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28 June 2023
Pittsburgh Resident Indicted on a Charge Relating to Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge relating to Social Security Fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Susan Mentser, age 70, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from in and around June 2018, through in and around March 2020, Mentser stole and converted approximately $21,483.00 in Supplemental Security Income benefits, which had been deposited into her deceased mother’s bank account, to which Mentser knew she was not entitled.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than ten (10) years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Picayune Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Picayune man was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Eric Renard Scott, 39, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court records, in 2015, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization located largely in Picayune, MS (Pearl River County). In 2018, Eric Renard Scott and two others were identified as being part of the conspiracy. Federal agents used a confidential source to begin making purchases of meth. On October 24, 2018, a DEA confidential source purchased 27.9g of actual meth at 99% purity from Eric Renard Scott and two of his co-conspirators in Picayune.
Scott was charged in a federal criminal indictment on September 7, 2022 and he pled guilty on February 13, 2023 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor- led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Permanent Injunction Imposed on Online Education Platform Company Edmodo, LLC for Alleged Violations of Children’s Privacy LawRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that Edmodo, LLC (Edmodo) has agreed to a permanent injunction and a $6 million civil penalty in connection with its online educational platform, as part of a settlement to resolve alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule), and the Federal Trade Commission Act. The civil penalty is suspended due to Edmodo’s inability to pay.
The Edmodo educational platform, sold to schools throughout the United States, enabled teachers to interface with students, including children under 13 years old, to host virtual class spaces, conduct discussions, share materials, make assignments, and provide quizzes and grades, among other things. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleges that, until approximately September 2022, Edmodo collected the personal information of children under 13, including their names, email addresses, phone numbers, device information, and IP addresses. Edmodo allegedly collected such information without providing notice to the children’s parents or obtaining parental authorization to collect such personal information, as required by the COPPA Rule, and used this personal information to enable third-parties to display targeted advertising to student users between 2018 and September 2022.
The complaint further asserts that Edmodo was retaining this personal information indefinitely. As of March 2020, Edmodo retained the personal information associated with approximately 36 million student accounts, of which only one million were actively using the platform. This indefinite retention violated COPPA’s requirement that an operator not retain personal information of children for longer than “reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which [the information] was collected.”
The stipulated order, entered by the federal district court yesterday, enjoins Edmodo from collecting personal information from children in a manner that violates the COPPA Rule and prohibits Edmodo from retaining children’s personal information for longer than reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. The order also enjoins Edmodo from collecting more personal information than reasonably necessary for a child to participate in any activity offered on its service. It also requires Edmodo to destroy personal information improperly collected from children under age 13 and to comply with reporting, monitoring, and recordkeeping requirements. Edmodo is also subject to a civil penalty judgment of $6 million dollars, which is suspended due to Edmodo’s inability to pay.
“The Justice Department takes seriously its mission to protect the online privacy rights of children and their parents. This order spells out clearly to all online providers that it is unacceptable to collect children’s personal information without their parents’ consent,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting against unauthorized online collection and retention of information, especially from children.”
“This order makes clear that ed tech providers cannot outsource compliance responsibilities to schools, or force students to choose between their privacy and education,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Other ed tech providers should carefully examine their practices to ensure they’re not compromising students’ privacy.”
“Children do not lose their privacy protections when they use the internet,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “Congress and the FTC have established rules to govern websites and apps collecting and storing the personal information of children. The settlement being announced today demonstrates the Department of Justice’s resolve to enforce those rules. We will continue to work with our partners at the FTC to safeguard children’s online privacy.”
This matter was handled by Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson and Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivian Wang for the Northern District of California, and Gorana Neskovic and Peder Magee of the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at www.FTC.gov.
Permanent Injunction Imposed on Online Education Platform Company Edmodo, LLC for Alleged Violations of Children’s Privacy LawRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that Edmodo, LLC (Edmodo) has agreed to a permanent injunction and a $6 million civil penalty in connection with its online educational platform, as part of a settlement to resolve alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule), and the Federal Trade Commission Act. The civil penalty is suspended due to Edmodo’s inability to pay.
The Edmodo educational platform, sold to schools throughout the United States, enabled teachers to interface with students, including children under 13 years old, to host virtual class spaces, conduct discussions, share materials, make assignments, and provide quizzes and grades, among other things. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleges that, until approximately September 2022, Edmodo collected the personal information of children under 13, including their names, email addresses, phone numbers, device information, and IP addresses. Edmodo allegedly collected such information without providing notice to the children’s parents or obtaining parental authorization to collect such personal information, as required by the COPPA Rule, and used this personal information to enable third-parties to display targeted advertising to student users between 2018 and September 2022.
The complaint further asserts that Edmodo was retaining this personal information indefinitely. As of March 2020, Edmodo retained the personal information associated with approximately 36 million student accounts, of which only one million were actively using the platform. This indefinite retention violated COPPA’s requirement that an operator not retain personal information of children for longer than “reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which [the information] was collected.”
The stipulated order, entered by the federal district court yesterday, enjoins Edmodo from collecting personal information from children in a manner that violates the COPPA Rule and prohibits Edmodo from retaining children’s personal information for longer than reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. The order also enjoins Edmodo from collecting more personal information than reasonably necessary for a child to participate in any activity offered on its service. It also requires Edmodo to destroy personal information improperly collected from children under age 13 and to comply with reporting, monitoring, and recordkeeping requirements. Edmodo is also subject to a civil penalty judgment of $6 million dollars, which is suspended due to Edmodo’s inability to pay.
“Children do not lose their privacy protections when they use the internet,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “Congress and the FTC have established rules to govern websites and apps collecting and storing the personal information of children. The settlement being announced today demonstrates the Department of Justice’s resolve to enforce those rules. We will continue to work with our partners at the FTC to safeguard children’s online privacy.”
“The Justice Department takes seriously its mission to protect the online privacy rights of children and their parents. This order spells out clearly to all online providers that it is unacceptable to collect children’s personal information without their parents’ consent,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting against unauthorized online collection and retention of information, especially from children.”
“This order makes clear that ed tech providers cannot outsource compliance responsibilities to schools, or force students to choose between their privacy and education,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Other ed tech providers should carefully examine their practices to ensure they’re not compromising students’ privacy.”
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivian Wang for the Northern District of California, Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson and Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Gorana Neskovic and Peder Magee of the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at www.FTC.gov.
Okmulgee Resident Sentenced for Assault and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lakota John Trumon Watson, age 23, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced for his role in a violent armed assault.
The federal district court sentenced Watson to 6 months imprisonment for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and 120 months imprisonment for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentences are ordered to run consecutively for a total of 126 months.
The charges arose from investigations by the Henryetta Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On January 20, 2022, Watson entered a guilty plea to both counts. On September 4, 2017, during an argument outside of a Henryetta residence, Watson pulled out a .22 Magnum revolver and shot the victim in the stomach. Multiple witnesses identified Watson as the shooter. The crimes occurred in within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Watson will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States at the sentencing hearing.
Oakland Motorist Charged with Being Felon in Possession of Ammunition After Firing Shots During I-580 Road Rage IncidentRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Antoyne Terrell Bullock appeared today in United States District Court to face a federal charge that he possessed ammunition during a road rage incident on Interstate 580, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. Bullock made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Oakland before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.
The charge was set out in a criminal complaint filed June 16, 2023, and unsealed in federal court today. The criminal complaint alleges the defendant, Bullock, 43, shot at a fellow motorist causing the motorist to lose control of their vehicle. Specifically, on May 25, 2023, the defendant, in his Ford SUV, sped up next to the driver of a Dodge truck, and while beside the Dodge, the defendant rolled down the rear back passenger window of his SUV and shot at the driver of the Dodge. The defendant struck the driver side window causing it to shatter.
The complaint further details, the driver of the Dodge ducked, while turning the steering wheel, causing his vehicle to collide with the defendant’s SUV. The SUV overturned, rolling over several times before coming to a stop on its roof. The defendant, and the female passenger, attempted to leave the scene of the accident when California Highway Patrol officers arrived. Upon canvasing the scene, officers recovered a P80 handgun and keys to the Ford SUV alongside the highway. When officers arrested the defendant, they recovered a loaded magazine in his pants pocket.
In sum, the complaint charges Bullock with being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). The statutory maximum for the charge for the violation is 10 years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum of 3 years’ supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only after considerations of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statue governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Bullock is scheduled to make his next federal court appearance on July 18, 2023, for a preliminary hearing and arraignment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chambers is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jasmine Sanders. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF, California Highway Patrol, the Oakland Police Department, and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
New Orleans Man Sentenced in Armed Bank Robbery, Hobbs Act Robbery CaseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On June 27, 2023, New Orleans resident, DEVIN CHANEY (“CHANEY”), age 33, was sentenced by United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to 188 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. CHANEY had previously pled guilty to one count of Armed Bank Robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a) and (d) (Count 9); and one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a) (Count 3). Judge Guidry also ordered CHANEY to pay restitution in the amount of $4,706.00, as well as a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.00.
