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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
22 August 2023
Experian Consumer Services Agrees to Injunction and $650,000 Civil Penalty for Allegedly Sending Emails to Consumers Without Giving Future Opt-Out OptionRead the Press Release
STIPULATED ORDERSANTA ANA, California – ConsumerInfo.com Inc., which does business as Experian Consumer Services (Experian), has agreed to a permanent injunction and to pay a $650,000 civil penalty as part of a settlement resolving alleged violations of federal law that requires senders of commercial emails to notify the recipients of such emails of their right to opt-out of future emails and to provide an opt-out mechanism, the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission announced today.
The settlement resolves alleged violations of the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM Act), the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Rule (CAN-SPAM Rule), and the Federal Trade Commission Act. Experian shares a parent company, Experian PLC, with Experian Information Solutions Inc., which offers credit information, analytical tools, and marketing services.
The lawsuit, filed in United States District Court in Santa Ana, concerns emails Experian sent to consumers who had created free Experian accounts to control third-party access to their credit reports. Account holders may “freeze” their credit reports to make them inaccessible to identity thieves and legitimate potential creditors such as banks. They can also “unfreeze” their credit reports when they require a credit check, for example, to finance an expensive purchase. The complaint asserts that Experian sent its account holders millions of commercial emails promoting additional Experian services.
These emails asked the consumer to confirm whether a car that Experian had associated with the user’s account was theirs, offered a service aimed at boosting the user’s credit score, and advertised a free scan of the dark web. The emails did not give the recipients notice that they could opt-out of future such emails or provide any opt-out mechanism, violating the CAN-SPAM Act and the CAN-SPAM Rule. The complaint alleges that these emails implied that they contained important information about the recipient’s account, even though they were commercial in nature. The government received many consumer complaints that these emails contained no opt-out mechanism.
The stipulated order, entered on Monday by United States District Judge Fred W. Slaughter, enjoins Experian from sending commercial emails that do not provide notice that the recipient may opt-out of receiving such emails in the future or an opt-out mechanism. The order also enjoins Experian from otherwise violating the CAN-SPAM Act. Under the order, Experian is also subject to a civil penalty judgment of $650,000.
“It is critical that consumers have the ability to opt-out of unwanted commercial emails, and such emails should not be misleading in any way,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “This permanent injunction and civil penalty will provide relief to consumers and help to prevent future violations of the CAN-SPAM Act.”
“Consumers have the right to opt-out of email advertising that they do not want,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to enforcing the CAN-SPAM Act and preventing senders of commercial emails from falsely describing those emails as providing account updates or other transactional information in order to circumvent the opt-out requirements.”
“Signing up for a membership doesn’t mean you’re signing up for unwanted email, especially when all you’re trying to do is freeze your credit to protect your identity,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “You always have the right to unsubscribe from marketing messages, and the FTC takes enforcing that right seriously.”
This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ross M. Cuff of the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Section, Justice Department Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson, Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Frances Kern and Elsie Kappler of the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov.
District Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Shooting a Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stefen Farmer, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for the February 2021 shooting of a man on a sidewalk in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On March 7, 2023, following a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Farmer was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and lesser included firearms offenses.
The Honorable Anthony Epstein sentenced Farmer to 144 months for aggravated assault while armed and 60 months for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, with those sentences to run consecutively, for a total of 17 years incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, around 6 p.m. on February 25, 2021, the defendant was sitting in the driver’s seat of a small black SUV parked on the 4400 block of Gault Place when the victim - a longtime friend of the defendant’s - walked up to the car window and started a conversation. Farmer repeatedly asked the victim for money but the victim refused. Farmer then retrieved a gun, stepped out of the car, and shot at the victim from pointblank range three times, as the victim was walking away. Two bullets hit the victim while he was trying to escape the gunfire and he sustained injuries to his hand and leg. Farmer stopped shooting only because a mutual friend of both men pushed him back while he was firing the gun. Three days after the shooting, Farmer sent the victim a Facebook message apologizing “for the inconvenience.”
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the officers and detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department for their work on the case. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alec Levy and Omeed A. Assefi who prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon was sentenced today for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Cedric Rozell Thomas, 24, of Birmingham, to 120 months in prison. Thomas pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in March 2023.
According to the plea agreement, on December 4, 2020, Jefferson County Sheriff deputies initiated a traffic stop on Thomas. Thomas fled and led deputies on a high-speed vehicle chase from Fairfield to Ensley. The pursuit ended when Thomas wrecked his vehicle and fled on foot. Deputies pursued Thomas on foot and apprehended him. Thomas had in his possession a Hi-Point .45 caliber pistol.
On September 29, 2021, officers with Birmingham Police Department patrolling the Smithfield Court Housing Community and saw Thomas walking across the street. The officers knew Thomas had federal warrant. Thomas fled from officers, and dumped the contents of a bookbag he was carrying, including a Stoeger .32 caliber handgun. Officers arrested Thomas shortly after pursuit.
The ATF investigated the case, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius Greene prosecuted the case.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of an Unregistered SilencerRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss – A Columbia man pled guilty to possession of a silencer that was not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Grant McArthur, 51, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg.
McArthur will be sentenced on December 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing Firearms Without a LicenseRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Columbia man pled guilty to manufacturing firearms without a license issued under federal law, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Robert “Bobby” Ball, 67, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg.
According to court documents, Ball, performed milling work on the lower receivers of firearms so that the firearms could be illegally converted into machineguns.
Ball is scheduled to be sentenced on October 31, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Chad Thomas Sentenced for Fraudulent PPP LoansRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On August 21, 2023, Chad B. Thomas, 41, of Blountville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Thomas agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Following his incarceration, Thomas will be on supervised release for three years. He was also ordered to repay $307,700 in restitution.
According to court records, in May and July 2020, Thomas submitted three fraudulent Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) loan applications that included false information about payroll expenses and phony supporting documents. In the Spring of 2020, Congress had authorized the issuance of forgivable PPP loans to qualified businesses for use in paying authorized expenses as a legislative response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the CARES Act. Applicants completed and submitted loan applications that described historical payroll information and attached supporting documentation.
Thomas submitted three fraudulent PPP loan applications and obtained a total of $307,700 in fraudulent loan proceeds. As part of his scheme, Thomas submitted false payroll information and included fictitious supporting forms as part of his applications, including IRS forms.
For the final loan—a PPP loan in the amount of $207,500—on May 12, 2020, Thomas incorporated a business named Kingdom of God, Inc. as a religious organization with the Tennessee Secretary of State. On July 6, 2020, Thomas electronically submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application for Kingdom of God, Inc. to a lender in San Diego, California. Thomas falsely represented that the company had 26 employees and an average monthly payroll of $83,000. Thomas also included a monthly payroll journal that showed Thomas’ family members, minor children, and several nationally known religious figures were paid employees of Kingdom of God, Inc. Neither the state of Tennessee nor the IRS had any record of Kingdom of God, Inc. ever paying any employees. Kingdom of God, Inc. did no business and was ultimately dissolved by the Tennessee Secretary of State for failure to file reports. The San Diego lender approved the fraudulent loan application, and on July 14, 2020, deposited the sum of $207,500 into a Kingdom of God, Inc. bank account that Thomas had formed.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized and administratively forfeited the sum of $161,938.01 from bank accounts Thomas controlled.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Resident Agent in Charge Jason Brown of the United States Secret Service made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. This investigation was led by Special Agents Kay Berry and Thomas Whitehead.
Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener III represented the United States.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Central Oregon Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—On August 16, 2023, a Deschutes County, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to Oregon for distribution.
Krista Vela, 39, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
“Today marks a significant victory in our ongoing fight against the scourge of methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking. With the successful arrest and conviction of Krista Vela, we have dealt a decisive blow to the criminal networks that seek to spread destruction in the central Oregon community,” said Sergeant Kent van der Kamp of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. “This outcome is a testament to the tireless efforts of the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE), and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We remain resolute in our commitment to ensure the safety of central Oregon, and this case serves as a powerful reminder that those who peddle in illegal drugs will face the full force of justice.”
According to court documents, in November 2020, as part of a broader drug trafficking investigation, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and CODE identified Vela as a key source of supply for a prominent area drug dealer. In early December, investigators seized several pieces of luggage being removed from a hotel room rented by Vela in Sunriver, Oregon. The bags contained drug packaging materials, a digital scale, a GPS tracking device, 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 2 kilograms of fentanyl. One of the bags also contained several pieces of paperwork with Vela’s name on them.
On December 6, 2021, Vela was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Later, on April 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a two-count indictment charging Vela and an accomplice with conspiring with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. On July 5, 2023, Vela pleaded guilty to both charges.
Vela’s sentence will run concurrent to an 84-month federal prison sentence imposed on March 16, 2023, in the District of Montana for a separate drug trafficking conviction.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, and CODE. It was prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The CODE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. CODE includes members of the Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sunriver, and Black Butte Police Departments; the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department; the Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices; the Oregon State Police; the Oregon National Guard; DEA; and the FBI.
