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2 August 2023
Lead Defendant in Federal Case Charging White Supremacist Group with Violence at Political Rallies Extradited from RomaniaRead the Press Release
INDICTMENT
LOS ANGELES – The lead defendant in an indictment that charges three Southern California men linked to a white supremacy extremist group with planning and engaging in riots at political rallies across California has been extradited to the United States from Romania, the Justice Department announced today.Robert Paul Rundo, 33, of Huntington Beach, allegedly a founding member of the Rise Above Movement (RAM), was transported by special agents with the FBI from Romania to Hollywood Burbank Airport, where he arrived Tuesday evening. Rundo is in federal custody and is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
Rundo, along with two other defendants, is charged with conspiracy to violate the Anti-Riot Act for his activities in connection with RAM, a white supremacist organization that represented itself “publicly…as a combat-ready, militant group of a new nationalist white supremacy and identity movement,” according to a federal grand jury indictment.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Rundo also is charged with one count of rioting.
The other defendants charged in this case are:
- Robert Boman, 30, of Torrance; and
- Tyler Laube, 27, of Redondo Beach.
Boman and Laube are charged with conspiracy to violate the Anti-Riot Act. Boman also is charged with one count of rioting.
The trial date in this matter is scheduled for December 12.
According to the indictment, the defendants participated in the conspiracy in varying ways, including by engaging in recruitment of RAM members, coordinating and participating in hand-to-hand and other combat training, traveling to political rallies to attack protesters and other persons, and publishing photographs and videos of violent acts to recruit other members for future events.
The indictment alleges that various members of the conspiracy directly participated in attacks at political rallies in Huntington Beach on March 25, 2017; in Berkeley on April 15, 2017; and in San Bernardino on June 10, 2017. In the months following these events, the defendants allegedly trained for future events and celebrated their assaults, which included online posts with photos of RAM members assaulting people.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
In June 2019, a federal district court dismissed the indictment against Rundo and the other defendants, finding that the federal Anti-Riot Act violated the First Amendment. In March 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court’s dismissal and the criminal charges were reinstated.
Both the conspiracy and rioting charges carry statutory maximum sentences of five years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Bucharest provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Rundo.
The Romanian National Police, Directorate of Combatting Organized Crime and Terrorism (DCCO), Fugitive Unit; the Romanian General Prosecutor's Office and Border Police; the U.S. Embassy Bucharest Regional Security Office and Consular Section/American Citizen Services, in coordination with Interpol Romania, provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Rundo. The Romanian Ministry of Justice, Directorate for International Law and Judicial Cooperation, Division of International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters, also provided significant assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Solomon Kim and Kathrynne N. Seiden, both of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, are prosecuting this case.
Klamath Falls Man Indicted for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Seattle Woman, Additional Victims SoughtRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment today charging a Klamath Falls, Oregon, man with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a Seattle woman and forcing her into a makeshift cell he constructed in his garage.
Negasi Zuberi, 29, also known as Sakima, Justin Hyche, and Justin Kouassi, has been charged with interstate kidnapping and transporting an individual across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents, on July 15, 2023, Zuberi was in Seattle when he is alleged to have posed as a police officer, pointed a taser at an adult woman, placed her in handcuffs, and forced her into the backseat of his vehicle. Zuberi then transported the woman approximately 450 miles back to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping along the way to sexually assault her and cover her face with a sweatshirt.
When Zuberi arrived at his residence, he moved the woman from his vehicle into a makeshift cell he had constructed in his garage. The woman repeatedly banged on the cell door until it broke open and she escaped. She retrieved a handgun from Zuberi’s vehicle, fled his garage, and flagged down a passing motorist who called 911.
The next day, on July 16, 2023, two Nevada State Patrol officers located Zuberi in a retail parking lot in Reno, Nevada. After a short standoff, Zuberi surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody.
On July 26, 2023, Zuberi made his first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the District of Nevada. He was ordered detained pending his transfer to the District of Oregon.
Interstate kidnapping is punishable by up to life in federal prison and transporting an individual across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI Portland Field Office, Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon State Police with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada; Klamath County District Attorney’s Office; Reno, Nevada Police Department; Washoe County, Nevada District Attorney’s Office; and Nevada State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Brassell is prosecuting the case for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Zuberi has lived in ten different states over the last ten years including California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada, and federal law enforcement has reason to believe he may have victimized additional women.
If you or someone you know have information about possible crimes committed by Zuberi, please visit fbi.gov/sakimavictims or call 1-800-Call-FBI.
Kenner Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Stealing Mail in Elmwood Area Using Stolen Postal KeyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On August 2, 2023, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the sentencing of ADOLPH KENDRICK, age 27, of Kenner, who previously pleaded guilty on April 18, 2023, to Unlawful Possession and Use of a United States Postal Service (USPS) “arrow” key used by USPS employees to access authorized mail receptacles.
According to the indictment, on November 14 and 15, 2022, KENDRICK stole mail from the Citrus Post Office in New Orleans, Louisiana. On November 15, 2022, KENDRICK was observed stealing mail and was caught after a brief police chase near Williams Boulevard. KENDRICK was also found in possession of a United States Postal Service “arrow” key.
U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter sentenced KENDRICK to 30 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Justice Officials Participate in 2023 National Night OutRead the Press Release
Yesterday, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta joined police departments and local communities across the country yesterday for the 40th annual National Night Out.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, better places to live. It began in 1984, when the Justice Department awarded a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant to establish National Night Out with the goal of helping foster relationships between communities and law enforcement. Over the past 40 years, National Night Out has partnered with over 17,000 communities and has positively impacted the lives of over 38 million Americans. Most neighborhoods participate in the annual celebration on the first Tuesday of August.
“Everyone in our country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “National Night Out is an important opportunity to reaffirm the importance of the close partnership between law enforcement and the communities we serve.”
Attorney General Garland participated in National Night Out events in the Philadelphia area – a current BJA Public Safety Partnership (PSP) site. Since its selection in 2021, Philadelphia has worked with local law enforcement agencies, including the Philadelphia Police Department, to reduce violent crime around the city. The Attorney General attended National Night Out events hosted by the Philadelphia Police Department’s 22nd District and Bensalem Township, where he spoke with community residents and law enforcement officials about the importance of community partnership and celebrated the city’s crime reduction efforts. Attorney General Garland was also joined by U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Deputy Attorney General Monaco was in Nashville to highlight how the Justice Department is combatting violent crime through strong partnerships with both law enforcement and community leaders. She attended National Night Out events with U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee and Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Chief John Drake in the Edgehill and East Park neighborhoods. While in Nashville, the Deputy AG attended roll-call at the MNPD precinct that responded to the March 2023 shooting at the Covenant School, to thank the officers for their commitment to public safety. The Deputy AG also visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, where she met with state, local, and federal law enforcement leaders and thanked the men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their hard work.
Associate Attorney General Gupta was joined by Director Hugh T. Clements of the Department’s Office for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia at Washington, D.C.’s National Night Out kickoff event at the Rosedale Recreation Center in Northeast D.C. Alongside Pamela A. Smith, the newly appointed Acting Chief of Police for the Metropolitan Police Department, and other local leaders, Associate Attorney General Gupta delivered opening remarks and met with local law enforcement and community members. Washington, D.C. is a current PSP member and has partnered with the Metropolitan Police Department to reduce crime through interagency coordination and community policing techniques.
ATF Director Steven Dettelbach attended National Night Out events in Pleasanton, California, during his visit to the ATF San Francisco Field Division. He joined Pleasanton Police Department Chief David Swing in celebrating the events.
Many U.S. Attorneys’ Offices also participated in National Night Out festivities around the country to celebrate crime reduction efforts and partnership between local law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Justice Department closes language access and retaliation civil rights matter in Fort Bend CountyRead the Press Release
Note: This press release has been translated in various languages. See attachments below.
HOUSTON – The Justice Department announced it has secured a final resolution in its civil rights matter involving the Fort Bend County (FBC) courts. FBC has complied with all the terms of a June 2021 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and as a result, the department is closing the matter.
The department initially opened the matter based on allegations that FBC courts discriminated against people with limited English proficiency (LEP) based on their national origin and retaliated against a complainant in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) which prohibits race, color and national origin discrimination by any recipient of federal financial assistance. One complaint alleged that the FBC District Court denied a criminal defendant with LEP a Vietnamese interpreter he needed for a plea hearing and said that the defendant or his attorney must find and pay for a Vietnamese interpreter. On June 29, 2021, the department and FBC resolved the investigation with an MOA that required significant changes to FBC’s language access policies for court users with LEP.
Since then, FBC has made significant changes to improve access for court users with LEP and to comply with Title VI requirements. For example, FBC:
- Provides interpreter services at no cost to anyone with LEP, regardless of income, in all civil and criminal cases as described in the court’s language assistance policy;
- Revised its language access plan;
- Created a language access training for court staff and a Judge’s Guide to Language Access;
- Maintains a public webpage that explains how to request interpretation or translation services;
- Provides a language access complaint form in several languages on its website; and
- To ensure Title VI compliance, FBC staff have also received Title VI retaliation training.
“The new policies and practices adopted by the Fort Bend County courts are helping to provide meaningful language access for people with limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I hope other court systems follow Fort Bend County’s example and take action to provide interpreter services to court users at no cost. Access to justice in our country should not be limited or denied simply because of your proficiency in English.”
“Fort Bend County is one of the most diverse counties in Texas where almost half the population is of Spanish, East Asian and South Asian origin. As a prosecutor, an immigrant and the son of Indian-born, working-class parents, I have seen, first-hand, the struggles of America’s newest residents who speak English as a second language, and the need for interpreters, especially during court proceedings,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “Because of the hard work of the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and at the Civil Right Division, all residents, irrespective of national origin, will have full access to the court system to handle everything from family court matters, criminal and general civil matters. I look forward to working with other counties and the Office of Court Administration to replicate these efforts throughout the Southern District of Texas.”
This matter was handled jointly by attorneys in the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website, and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available here.
