Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
27 July 2023
Owings Mills Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for a Fraudulent Gift Card SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Yong Chen, age 34, of Owings Mills, Maryland, yesterday to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a fraudulent gift card scheme resulting in $561,000 in losses to more than 10 victims. Chen was also ordered to pay restitution of $169,950.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (“TIGTA”) Mid-Atlantic Field Division.
According to Chen’s plea agreement, Chen managed a scheme to fraudulently obtain gift cards from retail stores, which he and his co-conspirators used to purchase high-end electronics, including cell phones, iPads, and laptop computers. For example, victim R.E.S., a resident of Hampstead, Maryland, responded to an email claiming that a technical support service contract would automatically renew unless the victim cancelled the service by calling the number listed in the email. R.E.S had never subscribed to such a service, but he called the phone number to make sure it would not be renewed.
As detailed in the plea agreement, the man who answered the call had a heavy accent that R.E.S could not understand, so he gave the phone to his daughter. The man identified himself as “Brian,” and explained that R.E.S was entitled to a $300 refund. If the daughter would download a computer application which would give “Brian” temporary control over the computer, he would directly deposit the $300 into R.E.S.’s bank account. After the daughter downloaded the application and opened her father’s bank account, the daughter typed $300 as “Brian” had instructed, but the amount somehow appeared as a $3,000 deposit into R.E.S’s bank account.
To fix the purported overpayment, “Brian” asked the daughter to go to a Target store to buy Target gift cards to reimburse him. After unsuccessfully using credit cards to buy gift cards at Target and Best Buy (R.E.S’s bank would not authorize the transactions), the daughter cashed a check at her father’s bank, then used the cash to buy five $500 Target gift cards for a total of $2500. The daughter then gave “Brian” the gift card numbers and access codes printed on the back of each gift card. To make up for the remaining balance of $100 still allegedly owed to “Brian,” the daughter purchased an Amazon gift card. Using the application again, “Brian” accessed her computer, obtained the Amazon gift card number from her email, then deleted all traces of the email from her email account.
The next day, R.E.S. met with a customer service representative at his bank and learned that he had been defrauded, because “Brian” had never actually deposited money into his bank account. Instead, using the downloaded computer application to access his bank account, “Brian” had transferred money from R.E.S’s credit card account into his checking account, thereby setting up the withdrawal of cash to pay for the gift cards. The fraudulent scheme was reported to the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit (“MSPCCU”), which initiated an investigation.
As detailed in the plea agreement, transactional records and video footage from Target revealed that the five gift card numbers and access codes purchase by R.E.S. were used that same day at three different Target stores in two different states. For example, less than an hour later, Young Chen used two of the cards to purchase two Apple watches at the Target store in Owings Mills. At the same time, co-conspirator Bin Tang was using the numbers of the other three gift cards to purchase Apple watches at a Target store in Dumfries, Virginia and later at a different store in Glen Allen, Virginia. Target security personnel discovered that they had more video footage of Chen at the Owings Mills store using different gift cards on February 12, 2020 to purchase two iPads and other Apple products and an attempted purchase of similar products on February 14, 2020.
A search warrant was executed at Chen’s house in Owings Mills, Maryland on March 3, 2020. Law enforcement recovered four boxes containing new high-end electronics, including dozens of iPad tablets and Apple watches that were purchased with proceeds of the fraud scheme. A notebook that served as a ledger for the gift card scheme was found in Chen’s bedroom and contained the dates that gift cards were fraudulently obtained and how they were redeemed, including the names of the people Chen and co-defendant Bin Tang paid to use the cards. The purchased electronics were intended to be sold to foreign buyers. The notebook also listed the projected profit for each product purchased. Cell phones belonging to Chen and Tang were seized and subsequently searched, revealing messages on a Chinese messaging platform among Chen, Tang and Liang Liang Zeng discussing the scheme.
According to his plea agreement, Chen used the message platform to acquire the stolen gift card numbers and access codes, and then shared that information with others involved in the scheme. He regularly purchased the stolen gift card numbers through his bank account in China at a price that is about 20% less than the value preloaded on the cards, so a $100 gift card cost him $80. Chen said that the stolen gift card numbers he purchased had to be redeemed that same day, sometimes within hours, before the cards got canceled. Chen also provided his buyers, also referred to as “runners,” with Target employee numbers (Target Team Member Numbers) to display at the cash register to get a ten percent employee discount, which increased the scheme’s profit margin. He and the “runners” he hired would go to multiple stores during the same day, sometimes in different states, because Target might limit the amount of purchases. Each runner was told what type of product to buy with the numbers based on a price list Chen and Tang received from potential buyers overseas. The messages also showed that the runners shared information with Chen and Tang throughout the day about the remaining balances on their cards and any trouble they were having redeeming them. At the end of the day, the runners brought the receipts and the products to Chen’s house, where products were boxed and labeled for shipment overseas.
According to the plea agreement, dozens of victims in many different states were defrauded and the cards purchased by the victims were primarily redeemed in the mid-Atlantic region to illegally purchase approximately $561,000 of Target products.
Co-defendants Liang Liang Zeng, age 58, a Chinese national residing in Staten Island, New York, and Wen Fu Zeng, age 55, of Brooklyn, New York were sentenced to 54 months in federal prison and to 10 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the fraud scheme. Both defendants were also ordered to pay restitution of $145,228 and L. Zeng was ordered to forfeit $43,633. Bin Tang, age 33, is a fugitive.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the Maryland State Police and TIGTA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin J. Clarke, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Omaha Man Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that George Buck, 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 26, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Buck to 120 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Buck will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
From July of 2016 to January of 2022, Buck was part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana, in the Omaha area. Buck was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. During the conspiracy, on October 2, 2017, law enforcement found Buck in possession of a Ruger LCP .380 handgun. On October 8, 2020, and October 15, 2020, Buck sold fentanyl to a confidential informant.
Co-defendants Ty-Sean Nunn, Willis Parker, Anthony Hill-Gaines, Dominique Thomas, and Jerrell Jackson have all pleaded guilty to charges related to the conspiracy. Thomas was sentenced on June 7, 2023, to 90 months of imprisonment. The others are pending sentencing. Only co-defendant Terrance Traynham is pending trial.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, and the Bellevue Police Department.
Omaha Attorney Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Thomas O. Campbell pleaded guilty today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for willfully filing a false tax return, a felony. United States Magistrate Judge Susan M. Bazis conducted the plea hearing and will recommend to United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher that he accept Campbell’s guilty plea and plea agreement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2014 and 2018, Campbell, of Omaha, was the owner and manager of TLN Law, a solo practice law firm. During this time, Campbell filed annual personal tax returns that understated TLN Law’s gross receipts by more than $2.8 million. In total, Campbell caused a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) exceeding $250,000.
Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. District Judge Buescher will determine any sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The IRS-Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.
Ohio Man Indicted for Threatening a Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
An Ohio man was indicted by a federal grand jury for threatening a reproductive health services facility.
According to court documents, Mohamed Farah Waes, of Columbus, made telephonic threats to a health services clinic operated by Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. The first count charges Waes with a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which makes it a federal crime to threaten the use of force to intimidate anyone receiving or providing reproductive health services. The second count charges Waes with making threatening statements through interstate communications and the third count charges Waes with threatening to unlawfully damage and destroy a building by means of fire and explosive.
The charges stem from a phone call that Waes made to the health services facility on July 5, 2022, in which Waes threatened to burn down the facility and everyone inside of it.
If convicted of the felony offenses, Waes faces up to a maximum of 10 years in prison on each felony count, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Cincinnati Field Office, Columbus Resident Agency investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rausch for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARVIN SIMS, age 34, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, in violation of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
SMIS had previously admitted to being caught dealing drugs during a Title III wire intercept. He admitted that the intercepted calls showed his participation in a conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Judge Fallon sentenced SIMS to serve 110 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by four years of supervised release after his release from imprisonment. Judge Fallon also ordered SIMS to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Theft of Federal Grant FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aleksey Krylov, 42, of South Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting theft from programs receiving federal funds. Krylov admitted to diverting $94,197.93 in federal abandoned mine land (AML) remediation sub-grant funds to Jerry D. Elkins, 54, of Danville, West Virginia, while Elkins was an employee of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about April 2017 until on or about August 7, 2019, Elkins assisted Krylov and one of his companies with their application for a DEP AML pilot program sub-grant. The DEP receives grant funding from the United States Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) for, among other purposes, accelerating the remediation of eligible sites for economic revitalization and community development purposes under the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program.
Since 2016, West Virginia has received $181 million in AMLER block grant funds. Numerous private entities apply to receive AML sub-grants, and the process for selecting projects to receive sub-grant awards is competitive.
Elkins was initially a regional planner and later an inspector for the DEP during the time period, and had become acquainted with Krylov prior to joining the DEP. Krylov and his company proposed to construct and operate an aquaponics facility that would produce commercial quantities of vegetables and fruits at a project site near Madison, West Virginia. To assist Krylov and his company, Elkins collected water samples, provided contacts for public support, boosted Krylov’s project internally at DEP, provided his opinion and suggestions for improving the sub-grant application, and continuously monitored the application’s status.