CHANEY had been charged with committing five armed robberies in New Orleans during December 2021. He was also charged with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine. CHANEY admitted that on Christmas Eve 2021, he entered the Capital One Bank in New Orleans, presented a demand note to a teller and received money but was disappointed in the amount. CHANEY then approached a second teller, pointing a firearm, and received additional money before leaving the bank. In total, CHANEY robbed the Capital One Bank of approximately $2,506.00. Additionally, on December 12, 2021, CHANEY entered a Subway sandwich shop in New Orleans, pointed a firearm at the cashier, demanding money and received approximately $600.00.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crimes Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Long of the Financial Crimes Unit.
New London Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SHAQUAN SAUNDERS, also known as “Sosa Da Billy,” 28, of Uncasville, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 40 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 7, 2020, New London Police officers investigating a string of shootings conducted a court-authorized search of a car that Saunders had occupied and recovered a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a spent .45 caliber shell casing, and a live .380 caliber round. Subsequent forensic analysis of the handgun revealed the presence of Saunders’ DNA, and additional analysis of the firearm and recovered shell casing via the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) connected them to a shooting incident that occurred on Blydenburg Avenue in New London on August 5, 2020.
Saunders’ criminal history includes multiple felony convictions.
Saunders has been detained since September 21, 2020. On April 4, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New London Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program
PSN is 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.
National Enforcement Action Results in 78 Individuals Charged for $2.5B in Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with federal and state law enforcement partners, announced today a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 78 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that included over $2.5 billion in alleged fraud.
The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and, in some cases, used the proceeds of the schemes to purchase luxury items, including exotic automobiles, jewelry, and yachts. In connection with the enforcement action, the Department seized or restrained millions of dollars in cash, automobiles, and real estate.
“These enforcement actions, including against one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted by the Justice Department, represent our intensified efforts to combat fraud and prosecute the individuals who profit from it,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will find and bring to justice criminals who seek to defraud Americans and steal from taxpayer-funded programs.”
“This nationwide enforcement action demonstrates that the Criminal Division is committed to fighting health care fraud and opioid abuse by prosecuting those who allegedly exploit patients and health care benefit programs for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement includes some of the largest and most complex cases that the Department has prosecuted, and demonstrates the Department’s commitment to seeking justice for those at all levels of the healthcare industry who put profits above patient care, from professionals in doctors’ offices to executives in corporate boardrooms.”
“Health care fraud is a complex and ever-evolving threat that negatively impacts the American people,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s nationwide coordinated law enforcement action is a testament to the tenacity of the FBI and our partners, as well as our combined efforts to pursue anyone who conspires to exploit our health care system for financial gain.”
“Patients trust federal health care programs to provide high quality care. When bad actors steal from these programs, they hurt patients,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is dedicated to protecting federal health care programs and putting patients first. Thank you to our law enforcement partners, especially the Medicaid Fraud Control Units, that participated in this effort.”
“At the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), we are committed to protecting the safety and health of all Americans,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “When individuals divert addictive opioid medications for personal gain, they are knowingly putting Americans at risk, all too often causing harm and even death. DEA is committed to taking decisive action to hold accountable anyone who participates in these dangerous schemes.”
“The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) provides community health care to family members of our nation’s disabled or deceased veterans, and the defendants’ alleged criminal actions resulted in a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme that puts those benefits at risk and pilfers significant taxpayer funds,” said Inspector General Michael J. Missal of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “The VA-OIG’s continued oversight of VA’s multiple healthcare programs, including CHAMPVA, is one of the agency’s highest priorities. We thank our outstanding law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.”
Telemedicine Fraud
The enforcement action included charges against 11 defendants in connection with the submission of over $2 billion in fraudulent claims resulting from telemedicine schemes. In a case involving the alleged organizers of one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted, an indictment in the Southern District of Florida alleges that the chief executive officer (CEO), former CEO, and Vice President of Business Development of purported software and services companies conspired to generate and sell templated doctors’ orders for orthotic braces and pain creams in exchange for kickbacks and bribes. The conspiracy allegedly resulted in the submission of $1.9 billion in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other government insurers for orthotic braces, prescription skin creams, and other items that were medically unnecessary and ineligible for Medicare reimbursement.
As part of the alleged conspiracy, individuals in a massive telemarketing operation, located in the United States and abroad, targeted the elderly and disabled with direct mail, television advertisements, and other forms of advertising to induce them to contact offshore boiler-rooms staffed by individuals who “up-sold” the elderly and disabled on unnecessary medical equipment and prescriptions. According to the indictment, the software platform that the defendants allegedly operated was actually a conduit for these telemarketers to coordinate the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies to obtain doctors’ orders for Medicare beneficiaries. The defendants allegedly programmed the software platform to generate false and fraudulent orders for telemedicine practitioners to sign and obstruct Medicare investigations by concealing that the interactions with beneficiaries had occurred remotely using telemedicine. The program-generated orders falsified certifications that the telemedicine doctors had examined the beneficiaries in person, and falsified diagnostic testing that Medicare required for brace orders. After the original CEO sold the company in a corporate acquisition, the new corporate leadership allegedly chose to continue the pre-existing fraud scheme.
In another telemedicine fraud case, in the Eastern District of Washington, a licensed physician was charged for signing more than 2800 fraudulent orders for orthotic braces, including for patients whose limbs had already been amputated. As alleged, the physician took less than 40 seconds to review and sign each order.
The cases announced today build on earlier telemedicine enforcement actions involving over $10.1 billion in fraud. The April 2019 Operation Brace Yourself Telemedicine and Durable Medical Equipment Takedown alone resulted in an estimated cost avoidance of more than $1.9 billion in the amount Medicare paid for orthotic braces in the 20 months following that enforcement action, preserving the Medicare trust fund for necessary medical care.
Pharmaceutical Fraud
The enforcement action also included charges against 10 defendants in connection with the submission of over $370 million in fraudulent claims submitted in connection with prescription drugs. In one case announced today, the owner and corporate officer of a pharmaceutical wholesale distribution company was charged for an alleged $150 million fraud scheme in which the company purchased illegally diverted prescription HIV medication, and then marketed and resold the medication by falsely representing that the company acquired it through legitimate channels. The defendant allegedly purchased the diverted medication at a substantial discount from individuals who obtained the drugs primarily through illegal “buyback” schemes in which they paid HIV patients cash for their expensive HIV medication and repackaged those pills for resale. To cover up their scheme, the defendant and others falsified labeling and product tracing documentation to make it appear legitimate. Pharmacies purchased the misbranded medications, dispensed them to patients, and billed them to health care benefit programs, all while the defendants reaped substantial illegal profits.
In a related case, on June 15, an individual in the Southern District of Florida was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in this nationwide scheme. According to court documents, the defendant illegally acquired large quantities of prescription drugs from patients for whom the drugs had been prescribed but not yet consumed. The defendant and others then repackaged the drugs and sold them to wholesale companies. In some instances, the medication that the defendant sold contained the wrong medication, broken pills, and even pebbles, leading to complaints by pharmacies. The defendant used his share of the proceeds to purchase luxury goods, including a $280,000 Lamborghini, a $220,000 Mercedes, and three boats.
Opioid Distribution and Other Types of Health Care Fraud
The charges also targeted over $150 million in false billings submitted in connection with other types of health care fraud, including the illegal distribution of opioids and clinical laboratory testing fraud. Today’s enforcement action includes charges against 24 physicians and other licensed medical professionals who lined their own pockets, including doctors who allegedly put their patients at risk by illegally providing them with opioids they did not need. The charges also include cases where healthcare companies, physicians, and other providers paid cash kickbacks to patient recruiters and beneficiaries in return for patient information, so that the providers could submit fraudulent bills for Medicare reimbursement.
The Center for Program Integrity of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CPI/CMS) separately announced today that it took adverse administrative actions in the last six months against 90 medical providers for their alleged involvement in health care fraud.
Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster and Acting Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section led and coordinated today’s enforcement action. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, Dallas, Detroit, the Gulf Coast, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, and Tampa; the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response Strike Force; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Ohio, District of South Carolina, Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Washington, and Eastern District of Wisconsin; and the State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of cases involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-national-hcf-case-summaries.
In addition to the FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS/CPI, State Medicaid Fraud Control Units, HSI, FDA, IRS-CI, VA-OIG, USPS-OIG, FDIC-OIG, OPM-OIG, Amtrak-OIG, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas, and for further information for victims about new federal charges in connection with the HIV scheme, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-steven-diamantstein.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
National Enforcement Action Results in 78 Individuals Charged for $2.5B in Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, the Department of Justice, together with federal and state law enforcement partners, today announced a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 78 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that included over $2.5 billion in alleged fraud.
The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and, in some cases, used the proceeds of the schemes to purchase luxury items, including exotic automobiles, jewelry, and yachts. In connection with the enforcement action, the Department seized or restrained millions of dollars in cash, automobiles, and real estate.
“These enforcement actions, including against one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted by the Justice Department, represent our intensified efforts to combat fraud and prosecute the individuals who profit from it,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will find and bring to justice criminals who seek to defraud Americans and steal from taxpayer-funded programs.”