Translations:
- العربية
- 简体字
- 簡體字
- Gujarati
- हिन्दी
- Malayalam
- Español
- Tagalog
- اُردُو
- Tiếng Việt
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Miami-Based Manufacturer to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with three corporate entities, Mr. Glass Doors and Windows Inc., Mr. Glass Doors and Windows Manufacturing LLC, and Powder Coating Technologies LLC (collectively Mr. Glass Group). The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Mr. Glass Group violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens when checking their permission to work in the United States.
“Requiring workers to provide specific or unnecessary documents to prove their permission to work creates an unlawful barrier to employment for people who are eager to begin working and providing for themselves and their families,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will not stand for unlawful discrimination and will continue to ensure that employees have equal opportunity in the hiring process and in the workplace.”
The department’s investigation determined that from at least March 1, 2018, to Sept. 16, 2020, Mr. Glass Group routinely required lawful permanent residents to present a specific immigration document when checking their permission to work, based on the employees’ citizenship or immigration status.
Under the terms of the settlement, Mr. Glass Group will pay $120,000 in civil penalties to the United States. The agreement also requires Mr. Glass Group to train its personnel on the INA’s requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
Federal law allows all workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to demonstrate their identity and permission to work, regardless of citizenship, immigration status or national origin. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Indeed, many non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, are eligible for several of the same types of documents to prove their permission to work as U.S. citizens (such as a driver’s license and an unrestricted Social Security card). Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute generally prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.
Justice Department Announces Final Resolution of Language Access Civil Rights Matter in Fort Bend County, TexasRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced it has secured a final resolution in its civil rights matter involving the Fort Bend County (FBC) courts. FBC has complied with all the terms of a June 2021 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and as a result, the department is closing the matter.
The department initially opened the matter based on allegations that FBC courts discriminated against people with limited English proficiency (LEP) based on their national origin and retaliated against a complainant in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) which prohibits race, color and national origin discrimination by any recipient of federal financial assistance. One complaint alleged that the FBC District Court denied a criminal defendant with LEP a Vietnamese interpreter he needed for a plea hearing and said that the defendant or his attorney must find and pay for a Vietnamese interpreter. On June 29, 2021, the department and FBC resolved the investigation with an MOA that required significant changes to FBC’s language access policies for court users with LEP.
Since then, FBC has made significant changes to improve access for court users with LEP and to comply with Title VI requirements. For example, FBC:
- Provides interpreter services at no cost to anyone with LEP, regardless of income, in all civil and criminal cases as described in the court’s language assistance policy;
- Revised its language access plan;
- Created a language access training for court staff and a Judge’s Guide to Language Access;
- Maintains a public webpage that explains how to request interpretation or translation services;
- Provides a language access complaint form in several languages on its website; and
- To ensure Title VI compliance, FBC staff have also received Title VI retaliation training.
“The new policies and practices adopted by the Fort Bend County courts are helping to provide meaningful language access for people with limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I hope other court systems follow Fort Bend County’s example and take action to provide interpreter services to court users at no cost. Access to justice in our country should not be limited or denied simply because of your proficiency in English.”
“Fort Bend County is one of the most diverse counties in Texas where almost half the population is of Spanish, East Asian and South Asian origin. As a prosecutor, an immigrant and the son of Indian-born, working-class parents, I have seen, first-hand, the struggles of America’s newest residents who speak English as a second language, and the need for interpreters, especially during court proceedings,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “Because of the hard work of the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and at the Civil Right Division, all residents, irrespective of national origin, will have full access to the court system to handle everything from family court matters, criminal and general civil matters. I look forward to working with other counties and the Office of Court Administration to replicate these efforts throughout the Southern District of Texas.”
This matter was handled jointly by attorneys in the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ or with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the for the Southern District of Texas at www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section.
Jury Recommends Sentence of Death for Pennsylvania Man Convicted for Tree of Life Synagogue ShootingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – After two months of trial, a federal jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, unanimously recommended today that a Pennsylvania man be sentenced to death for killing 11 congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, critically wounding two others, and injuring five responding police officers in October 2018.
On June 16, after three weeks of hearing evidence, the jury found Bowers guilty on 63 counts, including hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death, that were potentially punishable by a death sentence.
After hearing additional evidence, the jury found on July 13 that Robert Bowers, 50, was eligible to receive a death sentence. During the Sentence Selection phase of the trial, which lasted from July 17 through July 31, 2023, the jury then heard testimony on aggravating and mitigating factors before arriving at its unanimous recommendation of a death sentence.
“The horrific attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue on October 27, 2018, stole the lives of 11 innocent victims, shattered their families, gutted their congregation and the Pittsburgh community, and struck fear in the lives of Jewish people across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Hate crimes like this one inflict irreparable pain on individual victims and their loved ones and lead entire communities to question their very belonging. All Americans deserve to live free from the fear of hate-fueled violence and the Justice Department will hold accountable those who perpetrate such acts.”
“The evidence in this trial proved that the defendant acted because of white supremacist, anti-Semitic and bigoted views that unfortunately are not original or unique to him,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Our Constitution protects a person’s right to hold repugnant beliefs. But our Constitution also protects every person’s right to practice his or her faith. When people who espouse white supremacist, anti-Semitic, and bigoted views pick up weapons and use them to kill or try to kill people because of their faith, our Office and our partners in law enforcement will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Each and every time.”
“The men and women of the FBI hold the Tree of Life Synagogue victims and the Pittsburgh community in our hearts as we continue to protect communities of faith from violent acts of hate,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The damage caused by antisemitism cannot be understated, just as the tragic loss of the eleven victims cannot be measured. Healing will be a life-long journey for the survivors, families, and communities affected by this vile attack, and the FBI will be there to support them throughout that journey.”
“The massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue imposed grievous and far-reaching harms and is a reminder about the ongoing threat that we face as a result of antisemitic violence and hatred in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The victims of these senseless murders were community and religious leaders and loving family members and friends. A jury of his peers held the defendant accountable for his hateful actions and provided justice for those killed and injured. The verdict, though, cannot bring back the 11 people killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Nor can it heal the physical and psychological wounds of the survivors or dispel the hurt and fear of community members. We hope that this civil rights prosecution brings a measure of closure and highlights the determination of the Justice Department to protect people from antisemitic violence and other hate crimes in our country.”
“I hope today’s decision brings some comfort to those impacted by this terrible crime and to our community,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “As we all work to heal together, I want to remind the community that none of us can do this alone. I want to commend the work by my FBI personnel, the Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and our partner agencies who put in countless hours at the scene that day and every day since preparing for this trial. I want to assure everyone that the FBI will keep doing everything we can for the people who need it most in every community across the country.”
The evidence showed that, on Oct. 27, 2018, Bowers drove to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light Jewish congregations gathered to engage in religious worship. Bowers entered the building armed with multiple firearms, including three Glock .357 handguns and a Colt AR-15 rifle. While inside the Tree of Life Synagogue, Bowers opened fire, killing and injuring members of the three congregations, as well as injuring multiple responding police officers as they attempted to rescue surviving victims.
The victims include 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue who were killed: Joyce Fienberg, 75; Richard Gottfried, 65; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Cecil Rosenthal, 59; David Rosenthal, 54; Bernice Simon, 84; Sylvan Simon, 86; Daniel Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 87; and Irving Younger, 69. In addition, the defendant critically injured two congregants. Another 12 congregants escaped physical injury. Additionally, the victims include five responding police officers who were injured while attempting to rescue surviving victims and apprehend the defendant.
The evidence showed that the defendant meticulously planned his attack based on his violently antisemitic beliefs, reflected in dozens of online posts admitted into evidence.
The court will impose the sentence on Aug. 3.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Allegheny County Police conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case, with assistance from many other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy Rivetti, Soo C. Song, and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division; and Barry K. Disney of the Capital Case Unit of the United States Department of Justice. Special Litigation Counsel Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division and Trial Attorney Sonia Jimenez of the Criminal Division also made significant contributions to the prosecution of this case.
Jury Recommends Sentence of Death for Pennsylvania Man Convicted for Tree of Life Synagogue ShootingRead the Press Release
After two months of trial, a federal jury in Pittsburgh unanimously recommended today that a Pennsylvania man be sentenced to death for killing 11 congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, critically wounding two others, and injuring five responding police officers in October 2018.
On June 16, after three weeks of hearing evidence, the jury found Bowers guilty on 63 counts, including hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death, that were potentially punishable by a death sentence.
After hearing additional evidence, the jury found on July 13, that Robert Bowers, 50, was eligible to receive a death sentence. During the Sentence Selection phase of the trial, which lasted from July 17 through July 31, the jury then heard testimony on aggravating and mitigating factors before arriving at its unanimous recommendation of a death sentence.
“The horrific attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue on October 27, 2018, stole the lives of 11 innocent victims, shattered their families, gutted their congregation and the Pittsburgh community, and struck fear in the lives of Jewish people across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Hate crimes like this one inflict irreparable pain on individual victims and their loved ones and lead entire communities to question their very belonging. All Americans deserve to live free from the fear of hate-fueled violence and the Justice Department will hold accountable those who perpetrate such acts.”
“The men and women of the FBI hold the Tree of Life Synagogue victims and the Pittsburgh community in our hearts as we continue to protect communities of faith from violent acts of hate,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The damage caused by antisemitism cannot be understated, just as the tragic loss of the eleven victims cannot be measured. Healing will be a life-long journey for the survivors, families, and communities affected by this vile attack, and the FBI will be there to support them throughout that journey.”
“The massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue imposed grievous and far-reaching harms and is a reminder about the ongoing threat that we face as a result of antisemitic violence and hatred in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The victims of these senseless murders were community and religious leaders and loving family members and friends. A jury of his peers held the defendant accountable for his hateful actions and provided justice for those killed and injured. The verdict, though, cannot bring back the 11 people killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Nor can it heal the physical and psychological wounds of the survivors or dispel the hurt and fear of community members. We hope that this civil rights prosecution brings a measure of closure and highlights the determination of the Justice Department to protect people from antisemitic violence and other hate crimes in our country.”