Krylov admitted to paying Elkins for his services with checks and electronic fund transfers drawn from federal sub-grant disbursements totaling $94,197.93. Krylov further admitted that Elkins had no right to receive these funds and that he aided and abetted Elkins’ actions in fraudulently obtaining the $94,197.93.
Krylov is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Krylov also owes $94,197.93 in restitution. Elkins pleaded guilty to theft from programs receiving federal funds on My 31, 2023, and is awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General- Office of Investigations, and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson is prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson made significant contributions to the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-99.
###
Monmouth County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for producing multiple videos depicting him sexually assaulting a minor, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Christian Importuna, 27, of Englishtown, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to one count of an indictment charging him with production of child pornography. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In March 2020, Importuna produced at least two videos that showed him sexually assaulting a pre-pubescent victim. The videos came to the attention of law enforcement on March 24, 2020, when Importuna attempted to trade images of child pornography with an undercover law enforcement official on an internet-based application. Law enforcement officials initially linked the videos to Importuna through business records indicating that they were sent from his Englishtown residence. The investigation linked Importuna to the production of the images through physical identifiers that were visible in the subject videos.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Importuna to lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay $28,000 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents the FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn Barnes, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
Missoula man sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for sexually exploiting childRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to producing sexually explicit images of a child and downloading sexually explicit images of children from the internet was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Anthony Riley Smith, 29, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
U.C. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court also ordered $133,560 restitution to the victim.
“Smith committed unspeakable crimes against a vulnerable child. His heinous conduct merits the lengthy sentence that the judge imposed today,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “I want to thank the Missoula Police Department for being part of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task and for its hard work rendering justice in this case. We will continue to work with the ICAC Task Force to investigate and prosecute such egregious crimes committed against children. Our office remains committed to prosecuting offenders like Smith and to seeking sentences like today’s, which ensures that he will never harm another child again.”
“Crimes against children are a priority for the Missoula Police Department,” Missoula Police Chief Michael J. Colyer said. “Thorough investigations are an invaluable part of seeking justice for victims, and we hope our role will somehow help victims along the path to recovery. Bringing these complex cases to a successful resolution is the result of tireless work by committed members of the Missoula Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will continue to invest in protecting children in the future.”
In court documents, the government alleged that in August 2021, a Missoula Police Department detective, who is a member of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, investigated multiple CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tips related to sexually explicit images of children being uploaded online. The investigation led to Smith. Law enforcement searched his residence pursuant to a warrant and seized electronic devices. Investigators determined that Smith had produced child pornography of a prepubescent boy with a cellular phone, and that his desktop computer contained images of the boy engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Smith admitted he had been collecting child pornography for more than a year.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case. The Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Missoula Police Department and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, a defendant will likely serve all of a sentence imposed by the court. A defendant may be eligible for a sentence reduction for “good behavior,” however, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
XXX
Milton Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Engaging in A Child Exploitation EnterpriseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher E. Hoffman, 35, of Milton, Florida was sentenced to life in federal prison after an earlier guilty verdict for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, receiving child pornography, and distributing child pornography. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“There is no greater charge than the protection of our children,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who engage in such heinous conduct.”
In May of 2021, while investigating an online child pornography chat group, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents saw a message from the defendant’s online persona “Insario” indicating that he had access to a child that he was sexually abusing and grooming for future abuse. Investigators were able to trace the online profile back to the defendant at his address in Milton, Florida. The arrest of the defendant and the search of his home resulted in the seizure of several electronic devices, which contained multiple images of child pornography, in addition to over 2,000 images stored in his online account.
“This case is another example of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office partnering up with our federal agencies to get an animal off the streets,” said Sheriff Johnson. “The number one responsibility of government is the protection of its citizens. This case is a perfect example of that.”
Agents were able to identify the child victim. Specially trained investigators interviewed the child and revealed details of the abuse. When confronted, the defendant admitted to it as well.
“This well-deserved life sentence should serve as a notice to all who victimize our children -- you will be held accountable,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “This is a testament to the professional partnerships with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Chris Williams said, “This is a just sentence resulting from the hard work of multiple law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The FDLE is proud to work alongside our partners seeking justice daily.”
If ever released, Hoffman will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life, and he will be required to register as a sex offender. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Walter E. Narramore prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.
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.
Meth, fentanyl trafficking sends Kalispell man to prison for more than 11 yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man convicted of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Andrew Joseph Shields, 40, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2022 in Lake County, Montana Highway Patrol troopers made a traffic stop of a vehicle Shields was driving. During the stop, the trooper saw a firearm in the vehicle. In a later search of the vehicle, law enforcement found 478 grams, or a little more than one pound, of meth, fentanyl, additional firearms and more than $8,000 in cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The Northwest Drug Task Force and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
XXX
Manhattan meth trafficker sentenced to seven years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Manhattan man with felony convictions was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking meth and illegally possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jamey Wayne Charon, Jr, 26, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute meth and to prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in March 2022, the Missouri River Drug Task Force was investigating Charon for distributing meth in Bozeman and conducted controlled purchases of meth from him on two occasions. Law enforcement searched Charon’s vehicle after he was arrested for another offense and found meth packaged in jeweler bags. Charon admitted to selling meth twice a week since February 2022. In addition, law enforcement found a .40-caliber pistol with 12 bullets in his bedroom in Bozeman. Charon was on probation at the time for felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, FBI, Bozeman Police Department and Park County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
XXX
Man that Previously Possessed a Firearm Illegally Sentenced to Prison After Selling a Gun to Another PersonRead the Press Release
A man who previously possessed firearms illegally was sentenced July 18, 2023, to more than two years in federal prison.
David Tyler Galloway, age 22, from Toronto, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 9, 2023 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
At the guilty plea, Galloway admitted he unlawfully possessed a firearm in September 2019. Galloway sold the firearm to an individual after arranging to sell it and psilocybin mushrooms to the other person. Galloway was previously convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon in Cedar County, Iowa, and received a deferred judgment in July 2019.
Galloway was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Galloway was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Galloway is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Cedar County Sheriff’s Department, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Department, Muscatine Police Department, Louisa County Sheriff’s Office, Clarence Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-00093.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man convicted of fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenshipRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - A jury has convicted Mezemr Abebe Belayneh for fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship by lying about his role in persecuting teenagers in Ethiopia for their political opinions.
“The jury’s verdict is aligned with our commitment to holding accountable human rights violators who lie to enter the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We are grateful for the remarkable effort and perseverance of our law enforcement partners, who sought justice for the courageous victims, several of whom provided testimony of oppressive violence during the trial.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting human rights, and those who commit atrocities will not find safe refuge in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the courage of the victims of these horrible abuses and the persistence of investigators and prosecutors, Mezemr Abebe Belayneh is finally facing justice for the violence he inflicted on young people in Ethiopia 45 years ago.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is committed to identifying and apprehending human rights violators who try to evade justice by seeking shelter in the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “The United States is not a safe haven for these criminals, and we will never stop looking for them or seeking justice for their victims.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Mezemr Abebe Belayneh unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship in 2008 by lying about and concealing that he persecuted and committed acts of violence against political opponents during a period known as “the Red Terror” in Ethiopia. The Red Terror was a campaign of brutal violence in the late 1970s in which Ethiopia’s ruling military council and its supporters detained, interrogated, tortured, and executed thousands of perceived political opponents.
During the Red Terror, Belayneh served as a civilian interrogator at a makeshift prison known as Menafesha in the city of Dilla, Ethiopia. Belayneh detained teenage victims in a crowded prison for weeks or months, interrogated them about their political beliefs, and directed and participated in severe beatings in which they were whipped or hit with sticks. Belayneh also forced prisoners to physically fight one another for the prison guards’ amusement. Belayneh concealed that conduct when he obtained a visa to enter the United States in 2001 and when he naturalized to become a U.S. citizen in 2008.
Mezemr Abebe Belayneh, 67, of Snellville, was convicted by a jury on July 26, 2023. The jury convicted Belayneh of one count of procuring citizenship contrary to law and one count of procuring citizenship to which he was not entitled. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 1, 2023.
The HSI Atlanta Field Office investigated the case, with coordination provided by the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tal C. Chaiken and Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Senior Historian Dr. Christopher Hayden. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or its online tip form at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Steven Israel Mendoza, 33, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for distributing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Mendoza to 120 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 months of imprisonment on the firearm charge, for a total sentence of 180 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On October 15, 2019, a confidential source arranged to purchase a half pound of methamphetamine and a shotgun from Mendoza. The confidential source drove to Mendoza’s Blondo Street residence and met Mendoza at the back door before entering the residence. The confidential source purchased methamphetamine for $2,500 and a 12-gauge shotgun for $500. A forensic lab determined the methamphetamine to be 95% pure.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Omaha Police Department.
Man Convicted of Fraudulently Obtaining U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted a Georgia man yesterday of fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship by lying about his role in persecuting teenagers in Ethiopia for their political opinions.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mezemr Abebe Belayneh, 67, of Snellville, unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship in 2008 by lying about and concealing that he persecuted and committed acts of violence against political opponents during a period known as “the Red Terror” in Ethiopia. The Red Terror was a campaign of brutal violence in the late 1970s in which Ethiopia’s ruling military council and its supporters detained, interrogated, tortured, and executed thousands of perceived political opponents.
