despite important progress since then, protecting civil rights remains a cornerstone of the Department’s work.
Department leadership thanked the civil rights leaders for their hard work and partnership towards protecting civil rights.
Readout from United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez’s Violent Crime Listening Session with Westgate Community MembersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and his staff met with members of the Westgate community on August 2 at the Westgate Community Center to discuss violent crime. Becky Davis from the Westgate Heights and Avalon Neighborhood Associations, Michael Parra, school-based coordinator for the School-Based Violence Intervention Program (VIP), Deputy U.S. Marshal Jim Glisson, Matthew Cross-Guillen, Health Promotion Specialist from the New Mexico Department of Health, Michele Torres, Principal of West Mesa High School, Sharay Hill, Community School Coordinator at West Mesa High School, Carolyn Brown, history teacher from West Mesa High School, and Stevie Maestas, a licensed Master Social Worker at West Mesa High School, presented statements. This listening session focused on community-based solutions and how to work with both parents and students to address issues affecting the community. This was the fifth and final listening session held with community members this summer.
United States Attorney Uballez opened the session by explaining that the Attorney General directed United States Attorney’s Offices to focus on addressing violent crime through intervention and outreach efforts. Participants described how generational trauma creates a cycle of violence in Albuquerque. Others described systemic issues within the juvenile justice system that fail to address recidivism and provide resources to young offenders before they commit felonies. All participants agreed that adults and teachers need more support, education, and resources to help teens become productive members of society when they reach adulthood.
Stevie Maestas started the session by sharing the effects violence in the community has on the schools. “This is my eighth year at West Mesa and I have never seen the violence and the amount of issues be this big,” Maestas said. “We have [no] less than 500 kids at any moment at high-risk who are getting behavior, attendance and course performance… those three indicators are very much indicating that our students need support and help.”
(Behavior, attendance and course performance are strong predictors of high school completion and part of an early warning indicator system that identifies students who are in danger of dropping out and need help to keep them on track for graduation, thereby improving their chances of future success.)
Michael Parra posed the idea that providers should shift the focus on prevention and education to elementary school-aged families. Parra explained that providers need to go to ‘the root’ because that is when parents begin to establish and grow their skills. Parra and Maestas explained that this was necessary so that parents and guardians could be proactive instead of reactive. Maestas posited that Head Start programs focusing on families with young children would help parents and guardians who are trying to break down generational trauma by making it normal for them to ask for help.
Michele Torres shared that she had introduced “Coffee with the Principal” in order to connect with student’s families and that she has found it has a positive impact. Torres extended an invitation to USA Uballez to attend this and other school events so that he would have the opportunity to converse with students and their families, and to show the students that he and his staff are safe adults who want them to be successful. This would also show the teachers, parents and guardians that he and his staff are present in the community and listening.
In response to USA Uballez’s question about how to most effectively reach families, Carolyn Brown explained that parents and guardians are not fully aware of what schools can and cannot do to address the root issues that can be indicators of future violence, and when they do become aware of the schools’ limitations, parents and guardians often recognize their part in the solution. Brown and other participants recommended that the USA employ a similar tactic by being transparent and taking steps to fully inform the community about the challenges it faces and his office’s role in addressing those issues.
Carolyn Brown reiterated the importance of federal prosecutors going into the schools to reach students and families and being transparent about what issues they are seeing in the city as well as the effects on the community as a whole. USA Uballez agreed with the participants that it was important for him to hear from community members and that new tactics need to be employed by the Department. As a result, USA Uballez attended West Mesa’s first parents’ night of the new school year and spoke to families about the actions his office is taking to address violent crime.
All participants expressed a tremendous passion for and commitment to improving their communities and came to the table with achievable, family-focused solutions. Sharay Hill summarized this best in her statement, “The kids have so much potential, even the kids that get in trouble. I think they are so smart and have so much passion and it breaks my heart to know that some of them are trapped under a system or are being exposed to things that they can’t get out of.” Hill added, “there’s a lot of conversation around wanting to provide the highest quality of education possible so that these students can move on and pursue life after high school, because there’s so much life, and hopefully [they] succeed at whatever that is.”
USA Uballez convened this listening session as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. USA Uballez previously met with representatives from organizations that serve Albuquerque’s International District, community providers who serve the unhoused population, social justice activists, and addiction and treatment service providers. These sessions were an opportunity for the USA and his staff to recognize the vital role that these leaders, providers and advocates play in our community.
Immediately following the first listening session in July, USA Uballez and his staff began implementing specific efforts to support the community based on the recommendations they received. Steps taken included assisting organizations with getting reimbursement for services provided to law enforcement agencies, participating in National Night Out, and equipping service providers with information, resources, and documents to help them more effectively serve their communities. In the coming months, USA Uballez and his staff will continue to focus on intervention and outreach efforts.
PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. In New Mexico, the United States Attorney’s Office pursues a community violence intervention approach. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based intervention, prevention, and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
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Re-Entry Fair Provides Returning Citizens Resources to Support a More Seamless Transition to Civilian LifeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section (LEC/COS) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida recently joined other community stakeholders at Everglades Re-Entry Center, Florida Department of Corrections, to meet with soon-t0-be returning citizens.
The Re-Entry Fair provided job leads, housing and legal resources, and other information to about 30 individuals, who in the coming months will once again enjoy their freedom. But first came poignant opening remarks from a community stakeholder who, himself, had once been incarcerated.
“You have to change that criminal mindset,” he said. “When you wait until you get out to start re-entry, it’s too late. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Don’t leave here without a vision and goals. Do training while you’re on the inside, so that when you get out you are trained and ready to succeed. Become productive men. You’re in here for doing wrong. You’ve got a chance now to do right.”
There now is more training available at Everglades Re-Entry Center than ever before. It began with one electrical program, where incarcerated individuals could learn a trade and become certified. The facility now boasts seven programs, with plans to do even more. And once trained, community stakeholders who attend the Re-Entry Fair can provide others with guidance and employment opportunities.
During the fair, the U.S. Attorney’s Office staff distributed a South Florida Re-Entry Resource Guide, with hundreds of contacts, to prepare returning citizens for their release, first steps after release, and successful transition. The guide highlights financial literacy, legal assistance, job interviewing tips and a host of other topics. Also provided were handouts on the Federal Bonding Program, which provides insurance to employers who hire hard-to-place job seekers and the Work Opportunity Tax Program which gives employers tax credits for hiring those same job seekers. Also present at the fair were employees from Gang Alternative Inc., Goodwill South Florida, Fellowship House, and Convicts of Diversified Empowerment, among others.
“I’ve probably participated in a dozen of these fairs and it’s valuable because it gives us the chance to provide information they otherwise wouldn’t know about,” said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Michael Martinez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “We want to provide them the best chance to succeed and to do that they need to have the right resources.”
LEC/COS staff does a tremendous amount of community outreach. They interact with young children, teens, and the incarcerated to help improve lives and encourage everyone to make smarter choices.
“Every bit counts,” said Martinez. “From preschool readings to anti-bullying presentations at middle schools to this re-entry fair, we’re always striving to put people on a path to success. That’s why we make community outreach a priority.”
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Rapid City Woman Sentenced 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 Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 25, 2023.
Amanda Vu, 36, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Vu was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. She pleaded guilty on May 15, 2023.
Starting around January of 2020 and lasting until her arrest in November of 2022, Vu obtained methamphetamine from Colorado, which she then transported to South Dakota. Vu sold the methamphetamine to people in South Dakota for use or to further distribute. Although exact quantities are unknown, law enforcement estimates she brought back approximately 60 kilograms of methamphetamine. During the conspiracy, the defendant also rented multiple vehicles, a storage unit, and short-term house rentals to facilitate her organization and avoid detection by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local 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.
Vu was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rantoul, Illinois, Man Convicted of Possession with Intent to Deliver More Than 50 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – On August 23, 2023, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Artez L. Johnson, 38, of Rantoul, Illinois, for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Johnson was convicted following a jury trial in front of United States District Judge Colin s. Bruce. During the trial, the government presented evidence establishing that on February 20, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Johnson’s car near the intersection of Maplewood and Grove Avenue in Rantoul. After Johnson – who was driving – got out of the car, Rantoul Police officers noticed a small bag of suspected cocaine on the driver’s seat. Officers searched the car and located approximately 330 grams of methamphetamine ice packed in three ziploc bags in the center console. Johnson said the methamphetamine belonged to him but claimed it was for personal use.
The government presented additional evidence showing that Johnson had been dealing methamphetamine for several months before the traffic stop and that 330 grams is a distribution amount, not a personal use amount.
The statutory penalty for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine is not less than 10 years or more than life imprisonment.
The case investigation was conducted by the Rantoul Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Sullivan and Rachel Ritzer represented the government in the prosecution.
Police Officer Found Guilty on Two Felony Counts Involving Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, a federal jury found Roberto Adams, 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, guilty of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans. U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled a sentencing hearing for December 8, 2023.
According to the evidence at trial, Adams, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of at least $18,350. Adams applied for and obtained PPP loans on behalf of his business SuperKlean LLC, a Maryland Corporation. At the time of the loans, SuperKlean LLC had no employees, no clients, and no income. Adams spent the funds at casinos in Maryland and at hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, on airfare, hotels, high-end sneakers, and personal debt. In addition, he spent $12,110 of the stolen disaster relief funds to pay several months of back rent on his personal residence.