“This nationwide enforcement action demonstrates that the Criminal Division is committed to fighting health care fraud and opioid abuse by prosecuting those who allegedly exploit patients and health care benefit programs for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement includes some of the largest and most complex cases that the Department has prosecuted, and demonstrates the Department’s commitment to seeking justice for those at all levels of the healthcare industry who put profits above patient care, from professionals in doctors’ offices to executives in corporate boardrooms.”
“Health care fraud is a complex and ever-evolving threat that negatively impacts the American people,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s nationwide coordinated law enforcement action is a testament to the tenacity of the FBI and our partners, as well as our combined efforts to pursue anyone who conspires to exploit our health care system for financial gain.”
In the Eastern District of Louisiana, Craig Lovelace, the owner and President of Advanced Medical Equipment Inc. (AME), a corporation doing business in Kenner, Louisiana, was charged on June 15, 2023 by bill of information with Health Care Fraud. AME operated as a durable medical equipment (DME) supply company that submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for DME supplied to beneficiaries. From approximately January 2016, and continuing through approximately 2022, Lovelace, through AME, allegedly executed a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by submitting, false and fraudulent claims for certain health care items purportedly supplied to beneficiaries. Such items, including DME, were alleged to be medically unnecessary, ineligible for Medicare reimbursement, or not provided as represented. Lovelace, in turn, used the fraudulent proceeds generated from this scheme for the benefit of himself and others.
Telemedicine Fraud
The enforcement action included charges against 11 defendants in connection with the submission of over $2 billion in fraudulent claims resulting from telemedicine schemes. In a case involving the alleged organizers of one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted, an indictment in the Southern District of Florida alleges that the chief executive officer (CEO), former CEO, and Vice President of Business Development of purported software and services companies conspired to generate and sell templated doctors’ orders for orthotic braces and pain creams in exchange for kickbacks and bribes. The conspiracy allegedly resulted in the submission of $1.9 billion in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other government insurers for orthotic braces, prescription skin creams, and other items that were medically unnecessary and ineligible for Medicare reimbursement.
As part of the alleged conspiracy, individuals in a massive telemarketing operation, located in the United States and abroad, targeted the elderly and disabled with direct mail, television advertisements, and other forms of advertising to induce them to contact offshore boiler-rooms staffed by individuals who “up-sold” the elderly and disabled on unnecessary medical equipment and prescriptions. According to the indictment, the software platform that the defendants allegedly operated was actually a conduit for these telemarketers to coordinate the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies to obtain doctors’ orders for Medicare beneficiaries. The defendants allegedly programmed the software platform to generate false and fraudulent orders for telemedicine practitioners to sign and obstruct Medicare investigations by concealing that the interactions with beneficiaries had occurred remotely using telemedicine. The program-generated orders falsified certifications that the telemedicine doctors had examined the beneficiaries in person, and falsified diagnostic testing that Medicare required for brace orders. After the original CEO sold the company in a corporate acquisition, the new corporate leadership allegedly chose to continue the pre-existing fraud scheme.
In another telemedicine fraud case, in the Eastern District of Washington, a licensed physician was charged for signing more than 2800 fraudulent orders for orthotic braces, including for patients whose limbs had already been amputated. As alleged, the physician took less than 40 seconds to review and sign each order.
The cases announced today build on earlier telemedicine enforcement actions involving over $10.1 billion in fraud. The April 2019 Operation Brace Yourself Telemedicine and Durable Medical Equipment Takedown alone resulted in an estimated cost avoidance of more than $1.9 billion in the amount Medicare paid for orthotic braces in the 20 months following that enforcement action, preserving the Medicare trust fund for necessary medical care.
“Patients trust federal health care programs to provide high quality care. When bad actors steal from these programs, they hurt patients,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is dedicated to protecting federal health care programs and putting patients first. Thank you to our law enforcement partners, especially the Medicaid Fraud Control Units, that participated in this effort.”
Pharmaceutical Fraud
The enforcement action also included charges against 10 defendants in connection with the submission of over $370 million in fraudulent claims submitted in connection with prescription drugs. In one case announced today, the owner and corporate officer of a pharmaceutical wholesale distribution company was charged for an alleged $150 million fraud scheme in which the company purchased illegally diverted prescription HIV medication, and then marketed and resold the medication by falsely representing that the company acquired it through legitimate channels. The defendant allegedly purchased the diverted medication at a substantial discount from individuals who obtained the drugs primarily through illegal “buyback” schemes in which they paid HIV patients cash for their expensive HIV medication and repackaged those pills for resale. To cover up their scheme, the defendant and others falsified labeling and product tracing documentation to make it appear legitimate. Pharmacies purchased the misbranded medications, dispensed them to patients, and billed them to health care benefit programs, all while the defendants reaped substantial illegal profits.
In a related case, on June 15, an individual in the Southern District of Florida was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in this nationwide scheme. According to court documents, the defendant illegally acquired large quantities of prescription drugs from patients for whom the drugs had been prescribed but not yet consumed. The defendant and others then repackaged the drugs and sold them to wholesale companies. In some instances, the medication that the defendant sold contained the wrong medication, broken pills, and even pebbles, leading to complaints by pharmacies. The defendant used his share of the proceeds to purchase luxury goods, including a $280,000 Lamborghini, a $220,000 Mercedes, and three boats.
Opioid Distribution and Other Types of Health Care Fraud
The charges also targeted over $150 million in false billings submitted in connection with other types of health care fraud, including the illegal distribution of opioids and clinical laboratory testing fraud. Today’s enforcement action includes charges against 24 physicians and other licensed medical professionals who lined their own pockets, including doctors who allegedly put their patients at risk by illegally providing them with opioids they did not need. The charges also include cases where healthcare companies, physicians, and other providers paid cash kickbacks to patient recruiters and beneficiaries in return for patient information, so that the providers could submit fraudulent bills for Medicare reimbursement.
“At DEA, we are committed to protecting the safety and health of all Americans,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “When individuals divert addictive opioid medications for personal gain, they are knowingly putting Americans at risk, all too often causing harm and even death. DEA is committed to taking decisive action to hold accountable anyone who participates in these dangerous schemes.”
“CHAMPVA provides community health care to family members of our nation’s disabled or deceased veterans, and the defendants’ alleged criminal actions resulted in a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme that puts those benefits at risk and pilfers significant taxpayer funds,” said Inspector General Michael J. Missal of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “The VA-OIG’s continued oversight of VA’s multiple healthcare programs, including CHAMPVA, is one of the agency’s highest priorities. We thank our outstanding law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.”
The Center for Program Integrity of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CPI/CMS) separately announced today that it took adverse administrative actions in the last six months against 90 medical providers for their alleged involvement in health care fraud.
Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster and Acting Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section led and coordinated today’s enforcement action. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Brooklyn, Dallas, Detroit, the Gulf Coast, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, and Tampa; the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response Strike Force; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Ohio, District of South Carolina, Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Washington, and Eastern District of Wisconsin; and the State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of cases involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2023-national-hcf-court-documents.
In addition to the FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS/CPI, State Medicaid Fraud Control Units, HSI, FDA, IRS-CI, VA-OIG, USPS-OIG, FDIC-OIG, OPM-OIG, Amtrak-OIG, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas, and for further information for victims about new federal charges in connection with the HIV scheme, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-steven-diamantstein.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 12 ½ Years in Prison for National Forest Arsons, Assault of Forest Service EmployeeRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Wednesday sentenced a man who committed arsons in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri and assaulted a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer to 12 and one-half years in prison.
Judge Limbaugh also ordered Lucas G. Henson, 37, of Iron County, Missouri, to pay the U.S. Forest Service about $7,200 for the cost of fighting the fires he set.
Henson was out on bond after being charged with stealing and drug offenses when he stole a Ford van on Oct. 22, 2022 near Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Henson abandoned the van when it ran out of gas. Later that day, he broke into a camper and stole items from it. The next day, he stole a Dodge pickup truck, then burglarized someone’s home and stole a Ruger LC9 9mm handgun. He stole a crossbow from a workshop near the home.
When the truck’s owner found Henson, Henson pointed the pistol at the truck’s owner and drove away. Law enforcement officers then joined the chase.
Henson crashed the truck in Mark Twain National Forest, then started a fire and burned the handgun and the items that he’d stolen from the camper before fleeing into the forest.
Officers began tracking Henson with dogs. When they got close, he started a fire to prevent being captured. He started a second fire when they approached him again. Later, he pointed the crossbow at a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer, as well as other officers, before fleeing again. Henson was eventually caught near the Black River.
The fires burned a total of 7.61 acres of land. Due to the dry and windy conditions at the time, Henson’s fires kept leaping over fire lines established by fire fighters. Crews eventually had to construct “dozer lines” to contain the fire.
Henson pleaded guilty in March to assaulting a law enforcement officer, arson and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Felon Pleads Guilty to Two Violent CarjackingsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis felon has pleaded guilty to two counts of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s plea agreement and court documents, on January 30, 2023, in Little Canada, a Ramsey County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a Ford truck, which was later revealed to be stolen. The driver, Donovan Alan Goodman, 33, fled the deputy, driving in the wrong lanes of traffic, above posted speed limits, and evading stop sticks. Law enforcement officers ultimately disabled the vehicle. Goodman fled the vehicle and jumped over a barrier separating the east and west lanes on Interstate 694. He approached an uninvolved vehicle, which had stopped in the westbound lanes of Interstate 694, pointed a firearm at the vehicle and yelled, “Get the [expletive] out of the car.” Goodman then fled in the vehicle. The carjacked vehicle―which was subsequently recovered―had an installed dash camera that captured the entire incident.