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting human rights, and those who commit atrocities will not find safe refuge in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the courage of the victims of these horrible abuses and the persistence of investigators and prosecutors, Mezemr Abebe Belayneh is finally facing justice for the violence he inflicted on young people in Ethiopia 45 years ago.”
“The jury’s verdict is aligned with our commitment to holding accountable human rights violators who lie to enter the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “We are grateful for the remarkable effort and perseverance of our law enforcement partners, who sought justice for the courageous victims, several of whom provided testimony of oppressive violence during the trial.”
During the Red Terror, Belayneh served as a civilian interrogator at a makeshift prison known as Menafesha in the city of Dilla, Ethiopia. Belayneh detained teenage victims in a crowded prison for weeks or months, interrogated them about their political beliefs, and directed and participated in severe beatings in which they were whipped or hit with sticks. Belayneh also forced prisoners to physically fight one another for the prison guards’ amusement. Belayneh concealed that conduct when he obtained a visa to enter the United States in 2001 and when he naturalized to become a U.S. citizen in 2008.
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is committed to identifying and apprehending human rights violators who try to evade justice by seeking shelter in the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “The United States is not a safe haven for these criminals, and we will never stop looking for them or seeking justice for their victims.”
The jury convicted Belayneh of one count of procuring citizenship contrary to law and one count of procuring citizenship to which he was not entitled. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI Atlanta investigated the case, with coordination provided by the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers.
Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tal C. Chaiken for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Senior Historian Dr. Christopher Hayden. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or its online tip form at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
Man Accused of Murder-For-Hire in 2011 St. Louis County DeathRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday in connection with a 2011 St. Louis County, Missouri homicide.
Michael Grady, 68, was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Wednesday’s superseding indictment adds Grady to a 2021 indictment against Victoria Rena Williams, 65, that is still pending. Williams has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire.
The indictment accuses Williams of enlisting Grady’s help to find someone to murder Charles Harris III, who was fatally shot on Oct. 5, 2011. Williams and Harris were in a romantic relationship.
On Aug. 27, 2010, Williams started the application process for a $250,000 life insurance police for Harris, specifically asking if the policy would provide coverage if Harris was robbed and killed, the indictment says. Before and after she contacted the insurance company, she regularly was in phone contact with Grady, the indictment says.
The indictment says Williams and Grady discussed how to introduce the killers to Harris, later arranging for potential clients to meet Harris at his home on Oct. 5, 2011. Harris sold suits out of his home to people he knew or through trusted referrals.
After Harris’ death, Williams contacted the life insurance company to collect the proceeds of the insurance policy with Grady’s help, the indictment says. After Williams received $224,444 on Feb. 28, 2014, she obtained a cashier’s check for $110,000 payable to Grady’s wife that was primarily used for Grady’s benefit, the indictment says.
Williams received $175,762 from another insurance policy on April 25, 2014.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI are investigating the case.
Madison Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Zendel Rolack, 26, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 72 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. This prison term will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Rolack pleaded guilty to this offense on March 1, 2023.
The Fitchburg Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in Oregon, Wisconsin on October 5, 2021, as part of an investigation of a shooting that occurred in Fitchburg on September 29, 2021. At the residence, officers arrested Rolack and the shooting suspect, Alexander Jefferson-Cooper. During a search of a room being used by Rolack as a bedroom, officers located multiple firearms, extra ammunition, firearm magazines, and controlled substances.
DNA testing confirmed the presence of Rolack’s DNA on three of the recovered firearms and the packaging material of some of the controlled substances. A search of Rolack’s phone revealed photos of him with additional firearms, and text messages consistent with drug distribution. One of the other firearms recovered was found to be the firearm used in the September 29, 2021 shooting.
At the time of the offense in this case, Rolack was prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of multiple felony convictions, including a 2016 conviction for armed robbery and a 2019 conviction for strangulation and battery.
At sentencing, Judge Conley stated a substantial sentence of imprisonment was warranted in light of the Rolack’s history of committing gun offenses and crimes of violence. Judge Conley also noted that Rolack had not responded well to prior sentences of probation.
Jefferson-Cooper was charged in connection with the September 29, 2021 shooting in Dane County Case 2022CF811 and was sentenced to 6 months in jail on November 29, 2022. He was also charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and on January 19, 2023, Judge Conley sentenced Jefferson-Cooper to 60 months in prison.
The charges against Rolack and Jefferson-Cooper were the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Louisville Man Sentenced to 20 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Machine GunRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 20 months in prison for illegal possession a machine gun.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, Cameron Jaimes, 19, was sentenced to 20 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a machine gun, a Glock switch. Jaimes admitted to possessing a Glock switch which is a device which allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic. A Glock switch is defined as a machine gun under federal law.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF with the assistance from the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Porter 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.
###
Level 3 Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting 11-Year-Old via SnapchatRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for extorting a minor to send him sexually explicit photos over Snapchat.
Chayanne Nieves, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 210 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In June 2022, Nieves pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
During a period of four days in November and December 2020, Nieves communicated on Snapchat with an 11-year-old child in Vermont. During those communications, Nieves obtained nude photographs from the victim and then extorted the victim to engage in graphic video chats with him while he masturbated, threatening to post her photographs if she did not comply. The victim’s mother intervened and reported the defendant to local police. During a subsequent search of Nieves’s residence in Lowell, Nieves confirmed that the Snapchat account used to communicate with the child was his. Nieves is a Level 3 registered sex offender based on a 2018 Middlesex Superior Court conviction for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, for which he was on probation when he committed the offense charged in the federal indictment.
“Mr. Nieves is a danger to our communities. While already on probation for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, he targeted and exploited an innocent child for his own sexual gratification. This significant sentence ensures that Mr. Nieves is removed from our communities and unable to cause any more harm for the foreseeable future,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The safety of the public, especially our children, is of the utmost importance to this office. We will continue to do all that we can to hold predators like Mr. Nieves responsible and protect our communities from dangers both off- and on-line.”
“Nieves is a convicted sex offender who used social media to continue to harm children, even while on probation. This significant sentence ensures he will be off the streets and unable to prey on children,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Sextortion, typically a cyber-enabled crime, causes significant harm. HSI continues to work with our partners around the country and the world to track down predators like Nieves. HSI is committed to ensuring that affected individuals and families know that there is help and a way forward after such a troubling event.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI Acting SAC Krol; and Major Dan Trudeau, Commander of the Vermont State Police’s Criminal Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno and Anne Paruti of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Leader of Multi-State Jewelry Theft Crew Sentenced to over 6 Years’ of Federal ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Duanne Pierce, 60, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and $606,394.60 in restitution and other penalties by United States District Court Senior Judge Cynthia M. Rufe for conspiring to transport stolen property across state lines and interstate transportation of stolen property.
From May 2018 through February 2020, defendant Duanne Pierce led seven others in a conspiracy to commit 12 retail jewelry store thefts throughout the United States, transporting the stolen jewelry back to Philadelphia after the thefts, where the jewelry was generally resold to stores in the “Jewelers Row” section of the city. Pierce and his crew carried out these thefts all over the country, often committing multiple thefts from different jewelry stores in a single day. This sophisticated approach reduced the likelihood that the crew would be caught because of local law enforcement’s significant challenge in investigating these out-of-state perpetrators. Pierce participated in 11 thefts, and his role was to steal jewelry—including diamond rings and gold chains, often worth several thousand dollars each—from a display case or from the rear, employee-only area of a store, while his co-conspirators “distracted” sales associates. Pierce then resold the stolen jewelry to local jewelers in Philadelphia. The total retail value of the jewelry stolen by Pierce’s crew was approximately $612,670.59.
In March 2022, a federal grand jury returned a 10-count Indictment charging Duanne Pierce and codefendants Charles Tillery, Janel Pierce, Yolanda Fife, David Tillery, Telfa Wills, and Clifton Fleming with conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (Count 1), and interstate transportation of stolen property and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2314 and 2 (Counts 2 through 10). In March 2023, Pierce pled guilty to Counts 1 through 10 of the Indictment. Each of Pierce’s codefendants has also pled guilty.
"Thanks to the excellent work of the FBI and the many local police departments that assisted in this case," said U.S. Attorney Romero, "this prolific interstate robbery ring has been fully dismantled. Duanne Pierce’s sentence is the culmination of excellent cross-country collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies."
“Duanne Pierce and his co-defendants were both prolific and strategic in their thefts, sometimes targeting multiple jewelry stores in the same day. Then they’d move on to a different city and do it again, hauling the stolen loot back to Philly to resell,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Through the investigative efforts of the FBI and numerous law enforcement partners across the country, this crew has been dismantled and is being held accountable for their crimes. For his leadership role in the conspiracy, Pierce will now spend years in federal prison.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lancaster (PA) Police Department, Plantation (FL) Police Department, Greenville (SC) Police Department, Concord (NC) Police Department, Anderson (SC) Police Department, Jackson County (GA) Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville (TN) Police Department, Manchester (CT) Police Department, Howard County (MD) Police Department, Arlington County (VA) Police Department, Indianapolis (IN) Metropolitan Police Department, and Miami Township (OH) Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Rice, Katherine Shulman, and Kevin Jayne.
Latin Kings Member Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for racketeering.
