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15 June 2023
Lake County Man Arrested for Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Brian David Casey (35, Clermont) on a one-count indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Casey faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury had returned the indictment on June 6, 2023.
According to evidence presented in court, on March 20, 2023, Casey, a convicted felon, fired a shotgun during an argument with his neighbor. When federal agents subsequently arrested him for that offense, Casey was found to be in possession of another firearm—a loaded revolver. Casey had previously been convicted of three felonies, including burglary (2008) and two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer (2011). As a convicted felon, Casey is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is being investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Jury Convicts Former Toledo City Councilman of ExtortionRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Former Toledo City Councilman Garrick “Gary” Johnson, 61, was found guilty of Hobbs Act Extortion Under Color of Official Right by a jury after a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick. The jury acquitted Mr. Johnson of a similar count related to a different special use permit in the same Superseding Indictment.
According to court documents and testimony, a friend of a FBI source applied for a special use permit to open an internet café on Secor Road in Toledo, Ohio. The source then paid former Councilman Johnson $2,000 in return for his support of the special use permit. The special use permit ultimately failed to garner the required votes in City Council. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to make the prosecution of public corruption a priority,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “Public officials who betray the trust of those they serve will be aggressively pursued and held accountable.”
“Investigating matters of Public Corruption is one of the highest priorities of the FBI,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “Upholding public trust, especially as an elected official, is paramount. The FBI will continue to protect the American Public by ensuring the people who are elected to serve are virtuous in their conduct.”
No sentencing date has been set.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jody King and Gene Crawford.
Jury Convicts Belleville Man of Attempted Sex Crimes Against a MinorRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – In a U.S. District courtroom Tuesday, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against a Belleville man accused of two attempted sex crimes against a minor, after he tried to meet with an alleged 15-year-old girl in Collinsville.
The jury found Gerald S. Sewell, 59, guilty of one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Sewell’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 20, 2023.
“As technology becomes more integrated into our daily lives, internet safety is critical for healthy development in children of all ages,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Fortunately, the FBI is working aggressively to remove online predators looking for children to abuse, and I’m grateful for their partnership.”
"There is an inherent risk to children anywhere the opportunity exists to communicate online. That’s why the FBI continues to be proactive in our efforts to protect them, casting a wide net over the various online applications and internet platforms where children are vulnerable," said FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Shannon Fontenot. "Investigations like these demonstrate the outstanding work achieved in a collaborative environment with our law enforcement partners."
Sewell was one of 14 defendants charged in June 2020 as the result of an FBI-led operation involving multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies that targeted online predators.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Sewell initiated a conversation online with an FBI agent posing as a 15-year-old girl. Using sexually-explicit language, he made plans to meet with the purported girl for sex at a house in Collinsville. Sewell was arrested at the scene once he arrived.
In an interview with law enforcement, Sewell stated he was living at a friend’s house in Missouri and therefore had crossed over state lines to engage in the criminal sexual activity.
The operation was led by the FBI Springfield Field Office with assistance from the FBI St. Louis Field Office, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Belleville Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police, the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Swansea Police Department, and the U.S. Secret Service. Additional assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Alton jail, the Monroe County jail, and the St. Clair County jail.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Reppert and Zoe Gross are prosecuting the case.Jury Convicts Alabama Man of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – On June 14, 2023, a federal jury convicted Curtis Navelle Harrison, 45, of Monroeville, Alabama, of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and less than 40 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”).
According to Court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 23, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Louis Booker, Jr. from a residence in Moss Point, Mississippi. Three days later, on July 26, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Booker, Harrison, another adult male, and a minor child fled from the residence. When the individuals were apprehended, officers located a $10.00 bill from the prior buy on Harrison’s person. Approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine, firearms, and fentanyl were also recovered from the residence.
Subsequent investigation resulted in the discovery of text messages and social media messages between Harrison and Booker, which demonstrated that they were involved in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Harrison is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2023. He faces a maximum potential sentence of life imprisonment. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Booker previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is awaiting sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Lauren Dick prosecuted the case with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Gaines Cleveland.
Indiana Man Charged in Federal Court with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a man from Lebanon, Indiana, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments.
Evan Frederick Light, age 20, was indicted on May 2, 2023. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on June 12, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for each charge is up to 20 years in custody, and/or a $500,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution and forfeiture may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, in 2021 and continuing until May of 2023, Light conspired and agreed with others to defraud and to obtain money and property from others by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. After obtaining funds through fraud, Light and others engaged in transactions with virtual currencies and electronic payments. These transactions were designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the fraud proceeds.
The charges are merely accusations and Light is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Light was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings and trial. A trial date has been set for August 15, 2023.
Husband and Wife Charged in Connection with the Murder of the Wife’s Ex-HusbandRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Steven A. Nigrelli, the Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), announced today the arrest of NICHOLAS ORSINI and JAMIE ORSINI, who were each charged in a Complaint with one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of conspiracy, each related to the 2020 murder of JAMIE ORSINI’s ex-husband, Steven Kraft. The ORSINIs will be presented in federal court later today.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “A little over three years ago, Nicholas and Jamie Orsini allegedly plotted to and did kill Jamie’s ex-husband, Steven Kraft. Their alleged scheme was sophisticated — it involved burner phones, stealing and dumping Kraft’s car, and, ultimately, disposing of Kraft’s body. In doing so, the Orsinis denied Kraft’s family — including Kraft’s children with Jamie — the dignity of having a proper burial. This complaint shows that no matter how well you cover up your heinous act, law enforcement will not relent until they have uncovered your crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “The charges today allege that the defendants planned, practiced, and carried out a heinous series of actions in an attempt to get away with murdering Steven Kraft. This complaint today demonstrates our continued commitment to the community – the FBI will ensure those involved in such horrendous violence are held responsible in the criminal justice system.”
NYSP Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said: “I commend our State Police members and our partners with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless efforts to find justice for the grieving loved ones of Mr. Kraft. These two murderous individuals allegedly deliberately took the life of another person and will now be held accountable for their actions. State Police and our partners will continue to work together to keep our communities safe and make sure those who commit senseless, violent acts are placed behind bars.”
According to the allegations made in the Complaint:[1]
In 2020, JAMIE ORSINI and NICHOLAS ORSINI planned to, and did, murder Steven Kraft — who was JAMIE ORSINI’s ex-husband and the father of two children with her — take and get rid of Kraft’s car, and dispose of Kraft’s body, covering their tracks.
During the days leading up to April 28, 2020, the ORSINIs began preparing to murder Steven Kraft at their home in Beacon, New York, and to cover up that murder. Among other things, they purchased a 10x100 foot paint tarp, duct tape, a Tyvek suit and boots, and a “burner phone,” all paid for in cash. They also drove from their home in Beacon, New York, to a location in the City of Newburgh, New York, in what would be a “dry run” for how they ultimately got rid of Kraft’s car. On April 28, 2020, the ORSINIs carjacked and murdered Kraft. That afternoon, Kraft picked up his children from the ORSINIs’ home in Beacon. The ORSINIs followed Kraft and activated their burner phone before returning home. Kraft brought his children back to the ORSINIs’ at approximately 7:00 p.m.; he was never seen again. After falsely telling a co-worker that he was not coming to work because his wife’s car broke down, NICHOLAS ORSINI drove Kraft’s car along the same circuitous route the pair travelled in their dry run the day before from their home in Beacon to the same location in Newburgh.
After leaving Kraft’s car on the street, NICHOLAS ORSINI walked over a mile to a gas station. He used the burner phone to call a taxi to take him home and then threw out the burner phone.
In the days after the murder and carjacking, the ORSINIs continued to cover up their crimes. Among other things, they bought a new burner phone (changing the number on it at least once), drove repeatedly to and from Amsterdam, New York — where NICHOLAS ORSINI had family — which is more than 120 miles north of Beacon, staying for no more than a few hours before returning to Beacon, and purchased equipment that can be used to chop up and burn a body.
In particular, on April 29, 2020, NICHOLAS ORSINI — who, like JAMIE ORSINI, left his own phone at home in Beacon — purchased a new burner phone and then drove approximately two-and-a-half hours to Amsterdam either by himself or with JAMIE ORSINI, stayed for less than three hours, and then drove back to Beacon. The next day, on April 30, 2020, NICHOLAS ORSINI used his phone to search for “How to view your location history in google maps.” On May 1, 2020, the ORSINIs again drove to and from Amsterdam, again leaving their personal phones behind but using their burner phone. Later that day, the ORSINIs changed the phone number of their burner phone in an apparent attempt to hide their tracks.
The next day, NICHOLAS ORSINI used his phone to search for “Orange County News” (the City of Newburgh is in Orange County) and “Montgomery County News” (Amsterdam is in Montgomery County). At about the same time that he was conducting those searches, NICHOLAS ORSINI texted his mother: “Who did u tell I was coming up.” He then went to a Home Depot and a Walmart before using Google to search for “is galvanized steel fireproof.” Not long thereafter, NICHOLAS ORSINI returned to the Home Depot and purchased two 31-gallon galvanized steel round trash cans, a coarse stainless-steel rod, an angle grinder with grinding wheel, five metal disks, three 32-ounce bottles of odorless charcoal grates, an axe, and a flame lighter. The next morning, he returned to the Home Depot to purchase 16 bundles of firewood.