The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, with the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Adams faces a statutory maximum sentence for wire fraud of 30 years in prison and for expenditure money laundering of 10 years in prison. A federal court judge will determine the appropriate sentence based on the guideline range and other factors.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the agencies who investigated the case, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with substantial assistance by the Internal Affairs Division of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lisa Abbe and Sonalika Chaturvedi, and financial analyst Bryan Snitselaar.
Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Rothstein and Madhu Chugh, who prosecuted the case at trial.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Pakistani Doctor Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Rochester man has been sentenced to 216 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Muhammad Masood, 31, a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan, was formerly employed as a Research Coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B Visa. Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood used an encrypted messaging application to facilitate his travel overseas to join a terrorist organization. Masood made multiple statements about his desire to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (“ISIS”), and he pledged his allegiance to the designated terrorist organization and its leader. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct “lone wolf” terrorist attacks in the United States. On Feb. 21, 2020, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago, Illinois to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16, 2020, Masood’s travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Masood then agreed to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory.
On March 19, 2020, Masood traveled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Masood pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022, to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Masood was sentenced today before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter, and Dmitriy Slavin and Stephanie Sweeten of the National Security Division.
Pakistani Doctor Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A Rochester man was sentenced today to 216 months in prison, equivalent to 18 years, followed by five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, Muhammad Masood, 31, a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan, was formerly employed as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B visa. Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood used an encrypted messaging application to facilitate his travel overseas to join a terrorist organization. Masood made multiple statements about his desire to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), and he pledged his allegiance to the designated terrorist organization and its leader. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct “lone wolf” terrorist attacks in the United States. On Feb. 21, 2020, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago, Illinois, to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16, 2020, Masood’s travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masood then agreed to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory.
On March 19, 2020, Masood traveled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Masood pleaded guilty on Aug. 16, 2022, to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Masood was sentenced today before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate StalkingRead the Press Release
BOISE – Joel Waters, 44, of Wallowa, Oregon, pleaded guilty to interstate stalking, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, between October 7 and December 24, 2020, Waters traveled between Oregon and Idaho to harass and intimidate the victim who was residing in Boise. Waters took dogs from the victim’s home and car, slashed the tires on the victim’s vehicle, set fire to the victim’s residence in Oregon on two occasions, placed a tracking device on the victim’s vehicle, set fire to the victim’s vehicle, and sent the victim numerous harassing emails. Some of Waters’ acts occurred in violation of a civil protection order that the victim had obtained against Waters in Oregon.
Waters is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye on November 8, 2023, and faces a minimum of one year and up to five years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Boise Police Department, and the Oregon State Police, which led to the charge.
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Omaha Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joseph Harris, 40, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Omaha by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual). Harris was sentenced to 151 months in prison and will also serve 5 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Starting on March 1, 2021, Harris sold more than 500 grams of methamphetamine to a witness cooperating with law enforcement. On April 20, 2021, a different cooperating witness working with law enforcement purchased 415 grams of methamphetamine from Harris in Omaha. Over the course of the next month, the cooperator met with Harris on several occasions and made payments to him for the methamphetamine. During these visits the two discussed possible future transactions but they never materialized.
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Ohio Electrical Engineer Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Everson, of Liberty Center, Ohio, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for evading taxes by using a sham trust to conceal income he earned from his electrical engineering business. A federal jury convicted Everson in October 2022 of three counts of tax evasion.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from approximately 2009 through 2016, Everson earned more than $2.3 million in income from the business. He attempted to conceal much of this income and evade the IRS by instructing clients to make payments to a trust that he controlled. Everson used the trust money to pay personal expenses and make large cash withdrawals. He also funneled some of the trust funds to other bank accounts held in the names of non-profit organizations that he and several family members controlled, even listing his home and airplane in the name of a non-profit organization. In total, Everson’s conduct caused a loss to the IRS of $658,487.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick for the Northern District of Ohio ordered Everson to serve two years of supervised release and pay restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sarah Ranney of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.
Ohio Electrical Engineer Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
John Everson, of Liberty Center, Ohio, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for evading taxes by using a sham trust to conceal income he earned from his electrical engineering business. A federal jury convicted Everson in October 2022 of three counts of tax evasion.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from approximately 2009 through 2016, Everson earned more than $2.3 million in income from the business. He attempted to conceal much of this income and evade the IRS by instructing clients to make payments to a trust that he controlled. Everson used the trust money to pay personal expenses and make large cash withdrawals. He also funneled some of the trust funds to other bank accounts held in the names of non-profit organizations that he and several family members controlled, even listing his home and airplane in the name of a non-profit organization. In total, Everson’s conduct caused a loss to the IRS of $658,487.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick for the Northern District of Ohio ordered Everson to serve two years of supervised release and pay restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sarah Ranney of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.