Carrollton Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Carrollton man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents and facts admitted by the defendant in open court, Robert Earl Givens, Jr., 49, participated in a scheme to defraud multiple banks by obtaining fraudulent heavy equipment loans. Givens, along with four co-conspirators, used fraudulent bills of sale and other false and misleading documents to secure loans for heavy equipment. The participants in the scheme posed as both the buyers and the sellers of the heavy equipment, with Givens generally posing as the buyer. This allowed Givens to obtain the money from the loan, even when the banks disbursed the loan money directly to the purported seller of the heavy equipment. The fraudulent loans were not paid off and the various financial institutions have been forced to charge off those unpaid loan amounts. The overall scheme caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in monetary damages to the affected financial institutions.
Givens will be sentenced on a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The United States Attorney’s office will continue to prosecute these fraudsters who use schemes instead of firearms to take money from financial institutions,” said United States Attorney LaMarca. “We are appreciative of the thorough investigation by the FBI which led to a successful prosecution.”
“Mr. Robert Earl Givens, Jr. deliberately sought to circumvent the proper banking process through his elaborate criminal scheme,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby. “His actions ripped at the fiber of our economic system, which relies on integrity to sustain our nation's free market. The FBI takes fraudulent activity very seriously and remains committed to pursuing those bad actors who conspire in this type of criminal activity for their personal gain.”
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.
Bronx Man Sentenced for Offering Bribe to Government OfficialRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Muhammad Z. Aabdin, 33, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today in federal court in Syracuse to serve 3 years of probation after previously pleading guilty to offering a bribe to a public official, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office.
In pleading guilty previously, Aabdin admitted that in September 2020, he offered a bribe to a contracting officer with the Veterans Administration (“VA”) in Syracuse. Specifically, Aabdin offered to share profits with the VA contracting officer in exchange for her awarding VA contracts to him for personal protective equipment (“PPE”). Aabdin made the initial bribe offer by email and then reiterated it in subsequent text messages and in a recorded phone conversation with an undercover agent posing as the contracting officer. In text messages dated October 15, 2020, Aabdin offered a bribe of $8,333.33 in the event he received a VA contract for N-95 masks leading to a total profit of $25,000. Aabdin did not receive any VA contracts, and his actions did not cause a loss to the VA.
This case was investigated by VA Office of Inspector General, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Braintree Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Braintree man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to child pornography charges.
Michael Martin, 44, pleaded guilty on Aug. 14, 2023 to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Nov. 15, 2023. Martin was initially charged by criminal complaint in May 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2022.
On March 9, 2021, social media platform Tumblr reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a Tumblr user – later identified as Martin – had suspected child pornography on their account. A subsequent search of Martin’s Braintree residence resulted in the seizure of various electronic devices storing child pornography. Additionally, a search of Martin’s Tumblr account determined that Martin has posted and received child pornography over the social media site. The child pornography included images of children believed to be between four and eight years old.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Braintree Police Chief Tim Cohoon made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
Boston Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Anthony Govan, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 24 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release.
“The defendant trafficked lethal narcotics to the Granite State,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “His sentence serves as a warning that trafficking, any amount of fentanyl and crack cocaine to New Hampshire, will have consequences.”
According to Court documents and statements made in Court, Govan’s charges stem from a 2019 traffic-stop along I-95 in Portsmouth. Govan was a passenger in the vehicle and was found to be in possession of distribution quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine. Govan has been in state custody in Massachusetts on unrelated charges since August 2021.
United States Attorney Jane E. Young made the announcement today. The New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland prosecuted the case.
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Billings woman admits meth trafficking chargeRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings woman admitted to a methamphetamine trafficking crime today after law enforcement found meth and a semi-automatic handgun in her vehicle during a traffic stop, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nancy Michelle Hartsock, 36, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. Hartsock faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hartsock was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on March 15, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hartsock. Officers noticed that Hartsock was nervous, animated, trembling and shaking and that there was an open container of Twisted Tea in the back seat. When asked if she had been drinking, Hartsock volunteered she was not allowed because she was on parole. After contacting Hartsock’s parole officer, law enforcement searched her vehicle and found 28 grams of meth, a digital scale, syringes and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. During a search of Hartsock’s house, law enforcement found an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a firearm magazine, ammunition, drug paraphernalia and a small amount of meth.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys are prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Billings Police Department, Montana Probation and Parole and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation.
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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Baltimore Felon Pleads Guilty to Committing a Series of Armed Commercial RobberiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Joseph Dinkins, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to committing an armed commercial robbery.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”).
According to his guilty plea, on November 18, 2020, February 15, 2021, and February 17, 2021, the defendant committed four armed robberies or attempted armed robberies of Family Dollar stores, three of which occurred at the same store. In each robbery, the defendant demanded cash from a store employee, showing or implying that he had a weapon, and left the store with the cash register.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in the second robbery committed on February 17, 2021, when Dinkins pulled out a weapon and demanded money from the employee, the employee ran outside. Dinkins then grabbed the entire cash register and left the store. But when he got outside, the employee had told individuals outside that the store was being robbed and the individuals attacked Dinkins. Aerial surveillance saw the fight and called for backup. When BPD officers arrived, the Family Dollar employees informed them that Dinkins had robbed the store. Several officers also recognized Dinkins as being wanted for a robbery committed at a different Family Dollar store earlier that day.
A subsequent review of the surveillance footage from all four robberies identified Dinkins as the individual in each video.
Dinkins and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Dinkins will be sentenced to 100 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for November 28, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the BPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr., who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Aliquippa Resident Indicted on Violating Federal Drug and Firearm LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal drug and firearm laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The eight-count Indictment named Travon J. Dawkins, age 36, of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment presented to the court, on various dates in January and February 2023, Dawkins distributed and possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base, commonly known as crack. The Indictment further alleges that on February 13, 2023, Dawkins, a convicted felon, was in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine up to $2,250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office Detective Bureau conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Alabama Man Sentenced to over 26 years in Prison for Robberies and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – An Anniston, Alabama man was sentenced to 314 months in prison for two counts of robbery, two counts of using or carrying a firearm in connection with crimes of violence and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jonathan Lewis Jennings, 32, robbed a liquor store and a convenience store in Meridian, Mississippi at gunpoint on January 15, 2018. Evidence collected by the Meridian Police Department established Jennings’s identity as the perpetrator through DNA analysis. ATF agents conducted follow-up investigative measures that further confirmed Jennings’s involvement in and planning of the robberies. Jennings is a convicted felon, and it was therefore also unlawful for him to possess the firearm he used during the robberies.
Jennings was found guilty by a jury on December 12, 2022 following a trial in U.S. District Court.
The Meridian Police Department and the ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam T. Stuart and Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be 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. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
22 Human Smugglers Using Social Media Charged in Law Enforcement TakedownRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, announced today the recent unsealing of 13 indictments charging a total of 22 individuals with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit.
Each indictment charges a human smuggling coordinator who utilized social media, including Snapchat, to recruit individuals within Arizona to transport undocumented noncitizens for money. After recruiting the drivers on social media, the coordinators often switched to a messenger application such as WhatsApp to coordinate the logistics. Many of the indicted coordinators were identified through law enforcement contacts, data from cellular phones, and their social media accounts.
Smuggling coordinators often recruit juveniles and young adults as drivers with social media posts that glamorize alien smuggling. Many of the posts claim drivers can make large sums of money without the risk of being arrested, as depicted below in an exemplar from the first-listed case.
The charged cases include:
- United States v. Ramon Moreno-Lopez; CR-23-01022-DWL
- United States v. Mauricio Andrade-Garcia, et al.; CR-23-01024-DLR
- United States v. Juan Ausencio-Avendano, et al.; CR-23-01026-DJH
- United States v. Josiah Gomez, et al.; CR-23-01042-MTL
- United States v. Jalen Harris, et al.; CR-23-01051-MTL
- United States v. Ruben Ibarra, et al.; CR-23-01023-GMS
- United States v. Dominic Leos, et al.; CR-23-01025-MTL
- United States v. Jose Molina; CR-23-01041-SPL
- United States v. Keyani Perez, et al.; CR-23-01040-DGC
- United States v. Armando Ramirez, et al.; CR-23-01021-DLR
- United States v. Fabian Rivera, et al.; CR-23-01020-DLR
- United States v. Jose Sarabia, et al.; CR-23-01019-JJT
- United States v. Arnoldo Soto, et al.; CR-23-01043-MTL
A conviction for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Homeland Security Investigations–Casa Grande and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol–Tucson Sector conducted the investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Arellano Edwards, John Ballos, Timothy Courchaine, Brett Day, Matthew Doyle, Lisa Jennis, Christine Keller, Marcus Shand, LeighAnn Thomas, and Stuart Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecutions.
CASE NUMBERS:
CR-23-01024-DLR
CR-23-01022-DWL
CR-23-01026-DJH
CR-23-01040-DGC
CR-23-01042-MTL
CR-23-01021-DLR
CR-23-01051-MTL
CR-23-01020-DLR
CR-23-01023-GMS
CR-23-01019-JJT
CR-23-01025-MTL
CR-23-01043-MTL
CR-23-01041-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-126_Snapchat Takedown
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
21 August 2023
Zuni Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Brian Wallace was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Wallace, 44, of Zuni, and an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter on May 3, 2023.
According to court records, Wallace instigated a fight with his uncle, Edmond Shelendewa, sometime between July 5, 2022, and August 9, 2022. The fight escalated and Wallace took up a maul, or a wood splitter, and hit Shelendewa in the chest, killing him. Wallace claimed that he was mad because Shelendewa kept telling Wallace that he was his real father.