Josue Carrasquillo, a/k/a “King Playboy,” 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (approximately five months in prison) and three years of supervised release. In November 2020, Carrasquillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf. Carrasquillo participated in the violent acts of the gang and distributing controlled substances on behalf of the gang.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Carrasquillo is the 60th and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. The two remaining defendants charged in the indictment remain fugitives.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Carol Mici, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Bristol and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The two remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Kentucky Woman Sentenced for Mailing Threatening Communications to Neighbors Because of Their RaceRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Kentucky woman was sentenced to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for mailing communications to her neighbors in 2020 threatening to injure them because of their race.
According to court documents, Suzanne Craft, 55, of Louisville, sent multiple threatening communications via the U.S. Postal Service to an interracial couple and their children, who lived in the same Lake Forest neighborhood as Craft. Many of these communications contained threats of violence and racial slurs.
Following a jury trial in March, Craft was convicted of five counts of mailing threatening communications. The jury further found that, for each of these five counts, Craft sent the threatening communications to her neighbors because of their actual or perceived race or color.
“This sentence sends a clear message regarding our commitment to ending hate-motivated violence and threats of violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is no room in civilized society for violent threats based on race. We hope that this result brings some measure of peace to victims who had to suffer through the defendant’s terrifying threats of racial violence.”
“I commend the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the trial team for their outstanding work during the investigation and prosecution of this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “The citizens of the Western District who live in communities throughout our 53 counties have the right to live and raise their families free from threats of violence made on the basis of race. The nine-year sentence imposed by the court in this case sends a strong message that this type of activity is criminal, will not be tolerated and that this office will take action to protect our citizens from racial hatred.”
“Today’s sentencing is indicative of the egregious behavior Craft levied on her neighbors,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Racially-charged threats will not be tolerated in our communities, and if discovered, will be fully investigated and the perpetrators will be held accountable.”
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Bennett, Special Agent in Charge Cohen and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division made the announcement.
The FBI Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tieke and Stephanie Zimdahl for the Western District of Kentucky prosecuted the case, with assistance from paralegal Carissa Moss.
###
Kentucky Woman Sentenced for Mailing Threatening Communications to Neighbors Because of Their RaceRead the Press Release
A Kentucky woman was sentenced to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for mailing communications to her neighbors in 2020 threatening to injure them because of their race.
According to court documents, Suzanne Craft, 55, of Louisville, sent multiple threatening communications via the U.S. Postal Service to an interracial couple and their children, who lived in the same neighborhood as Craft. Many of these communications contained threats of violence and racial slurs.
Following the jury trial in March, Craft was convicted of five counts of mailing threatening communications. The jury further found that, for each of these five counts, Craft sent the threatening communications to her neighbors because of their actual or perceived race or color.
“This sentence sends a clear message regarding our commitment to ending hate-motivated violence and threats of violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is no room in civilized society for violent threats based on race. We hope that this result brings some measure of peace to victims who had to suffer through the defendant’s terrifying threats of racial violence.”
“I commend the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the trial team for their outstanding work during the investigation and prosecution of this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “The citizens of the Western District who live in communities throughout our 53 counties have the right to live and raise their families free from threats of violence made on the basis of race. The nine-year sentence imposed by the court in this case sends a strong message that this type of activity is criminal, will not be tolerated and that this office will take action to protect our citizens from racial hatred.”
“Today’s sentencing is indicative of the egregious behavior Craft levied on her neighbors,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Racially-charged threats will not be tolerated in our communities, and if discovered, will be fully investigated and the perpetrators will be held accountable.”
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Bennett, Special Agent in Charge Cohen and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division made the announcement.
The FBI Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tieke and Stephanie Zimdahl for the Western District of Kentucky prosecuted the case, with assistance from paralegal Carissa Moss.
Kenner Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – DUANE DUFRENE, age 55, a resident of Kenner, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to court documents, DUFRENE conspired with RYAN MULLEN, DILLON ARCENEAUX, LANCE VALLO, GRANT MENARD, and ZEB SARTIN to use several shell Louisiana corporations, that were devoid of assets, to defraud a Georgia based merchant cash company. MULLEN and DUFRENE helped establish ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN as the owners of the existing shell corporations. MULLEN and DUFRENE then created fake vendor accounts for the corporations, and MULLEN, along with another person, created falsified bank records for the companies. MULLEN then used an alias and represented himself to be a broker for the shell companies he helped create.
Through the aid of another broker, MULLEN supplied the victim merchant cash advance company with the fake vendor accounts and false bank records in order to obtain funding. The victim cash advance company approved the advances and began to electronically wire ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN millions of dollars in advances. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN laundered a portion of the funds by paying MULLEN and DUFRENE a portion of the funds. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN then closed their non-existent businesses before fully repaying the victim merchant cash advance company, resulting in overall losses to the victim of approximately $6.4 million.
DUFRENE is to be sentenced on November 29, 2023, and faces a maximum sentence of five years on the wire fraud conspiracy, and up to twenty years on the money laundering conspiracy. After imprisonment, the defendant faces up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine on the wire fraud count, and up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $500,000 fine on the money laundering count. Each count also requires DUFRENE to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit and Andre Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.
Kenner Man Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute and Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NOAH TORRES (“TORRES”), age 46, of Kenner, Louisiana was arrested and indicted on Friday, July 21, 2023, with one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Materials Involving the Sexual Abuse of Minors and one count of Receipt Materials Involving the Sexual Abuse of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. If convicted, TORRES faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571 per count. In addition, TORRES faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life after his release from prison as well as payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count.
According to the indictment filed in federal court, TORRES administered a chat group with approximately 195 users. TORRES’s chat group shared and distributed images and videos of child sexual abuse material. On Monday, July 24, 2023, TORRES was arrested at his Kenner residence by Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, including the Portland, Oregon and New Orleans, Louisiana offices; the Kenner Police Department; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.
Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Randell Lee Proctor, 44, of Belle, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 29, 2022, Proctor possessed a Hi-Point, model C9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the Rand area of Kanawha County.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Proctor knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior convictions for domestic battery on September 15, 2016, November 26, 2013, January 24, 2005 and September 24, 2002, all in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
Proctor is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-74.
###
Justice Department Commemorates the 33rd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act Highlighting Efforts to Address the Criminalization of People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division hosted a program yesterday to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to highlight the need to address unnecessary interactions between people with disabilities and the criminal justice system. Passed into law in 1990 with broad bipartisan support, the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities, including in workplaces, businesses, and in state and local government services, including law enforcement and corrections.
The program, entitled “Addressing the Criminalization of People with Disabilities,” focused on the department’s efforts to combat disability discrimination that leads to needless criminal justice involvement, particularly with respect to people with mental health disabilities and substance use disorders. The program called attention to the need for more community-based services to address behavioral health needs, rather than deploying the criminal justice system.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke opened the program with remarks detailing the interactions of millions of people with disabilities with the criminal justice system and the Justice Department’s efforts to fight for greater access and greater equity for people with disabilities. The program also featured recorded remarks from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland who acknowledged the progress that has been made toward fulfilling the promise of equal justice and opportunity for people with disabiltities, but that much more work remains.
“The anniversary of the ADA gives us the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the enormous impact the law has had on the lives of people with disabilities – and on our entire country. It also gives us an important opportunity to recognize the many barriers that remain, and to recommit ourselves to breaking them down,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We know that far too often, law enforcement officers are forced to respond to individuals experiencing challenges that do not have a law enforcement solution. This can contribute to significant harm to people experiencing mental health crises, as well as to needless incarceration or institutionalization of such people. At the same time, it puts a great strain on the law enforcement officers who are forced to fill in the gap where community services have failed. The Justice Department is working to address these challenges through our enforcement of the ADA.”
“We are committed to using our federal civil rights laws to address the unnecessary use of law enforcement and criminal justice responses to people with disabilities when our community service systems fail them,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “To fully realize the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we must confront issues that lie at the intersection of disability rights, criminal justice and racial justice. Simply put, people with disabilities should receive the services they need rather than being treated as criminals.”
Equal Justice Initiative Executive Director Bryan Stevenson provided a keynote speech regarding the continued systemic work that must be done to address the criminalization of people with disabilities. He also answered questions posed by Assistant Attorney General Clarke regarding ways to continue to advance progress for people with disabilities.
“When you look at the landscape now where we have one of the largest prison populations in the world, there is no community that has been more severely impacted than people with disabilities,” said Mr. Stevenson. “Our jails and prisons are filled with people with behavioral health disabilities that we have not addressed and it is an urgent and necessary issue to take on. While we can accept and acknowledge that much has been gained, there is tremendous work that needs to happen with regard to this topic of criminalizing people with disabilities.”
Finally, the program included a panel discussion featuring Former Pennsylvania Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle Richman, NYC Justice Peer Initiative Executive Director Helen Skipper and Civil Rights Division attorneys. The panel addressed various reasons for reliance on the criminal justice system to respond to people with disabilities and explored potential solutions.
The Department is also actively enforcing the ADA in this context, and recently found violations of the ADA by police departments in Louisville and Minneapolis for relying on law enforcement as the primary and generally sole responders to behavioral health calls, even when safety does not require a law enforcement presence.
For more information about the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov or call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383). For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Announces Pattern or Practice Investigation of the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department (MPD). The investigation will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by MPD. The investigation will focus on MPD’s use of force and its stops, searches and arrests, as well as whether it engages in discriminatory policing.