* * *
NICHOLAS ORSINI, 35, and JAIME ORSINI, 36, both of Amsterdam, New York, are each charged with one count of carjacking resulting in death, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in prison or death, and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the NYSP and the FBI for their outstanding work on the investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Michael D. Maimin are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Jamie and Nicholas Orsini ComplaintHaskell County Drug Dealer Sentenced for Role in Extensive Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that CALVIN JAMES WOODMORE age 34, of Haskell County, Oklahoma, was sentenced for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in Haskell and Pittsburg Counties. Calvin Woodmore was sentenced to 324 months in prison for Drug Conspiracy and 240 months in prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy and Laundering Monetary Instruments. The sentences will run concurrently. Woodmore was also sentenced to 5 years of supervised release following his prison sentences.
The charges arose from investigations by the Drug Enforcement Administration High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, the United States Postal Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the District 18 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the Haskell County Sheriff’s Office, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the McAlester Police Department, the Stigler Police Department, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
On April 7, 2022, Calvin Woodmore and his co-defendant, Early Woodmore, were convicted by a federal jury at trial. Early Woodmore’s sentencing is pending. From early 2018 until their arrest by law enforcement in 2020, the Woodmores led a methamphetamine trafficking organization in which they arranged to have large quantities of methamphetamine shipped to addresses in Haskell County and Pittsburg County. Once the packages of methamphetamine arrived, they would break them down into smaller quantities for distribution into communities in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“Calvin Woodmore’s sentence is a direct result of the excellent partnership between law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office in combating drug trafficking and money laundering," said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to be relentless in our mission to dismantle these drug trafficking organizations and bring the criminals who run them to justice.”
“This sentence reflects a win for the citizens of Eastern Oklahoma who value safe and drug-free communities,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Woodmore, who spent his days distributing methamphetamine and engaging in acts of violence, will now spend his nights in jail while the men and women of the DEA and it’s Oklahoma law enforcement partners continue their efforts to keep our streets drug free.”
“This office is dedicated to disrupting the destruction and violence inflicted by Woodmore and those like him,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Criminal organizations that distribute illegal drugs within our communities will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and sentencing hearing in Muskogee. Woodmore will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States.
Georgia Man Is Sentenced to 30 Years for Traveling to North Carolina to Engage in Sexual Activity with A MinorRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Stephen William Wargo, 30, formerly of Dallas, Georgia, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for traveling to Western North Carolina in order to engage in illicit sex acts with a minor, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Wargo to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison and to pay restitution in the amount of $13,200.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Lowell S. Griffin of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, in September 2021, Wargo began communicating with a 10-year-old minor female via the Discord social media messaging application. Wargo had extensive conversations with the minor victim and at times made inappropriate romantic overtures. Court records show that the minor victim’s parent discovered the communications and turned over the minor’s cell phone to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. A detective took over the minor victim’s Discord account and continued to communicate with Wargo. During this period, the messages from Wargo became increasingly sexual and the two discussed Wargo traveling from Georgia to North Carolina to meet the minor victim. On October 16, 2021, Wargo did in fact travel from Georgia to Henderson County, with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child. He was arrested upon arriving at the predetermined meeting location.
On February 27, 2023, Wargo pleaded guilty to crossing state lines with intent to engage in a sexual act with a person less than 12 years of age.
"Every child has the right to a childhood free from sexual abuse and trauma. Identifying and prosecuting predators like Wargo is at the forefront of our efforts to combat child sexual exploitation and keep our most precious resource, our children, safe from those who wish to cause them harm,” said U.S. Attorney King.
“Protecting the children in our communities remains a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Martinez. “This sentence is a testament that HSI remains committed to identifying individuals who prey on our most vulnerable population.”
“There is nothing more precious than our children. I am proud of the extraordinary efforts put forth by the men and women of the Sheriff’s office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to remove this dangerous criminal from society. We will continue to work collaboratively to hold those accountable that choose to prey on the most vulnerable,” said Sheriff Griffin.
U.S. Attorney King credited HSI and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Fresno Man Arrested in Fullerton After Alleged Carjacking and High-Speed Police Pursuit Charged in Federal Criminal ComplaintRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Fresno man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he carjacked a motorist in Fullerton and threw her out of the car before leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit in which he hit a police car, then fled on foot before officers apprehended him, the Justice Department announced today.
Deshawn Ricks, 33, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and is charged in a federal criminal complaint with carjacking.
Ricks is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon at United States District Court in Santa Ana.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on the afternoon of June 14, Fullerton Police officers were dispatched to the scene of a carjacking that occurred in a parking structure in downtown Fullerton. The victim told officers she was sitting in her parked 2022 Mazda CX-5 SUV with the vehicle turned off when Ricks approached her, opened her car’s door and ordered her out of the SUV.
When the victim refused, Ricks allegedly placed one of his hands on her lower back and brandished a metal object – which the victim described as a “shank” – in his other hand. Ricks allegedly threatened to stab the victim, then pulled her out of the vehicle by her hair and body.
Ricks then got into the vehicle and while he attempted to get it to start – the SUV had a “push to start” feature – the victim reached into the vehicle, grabbed her purse and then walked away to get help, the affidavit alleges. Ricks allegedly then drove the car within five feet of the victim and left the area.
Approximately 10 minutes after being notified of the carjacking, Fullerton Police officers located Ricks driving the victim’s stolen SUV, according to the affidavit. Despite officers’ attempt to make a traffic stop, Ricks allegedly led police on a high-speed pursuit in Fullerton in which he ran red lights, drove into oncoming traffic, and hit a marked police vehicle. Later during the chase, when Ricks lost control of the speeding Mazda that then was struck by a police vehicle, he exited the SUV and fled on foot before officers apprehended him, the affidavit states.
After law enforcement stopped the vehicle, officers allegedly found a pointed, serrated metal stake type object – approximately 12 inches long – near the front driver’s seat.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Ricks would face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Orange County Violent Crimes Task Force (OCVCTF), which is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, the ATF, the Santa Ana Police Department, the Brea Police Department, and the Fullerton Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell, Kevin Butler, and Jena MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Fredericksburg Family Sentenced for Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Fraud, Mail Theft, and Bank Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fredericksburg man was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution for conspiring to obtain pandemic unemployment benefits (UI) and his role in his sister’s mail theft and bank fraud scheme.
According to court documents, from in or about May 2020 through in or about January 2022, Eric Wilhoit, II, 29, conspired with Odyssey Wilhoit, 23, Jeremiah Wilhoit, 26, Dejhaun Wilhoit, 26, and others to obtain pandemic unemployment benefits. Eric Wilhoit, Odyssey Wilhoit, and Dejahun Wilhoit are family members. They conspired to apply for pandemic unemployment benefits in their own names and in the names of others, many of whom were identity theft victims. Eric Wilhoit admitted that he instructed his co-conspirators on how to make the claims. The group then used VPNs and false or anonymized email addresses in an attempt to hide the fraud.
Additionally, each member of the conspiracy recruited others to use their physical addresses to receive the prepaid debit cards that contained the unemployment benefits. Eric Wilhoit and his co-conspirators made significant cash withdrawals from the prepaid debit cards, bought luxury goods, and at least one firearm with the benefits. Specifically, Eric Wilhoit purchased a diamond ring, while his sister Odyssey Wilhoit purchased a Chanel purse, Louboutin shoes, along with many other items. The loss associated with the unemployment fraud scheme impacting the Virginia Unemployment Commission was over $1.7 million.
While attempting to flee his arrest, Eric Wilhoit led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, resulting in him crashing his car with his minor children in the backseat.
Separately, Odyssey Wilhoit ran her own mail theft and bank fraud scheme in which she conspired with Eric Wilhoit, Jeremiah Wilhoit, Dejhaun Wilhoit, and others, including Jaleai Morrison, 23, of Temple, Georgia. According to court documents, Morrison obtained a master U.S. Postal key and would steal checks from a U.S. Postal collection box, one of which was located in Arlington, and provide the checks or personal information from the checks to Odyssey Wilhoit. Odyssey Wilhoit used the information to create counterfeit checks, which she would then deposit into bank accounts and later withdraw or transfer to cash applications once the funds cleared. After her conspiracy with Morrison ended, Odyssey Wilhoit obtained the U.S. Postal key and continued to steal mail from the U.S. Postal collection boxes. Her bank fraud scheme continued through at least July 2022. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered hundreds of stolen checks, which when altered totaled over $850,000.
On January 25, 2023, Jaleia Morrison was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, and three years of supervised release for her role in the mail theft and bank fraud scheme. On April 26, 2023, Odyssey Wilhoit was sentenced to 75 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. On May 3, 2023, both Dejhaun and Jeremiah Wilhoit were sentenced to 66 months of imprisonment and to three years and five years of supervised release respectively. Odyssey Wilhoit, Dejhaun Wilhoit, and Jeremiah Wilhoit were also ordered to pay restitution and consented to the forfeiture of certain assets.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police provided significant assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Shartar and Christopher Hood prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:22-cr-191 and 1:22-cr-177.
Fraud Alert: Scammers Claiming to be with Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)Read the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – The Office of Justice Programs’ Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has received multiple reports that individuals claiming to represent OVC, or other Department of Justice (DOJ) agencies, are calling members of the public as part of imposter scams, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. These scams are usually intended to convince victims to send money to the fraudsters who use official agency names to make their communications sound serious and legitimate.