“The evidence in this trial proved that the defendant acted because of white supremacist, anti-Semitic and bigoted views that unfortunately are not original or unique to him,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Our Constitution protects a person’s right to hold repugnant beliefs. But our Constitution also protects every person’s right to practice his or her faith. When people who espouse white supremacist, anti-Semitic, and bigoted views pick up weapons and use them to kill or try to kill people because of their faith, our Office and our partners in law enforcement will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Each and every time.”
The evidence showed that on Oct. 27, 2018, Bowers drove to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, and New Light Jewish congregations gathered to engage in religious worship. Bowers entered the building armed with multiple firearms, including three Glock .357 handguns and a Colt AR-15 rifle. While inside the Tree of Life Synagogue, Bowers opened fire, killing and injuring members of the three congregations, as well as injuring multiple responding police officers as they attempted to rescue surviving victims.
The victims include 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue who were killed: Joyce Fienberg, 75; Richard Gottfried, 65; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Cecil Rosenthal, 59; David Rosenthal, 54; Bernice Simon, 84; Sylvan Simon, 86; Daniel Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 87; and Irving Younger, 69. In addition, the defendant critically injured two congregants. Another 12 congregants escaped physical injury. Additionally, the victims include five responding police officers who were injured while attempting to rescue surviving victims and apprehend the defendant.
The evidence showed that the defendant meticulously planned his attack based on his violently antisemitic beliefs, reflected in dozens of online posts admitted into evidence.
The court will impose the sentence on Aug. 3.
U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy Rivetti, Soo C. Song and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division, and Trial Attorneys Barry K. Disney and Aaron J. Stewart of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Unit prosecuted the case. Special Litigation Counsel Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division and Trial Attorney Sonia Jiminez of the Criminal Division also made significant contributions to the prosecution of this case.
Johnstown Resident Indicted on Child Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. A resident of Johnstown, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for federal child pornography charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The three-count Superseding Indictment named Mikhail Martin, 25, of Johnstown, PA, as the sole defendant.
According to the Superseding Indictment, Martin is alleged to have produced and attempted to produce material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor on or about February 20, 2023, and April 22, 2023. Martin is also alleged to have possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor on or about May 13, 2023.
The law provides for a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 70 years, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Northern Regional Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Iowa Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Failure to Pay Employment Taxes and File Federal ReturnRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – On Monday, July 31, 2023, an Iowa man pled guilty to Willful Failure to Pay Over Employment Taxes and Willful Failure to File an Income Tax Return.
As described in public court records, Thomas James Morford, 50, operated a concrete construction business within the Southern District of Iowa. During the fourth quarter of 2019, Morford collected and willfully failed to pay more than $9,000 in employee Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes to the United States. Additionally, for the year 2020, Morford willfully failed to file a federal tax return.
Morford is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2023. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the case.
Independence Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man who was arrested after he drove two victims of an accidental shooting to the hospital emergency room was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms.
Jason Ruben Breedlove, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 28, 2022, Breedlove pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
After two people were shot at a residence in Butler, Mo., on Feb. 5, 2018, Breedlove drove the gunshot victims to the Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler and dropped them off at the emergency room. Deputies of the Bates County Sheriff’s Department apprehended Breedlove and took him into custody the same day.
When deputies searched the residence where the shooting occurred, they found 25 grams of methamphetamine, which Breedlove admitted belonged to him, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol. Breedlove told investigators this was the pistol that had discharged and wounded the two shooting victims. An additional round of ammunition was found in Breedlove’s pants.
When deputies searched Breedlove’s vehicle, they found a Savage 6.5 Creedmoor caliber rifle and ammunition. The firearm had been reported as stolen.
Breedlove admitted that he purchased methamphetamine for others to distribute. Breedlove told investigators he could obtain kilogram amounts of methamphetamine from several individuals, for which he took money off the top as the middleman.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bates County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Butler, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MILTON ROSARIO, also known as “Little,” 41, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation into gang-related drug trafficking and firearm possession by members of Los Solidos. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Luis Feliciano, also known as “Louminaty,” distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack to customers and other distributors in the Hartford area, including Jose Tirado, also known as “Joselito” and “Leet,” and also to individuals in New York and Maine. Tirado further distributed fentanyl to Rosario, who sold the drug to his own customer base.
On June 8, 2022, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Rosario, Feliciano, Tirado, and 13 others with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
Rosario was arrested on June 9, 2022. On February 9, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. He has been detained since his arrest.
Feliciano and Tirado pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Robert S. Ruff through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Harnett County Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Cameron, N.C. man was sentenced today to 324 months in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for the production of child pornography between August and July of 2019. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $122,000.00 in restitution to the minor, hands on production victim. On August 3, 2022, Ivan Velez, 26, pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in August of 2020 Velez posted a video of a female infant in a chat room on the messaging platform known as KIK. The following day, Velez sent an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Agent a private message containing another video, constituting child pornography, of the same infant. The IP address was traced to an address in Cameron, and Velez’s registered vehicle was parked in the driveway of the residence. Investigators with HSI, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) worked together quickly to obtain a search warrant for the residence which was executed on August 14, 2020.
Velez was present when the search warrant was executed and agreed to speak with investigators. During the conversation, Velez admitted to utilizing the username associated with the KIK account that sent the video and to distributing child pornography on KIK. Velez further admitted to creating child pornography videos depicting his sexual abuse of the minor child approximately a year earlier. Investigators determined that Velez recorded his sexual abuse of the minor child, who was less than two years old at the time of the abuse, on no less than three separate occasions.
The search of the residence yielded a cell phone and other media storage, containing a total of 5,150 image files and 383 video files depicting sexual exploitation of minors. The content discovered in the search included at least five different videos of depicting Velez’s sexual abuse of the minor child.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Department of Homeland Security, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan M. Stephany prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00214-D.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Rubio Ruben Sales aka Ruben Mendez-Sales, a Guatemalan national, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation or removal.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents became aware of Sales as a result of his March 1, 2018, arrest for five counts of sexual battery on a victim 12-17 years of age. ICE agents placed a detainer on Sales. After Sales was sentenced to 35.5 years in state prison for the sexual battery offenses, he was brought to federal court to face charges for illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported in October 2012. In addition to the sexual battery convictions, Sales has prior convictions for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and felony death by vehicle.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Field Office Director Liana J. Castano of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth A. Marra.
ICE ERO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani prosecuted it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-80204.
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Groton Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STEVEN COLLAZO, 32, of Groton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a conspiracy to receive large quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Mail for distribution in Connecticut and elsewhere. Collazo must serve the first three months of his supervised release in home detention.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2021, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a cocaine trafficking operation headed by Carlos Antonio Crespo-Febus. The investigation revealed that Crespo-Febus was coordinating the shipment of parcels, typically containing two kilograms of cocaine, from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New London County. Collazo, who served as the primary “runner” for Crespo-Febus, picked up parcels from the drop addresses and delivered them to Crespo-Febus at Crespo-Febus’s New London residence.
Investigators intercepted and seized approximately 16 kilograms of cocaine that were mailed from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, and identified dozens of other suspicious parcels that likely contained kilogram quantities of cocaine.
Crespo-Febus and Collazo were arrested on September 20, 2021. On November 10, 2022, Collazo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Collazo, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 4.
Crespo-Febus, of New London, pleaded guilty on October 21, 2022. He is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New London and Town of Groton Police Departments. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman.
Four Extradited Defendants Plead Guilty to Participating in Deadly International Human Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Four Guatemalan nationals pleaded guilty to their involvement in a deadly Guatemala-based human smuggling conspiracy.
Juan Gutierrez Castro, aka Andres, 46, pleaded guilty today, joining co-conspirators Felipe Diego Alonzo, aka Siete, 39; Nesly Norberto Martinez Gomez, aka Canche, 38; and Lopez Mateo Mateo, aka Bud Light, 43, who all pleaded guilty in July.
According to court documents, the defendants admitted to conspiring with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, into the United States. They charged the migrants and their families approximately $10,000 to $12,000 for the perilous journey. One of the journeys resulted in the death of a young indigenous Guatemalan woman, who died in Texas in May 2021. The woman’s family had paid the defendants approximately $10,000 for the journey to the United States. The defendants and their co-conspirators guided her for several days on foot through the desert to Odessa, Texas, where she ultimately died. The defendants and their co-conspirators dumped her body on the side of a road in Crane County, Texas. The defendants and their co-conspirators then arranged to pay the victim’s family in Guatemala.
Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States resulting in death. They are expected to be sentenced later this year and face a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
As announced last year, extensive coordination between U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities led to the indictment and arrest of these four defendants, as well as the apprehension of 15 additional co-conspirators in Guatemala. Pursuant to an extradition request, in March 2023, Guatemalan authorities extradited Diego Alonzo, Martinez Gomez, Mateo Mateo, and Gutierrez Castro to the United States – the first ever extraditions from Guatemala to the United States on charges of human smuggling resulting in death and the first Guatemalan human smuggling extraditions to the United States in nearly five years.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas, and Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
HSI Midland led the investigation, working in concert with HSI Guatemala and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; ICE’s Parole and Law Enforcement Programs Unit; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Odessa and Midland Police Departments; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Ector County, Midland County, and Crane County Sheriffs’ Offices. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT) provided significant assistance in this matter. The Justice Department is grateful to Guatemalan law enforcement, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation.
The indictments, extraditions, and convictions of Diego Alonzo, Martinez Gomez, Mateo Mateo, and Gutierrez Castro, as well as the assistance provided by U.S. authorities to Guatemalan law enforcement, were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA).
JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Gallegos for the Western District of Texas and HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland created JTFA in June 2021 in partnership with DHS to strengthen the Justice Department’s overall efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle those human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who most significantly impact the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 200 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; several dozen convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial asset forfeiture.
JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by HRSP, and supported by ODPAT, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and the Organized Crime and Gang Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Derriel L. Jones, 39 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Jones was sentenced to 120 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, from July through October 2021, Jones conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. These charges stemmed in part from a traffic stop in October 2021, during which officers seized cocaine, fentanyl, and cash.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, with the task force members being the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Also assisting in this investigation were the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Geller and Brent Ecenbarger.