This civil investigation is separate and independent from the technical assistance being provided by the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). While the investigation is ongoing, the COPS Office will continue to provide technical assistance to MPD through the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC), related to MPD’s use of force and de-escalation practices, as well as its use of specialized units. In addition, in the wake of Tyre Nichols’s death, the Associate Attorney General asked the COPS Office to develop a guide for police chiefs and mayors across the country to help them assess the appropriateness of the use of specialized units, like the former SCORPION unit in Memphis, as well as how to ensure necessary management, oversight, and accountability of such units. The COPS Office has undertaken extensive stakeholder engagement to inform the recommendations in that guide, which is forthcoming.
This civil investigation is also separate and independent from the federal criminal civil rights investigation of MPD officers related to the death of Tyre Nichols.
“The tragic death of Tyre Nichols created enormous pain in the Memphis community and across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is launching this investigation to examine serious allegations that the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional conduct and discriminatory policing based on race, including a dangerously aggressive approach to traffic enforcement. We are committed to working cooperatively with local officials, police, and community members to conduct the thorough and comprehensive review that the residents of Memphis deserve.”
“I know this community is still hurting after the tragic death of Tyre Nichols,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “At the Justice Department, we are committed to using all our tools to help ensure that Memphis residents have a safe community and can trust in the actions of law enforcement. In addition to our pattern or practice investigation, we will continue to deliver technical assistance resources through CRI-TAC and our COPS Office, to help the city and MPD address issues related to use of force, de-escalation, and specialized units in the more immediate term.”
“Every person is entitled to constitutional and non-discriminatory policing in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information provided to us, there are grounds to open this investigation now. We have reviewed information that indicates that the Memphis Police Department may be using an approach to street enforcement that can result in violations of federal law, including racially discriminatory stops of Black people for minor violations. The Justice Department will conduct a thorough and objective investigation into allegations of unlawful discrimination and Fourth Amendment violations. Unlawful policing undermines community trust, which is essential to public safety.”
“The people of this great city deserve constitutional and lawful policing – and that begins with trust,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “Community trust makes policing more effective and less dangerous for both officers and the people they protect. Pattern-or-practice investigations help build and maintain that trust by ensuring law enforcement agencies do their jobs lawfully. I welcome this opportunity to let the facts lead in what will be an ongoing and important discussion about civil rights in our city. I also want to assure the public that our team of federal prosecutors will continue to partner with federal, state, and local law enforcement to vigorously prosecute criminal activity and uphold the rule of law. Together we can build a stronger Memphis — a Memphis that protects the safety and civil rights of all.”
The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. If the Justice Department has reasonable cause to believe that a state or local government has engaged in a prohibited pattern or practice, the Department is authorized to bring a lawsuit seeking court-ordered changes to remedy the violations. In this investigation, the Department will assess law enforcement practices under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as under the Safe Streets Act of 1968 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prior to the announcement, Department officials informed Mayor Jim Strickland, MPD Chief Cerelyn Davis, and Interim Chief Legal Officer Michael Fletcher. They pledged to cooperate with the investigation. As part of this investigation, the Department will reach out to community members to learn about their experiences with MPD.
The case is being investigated by career attorneys and staff from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. They will be assisted by experienced law enforcement experts. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department via email at Community.Memphis@usdoj.gov or by phone at 888-473-3730. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal, available at civilrights.justice.gov.
Today’s announcement marks the ninth pattern or practice investigation into law enforcement misconduct opened by the Justice Department during this Administration. The Department has ongoing investigations into the Phoenix Police Department; the Mount Vernon (NY) Police Department; the Louisiana State Police; the New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Division; the Worcester (MA) Police Department; and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The Department recently completed investigations in Louisville and Minneapolis, and secured agreements in principle with both jurisdictions to negotiate consent decrees to address the violations found.
Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found here: www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download.
Jury Convicts St. Augustine Addiction Medicine Doctor on 19 Counts of Drug Trafficking and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Scott Andrew Hollington (58, St. Augustine) guilty of 14 counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice, and 5 counts of obstructing justice. Hollington faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each of the drug trafficking offenses, and up to 10 years for the obstruction charges. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Hollington was charged in a superseding indictment on March 23, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) first learned of Hollington after receiving a tip from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office that Hollington was exchanging narcotic prescriptions for sexual favors. Following additional evidence of Hollington’s illegal prescribing practices, the DEA deployed five undercover agents to Hollington’s addiction clinic, from February 2022 to July 2022, with the purpose of obtaining prescriptions without a legitimate medical need. Through their investigation, the agents managed to secure a total of 17 prescriptions of schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances, including amphetamines (Adderall), benzodiazepines (Valium and Xanax), and buprenorphine (Suboxone), during the five visits.
Throughout the trial, the evidence showed that Hollington asked the agents about their drug preferences, offered prescriptions without proper medical justification, and admitted that he did not care about urine drug screening results. Physical examinations, vital checks, and proper documentation were omitted during most medical encounters with the undercover agents. Further evidence revealed that Hollington altered medical notes in each of the undercover agents’ medical files following his indictment, leading to the obstruction convictions.
Testimony during the trial included statements from three female victims who revealed that Hollington exchanged, coerced, or solicited sexual favors for prescriptions. One victim described him as a “monster” who took advantage of her vulnerability while seeking help for addiction. A fourth victim recounted Hollington asking if she needed a “sugar daddy” and engaging in conversation of a sexual nature instead of discussing her medical history and need for medication.
This case was jointly investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Ormond Beach Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and State Attorney’s Office, 7th Judicial Circuit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kirwinn Mike and Ashley Washington. The forfeiture of assets is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
Jury Convicts Felon of Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA, Ga. –A South Georgia resident with a criminal history was convicted by a federal jury of illegally possessing a firearm.
Shi-Young Lamar Sharper, 39, of Valdosta, was found guilty of one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon at the conclusion of a one-day trial before U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson on July 26. Sharper faces a maximum of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 15.
“In this case, the defendant dangerously attempted to avoid arrest and crashed his car into a citizen’s yard. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and he was captured safely,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Working with law enforcement, our office will hold repeat offenders accountable at the federal level when they chose to illegally pick up a gun.”
“Repeat offenders in possession of a firearm pose one of the most serious threats to public safety in our communities,” said Rich Bilson, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta's Valdosta office. “Sharper's criminal history demonstrates his disregard for the law, and now he will be held accountable at the federal level without the opportunity for parole.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, a Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to a traffic stop on the vehicle Sharper was driving in Feb. 2021. Instead of pulling over, Sharper drove through the front yard of a Valdosta residence, struck some bushes and then ran away from the scene. Law enforcement quickly found him with debris from the bushes on his head and shoulders. Officers found a .38 revolver in his car. Sharper has prior felony convictions. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Daniels and Sonja Profit prosecuted the case for the Government, with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Couch and Criminal Chief Leah McEwen.
Joplin Woman Sentenced for Failing to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court yesterday for failing to pay over employment taxes.
Karen Lauridsen, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 14 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $242,251 in restitution to the IRS for delinquent employment taxes.
On Nov. 8, 2022, Lauridsen pleaded guilty to failure to pay over employment taxes. In or about 2003, Lauridsen and another individual purchased Company A, with Lauridsen serving as the President of Company A. In her role as president, Lauridsen was solely responsible for Company A’s finances, including, payroll, tax preparations, tax filings, and paying employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2011, Company A became delinquent on both the trust fund and employer portions of its employment taxes. The Internal Revenue Service began collection efforts by at least September 2017, including an in-person meeting between Lauridsen and a Revenue Officer on September 13, 2017. During that meeting, Lauridsen admitted to the officer that she was responsible for paying Company A’s employment taxes. However, she did not pay the balances due. As a result, in January 2018, the IRS began levying Company A’s known bank accounts, as well as Company A’s customer payments, with limited success.
Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Special Agents interviewed Lauridsen on November 28, 2018. During the interview, Lauridsen admitted to the agents, as she had in her earlier interview, that she was responsible for Company A’s finances, financial decisions, setting employee pay rates, filing the company’s tax returns, and paying the company’s taxes. Further investigation revealed that during the time period that Lauridsen ceased paying Company A’s employment taxes, Lauridsen frequently gambled at casinos in Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, and Oklahoma. Lauridsen’s gambling persisted despite the IRS’s collection efforts and its criminal investigation.
As a result of her conduct, Company A incurred an employment tax liability with the Internal Revenue Service of $242,251, which Lauridsen was ordered to pay as a part of her sentence.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Kempf. It was investigated by the IRS-CI.
Joint Statement from Canada, Mexico, and the United States Following the Second Trilateral Fentanyl Committee MeetingRead the Press Release
On July 25, 2023 Mexico’s Secretary of Security Rosa Icela Rodriguez hosted U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall and Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor Jody Thomas (virtually) in the second meeting of the Trilateral Fentanyl Committee to propel and expand actions on our shared commitment to combat the trafficking of synthetic drugs.
President Joe Biden, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau established this trilateral Committee, comprising high-level representatives from the three countries, during the North American Leaders’ Summit on January 9-10, 2023, to guide priority actions to address the illicit fentanyl threat facing North America.