On February 25, 2023, at approximately 4:23 a.m., officers with the Minneapolis Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a stolen vehicle parked in a parking lot. Goodman and another male, who were standing near the vehicle, immediately fled on foot and officers pursued. One officer deployed a taser to subdue Goodman, who initially fell to the ground, rolled over and then pointed a handgun with a red laser sight in the direction of the officer. The officer immediately took cover and Goodman escaped on foot.
Shortly thereafter, a carjacking victim flagged down responding law enforcement officers. He reported that he was an Uber driver who had just picked up two passengers in downtown Minneapolis when a man—later identified as Goodman—approached the vehicle and offered the occupants $100 to let him join the Uber ride. One of the occupants agreed and opened the door. Once inside the vehicle, Goodman pulled out the firearm with a red laser, pointed it at the back of the driver’s head, and ordered everyone out of the vehicle. The driver and the two occupants complied, and Goodman fled in the vehicle.
Later that day, after obtaining a search warrant for Goodman’s cell phone, law enforcement tracked Goodman to a residence in St. Paul. The St. Paul Police Department’s SWAT team executed a search warrant at the residence and, after law enforcement provided numerous loud commands for over an hour, Goodman exited the residence and was taken into custody.
Goodman pleaded guilty today, in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery to two counts of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, the St. Paul Police Department, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
DENVER -- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Carlos Quijano-Ruiz, age 54, of Mexico, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering.
According to the plea agreement, in 2019, the defendant went to a money remitter in Colorado and remitted, in two separate transactions, money that was from the sale of drugs to a fictitious name in Mexico. That money would ultimately go to a co-defendant and was transferred or distributed to disguise the nature of the proceeds of unlawful activity. Additionally, in furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendant placed a bag of narcotics in his car that was parked in front of his residence. On August 12, 2019, another co-defendant and an unindicted co-conspirator went to the defendant’s car, where they picked up a quarter pound of methamphetamine and left money in the car. The defendant’s residence was also used as a stash house for a time during the conspiracy.
“Our office prosecutes illegal narcotics trafficking, working investigations to their sources in other countries,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We commend the work of our law enforcement partners in advancing this and other important transnational narcotics investigations.”
“By targeting the transactions drug traffickers use to finance their illegal operations, IRS-CI Special Agents are able to disrupt and dismantle these organizations,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, and the United States Attorney’s Office to eliminate this threat to our communities. This sentence should send a clear message to others who engage in money laundering associated with narcotics, you will be caught and you will be prosecuted.”
“Drug traffickers value money and little else,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky of the Rocky Mountain Field Division. “In this case, investigators not only pursued the drugs but also followed the money. As a result of everyone’s efforts, Quijano-Ruiz is no longer distributing poison in our communities. We value our state, local and federal partners who were relentless in seeing this case through to the end. DEA will continue to target criminal networks at every level, and every angle, because we know American lives depend on it.”
United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing on June 27, 2023.
IRS-CI, the DEA, the Montrose Police Department, the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office, the Seventh Judicial District Drug Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Duncan, Susan (Zeke) Knox, and Zachary Phillips handled the prosecution.
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 the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Case Number 19-cr-535
Mexican Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jose Rumualdo-Gallardo, 31, of Mexico, was sentenced on June 26, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for his involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Rumualdo-Gallardo to 120 months’ imprisonment for the drug conspiracy and 60 months’ imprisonment for the firearm offense. The sentences are to run consecutive. Rumualdo-Gallardo also forfeited $2,527 in drug proceeds. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Rumualdo-Gallardo will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
In February 2022, the Omaha Police Department arrested Michael Lee in possession of 44 grams of pure methamphetamine. Investigators were able to determine that the methamphetamine was obtained from Rumualdo-Gallardo. Investigators utilized a cooperating source and purchased 49 grams of pure methamphetamine on both February 22, 2022, and March 1, 2022. On March 8, 2022, a search warrant was executed on Rumualdo-Gallardo’s residence which resulted in the seizure of an additional 242 grams of methamphetamine, a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun, and $2,527.
Michael Lee is set for sentencing on September 6, 2023.
This case was investigated primarily by the Omaha Police Department.
MediaMuv L.L.C. Principal Guilty of Stealing Millions in Music Royalties Sentenced to 70 MonthsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jose Teran, 38, of Scottsdale, Arizona was sentenced on June 26, 2023, by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 70 months in prison for his part in one of the largest music-royalty frauds ever perpetrated.
Teran pleaded guilty to Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, and Transactional Money Laundering on February 3, 2023. Teran’s plea followed a November 6, 2021, indictment in which a federal grand jury charged him and his co-conspirator, Webster Batista, with 30 felony counts involving Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Transactional Money Laundering, and Aggravated Identity Theft. In pleading guilty, Teran admitted to conspiring with Batista to monetize music on Y.T., which he had no lawful rights to monetize or otherwise control. Teran further admitted that he and Batista created the entity MediaMuv L.L.C. for the purpose of stealing royalty proceeds. In particular, Teran admitted that he and Batista falsely claimed to own, and thereby stole the royalty proceeds from, more than 50,000 song titles. In total, Teran and Batista received approximately $23,400,000 from their fraudulent scheme.
Batista pleaded guilty to Conspiracy and Wire Fraud in April 2022. He will be sentenced in August 2023.
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Raymond K. Woo and Seth T. Goertz, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecution.
If you believe you were defrauded by the defendants in this case, and would like further information, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/programs/victim-notifications/US-v-Webster-Batista-Fernandez-et-al.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-0955-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-101_Teran# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Media Advisory – Press Conference: U.S. Attorney to Announce Multiple Indictments and Seizures as Part of Fayetteville Violent Crime and Drug StrategyRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – United States Attorney Michael Easley, along with representatives from the Fayetteville Police Department, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), will hold a press conference on Thursday, June 29th at 11:00 a.m. to announce multiple recent indictments and seizures as part of an ongoing violent crime and drug strategy in the Fayetteville area.
WHERE: Council Chambers in City Hall - 433 Hay Street, Fayetteville
WHEN: TOMORROW (THURSDAY) 11:00 a.m.
Media, please arrive by 10:30 a.m. for set up.
Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information, please e-mail usance.PublicInfoOfficer@usdoj.gov. Please RSVP your intentions to attend the event.
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Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing with Intent to Distribute More Than 8 Pounds of CocaineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Bryam Toribio Frias, age 24, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely, cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2023. The defendant was previously indicted on February 1, 2023.
On December 15, 2021, the defendant signed for and accepted a package addressed to him. A search revealed that the package contained over four kilograms of cocaine. The defendant was arrested shortly after he received the package. A later search of the defendant’s phone showed communications he sent about the package, and a search of his residence yielded additional cocaine in his bedroom.
The charging statute for the drug offense provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. 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.
The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.
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Man Who Threatened Violent, Anti-Semitic Action Indicted by Grand JuryRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a grand jury returned an indictment against Seann Pietila, 19, of Pickford, Michigan for violent threats Pietila made online. Pietila allegedly communicated via Instagram about planning to commit acts of violence to kill other people. He also allegedly sent messages about neo-nazism, antisemitism, glorification of past mass shooters, and a desire and intent to mimic past mass shooters.
“No one should face violent threats because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other status,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We have seen a rise in antisemitism across the nation and here in Michigan, and my office is committed to using all our powers to protect the public and ensure accountability.”
The indictment charges Pietila with three counts. The first two counts charge that he transmitted threatening communications in interstate commerce. The maximum penalty under that statute is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Pietila also faces one count of threat to kill or injure by means of fire, which is punishable by up to ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
“The crimes alleged in this indictment have made members of our community feel unsafe as they practice their religion. No American should fear engaging in their constitutionally protected rights,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I appreciate the coordinated efforts of our state and local law enforcement partners to disrupt this defendant before he could put his plans into action.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher O’Connor and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI was assisted by the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, TRI-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), and Michigan State Police Emergency Services Team.
A copy of the indictment is attached. The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Smuggle Firearms from the United StatesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Cesar Ignacio Perez-Barrios, 48, of Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Perez-Barrios also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Perez-Barrios pleaded guilty to Smuggling Goods from the United States.
On April 28, 2019, Perez-Barrios knowingly attempted to smuggle from the United States into Mexico: five AR-style upper receivers; five AR-style lower receivers; five AR-style barrels; five AR-style buffer tubes; five trigger kits; and five AR-style pistol grips. These items were concealed in a vehicle driven by a co-conspirator who then attempted to exit the United States into Mexico. Perez-Barrios expected to be paid for his role in the operation, whose purpose was to illegally smuggle the firearm parts into Mexico from the United States.