Wallace buried Shelendewa in a shallow grave in the backyard of a friend’s house. In October of 2022, Wallace informed law enforcement of what had happened and where Shelendewa’s body was located. The body was recovered, and the Office of Medical Investigator determined that John Doe had died from blunt force trauma to his chest.
Upon his release from prison, Wallace will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
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23-190
Woonsocket Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Role in a Conspiracy that Trafficked Dozens of Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE , RI – A Woonsocket man, who was identified in court documents as one of the initial participants in a conspiracy that went on to receive more than five dozen packages containing kilograms of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island through the U.S. Postal Service was sentenced today to eight and a half years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
William Lugo, 32, previously admitted to a federal judge that he accepted at least eight parcels containing at least one kilogram of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico between December 2017 and July 2020. The cocaine was often shipped stashed inside wine racks and Bluetooth speakers.
Lugo admitted that he communicated regularly with alleged leaders of the drug trafficking enterprise in Rhode Island and with co-conspirators in Puerto Rico via social media apps about when drug parcels would be delivered. He received cash payments for each package he accepted or retrieved.
On July 14, 2020, U.S. Postal Service Inspectors and members of the Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Lugo’s residence and seized a ghost gun with nine rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; cellphones Lugo used to communicate via social media apps with other members of the conspiracy; and, among other items, two wine racks with broken bottoms and two Bluetooth speakers.
Lugo pleaded guilty on May 1, 2023, to charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, unlawful use of a communication facility (the U.S. mail), and being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition.
He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 102 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
At the time of his arrest by federal agents in July 2020, Lugo was serving a term of state probation, having been convicted in Rhode Island state court in December 2015 on a charge of carrying a pistol without a license.
The case in U.S. District Court is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Stacey A. Erickson.
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U.S.-Based Conspirators Plead Guilty in International Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Adetunji Adejumo and Ibrahim Jinadu have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to their roles in a transnational tax fraud scheme. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A third conspirator, Olufemi Odedeyi, of London, United Kingdom, remains pending extradition for his role in the scheme. All three individuals were arrested in September 2021.
According to the plea agreements, international conspirators (including Odedeyi) obtained unauthorized access to computer servers of businesses in the United States; participated in stealing from those servers the personally identifying information of U.S. residents; and used that information to file false and fraudulent federal tax forms seeking income tax refunds from the IRS. Adejumo and Jinadu, residing in the United States, collected fraud proceeds directed to prepaid debit cards in their possession or to bank accounts they controlled or to which they had access. They then transferred a share of the fraud proceeds to other conspirators. The conspirators filed tax returns claiming millions of dollars in refunds to which they were not entitled.
The investigation was led by the IRS – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) (Tampa Field Office) and the FBI (Tampa Division). Substantial assistance was provided by the IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit (Washington, DC), the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the IRS-CI and FBI International Operations at Mission UK, the United Kingdom’s National Extradition Unit, and IRS-CI Dallas and Atlanta Field Offices. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.
U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announces $800,000 grant from Justice Department to the University of Montana for tribal children’s advocacyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $800,000 to the University of Montana to fund a program that provides assistance to victims of child abuse in tribal communities.
The grant is for the Fiscal Year 2023 Victims of Child Abuse Act Tribal Children’s Advocacy Centers Training and Technical Assistance program. The award is from the Office of Justice Programs’ Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention and is a continuation for a project that began in 2022 and will end in 2024.
“I want to congratulate the University of Montana on this grant award for its important work on behalf of native children. The project provides technical assistance and training to tribes and children advocacy groups as they develop, improve and expand responses to child abuse. This funding continues the U.S. Department of Justice’s commitment to addressing and preventing child abuse and trauma in tribal communities,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
With the project, the Native Child Advocacy Resource Center (NCARC), a division of the National Native Children’s Trauma Center at the University of Montana, will serve as the Justice Department’s Tribal Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) provider. NCARC will provide training and technical assistance to tribes and non-tribal CACs and multidisciplinary teams as they develop, improve or expand responses to child abuse in tribal communities. One of the goals of the project is to build a hub of curricula, resources and information on Children’s Advocacy Centers in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
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Two Plaquemines Parish Men Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOSHUA MACKEY, age 37, and DARON WILLIAMS, age 48, residents of Port Sulphur, Louisiana, were sentenced on August 17, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
MACKEY was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. MACKEY previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
WILLIAMS was sentenced to time served, which was approximately 20 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. WILLIAMS previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, as well as possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to court documents, a DEA wiretap investigation revealed that MACKEY and WILLIAMS were involved in a narcotics distribution conspiracy with several other co-conspirators between June 8, 2020, and June 5, 2021. As part of the conspiracy, MACKEY regularly distributed quantities of crack and cocaine and WILLIAMS frequently distributed quantities of methamphetamine. Additionally, DEA agents executed a federal search warrant at MACKEY’s residence that resulted in the seizure of a Francolin International Arms Company
Model Citadel Boss-25, 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun, as well as quantities of cocaine, crack, and methamphetamine.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Two Havre residents admit trafficking fentanyl, meth on Fort Belknap, Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — Two Havre residents accused of distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine to the Fort Belknap and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservations admitted today to a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Brittany Alice Bradley, 25, and Daniel First Raised, 32, each pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The defendants face a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years of imprisonment, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for both defendants for Dec. 18. The defendants were detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2022, FBI agents learned that First Raised was distributing a significant amount of fentanyl on the Fort Belknap and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservations and that Bradley distributed fentanyl and meth with First Raised. Law enforcement learned that the defendants likely received their drugs from a source in Yakima, Washington. Law enforcement conducted a series of controlled purchases of fentanyl and meth from Bradley and First Raised from August 2022 to September 2022.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Tri Agency Task Force conducted the investigation.
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Two Gang Members Charged with 2022 Bronx MurderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that GIBRAN GUERRERO, a/k/a “Cojito,” and YORVIN GOMEZ, a/k/a “Julbie,” were charged with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering, and firearms offenses related to their membership in a street gang known as the “Trinitarios” that operated in or around the Bronx and other locations. GUERRERO and GOMEZ are also charged with participating in a robbery on December 15, 2022. During the robbery, one of the victims, Johnny Gaston, was shot and killed. The other victim was shot but survived. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
GUERRERO and GOMEZ were in state custody and were transferred into federal custody today. They were presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Gibran Guerrero and Yorvin Gomez are alleged to have terrorized the Bronx in connection with their membership in the Trinitarios gang. Their alleged violent conduct included engaging in gunpoint robberies of multiple victims, with one robbery resulting in the tragic death of Johnny Gaston. Today’s indictment furthers this Office’s work to chip away at the gang violence that threatens public safety in our community.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “Every crime carried out by Trinitarios gang members in New York City is met with tenacious work by the NYPD and our law enforcement partners to ensure justice – and this case is no different. Behind the charges unsealed today against these two defendants is a proactive, aggressive investigation to ensure the strongest possible prosecution. I want to thank our NYPD detectives and all of our partners, including the agents of the HSI New York Field Office and the prosecutors of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, for their steadfast collaboration in bringing this important case.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: "Guerrero and Gomez, through their affiliations to the notorious ‘Trinitarios’ street gang, stand accused of perpetrating a multitude of criminal acts, including robberies, narcotics trafficking, and extreme violence, exemplified by a fatal shooting during a December 2022 robbery. This collaborative effort between HSI, the NYPD, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York sends a strong message of our commitment to protecting our communities from gang-related crime."
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least in or about 2021 up to and including 2023, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, GIBRAN GUERRERO and YORVIN GOMEZ were members of the Trinitarios gang. In order to fund the gang, protect its territory, and promote its standing, members of the Trinitarios engaged in, among other things, robberies, frauds, narcotics trafficking, and other acts of violence, including murder.
On December 15, 2022, GUERRERO, GOMEZ, and other Trinitarios members lured two victims to a location in the Bronx and robbed them. During the robbery, one of the victims, Johnny Gaston, was shot and killed. The other victim was shot but survived.
In addition, on or about July 30, 2022, and September 26, 2022, GUERRERO and other Trinitarios members participated in gunpoint robberies of several victims located in the Bronx.
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GIBRAN GUERRERO, 20, and YORVIN GOMEZ, 26, both of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison or death; one count of causing death through use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison or death; and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. GUERRERO is also charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and two counts of carrying and brandishing firearms in connection with a crime of violence, which each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the NYPD.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews and Rushmi Bhaskaran are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Guerrero and Gomez IndictmentTexas Man Who Earned Millions Working Overseas Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Texas man pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2013 to 2018, Peter Joseph Tignini worked in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, earning approximately $4,783,031 in income that he deposited into foreign bank accounts. From2013 through 2017, Tignini filed tax returns falsely reporting that his income was only approximately $100,000 each year, an amount near or below the Foreign Earned Income (FEI) exclusion, which allows a U.S. citizen who lives and works in a foreign country for the majority of a year to exclude a portion of their income earned outside the United States from their taxable income. Tignini did not file a return for 2018. As a result, Tignini caused a tax loss to the IRS of $1,169,348.
After IRS Special Agents interviewed Tignini, he used an internet application to alter his employment contract and payroll documents to make them appear as if Tignini’s former employer was responsible for submitting his tax returns and paying the corresponding taxes due. Tignini then caused his attorneys to provide the fraudulent documents he had created to the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the IRS. After investigators asked a witness about the internet application Tignini used to create the phony documents, Tignini attempted to delete the documents from his account.