According to OVC’s website, some examples of scams include scammers falsely representing themselves as OVC Director Kristina Rose and attempting to obtain personal information or money. OVC states it will never contact individuals this way.
Other scammers may represent themselves as representatives of law enforcement agencies, such as INTERPOL, the FBI, or the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and claim the person to whom they are speaking has supported a terrorist network. Law enforcement will never contact a person demanding payment of a fine when the person has not been convicted of a crime following a trial or a guilty plea.
Additionally, after fraudulently obtaining money from someone through a scam like the ones described above, a scammer may contact a person a second time and tell the person that he or she is eligible for victim compensation or restitution from OVC. Such calls are also fraudulent. OVC states that it never offers victim compensation or restitution in this manner, and it does not demand money from individuals or threaten legal action—civil or criminal—if individuals do not make payments to OVC.
“Criminals will use any lie or trick they can invent to take advantage of the most vulnerable in society,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “I strongly encourage the public to remain vigilant and to never provide personal identifiable information — such as a social security number or bank account information — without verifying the identity and the legitimacy of the other individual.”
If a person receives what could be a scam phone call, email, or message from a someone claiming to be affiliated with a government agency, the recipient should not respond directly. Rather, he or she should access the agency’s website to find the agency’s legitimate contact information (email or telephone) and attempt to contact the agency to verify the information received.
The public can view the Federal Trade Commission's How to Spot, Stop, & Report Government Imposter Scams infographic for information on avoiding and responding to these scams.
Additionally, citizens may report scams to the Federal Trade Commission online at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ or by calling 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357). Fraud can also be reported to the FBI for law enforcement action at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/report-fraud.
Four Men Indicted in Connection with Violent Kidnapping and Ransom PlotRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Four men have been indicted for allegedly abducting a suspected drug dealer in Chicago and holding him for ransom.
The four alleged kidnappers conspired in May 2018 to kidnap the suspected dealer, rob him of drugs and cash, and hold him for ransom, according to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The kidnappers, brandishing firearms, entered the suspected drug dealer’s residence and used restraints to bind him and others inside the home, the indictment states. One of the kidnappers allegedly burned a victim’s arm with a hot object. The kidnappers then searched the residence for drugs and cash and forced the suspected dealer to place calls to obtain ransom money, the indictment states.
Charged in the indictment with conspiracy, robbery, kidnapping, and firearm offenses are CALVERT WILLIAMS, 34, of Chicago, DERRIUS BURNS, 30, of Bellwood, Ill., AHZAMI XHAMILTON, 27, of Chicago, and CHRISTOPHER GREGORY, 35, of Chicago. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
All four defendants are currently detained in law enforcement custody. Burns, Gregory, and Xhamilton pleaded not guilty at their arraignments this week in federal court. Williams will be arraigned at a later date.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Mitchell, Jimmy L. Arce, and Beth E. Palmer.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Former Union President Admits Filing False Report to Hide Embezzlement; Agrees to Repay Union $36,000Read the Press Release
SAN DIEGO - Felix Luciano, the former President of Local 2805 chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees and former Department of Homeland Security officer, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting he filed a false report to conceal his embezzlement of thousands of dollars in union dues.
Local 2805 is a labor union which represents Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Additionally, Luciano agreed to pay a $10,000 fine and repay Local 2805 $36,000 as money that he embezzled.
According to court records, Luciano was president of Local 2805. From January of 2016 to December of 2018, Luciano used some of Local 2805’s money for a variety of personal expenses, including shopping, travel reimbursements, groceries, dining, dry cleaning, and paying for non-union accounts. He did this by writing checks from Local 2805’s checking account and using Local 2805’s debit and credit cards to directly pay personal expenses. As a result of Luciano’s actions, he caused a total loss of $36,000 to Local 2805.
As Local 2805’s president, Luciano was required to file an annual Form LM-3 financial report with the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. A Form LM-3 is a report containing information about the organization over the prior year, including assets, liabilities, and disbursements to officers. A Form LM-3 is sworn under penalty of perjury. In the LM-3 report he filed in 2018, Luciano underreported the amount of money that he received from Local 2805 and Local 2805’s cash balance. In doing so, Luciano attempted to hide his embezzlement from the Department of Labor, his fellow union officers, as well as the union membership whose dues were the source of the embezzled funds.
“When workers, who are the backbone of our community, devote their hard-earned money to labor unions, they rightly expect the officers to be honest stewards of their dues,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Felix Luciano abused the trust of the ICE government employees represented by Local 2805 by using the union’s money for his own personal benefit and enrichment, and then filed a false financial report that concealed the misappropriation of those funds.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigation agencies for their work on this case.
“While the vast majority of union officials do their work diligently and without incident, unfortunately criminal violations do occur. When they do, it is the union and its members that are the victims. Felix Luciano embezzled over $36,000 from AFGE Local 2805 that should have been used for its members’ benefit,” said Ed Oquendo, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “OLMS is committed to hold accountable anyone who unlawfully exploits their position for financial gain at the expense of their fellow union members.”
Carroll Harris, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Los Angeles Division stated, “This investigation was an excellent example of a partnership between federal law enforcement agencies, working together in the pursuit of justice. I fully commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all the law enforcement agencies involved.”
Luciano is scheduled to be sentenced on September 15, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta.
DEFENDANT Case No. 22CR2201-JO
Felix Luciano Age: 61 San Diego, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
False Statement, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.
Maximum Penalty: Five years in custody; a fine of $250,000
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards
Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General
Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General
United States Postal Inspection Service
Former Missouri Construction Company Owner Sentenced to 18 Months, Fined $100,000 for Minority Business Enterprise Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a former construction company owner to 18 months in prison and a $100,000 fine for committing fraud to qualify for tax abatements designed to encourage minority-owned businesses in St. Louis.
Brian Kowert Sr. “engaged in an elaborate ‘pass through’ fraud scheme where he used an elderly Black contractor solely to pass company checks through to the non-minority subcontractors who Kowert hired to do the actual work and supply the actual materials on the project,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Kowert also knew what he was doing was wrong, as he committed a similar Minority Business Enterprise fraud 17 years ago, Goldsmith wrote.
Kowert was co-owner and chief operating officer of Clayton, Missouri-based HBD Construction Inc. at the time, and was acting as the project manager for the renovation and redevelopment of a building for Greater Goods LLC on Chouteau Avenue in St. Louis. Kowert and Charles Kirkwood, the owner of Midwestern Construction, a company that was a Minority Business Enterprise, agreed to falsely list Kirkwood’s company as providing materials and performing work on the project. Kirkwood’s participation allowed the project to satisfy St. Louis requirements for 25% participation by MBEs to qualify for a 10-year tax abatement.
The MBE participation requirements seek to address historical social and economic disadvantages experienced by minority group members and to reduce minority-based barriers to and foster participation by minority-owned businesses in city contract opportunities.
Kowert issued duplicate subcontracts to Kirkwood’s company for work that was performed and materials that were supplied by two other non-MBE companies. Kowert also issued a duplicate HBD purchase order to Kirkwood’s company for materials provided by a third non-MBE company. Kowert submitted a false chart of projected costs for the redevelopment project to the St. Louis Development Corporation, the city agency charged with reviewing, approving and recommending tax abatements. The chart falsely listed Kirkwood’s MBE company as providing labor and materials valued at approximately $198,000 on the Greater Goods redevelopment project and concealed the involvement of the three non-MBE companies.
Beginning on August 4, 2020, Kowert caused 14 HBD checks worth a total of about $220,000 to be issued to Kirkwood’s company for the work performed and materials provided by the three non-MBE companies. Kirkwood deposited those checks into his company bank account and then issued checks to the three non-MBE companies, at Kowert’s direction.
Kirkwood was paid approximately $2,000 by Kowert for his role in the criminal scheme.
Kowert and HBD then caused a false application for tax abatement on behalf of the Greater Goods redevelopment project to be submitted to the St. Louis Development Corporation. The application falsely represented that Kirkwood’s MBE company had performed about $224,361 in project costs, comprising about 6 ½ % of the required 25% MBE participation in the project.
Greater Goods and its employees had no knowledge of Kowert’s scheme. His actions cost the company, which donates a significant share of its sales revenues to charities, a tax abatement of approximately $400,000 over ten years. As a result, the company was not able to carry out various projects and meet certain charitable goals, Goldsmith wrote in the memo.
The scheme also had consequences for the MBE program.
“Mr. Kowert’s actions have harmed SLDC, undermined the City of St. Louis’ MBE Program, and caused substantial injury to the duly certified and struggling minority-owned firms in the St. Louis region,” Neal Richardson, president and CEO of SLDC, wrote in a letter to Judge Autrey.
Kowert pleaded guilty in January to two counts of wire fraud.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
Foreign National Sentenced for Trafficking Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Bulgarian national was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to traffic images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of young children.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Plamen Georgiev Velinov, 49, of Sofia, helped manage and administer the Newstar Enterprise, an internet-based business that profited from the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children under the guise of “child modeling,” through a collection of websites called the Newstar Websites. Beginning in around 2006 and continuing until 2019, Velinov assisted the enterprise by selecting children to be featured on the Newstar Websites, editing images and videos on those websites, communicating with customers, setting prices for videos, activating new websites, and creating advertising banners. While chatting with a co-conspirator, Velinov described one child as “nuclear sexy.” Financial records show that U.S.-based co-conspirators transferred more than $400,000 to Velinov’s Bulgarian bank account in connection with the conspiracy.