The firearm parts, whose transportation across the border was arranged by Perez-Barrios, are prohibited from being exported from the United States into Mexico without a valid license. Neither Perez-Barrios nor any of his associates had a valid license or any other lawful authority to export the items to Mexico.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Bolling and Sandra M. Hansen, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00944-RM-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-099_Perez-Barrios# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A Maine man pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of children and distribution of a video depicting the sexual abuse of children.
According to court documents, Joseph Zoll, 63, of Sanford, used an online chat and webcam application from his home in Maine to direct an individual in the Philippines to live-stream a video of herself sexually abusing a prepubescent child. Zoll instructed this individual to, among other things, expose the child’s genitals to the camera for him to see and discussed with her his desire to sexually abuse the child. In another instance, Zoll sent this same individual a video depicting an adult woman sexually abusing a child who appeared to be approximately six to eight years old. Zoll communicated with this woman for over two years, during which time he repeatedly instructed her to live-stream video depictions of child sexual abuse. Video files found on electronic devices in Zoll’s home confirm that he had similar online relationships with multiple other individuals who, at Zoll’s direction would live-stream video depictions of themselves sexually abusing children for Zoll.
Zoll pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine, and Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England made the announcement.
HSI New England is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Louisiana Man Charged with Using Chat Program to Entice MinorRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Louisiana man was charged with using an internet-based chat application to entice an adolescent to engage in prohibited sexual activity, interstate travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor, and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Spencer W. Caudle, 34, of Prairieville, Louisiana, is charged by complaint with one count each of persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing a minor through a facility of interstate commerce into prohibited sexual activity; interstate travel with the intent to engage in illicit conduct with a minor; and possession of child pornography. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Rukhsanah L. Singh in Trenton federal court on June 27, 2023, and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In April 2023, Caudle began interacting on online social media applications with the victim. Caudle’s communications with the victim were sexual in nature despite the victim informing Caudle the victim’s minor status. Caudle even expressed nervousness about being on the television show “To Catch a Predator,” but continued informing the victim of his desire to have sex with the victim. On May 26, 2023, Caudle drove from Louisiana to meet and have sex with the victim in Toms River, New Jersey. On May 27, 2023, Caudle, in fact, committed sexual acts on the victim. Later that night, Caudle left New Jersey to drive back to Louisiana.
Local law enforcement became aware of Caudle’s prohibited sexual activity with the victim and began an investigation. In June 2023, an undercover law enforcement officer assumed the victim’s online and cellular presence and communicated with Caudle. During these conversations, Caudle confirmed his prior sexual acts with the victim and expressed a desire for further sexual activity. While communicating with the undercover officer, Caudle made plans to fly to New Jersey on June 16, 2023, to commit additional sexual acts on the victim.
On June 16, 2023, Caudle flew from New Orleans, Louisiana to Newark Liberty International Airport. Law enforcement arrested Caudle in the airport. A search of a laptop Caudle brought to New Jersey revealed at least 10 images and five videos of child sexual abuse.
The charge of persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing a minor into prohibited sexual activity through an internet-based chat application carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The charge of interstate travel with the intent to engage in illicit conduct with a minor carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Atlantic City, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer; and the Toms River Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Mitchell A. Little, with the investigation leading to the complaint.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Shephard of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
caudle.complaint.pdfLincoln Man Sentenced for Possessing with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Andrew Scott Lawrence, 42, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 27, 2023, in federal court in Lincoln for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Lawrence to 15 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Lawrence will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.
On March 18, 2022, officers of the Lincoln Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force served a search warrant at Lawrence’s Lincoln residence. Lawrence was in a bathroom actively trying to dispose of methamphetamine down a shower drain and flush additional amounts down a toilet. Approximately 135 grams of methamphetamine were retrieved from the bathroom. Officers also found 434 grams of methamphetamine and $17,622 in a bedroom. As part of his guilty plea, Lawrence agreed the currency was proceeds from illegal drug sales or used to facilitate drug trafficking. The money has been forfeited.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force
Leesburg, Georgia, Pair Plead Guilty in Armed Meth Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – Two Lee County, Georgia, residents have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to armed methamphetamine trafficking in the community.
Savanna Brook Fore, 23, of Leesburg, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine today. Fore faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. Co-defendant Matthew Cory Tucker, 35, of Leesburg, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on June 7. Tucker faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner is presiding over this case. Sentencing for both defendants has not been scheduled.
“Repeat violent offenders and others committing crimes which threaten peace and safety in our communities will be held to account for their poor choices,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Bringing armed drug traffickers and violent felons to justice is the result of the hard work and dedication of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
“Poisonous drugs continue to flow into our communities at the expense of too many lives,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “These individuals must now deal with the consequences of their actions.”
“These guilty pleas demonstrate our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in drug trafficking and jeopardize the safety of our communities. We commend the hard work and dedication of our local and federal law enforcement partners in bringing these offenders to justice,” said GBI Director Mike Register.
"It takes continuous and dedicated teamwork to remove repeat offenders from our streets and hold them accountable for their crimes. This case is another example of local, state and federal law enforcement working together to protect citizens," said Lee County Sheriff Reggie Rachals.
According to court documents, Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies pulled over a truck driven by Fore at approximately 1:10 a.m. on June 2, 2022; Tucker was a passenger. Tucker was covered in blood and deputies spotted a firearm near the center console, along with drugs. Tucker was wanted for an alleged domestic assault that occurred earlier that night. Inside the truck, deputies found a .38 super caliber pistol and a .20-gauge shotgun that Tucker took from the domestic assault victim. Tucker has prior felony convictions in Lee County Superior Court, including aggravated assault and theft by taking. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess firearms.
On the rear floorboard of the truck, deputies located a purple bookbag, which had another smaller red bag attached to it. Fore said they belonged to her; inside the bags deputies found 47 baggies filled with a total of 48 grams of methamphetamine, additional baggies containing a variety of illegal controlled substances and a digital scale. Fore had a firearm concealed in her waistband.
Released from jail on bond, deputies learned Fore was continuing to distribute narcotics at a local motel and a family home. GBI and DEA agents, working with a confidential information (CI), made three separate purchases of illegal drugs from Fore, including methamphetamine. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Fore’s family home on Aug. 3, 2022, seizing her cell phone, which revealed conversations between Fore and others about drug deals.
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.
This case was investigated by DEA, GBI, LCSO and the Leesburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Redavid is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Large-Scale Cocaine Supplier Sentenced in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Jamaican national was sentenced today to over six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, from January through December 2019, Caswell Richards, 56, regularly supplied kilograms of cocaine to distributors in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Over the course of the conspiracy, Richards distributed at least 15 kilograms of cocaine to his co-conspirators. He distributed cocaine in Maryland through a middleman, Hopeton Fletcher, 53, of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Richards insulated himself from law enforcement detection by arranging transactions with Fletcher, who would then communicate directly with cocaine distributor Simeon Orekoya, 50, of Washington, D.C.. Orekoya, who was supplied with cocaine by numerous individuals in addition to Richards, distributed cocaine in the Eastern District of Virginia, as well as other locations throughout the D.C. metropolitan area from January 2017 through December 2019.
Orekoya was sentenced on June 15, 2021, to 195 months of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and firearms trafficking. Fletcher was sentenced on April 19 to 42 months of imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Sarah Linden, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hahn and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bibeane Metsch prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level criminal organization 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-18.
Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people.
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA).
“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred,” said EOUSA Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters.”
More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) and MMIP Coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people and provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP.
The Alaska U.S. Attorney’s Office received three AUSA positions and one Regional MMIP Coordinator. These AUSAs will prosecute violations of federal criminal law that occur in Indian country and help foster and improve relationships among federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. In addition, these AUSAs may participate in special district programs and initiatives designed to partner with and assist federally recognized Tribes in combatting emerging public safety issues.
“Our office is committed to combating violence in Alaska Native communities across the state and reducing the high rates of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking in these communities. These resources are an essential part of that effort” said U.S. Attorney Lane Tucker.
The Alaska positions were allocated as part of the Justice Department’s effort to promote public safety in Indian Country. U.S. Attorney’s Offices with Indian Country were allocated a total of 39 AUSAs and 5 MMIP Coordinators dedicated to enhancing the capacity of U.S. Attorney’s office to promote public safety in Tribal communities and prioritize crime reduction.
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Department of Justice today announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people.
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
“Vindicating the rights of missing and murdered indigenous persons and their families is a top priority for our office,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “As home to 22 federally-recognized tribes, this District has been thinking about — and working on — this issue for several years. It is a complex issue, with no easy solution. Hosting an MMIP coordinator for the Region will allow us to dedicate even more resources to this important issue.”
The MMIP regional outreach program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to United States Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons also issued in July 2022.
The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.
“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. "To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred," said Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters.”
More broadly, this MMIP program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voices of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-098_MMIP Regional Outreach Program
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Today, during the Not Invisible Act Commission’s public hearing hosted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The District of New Mexico will receive one of five dedicated MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys which will provide specialized support to the New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Arizona.
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
“Together, we will meet the case of each missing and murdered indigenous person with urgency, transparency, and coordination,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community and confident that law enforcement will be vigilant in the investigation of missing community members.”
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to United States Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.
“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred,” said Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters.