Tignini faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement.
IRS-CI is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Goldman for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Texas Man Sentenced for Federal Fentanyl Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – FERMIN RODRIGUEZ-ORTEGA, age 25, a resident of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today, to 51 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. RODRIGUEZ-ORTEGA previously pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment that charged him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846, and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).
According to court documents, on September 27, 2022, RODRIGUEZ-ORTEGA traveled from Dallas, Texas to the Super 8 motel in Covington, Louisiana carrying approximately five kilograms of fentanyl. Based on information obtained from a confidential source, Homeland Security Investigations agents and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies were waiting on RODRIGUEZ-ORTEGA when he arrived at the motel. Agents then searched his luggage and discovered five kilograms of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by United States Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Terrebonne Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ANTHONY MONREAL-FABELA, age 22, a resident of Houma, Louisiana, pled guilty on August 17, 2023, before Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, MONREAL-FABELA was arrested on July 27, 2022, when he conspired with his co-defendant, Diogo Hernandez, to possess with intent to distribute twenty kilograms of cocaine that had been smuggled into the Port of New Orleans via a container ship.
MONREAL-FABELA faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the United States Homeland Security Investigations, United States Customs and Border Protection and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Taunton Woman Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Issue Driver's Licenses to Applicants Who Did Not Take Road TestRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton woman pleaded guilty today to bribing a road test examiner at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton to issue driver’s licenses to individuals who did not take road tests.
Neta Centio, 56, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. Judge Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Nov. 20, 2023. Centio was charged on June 26, 2023.
Centio paid a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent to the RMV that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when, in fact, they had not even showed up for the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants. Centio used CashApp to pay the road examiner in exchange for fraudulent passing scores on road tests. After Centio’s fraud was discovered, she told the road test examiner, “Don’t say nothing about the CashApp. . . . Break the phone.”
The charge of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charging document also seeks a $20,215 forfeiture money judgment based on the amount of the bribes. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
Stockton Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Maleek Carter-Rea, 22, of Stockton, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in March 2023, law enforcement officers observed Carter-Rea and several other individuals brandishing firearms in videos on social media. Law enforcement officers conducted surveillance and initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle in which Carter-Rea was riding. During the search of the vehicle, officers found and seized a Glock 48 firearm on the floor beside Carter-Rea’s feet. Carter-Rea is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has a state felony conviction for robbery in San Joaquin County.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney is prosecuting the case.
Carter-Rea is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on Nov. 6, 2023. Carter-Rea faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Statement from U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness DayRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada today issued the following statement from United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson:
“On National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, we join the DEA and community partners in raising awareness about the serious dangers of illicit fentanyl from counterfeit pills. We remember those lost to illicit fentanyl poisoning and the affected families and friends across the country. We will continue to coordinate with the DEA, law enforcement partners, and community organizations to increase our outreach efforts to raise awareness about the highly addictive and dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl.
“Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Only two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose. Information and free resources, including the One Pill Can Kill partner toolkit, are available at DEA.gov/onepill.”
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Stanislaus County Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Julian Loeza, 33, of Ceres, was sentenced today to 13 years and eight months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in 2020, a team of local and federal law enforcement officers partnered in an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Loeza and co-defendants Esmerelda Ceja-Mendez, 43, of Ceres; Sofia Cisneros-Noyola, 37, of Sacramento; and Victor Ramirez, 37, of Atwater. On March 3, 2021, Loeza sold 2 pounds of methamphetamine for $3,600.
Loeza had been convicted of previous federal drug trafficking charges in 2016. In that prior case he was sentenced to six years in prison. By March 2021, he had been released. Loeza committed his new drug trafficking offense while on federal supervised release for the prior case. Loeza was also sentenced to 24 months in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release, to run concurrently with his sentence for the new offense.
Ramirez previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Nov. 20, 2023.
Charges are pending against Ceja-Mendez and Cisneros-Noyola; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
San Francisco Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Vacaville Gun Store BurglaryRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Adrian Oscar Duran, 27, of San Francisco, was sentenced today to six years in prison for burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on June 1, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to reports of suspicious activity at Guns, Fishing and Other Stuff, a two-story gun and outdoor recreation store in Vacaville. Guns, Fishing and Other Stuff is a federally licensed firearms dealer. When officers responded, four vehicles fled the scene. After a high-speed chase on Interstate 80 during which vehicles reached over 100 miles per hour, one vehicle, a rented minivan, was stopped, and Duran and four others were arrested after a foot pursuit. In total, the gun store reported that more than 70 firearms had been stolen. Inside the minivan were bolt cutters, a power saw, and 13 handguns with price tags from Guns, Fishing and Other Stuff still attached.
The four co- defendants pleaded guilty and three await sentencing: Donte Marcel Anderson, 34, of Pittsburg, California; Desteny Estrella Leilani Salazar, 25, of San Francisco; and Tracy Whitfield, 34, of Pittsburg. Donley Thompson, 31, of Pinole, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. Thompson is in custody after violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Vacaville Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, the Antioch Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, and the California Department of Justice – Bureau of Firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
San Diego State University Basketball Stars Join with U.S. Attorney’s Office and City Attorney’s Office to Launch Fentanyl Awareness CampaignRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY—August 21, 2023
SAN DIEGO— The U.S. Attorney’s Office, San Diego City Attorney’s Office and the non-profit MESA (Mentoring and Empowering Student Athletes) Foundation today launched a social media campaign featuring all of the members of the 2023-2024 San Diego State University’s men’s basketball team – including several who played in the 2023 NCAA national championship game - to promote fentanyl awareness and prevention.
This unique partnership, believed to be the first of its kind between a Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) collective and the Department of Justice, features the student-athletes describing the dangers of fentanyl and the need to be aware of locations to obtain Narcan in the community. Narcan is a medicine that rapidly reverses the effects of opioids to prevent fatal overdoses. The release includes the hashtags #BlockFentanyl and #KnowAboutNarcan. The two social media PSAs can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGvHJHdPh24X9JHCAywDdqt-Osgrb6yiR
In the public service announcements, athletes look at the camera and say: “Fentanyl kills. Creates chaos. Ruins families. It doesn’t care about your race. It doesn’t care how you identify. It doesn’t care if you are addicted or just trying for the first time. Fentanyl kills. That’s 70,000 brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers lost last year. That Adderall, Percocet, Xanax, ecstasy you are offered - it likely contains fentanyl. That cocaine you would just try - it likely contains fentanyl. We need to help each other. Know where Narcan is. Watch for friends making strange sounds while sleeping at parties or turning blue. Call for help if in doubt. Be a good teammate, and let’s save lives.”
The campaign - timed to highlight National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day (August 21, 2023) - is being deployed over Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, LinkedIn, and YouTube by the student-athletes, the MESA Foundation, the Department of Justice, and other coalition members.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have attacked the fentanyl crises through aggressive prosecutions at every level of the supply chain – from the Sinaloa Cartel leadership, to cross-border trafficking organizations, to money launderers, to street level dealers who are selling drugs that result in overdose deaths.
The “Block Fentanyl” campaign is just one aspect of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s prevention and outreach strategy. For example, on August 10, 2023, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office gave a presentation at San Diego State University to resident advisors and student leaders on the topic “Know Fentanyl.” The presentation, attended by approximately 250 students, covered the dangers of counterfeit and adulterated pills and powder, recognizing the signs of an overdose, and how to properly deploy Narcan.
“We are committed to innovative approaches to protect and educate the youth of our community about the extreme danger of fentanyl,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Haden. “We are willing to do whatever it takes to save lives and spread the word that fentanyl is still claiming many lives, and every one of us can and must take action to prevent fatal overdoses. I’d like to thank the incredible SDSU student-athletes, who did not hesitate to answer our call for help. They have graciously used their celebrity and influence for the most important cause: Keeping fellow students from making a fatal mistake with fentanyl.”
“As the City’s Prosecutor and the mother of two teenagers, I am extremely proud to participate in a campaign that informs our youth about the risks associated with fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic opioid. Unbeknownst to most, fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Its availability has so increased that it’s now the number one killer in the nation for those between the ages of 18-and-45. We must ensure the truth about fentanyl reaches susceptible children and young adults before the drug does,” said San Diego City Attorney Mara W. Elliott. “I would like to thank Deputy City Attorney Mark Robertson for his important work representing my Office on the Opioid Task Force and for assisting with the creation of these powerful commercials.”
The MESA Foundation, established in 2022 after the NCAA began allowing student-athletes to receive compensation for the use of their NIL, connects Aztec student-athletes with nonprofits in the San Diego community in a variety of different capacities. The student-athlete receives a stipend for partnering with the charity through their Name, Image and Likeness.
More information about the MESA Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, can be found here:
https://www.mesafoundationsd.org/.
Additional fentanyl prevention resources can be found at San Diego County’s Community & Parent Toolkits which are available in both English and Spanish: https://www.sdpdatf.org/community-parent-fentanyl-toolkit.
Both offices would like to thank Isabelle Sandmeyer, and her company Studio Isla, for donating her time and talent to the “Block Fentanyl” project.
Roanoke Drug Dealer Sentenced to over 15 Years on PrisonRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man who engaged in drug dealing from behind bars was sentenced last week to 186 months in federal prison.