The Newstar Enterprise, which was founded around 2005, built and operated the Newstar Websites on servers in the United States and abroad. To generate content for the Newstar Websites, Newstar Enterprise members sourced, enticed, solicited, and recruited males and females under the age of 18, many of whom were prepubescent, to use as “child models” for the Newstar Websites. The Newstar Enterprise used the child victims to produce more than 4.6 million sexualized images and videos – including images and videos depicting children as young as six years old in sexual and provocative poses and wearing revealing underwear, clothing and costumes – that were distributed and sold through the Newstar Websites. Many of the child victims were recruited from Ukraine, Moldova, and other nations in Eastern Europe and were particularly vulnerable due to their age and socio-economic status.
Images were freely available to the public to preview on the Newstar Websites, but Newstar offered a paid subscription for greater access and more content. Newstar subscribers and customers were from more than 100 different countries. The sale of Newstar content generated more than $9.4 million during the conspiracy. To process, receive, and distribute this money, Newstar Enterprise leaders fraudulently opened merchant and bank accounts in the United States and laundered proceeds using a bogus jewelry company.
To date, seven members of the Newstar Enterprise have been charged in connection with the Newstar Websites. The chart below shows the status of each case:
Name
Charge(s)
Status
Tatiana Power
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 12.5 years in prison
Kenneth Power
Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography
Defendant deceased; case dismissed
Pavel Rohel
Conspiracy to produce child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography
Charges pending
Patrice Wilowski-Mevorah
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty; sentenced to five years and three months in prison
Anthony Lee Kendall
Conspiracy to commit money laundering; promotion money laundering; concealment money laundering
Defendant deceased; case dismissed
Mary Lou
Bjorkman
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 1.5 years in prison
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge John Condon of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI Tampa Field Office and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) investigated the cases, with substantial assistance provided by the HSI Fort Lauderdale Field Office and HSI Attaché offices in Athens, Greece, the Hague, and Vienna, Austria, as well as by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Sofia, Bulgaria. This investigation also benefited from substantial assistance and cooperation from foreign law enforcement, including from the Republic of Bulgaria, Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office; the National Investigative Service of Bulgaria; the Dutch National Police, International Legal Assistance Center, North Holland Unit; and the Regional Police Directorate for Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted with securing foreign evidence and with Velinov’s extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) provided capacity building assistance and mentoring.
Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karyna Valdes for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the cases.
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 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.
Foreign National Sentenced for International Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Mexican national was sentenced today in the District of Columbia to 13 years in prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine for importation into the United States.
According to court documents, between 1998 and approximately 2012, Jaime Antonio Mandujano-Eudave, 61, worked with the Sinaloa Cartel to coordinate the transportation of cocaine by boat from Colombia to Culiacan, Los Cabos, and elsewhere in Mexico. Mandujano-Eudave communicated GPS coordinates to the boats’ crew members to facilitate meetings in the Pacific Ocean. There, the cocaine-laden boats from Colombia would meet other boats under the control of the Sinaloa Cartel and offload the cocaine. These boats transported multi-kilogram amounts of cocaine. Once the cocaine arrived in Mexico, other members of Sinaloa Cartel would transport the cocaine to the United States for sale. Mandujano-Eudave knew that the cocaine would be subsequently imported into the United States for further distribution.
In 2009, Mandujano-Eudave sent a vessel, the Fiona, to pick up approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean. In October 2009, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the Fiona just north of Clarion Island, Mexico. The Fiona was set on fire by its crew, but the U.S. Coast Guard was able to recover 500 kilograms of cocaine from the water.
In August 2014, Spanish authorities arrested Mandujano-Eudave at the request of the United States. He was extradited from Spain to the United States in February 2015. On March 8, Mandujano-Eudave pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that it would be imported into the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI New York Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office.
Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Spain to secure the arrest and extradition of Mandujano-Eudave.
This case is supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF).
Five Defendants Sentenced in Connection with Federal Unemployment FraudRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. – Laketia Andrews Crossley, 51, of McComb was sentenced today to 13 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $2,118 in restitution to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security for conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiring to commit theft of public money, theft of public money, and making a false statement to a federal investigator.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Crossley conspired with Sedrick Pittman, Marcus Parker, Austin Bahm, and Calveshar Isaac to receive federal unemployment insurance benefits. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pittman, Parker, Bahm, and Isaac were inmates housed at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The inmates fraudulently applied for federal unemployment insurance benefits by stating on their applications that they were able and available to immediately accept employment benefits.
Due to the overwhelming number of applications for unemployment insurance, these fraudulent applications were not immediately detected, and benefits were approved for the group of prison inmates. The unemployment insurance benefits were sent by mail on debit cards to Crossley. Crossley then converted the funds on the debit cards to funds that she transmitted to Pittman, with whom she had a long-term romantic relationship, via cell phone. When questioned about her actions by special agents of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Crossley made false statements. It is contrary to federal law to fraudulently apply for or received federal unemployment insurance benefits. It is also contrary to federal law to make false statements to a federal investigator.
While Pittman, Parker, Bahm, and Isaac all pled guilty to various charges, Crossley asserted her right to a jury trial. After a three-day trial at the federal courthouse in Natchez, a jury found Crossley guilty of all charges. The other four defendants were sentenced prior to Crossley’s sentencing hearing.
Pittman received a sentence of 14 months in federal prison, which will be served consecutively to undischarged terms of imprisonment on state offenses from Pike County, Mississippi.
Parker received a sentence of six months in federal prison, which will be served consecutively to an undischarged term of imprisonment on state offenses from Pike County, Mississippi.
Bahm received a sentence of four months in federal prison, which will be served consecutively to undischarged terms of imprisonment on state offenses from Pike County, Mississippi.
Isaac received a sentence of five months in federal prison, which will be served consecutively to undischarged terms of imprisonment on state offenses from Walthall County, Mississippi and Pike County, Mississippi.
U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi and Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent in Charge for the Southeast Region of the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General made the announcement.
The DOL-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Charles W. Kirkham are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Finds Indianapolis Man Guilty of Trafficking Methamphetamine and Fentanyl and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has found Steven Lamar Brown, 42, of Indianapolis, Indiana, guilty of seven felony charges: five counts of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, between September 2020, and February of 2021, Brown was observed and recorded on video and audio selling more than fifty grams of methamphetamine on three separate occasions. On the recordings Brown can be clearly seen and heard weighing drugs and counting the money he received in exchange.
On February 23, 2021, IMPD officers attempted to stop Brown in his car to arrest him, but Brown refused to comply. Officers eventually stopped Brown, searched his vehicle, and found a loaded .380 caliber pistol in the glove box.
Later that day, law enforcement, including Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration and IMPD officers, conducted a court-authorized search of Brown’s residence. Inside, throughout the house, they found a trove of illegal drugs, tools of the drug trade, Brown’s personal documents, and eight firearms, including three assault rifles, four handguns, and a shotgun:
Master Bedroom & Closet
- 52.1 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin.
- 26.3 grams of fentanyl
- 100.96 grams of heroin
- 165.5 grams of methamphetamine
- 117 Xanax pills
- 10.7 grams of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”)
- 3 loaded semi-automatic assault-style rifles
- A loaded shotgun
- A loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun
- Brown’s birth certificate and social security card
On and Under the Bed
- 1.2 kilograms of synthetic marijuana in gallon-size bags
- 28.0 grams of synthetic marijuana
- A loaded .38 Special caliber revolver
- 2 loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistols
Bedroom #2
- A metal kilo press
- Loaded magazines
- A box of ammunition behind a standalone mirror
Kitchen
- A black digital scale with drug residue
- 407.1 grams of synthetic marijuana
Brown has multiple prior convictions for felony offenses, including robbery, for which he was on parole when he committed these federal crimes. As a result of those convictions, Brown is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Chief of IMPD, Randal Taylor, made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and IMPD investigated this case. U.S. District Court Judge, James R. Sweeney II, presided over the trial and will sentence Brown at a later date. Brown faces up to life in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release following his release from prison.
U.S Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Pamela S. Domash and Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Federal Jury Convicts Former St. Albans Auxiliary Police Officer of Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Billy J. Griffith, 57, of St. Albans, today of receipt of child pornography and possession of prepubescent child pornography.
Evidence at trial showed that on August 24, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Griffith’s Baier Street residence. Officers obtained the search warrant for Griffith’s residence after tracing an Internet Protocol (IP) address that had been used to download multiple digital media files of child pornography. Griffith was an auxiliary officer with the St. Albans Police Department as well as an exterminator, and his wife operated a child daycare at the residence.
Officers seized numerous electronic devices during the search of Griffith’s residence, including an external hard drive, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a cell phone. Griffith told officers that the electronic devices were his and that he had sole access to the computers and cell phone through password protections. An analysis found digital media files of child pornography on all four electronic devices, totaling more than 3,000 images and video files.
Griffith is scheduled to be sentenced on September 7, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Griffith must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson and Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.