More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
Tessa M. DuBerryU.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announcing the MMIP Regional Outreach Program during opening remarks at the Not Invisible Act Commission hearing on June 28, 2023. U.S. Attorney Uballez is joined by Heidi Todacheene, Senior Advisor to the Secretary (left) and Elizabeth Hidalgo Reese, White House Senior Policy Advisor for Native Affairs (right).
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Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people.
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities.” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
“I am excited about the support this program will provide in the prevention and response to missing or murdered indigenous people,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “The support will include assisting in the investigation of unresolved cases and related crimes. It will also promote enhanced communication, collaboration, and coordination among our federal, Tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners on this important issue.”
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to United States Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.
“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred," said Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters.
More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice announced Wednesday the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people.
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities.” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
“We are pleased to join Attorney General Garland and other department leaders in making this important announcement. For years, supporting and enhancing public safety in Tribal communities has been a top priority for our office,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “We are eager to be among the districts leading the department’s efforts to prevent and respond to missing and murdered Indigenous people.”
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to United States Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.
“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred,” said Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters.”
More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
In early 2022, the District of Oregon established an MMIP Working Group to increase multi-agency communication and collaboration in support of and response to Oregon-connected MMIP cases. The Working Group includes at least one representative from each of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon, the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior Regional Solicitor’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, and Oregon State Police.
To learn more about the District of Oregon’s MMIP program, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/indian-country/mmip.html.
Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS – The Department of Justice today announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people.
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell stated, “Year after year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District South Dakota dedicates a significant portion of its resources to combatting crime and promoting public safety in Indian country. We are honored to have been selected as one of five districts to receive additional funding to hire an AUSA who will be specifically dedicated to MMIP matters. Given the urgency of the issue, we wasted no time in selecting an experienced attorney to serve in this capacity—Troy Morley, the District’s Tribal Liaison, will be the MMIP AUSA for the Great Plains Region.”
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA).
“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred,” said EOUSA Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters.”
More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
Program will place 10 new personnel in Five RegionsWASHINGTON – United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced today that the Justice Department will be creating a Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The Eastern District of Washington was one of the districts selected for a dedicated attorney, who will assist in this important role.
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities.” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “The Tribal nations in the Eastern District of Washington frequently experience violent crime and domestic violence at rates that are higher than many other communities. As a result, parents, families, and even entire communities are mourning the loss of loved ones. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working closely with Tribal, federal, and state partners to combat the root causes of this crisis and holding those who perpetrate these crimes accountable.”
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to United States Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.
“DOJ’s selection of the Eastern District of Washington for a dedicated attorney position demonstrates our District’s commitment to being a leader in addressing the MMIP crisis,” U.S. Attorney Waldref added. “Our office has a significant history of prosecuting homicide cases arising from violent crime on the Yakama Nation, as well as the Colville, Spokane, and Kalispel Reservations. These cases range from violent shootings to cold case murders. I am grateful for the tremendous work of the law enforcement agents and the prosecutors, who work tirelessly to bring justice to the victims of these terrible crimes.”
“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred,” said Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters.
More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
Program will place 10 new personnel in Five Regions, including the Great Lakes Region
GRAND RAPIDS – The Department of Justice today announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people.
“My office is committed to strengthening the federal response to missing or murdered indigenous people and the many victims of violence in our tribal communities and the families that are affected,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “The Justice Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort that takes many forms. This new outreach program is another critical tool to help address the MMIP crisis by promoting and bettering communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state partners on a regional basis.”
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities.” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. The MMIP Coordinator hosted by the Western District of Michigan will work with the MMIP AUSA assigned to the District of Minnesota.
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to United States Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred,” said Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters.
More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
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Jacksonville Man Charged with Federal Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Diandre Murel (29, Jacksonville) with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it. If convicted, Murel faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison for the conspiracy offense and up to 20 years in federal prison for the possession offense. Murel’s case is set for trial in August 2023. He had a detention hearing on June 27, 2023, and was ordered detained pending trial.
According to the indictment and court records, Murel and another individual were stopped in Baker County for speeding. Deputies from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office walked a K-9 around their car and the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics. The deputies then searched and located a kilogram of cocaine inside a backpack. Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration responded to the scene and determined that Murel had purchased the cocaine in Atlanta and was returning to Jacksonville Beach, where he, and others, intended to sell the drugs. DEA agents and officers from the Jacksonville Beach Police Department then executed a search warrant on the condo where Murel was renting a room. Law enforcement siezed additional amounts of cocaine and three firearms from inside Murel’s room.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The State Attorney’s Office for the Eighth Judicial Circuit also provided assistance with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.
Herkimer County Man Sentenced to 138 Months in Prison for Distributing and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Patrick Galusha, age 32, of Ilion, New York, was sentenced today to serve 138 months in prison for distributing and receiving child pornography. In addition to the prison term, Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes ordered Galusha to serve a term of supervised release of 15 years, to begin upon his release from prison, to pay restitution, and to forfeit the device he used to commit the offenses. Galusha also will have to register as a sex offender upon his release.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Galusha admitted that, in January 2022, he traded child pornography with others over a social media messaging application on his phone, distributing approximately 35 files in exchange for 163 images and 7 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children.
This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Fentanyl Distribution and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS ROBLES, also known as “Lou,” 26, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and gun possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation into gang-related drug trafficking and firearm possession by members of Los Solidos. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Luis Feliciano, also known as “Louminaty,” distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack to customers and other distributors in the Hartford area, including Jose Tirado, also known as “Joselito” and “Leet,” and also to individuals in New York and Maine. Tirado further distributed fentanyl to Robles, who sold the drug to customers in Hartford’s North End, including the SANA apartment complex located on Main Street in Hartford, which is commonly referred to as the “Sands,” where Robles lived.
Robles was arrested on March 9, 2022. On that date, a court-authorized search of his residence revealed approximately 850 wax sleeves of fentanyl, 12 grams of loose fentanyl, approximately 15 grams of crack cocaine, assorted drug paraphernalia, a loaded 9mm pistol that had been reported stolen in December 2020, a loaded .357 magnum revolver with an obliterated serial number, a loaded .22 caliber pistol, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
On June 8, 2022, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Robles, Feliciano, Tirado, and 13 others with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
On January 31, 2023, Robles pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Robles has been detained since his arrest.
Feliciano and Tirado have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Robert S. Ruff. through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
La Crosse Man Charged with Gun Crimes and Drug Crimes Involving Methamphetamine & Fentanyl
Issac Santana, 26, La Crosse, Wisconsin, is charged in an 8-count indictment with gun and drug crimes. The indictment alleges that on November 19, 2022, he possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, that he possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute, and that he was a felon in possession of ammunition. The indictment further alleges that on February 9, 2023, he distributed methamphetamine. The final four counts of the indictment allege that on April 6, 2023, he possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, that he possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute, that he was a felon in possession of a 9mm handgun and ammunition, and that he possessed a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
If convicted, Santana faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years on the two charges alleging the possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine for distribution, 20 years on each of the fentanyl charges and the distribution of methamphetamine charge, 15 years on the felon in possession of ammunition and felon in possession of a firearm charges, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years on the charge of possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed.
The charges against Santana are the result of an investigation by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the prosecution.
Two Dane County Men Charged with Gun & Drug Crimes
Tyez D.D. Boyd, 25, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and Davonte F. King, 28, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing fentanyl for distribution, and possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The indictment alleges that on November 17, 2022, Boyd possessed a.45 caliber handgun. The indictment further alleges that on that day, King possessed a 9mm handgun, and fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
If convicted, Boyd and King each face a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on the felon in possession of a firearm charge. King faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on the fentanyl charge, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed.
The charges against Boyd and King are the result of an investigation by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force; Madison Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson is handling the prosecution.
Madison Man Charged with Gun & Drug Crimes
Messiah A. Fleming, 21, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, with possessing fentanyl for distribution, and with possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that on November 24, 2022, he possessed a loaded 9mm handgun and fentanyl with intent to distribute.
If convicted, Fleming faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge, 20 years on the fentanyl charge, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed.
The charges against Fleming are the result of an investigation by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force; Madison Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson is handling the prosecution.
Walworth County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm
Arron W. Dupler, 34, Darien, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that on March 4, 2022, he possessed a Ruger LCP .380 handgun.
If convicted, Dupler faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Janesville Police Department; and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Marie Boor is handling the prosecution.
Madison Man Charged with Gun & Drug Crimes
Robert A. Goldsberry, 28, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, with possessing marijuana for distribution, and with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that on November 3, 2022, he possessed a 9mm handgun and ammunition, and marijuana with intent to distribute.
If convicted, Goldsberry faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge, 5 years on the marijuana charge, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed.
The charges against Goldsberry are the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Reinhard is handling the prosecution.
Fitchburg Man Charged with Distributing Heroin
Robert Seymour, 38, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with two counts of distributing heroin. The indictment alleges that he distributed heroin on May 31 and June 21, 2023.
If convicted, Seymour faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on each count. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Reinhard is handling the prosecution.
Jamaican National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.