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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Former DEA Task Force Officer Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Assaulting Individual During ArrestRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ryan T. Geach, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (“DOJ-OIG”), announced today that DUSTIN GENCO, a former Task Force Officer with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) employed by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, pled guilty to depriving an individual (the “Victim”) of his constitutional right to be free from excessive force. On October 20, 2022, GENCO assaulted the Victim while the Victim was restrained in handcuffs. GENCO pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he admitted today, Dustin Genco, a former DEA Task Force Officer, violated the constitutional rights of an individual by using excessive force during that person’s arrest. This officer violated his oath and abused his power to deprive the victim of his rights protected by the U.S. Constitution. He now faces the serious consequences of his actions.”
DOJ-OIG Special Agent in Charge Ryan T. Geach said: “No law enforcement officer should ever use excessive force. These charges send a clear message that the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will aggressively pursue allegations of excessive force by DOJ law enforcement and its Task Force Officers.”
According to the Information that was filed today in Manhattan federal court as well as other public statements made in court:
On or about October 20, 2022, GENCO was employed as a Task Force Officer with the DEA. GENCO was assigned to assist with the arrest of the Victim. During the arrest, GENCO assaulted the Victim by forcefully kicking the Victim in the chest and stomach area while the Victim was restrained in handcuffs, resulting in injury to the Victim. After the assault, GENCO intentionally misled a federal law enforcement agent about the assault, claiming that the Victim had continued to resist arrest after he was handcuffed. GENCO also failed to truthfully disclose that he had kicked the Victim in the chest and stomach area while the Victim was restrained in handcuffs. As a condition of his guilty plea, GENCO agreed, among other things, to permanently cease and refrain from seeking or obtaining law enforcement employment on behalf of any federal, state, or local entity.
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GENCO, 51, of Seaford, New York, pled guilty to deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DOJ-OIG.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi Steiner is in charge of the prosecution.
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Armed Robbery in Pensacola Shooting CaseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – After a three-day trial, a federal jury in Pensacola, found Quinton L. Pete, 34, of Ocala, Florida, guilty of Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The guilty verdict was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
On March 9, 2022, a few minutes before 4:00 a.m., two employees at Coyote’s Sports Bar, which is next to Cordova Mall in Pensacola, were shot at point blank range by Pete during an attempted robbery of the business. The victims were not able to identify the shooter at the time because of their wounds, but they provided a general description to law enforcement. Law enforcement obtained surveillance videos from surrounding businesses and identified a white Jeep Grand Cherokee in the area at the time of the crime. Pete was apprehended the next day in Dallas, Texas driving a matching white Jeep Grand Cherokee that was registered to him. Pete was in possession of the firearm that was used in the commission of the robbery, as later identified by ballistics comparison. Pete’s phone location also placed him in the area at the time he committed the crime.
Pete has prior felony convictions for Burglary of a Dwelling with a Firearm, Grand Theft, and Shooting at within or into a Dwelling, and was released from prison only seven months prior to these offenses.
Sentencing in the case is set for October 26, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T.K. Wetherell. Pete faces a maximum of 30 years imprisonment.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pensacola Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, Grand Prairie Police Department in Dallas, Texas, the United States Marshals, and the Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton 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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Federal Jury Convicts Charles City Man Falsely Applying for a PassportRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Charles City man yesterday of attempting to obtain a passport using false identifying information.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, O’Ryan Jones, 54, after having been denied a passport in his own name, applied for a passport in the name and using the identifying information of his brother. In preparation for the passport fraud, the defendant also obtained his brother’s birth certificate and a driver’s license in his brother’s name featuring the defendant’s own photograph.
Jones was convicted of false statement in application for a passport and aggravated identity theft, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison with a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison when sentenced on December 4, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Karen Brown Cleveland, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Washington Field Office for the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), made the announcement after U.S District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Podlesni and Brian Samuels are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-09.
Enid Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Government OfficialsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, TYLER JAY MARSHALL, 36, of Enid, pleaded guilty to the interstate transmission of threatening communications against various government officials, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Marshall. Count 1 charged him with threatening to murder a United States official. Count 2 charged him with interstate transmission of threatening communications. According to court records, on or about May 15, 2023, the FBI learned that Marshall had been using Twitter to post threats to shoot or bomb several government officials and their families, including Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and United States Senator Ted Cruz.
On Wednesday, Marshall pleaded guilty to Count 2. As part of his plea, Marshall admitted that he knew his posts would be viewed as real threats.
At sentencing, Marshall faces up to 5 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.00. He has been in federal custody since May 19, 2023.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, with assistance from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Enid Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Stoneman is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
El Dorado Springs Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years for Coercing a Child for Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An El Dorado Springs, Mo., man with a history of child sex crimes was sentenced in federal court today for making plans to coerce the fictional child of an undercover federal agent to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Jarrett Lee Vann, 49, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Vann to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.
On Oct. 11, 2022, Vann pleaded guilty to one count of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and one count that charges additional penalties for registered sex offenders. At the time of the offense, Vann was required to register as a sex offender due to a federal conviction for receiving or distributing child pornography in the District of Idaho.
Vann admitted that he engaged in an online conversation with an undercover federal agent, whom he met in a chat room on the dark web on Nov. 1, 2021. The conversation continued through a mobile instant messaging application through February 2022. Vann expressed interest in engaging in sexual acts with the purported four-year-old daughter of the undercover agent and engaged in graphic discussions about what he wanted to do to her. Vann discussed having a long-term sexual relationship with the child, which included graphic details about specific sex acts, dressing her up like a bride, keeping souvenirs of his rape of the purported child, and having the undercover agent show her “daughter” pornography so that she would be prepared for the sexual encounters.
During those conversations, Vann claimed he had many relationships with “young girls,” from three years old to 15 years old. He clarified his favorite ages were four to five years old. He admitted that he was emailing with an individual he believed to be a minor, had sent nude images to individuals he believed to be minors, and was chatting with others about exploiting children.
They made plans for the undercover agent to travel to Missouri with her purported daughter for the purpose of Vann having sexual contact with her. Vann met the undercover agent at a restaurant in El Dorado Springs. When they left the restaurant, Vann was arrested. His electronic devices were seized and searched, and files of child sexual abuse material were located.
In addition to his federal conviction in the District of Idaho, which followed his attempt to meet a fictional nine-year-old victim for sex, Vann was caught in an undercover Air Force police operation trying to meet another child for sex. This conduct was also underlying conduct for his District of Idaho conviction, for which he was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison. While Vann was on supervised release following incarceration, his probation officer found child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices. Vann received an additional prison term when his supervised release was revoked. In 2008, he was convicted of possessing sexually exploitative material and sentenced to 10 years in Idaho state prison.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un fabricante radicado en Miami que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con tres entes corporativos, Mr. Glass Doors and Windows Inc., Mr. Glass Doors and Windows Manufacturing LLC, y Powder Coating Technologies LLC (en su conjunto Mr. Glass Group). El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Mr. Glass Group vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) cuando discriminó a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. al comprobar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
«Requerir que los trabajadores proporcionen documentos específicos o innecesarios para probar su permiso para trabajar crea una barrera ilegal al empleo para esos individuos que están tan ansiosos por comenzar a trabajar y mantener a sí mismos y sus familias», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia no tolerará la discriminación ilícita y seguirá garantizando que los empleados tengan la igualdad de oportunidades en el proceso de contratación y en el lugar de trabajo».
La investigación del Departamento determinó que, al menos desde el 1 de marzo del 2018 hasta el 16 de septiembre del 2020, Mr. Glass Group requería, de forma rutinaria, que residentes permanentes legales presentaran un documento migratorio específico en el momento de la verificación de su permiso para trabajar, con base en la ciudadanía o el estatus migratorio del empleado.
Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Mr. Glass Group pagará $120,000 por concepto de sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos. El acuerdo también requiere que Mr. Glass Group capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a los requisitos de supervisión y declaración del Departamento.
Las leyes federales permiten a todo trabajador elegir la documentación válida y legalmente aceptable que desea presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar, independientemente de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores soliciten documentos específicos o innecesarios por motivos de la ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. De hecho, muchos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., entre ellos los residentes permanentes legales, son elegibles para varios de los mismos tipos de documentos para demostrar su permiso para trabajar como lo son los ciudadanos de los EE. UU. (como, por ejemplo, una licencia de conducir y una tarjeta de Seguro Social sin restricciones). Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que tales trabajadores deseen y no pueden rechazar documentos válidos que parecen ser genuinos.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1‑800‑237‑2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea en vivo o ver una presentación a pedido; enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.
El Departamento de Justicia Anuncia la Resolución Definitiva sobre el Asunto de Derecho Civil en torno al Acceso Lingüístico en el Condado de Fort Bend, TexasRead the Press Release
Nota: Este comunicado de prensa ha sido traducido a varios idiomas. Consulte los archivos adjuntos.
El Departamento de Justicia anunció que ha alcanzado una resolución definitiva sobre el asunto de derecho civil que involucra a los tribunales del condado de Fort Bend (Fort Bend County, FBC). El FBC ha cumplido con todos los términos de un memorando de entendimiento (Memorandum of Agreement, MOA) de junio de 2021 y, como resultado, el departamento da fin al asunto.
Inicialmente, el departamento abrió el asunto tras denuncias de que los tribunales del FBC discriminaban a personas con dominio limitado del inglés (limited English proficiency, LEP) por su país de origen y habían tomado represalias por un reclamo, lo cual infringe el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (el Titulo VI), que prohíbe la discriminación por raza, color o país de origen por parte de cualquier beneficiario de ayuda financiera federal. Una denuncia sostenía que el Tribunal de Distrito del FBC le negó a un acusado por un delito penal con LEP un intérprete de vietnamita que necesitaba para una audiencia de declaración y afirmó que el acusado o su abogado debían buscar y pagar un intérprete de vietnamita. El 29 de junio de 2021, el departamento y el FBC resolvieron la investigación con un MOA que requirió cambios significativos en las políticas de acceso lingüístico del FBC para los usuarios de los tribunales con LEP.