“I appreciate the hard work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and our other law enforcement partners in investigating the case and analyzing the evidence,” Thompson said. “My involvement in this trial should show the high priority the office places on cases involving children.”
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the jury trial.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-218.
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Federal Jury Convicts Businessman of Participating in Bribery Scheme with Former Illinois State LawmakerRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago today convicted the manager of a sweepstakes gaming company of participating in a bribery scheme with an Illinois state lawmaker.
JAMES T. WEISS, 44, of River Grove, Ill., was convicted on all counts against him: three counts of honest services wire fraud, two counts of bribery, one count of honest services mail fraud, and one count of making false statements to the FBI. The jury returned its verdicts after a trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for Oct. 11, 2023.
The convictions were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. O’Neill and Sean Franzblau.
Evidence at trial revealed that in 2018 and 2019 Weiss paid thousands of dollars in bribes to then-Illinois State Rep. Luis Arroyo. The bribes were paid from Weiss’s gaming company, Collage LLC, in the form of checks made payable to Spartacus 3 LLC, Arroyo’s private lobbying firm in Chicago. In exchange for those bribes, Arroyo promoted legislation in the Illinois General Assembly related to the sweepstakes industry and advised other state lawmakers to support the legislation.
In August 2019, Arroyo offered to have payments made to an Illinois state senator in return for the senator’s support of sweepstakes-related legislation. On Aug. 22, 2019, Arroyo met with the senator at a restaurant in Skokie, Ill., and provided him with a $2,500 check from Collage as an initial bribe payment, with the expectation that the senator would receive similar payments for 12 months. Arroyo told the senator, “This is the jackpot,” and then wrote the name of the senator’s nominee on the company’s check. The nominee’s name was used for the purpose of concealing the illicit payment.
Arroyo, who represented the 3rd District in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2006 to 2019, pleaded guilty to his role in the bribery scheme and was sentenced in 2022 to nearly five years in federal prison.
Federal Jury Convicts Broome County Man for Traveling to Wyoming County to Attempt to Have Sex with A 13-Year-OldRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal jury convicted David Lettieri, 36, of Harpursville, NY, of enticement of a minor. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Bonanno and Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in October 2020, Lettieri traveled from Broome County to meet a 13-year-old girl (victim) in a park in Wyoming County with the intent of having sexual intercourse, however sexual contact did not occur. Subsequent investigation recovered communications between Lettieri and the victim, including photos of the victim on Lettieri’s phone. Investigators also searched Lettieri’s Facebook account and recovered conversations between Lettieri, the Victim, and the Victim’s sister, which were sexual in nature. The Victim’s age was also revealed during the conversations.
The verdict is the result of an investigation by the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Gregory J. Rudolph, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, who presided over the trial of the case.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Men for Wire Fraud and Odometer TamperingRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on June 14, 2023, charging two Warren County men with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit odometer tampering, and four counts of odometer tampering.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Porter of the Department of Transportation made the announcement.
According to the indictment, beginning in June 2018, through January 2023, Randy Huff, 60, aided and abetted by his employee Donnie Wilson, 50, devised a scheme to defraud the buyers of used cars by fraudulently reducing the mileage shown on the odometers, thereby inducing both the immediate and subsequent buyers of the vehicles to pay more for the motor vehicles than they would have paid if they had known the vehicles’ true mileages.
As part of the scheme, mechanics working for Huff reduced the mileage shown on the vehicles’ odometers by swapping the odometers with lower-mileage replacement odometers. After altering the vehicles’ odometers and the titles, Huff, Wilson, and other employees sold the vehicles to customers at Huff’s Auto Sales in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, and South Side Auto Sales in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This led to larger profits for Huff.
Huff and Wilson are scheduled to make their initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on June 21, 2023. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Department of Transportation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Farrell Resident Sentenced to 60 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Crack Cocaine and to Launder Drug Trafficking ProceedsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Eugene Phillips was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine and to launder drug trafficking proceeds, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Phillips, age 31 of Farrell, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon also ordered Phillips to serve four years of supervised release after his prison sentence.
Between March and June 2021, Phillips was detained at the Mercer County Jail because of state crack cocaine trafficking charges. The charges were pending until April 27, 2021, when he was convicted and sentenced to serve 27-54 months in state prison. During that time period, both prior to and after his state conviction and sentence, Phillips kept trafficking crack cocaine from the Mercer County Jail.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the convictions and sentence in this case.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Essex County Woman Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County woman was sentenced to 21 months in prison for her role in defrauding insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for chiropractic services that were never rendered, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Tiffany Marsh, 45, of Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence on June 14, 2023, in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Marsh was a medical billing professional who submitted false claims to two employer-provided health insurance plans for chiropractic services that were never provided. Marsh, who worked for the chiropractors at issue, falsely claimed that various individuals with employer-provided health insurance had incurred out-of-network medical costs, causing the insurance plans to issue reimbursement checks to the individual employees. The employees received the checks, and then paid Marsh a portion of the reimbursements in cash. As a result of the scheme, the victim health insurance plans incurred losses of approximately $334,000.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Marsh to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $334,837 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, and the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Essex County Man Admits Armed Robberies of Three PharmaciesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man admitted committing three armed robberies of pharmacies in Elizabeth, New Jersey, for oxycodone and other prescription medication, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Charles Johnson, 28, of Irvington, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging him with three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Throughout June and July 2022, Johnson robbed three different pharmacies in Elizabeth using a similar approach for each of the robberies, including brandishing a firearm, committing the robberies in the morning, demanding that employees of the pharmacies provide Johnson with oxycodone, promethazine, and other prescription medication, and threatening to shoot individuals in the pharmacies with a firearm. Law enforcement officials collected extensive video surveillance footage that linked Johnson to the robberies.
The Hobbs Act Robbery counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence count carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offenses, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 18, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel; and the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief Giacomo Sacca, for the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
johnson.information.pdfElmira Methamphetamine Dealer Going to Prison for 15 YearsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Corey J. Lattimer, 30, of Elmira, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Lattimer was also ordered to forfeit $3,528.62 in seized U.S. currency, and over 250 rounds of seized ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that Lattimer was arrested April 25, 2022, after the Elmira Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit and the New York State Police Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at his S. Main Street residence. During the search, investigators recovered approximately 2,075 grams of methamphetamine, 475 grams of fentanyl, and 5.2 grams of p-Flourofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, drug paraphernalia, $3,528.62 in U.S. currency, and over 250 rounds of live .45 caliber, 9mm caliber, and .380 caliber ammunition.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kristen Thorne, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
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Ellwood City Resident Pleads Guilty to Attempted Production and Production of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Ellwood City, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of attempted production and production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
David Bates, age 63, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on June 12, 2023.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in or between July 2020 and October 2020, Bates and another individual attempted to and did use, persuade, induce entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the minor engaged in such conduct.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for October 3, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Bates remains detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bates.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for Concealment of Information from the Supplemental Social Security Income ProgramRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Concealment of Information from the Supplemental Social Security Income Program. The sentencing took place on June 12, 2023.
Dale Arthur, a/k/a Dale Hendricks, age 41, was sentenced to four months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $10,825.00, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Arthur was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2022. She pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023.
The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between December 9, 2022, and March 20, 2023, when Arthur fraudulently claimed financial benefits from the Supplemental Social Security Income Program for dependents that were no longer under her care, during time periods she was incarcerated, and was not entitled to benefit payments on behalf of another.
This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Arthur was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on June 12, 2023.
Sydney Garreau, age 44, was sentenced to 12.5 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Garreau was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on February 22, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy beginning in February of 2021 and continuing until August of 2022, when Garreau was involved with several other individuals to distribute methamphetamine in and around the central South Dakota area, including on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. Garreau received distributable quantities of methamphetamine from a source of supply and then distributed the methamphetamine to various individuals on the reservation. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Garreau was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
EDLA Observes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2023Read the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – During this year’s observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, along with the Department of Justice (DOJ), reaffirms their mission to combat elder abuse, by educating the public concerning the identification and reporting of elder abuse. Through public awareness and reporting, law enforcement officials are empowered to both investigate and bring to justice, the perpetrators of these heinous acts.
Elder Abuse may take many different forms. Some forms include the illegal use of an older person’s money or property, through financial exploitation, or scams. In other forms, it may appear as physical, psychological, or sexual abuse; or the failure or refusal to provide assistance to a needy older person.
Recently, the challenges of the COVID pandemic have created unprecedented opportunities for the victimization of our nation’s senior citizens by fraudsters and abusers. During this time, the increased familial isolation experienced by seniors allowed unscrupulous predators to defraud the elderly through a myriad of schemes.
As the world reflects on our seniors today, the Department of Justice remains committed to protecting this vulnerable population through its Elder Justice Initiative, a program designed to prevent and prosecute elder fraud.
Some recent examples of Elder Fraud cases prosecuted by the USAO, EDLA are described below:
Former Bank Teller Sentenced for Federal Fraud Charges
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on February 1, 2023 United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced KAREN FARRELL TIGLER, age 40, of Marrero, Louisiana, to twenty-seven (27) months imprisonment followed by two (2) years of supervised release for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344 (Bank Fraud), and Making and Subscribing False Tax Returns in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1). According to documents filed in federal court, From February 9, 2015, to October 28, 2016, TIGLER used her position with the bank to embezzle approximately $349,556 from Client A’s account by using 100 counter checks to debit funds from Client A’s account.