The three co-chairs reaffirmed commitments to jointly confront the deadly scourge of synthetic drugs, and discussed the steps we are taking to fulfill them, including by: 1) intensifying and expanding prosecution of drug traffickers and dismantling criminal networks; 2) targeting the supply of precursor chemicals used to make illicit fentanyl and inviting action by private chemical and shipping companies to prevent diversion; 3) preventing the trafficking of drugs across our borders; and 4) promoting public health services to reduce harm and demand, educate individuals on the risks of substance use, and provide treatment to those seeking it.
The three delegations committed to create an expert working group to identify challenges related to our respective legislative and regulatory frameworks associated with precursor chemicals, and related equipment. The three countries also committed to establishing an agile mechanism to promptly share emerging illegal drugs and drug trafficking trends.
The three countries committed to continue working together to expand international support to address the threat of synthetic drugs, building on the very strong collaboration of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and working through the new Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. To that end, the three countries committed to present progress on their joint efforts within the Trilateral Fentanyl Committee to Coalition partners at the next meeting of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
Representing Mexico were the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Rosa Icela Rodríguez; the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra; the Secretary of the Interior, Luisa María Alcalde Luján; the Secretary of National Defense, Gen. Luis Cresencio Sandoval González; the Secretary of the Navy, Adm. José Rafael Ojeda Durán; Secretary of Health, Dr. Jorge Alcocer Varela; the General Attorney of the Republic, Alejandro Gertz Manero; Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco Álvarez; Ambassador of Mexico to the United States, Esteban Moctezuma Barragán; Ambassador of Mexico to Canada, Carlos Joaquín González (virtual); Deputy Commissioner of the National Migration Institute, Alejandro Tagle Marroquin; the General Secretary of the National Intelligence Center, Saúl Parra Ibarra; the fiscal Attorney General, Arturo Medina Padilla; the head of the Financial Intelligence Unit, Pablo Gómez Álvarez; and the spokesperson for the Mexican Government, Jesús Ramírez Cuevas.
The U.S. delegation was led by the White House Homeland Security Advisor, Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall; and included the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar; the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma; the Deputy Attorney General, Lisa O. Monaco; the Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristie Canegallo; the Senior Advisor to the Director of National Drug Control Policy, Kemp Chester; the Department of Justice Senior Counsel Joshua Handell; and U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Mexico, Mark C. Johnson.
Canada was represented by the National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, Jody Thomas (virtually); the Associate Deputy Minister of Public Safety Canada, Tricia Geddes; the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for Crime Prevention at Public Safety Canada, Talal Dakalbab; the Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission of Canada in Mexico, Shauna Hemingway; the Executive Director of the Opioid Response Team at Health Canada, Jennifer Novak; the Senior Policy Advisor to the National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, Shannon Partridge; the Counsellor for Intergovernmental Affairs at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico, Lucie Verreault; and the Public Safety Canada Counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C., Michael Holmes.
Iowa Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine.Read the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Lukas Allen Vogt, 29, of Guttenberg, Iowa, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Vogt to 9 years’ imprisonment. He was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release as there is no parole in the federal system.
On August 26, 2021, an Omaha Police Officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that failed to maintain its lane at mile marker 441 eastbound on Interstate 80. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Vogt and a passenger was identified as co-defendant Cody Lee Fischer. A Police Service Dog was deployed during the stop and alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from within the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed a bag of methamphetamine in the glove box. Two loaded semi-automatic handguns were found in a black duffle bag on the back seat of the vehicle. A search of the trunk revealed approximately five pounds of methamphetamine in multiple sandwich bags.
After both men were arrested, Fischer admitted traveling from Denver, Colorado, where he purchased the methamphetamine and intended to sell it in Luxemburg, Iowa. Fischer admitted the guns were his and that Vogt was being paid to drive. Fischer was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment on July 6, 2022.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Omaha Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Holyoke Man Sentenced for False Statements Regarding Straw Firearms PurchasesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Holyoke man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with straw purchases of firearms.
Tyler A. Augusto, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to two years of probation, with the first four months of the sentence to be served in home confinement. In February 2023, Augusto pleaded guilty to one count of false statements to acquire firearms from a licensed dealer; one count of false statements with respect to information required to be kept in the records of a licensed firearms dealer; and one count of false statements.
Between October 2020 and February 2022, Augusto conducted numerous purchases of firearms from three different federally firearms licensees on behalf of his father, who was not licensed to possess firearms. In February 2022, Augusto falsely told law enforcement that he had not purchased any firearms for his father and that his father had not asked Augusto to purchase any firearms.
As part of his plea agreement, Augusto will forfeit a Sig Sauer Model P365 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol; a Colt Model SP1 .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Taurus Model CT9-G2 9mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Glock model 17 frame; an IMI Uzi model A 9mm semi-automatic rifle; an FN model FS2000 5.56x45mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; a FN model SCAR 16S 5.56x45mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Sig Sauer model SIG 556 SCM 5.56x45mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; and a Glock model 21 .45 caliber ACP semi-automatic pistol.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Holyoke Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Holyoke Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Holyoke man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with drug and firearm offenses.
Jonathan Mercedes, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams of more of fentanyl; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking felonies. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled for Nov. 16, 2023. Mercedes was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022.
On April 7, 2022, Mercedes possessed with intent to distribute 60 grams of fentanyl laced heroin and 59 grams of cocaine. Mercedes also possessed a Ruger .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun loaded with nine rounds of .22 caliber ammunition and a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $2 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of up to life 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 in New England; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Heron man sentenced to three years in prison for kidnapping son, fleeing to Costa RicaRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Heron man convicted at trial of kidnapping his son in violation of a parenting plan and taking him to Costa Rica was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
At a two-day trial in March, a jury found Jacob Israel Strong, aka Jacob Israel Guill, 37, guilty of international parental kidnapping.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court also ordered $6,948 restitution.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in January 2020, Strong and his ex-wife entered into a parenting plan for their then two-year-old son as part of a divorce proceeding. Prior to a court date in August 2021, Strong failed to return their son to his mother as scheduled. The mother was unable to locate Strong and contacted the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement also was unable to contact Strong. The Sanders County Attorney’s Office subsequently charged Strong with felony parental interference and a state arrest warrant was issued for Strong.
In September 2021, the FBI opened an investigation to assist Sanders County in the search for Strong and his son. In January 2022, the FBI discovered Strong and the child were living in Costa Rica and learned that Strong and his son left the United States in approximately October 2021, near Midland, Texas. Strong paid a man to transport them to Costa Rica, and Strong and the child lived with the man for about six weeks. In May 2022, the FBI received specific information about Strong’s whereabouts, and Costa Rica officials arrested and deported him back to the United States. The child’s mother traveled to Costa Rica to take custody of her son and returned with him to the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy J. Racicot and Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
XXX
Grand jury indicts Central Ohio man for threatening to blow up reproductive health clinicRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A federal grand jury has indicted a Reynoldsburg man for threatening a reproductive health services facility.
Court documents allege that Mohamed Farah Waes, 33, made telephone threats to a clinic operated by Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. He was indicted on July 11 and arrested today.
According to the indictment, on July 5, 2022, Waes allegedly called the clinic and threatened to burn down the facility and everyone inside it.
The indictment charges Waes with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which makes it a federal crime to threaten the use of force to intimidate anyone receiving or providing reproductive health services. He is also charged with making threatening statements through interstate communications, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison, and threatening to unlawfully damage and destroy a building by means of fire and explosive, which is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
“Threatening the life of anyone who seeks any type of health service is a heinous act that is unacceptable in a civilized society,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker. “People must handle their disagreements with services provided by clinics in a more civil way than using the threat of force or any kind of intimidation.”
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio, and FBI Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers for the Cincinnati Field Office announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rausch for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Goffstown Man Sentenced to 55 Months in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Goffstown man was sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Zachary Janas, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joesph N. Laplante to 55 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On April 17, 2023, Janas plead guilty to distribution of and unlawful possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
“Individuals trafficking in fentanyl, whether acting alone or as a participant in an organized drug trafficking organization, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “Drug traffickers, like the defendant, import and distribute fentanyl in New Hampshire at an alarming rate. As evident by the work done in this case, our law enforcement partners will deploy the necessary assets to investigate and bring to justice those who sell drugs knowing full well the potentially deadly consequences of their actions.”
“Zachary Janas deserves the prison sentence he received today for distributing a significant amount of fentanyl and possessing multiple firearms in his home in Goffstown,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Fentanyl is an insidious drug that has destroyed countless lives in New Hampshire, and the FBI’s Major Offender Task Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove from our streets the dangerous criminals who peddle this poison."
On September 21, 2021, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents arranged the purchase of approximately one-half kilogram of fentanyl from Janas at his Goffstown residence. On September 24, 2021, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Janas’ residence and seized an additional one-half kilogram of fentanyl packaged for distribution, approximately $7,000 cash, multiple firearms, and ammunition.
The FBI’s Major Offender Task Force, New Hampshire State Police’s Narcotics Investigations Unit and the Goffstown Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis is prosecuting the case.