Desde entonces, el FBC ha hecho importantes cambios para mejorar el acceso de usuarios de los tribunales con LEP y para cumplir con las disposiciones del Título VI. Por ejemplo, el FBC:
- ofrece servicios de interpretación sin costo a cualquier persona con LEP, independientemente de sus ingresos, en todos los casos civiles y penales, como se describe en la política de asistencia lingüística del tribunal;
- modificó su plan de acceso lingüístico;
- creó una capacitación sobre acceso lingüístico para el personal del tribunal y una Guía para Jueces sobre el Acceso Lingüístico;
- mantiene una página web pública en la que se explica cómo solicitar servicios de interpretación o traducción;
- proporciona un formulario de reclamo de acceso lingüístico en diversos idiomas en su sitio web; y
- para garantizar el cumplimiento con el Título VI, el personal del FBC también debe recibir capacitación sobre represalias basada en el Título VI.
“Las nuevas políticas y prácticas adoptadas por los tribunales del condado de Fort Bend contribuyen a proporcionar un acceso lingüístico significativo a las personas con dominio limitado del inglés”, explicó Kristen Clarke, Fiscal General Adjunta de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Espero que otros sistemas judiciales sigan el ejemplo del condado de Fort Bend y tomen medidas para proporcionar servicios de interpretación sin costo a los usuarios de tribunales. El acceso a la justicia en nuestro país no debería verse limitado o denegado simplemente por su dominio del inglés”.
“Fort Bend es uno de los condados con mayor diversidad en Texas: casi la mitad de la población es de origen hispano, de Asia del este o de Asia del sur. Como fiscal, inmigrante e hijo de padres indios y de clase trabajadora, he visto con mis ojos la lucha de los residentes más recientes de los Estados Unidos, cuya lengua madre no es el inglés, y la necesidad de intérpretes, en especial durante los procesos judiciales”, afirmó el Fiscal Federal por el Distrito Sur de Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani. “Debido al trabajo duro de los fiscales en la Oficina de la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Sur de Texas y en la División de Derechos Civiles, todos los residentes, independientemente de su país de origen, tendrán acceso pleno al sistema judicial, para asuntos de toda clase, incluidos los de derecho familiar, penal y civil. Anhelo trabajar con otros condados y con la Oficina de Administración Judicial para replicar estas medidas en todo el Distrito Sur de Texas.
Este asunto fue resuelto conjuntamente por abogados de la División de Derechos Civiles y la Oficina de la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Sur de Texas.
Hay información adicional disponible sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt, y puede encontrar información disponible sobre el dominio limitado del idioma inglés y el Título VI en www.lep.gov. Los ciudadanos pueden denunciar posibles violaciones de derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/ o en la Oficina de la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Sur de Texas en www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section.
ENRD Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kate Konschnik Readout on Combating Illegal Logging and Associated Trade During Meeting at APEC 2023Read the Press Release
On July 30, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kate Konschnik of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division made the plenary opening remarks for the 24th meeting of the Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT). EGILAT focuses on promoting trade in legally harvested forest products and combatting illegal logging and associated trade.
In her remarks, Konschnik emphasized the promotion of legal trade and sustainable use of forests to combat climate change and protect biodiversity, and to prevent the illegal trade of forest products from contributing to other issues.
“As the Asia-Pacific region and the world continue to recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is ever more important to ensure that the illegal trade of forest products does not undermine this recovery, nor threaten the livelihoods of those participating in the legal supply chain,” Konschnik said. “We must recommit to ensuring the global forest products market does not become a financial playground to criminal elements who use illegally harvested forest products to drive other transnational crimes, perpetuate civil unrest, threaten global security, and fund terrorist organizations.”
Konschnik discussed U.S. initiatives consistent with the EGILAT mandate, including efforts to conserve critical rainforests around the world, the creation of the Timber Interdiction Membership Board and Enforcement Resources (TIMBER) Working Group and expanding efforts to tackle timber trafficking. She closed by emphasizing the importance of bilateral and regional collaborations in achieving EGILAT’s goal and highlighting the unique place EGILAT has in the global effort to promote the trade of legally harvested forest products and combat illegal logging and associated trade.
As part of the broader EGILAT meeting, the economies discussed activities in support of the policy theme “Advancing the Trade and Distribution of Legally Harvested Forest Products: Navigating to Legal Timber.” Members had opportunities to participate in field trips, including one to view the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Mobile Lab, which can identify illegally traded timber from endangered species. EGILAT also planned to host a technology workshop with members joining six other work groups in a half-day meeting on Policy Partnership on Food Security.
EGILAT was created in 2011 by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which is a regional economic forum of 21 members, including the U.S. APEC was established in 1989 with the aim to promote prosperity in the region through sustainable, innovative, and secure growth. The United States is the 2023 host of APEC.
Dudley Man Sentenced to Prison for Theft and Misuse of COVID-19 Pandemic AssistanceRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dudley man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misuse COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.
Norman Higgs, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to one year in prison and one year of supervised release. Higgs was also ordered to pay $353,551 in forfeiture. In September 2021, Higgs pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, provides unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits (e.g., the self-employed, independent contractors or gig economy workers).
From April to June 2020, Higgs conspired with Dquintz Alexander to submit fraudulent PUA claims using stolen identifying information of other individuals. The PUA payments were directed into bank accounts controlled by Higgs and Alexander. In total, accounts controlled by Higgs received over $353,551 in fraudulent PUA payments. While the majority of the funds were frozen by Higgs’ banks or recovered through the efforts of law enforcement, Higgs and Alexander were able to use a portion of the funds for their personal benefit, including to pay off credit card debt and to fund digital currency and online retail brokerage accounts.
On April 28, 2023, Alexander pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 10, 2023.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Labor Racketeering and Fraud made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
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.
D.C. Man Charged in a Six Count Federal Indictment for String of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark Thomas Moore, 32, of the District of Columbia, is charged by indictment in a series of armed robberies he is alleged to have committed in the Fall of 2022.
The indictment, filed yesterday in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Damon Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the government’s evidence, Moore robbed three commercial establishments and a U.S. Post Office, all in Southeast Washington, D.C., at gunpoint, between October 21, 2022, and November 22, 2022. In addition, Moore held a store employee at gunpoint during one of the commercial robberies and robbed her of her cell phone.
Moore was arrested on November 28, 2022, following the robbery of a commercial establishment in Arlington, Virginia, and has been in custody ever since.
Moore fled the scene of the November 28 robbery on a distinct bicycle that was identical in appearance to the bicycle he used to flee the D.C. postal robbery. After this link was established, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service was able to determine that Moore left a fingerprint inside the cash register drawer during the postal robbery. In addition, a large BB gun and clothing recovered from Moore at the time of his arrest—and additional, unique clothing recovered during the search of a residence associated with Moore—further connects Moore to the string of armed robberies.
The indictment charges Moore with three counts of interference with commerce by robbery (also known as “Hobbs Act” robbery), which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of armed postal robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Under the D.C. Code, Moore is charged with one count of robbery while armed, and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, each of which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington County Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A convicted felon has pleaded guilty in connection with firearm and drug offenses that occurred in 2019 and later possessing a variety of firearms and narcotics while on pre-trial release for the charged offenses.
Christian Soares, a/k/a “Eazy,” 30, of Brockton, pleaded guilty on July 27, 2023 to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and buprenorphine (suboxone); and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine) and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Nov. 15, 2023.
In 2019, Soares fled on foot from law enforcement during a traffic stop. Soares threw a backpack during the chase before he was ultimately apprehended, arrested and searched. A firearm with rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as a digital scale, firecrackers, a hooked knife and buprenorphine (Suboxone) strips were recovered from Soares’ backpack. Additionally, cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution were recovered from Soares’ person. As a result, Soares was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug and firearm offenses.
In December 2020, following a period of detention, the Court ordered Soares released on pre-trial conditions that included 24-hour confinement to a residence. Those conditions also prohibited Soares from possessing firearms, dangerous weapons, narcotic drugs, or other controlled substances.
In March 2021, while still on pre-trial release, a search of Soares’ residence resulted in the recovery of over 100 grams of fentanyl, over 30 grams of MDA, over 40 grams of methamphetamine and over 70 grams of cocaine, as well as multiple firearms and numerous rounds of assorted ammunition.
Soares is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a 2013 state conviction of possession of a firearm, for which he served more than one year in prison.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and buprenorphine, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA and 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Brian Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office; and the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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.
This effort is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Connecticut Resident Pleads Guilty in Federal Court in Rhode Island to a Charge of Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Bridgeport, Connecticut man admitted to a federal court judge in Rhode Island that he fraudulently created an online bank account in the name of a Rhode Island resident without that person’s knowledge, and then accessed and transferred $65,500 to that account from a separate bank account controlled by the Rhode Islander, again without that person’s knowledge, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Michael Joshua Saint-Victor, 26, also admitted that he submitted an application for an ATM/debit card tied to the bank account that he opened in the Rhode Island resident’s name, and that he also used this individual’s name to apply for a credit card with a second bank.
According to information presented to the court, when the banks discovered the fraudulent activities, the bank returned the $65,500 that Saint-Victor had transferred to his Rhode Island victim, and both the ATM/debit card and the credit card applications were denied.
Saint-Victor pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 1, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service.
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Connecticut Resident Indicted, Arraigned in Federal Court in Rhode Island in Multi-State Scheme to Defraud Home DepotRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A West Hartford, CT, resident has been arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence, RI, on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud, as reflected in an indictment that alleges that he participated in a scheme to defraud Home Depot stores in eight states, including Rhode Island, of approximately $297,332, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
It is alleged in charging documents that, from at least June 2021 to February 2022, Alexandre Henrique Costa-Mota, 26, executed non-receipted return fraud schemes at more than two dozen Home Depot stores located primarily in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, but also in Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.
It is alleged that Costa-Mota entered stores empty handed, dressed to appear like a contractor. He then collected Anderson doors, which he brought to each store’s Service Department where he made non-receipted returns of the doors. With each successful return, Costa-Mota was provided with a store credit that he later redeemed at other stores, mainly located in Connecticut. At times, when the stores refused to accept the receiptless returns, Costa-Mota simply exited the stores with the Anderson doors without paying for them and then returned the doors at other stores for store credit.
It is alleged that Costa-Mota received approximately 370 fraudulent store credits, valued at $297,332.