Niagara Falls Man Going to Prison for Five Years on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Lazarus R. Hayes, 34, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on June 19, 2021, the Niagara Falls Police Narcotics Unit and Niagara County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Hayes’s Pierce Avenue residence. During the search, they recovered from a bag belonging to co-defendant Gerald Harper approximately 93 grams of cocaine, 9 grams of fentanyl, 26 grams of amphetamine, 245 milligrams of hydrocodone, and 720 milligrams of oxycodone. In addition, within Hayes’s residence, investigators seized approximately 8 grams of cocaine, 20 clonazepam tablets, a digital scale, two loaded firearms, $3,958 in cash, which is proceeds of drug trafficking activities.
Gerald Harper was previously convicted and sentenced.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent John Faso, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti.
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New Orleans Resident Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - JOSHUA BARNES (“BARNES”), age 31, and a resident of New Orleans was sentenced on August 22, 2023 by Judge Susie Morgan to time served, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee for failing to register as a sex offender under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, BARNES , who was convicted of a sex offense in Texas, failed to register as a sex offender with the State of Louisiana after he established residence in this state.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – REYNALDO DOMINICK, age 31, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on August 17, 2023, before United States District Judge Carl L. Barbier to a four-count superseding bill of information charging him in Count 1 with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine-base (“crack”) and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(C). DOMINICK was charged in Counts 2 and 4 with being a Felon in Possession of Firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Lastly, in Count 3, DOMINICK was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of N-phenyl-N-[1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl] propanamide (fentanyl) in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to court documents, DOMINICK was previously convicted of several felony convictions out of Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish. On December 25, 2020, DOMINICK fled from Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies during a traffic stop. After DOMINICK crashed his vehicle and was apprehended, multiple small baggies of cocaine-base and cocaine were found in DOMINICK’s pants, and two firearms were recovered from DOMINICK’s vehicle. On August 12, 2021, DOMINICK was again arrested at his home and agents located two stolen firearms and fentanyl in a bag that DOMINICK threw on top of his carport roof. Agents also located DOMINICK’s cellphone that contained several messages involving narcotics trafficking activity. In pleading guilty, DOMINICK has acknowledged he possessed fentanyl, cocaine-base, and cocaine with intent to distribute and possessed firearms to further his drug trafficking. DOMINICK is also prohibited from possessing firearms due to his criminal history.
DOMINICK is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2023. As to Counts 1 and 3, DOMINICK faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised release. As to Counts 2 and 4, DOMINICK faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. As to each count, DOMINICK faces payment of a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
Nashville Man Sentenced for November 2020 Violent Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Defendant Miles Priddy, 24, of Nashville, Tennessee, was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for a string of violent crimes he committed in Nashville in 2020, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
Priddy and his co-defendant, Dion Swanson, were charged with multiple crimes by a federal grand jury in 2022. On April 17, 2023, Priddy pled guilty to attempted carjacking, carjacking, and using a firearm during a crime of violence.
The charges stem from a crime spree on the evening of November 23, 2020, involving an attempted carjacking in East Nashville where Priddy and Swanson attempted to carjack a vehicle. After the victim said his vehicle did not work, Priddy and his co-defendant beat him with weapons and their fists. They then took the victim’s cellphone, wallet, and pants before fleeing.
Less than an hour later, the two men crashed into the back of a vehicle stopped at an intersection. As the driver exited his vehicle to inspect the damage, Priddy and Swanson committed an armed carjacking. When the driver hesitated to give up his keys, Priddy and Swanson beat him unconscious in front of his family and then took his vehicle. Metropolitan Nashville Police Department officers apprehended Priddy and Swanson a short time later.
"As a result of today's sentence, this violent criminal will be removed from our community for almost a decade," said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. "I commend the outstanding work done in this case by the Metro-Nashville Police Department, the FBI, and the prosecutors in our office to protect Nashvillians from violent crime."
Priddy’s co-defendant has entered a guilty plea and will be sentenced by United States District Judge William L. Campbell Jr. in September.
The FBI Memphis Field Office and Metropolitan Nashville Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Herbert L. Bunton III for the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
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Missoula doctor settles alleged Controlled Substances Act recordkeeping violations for $85,000Read the Press Release
HELENA—A Missoula doctor who operated clinics in Missoula and Kalispell that dispense ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects, has agreed to pay the federal government $85,000 to settle alleged Controlled Substances Act violations that he distributed the drug from an unregistered location and failed to maintain records for his controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Dr. William D. Stratford Jr. entered into a civil settlement agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana on Aug. 11. The terms of the agreement require Stratford to pay a settlement amount of $85,000, attend training on the Controlled Substances Act and comply with record keeping requirements. The agreement further prohibits Stratford from prescribing controlled substances to himself or any immediate family members or office staff for five years.