###
Gloucester County Man Admits Conspiring to Commit Bank Fraud and Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man today admitted participating in schemes to negotiate fraudulent checks with forged signatures and to use credit cards without authorization, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Misty Sarfo-Adu, 28, of Sewell, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of access device fraud conspiracy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Sarfo-Adu conspired with Eugene Koranteng, Emmanuel Yirenkyi, and others to commit bank fraud by obtaining blank checks containing the names and account information of unsuspecting customers of a credit card company. They made the checks payable to members of the conspiracy, forged the customers’ signatures on the checks, and negotiated the checks at financial institutions. In a separate scheme, Sarfo-Adu and Yirenkyi also conspired to use credit cards without the account holders’ knowledge or authorization. Sarfo-Adu admitted that the fraud schemes caused a loss to the credit card company of more than $150,000.
The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 28, 2023.
Koranteng and Yirenkyi remain charged in criminal complaints. The charges and allegations contained in the complaints against Koranteng and Yirenkyi are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Moorestown Police Department for its assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
sarfoadu.information.pdfGlendive woman sentenced to more than three years in prison for stealing more than $119,000 from elderly man whose finances she managedRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Glendive woman convicted of stealing more than $119,000 from an elderly man whose finances she managed was sentenced today to three years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Gina Larae Mann, aka Gina Larae Neva, 54, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court also ordered $119,269 restitution.
“Mann preyed upon a recently widowed victim instead of helping him. Even worse, she helped herself by spending his money for her own benefit. Mann’s conduct destroyed the financial security, good credit, and peace of mind of an elderly man who trusted her. Our office will continue to hold accountable those who exploit the most vulnerable among us and I applaud Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter and the IRS Criminal Investigation for investigating and prosecuting this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
“Ms. Mann abused the trust of a vulnerable man for her financial gain. Now she will pay for her crimes by serving a federal prison sentence where she will not be able to take advantage of anyone else,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “As a community, it is our responsibility to care for our elders. As a law enforcement community, it is our duty to hold individuals accountable who abuse their position of trust and steal from the people that are under their care.”
The government alleged in court documents that Mann offered to help the victim, a recently widowed elderly man who was familiar with Mann and trusted her with his taxes and bookkeeping. After gaining control of the victim’s bank account, Mann stole more than $119,000 through various methods, including taking money directly from the victim and opening several lines of credit in his name without his knowledge.
The scheme caused the victim financial ruin and destroyed his credit. In a statement provided to the court, the victim said of Mann’s conduct, “She ruined my life and I will live with it for the rest of my life, trying to fix the mess she has created.”
Mann’s scheme began in early 2018 and continued until late 2019 when the victim discovered the fraud after receiving overdraft notices from a credit union. When interviewed, Mann told federal agents that the victim wanted to be a partner in her business and claimed she used ATM cash advances from a credit card to pay for her business location, car payments and insurance. Neither statement was true. The victim was not aware of and did not authorize any of Mann’s withdrawals or credit card transactions. The government further alleged that Mann transferred funds directly to her business and her own account, sent thousands of dollars to her husband and withdrew more than $1,000 at a casino and liquor store in Billings.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case. The IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
XXX
General Contractor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former owner of a general contracting business based in South Boston and Quincy has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to concealing business income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
John Michael Sacco, 52, formerly of Quincy, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tax evasion. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, Sacco managed construction projects under the name JMS Contracting. It is alleged that, from 2014 through 2021, Sacco received over $9 million from JMS’s customers. Rather than depositing JMS’s gross receipts into business bank accounts, Sacco allegedly cashed most checks from customers, used proceeds to purchase supplies and pay subcontractors in cash, and retained remaining cash to pay personal expenses. Sacco allegedly failed to issue required tax forms to its subcontractors and failed to file required forms with the IRS with respect to amounts that JMS paid to its subcontractors. By not reporting JMS’s actual receipts on tax returns that he filed for certain years and by filing no tax returns in other years, Sacco underreported his personal income tax obligations, causing a loss to the IRS of over $3 million.
The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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 and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former USPS Employee Sentenced for Theft of MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –LEON TINSON, age 59, of New Orleans, Louisiana was sentenced on July 19, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to two years of probation and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for theft of mail, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit handled the prosecution.
Former Part-Time Worker with Children’s Movement of Florida Indicted on Federal Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami federal grand jury has charged Rafael Antonio Saldana, 37, of Miami-Dade County, with coercion and enticement of a minor, production of child pornography and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to the indictment and underlying criminal complaint, law enforcement’s review of a 15-year-old boy’s phone revealed multiple sexually explicit images of the minor victim solicited by Saldana. In the days leading up to July 13, Saldana sent messages to the minor victim’s phone coordinating a time and location for the two to meet. It is alleged that Saldana planned over text to pick up the minor victim at a McDonald’s in Miami, then drive him to Saldana’s home to engage in sexual activity with Saldana and a third, unidentified individual. On July 13, Saldana arrived across the street from the McDonald’s in Miami to meet the minor victim. Law enforcement ultimately placed Saldana under arrest outside of his home.
Prior to his arrest, Saldana worked part-time at the Children’s Movement of Florida, an organization that advocates for early childhood learning opportunities and access to children’s health care.
If convicted, Saldana faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison on the production of child pornography charge. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to a lifetime in prison on the coercion and enticement of a minor and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor charges. If convicted of any of the charges, Saldana faces up to a lifetime of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Interim Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the charges.
HSI Miami and MDPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey Pence Tomanelli is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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-mj-03384.
###
Former Missouri State Highway Patrol Inspector Sentenced to Prison for BriberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a former supervisory motor vehicle inspector with the Missouri State Highway Patrol to 15 months in prison for taking thousands of dollars in cash bribes.
Judge Schelp also ordered Larry S. Conrad, 67, to perform 100 hours of community service and pay a $20,000 fine, part of which represented the bribe money that he’d already spent.
At his guilty plea in April, Conrad admitted accepting a total of about $14,020 in individual bribes of $40 to $160 to falsify forms and approve inspections of vehicles that had been damaged and had salvage titles or were listed as “abandoned,” even if he never saw the vehicle.
Conrad “bypassed the entire safety system that was put in place by the state of Missouri and the Missouri State Highway Patrol to ensure that vehicles were safe to operate on our roads,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith said during Thursday’s hearing, “potentially placing unwitting drivers and other motorists in harm’s way.”
In a sentencing memorandum, Goldsmith wrote that Conrad accepted hundreds of bribes over at least six months before being caught.
After receiving a tip about Conrad’s conduct, investigators recorded Conrad taking cash bribes that had been placed in the driver’s side door pocket, the memo says. When he was approached by law enforcement on Sept. 29, 2022, Conrad lied and denied accepting any cash payments that day. After being told that there was audio and video evidence of the bribes, Conrad admitted accepting a small amount of cash, and took it out of his pocket. Pressed further, Conrad admitted accepting additional bribes that day, and took cash out of his pants pockets five different times, eventually admitting that he had taken $610 that day, the memo says. After falsely claiming that he kept money from other bribes in a safe, Conrad made a full confession and allowed the FBI to retrieve $6,565 in envelopes that he’d stashed underneath the rear seat of his personal truck.
Conrad issued passing motor vehicle inspections and certified motor vehicles which he had not even physically inspected, including at least one that was so “substantially damaged as not being in working and driving condition,” Goldsmith wrote. His actions “allowed for the sale of vehicles, some of which had latent and undisclosed damage, to unsuspecting individuals who unwittingly trusted that defendant and the Highway Patrol had conducted proper inspections,” Goldsmith wrote.
Conrad’s primary duty was to perform motor vehicle inspections at the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop C facility in south St. Louis County. There is no fee for the inspections. If the vehicle passes, an inspector signs and certifies forms required for motor vehicle owners to apply for original Missouri Certificates of Title.
Conrad pleaded guilty to one felony charge of using a facility in interstate commerce, a cellular telephone, to facilitate his bribery scheme.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with the cooperation of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.
Former Mississippi Department of Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force Against an InmateRead the Press Release
A former corrections officer with the Mississippi Department of Corrections pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Tom Lee for using excessive force against an inmate, involving the use of a dangerous weapon and resulting in bodily injury.
According to court documents and information presented in court, on July 11, 2019, Jessica Hill, a corrections officer at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, willfully deprived inmate L.C. of the Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment when the defendant, aiding and abetting others, struck L.C. with a cannister and repeatedly punched L.C. in the head even though L.C. was not resisting. Hill continued to strike L.C., who was lying on the ground in the fetal position, until fellow prison staff intervened to stop Hill’s assault.
“Prison officials who engage in such abuses of power endanger inmates and fellow staff members and will be held accountable for their actions,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Using violent physical force as punishment will not be tolerated. The Justice Department will continue to vindicate the Eighth Amendment right of prisoners to be free from cruel and unusual punishment at the hands of prison officials.”
“This defendant has now confessed her abusive conduct.” said U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi. “She and all others entrusted with the protection of society must conduct themselves with self-discipline and under the law. Clearly, she violated her oath, and now will be held accountable.”
“Our citizens serving time for crimes committed against the public deserve the safety and protection from harm by those officials who are charged with their care,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Ms. Hill’s blatant disregard for the rights afforded under the Eighth Amendment is a disservice to those in the penal system, the corrections officers who take pride in their profession. The FBI remains committed to protecting all citizens we serve.
Hill faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 25.
The FBI Jackson Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Former Mississippi Department of Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force Against an InmateRead the Press Release
A former corrections officer with the Mississippi Department of Corrections pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Tom Lee for using excessive force against an inmate, involving the use of a dangerous weapon and resulting in bodily injury.