Anthony Brian Barnett, 37, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin in 2019 and for also distributing para-fluorofentanyl, a 10-times more powerful form of fentanyl, in 2022. Barnett will serve his federal sentence after he finishes serving an 8-year state sentence as a result of his convictions in Roanoke City Circuit Court for Malicious Wounding by Mob and Assault and Battery.
According to court documents, Barnett was arrested on July 20, 2019, for his involvement in a May 2019 assault and shooting that occurred in Roanoke, Virginia. Prior to his arrest, Barnett was involved in the trafficking of narcotics in and around the City of Roanoke.
Following this arrest, and while incarcerated, Barnett directed his co-conspirator, Aminee Jewel Davenport, 37 of Roanoke, Virginia, to drive to a residence to obtain his heroin to then sell to a “customer.” On a recorded jail phone call, Barnett told Davenport where to find the heroin, how to weigh it, and how much money to charge. Barnett, however, was unaware that the “customer” was a confidential informant working with the Virginia State Police. Davenport then sold approximately four ounces of heroin to the informant on two occasions. As a result, both Barnett and Davenport were indicted by a federal grand jury.
While awaiting trial for this conduct, in March 2022, Barnett obtained what he believed was heroin, but was later determined to be para-fluorofentanyl, from an inmate in his jail pod. Barnett then sold this substance to other inmates, only to be caught after an inmate in his pod died from a drug overdose. Although Barnett was not charged with contributing to this inmate’s death, his continued involvement in dealing deadly substances still merited this significant sentence.
The Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with their partners in the Roanoke City and Roanoke County Police Departments, participated in the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Coleman Adams and Kristin Johnson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.
Ringleader of Capital Region Cocaine Conspiracy Receives 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jan Lopez-Colon, age 29, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role as the leader of a Capital Region cocaine distribution conspiracy. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
On December 29, 2022, Lopez-Colon pled guilty before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Lopez-Colon admitted that between June 2021 and December 2021, he and three others worked together to receive over 5 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico and distribute it in the Capital Region. The cocaine was shipped via U.S. mail in 1-kilogram bricks to addresses in Albany and Rensselaer counties; runners then obtained the packages and handed them over to Lopez-Colon for processing and distribution.
Judge Sharpe also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release, which will begin when Lopez-Colon is released from prison.
Lopez-Colon’s three codefendants have also pled guilty for their roles in the conspiracy. They are:
- Jesus Baez, age 34, of Troy, who was sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment on July 11, 2023;
- Ilvin Batista-Figueroa, age 31, of Albany, who is scheduled to be sentenced on August 28, 2023; and
- Sam Calderon, age 20, of Troy, who is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2023.
This case was investigated by the USPIS and its Capital Region Task Force, led by the USPIS and including the Albany Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Schenectady Police Department, as well as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case.
Rensselaer Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery and Firearms Charges for Two Capital Region Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ulysses Jessie Walls, a/k/a “Guwala,” age 29, of Rensselaer, New York, pled guilty today to armed bank robbery, firearms and conspiracy charges in connection with two February 2019 armed bank robberies.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Alfred Watson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Steven A. Nigrelli, Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police (NYSP); Chief Eric Hawkins of the Albany Police Department (APD); and Chief David Keevern of the North Greenbush Police Department.
Walls admitted that he committed two armed robberies with Christopher Cohn a/k/a “Wolf.” On February 6, 2019, Walls and Cohn pulled up to an Albany Trustco Bank branch, where Cohn declared he was about to “go do this,” meaning that he planned to rob the bank. Walls and Cohn then entered the bank wearing ski masks. In the bank, Walls displayed a gun, and both men threatened to kill the bank’s employees, who surrendered approximately $150,000 to the pair.
Walls also admitted that on the morning of February 26, 2019, he and Cohn entered an M&T Bank branch in North Greenbush, each wearing a ski mask and brandishing a gun. During the robbery, Cohn fired multiple shots, including one that grazed a bank employee. According to court documents, law enforcement tracked Cohn, Walls, and their getaway driver to an Albany motel using a GPS device placed in the stolen money by a member of the bank’s staff. Cohn was apprehended by officers with more than $10,000 in cash and wearing red sneakers matching those captured by the bank’s surveillance cameras during the robbery. Walls was arrested in the motel’s lobby, where officers found him with several bags containing approximately $3,800 in cash along with ski masks and other clothing matching that worn by the robbers.
Walls will be sentenced on December 27, 2023 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. Under the terms of Walls’s plea agreement, the parties have jointly recommended to Judge D’Agostino that Walls receive a prison term of 204 months (17 years) and a 5-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release. Under the plea agreement, Walls will also be required to pay restitution to his victims, including both banks, and to forfeit the money he stole in the robberies.
After pleading guilty to firearms, armed bank robbery and conspiracy charges, Cohn was sentenced to 241 months’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the NYSP, the Town of North Greenbush Police Department, and APD, with the assistance of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Ashlyn Miranda prosecuted the case.
Readout from United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez’s Violent Crime Listening Session with Addiction Treatment ProvidersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and his staff met with addiction treatment providers on July 25 at the Main Public Library to discuss violent crime. Jennifer Weiss-Burke, Director of Healing Addiction in Our Community and Serenity Mesa Recovery Center and Jeffrey Holland, LCSW and Executive Director of the Endorphin Power Company presented statements. This was the third 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 young people have unrestricted access to guns. Providers described how every one of their clients had been victims of or impacted by violence. Jeffrey Holland stated, “[Clients] have preexisting traumatic incidents that have happened and then later struggle with addiction.” Participants agreed that Albuquerque Community Services (ACS) needed more support and resources so that they could expand their scope of work.
Speaking to the challenges facing local organizations that work with clients that struggle with addiction, Jennifer Weiss-Burke identified the prevalence of sex trafficking victimization among their clients. The majority of the clients that treatment providers encounter are struggling with Fentanyl use. Currently, there is no detox center for adolescents, so they often have to detox in the hospital. Jeffrey Holland said he’d like the Metropolitan Detention Center to allow faith-based programs such as 12-step programs allowed in jail again. He also mentioned that “once offenders are in jail they turn off Medicaid. When they are released, they do not have Medicaid and have to wait to get back on it to receive Suboxone or other medications they need immediately.” This causes issues for the clients that they serve.
When asked what issues the treatment providers see that cause the divide between law enforcement and the community, both Serenity Mesa Recovery Center and Endorphin Power Company agreed that their clients would feel more comfortable if officers came in and talked with them without weapons or bulletproof vests, and civilian clothing would be ideal. Jennifer Weiss-Burke requested that the Albuquerque Police Department send officers to come and have an open dialogue with her clients.
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 and community providers who serve the unhoused population. 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.
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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Orlando Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years for COVID-19 Fraud and Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Brian A. Blake (31, Orlando) to nine years and eight months in federal prison for access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a firearm by convicted felon. As part of the sentence, the court also ordered Blake to pay restitution in the amount of $579,074 to victims of the offenses. The court further ordered that Blake forfeit proceeds and instrumentalities of the offenses, including $80,482 in cash located in Blake’s residence, an Aero Precision firearm, and a number of computers and cellphones used to perpetrate the fraud. Blake had pleaded guilty on October 18, 2022.
In March 2020, the “CARES Act,” was enacted to provide immediate assistance to individuals, families, and organizations affected by the COVID-19 emergency. This Act authorized the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to offer Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funding to business owners negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act further expanded the ability of workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to obtain Unemployment Insurance (UI) and increased the amounts of UI benefits for applicants.
According to court documents, in 2020, Blake fraudulently obtained $491,074 in UI benefits by filing unemployment claims across 25 different states in the names of identity theft victims. In addition, in June and July 2020, Blake submitted 26 fraudulent applications for EIDL loans in the names of identity theft victims attempting to secure a total of $341,200, of which $88,000 was disbursed to Blake. The total amount of funds that Blake attempted to fraudulently obtain was $832,274.
In addition, on July 10, 2020, during the execution of a search warrant at Blake’s residence, officers from the Orlando Police Department found an assault-style Aero Precision firearm, Model SL15. As a previously convicted felon, Blake is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.
Orange County Tax Preparer Sentenced to Nearly 3½ Years in Prison for Participating in Long-Running Fraud Led by Corrupt Social WorkerRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The owner of a Westminster-based tax preparation business was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for participating in a scheme orchestrated by a corrupt social worker who stole his clients’ identities to fraudulently obtain tax refunds, welfare benefits and credit cards.
Anton Nguyen, 54, of Fountain Valley, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna, who also ordered him to pay $3,773,282 in restitution.
Nguyen pleaded guilty on April 10 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Nguyen conspired with John Tran, who is believed to be either 57 or 61, of Fountain Valley, an Orange County Social Services Agency case worker from July 1994 to October 2018. Tran stole the Social Security numbers and other personal identifying information (PII) from his clients – many of them recent immigrants.
From August 2010 to June 2019, Tran and his co-conspirators used the stolen information to fraudulently obtain money from the federal government, the State of California, the County of Orange and financial institutions.
During this time, Nguyen owned and operated Century Travel & Tax, a tax preparation company based in Westminster. Nguyen joined the conspiracy in 2012 and used the Tran-provided stolen identities to create fraudulent Forms 1099-MISC purporting to show payments made to the identity theft victims by companies, including those controlled by Tran and other co-conspirators. He also helped his accomplices set up shell companies to promote the scheme.