Jamaican National Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison for Mail and Wire Fraud
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ACDANE CAMPBELL, age 25, a resident of Jamaica, was sentenced on May 26, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan to serve 10 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to a one count indictment for Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud.
According to court documents, from in or around August 2016, CAMPBELL and others, conspired to obtain money unlawfully by falsely informing elderly victims that they had won a lottery, sweepstakes, or car. The unidentified co-conspirators telephoned the victims, promising them that they would receive their winnings if they first paid taxes and fees. After being instructed by the unidentified co-conspirators that they needed to send payments to CAMPBELL, the victims would send their payments electronically through either a money services business, FedEx or the United States Postal Service. Working as a “money mule,” CAMPBELL either kept the money that he received from the victims or sent it to unknown persons in Jamaica.
EDLA’S MISSION TO ADDRESS ELDER FRAUD ON
WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY
“Elder fraud causes devastating losses to its victims. With the cooperation of our investigative partners, we will continue to hold the perpetrators of elder fraud schemes accountable. Today, on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), our office reminds seniors and their caregivers to be constantly vigilant to detect and report fraudulent schemes that target the elderly, and other vulnerable consumers. If seniors believe themselves to be victims of elder fraud or abuse, they should contact law enforcement immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Evans.
Our office has an Assistant U.S. Attorney who is specifically designated to both prosecute elder abuse cases and to train the public on the prevention, recognition, and reporting of elder fraud. If your organization is interested in receiving elder abuse prevention training from our Elder Justice Coordinator, please contact Shane M. Jones, Community Outreach Coordinator, at 504-680-3000 or by email at shane.jones@usdoj.gov.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime at www.ovc.gov. Additional elder justice resources, training, and outreach materials can be found at the Elder Justice Website at www.elderjustice.gov.
If you need assistance or to report elder abuse, please contact your local adult protective services agency through the Eldercare Locator or by call the helpline at 1-800-677-1116 Monday – Friday 9am - 8pm EST. To report elder fraud, please visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center or contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311 Monday – Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm EST.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice
Dupree Man Sentenced for Sexual Contact with a Person Incapable of ConsentingRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Dupree, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Contact with a Person Incapable Of Consenting. The sentencing took place on June 12, 2023.
Floyd Traversie, age 21, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Traversie was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2021. He pleaded guilty on March 27, 2023.
The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between June 15, 2020, and June 30, 2020, at a residence in rural Ziebach County within the Cheyenne River Reservation. Traversie engaged in sexual contact with a 17-year-old female, who at the time was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct and was physically incapable of declining participation in and communicating an unwillingness to engage in the sexual contact, knowing that the victim was incapacitated.
This case was investigated by the and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Traversie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Drug trafficker returns to prison for committing PPP and other pandemic relief fraud while on supervised releaseRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Ashford Richardson has been sentenced to two and a half additional years in prison for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) shortly after being released from prison on federal drug trafficking charges. He was on supervised release and subject to monitoring by the U.S. Probation Office when he committed these new crimes.
“Richardson had been released from prison for only 10 months when he orchestrated a scheme to steal more than $50,000 of pandemic relief funds that were badly needed by small businesses to continue functioning and support their employees,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We will continue to utilize all the tools at our disposal to identify and hold accountable individuals who commit fraud.”
“Richardson has not learned the lesson that crime doesn’t pay, and his latest crime is evidence of that. Fortunately, his scheme to steal money intended to help people struggling during the COVID pandemic was caught and he is facing justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “This isn’t a victimless crime, every time a fraudster like this stole money, legitimate applicants were unable to get those funds to help themselves and their families.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In July 2013, Richardson was indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring to distribute multiple kilograms of cocaine. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to five years and three months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. In October 2019, he was released from Bureau of Prisons custody and began his term of supervised release.
In June 2020, Richardson applied for $43,400 from the EIDL program and, the following month, applied for a PPP loan of $14,635. In the applications, he claimed he owned a painting and carpentry business that had over $85,000 in revenue in 2019 but had lost more than $60,000 due to the COVID-19 disaster. Richardson also submitted a 2019 corporate tax return document to support the claimed revenue. However, those figures were false, and the tax return document was fake. The applications were ultimately approved due to his fraud, and Richardson immediately withdrew the funds in cash from his bank account. When he learned that the government was investigating him for these new crimes, he submitted more falsified documents in an effort to further conceal his crimes.
Ashford Leon Richardson, 44, of East Point, Georgia, admitted violating his terms of supervised release and committing wire fraud on June 13, 2023, and was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story to two years and six months in prison to be followed by one additional year of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay $58,489.99 to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Sarah E. Klapman are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
District Man Indicted on Assault with Intent to Kill While Armed Arising from the August 31, 2022 Shooting of a JuvenileRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delmar Whitley, also known as Damar Whitley, 46, of Washington, D.C., is charged by indictment, filed today, with assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges stemming from the Aug. 31, 2022, shooting of one 17-year old, and the threat to shoot another 17-year old. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Interim Chief Ashan M. Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Whitley was indicted by a Superior Court grand jury and charged with assault with intent to kill while armed with a firearm committed against a minor; aggravated assault while armed with a firearm committed against a minor; and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon committed against a minor. Whitley also was indicted on charges of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence or dangerous offense, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Whitley is to be arraigned on June 23, 2023, at a hearing before the Honorable Marisa Demeo. He faces a maximum of 45 years in prison if convicted of the lead charge, and an additional 15 years if convicted of the assault on the second teenager.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 31, 2022, at about 9:27 a.m., Whitley returned home to the apartment building where he resided in the 4700 block of Alabama Avenue SE. As he passed through the common area of the building, Whitley exchanged words with the first victim, a 17-year-old who was visiting the building before he and his classmates were to go to school. According to the evidence, after that exchange, Whitley briefly went inside his apartment before coming back with a firearm and shooting the teenager in the face, and then chasing him outside and shooting him again in the back. Whitley is also accused of pointing the firearm at another teen who was also trying to get away.
Following the assaults, Whitley fled the scene. Whitley was arrested on Sept. 22, 2022, and has remained in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth and Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Prins and Michael Roberts, who are investigating and prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Darknet Fentanyl Dealer Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
A darknet fentanyl dealer who used the moniker “Fent4U” was found guilty yesterday of multiple drug crimes and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
After four days of trial and five hours of deliberation, a jury convicted Sean Shaughnessy, 55, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue, distribution of controlled substances, and possession of child pornography.
“Drug traffickers who think operating on the darknet will shield them from prosecution should think again,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “We will scour the darkest recesses of the internet to find those dealing fentanyl, a drug that shatters lives and wrecks futures. We are grateful to the many agents and officers – both in uniform and undercover – that worked together to arrest Mr. Shaughnessy, and to the jurors who thoughtfully weighed the evidence and voted to convict.”
“This drug dealer, who used the cloak of the dark web to peddle fentanyl and other illicit drugs, is no longer in business thanks to the investigative efforts and technological expertise of our agents and law enforcement partners,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas. “Criminals who seek personal gain by trafficking illicit drugs at the expense of victims in our communities cannot hide on the dark web. Our team of special agents and criminal analysts will never relent in our resolve to bring to justice those that seek financial gain by selling this poison in our neighborhoods as we all work tirelessly as a community to address drug addiction and fatal overdoses throughout the country.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Shaughnessy sold fentanyl, carfentanil (a frequently abused elephant tranquilizer), pentedrone, and fentanyl and pentedrone analogues over the dark web, an unindexed portion of the internet accessible only via specialized software that allows users to conduct transactions with relative anonymity. His buyers purchased the drugs on dark web marketplaces using cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, and Mr. Shaughnessy shipped the drugs to their addresses.
Multiple former customers testified at Mr. Shaughnessy’s trial, noting the drugs Shaughnessy sold them, including fentanyl and its analogues, arrived to their DFW are homes very quickly and were of high potency.
Just days after purchasing fentanyl analogues from Mr. Shaughnessy, one of his customers, a young man in his 20s, died of an overdose involving that substance.
An undercover Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent testified about the undercover operation that identified Mr. Shaughnessy, explaining that Mr. Shaughnessy directed tens of thousands of dollars of his illicit drug proceeds to be sent to Mr. Shaughnessy in the Dallas area.
Another agent testified that during an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Shaughnessy claimed that the agents would have to “check his taxes” to determine what Mr. Shaughnessy did for a living. Agents contacted the Internal Revenue Service, which indicated Mr. Shaughnessy had filed no taxes for the relevant time periods.
In a video of his July 2016 arrest played for the jury, Mr. Shaughnessy, with white powder visible around his nose, removed and dropped a baggie of drugs from his pocket while officers were placing handcuffs on him, and he then attempted to kick it out of officers’ view. When officers noticed the baggie, the defendant insisted, “that ain’t mine,” though it was plainly visible on the officers’ body-camera footage.
The defendant now faces up to 80 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas and New York Field Offices conducted the investigation in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, the Irving Police Department, and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Magliolo, Gary Tromblay, Nicole Dana, and Jordan Ganz are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay presided over the trial.