According to court documents and information presented in court, on July 11, 2019, Jessica Hill, a corrections officer at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, willfully deprived inmate L.C. of the Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment when the defendant, aiding and abetting others, struck L.C. with a cannister and repeatedly punched L.C. in the head even though L.C. was not resisting. Hill continued to strike L.C., who was lying on the ground in the fetal position, until fellow prison staff intervened to stop Hill’s assault.
“Prison officials who engage in such abuses of power endanger inmates and fellow staff members and will be held accountable for their actions,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Using violent physical force as punishment will not be tolerated. The Justice Department will continue to vindicate the Eighth Amendment right of prisoners to be free from cruel and unusual punishment at the hands of prison officials.”
“This defendant has now confessed her abusive conduct.” said U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi. “She and all others entrusted with the protection of society must conduct themselves with self-discipline and under the law. Clearly, she violated her oath, and now will be held accountable.”
“Our citizens serving time for crimes committed against the public deserve the safety and protection from harm by those officials who are charged with their care,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Ms. Hill’s blatant disregard for the rights afforded under the Eighth Amendment is a disservice to those in the penal system, the corrections officers who take pride in their profession. The FBI remains committed to protecting all citizens we serve.
Hill faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 25.
The FBI Jackson Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Deconna Burke (34, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud involving COVID Relief Fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program. Burke faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the United States government. No sentencing date has been set.
According to court documents, in April 2021, Burke submitted a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application to a lender authorized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to lend funds for approved PPP loan applications. The PPP loan application falsely claimed that Burke operated his own babysitting business with a gross income of $98,000. Throughout the loan application, Burke made multiple false statements regarding his purported payroll and operating expenses. In support of his PPP loan application, Burke submitted a false IRS Form 1040 “Profit or Loss From Business” that contained false statements about operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures for his purported business. In reliance on the false statements in his PPP loan application and supporting documentation, Burke received a PPP loan in the amount of $20,415. After receiving the PPP loan proceeds into his bank account, Burke began making withdrawals and spending it on personal expenses, including paying off a loan for a motorcycle. In November 2021, Burke filed a PPP Loan Forgiveness Application, falsely stating that he spent the $20,415 on payroll. In reliance on his false statements the SBA forgave the entire loan amount.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
In May 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 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 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 www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Florida Woman Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Defrauding Holocaust Survivor of $2.8 Million in Connection with Romance ScamRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that PEACHES STERGO was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos to 51 months in prison in connection with her years-long scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of his life savings.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Peaches Stergo callously defrauded an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who was simply looking for companionship. She used the millions of dollars in fraud proceeds to live a life of luxury at the victim’s expense. But she did not get away with it. As today’s sentence demonstrates, perpetrators of romance scams will be held to account for their crimes.”
According to the Indictment and other filings and statements made in court:
From at least in or about May 2017, up to and including at least October 2021, STERGO engaged in a scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor (the “Victim”) of over $2.8 million, which was his life savings.
STERGO met the Victim on a dating website approximately seven years ago. In or about early 2017, STERGO asked the Victim to borrow money to pay her lawyer, who she claimed was refusing to release funds from an injury settlement. After the Victim gave her the money, STERGO said the settlement funds had been deposited into her TD Bank account. In reality, bank records show STERGO never received any money from an injury settlement.
Over the next four and a half years, STERGO continued her lies. She repeatedly demanded that the Victim deposit money into her bank accounts. She claimed that if he did not, her accounts would be frozen, and he would never be paid back. In total, the Victim wrote 62 checks — totaling over $2.8 million — that were deposited into one of two of STERGO’s bank accounts.
In furtherance of the fraud, STERGO created a fake email account, intended to appear as if it belonged to a TD Bank employee. She also created fake letters from a TD Bank employee and fake invoices.
STERGO called defrauding the Victim her “business.” Once, STERGO told her real significant other that the Victim had said he “loved” her. STERGO thought that her successful manipulation of the Victim’s emotions was humorous, following up her message with “lol.” She also joked in a text message that the Victim was “broke” — that “[h]e don’t have anything else to pawn.” But when the scam was over — when the Victim was no longer sending STERGO money — she was upset, not because she felt bad for the Victim or had a sense of remorse, but because she was unwilling to earn money though legitimate employment; she preferred to be a fraudster. As she said in a text message, “I am just aggravated hurt frustrated that I haven’t made money . . . I don’t want to work . . . it’s too hard.”
While the Victim lost his life savings and was forced to give up his apartment, STERGO lived a life of luxury with the millions she received from the fraud: she bought a home in a gated community, a condominium, a boat, and numerous cars, including a Corvette and a Suburban. During the course of the fraud, STERGO also took expensive trips, staying at places like the Ritz Carlton, and spent many tens of thousands of dollars on expensive meals, gold coins and bars, jewelry, Rolex watches, and designer clothing from stores like Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes.
In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Ramos noted that STERGO’s conduct was “unspeakably cruel” and motivated by “greed.”
* * *
In addition to her prison term, STERGO, 36, of Champions Gate, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,830,775 and forfeit the same amount, including the home she purchased in a gated community and over 100 luxury items she purchased with fraud proceeds, including Rolex watches, designer purses and clothing, and large amounts of gold and jewelry.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sowlati is in charge of the prosecution.
Florida Man Found Guilty of Federal Hate Crimes for Racially Motivated Attack Against Six Black Men Near 1923 Rosewood Massacre SiteRead the Press Release
After two hours of deliberation, a jury in Gainesville, Florida, convicted David Emanuel, 62, on all counts for committing hate crimes for his racially motivated attack on a group of Black men who were surveying land along a public road in Rosewood, Florida.
On March 15, Emanuel was charged with willfully intimidated of the victims, F.D.D., and attempted to injure and intimidate F.D.D. through the use Emanuel’s vehicle, because of F.D.D.’s race and color and because F.D.D. was using a public facility. Emanuel was also charged for willfully intimidating and attempting to intimidate five additional victims, through the use of Emanuel’s vehicle because of the victims’ race and color and because the victims were using a public facility. According to the indictment, all six victims were Black males who were surveying land owned by one of the victims at the time of the offenses.
Evidence at trial proved that on Sept. 6, 2022, Emanuel found the victims surveying land adjacent to a public roadway near the location of the 1923 Rosewood Massacre. When the defendant came upon the victims, who were on the public roadway, he shouted racial slurs and expletives at them, including “[racial slur] get out of these woods” before driving a pickup truck directly at the group, nearly striking one of them. At trial, one witness testified that Emanuel admitted that he “came at those [expletives],” and that he “would have [expletive]d up all those Black [expletive]. Video evidence showed that after he was arrested, Emanuel complained that he was “getting treated like this [expletive] over a [expletive] [racial slur].” One witness testified that the defendant came “within inches” of striking one of the victims and that one victim, “nearly lost his life that day.” No victims suffered physical injury as a result of the defendant’s racially motivated attack.
“This defendant is being held accountable for intimidating a group of men and weaponizing his vehicle to attack them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we marked 100 years since the horrific 1923 Rosewood Massacre, this verdict should send a strong message that violent, racially motivated conduct will not be tolerated in our society. The Justice Department is committed to aggressively enforcing our federal civil rights laws.”
“Despicable, hate-fueled crimes such as these have no place in our state or country,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “The violence directed toward these victims, based solely on their race, is abhorrent and will not be tolerated. With the dedicated assistance of our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute civil rights violations to ensure justice for those victimized by hate.”
“Horrific acts of hate-motivated violence like this are devastating to families and communities,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is fiercely committed to investigating civil rights violations and holding perpetrators accountable.”
The FBI Jacksonville Field Office and Gainesville Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin Weiss and Frank Williams for the Northern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Federal jury convicts Anaconda man of attempted coercion, possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A federal jury on July 26 convicted an Anaconda man who was arrested in an undercover investigation of attempting to coerce and entice a minor into engaging in sexual intercourse and of possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
After a three-day trial that began on July 24, the jury found Christopher Todd Boudreau, 42, guilty of attempted coercion and enticement and possession of child pornography. Boudreau faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Nov. 29. Boudreau was detained pending further proceedings.
“Our office will not relent in our pursuit of those adults, like Boudreau, who seek to have sex with minors and possess thousands of images of child pornography. It is the kind of conduct that has no place in our society, especially because it harms and sexually exploits children, which is why we will do everything we can to protect children from those who attempt to abuse them. I am grateful to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno B. Baucus and Brian C. Lowney for prosecuting this case and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office for conducting the investigation,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that in July 2022, law enforcement, working in an undercover capacity on the internet, received a “friend request” from Boudreau. The undercover provided a phone number, and Boudreau initiated a text conversation. The undercover identified herself as a juvenile girl in the initial messages. Communications progressed, and Boudreau arranged to meet the undercover in Missoula. Boudreau repeatedly indicated his interest to engage in intimacy and stated that intimacy meant “sex.” Law enforcement arrested Boudreau on July 28, 2022, after he arrived at a location to meet the undercover. Law enforcement served a search warrant on Boudreau’s residence and found electronic media that contained thousands of images and videos of child pornography. In a search of Boudreau’s vehicle, law enforcement found condoms, candy and his phone.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno B. Baucus and Brian C. Lowney are prosecuting the case. The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
XXX