Nguyen prepared and filed federal income tax returns using the Tran-provided stolen identities. He also used the purported payments on the fraudulent Forms 1099 as income to the identify theft victims, making them appear to qualify for tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.
In turn, the reported payments to the identity theft victims were used by Nguyen’s clients to offset business revenues and reduce the taxes they owed by making it appear that the identity theft victims worked for them. In exchange for the fabrication of the Forms 1099, Nguyen’s clients paid him a fee.
Tran and his co-conspirators filed 433 tax returns using PII belonging to other individuals, generating at least $973,153 in fraudulently obtained tax refund payments from the United States.
In total, Nguyen, aided by accomplices, defrauded the United States out of the payment of at least $3,773,282 in taxes.
“This was an appreciably sophisticated tax evasion scheme, involving the theft and improper use of PII by a civil servant to generate fraudulent deductions for businesses,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “For the scheme to succeed, tax preparers, like [Nguyen], were essential.”
As for other defendants charged in connection with this conspiracy:
- Tran pleaded guilty in November 2019 to conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19.
- Rosemary Pham, 65, of Midway City, the owner and operator of Victory Tax Service in Westminster, pleaded guilty on July 14 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of aiding and advising the filing of false tax returns. She faces up to eight years in federal prison at her sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for October 30.
- Kevin Le, 57, of Anaheim Hills, pleaded guilty in May 2021 to one count of evasion of assessment of tax. On May 10, Judge Selna sentenced Le to six months in federal prison, fined him $15,000, and ordered him to pay $2,936,088 in restitution.
- Thomas Nguyen, 62, of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty in June 2021 to one count of tax evasion. In May 2022, Judge Selna fined him $30,000 and ordered him to pay $133,796 in restitution.
- Van Quach, 43, of Monterey Park, pleaded guilty in May 2021 to one count of evasion of assessment of tax. On May 10, Judge Selna sentenced Quach to two years of probation, fined him $5,500, and ordered him to pay $231,340 in restitution.
- Peter Duc Nguyen, 63, of Garden Grove, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of tax evasion. On May 10, he was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay $187,295 in restitution.
- Two remaining defendants, Chau Nguyen, 69, of Garden Grove, and Sophie Thuy Nguyen, 48, of Westminster, have pleaded guilty to evasion of assessment of taxes and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year, at which time they will each face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Bradley E. Marrett of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced on Federal Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SHAWN BREAUX, age 29, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah S. Vance to 69 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to a two-count indictment, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
In Count 1 of the indictment, BREAUX is charged with illegally possessing firearms as a felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Count 2 of the indictment charged BREAUX with being in possession of a machine gun in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
On October 8, 2021, officers responded to a shooting in the 100 block of Carondelet Street and saw BREAUX fleeing the scene BREAUX was eventually detained in the French Quarter after driving the wrong way down Royal Street. Investigators located two firearms, one in BREAUX’s vehicle and another discarded as he fled from the officers. A Glock switch mechanism was attached to one of the firearms, making it into a fully automatic weapon.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Bedford Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Government Identification DocumentsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of International Guatemala Musical and Fashion Accessories in New Bedford has pleaded guilty to producing and selling fraudulent government identification documents.
Tomas Xirum, 48, pleaded guilty on Aug. 17, 2023 to three counts of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and three counts of unlawful production of document or authentication feature. U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2024. Xirum was initially charged by criminal complaint in August 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022.
On three separate occasions – May 10, 2021, June 23, 2021 and Aug. 11, 2022 – Xirum sold fraudulent Permanent Resident Cards (commonly referred to as “green cards”) and Social Security cards to undercover federal agents from his store.
The charges of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and unlawful production of document or authentication feature each provide for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Myrtle Beach Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Charles Donald Butler, 57, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented to the court showed that for several years, Butler ran a drug distribution ring in the Myrtle Beach area. Butler served as a source of supply to intermediate distributors, who in turn sold to drug users from a trailer in Myrtle Beach. In the mornings, Butler would supply his distributors with “slips” of drugs – small quantities of drugs packaged in foil wrappers. Butler used this system so he could tell whether his distributors were stealing any of the drugs. In the evenings, Butler would pick up from the trailer money earned from drug dealing and any leftover “slips.”
Over the course of the conspiracy, Butler was accountable for more than 600 grams of heroin, 78 grams of crack cocaine, and quantities of both cocaine and fentanyl.
In May of 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Butler’s home. Inside, they found various controlled substances, foil slips, and a .380 caliber handgun and ammunition.
“Drugs and guns are a deadly combination, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting South Carolinians from the dangers they bring to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We are thankful for the efforts of our local, county, and federal law enforcement partners, whose tireless work dismantled Charles Butler’s drug trafficking ring.”
“Drug trafficking is a serious offense that has far-reaching consequences for individuals, families and communities,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Columbia Field Office. “With this sentence, it is our hope that Myrtle Beach residents can better enjoy life knowing that another drug dealer and another illegally possessed gun is off the streets. The FBI and its law enforcement partners remain committed to fostering an environment where illegal drug activities have no place.”
“Thanks to our resources, collaborative efforts and the work of our local partners, another dangerous criminal is off the streets,” said Brennan Cavanagh, Public Information Officer, Horry County Sheriff’s Office. “We continue to take proactive measures to protect the community from illegal drugs.”
“This was a major investigation into a case that directly impacted our local community. Our team received numerous complaints about the activities Mr. Butler was engaging in and about the results of those activities. Our team and our community wanted to see justice served,” said Corporal Christopher Starling, Public Information Officer, Myrtle Beach Police Department. “We are appreciative of the partnerships we have with our federal and local law enforcement agencies that led to this result. Myrtle Beach Police Department will continue to fight to make sure individuals that bring this poison into our community are held accountable and are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Butler to 123 months in prison, to be followed by a 6-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be 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. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Myrtle Beach Police Department, and Horry County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.
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Missouri Man Sentenced for Unemployment Insurance, Home Depot FraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a man from Ste. Genevieve County to 34 months in prison for defrauding both Home Depot and Missouri’s unemployment insurance program.
Arthur Grass, 36, was also ordered to repay $207,000. Grass filed false unemployment claims for about 10 people beginning in May of 2020, claiming that the employees had been laid off from his construction company, AJE Construction. Grass cashed out the unemployment benefits, which had been placed on debit cards, and kicked some money back to the purported “workers” who had voluntarily provided him their personal information to use in the scheme. In all, the fraud reaped $142,423, including money from supplemental COVID-19 pandemic unemployment benefits.
Grass also admitted defrauding Home Depot on multiple occasions by filling a cart with boxes of vinyl flooring and showing employees a fraudulent receipt claiming that he’d paid for the flooring online. Grass then sold the flooring on Facebook. Charging documents say he stole about 468 boxes of flooring that way from Home Depot stores in St. Louis and St. Louis County from Jan. 5, 2023 through Feb. 6, 2023.
“Arthur Grass conspired to defraud the Missouri Division of Employment Security (MODES) by filing fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims which caused MODES to pay more than $140,000 in benefits,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the UI system from those who seek to exploit these benefit programs.”
Grass was arrested on March 31, 2022 by St. Charles County police investigating catalytic converter thefts. His Jeep was in a storage lot with Grass inside. Police later found a stolen Glock 9mm pistol in a toolbox in the Jeep. Grass is a convicted felon and barred from possessing a firearm.
Grass pleaded guilty in May to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of conspiracy to steal money from the United States (unemployment benefits) and one count of wire fraud.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Charles County Police Department, the Missouri Department of Labor, the Arnold Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and Home Depot Retail Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Marijuana ShipmentRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — David Agustus McGowan, 63, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana that was shipped from Fresno to Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in November 2018, McGowan’s co-defendants Patrick Maldonado, 47, of Madera; Elias Zambrano Jr., 43, of Fresno; Tan Minh Vo, 50, of San Jose; Tien Van Phan, 58, of Milpitas; and Halen Frazier, 37, of Kingsville, Missouri, coordinated the shipment of nearly 500 pounds of marijuana to Frazier in Kansas City. The first shipment was seized from Frazier during a traffic stop after Phan delivered 92 pounds of marijuana to him in two suitcases at a hotel in Kansas City.
Later, agents intercepted calls between Maldonado, Zambrano, and Frazier in which they discussed the shipment of another load of marijuana to Frazier in Kansas City. That load was intercepted by Arizona troopers after stopping McGowan for a broken taillight on his truck. During a search of the trailer, troopers found in a hidden compartment 384 pounds of marijuana and $1,629 in cash.
McGowan’s co-defendants previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced as follows:
- Maldonado, who also conspired to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, was sentenced to seven years in custody.
- Zambrano and Frazier were sentenced to two years and three months in prison.
- Vo was sentenced to three years and one month in prison.
- Phan was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force consisting of agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tulare, Kings, and Fresno County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Fresno Police Department. The Arizona Department of Health and the Kansas City Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
McGowan is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 4, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba. McGowan faces a minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison, along with a $5 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 8 ½ Years in Prison for Robbing Ann Arbor Store in Broad DaylightRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A federal judge sentenced Michigan resident Deon Bell today for robbing a T-Mobile store in downtown Ann Arbor, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
On October 10, 2022, Deon Bell, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, walked into a T-Mobile store in downtown Ann Arbor in the middle of the afternoon. He pulled out what appeared to be a gun and demanded that the two young employees take him to the safe, where he stole approximately $9,000 in smartphones and smartwatches. Bell also demanded the money from the register, stealing an additional $381. Before leaving the store, Bell told the employees to “have a blessed day.” But little did Bell know that the employees were a step ahead and gave him a decoy or tracker phone along with real merchandise, allowing law enforcement to track Bell from the T-Mobile to the store where he resold the goods.