“Maintaining accurate records as required by the Controlled Substance Act is critical to make sure that controlled substances, such as ketamine, are not abused or misused. We expect doctors and all providers to comply with these rules, and we take any violations of the regulations seriously. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Kakuk and the DEA for their work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
“Doctors and health care professionals are entrusted with prescribing medications responsibly and in the best interests of their patients,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge James Stroop III of the Rocky Mountain Field Division. “Failure to comply with the Controlled Substances Act can have serious public safety and health implications. The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to keep our communities safe.”
In a Complaint, the United States contended that in May 2021, DEA investigators conducted an inspection of Stratford’s Missoula clinic, Big Sky Ketamine Care, and found violations of the Controlled Substances Act that included numerous failures to maintain complete and accurate records for his controlled substances. Stratford did not maintain as required a separate registration for controlled substances stored as his residence or at his Kalispell clinic. In addition, Stratford did not maintain as required records of receipt for ketamine and failed to provide distribution records as required for ketamine that was administered or distributed from May 2019 through February 2021. The DEA identifies ketamine as a Schedule III non-narcotic substance. The drug is a short-acting anesthetic and is used for short-term sedation and for treatment of resistant depression, post-traumatic stress, and other psychological conditions.
The settlement agreement is neither an admission of liability by Stratford nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well-founded.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Kakuk represented the United States in this matter. The DEA conducted the investigation.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 136 Months for Drug Trafficking in the Tri CitiesRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – On August 23, 2023, Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Amado De La Mora Cardenas, age 35, to over 11 years in in federal prison after his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. De La Mora Cardenas, who is from Colima, Mexico, also will serve 5 years of federal supervision after he is released from custody.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, in April 2020, an investigation was initiated into an organization suspected to be involved in trafficking methamphetamine into the Eastern District of Washington, specifically in the Tri-Cities, Washington, and Connell, Washington, areas. Multiple subjects were identified within the organization to include Carlos Madrigal-Deniz; Amado De La Mora Cardenas, Rafael Muniz De la Mora; and Pascual Masqueda-Salinas, and others.
In September 2020, De La Mora Cardenas and Co-Defendant Madrigal-Deniz made arrangements for a ten-pound delivery of methamphetamine from Muniz-De La Mora, who brought a four-year-old child to the transaction. The child was wearing a Spider-Man backpack containing approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. Co-Defendant Muniz-De La Mora escorted the young child, who is seen wearing the backpack, from one vehicle to another. Co-Defendant Muniz-De La Mora, the child, and De La Mora Cardenas then entered into the second vehicle – a Chevy Cruze. Shortly thereafter, DEA Tri-Cities stopped the Chevy Cruze and recovered the backpack, which was inside the car, next to the child. Inside the Spider-Man Backpack, the DEA recovered 10 pounds of methamphetamine supplied by De La Mora Cardenas and Co-Defendant Muniz-De La Mora. Below are still shots from surveillance video of the transaction. Muniz-De La Mora Cardenas appears in the blue hoodie.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, stated “Drug distribution continues to harm the Tri-Cities and elsewhere. It is particularly troubling that Mr. De La Mora Cardenas participated in a drug transaction where a four-year old child was used to conceal distribution activities” U.S. Attorney Waldref continued: “I commend the collaborative efforts of state, local, and federal law enforcement to identify Mr. De La Mora Cardenas’s drug trafficking activities and to prevent him from further distributing this poison in our community.”
“This incident is another sad example of the depths drug traffickers will go to exploit others, even children, to continue their drug trafficking. The case illustrates to the community the steadfast resolve of DEA and our federal, state, local partners in the Tri-Cities in bringing wrongdoers to justice,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.
Brigit Clary, Richland Police Department’s Chief of Police, stated “The drug trade does not recognize jurisdictional boundaries when insidiously introducing the most vulnerable of our population to life altering substances; even using children to accomplish their destruction. Law enforcement in the Tri-Cities, together with the US Attorney’s Office, remains committed to working together across local and federal lines to partner in aggressively combatting drug crimes, and keeping our communities safer.”
Chris Guerrero, Kennewick Police Department’s Chief of Police, stated “This impactful sentence is yet another great example of the public safety partnerships that are in operation every single day to keep the Tri-Cities area safe. We appreciate the commitment from our Tri-Cities Metro Drug Task Force, the DEA, US Border Patrol, and the US Attorney’s Office in holding those who are providing illegal narcotics to our communities accountable.”