Andre Bowyer, 32, a citizen of Jamaica found in Grant County, Wisconsin, is charged with reentering the United States after previously being removed. The indictment alleges that he was found in the United States on June 12, 2023.
If convicted, Bowyer faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson is handling the prosecution.
Gatlinburg Woman Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Defrauding COVID-19 Economic Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On June 28, 2023, Sarrah Denton Willhite, 35, of Gatlinburg Tennessee was sentenced to 27 months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of a plea agreement filed with the court, Willhite agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging her with one count of wire fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Judge Varlan ordered Willhite to pay restitution in the amount of $346,600 and to complete a term of supervised release of two years following her release from prison.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Two primary sources of relief provided by the CARES Act were the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program. The EIDL program was administered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and provided low-interest loans to businesses to pay for items like accounts payable, rent, mortgage payments, and other bills that could not be paid as a result of the pandemic.
As set forth in the filed plea agreement, on November 27, 2021, Willhite submitted an electronic application to the SBA requesting an EIDL on behalf of Rescue Army Nation Ministries, a nonprofit organization purportedly owned and operated by Willhite for charitable or religious purposes. Willhite submitted false documents in support of her application, including a Profit and Loss Statement that Willhite fabricated solely for the purpose of obtaining the loan. She also falsely represented that Rescue Army Nation Ministries employed eight employees. In fact, as Willhite knew, it employed none. Willhite also falsely certified that she would use the loan proceeds solely for working capital, and she misrepresented that she was acting on behalf of a charitable or religious organization.
The SBA approved the application based on Willhite’s fabricated documents and false statements. On December 17, 2021, the SBA transferred by wire $346,600 in EIDL funds into a bank account Willhite controlled. Between December 17, 2021, and January 28, 2022, Willhite spent approximately all the EIDL funds on personal items or expenses, including a vacation to Disney World, to pay off student loans, to purchase land, and to purchase two vehicles and a travel trailer. She transferred the remainder of the proceeds to her personal checking account.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant United States Attorney William A. Roach, Jr., who serves as the Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Tennessee, represented the United States.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Former New York City Department of Education CEO of School Support Services and Three Executives of SOMMA Food Group Convicted of Extortion Conspiracy and BriberyRead the Press Release
Today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts on all counts of a superseding indictment against Eric Goldstein, the former Chief Executive Officer of the New York City Department of Education’s (NYC DOE) Office of School Support Services, and Blaine Iler, Michael Turley and Brian Twomey, operators of a food services company, with conspiring to commit extortion under color of official right and solicitation and giving of bribes relating to programs receiving federal funds. The verdict followed a 4-week, trial before Visiting U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin. When sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Extortion, Hobbs Act Extortion, Conspiracy to Commit Federal Program Bribery, Federal Program Bribery, Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud, and Honest Services Wire Fraud, the defendants each face up to 20 years in prison as well as forfeiture and restitution penalties.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the verdict.
“The defendants’ criminal conduct is a textbook example of choosing greed over the needs of our schools and the well-being of our children. Our children depended on nutritious meals served in schools and instead, got substandard food products containing pieces of plastic, metal, and bones, which is unacceptable,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s verdict demonstrates the consequences of corruptly placing personal profit over the public interests.”
Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, for their outstanding investigative work on the case.
As proven at trial and contained in court filings, between 2008 and September 2018, Goldstein oversaw the management, budget, and operations of several NYC DOE departments, including the Office of Food and Nutrition Services (SchoolFood), which was responsible for managing the overall food service operation for all New York City public schools. In early 2015, Iler, Turley, and Twomey created a food services company called SOMMA Food Group (SOMMA), to provide food products to retail and food service markets, including to K-12 schools across the United States. SOMMA promoted and sold yogurt, hamburgers, and antibiotic-free chicken products marketed under the brand name Chickentopia.
At or about the same time SOMMA was founded, Goldstein, Iler, Turley, and Twomey co-founded Range Meats Supply Company (RMSCO), to purchase grass-fed beef products that SOMMA, in turn, would then promote and sell under the brand name Range Meats to retail markets and New York City schools. At the same time, Iler, Turley, and Twomey partnered with Goldstein in RMSCO, Iler, Turley and Twomey began to promote SOMMA’s products to SchoolFood officials and employees, all of whom reported to Goldstein in his role as OSS Chief Executive. During a meeting with Iler in New York in July 2015, Goldstein told him, “I’m going to buy a lot of f---ing chicken from you guys, let’s do the beef.”
Between 2015 and December 2016, defendants Iler, Turley, and Twomey provided numerous benefits to Goldstein, including enticing Goldstein with potentially lucrative business opportunities and monetary payments to RMSCO for Goldstein’s benefit. In exchange, Goldstein used his influence as head of SchoolFood to help Iler, Turley, and Twomey in SOMMA’s business dealings before SchoolFood. Goldstein helped ensure that SchoolFood accepted SOMMA’s products for purchase, expedited the approval process and resolved disagreements between SOMMA and SchoolFood officials in SOMMA’s favor. The defendants purposefully concealed Goldstein’s ownership interest in RMSCO from the NYC DOE while Goldstein was using his influence and public position at NYC DOE to benefit SOMMA.
In the fall of 2016, SchoolFood stopped serving SOMMA’s chicken tenders after a NYC DOE employee choked on a bone that had not been removed from a chicken tender supplied by SOMMA. Goldstein, who had final approval as to whether and when the chicken tenders would be allowed back in schools, delayed approving the reintroduction of the tenders until Iler, Turley, and Twomey agreed to transfer SOMMA’s ownership interest in RMSCO to Goldstein as well as to transfer $66,670 to a bank account in RMSCO’s name that Goldstein had opened and controlled. Following weeks of negotiations, on November 29, 2016, Iler, Turley and Twomey agreed to pay the bribe Goldstein was soliciting and one day later, on November 30, 2016, Goldstein approved reintroduction of SOMMA’s chicken products in schools. The products were served in schools until April 2017 when, following repeated complaints from students and staff that the chicken tenders continued to contain foreign objects. SchoolFood decided to remove all of SOMMA’s food products from New York City public schools.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Polemeni, Andrew Grubin, Laura Zuckerwise, and Kaitlin McTague are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Kavya Kannan.
The Defendants:
ERIC GOLDSTEIN
Age: 55
New Rochelle, New YorkBLAINE ILER
Age: 35
Dallas, TexasMICHAEL TURLEY
Age: 54
Fayetteville, ArkansasBRIAN TWOMEY
Age: 50
Dallas, TexasE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-550 (DC)
Former Chicago-Area Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A former Chicago-area woman pleaded guilty today to preparing and filing false income tax returns on behalf of her clients.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2014 through about April 2019, Erica Early, a tax preparer formerly of Robins and Richton Park, Illinois, operated a tax preparation business for clients located in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. She often charged $1,000 to prepare basic tax returns. On returns she prepared, Early falsely inflated clients’ income to maximize the Earned Income Tax Credit and falsely claimed education-related credits. Early, who was a U.S. Postal Service employee during some of the time she was engaged in preparing the false returns, also falsified her own personal tax returns, claiming education credits she knew she was not eligible to receive. In total, Early’s conduct resulted in tax loss to the IRS of approximately $515,990.
Early is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 4, 2023, and faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Boris Bourget of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Blair Assistant Principal Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced the Daniel Hutsell, 42, of Blair, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 28, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for distribution of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Hutsell to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Hutsell with begin a five-year term of supervised release. Hutsell will be required to register as a sex offender.
On or about September 13, 2021, Stelivo, LLC, a business that runs several real-time chat websites, including freechatnow.com, identified one image of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct that was distributed through its server. Through a cybertip, Stelivo reported that a user with a freechatnow.com username, G|teachrr, sent the image to other freechatnow.com users. The image showed an 8- to 10-year-old female child exposing her genitalia in a sexually explicit manner.
Stelivo captured the IP address of the user account that was used to distribute the image. Law enforcement obtained information related to the IP address, which ultimately identified Hutsell as the subscriber and that he resided in Nebraska. Stelivo identified additional uploads of images from the same username and IP address using freechatnow.com, which included approximately 10 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
On November 30, 2021, law enforcement executed a search of Hutsell’s residence in Blair. At the time of the search warrant, Hutsell, an assistant principal with Blair Community Schools, admitted to law enforcement that he used a computer and freechatnow.com to trade pornography. Hutsell admitted he had seen the previously mentioned image of the 8- to 10-year-old female child exposing her genitalia in a sexually explicit manner.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Former Active-Duty Army Staff Sergeant Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Nicholas Christopher Carwise (31, Fort Mitchell) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Carwise had pleaded guilty on March 20, 2023.
According to court documents, on May 12, 2022, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force Officer (TFO)/St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office detective posted a photo to an online social media application. On the same date, the TFO received a response from an individual with the screenname “Vistor,” who had a location of 8 miles away. During the TFO’s conversation with “Vistor,” who was later identified as Carwise, “Vistor” quickly expressed a sexual interest in the TFO’s fictitious persona, whom he believed to be a 13-year-old child. From May 14 through May 21, 2022, the TFO and Carwise communicated through two social medial applications. Carwise discussed meeting the “minor child” to engage in sexual activity with her, including Carwise paying her $200 to engage in sexual activity with him.