This was just the most recent conviction for Bell, who has a long criminal history: drug dealing, carrying a concealed weapon, and criminal sexual conduct 3rd degree, among others. U.S. District Court Judge Nancy G. Edmunds sentenced Bell to 8 ½ years in prison, his longest sentence to date.
“Violence has no place in our community,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Pulling a gun on people just trying to make a living is a cowardly act, and our office is committed to taking dangerous people off the streets.”
“Mr. Bell’s violent behavior has no place in our community. Actions have consequences. Period. End of story. The moral of this story is: Use an illegal firearm to commit violent acts, and you should pack your bags for a very long and hopefully “blessed” stay in prison,” said Special Agent in Charge James Deir.
This case was investigated by agents from ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Bean, Erin Ramamurthy, and Hank Moon. This investigation started with the Ann Arbor Police Department and Michigan State Police, who remained valuable partners throughout this case. We thank them for their teamwork and assistance.Mexican National Residing in Kern County Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Ana Margarita Valdez-Torres, 43, a Mexican national residing in McFarland, was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Valdez was involved in obtaining and supplying methamphetamine to drug customers steered to her by Pedro Delgado-Montenegro, a fugitive in this case who previously resided in Porterville. One month after Valdez’s involvement in the drug transactions in this case, she was arrested and convicted in Las Vegas for transporting 22 pounds of methamphetamine.
Valdez pleaded guilty to the charge on April 3, 2023. Seven co-defendants have pleaded guilty to drug trafficking offenses. Charges are pending against Delgado-Montenegro. The charges against him are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Porterville Police Department, the Coalinga Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Merced County Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Otoniel Cardenas-Torres, 33, of Delhi, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Cardenas received $13,500 from a confidential source for the delivery of 3 pounds of heroin to the confidential source by Cardenas’s brother. The heroin deal had been arranged by a Mexican source of drug supply, who orchestrated a string of heroin transactions through couriers, including co-defendants Robert Palacios-Garcia, 38, of Huntington Park; Daniel Quiroz, 41, of Los Angeles; and Juan Medina, 29, of Manteca.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Cardenas is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Dec. 11, 2023. Cardenas faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Co-defendants Palacios-Garcia and Quiroz previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to seven years and three months in prison and three years and one month in prison, respectively. Juan Medina is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 2, 2023.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Major Generic Drug Companies to Pay over Quarter of a Billion Dollars to Resolve Price-Fixing Charges and Divest Key Drug at the Center of Their ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today deferred prosecution agreements resolving criminal antitrust charges against Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA. As part of those agreements, both companies will divest a key business line involved in the misconduct, and as an additional remedial measure, Teva will make a $50 million drug donation to humanitarian organizations. Teva will pay a $225 million criminal penalty — the largest to date for a domestic antitrust cartel — and Glenmark will pay a $30 million criminal penalty. Both companies will face prosecution if they violate the terms of the agreements, and if convicted, would likely face mandatory debarment from federal health care programs.
The agreements each require the companies to undertake remedial measures, including the timely divestiture of their respective drug lines for pravastatin, a widely used cholesterol medicine that was a core part of the companies’ price-fixing conspiracy. This extraordinary remedy forces the companies to divest a business line that was central to the misconduct. Teva must also donate $50 million worth of clotrimazole and tobramycin, two additional drugs with prices affected by Teva’s criminal schemes, to humanitarian organizations that provide medication to Americans in need. Both Teva and Glenmark have agreed, among other things, to cooperate with the department in the ongoing criminal investigations and resulting prosecutions, report to the department on their compliance programs, and modify those compliance programs where necessary and appropriate.
“Today, the Antitrust Division and our law enforcement partners hold two more pharmaceutical companies accountable for raising prices of essential medicines and depriving Americans of affordable access to prescription drugs. The resolutions include extraordinary remedial measures that require the breakup of assets and restore competition to the industry,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. “Companies in heavily regulated industries are on notice that the division will not hesitate to hold them accountable and will not tolerate recidivism.”
“The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, along with our other federal law enforcement partners, secured a victory with today’s settlement agreement in our fight against price-fixing and collusion,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “The USPS-OIG will vigorously investigate those who would engage in harmful anticompetitive practices, and we continue to ask for the public’s assistance in identifying and reporting those engaged in this type of activity.”
“The FBI works relentlessly with our partners to investigate crimes that violate our nation’s long-held principles of fair competition,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s agreements show that we are committed to ensuring that entities that engage in price-fixing, bid-rigging and market-allocation schemes to the detriment of the American people face justice.”
As part of the agreements, Teva admitted to participating in three antitrust conspiracies that affected essential medicines — including pravastatin, clotrimazole and tobramycin — and Glenmark admitted to participating in a conspiracy to fix the price of pravastatin. Pravastatin is a commonly prescribed cholesterol medication that lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke; clotrimazole is commonly prescribed to treat skin infections; and tobramycin is commonly prescribed to treat eye infections and cystic fibrosis. Also as part of the agreements, the parties today filed joint motions, which are subject to approval by the Court, to defer prosecution and trial on the filed charges for the three-year terms of the agreements or until after the criminal penalties are paid, whichever occurs later.
During the multi-year investigation, the Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners uncovered price-fixing, bid-rigging and market-allocation schemes affecting many generic medicines, and charged seven generic pharmaceutical companies for their participation in the schemes. With today’s agreements, all seven companies have resolved their criminal charges and collectively agreed to pay more than $681 million in criminal penalties.
In June 2020, Glenmark was charged with one count of price fixing for its role in a conspiracy affecting the prices of pravastatin and other generic drugs. A grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Glenmark and Teva in August 2020 for the same and similar conduct. Count one alleged that Teva conspired with Glenmark, Apotex Corp. and others to increase prices for pravastatin and other generic drugs. Apotex admitted its role in this conspiracy and agreed to pay a $24.1 million penalty in May 2020. Count two charged Teva for its role in a conspiracy with Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. Inc., its former executive Ara Aprahamian and others to increase prices, rig bids and allocate customers of generic drugs, including clotrimazole, a medicine used to treat skin infections. Taro admitted to its role in this conspiracy and agreed to pay a $205.7 million penalty to resolve that charge in July 2020. Aprahamian was indicted in February 2020 and is awaiting trial. Count three charged Teva for its role in a conspiracy with Sandoz Inc. and others to increase prices, rig bids and allocate customers of generic medicines, including cystic fibrosis medicine tobramycin. A former Sandoz executive pleaded guilty for his participation in the conspiracy in February 2020. Sandoz admitted to its role in the conspiracy and agreed to pay a $195 million penalty in March 2020. Together, these charges and the resolutions announced today reflect the Department’s commitment to holding corporate offenders responsible even where collateral consequences may be at issue.
United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the FBI’s Washington and Philadelphia Field Offices and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Lunder, Thomas Tynan, Michael Sawers and Barry Joyce of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section and Assistant Chief Mark Grundvig and Trial Attorney Julia Maloney of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section are prosecuting the cases, with the assistance of Antitrust Division Economists Evan Gee and Peter Woodward and Financial Analyst Joanne Legomsky.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
DPA - Teva DPA - GlenmarkLocal Task Forces Crack Down on Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Distribution NetworksRead the Press Release
BOISE – Two multi-faceted, large-scale Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations have resulted in the federal indictments of 25 defendants on drug trafficking and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Seventeen indictments were issued over the last several months by federal grand juries sitting in Idaho along with an additional indictment in the District of Oregon.
According to the indictments, the defendants distributed large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout Southwestern Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Many of the individuals are alleged to have been in possession of firearms at the time they distributed the narcotics. During the course of these investigations and arrests, law enforcement seized approximately 98 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 21,000 fentanyl pills, 531 grams of fentanyl powder, 38 firearms, 3 bullet-proof vests, and $121,615 in U.S. currency. According to court records, it is alleged that several of these individuals are associated with local street gangs with ties to the Jalisco Nuevo Generation Cartel.
As part of these two OCDETF investigations, the following individuals have been charged with federal drug and gun violations:
- Sergio Cisneros-Guzman a/k/a Salamon Hernandez-Medina, residing in Nampa, Idaho, was indicted on seven counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premise;
- Efren Avilez-Lopez, residing in Ontario, Oregon, was indicted for distributing 25 pounds of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 21 pounds of methamphetamine;
- Maria Medina-Zeveda, residing in Ontario, Oregon, was indicted for distributing 35 pounds of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 21 pounds of methamphetamine;
- Efren Alexander Avilez-Pacheco, residing in Ontario, Oregon, was indicted on possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime. Avilez-Pacheco, a Mexican national, is also facing violations of terms of his supervised release stemming from a 2019 federal drug trafficking conviction and his subsequent deportation to Mexico;
- Owenn Mitchell, of Salem, Oregon, was indicted on two counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine;
- Zach Vitale, of Idaho Falls, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl;
- Cheyanne Juarez, of Ontario, Oregon, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
- Jason Castillo, of Nampa, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
- Shaunda Buffi, of Caldwell, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
- Robert Glenn, of Nampa, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
- Anthony Lopez, of Caldwell, was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm;
- Megan Mackey, of Caldwell, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
- Breana Rojas, of Caldwell, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
- Rigoverto Hernandez, of Caldwell, was indicted on one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl;
- Bonifacio Nichiolas-Ruiz, of Caldwell, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
- Andrew Walthall, of Kuna, was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl;
- Jose Pedraza, of Meridian, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
- Sonya Trujillo, of Boise, was indicted on one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine; and
- Michael McClain, of Boise, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
In addition to these indictments, Tracy Nunes, of Payette, was indicted on two counts of distribution of methamphetamine by a grand jury in the District of Oregon.