This case was investigated by the DEA Tri-Cities, the METRO Drug Task Force, United States Border Patrol, Richland Police Department, Kennewick Police Department, Pasco Police Department, and West Richland Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.
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Man Sentenced for Selling Firearms to a FelonRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Roger Hudson, 41, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for selling firearms to a felon and possessing unregistered firearms. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Hudson to 41 months in the Bureau of Prisons on each charge to run concurrently. After completing his prison term, Hudson will begin a two-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Between March 24, 2022, and November 9, 2022, a source working with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) purchased three firearms from Hudson: a .40 caliber handgun and two AR15 rifles. Before the buys, Hudson knew that he was selling the firearms to a felon who is prohibited from possessing gun. Each of the controlled buys took place in Omaha and were audio and video recorded by the ATF.
On November 9, 2022, Hudson sold an AK-47 rifle with a 30 round high-capacity magazine attached to the rifle to the confidential source. This buy took place in Omaha and was witnessed by law enforcement officers as well as audio and video recorded.
On December 7, 2022, the confidential source made a controlled buy from Hudson of a fully operational, defaced sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun. The shotgun had an overall length of less than 26 inches and a barrel of less than 18 inches thus rendering it classified as a “short barreled shotgun” under the National Firearms Act. A search of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record by agents determined that the firearm was not registered to Hudson and no tax stamp had been issued for the gun. The firearm’s serial number was also defaced.
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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to fraudulently obtaining $345,108 in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans from a financial institution and the Small Business Administration (SBA).
According to court documents, Artur Chanchikyan, 55, of Los Angeles, was the owner of Gentle Touch Home Health Care Inc. (Gentle Touch), a home health agency that was located in North Hollywood, California. On or about Dec. 27, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) placed Chanchikyan under Medicare payment suspension based on fraud allegations. While under suspension, around April 2020, Chanchikyan applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan seeking $160,000 on behalf of Gentle Touch. In the PPP application, Chanchikyan made false representations, including the number of employees to whom Gentle Touch paid wages and Gentle Touch’s average monthly payroll expenses at the time of the application, and false certifications that the loan would be used for permissible business purposes by Gentle Touch. As a result, Gentle Touch received approximately $45,472 in PPP loan proceeds.
Around April 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Provider Relief Fund (PRF) program deposited approximately $139,736 into Gentle Touch’s bank account. The PRF automatically distributed funds to providers who met certain criteria to help health care providers that were financially impacted by COVID-19, as well as to provide care to patients who were suffering from COVID-19 and compensate providers for the cost of that care. On or about May 1, 2020, Chanchikyan falsely certified to HHS that he would use the funds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 or to reimburse Gentle Touch for health care related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19 as required.
Additionally, around July 2020, Chanchikyan submitted an application to the SBA seeking a low-interest loan from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. In the EIDL application, Chanchikyan falsely represented the number of employees at Gentle Touch, and falsely certified that the loan would be used for permissible business purposes. As a result, Gentle Touch received approximately $159,900 in EIDL proceeds.
Chanchikyan used the funds from the PPP, PRF, and EIDL programs for his own benefit and for purposes that were different from those he certified.
Chanchikyan pleaded guilty to wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, Special Agent in Charge Timothy B. DeFrancesca of the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The HHS-OIG and FBI Los Angeles Field Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Helen H. Lee, Patrick J. Queenan, and Laura Connelly of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Man Arrested for Charges Related to Two Victims Found Dead on Ft. Liberty in December 2020Read the Press Release
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley announced charges relating to murder, drugs, firearms, and obstruction for Kenneth Maurice Quick, Jr. of Laurinburg, North Carolina. A federal grand jury indicted Quick on August 1, 2023, and that indictment was unsealed at his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly Swank in Greenville.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, it is alleged Quick committed first-degree murder by shooting a victim on Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) on December 1, 2020. In addition, it is alleged Quick used a firearm to murder a second victim that same day. The murder of the second victim was in relation to a separate charge for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Quick is also alleged to have been a felon at the time of these offenses and knowingly possessed ammunition. Finally, Quick is alleged to have obstructed justice by attempting to dispose of the body of one of the victims. Quick is currently serving 57 months in federal prison for an unrelated conviction.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division). U.S. Attorney Michael Easley commends the focus and dedication of the investigating agencies that allowed these charges to be brought. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad DeVoe and Caroline Webb are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-246. The indictment is located here:
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Major Carteret County Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to More than 16 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Lee Trevor Kirwan, 38, of Carteret County, was sentenced to 200 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On February 21, 2023, Kirwan pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and information presented in court, on January 30, 2022, investigators with the Craven County Sheriff’s Office and the New Bern Police Department encountered the defendant during a traffic stop in Craven County. After a narcotics dog alerted to Kirwan’s backpack, a search located approximately one pound of crystal methamphetamine, approximately 1.5 ounces of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, and a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver. During questioning, Kirwan admitted to supplying at least 20 individuals in Carteret County with crystal methamphetamine for further distribution.