Law enforcement identified Carwise based on photos and information he had provided for his profiles for the two social media accounts. Further investigation revealed that Carwise had a residence in Tennessee and that vehicles registered to him were located in and around St. Johns County from May 11 to May 15, 2022. Law enforcement also learned that Carwise was likely in the military and contacted the Criminal Investigations Division for assistance. Law enforcement learned that Carwise was on Active Duty for the Army, enlisted, and had a rank of Staff Sergeant, working in Kentucky at the time.
Carwise was arrested on June 29, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia and has been in custody since his arrest.
“Social media has made it easy for sexual predators to feed their illicit fantasies by targeting the innocence of children,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “The Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, including the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and with assistance from the Ft. Benning Criminal Investigation Division, made sure this soldier will no longer be able to entice and victimize our most vulnerable.”
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Jury Convicts Terrance Hines of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Resulting in an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Greeneville, Tenn. - On June 26, 2023, following a four-day trial in the United States District Court at Greeneville, a jury convicted Terrance Lamont Hines, Jr., 41, of Kingsport, Tenn., of conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl resulting in death in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A) and 851; possession of 40 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), three counts of distribution of a quantity of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A) and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of 18. U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
Sentencing is set for October 30, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. before the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Hines faces a minimum mandatory sentence of twenty years imprisonment as a result of the conviction for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl resulting in death and mandatory life in prison if the Court finds that Hines has the prior qualifying felony drug trafficking conviction filed as a notice of enhancement in the indictment.
The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Hines supplied the fentanyl that caused the death of a 52-year-old Kingsport woman in December 2020. Three co-defendants were also part of the chain of distribution. Hines sold the fentanyl to co-defendant Robin Hutchins, who sold it to co-defendant Adam Presnell, who sold it to co-defendant Shaina Lanford, who supplied it directly to the victim. The evidence showed that on July 20, 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants at Hines’ apartment and at a Kingsport music recording studio which operated as a hub for his drug trafficking. Officers located two firearms and over 100 grams of fentanyl. Hines, who had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Co-defendants Hutchins, Presnell, and Lanford previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and will be sentenced at a later time.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and Sullivan County Drug Related Death Task Force, with assistance from the Kingsport Police Department and 2nd Judicial Drug Task Force. The Sullivan County Drug Related Death Task Force receives federally funding through the Appalachian High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) initiative, which uses a multi-disciplinary approach to address public health and safety issues that center around the opioid epidemic as well as other dangerous drug trends.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Swecker and Mac Heavener represented the United States.
This case was brought as 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 communicates, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
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Farmington Man Admits Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Farmington, Missouri on Wednesday admitted possessing and selling methamphetamine.
Charles J. Crawford, 53, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On Sept. 5, 2019, Crawford sold about an ounce of nearly pure methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with the Missouri State Highway Patrol for $250. Officers then observed multiple vehicles coming and going from Crawford’s home, indicating drug sales were occurring. A subsequent court-approved search of Crawford’s home early the next morning found nearly three more ounces of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and two firearms.
The possession with intent charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years in light of the significant quantity of drugs involved. Both sides have agreed to recommend 100 months in prison when Crawford is sentenced.
The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Mineral Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
Former Cape Air Employee Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Shakari Francis, 27, of St. Thomas, pleaded guilty before Chief District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Francis faces a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment, not less than three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00.
According to court documents, Francis worked at Cape Air as a ramp agent at the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas. On January 11, 2023, Francis entered the airport using his secured access with two bricks of cocaine. Francis later met Ahkoy Smith, a ticketed passenger on Spirit Airline’s flight to Fort Lauderdale, FL, in the restrooms located next to the concession area where Francis delivered the two bricks of cocaine to Smith. Federal agents arrested Francis and attempted to arrest Smith as he boarded his flight. When approached by the agents, Smith removed his backpack and threw it to the tarmac and ran onto the active runway. He was apprehended by federal agents and placed under arrest and charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Smith entered a plea agreement with the United States to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Evadale Little League Coach Guilty of Federal Child Exploitation ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Lumberton man has pleaded guilty to federal child exploitation charges in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Adam Dale Isaacks, 40, pleaded guilty to four counts of transporting a minor for purposes of sexual activity today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, on Dec. 13, 2021, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office responded to an Evadale home in reference to a report of several sexual assaults. As the investigation progressed, Isaacks was identified as the assailant. Isaacks, a youth baseball coach and president of the Evadale Little League Baseball organization and a trusted member of the community, was reported to have sexually assaulted eight minor members of his baseball team. The boys were between 9 and 11 years old the time of the offenses. The investigation revealed instances where several minor victims were transported by Isaacks from the Eastern District of Texas outside the state. While outside the State of Texas, Isaacks engaged in illicit sexual conduct with the minor victims. The trips were verified with records from airlines, credit card information, photos, and witnesses.
Under federal statutes, Isaacks faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison as sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
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 Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, and the San Augustine County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
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Eugene Man Faces Federal Charges for Unlawfully Possessing Machine Guns and a SilencerRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—An indictment was unsealed in federal court Wednesday charging a local man with illegally possessing two firearms converted into fully-automatic machine guns and a silencer.
Joshua Allen Lampe, 35, a Eugene resident, has been charged with unlawfully possessing two machine guns and a silencer. The National Firearms Act makes it illegal to possess and transfer certain firearms, including machine guns and silencers, without proper registration.
According to court documents, in an August 2022 search of Lampe’s Eugene residence, investigators located and seized dozens of firearms, knives, ammunition, firearm accessories and parts, scopes, laser sights, packaging materials, tactical gear, and other types of armaments.
In December 2022, investigators sought and obtained a warrant to search Lampe’s home for a second time in just four months. They discovered Lampe had quickly amassed hand tools, a rifle, firearm parts, machine gun switches, a 3D printer used to make switches, several ghost guns, a silencer, and packaging materials as well as methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl pills.
Analysis and testing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) later confirmed two pistols seized from Lampe’s residence were operative machine guns having been converted with switches. An analysis also confirmed the silencer seized was an operative device.
Machine gun switches, sometimes referred to as “Glock switches,” are small attachments used to convert firearms from semi-automatic to fully-automatic.
Lampe made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and released on conditions pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on September 5, 2023.
Illegally possessing a machine gun and a silencer are punishable by up to ten years in federal prison per count of conviction.
This case was investigated by ATF and the Eugene Police Department with assistance from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by the William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Elkhart Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison and Ordered to Pay RestitutionRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Charles Ray Smith, 52 years old, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Smith was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $315,020 in restitution to the victims of the offense.
According to documents in the case, from November 2016 to October 2021, Smith represented to several people that if they invested money with him, they would receive large returns on their investments. Induced by Smith’s representations, certain individuals gave him money. Smith did not invest the money as promised, but instead used it for his own personal benefit including purchasing his 3,500-square-foot residence. As a result of this scheme, Smith fraudulently obtained over $300,000.00.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.
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East Hartford Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE RIVERA, also known as “Chepo,” 43, last residing in East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 71 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics and firearm offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2021, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Hartford Police Department made controlled purchases of distribution quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Rivera and his associate, Elvin Gonzalez, also known as “Peewee.”
Rivera and Gonzalez were arrested on June 25, 2021. On that date, a search of Rivera’s East Hartford residence revealed approximately 162 grams of loose fentanyl, 300 dose bags of fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, a handgun and a loaded magazine, and more than $19,000 in cash. A search of Gonzalez’s Hartford residence revealed approximately 4,000 dose bags of fentanyl, approximately 139 grams of crack, approximately 18 grams of cocaine, two loaded handguns, a loaded rifle, and additional rounds of ammunition.
At the time of his arrest, Rivera was on parole after having served approximately 20 years in prison for committing a gang-related murder and a separate non-fatal shooting in 1997.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On January 5, 2023, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty to the same charges on November 10, 2021. On February 1, 2023, he was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
This prosecution 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. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Drug Trafficker Faces Federal Charges After Portland Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An area drug trafficker is facing federal charges Wednesday after his supply of illicit fentanyl was linked to a fatal overdose in Portland.
Efrain Roberto Diaz-Rangel, 34, a Mexican National residing in Portland, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.
According to court documents, in April 2023, the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN) began investigating a suspected fentanyl overdose of an adult victim in Portland. Investigators identified multiple people involved in a distribution chain responsible for selling counterfeit Oxycodone pills manufactured with fentanyl, some of which were determined to have caused the Portland victim’s overdose death. In May 2023, WIN requested investigative assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Together, WIN and HSI obtained evidence that Diaz-Rangel was involved in the fentanyl distribution chain previously identified.
On June 27, 2023, HSI special agents arrested Diaz-Rangel. At the time of his arrest, Diaz-Rangel possessed approximately 1,000 counterfeit pills and a small quantity of heroin. Inside Diaz-Rangel’s residence, the agents located an additional 30,000 counterfeit pills, several additional pounds of heroin, and more than $10,000 in cash.
Diaz-Rangel made his first appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was jointly investigated by WIN and HSI with assistance from the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT) and Portland Police Bureau. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.