The OCDETF investigations also included several other defendants who were charged earlier with federal drug and gun violations:
- Isaac Bright pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and, on February 14, 2023, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. Bright was a documented member of Latin Kings gang with an extensive criminal history.
- Jordan Khan pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and, on March 14, 2023, was sentenced to 98 months in federal prison.
- Paul Almaraz pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and is set for sentencing on September 25, 2023.
- Robert Chase pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and is set for sentencing on August 31, 2023.
- Cesar Javier Avila-Molina pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is set for sentencing on November 1, 2023.
Drug distribution charges carry mandatory minimum prison sentences depending on the amount and type of drugs distributed. Maximum prison sentences range from up to 20 years to life in prison. Unlawful possession of a firearm carries a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
“It is important for the public to know that federal, state, and local law enforcement are proactively working to dismantle drug trafficking enterprises in the Treasure Valley and elsewhere in Idaho,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “The results of these investigations is a testament to the extremely strong partnerships we have in Idaho, which include working with partners in Oregon and elsewhere as needed. These cases send a strong message that Idaho is not open for the drug business.”
“These cases are a prime example of what law enforcement can accomplish when we pool our resources and work together,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “There is no doubt that potentially countless number of lives were saved in the Treasure Valley because of the dismantling of these drug trafficking organizations. The FBI is committed to keeping all Idahoans safe.”
“The Jalisco Cartel is one of the main cartels responsible for the influx of methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Gomm, who oversees operations in Idaho. “The relationships these cartels have with our local street gangs allow deadly and dangerous drugs to reach their last mile of distribution. These indictments are a testament to DEA’s unwavering commitment to make our communities safe and healthy through collaboration with our local, state, and federal partners.”
“It is my hope the announcement of these indictments will help bring some clarity to the enormity of the dangers our citizens and law enforcement face on a daily basis by the increased criminality of Transcontinental Criminal Organizations (TCO’s) in our communities,” said Canyon County Sheriff, Kieran Donahue. “The danger of an unprecedented supply and distribution of deadly drugs like “street” fentanyl is real, NOT imagined. I applaud the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho for their commitment to prosecute cases of this magnitude and for the support of our FBI Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime and Gang Task Force and the investigators assigned to that team. We cannot, and will not, defeat these criminal organizations without strong collaboration and the force-multiplier approach of law enforcement partners.”
“The City of Caldwell and the Treasure Valley are a safer place now due to the collaborative efforts and relentless pursuit of justice exemplified by our brave men and women who defend the United States Constitution and enforce the rule of law,” said Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram. “I am proud of their unwavering selfless sacrifice and dedication to keeping Idaho safe.”
“Today’s announcement represents a significant step towards a safer society,” said Lieutenant Colonel Sheldon Kelley, Deputy Director Chief of Operations at the Idaho State Police. “The synergistic endeavors of the U.S. Attorney, law enforcement, and many community partners highlight the extraordinary results that arise from collaborative and unwavering teamwork. Together, we are resolute in our mission to secure our communities and eradicate drug and firearm-related criminal pursuits.”
“These cases are another great example of local law enforcement working with our federal partners on a common goal,” said Nampa Police Department Interim Chief Curt Shankel. “We work to make our state, city, and neighborhoods safe, and to get these dealers off our streets. Thank you to the United States Attorney’s Office for their dedication to these cases.”
“The Ontario Police Department, in partnership with the High Desert Drug Task Force, is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt and dismantle illegal trafficking and use of drugs in and around the city of Ontario,” said Police Chief Michael Iwai.
The cases were primarily investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. In addition to the work of the Metro Violent Crimes Task Force and the DEA, U.S. Attorney Hurwit thanked the following agencies for assisting in the investigations and arrests of the above named individuals: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Caldwell Police Department, City and County Narcotics Unit, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Nampa Police Department, the Gem County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho State Police, Idaho Department of Correction, the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office, the Owyhee County Prosecutors Office, the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the Malheur County Sherriff’s Office, the Ontario Police Department, the Oregon State Police, and the High Desert Drug Task Force in Oregon.
Both the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force and the High Desert Task Force focus on local violent crime and gang activity and are comprised of federal, state, and local agencies. These cases are being prosecuted by several Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Districts of Idaho and Oregon, and the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes.
The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit expressed his gratitude to all the law enforcement agencies and prosecutors for supporting the individual prosecutors and task force investigators who are achieving justice through their hard work.
An indictment is merely an allegation or a set of allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
These indictments are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about violent crime or illegal activity can call (208) 344-7843.
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Leader of International Steroids Distribution Scheme Sentenced to Eight Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 21, 2023
SAN DIEGO – James Charles Rivera of New York was sentenced in federal court today to 96 months in prison for leading a scheme to distribute steroids around the world and launder the substantial proceeds through cash and cryptocurrency.
According to admissions in his plea agreement, Rivera operated on the “dark web” with the moniker, “JuicePal.” He arranged and directed the distribution of steroids in nearly every state in the United States, as well as to Canada, Germany, Australia, and countries in the United Kingdom and the European Union from 2018 to 2021. He used encrypted communications and internet-access methods to avoid detection and took in millions of dollars in virtual currency and cash as proceeds from thousands of sales.
Rivera also worked with several co-conspirators in the United States, who were responsible for manufacturing steroids for him, shipping them to customers, receiving cash payments, and forwarding him proceeds. Rivera, a United States Citizen, ran this operation for years while living abroad.
“This defendant thought he could hide his international steroid distribution network and money laundering by operating on the dark web, but we have shined a bright light on his crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden.
“This lengthy sentence is the result of an investigation into a complex global illicit counterfeit steroid production and distribution network that spanned several years, which concluded with the dismantlement of both the known U.S. and British networks of operation,” said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Diego. “The egregious criminal conspiracy attempted to utilize encrypted communications, cryptocurrencies, and an elaborate network of co-conspirators to obfuscate operational activity in the U.S. and abroad. I thank the several federal partners that came together to support HSI, most notably U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration to dismantle these operations.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to identifying, investigating and disrupting these criminal organizations to protect our communities from the distribution of these dangerous drugs through our postal system,” said Carroll Harris, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Los Angeles Division.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Owen Roth.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 21-CR-3382 AJB
James Charles Rivera Age: 32 New York
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(E), and 846
Maximum Penalties: Ten years in prison, and a $500,000 fine
Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)
Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison, and the greater of $500,000 or twice the amount of loss
AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
Leader of Gun Trafficking Ring Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Detroit resident was sentenced to 7 years and 10 months in prison for his role in a firearm trafficking ring, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Deir, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Division.
Antonio Jackson, age 24, received the sentence from the Honorable Mark A. Goldsmith, United States District Judge, in Detroit, Michigan. Judge Goldsmith also ordered that the defendant serve 3 years on supervised release after his release from federal custody.
At his guilty plea, Jackson admitted that he, along with two co-defendants, was a leader of a scheme in which the group used stolen credit card information to buy firearms online, which were then shipped to local firearm retailers for pickup. They enlisted several straw purchasers to pick up firearms. To get the firearms, the straw purchasers were directed to lie on the required ATF paperwork.
In total, Jackson admitted that the group illegally obtained at least 55 firearms through the scheme. Several of the firearms have been recovered by law enforcement, including some recovered from convicted felons.
Five of the straw purchasers involved in the trafficking ring have already pleaded guilty and were sentenced as follows:
- Garcia Moses, age 26 of Detroit: 54 months’ prison
- Emmanuel Stevens, age 23 of Detroit: 46 months’ prison
- Donte Turner, age 27 of Mt. Clemens: 30 months’ prison
- Eshon Rose, age 24 of Redford Charter Township: 18 months’ prison
“My office is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of convicted felons and will aggressively prosecute not just the leaders of these gun trafficking organizations, but also the straw purchasers that make these schemes possible. Lying when buying a gun for someone else is a serious crime that deserves just punishments like these.” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“Accountability matters. Jackson and his able-bodied band of co-conspirators represent the worst of the worst in our community. They are nothing more than common-day thugs who put personal greed before the safety of our community. In my experience,” said Special Agent
in Charge James Deir, “these folks represent the most deserving candidates for Federal prosecution. In the end, they’ll have a lot of time to reflect on their wrongdoing.”
One of the other leaders, Mike Chahoua, 25 of Detroit, pleaded guilty and faces sentencing on September 26, 2023. James Jackson, age 25 of Detroit, one of the straw purchasers, has also pleaded guilty and faces sentencing on September 28, 2023.
Charges remain pending against Chauncey Williams, 23, of Detroit, the third leader of the group, and Bishop Allen, age 26, of Detroit, another straw purchaser. They are set for jury trial at a later date. An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Ramamurthy and Andrew R. Picek.