Kirwan previously sustained a felony conviction in Virginia for larceny and possession of burglary tools.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the New Bern Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine S. Englander prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 4:22-CR-00063-M-BM.
Leader and Chief Financial Officer of Human Smuggling Transportation Cell Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Lourdes Ortiz Castaneda was sentenced in federal court yesterday to 34 months in prison for her role as the chief financial officer of a vast alien-smuggling organization operating in Southern California for several years.
The organization’s leader, Gerardo Rigoberto Barojas-Saavedra, was previously sentenced to 71 months in custody for his running one of the most prolific smuggling operations in Southern California from 2019 through 2021. According to their plea agreements, Barojas, known as “El Jefe” (“The Boss”), admitted that he, along with Ortiz and others, smuggled more than one hundred undocumented migrants from Mexico into the United States, including some minors, through the southern border to Orange County and as far as the east coast. According to their plea agreements, Barojas and Ortiz charged migrants between $7,000 and $8,000 per person to be smuggled to Orange County, receiving the majority of smuggling fees in cash. According to their plea agreements, Barojas received approximately $216,925 in wire transfers and Ortiz received payments in cash, check, and wire transfers totaling approximately $480,465.
U.S. Border Patrol Agents assigned to the Boulevard Border Patrol Station led the investigation into the smuggling organization, resulting in the interdiction of approximately 150 alien smuggling events and the prosecution of three couriers, according to the complaint. The plea agreements reflect that the organization operated by renting vehicles and recruiting drivers to pick up illegal aliens along the Interstate 8 corridor in Imperial and San Diego counties, after the aliens had crossed illegally into the United States. Several of these smuggling events involved substantial risk to the migrants, including, for example, one event in which three were transported in an unsafe manner concealed within the trunk of a vehicle.
According to publicly filed documents, on or about November 9, 2020, the Anaheim Police Department arrested Barojas for allegedly kidnapping one of the minor migrants he smuggled into the United States and holding the minor at gunpoint. Officers found nine migrants, including the minor, in Barojas’ stash house, and seized four Glock handguns, one shotgun, two AR-15 rifles (including Barojas’ personal rifle bearing punisher logo), high-capacity magazines, a suitcase containing ammunition, hand-drawn maps depicting smuggling routes and locations to pick up aliens in the Southern District of California, electronic devices, a ledger, pay/owe sheets, and over $20,000 in cash. Barojas pleaded guilty to assault with a semi-automatic firearm in violation of California Penal Code 245(b) and Human Trafficking for Forced Labor in violation of California Penal Code 236.1(a) in 2021.
The plea agreements revealed that while in custody on the state charges from 2020 to 2021, Barojas continued running the Barojas alien smuggling organization from custody with the help of Ortiz and others. Ortiz handled day-to-day operations during this time, and also continued managing the financial operations of the smuggling organization until her arrest in September 2021.
The sentences, handed down by U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz, included enhanced penalties for the substantial risk that the Barojas organization’s drivers caused; the illegal transportation of an unaccompanied minor; the possession of firearms in furtherance of the offense; the transportation of more than 100 aliens; and their aggravated roles within the transportation cell’s alien smuggling activities.
“We cannot emphasize enough that human smugglers only care about money and have very little regard for the safety and well-being of their customers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “I urge anyone considering this perilous journey: Please do not trust a smuggler with your life.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Loren G. Rene.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 21-cr-02922-BTM
Gerardo Rigoberto Barojas-Saavedra Age: 35 Anaheim, CA
Lourdes Ortiz Castaneda Age: 28 Anaheim, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Transport Aliens, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(v)(I)
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count
AGENCY
U.S. Border Patrol
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California helps lead Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Border Patrol. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.
Kandiyohi County Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Kandiyohi County man has pleaded guilty to producing sexually explicit images of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, in November 2022, Andrew John Groen, 35, contacted a minor victim using the messaging application TextMe. Groen, who knew the victim was a minor, identified himself in messages as a 19-year-old man named “Tyler.” On multiple occasions, Groen coerced the minor to send sexually explicit images. Groen also sent the minor victim obscene images and links to pornography, and encouraged the minor victim to have sex with an adult man identified in messages.
Groen pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell to one count of production and attempted production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Willmar Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
Kalamazoo Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
Case Represented the Largest Seizure of Fentanyl in the Kalamazoo Area
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Tyrone Henderson, 51, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, to 27 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of firearms. After release from prison, Henderson will spend five years on federal supervised release. The Court also ordered Henderson to forfeit firearms and drug proceeds seized from his residence.