Convicted robber sentenced for third unlawful entryRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 54-year-old Mexican man has been ordered to prison for illegally re-entering the country…again, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Eleuterio Covarrubias-Martinez pleaded guilty Jan. 20.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Covarrubias-Martinez to serve 151 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Covarrubias-Martinez was facing a large sentence for an unlawful entry, but it was warranted given his significant criminal history in order to promote respect for the law and deter future criminal conduct.
Covarrubias-Martinez is a citizen of Mexico who was found illegally present within the United States. He was previously convicted twice of the same crime with a criminal history including prior convictions for drug trafficking, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery.
On Nov. 14, 2022, law enforcement encountered Covarrubias-Martinez near Hidalgo. At that time, he admitted he was a citizen from Mexico and entered the country by rafting across the river.
Covarrubias-Martinez was deported for the first time on July 25, 2001. He has since been convicted twice for re-entry by deported alien. Documents showed that Covarrubias-Martinez returned just four days after his last removal.
Covarrubias-Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for being a convicted felon in possession of a 10 mm Glock pistol, which he used to shoot a victim.
Joel Polanco, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 80 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2022, Polanco pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In October 2020, Polanco was arrested after police responded to the area of Snow and Cherry Streets in Fitchburg following a report of a person suffering a gunshot wound to the leg. A witness reported seeing someone fitting Polanco’s description shoot the victim. In addition, surveillance videos showed a person fitting Polanco’s description carrying what appeared to be the black fanny-pack and holding an item in his hand that appeared to be a gun. Polanco shot the victim using a 10 mm Glock pistol which was later recovered from a black fanny-pack in the area of Snow Street.
Polanco is prohibited from possessing a firearm after being convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition and distribution of cocaine base in March 2011.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernst Martineau made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Danial E. Bennett of Levy’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Construction Company Owners Charged with $5.4 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging RAWINDER DHILLON and AMNINDER SINGH, the owners of a construction company, with participating in a scheme to submit fraudulent bonds to the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (“GOSR”) in order to obtain payments on false pretenses in connection with construction projects funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). The defendants were arrested this morning and will be presented in Manhattan federal court later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “New Yorkers rely on the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery and the construction companies and subcontractors supported by GOSR to rebuild after devastating storms. As alleged, Rawinder Dhillon and Amninder Singh greedily defrauded GOSR and obtained more than $5 million of construction payments on false pretenses. Thanks to our partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dhillon and Singh will now be brought to justice for their conduct.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “The defendants allegedly conspired to obtain over five million dollars from the state of New York based on phony construction surety bonds. Unfortunately, this is another example of a program intended to help communities recover from disaster being targeted for manipulation and fraud. The FBI is committed to ensuring that individuals who conspire to commit fraud against the government face the consequences for their schemes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
GOSR was established in 2013 – following Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and Superstorm Sandy – to centralize recovery and rebuilding efforts in impacted areas of New York State. GOSR utilizes federal funding to provide aid for housing recovery, small businesses, community reconstruction, and infrastructure. DHILLON and SINGH owned and operated a construction company based in Staten Island, New York (“the Construction Company”). The Construction Company was awarded contracts by GOSR in connection with certain construction projects (the “Construction Projects”) funded by HUD.
For each of the Construction Projects, the Construction Company was required to obtain surety performance bonds (meant to ensure satisfactory completion of a construction company’s contractual obligations) and payment bonds (meant to ensure payment by a construction company to subcontractors and/or vendors supplying labor and/or materials). In or about April 2021, the Construction Company emailed to GOSR documents purporting to be the required performance bonds and payment bonds for the Construction Projects. Following the submission of the purported bonds, GOSR paid the Construction Company more than approximately $5.4 million in connection with the Construction Projects.
In or about February 2022, a subcontractor (the “Subcontractor”) that had contracted with the Construction Company to perform roofing work in connection with one of the Construction Projects contacted GOSR to report that the Construction Company had not paid the Subcontractor for its work. In response, GOSR provided the Subcontractor with a copy of one of the purported bonds so that the Subcontractor could obtain payment from the insurance carrier. However, when the Subcontractor contacted the insurance broker that allegedly issued the bond, the insurance broker informed the Subcontractor, in substance and in part, that the insurance broker had no record of issuing the bond and that the bond was fraudulent. Thereafter, the insurance broker informed GOSR, in substance and in part, that each of the purported payment and performance bonds provided by the Construction Company to GOSR were fraudulent. Accordingly, on or about February 20, 2022, GOSR terminated its contracts with the Construction Company.
* * *
DHILLON, 32, of Staten Island, New York, and SINGH, 37, of New Hyde Park, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra S. Messiter is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Dhillon and Singh ComplaintColumbus Armed Robber Sentenced to Prison for 2021 Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Columbus man who committed a series of armed robberies with his stepbrother in 2021, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison by a federal judge this week.
Quentin Anderson, 29, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 14; Anderson previously pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit an offense on Feb. 24. Co-defendant, Janerio Jones, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence on Dec. 20, 2022, and faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of robbery and a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the firearm charge. Jones’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The Columbus business community was terrorized in early 2021 when Anderson and Jones robbed employees of several local businesses at gunpoint; I am thankful no lives were lost during this violent crime spree,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office prioritizes prosecutions against violent offenders and in collaboration with law enforcement, we will continue to do everything in our power to reduce violence and hold dangerous criminals accountable.”
“No one should ever be terrorized physically or emotionally, like the victims in these violent armed robberies were,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to the assistance from our local law enforcement partners, Anderson will spend a long time behind bars where he won’t be able to wreak havoc on any more innocent civilians."
“In the span of a few days, the defendants charted a path of violent armed robberies at multiple businesses across Columbus. Thanks to the collaborative effort with our state and federal partners, these individuals were arrested before they could terrorize another business and its employees. The recent sentencing and plea send a clear message that acts of armed robbery will not be tolerated in our community,” said Columbus Police Department Deputy Chief Lance Deaton.
According to court documents, Jones and Anderson together robbed seven businesses in Columbus between Jan. 18, 2021, and Feb. 22, 2021. On the afternoon of Jan. 18, the defendants robbed both the Little Caesars on Buena Vista Road and the Dollar General on Crystal Drive within an hour and a half of each other. At Little Caesars, the entire cash register was removed from the store and the store employees took cover at the back of the store once they realized the robbers had a gun. At Dollar General, the robbers attempted to take the cash register, failed and fled on foot. Four days later, on Jan. 22, the defendants held up the Forrest Road Package on Forrest Road. One of the robbers pointed a gun in the face of a store employee while the other attempted to rob an employee at the back of the store. The cash register tray was taken. The following day, on Jan. 23, the owner of Jerry’s Food Mart on St. Mary’s Road was robbed at gunpoint by Jones and Anderson. The robbers took the owner’s wallet, store merchandise and cash. On Jan. 27, the owner of the Super C Food Mart on Decatur Street was robbed at gunpoint. The owner refused to give the robbers cash, and Jones fired a round at the cashier, which struck the protective glass barrier. As they exited the building, Jones fired another round at the owner which penetrated the glass barrier, narrowly missing him. The store owner fired his own gun at the assailants. On the evening of Feb. 4, the defendants and another individual robbed the Quality Inn on Macon Road. Jones pointed his handgun at the property owner’s head and stole money out of the hotel safe; the men fled on foot. On Feb. 22 at approximately 8:53 p.m., the defendants robbed the Marco’s Pizza on University Avenue. Jones fired his gun into the air when they entered the restaurant and demanded money. The robbers fled with stolen cash. Several Marco’s Pizza employees quit their jobs after the violent incident. Anderson was taken into custody on April 14, 2021, at a residence in Stockbridge, Georgia. Jones was taken into custody on Aug. 11, 2021, at a motel in Forest Park, Georgia.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Columbus Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams prosecuted the case for the Government.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Possession of Short-Barreled Rifle and Felon in Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Rondrell Sumter, 39, of Columbia, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition and Possession of an Unregistered Short-Barreled Rifle.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on August 2, 2021, Richland County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at Sumter’s residence. They recovered over 14 pounds of marijuana and three firearms, including 5.56mm American Tactical, model Omni-Hybrid, Multi-Caliber, short-barreled rifle.
The National Firearms Act (“NFA”) is a comprehensive scheme that regulates the manufacture, sale, and transfer of certain particularly dangerous and concealable weapons, and requires the registration of short-barreled rifles. Under the NFA, it is a violation of federal law to knowingly possess an unregistered short-barreled rifle. The rifle recovered at Sumter’s residence had not been registered. Further, federal law prohibits Sumter from possessing firearms due to his prior convictions, including four prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute or distribution of narcotics.
United States District Court Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Sumter to 180 months in prison to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case.
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Brother and Sister Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl SalesRead the Press Release
Defendants Sold Fake Oxycodone (M-30) Pills Containing Fentanyl Causing Overdose and Death of a 20-year old Woman
WASHINGTON – Larry Jerome Eastman, 23, of Temple Hills, Maryland, and his sister, Justice Michelle Eastman, 26, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The pair pleaded guilty February 8, 2023, in U.S. District Court. Larry Eastman was sentenced to 140 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release; Justice Eastman was sentenced to 37 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division Office, and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants were arrested on January 26, 2022, following an investigation into the April 6, 2021 fentanyl overdose death of a woman in Southeast Washington, D.C. According to the government’s evidence, the 20-year-old victim had survived an earlier overdose in November of 2020, and was revived after paramedics administered Narcan. At the time of her fatal overdose in April 2021, white powder was discovered on a coffee table at the victim’s apartment. The DEA analyzed the powder and determined it to be fentanyl. An autopsy determined the victim’s cause of death was acute fentanyl intoxication.