A federal grand jury in Providence returned an indictment on July 26, 2023, charging Costa-Mota with wire fraud and conspiracy. He was arraigned before a United States Magistrate Judge on August 1, 2023, and ordered detained.
A federal criminal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service.
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Columbus man sentenced to 10 years in prison for armed robberyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 120 months in prison for a January 2019 armed robbery.
Michael John Smith, 29, of Columbus, pointed a pistol at two store clerks at the Circle K on Hall Road in Columbus on Jan. 27, 2019. Smith demanded money from the register and threatened to kill both women if they moved. Smith fled the store on foot with $280 in cash.
According to court documents, Smith was also involved in another armed robbery in March 2019 at a Dollar General. The same gun used in both robberies was recovered in a car that was involved in a shooting on the highway near Circleville that same month. Smith and several individuals – including a 1-year-old child – had been in the vehicle on the highway.
In its sentencing memorandum, the United States noted Smith’s extensive criminal history with multiple convictions beginning in 2014. In prior crimes, Smith shot two individuals in the head.
“While all threats of violence should be taken seriously, there is an elevated sense of danger inherent in someone who brandishes a gun and threatens to kill people, and whose past actions demonstrate no reluctance in pulling the trigger,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “A significant term of imprisonment is warranted in this case.”
Smith was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in January 2019. He pleaded guilty in March 2023 to committing robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Fairfield County Sheriff Alex Lape; and Col. Charles A. Jones, Superintendent, Ohio State Highway Patrol announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Pakiz is representing the United States in this case.
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Chalmette Man Pleads Guilty to Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JULIO A. GONZALEZ, JR. of Chalmette, LA, has plead guilty on July 26, 2023 to one-count of making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.
On March 27, 2020, The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.
GONZALEZ made false statements to an approved lender for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining a PPP loan, which he later received in the amount of approximately $20,832.00. GONZALEZ stated in his PPP application that he was an independent contractor impacted by the pandemic when, in truth, he had no such business in 2020. GONZALEZ faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for the false statements. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee due after conviction. Sentencing is scheduled for November 8, 2023.
For more information on the Department of Justice’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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Carlsbad Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornRead 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Rachel Michelle Crutcher was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Crutcher, 38, of Carlsbad, pled guilty on Feb. 21 to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, on Nov. 8, 2022, a Task Force Officer (TFO) working for the Child Exploitation and Human trafficking Task Force was monitoring a fetish website that is known to be used to meet, discuss and trade child sexual abuse material (CSAM) when they were contacted by a private user. The user offered and provided the TFO with several images of a minor performing sexually explicit conduct.
On Nov. 9, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the user of the account as Rachel Crutcher and obtained a search warrant for Crutcher’s residence in Carlsbad. During the execution of the search warrant, agents spoke to Crutcher and her husband, Joseph Crutcher, 59, of Carlsbad. Joseph admitted he was the one who had taken the pictures and claimed Rachel was unaware of his conduct. Rachel initially denied knowledge or involvement, but during a later interview she admitted she had been involved.
Through diligent investigation, agents determined that both Rachel and Joseph had sexually abused the minor child with the intent of producing CSAM and that Joseph was the individual who sent the images to the TFO.
Upon her release from prison, Rachel will be required to register as a sex offender and will be on supervised release for life.
On Feb. 27, 2023, Joseph Crutcher pled guilty to one count each production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Joseph remains in custody pending sentencing, which is currently not scheduled. At sentencing, Joseph faces 70 years in prison and must register as a sex offender.
Roswell Resident Agency and Albuquerque Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Matilda M. Villalobos are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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California man pleads guilty to federal drug trafficking crimeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Andres Dominguez, age 25, of San Diego, California, pled guilty today to a drug conspiracy charge.
According to court documents, Dominguez was a money courier for a drug supply chain that stretched from the Southwest border to Ohio and West Virginia. Dominguez flew into the Pittsburgh International Airport on several occasions to collect cash payments for drugs. He would then fly to California to deliver the cash to the supplier. Dominguez helped to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, more than 400 grams of fentanyl, and more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.
Dominguez faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, which includes officers from the Wheeling Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Belmont County (OH) Sheriff’s Office and the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office provided important assistance. The investigation was supported by the ATF, the Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Allegheny County (PA) Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Read more about the initial indictment: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/federal-indictment-cuts-major-source-west-virginia-drug-supply
Bộ Tư Pháp Công Bố Nghị Quyết Cuối Cùng Về Vấn Đề Quyền Công Dân Trong Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ Tại Quận Fort Bend, TexasRead the Press Release
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WASHINGTON – Bộ Tư pháp thông báo Bộ đã đạt được giải pháp cuối cùng trong vấn đề dân quyền liên quan đến các tòa án tại Quận Fort Bend (Fort Bend County, FBC). FBC đã tuân thủ tất cả các điều khoản của Bản Ghi Nhớ Thỏa Thuận (Memorandum of Agreement, hoặc MOA) vào tháng 6 năm 2021, và do đó, Bộ sẽ kết thúc vấn đề này.
Ban đầu, Bộ đặt vấn đề dựa trên các cáo buộc rằng tòa án FBC phân biệt đối xử với những người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế (limited English proficiency, hoặc LEP) dựa trên nguồn gốc quốc gia của họ và thực hiện trả đũa người khiếu nại vi phạm Tiêu đề VI của Đạo luật Dân quyền năm 1964 (Tiêu đề VI) nghiêm cấm phân biệt đối xử về chủng tộc, màu da và nguồn gốc quốc gia bởi bất kỳ người nhận hỗ trợ tài chính liên bang nào. Một khiếu nại cáo buộc rằng Tòa án quận FBC đã từ chối cấp cho bị cáo hình sự với trình độ tiếng LEP một thông dịch viên tiếng Việt mà anh ta cần cho phiên điều trần nhận tội và nói rằng bị cáo hoặc luật sư của anh ta phải tìm và tự trả tiền cho một thông dịch viên người Việt. Vào ngày 29 tháng 6 năm 2021, Bộ và FBC đã giải quyết cuộc điều tra này bằng một MOA yêu cầu những thay đổi đáng kể đối với chính sách tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của FBC dành cho người tham dự phiên tòa có trình độ tiếng LEP.
Kể từ đó, FBC đã thực hiện những thay đổi quan trọng để cải thiện khả năng tiếp cận của những người tham dự tòa án có trình độ tiếng LEP và để tuân thủ các yêu cầu của Tiêu đề VI. Ví dụ, FBC:
- Cung cấp dịch vụ thông dịch viên miễn phí cho bất kỳ ai có trình độ tiếng LEP, bất kể thu nhập, trong tất cả các vụ án dân sự và hình sự như được mô tả trong chính sách hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ của tòa án;
- Sửa đổi kế hoạch tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của mình;
- Đã tạo một khóa đào tạo tiếp cận ngôn ngữ cho nhân viên tòa án và một Hướng dẫn của Thẩm phán về Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ;
- Duy trì trang mạng công cộng giải thích cách yêu cầu dịch vụ phiên dịch hoặc dịch thuật;
- Cung cấp mẫu đơn khiếu nại về quyền truy cập ngôn ngữ bằng một số ngôn ngữ trên trang mạng của mình; và
- Nhằm để đảm bảo tuân thủ Tiêu đề VI, nhân viên FBC cũng đã được đào tạo về trả đũa theo Tiêu đề VI.
Trợ lý Bộ trưởng Tư pháp Kristen Clarke thuộc Bộ phận Dân quyền của Bộ Tư pháp cho biết: “Các chính sách và thông lệ mới được tòa án Quận Fort Bend áp dụng đang giúp cung cấp khả năng tiếp cận ngôn ngữ có ý nghĩa cho những người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế. “Tôi hy vọng các hệ thống tòa án khác sẽ noi gương Quận Fort Bend và hành động để cung cấp dịch vụ thông dịch viên miễn phí cho những người sử dụng tòa án. Quyền tiếp cận công lý ở đất nước chúng ta không nên bị hạn chế hoặc từ chối chỉ vì trình độ tiếng Anh của quý vị.”
“Quận Fort Bend là một trong những quận đa dạng nhất ở Texas, nơi gần một nửa dân số là người gốc Tây Ban Nha, Đông Á và Nam Á. Là một công tố viên, một người nhập cư và là con trai của các bậc cha mẹ thuộc tầng lớp lao động, sinh ra ở Ấn Độ, tôi đã tận mắt chứng kiến cuộc tranh đấu của những cư dân mới nhất của Hoa Kỳ nói tiếng Anh như ngôn ngữ thứ hai và nhu cầu về phiên dịch viên, đặc biệt là trong phiên tòa, thủ tục tố tụng,” Luật sư Hoa Kỳ Alamdar S. Hamdani đại diện cho Quận phía Nam Texas cho biết. “Nhờ sự làm việc chăm chỉ của các công tố viên tại Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ cho Quận phía Nam Texas và tại Bộ phận Dân quyền, tất cả cư dân, bất kể nguồn gốc quốc gia, sẽ có toàn quyền tiếp cận hệ thống tòa án để xử lý mọi việc từ tòa án gia đình. các vấn đề, hình sự và các vấn đề dân sự nói chung. Tôi mong muốn được làm việc với các chính quyền quận khác và Văn phòng Hành chính Tòa án để nhân rộng những nỗ lực này trên khắp Quận phía Nam của Texas.”
Civil Rights Division (Ban Dân Quyền) thuộc Sở Tư Pháp đã phối hợp với Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ thuộc Quận Phía Đông của Louisiana để giải quyết vấn đề này.
Thông tin bổ sung về Ban Dân Quyền có sẵn trên trang web của họ tại www.justice.gov/crt, và thông tin về trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế và Title VI có tại www.lep.gov. Công chúng có thể báo cáo các vi phạm dân quyền có thể xảy ra tại trang mạng civilrights.justice.gov/report/ hoặc với Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ cho Quận phía Nam của Texas tại www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section.
Border Crosser Sentenced to 47 Months for Assaulting a Federal Officer After Illegally Attempting to Reenter the United StatesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Leudi Jesus Garcia-Jauregui, 25, of Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 47 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Garcia-Jauregui pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023, to Assault on a Federal Officer with Physical Contact and Attempted Reentry of a Removed Alien. Garcia-Jauregui also admitted that he had violated the terms and conditions of his supervised release after previously serving a 24-month sentence for Attempted Reentry of a Removed Alien and Importing a Stolen Vehicle.