“We’re in a fight to save lives against illegal firearms and fentanyl, which pose an extreme danger to our communities,” said U.S Attorney Totten. “Disrupting the supply lines of illegal drugs and unlawful guns is a top priority for my office. I applaud our local, state, federal, and multi-jurisdictional task force partners for their investigative work to protect our communities and hold Mr. Henderson accountable.”
The Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force, had an ongoing investigation of Henderson for his involvement with fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution in Kalamazoo. KVET obtained a warrant to search Henderson’s residence and executed it on November 10, 2022. A search of the residence yielded 2.3 kilograms of pure fentanyl, 1.3 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, 516 grams of heroin, and 489 grams of methamphetamine. Much of the methamphetamine seized from Henderson’s residence was in pill form, disguised to look like the party drug ecstasy. Henderson’s residence also contained four assault rifles; ten magazines, nine of which were loaded and fit the assault rifles; ammunition; a handgun; digital scales; presses; and other implements used for processing narcotics. Two of the seized firearms were reported stolen to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Henderson has multiple prior felony convictions, including a prior federal drug trafficking conviction, and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Maloney observed that fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine are a “scourge” not only in the Western District of Michigan, but across the United States and that fentanyl is the primary catalyst for the spike in drug overdoses in the past five years. Judge Maloney noted that Henderson did not learn his lesson after spending nearly 10 years in prison on his prior federal drug trafficking conviction. He characterized Henderson as a “threat to the public” given the lethal nature of fentanyl, the quantity of drugs Henderson possessed, and the nature and number of firearms involved in the case. In handing down the 27-year sentence, Judge Maloney recognized the need to “incapacitate” Henderson from committing further crimes of this nature.
“Today’s sentence of Tyrone Henderson is a testament to the hard work DEA and our outstanding law enforcement partners put into this investigation," said Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of Detroit Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. "We will continue to aggressively pursue those who deal drugs and cause death in our community.”
“The Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team is proud of the work accomplished to seize these lethal drugs and dangerous weapons off the street and successfully prosecute Mr. Henderson with our federal partners,” said KVET Sgt Brian Cake. “Our hope is that this lengthy prison sentence sends a clear message to deter anyone else who is currently involved in similar illegal crimes in our city.”
The investigation of Henderson was handled by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel S. Fauson and Austin J. Hakes prosecuted the case.
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KC Man Charged with Carjacking, Brandishing Illegal Firearm After High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Kan. man who was arrested after attacking an adult male victim, carjacking a second victim, getting into a high-speed chase with police, and crashing into a residence in Kansas City, Kansas was charged in federal court.
Van Calvin Callahan, Jr., 43, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Callahan remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Tuesday, August 29.
The federal criminal complaint charges Callahan with one count of carjacking, one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. These offenses allegedly occurred on August 22, 2023.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, on August 22, 2023, Callahan committed an unprovoked assault against a victim who was walking to the bus stop near East 3rd Street and Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, Mo. A second victim attempted to intervene, and Callahan used a firearm to carjack that victim.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, Kansas City, Kan. Police Department.
Jury Convicts Salem Man for Illegally Transferring a Machine GunRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—On August 24, 2023, a federal jury in Portland found a convicted felon from Salem, Oregon guilty of illegally transferring a machine gun.
Daniel Matthew Kittson, 61, was convicted of one count of illegally transferring a machine gun. He was found not guilty of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, in December 2019, a special agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) learned that an individual, later identified as Kittson, possessed and was attempting to sell a Russian PPSh-41, a machine gun capable of firing approximately 900 rounds per minute. After identifying Kittson, investigators learned that he had prior felony convictions for attempted murder, first degree manslaughter, and felon in possession of a weapon, making it illegal for him to possess any type of firearm.
In early January 2020, investigators communicated with Kittson on two separate occasions to arrange a controlled purchase of the machine gun and, on January 10, 2020, completed the transaction. Following their purchase, investigators tested the firearm and confirmed that it was indeed a functional machine gun.
On March 9, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Kittson with illegally possessing and transferring a machine gun and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
On May 28, 2021, Kittson was arrested without incident by the U.S. Marshals Service and was released following his first appearance in federal court. In June 2022, Kittson absconded his pretrial supervision. Three months later, on September 27, 2022, he was located and arrested in Crook County, Oregon in possession of a firearm and small quantities of methamphetamine and heroin.
Illegally transferring a machine gun is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison.
Kittson will be sentenced in December 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.
This case was investigated by ATF. It was prosecuted by Leah K. Bolstad and Nicole M. Bockelman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.