On November 12, 2022, just two days after Garcia-Jauregui had been released from federal prison and deported from the United States, Garcia-Jauregui attempted to reenter the United States. He was seen running northbound in the southbound vehicle lanes at the DeConcini Port of Entry, in Nogales, Arizona. Garcia-Jauregui disregarded U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers’ commands to stop before being tackled to the ground. He attempted to break free multiple times, attempted to bite two officers, but was finally arrested. While in custody, Garcia-Jauregui became combative again, punching an officer twice in the shoulder and chest.
United States Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-02612-JAS and CR-21-01247-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-116_Garcia-Jauregui# # #
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.Boone, N.C. Man Is Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Stephen Allen Hill, 75, of Boone, N.C. was sentenced late yesterday to 48 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Hill was ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release, to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison, and to pay a $100 special assessment, a $5,000 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JTVA) assessment, a $17,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act (AVAA), and a $30,000 fine.
Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and Chief Andy LeBeau of the Boone Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, in October 2020, law enforcement became aware that an individual, later identified as Hill, was using a peer-to-peer network to share child pornography with other users. According to court records, on January 15, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hill’s residence in Boone. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement seized several electronic devices, including a computer, hard drives, and Hill’s cellphone. A forensic examination of the devices revealed that they contained images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers and infants engaging in sadistic and masochistic conduct. In total, Hill possessed in excess of 29,000 images and 340 videos depicting child pornography.
On December 16, 2022, Hill pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography that involved a prepubescent minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the SBI and the Boone Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Nick J. Miller, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Armed Career Criminal Who Shot Fayetteville Pawn Shop Owner Sentenced to 45 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. –Mario Whitted, 28, of Fayetteville was sentenced today to 540 months in prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. He was convicted by a federal jury in April of this year and deemed an armed career criminal. Whitted has three prior state convictions for common law robbery.
“Today’s sentence puts a career criminal behind bars and sends a stronger message to the Fayetteville community. Our prosecutors are working shoulder-to-shoulder with law enforcement relentlessly pursuing those responsible for gun violence in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Mario Whitted, 28, a felon and armed career criminal shot the owner of a Fayetteville pawn shop as he closed his shop on November 30, 2019. The owner, who survived the attack, was struck twice in the leg and returned fire with his own handgun. Whitted fled the scene and flagged down a Good Samaritan who offered to take him to a local emergency room. Whitted instead insisted that he be taken home. He was later apprehended in South Carolina after having a bullet extracted from his foot which ballistics examiners matched to the victim’s gun. DNA evidence also linked Whitted to the scene after he bled in the Good Samaritan’s car.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced the defendant. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Fayetteville Police Department, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Rhoades and Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:21-CR-87-BO.
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Ang Kagawaran ng Katarungan ay Nag-anunsyo ng Pinal na Resolusyon ng Usapin sa Mga Karapatan sa Pag-access sa Wika sa Fort Bend County, TexasRead the Press Release
Tandaan: Ang press release na ito ay isinalin sa iba't ibang wika. Tingnan ang mga kalakip sa ibaba.
Inihayag ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan na nakakuha na ito ng pinal na resolusyon sa usapin ng mga karapatang sibil nito na kinasasangkutan ng mga korte ng County ng Fort Bend (Fort Bend County, FBC). Sinunod ng FBC ang lahat ng tuntunin ng isang Hunyo 2021 na Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at bilang resulta, isinasara ng kagawaran ang usapin.
Una nang binuksan ng kagawaran ang usapin batay sa mga alegasyon na ang mga korte ng FBC ay may diskriminasyon laban sa mga taong may limitadong kahusayan sa Ingles (limited English proficiency, LEP) batay sa kanilang bansang pinagmulan at gumanti laban sa isang nagrereklamo na lumalabag sa Titulo VI ng Batas sa mga Karapatang Sibil ng 1964 (Titulo VI) na nagbabawal ng diskriminasyon sa lahi, kulay at bansang pinagmulan ng sinumang tumatanggap ng pederal na tulong pinansyal. Isang reklamo ang nagparatang na ang Korteng Pandistrito ng FBC ay ipinagkait sa isang kriminal na nasasakdal na may LEP ang isang Vietnamese na interpreter na kailangan niya para sa isang plea hearing at sinabi na ang nasasakdal o ang kanyang abogado ay dapat maghanap at magbayad para sa isang Vietnamese interpreter. Noong Hunyo 29, 2021, niresolba ang pagsisiyasat ng kagawaran at FBC gamit ang isang MOA na nangangailangan ng malalaking pagbabago sa mga patakaran sa pag-access sa wika ng FBC para sa mga gumagamit ng korte na may LEP.
Simula noon, gumawa ang FBC ng mga makabuluhang pagbabago upang mapabuti ang pag-access para sa mga gumagamit ng korte na may LEP at upang sumunod sa mga kinakailangan sa Titulo VI. Halimbawa, ang FBC:
- ay nagbibigay ng mga serbisyo ng interpreter nang walang bayad sa sinumang may LEP, anuman ang kita, sa lahat ng sibil at kriminal na kaso gaya ng inilarawan sa patakaran sa tulong sa wika ng korte;
- ay binago ang plano sa pag-access sa wikanito;
- ay lumikha ng ng isang pagsasanay sa pag-access sa wika para sa mga kawani ng korte at isang Gabay ng Hukom sa Pag-access sa Wika;
- ay nagpapanatili ng pampublikong webpage na nagpapaliwanag kung paano humiling ng mga serbisyo ng interpretasyon o pagsasalin;
- ay nagbibigay ng form ng reklamo sa pag-access sa wika sa ilang wika sa website nito; at
- upang matiyak ang pagsunod sa Titulo VI, nakatanggap din ang mga kawani ng FBC ng Titulo VI na pagsasanay sa paghihiganti.
“Ang mga bagong patakaran at kasanayan na pinagtibay ng mga korte ng Fort Bend County ay nakakatulong na magbigay ng makabuluhang akses sa wika para sa mga taong may limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles,” sabi ni Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke ng Sangay ng mga Karapatang Sibil ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan. “Umaasa ako na sundin ng ibang mga sistema ng korte ang halimbawa ng Fort Bend County at kumilos upang magbigay ng mga serbisyo ng interpreter sa mga gumagamit ng korte nang walang bayad. Ang pagkakaroon ng katarungan sa ating bansa ay hindi dapat limitahan o ipagkait dahil lamang sa iyong kahusayan sa Ingles.”
“Ang Fort Bend County ay isa sa mga pinaka-diverse na county sa Texas kung saan halos kalahati ng populasyon ay nagmula sa Espanya, Silangang Asya at Timog Asya. Bilang isang tagausig, isang imigrante at anak ng mga ipinanganak sa India, uring manggagawang magulang, nakita ko, mismo, ang mga pakikibaka ng mga pinakabagong residente ng Amerika na nagsasalita ng Ingles bilang pangalawang wika, at ang pangangailangan para sa mga interpreter, lalo na sa panahon ng paglilitis ng korte,” sabi ni US Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani para sa Katimugang Distrito ng Texas. “Dahil sa pagsusumikap ng mga tagausig sa Opisina ng Abogado ng Estados Unidos para sa Katimugang Distrito ng Texas at sa Sangay ng Karapatang Sibil, lahat ng residente, anuman ang bansang pinagmulan, ay magkakaroon ng ganap na access sa sistema ng korte upang pangasiwaan ang lahat mula sa mga usapin ng korteng pampamilya, mga usaping kriminal at pangkalahatang sibil. Inaasahan ko ang pakikipagtulungan sa ibang mga county at ng Opisina ng Pangasiwaan ng Korte upang gayahin ang mga pagsisikap na ito sa buong Katimugang Distrito ng Texas.”
Ang usaping ito ay magkasamang pinangasiwaan ng mga abogado sa Sangay ng mga Karapatang Sibil at ng Opisina ng Abogado ng US para sa Katimugang Distrito ng Texas.
Ang karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa Sangay ng mga Karapatang Sibil ay makukuha sa website nito sa www.justice.gov/crt, at ang impormasyon tungkol sa limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles at Titulo VI ay makukuha sa www.lep.gov. Ang mga miyembro ng publiko ay maaaring mag-ulat ng mga posibleng paglabag sa karapatang sibil sa civilrights.justice.gov/report/ o sa Opisina ng Abogado ng US para sa Katimugang Distrito ng Texas sa www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section.
Allegan County Woman Charged for Posing as A NurseRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that an Allegan County woman was charged with identity theft for fraudulently posing as a licensed nurse.
“The allegations in this case involving a woman faking as a professionally licensed nurse are dangerous and put unsuspecting patients in harm’s way,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “My office takes these accusations very seriously.”
According to allegations made in court documents, Leticia Gallarzo, 48, used the Michigan licensing number and the name of a person licensed as a nurse to obtain employment as a nurse at an area hospice facility. Gallarzo did not possess a valid nursing license and represented that she earned a master’s degree in nursing from The George Washington University despite having no formal degree of any kind in nursing. The hospice facility learned that Gallarzo was a nurse impostor when her fingerprints matched the fingerprints on record due to her previous state and federal convictions for practicing nursing without a license in Texas in 2015 and 2016.
Gallarzo is charged with identity theft related to the transfer of the means of identification of another person in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028(a)(7). If convicted, Gallarzo faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
“Any unqualified person who poses as a medical professional puts the lives of innocent patients at risk, as alleged in this case,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I would like to thank the Michigan State Police for their outstanding investigative work during this case. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to ensure identity theft cases like this one are thoroughly investigated.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Grand Rapids Field Office and U.S. Health & Human Service Office of Inspector General are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Stella is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
gallarzo_complaint.pdf###
1 August 2023
“General” of Violent Lansing Street Gang “MBM” Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Damonte Latrell Johnson (“Gudda”), 27, of Lansing, Michigan, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Hala Y. Jarbou also ordered Johnson to spend three years on supervised release after his confinement. Johnson previously pled guilty to this charge in April.
“Group-involved violence and illegal firearm possession have no place in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office is committed to disrupting the cycle of violence by getting violent offenders off the streets and holding them accountable for breaking the law and spreading fear in our neighborhoods.”
Johnson was the self-proclaimed “General” and high-level leader of the Lansing area gang known as “Money Bound Mafia,” commonly referred to as “MBM.” Information received by the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicates that MBM is a violent criminal enterprise whose members and associates have been involved in numerous criminal activities in the Lansing area, including gun violence, illegal weapons possession and purchase, fraud, non-fatal shootings, and homicides.
Screenshot of Johnson from a YouTube Video with an “MBM” shirt and firearm.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, working closely with investigative teams at the Lansing Police Department’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), the Michigan State Police (MSP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) have identified and recently prosecuted several members and individuals associated with violent crimes in Lansing to disrupt the cycle of violence.
"The Lansing Police Department values the collaborative efforts of local, state, and federal resources regarding criminal investigations,” said LPD Chief Ellery Sosebee. “Prosecutions and sentences such as this are an excellent example of the quality of work and the impact these efforts can produce."
“Individuals who choose a life of fear and violence to enhance their criminal enterprises will be identified and removed from our communities,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jarrod Marsh. “The collaborative effort with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our federal, State of Michigan, and local partners resulted in holding this violent gang member accountable.”
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren F. Biksacky prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
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Yonkers Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ORLANDO JIMENEZ, 48, of Yonkers, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2021, in meetings in Norwalk that were arranged and monitored by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, Jimenez provided samples of narcotics to an individual working with law enforcement. During the meetings, Jimenez discussed selling the individual two kilograms of fentanyl for $38,000 per kilogram.
On August 10, 2021, Jimenez again met the individual in Norwalk and sold him approximately 100 grams of suspected fentanyl for $3,800. Subsequent laboratory testing of the substance Jimenez provided determined it to be a mixture of fentanyl and ADB-Butinaca, a synthetic cannabinoid similar to “K2” or “Spice.”
On August 26, 2021, Jimenez was arrested at meeting location after he traveled to Norwalk to sell two kilograms of suspected fentanyl to the individual. After his arrest, Jimenez stated to investigators that he had two kilograms of heroin in the back seat of his vehicle. Investigators located and seized two rectangle-shaped bricks from the vehicle. Laboratory testing of the bricks of suspected narcotics determined them to contain mostly ADB-Butinaca, and less than one percent of fentanyl.
On February 1, 2023, Jimenez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Jimenez, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on September 5.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Milford, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.
West Sacramento Resident and Former Postal Service Employee Sentenced for Theft of Mail and Possession with Intent to Distribute MarijuanaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shabina Debbie, 54, of West Sacramento, was sentenced today to five months in prison for theft of mail by a Postal Service employee and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between October 2018 and February 2019, Debbie stole 18 mail parcels that had been entrusted to her in the course of her duties as a postal employee at the Sacramento Main Post Office. Law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Debbie’s residence, where they found several parcels, one of which contained over 3 pounds of marijuana. At the time of the search, Debbie confessed to stealing parcels containing marijuana from the post office and selling the contents. Per a plea agreement, Debbie agreed to forfeit over $125,000 in cash found in her home.
U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG), Western Pacific Area Field Office, Executive Special Agent-in-Charge Kenneth Bulle said, “Today’s sentencing underscores the value of the public’s trust in the USPS and the consequences that result when a USPS employee breaches that trust through theft. USPS OIG special agents remain resolute in maintaining the integrity of the Postal Service. USPS OIG values our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in holding USPS personnel accountable when they abuse their position of trust.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case.
Vero Beach Man Charged and Detained Pending Trial for Distributing a Fatal Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Yesterday, Keyon Lewis, 26, of Vero Beach, Florida, was ordered detained pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard, after a federal grand jury in Fort Pierce, Fla., returned an indictment on July 13 charging Lewis with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. 841(a).
According to court documents, on November 5, 2021, Lewis allegedly distributed fentanyl to a man in the parking lot of an Applebee’s Restaurant, in Vero Beach. The man was later found dead on the kitchen floor of his residence by his wife. The United States alleges in the indictment that the fentanyl, Lewis distributed to the man, killed him.
After law enforcement arrived and confirmed the man was dead, they used his cellphone to order more fentanyl from Lewis. It is alleged that on November 7, 2021, Lewis, unaware that he was communicating directly with law enforcement, arrived at the decedent’s residence, allegedly bringing additional fentanyl to distribute. Indian River County Sheriff’s Office immediately arrested Lewis.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2020, more than 6,150 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO), made the announcement.
DEA Miami and IRCSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter is prosecuting it.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-14030.
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Venezuelan National Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison for Trafficking $21 Million of Cocaine on the High SeasRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Hector Caballero (70, Venezuela) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine on the high seas. A federal jury had found Caballero guilty on May 11, 2023.
According to testimony presented at trial, Caballero was the captain of a maritime drug trafficking venture that attempted to smuggle 708 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Central America for eventual importation into the United States. On November 6, 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) interdicted Caballero’s vessel in the Caribbean Sea about 100 nautical miles north of La Guajira, Colombia. Before being interdicted, the vessel’s crew tried to outrun law enforcement on the high seas, but a USCG helicopter disabled Caballero’s vessel by firing rounds into the vessel’s two outboard engines.
The USCG boarding team found Caballero and three others onboard. A search of the vessel revealed 708 kilograms of cocaine, valued at about $21 million, hidden under the fuel barrels and tarp. A photo of the cocaine is below:
Caballero had previously been convicted in Spain for trafficking nearly 2,000 kilograms of cocaine via fishing vessel in April of 2017.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force comprised of agents and analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. 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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo and Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Krebs.
USAO-VT to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont will join community organizers, neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events on August 1, 2023. During this year’s National Night Out, U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest will attend National Night Out events at Essex High School and Law Enforcement Coordinator Tony Facos will attend events in Swanton on the Village Green and in St. Albans at Taylor Park.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Supports National Night OutRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld and his staff will celebrate National Night Out on Tuesday, August 1.
National Night Out is an annual initiative coordinated by law enforcement agencies across the country, bringing community members and law enforcement together to build positive relationships and create safer communities.
“National Night Out showcases first responders and strengthens the bonds between police and the communities they serve,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld.
Law enforcement agencies throughout West Virginia have planned events filled with food and fun to include swimming, games, face painting, bounce houses, giveaways, educational materials and personal interaction with safety vehicles and the heroes that operate them.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will participate in events at the following locations:
- Wheeling: Wheeling Park Ice Rink from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Clarksburg: Veteran’s Memorial Park from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Bridgeport: The Bridge Sports Complex beginning at 6:00 p.m.
- Martinsburg: War Memorial Park main pavilion from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Ranson: The Home Depot at Potomac Marketplace from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
For more information on National Night Out, visit https://natw.org/.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins Ogden City Police Department for National Night Out EventRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah will join community organizers, neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out, which kicks off celebrations August 1, 2023. During this year’s National Night Out, U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins will attend Ogden Police Department’s “Ogden Night Out Against Crime,” on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.
The annual event will take place at Lorin Farr Park in Ogden from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is free to the public. Ogden’s Night Out is an opportunity to bring law enforcement agencies, resources, and other organizations together to aid in the fight against crime and strengthen neighborhood spirit. There will be booths, food, beverages, prizes, and great local entertainment.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to strengthening the bonds of partnerships between law enforcement and the communities we serve. Annual events like Ogden’s Night Out Against Crime provide the opportunity for us to build on those efforts and to engage with the community as well,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah.
“The Ogden Police Department is looking forward to the upcoming Night Out Against Crime event. We are grateful for the support of the United States Attorney's Office and are once again excited to interact with our community. As always, we appreciate the community support, and we anticipate this will be another outstanding annual event,” said Lt. William Farr, Ogden City Police Department.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
U.S. Attorney’s Community Outreach Team Brings Re-Entry Training to Both Youth and Adults in Liberty CityRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Within three years of being released from prison, more than 50 percent of those trying to re-integrate into society are incarcerated again. That’s why U.S. Attorney’s Office staff use Re-Entry Simulations to put the shoe on the other foot and show community stakeholders what returning citizens must endure.
Training recently was held at Dr. Dorothy Bendross Mindingall Social-Economic Institute, 5120 NW 24th Ave. in Miami. More than 100 individuals participated in the Re-Entry Simulation to include Broward County State Attorney’s Office, Broward County Public Defender’s Office, Neighbors and Neighbors Association, and Opportunities Industrialization Centers of South Florida. These trainings normally are given only to adults. This time, however, it was a combination of adults and teens.
“It’s special for me to be here to welcome you all to this very important training,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We’re here in Liberty City and I am one of you. I grew up and played basketball right around the corner.”
Re-Entry Simulations are conducted regularly by the Law Enforcement Coordination/Community Outreach Section (LEC/COS) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These trainings allow participants to experience what it’s like for someone returning from prison and how difficult that transition can be.
Services such as quick loan, pawn shop, social services, counseling, banking, drug testing, church, career center, and others lined the walls of the multi-purpose room and participants had to visit them for tasks or assistance. The simulation was broken into four 20-minute segments, which equaled four weeks in the life of a returning citizen. All tasks—like getting a job and finding affordable housing—had to be completed each week or the participant wound up in jail.
“It’s a catch-22,” said LEC/COS Chief J.D. Smith. “People returning from prison who are trying to make it in society have so many barriers placed in front of them that it’s no wonder so many struggle. I want to bring this to as many peoples’ attention as I can. They do better, we do better.”
Something as simple, or seemingly so, as an ID can be a real ordeal for a returning citizen. Many leave prison with no identification. No ID, no job, no apartment. The struggle just perpetuates, often leading to frustration, and perhaps a why even bother mentality.
“When people get out of prison they have to live somewhere and it may be in your community,” said Smith. “You should want them to succeed because when they do better, their families do better, and our communities do better. And that helps everyone.”
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida gives the opening remarks to a group of both teens and adults prior to a Re-Entry Simulation Training. This exercise is designed to show participants what it’s like for former inmates trying to re-enter society.
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