A review of the victim’s phone revealed text messages from the previous evening with Larry Eastman in which the victim asked for “jammers” (a street term that often refers to counterfeit blue Oxycodone pills that contain fentanyl). Larry Eastman then directed the victim to his address in Washington D.C., and requested that she make payment to a Cash App account registered to Justice Eastman. Additional communications between Larry Eastman and the victim went as far back as September 2020, the start of the conspiracy, along with corresponding payments to Justice Eastman’s Cash App accounts. When the two defendants were arrested in January 2022, law enforcement seized additional fake Oxycodone (M30) pills, which contained fentanyl, and match the pills that the defendants were working together to sell.
“Many of the Fentanyl pills being peddled contain fatal doses of the drug,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Nevertheless, this brother and sister were willing to flood our streets with this poison. Larry Eastman’s actions directly led to the death of a young woman. These sentences establish that there are consequences to distributing this incredibly dangerous drug and where we can prove that someone delivered the fatal dose we will do all within our power to ensure the sentence reflects the tragic loss of life.”
“We are in the middle of a Fentanyl Poisoning Crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Forget. “Drug traffickers like the Eastmans, are distributing fake pills laced with Fentanyl and misleading our citizens without regard for their wellbeing. We will continue the work with our federal, state and local partner to investigate and ultimately prosecute these ruthless criminals.”
As noted by the DEA, because of its potency and low cost, fentanyl is increasingly being mixed with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction. Particularly dangerous are fake prescription pills like the fake oxycodone M30 tablets seized in this case, which contain fentanyl. The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl (see One Pill Can Kill).
The case was investigated by the Washington Division Office of the DEA and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andy T. Wang, David T. Henek, and Matthew W. Kinskey, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Bookkeeper Is Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $1.35 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A bookkeeper was sentenced to prison today for embezzling more than $1.35 from his employer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger ordered Danny Dale Tremble, 49, of Conover, N.C., to serve 41 months in prison followed by three of supervised release, and to pay restitution in the amount of $1,639,659.99.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, from October 2013 to December 2021, Tremble executed a scheme to embezzle and defraud his Asheville-based employer, Azalea Management and Leasing, Inc. (Azalea). Tremble worked at Azalea as an accountant, and in that capacity had access to the company’s bank accounts and accounting records. Over the course of the scheme, Tremble routinely misused his access to Azalea’s bank accounts to embezzle company funds, which he used to pay off personal credit cards and to cover personal expenditures including lavish hotel stays, dining, and shopping. Tremble also used stolen company funds to purchase a camper, a boat, a trailer, a pickup truck, and to buy multiple firearms.
Court documents show that Tremble failed to report any of the embezzled income on his Joint Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040, amounting to a federal tax loss of $288,716.
On February 13, 2023, Tremble pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return. He is currently released on bond and will be ordered to surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and IRS-CI for their investigation of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.
- Black Hawk Man Indicted for Child Pornography Charges
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 18 Months Imprisonment for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – CHRISTOPHER BLACKSTONE has been sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment to be followed by a 2-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty in federal court relating to his role in a health care fraud conspiracy.
BLACKSTONE, age 46, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty on February 24, 2021 before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to Count One of a bill of information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1347 and 1349.
According to the bill of information, BLACKSTONE was the owner of Prime Pharmacy Solutions (“Prime”) in Slidell, Louisiana. Between 2014 and 2016, Prime operated primarily as a closed-door pharmacy that mixed and filled prescriptions for compounded medications. The cost of these medications was reimbursed by health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, a health care benefit program for United States military personnel and their families.
Prime Pharmacy contracted with various entities, including Pharmacy Benefit Managers (“PBMs”), obligating Prime Pharmacy to collect copayments from beneficiaries in order to obtain reimbursement from various health care benefit programs, including TRICARE. BLACKSTONE, along with his co-conspirators, acting on behalf of Prime, selected formulas for compounded medications, not based on their effectiveness or individualized patient need, but rather, to maximize reimbursement from TRICARE and other health care benefit programs. Prime then mass produced these High-Yield Compounded Medications and created a series of preprinted prescription forms encouraging and directing prescribers/doctors to prescribe these High-Yield Compounded Medications.
“The VA Office of Inspector General is dedicated to ensuring the integrity of VA’s healthcare services. Those who would commit fraud to exploit veteran care and steal taxpayer dollars will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South-Central Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”
"Compounding pharmacy fraud is a prescription for profit instead of patient care and exploits our active-duty service members, veterans, and their families," stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones, with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office and our investigative team for their tireless efforts to bring these crimes to light and ensure individuals are held accountable when their first allegiance is to the bottom line at the expense of their patients."
This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service – Office of Inspector General, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Batesville Men Sentenced to Prison for Robbery of Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – Three Batesville men were sentenced yesterday to over 10 years in prison for the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service contract carrier.
According to court documents, Jamarr Smith, 38, Gilbert McThunel II, 37, and Thomas Iroko Ayodele, 40, were each convicted on February 24, 2023, of using a dangerous weapon to rob a contract postal carrier of money belonging to the U.S. Postal Service and conspiracy to rob the employee.
Evidence presented during a four-day jury trial revealed that on February 5, 2018, Smith, McThunel, and Ayodele drove to Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, where the Postal Service’s contract carrier was robbed as he picked up mail for delivery to the Distribution Center in Memphis. Evidence showed that when the carrier arrived at the Lake Cormorant Post Office at approximately 5:15 p.m. to pick up the mail, McThunel approached the carrier, struck him multiple times in the face with a firearm, threatened to kill him, and then stole bags containing U.S. Postal Service money from the carrier’s truck. Ayodele dropped McThunel off at the Lake Comorant Post Office prior to the robbery and picked him up afterward, while Smith acted as a lookout from a separate vehicle.
At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Smith and McThunel each to 121 months in prison and Ayodele to 136 months in prison. Each defendant will serve five years of supervision following their release from prison. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Postal Service for the money taken in the robbery and to the contract carrier for medical costs associated with injuries he received during the robbery.
“Combatting violent crime and protection of our citizens is one of the highest priorities for the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We hope that today’s sentence will serve as a message to all who would target or victimize their fellow citizens in the hopes of easy personal gain. Such acts will not be tolerated and we will do all we can to see that violent criminals and those who assist them are incarcerated for their crimes.”
“Postal Inspectors’ duties include protecting postal employees and investigating violent crimes that are committed against them,” said Scott Fix, Inspector-in-Charge of the Houston Division. “While these types of crimes are rare, when they do occur, they become a top priority for us. The sentencing of Jamar Smith, Gilbert McThunel and Thomas Ayodele for the armed robbery of a USPS Contract Driver at the Lake Cormorant, MS Post Office is a testament to the dedication of Postal Inspectors to bring to justice those individuals that threaten the safety of our postal employees. We extend our appreciation to the Desoto County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this investigation.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Mims and Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on Haaland v. BrackeenRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following the Supreme Court’s decision in Haaland v. Brackeen:
“The Justice Department is committed to honoring Tribal sovereignty and protecting Indian children and families. For nearly 45 years, the Indian Child Welfare Act has helped protect Tribal children from being unnecessarily separated from their parents, extended family, and Tribal communities.
I am pleased that today’s Supreme Court decision in Haaland v. Brackeen rejected this challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act. The Justice Department vigorously defended the statute before the Supreme Court and will continue to support the Indian Child Welfare Act and do everything in our power to protect Tribal communities and affirm Tribal sovereignty.”
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Child Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Christopher Lee Hill, age 21, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 108 months in prison for Child Abuse in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Ardmore Police Department, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 26, 2022, Hill pleaded guilty to Child Abuse in Indian Country. During the plea hearing, Hill admitted striking the 39-day-old victim, causing injuries including skull fractures and brain hemorrhaging. The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“One of the most important and difficult duties law enforcement and health professionals will ever undertake is the protection and treatment of child victims of abuse and neglect,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “We are grateful for their care, their sensitivity, and their diligence, and we consider them essential partners in pursuing justice on behalf of child victims.”
The Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing in Oklahoma City. Hill will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Anthony C. Marek represented the United States.
Air National Guardsman Indicted for Unlawful Disclosure of Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
A member of the U.S. Air National Guard (USANG) stationed in Massachusetts was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly retaining and transmitting classified national defense information on a social media platform beginning in or around 2022 and continuing until his arrest in April.
Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information). Teixeira was arrested on April 13, 2023, and charged by criminal complaint with retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. On May 19, 2023, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy granted the government’s motion for detention. Teixeira remains in federal custody.
“As laid out in the indictment, Jack Teixeira was entrusted by the United States government with access to classified national defense information — including information that reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if shared,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Teixeira is charged with sharing information with users on a social media platform he knew were not entitled to receive it. In doing so, he is alleged to have violated U.S. law and endangered our national security.”
“Individuals granted security clearances are entrusted to protect classified information and safeguard our nation’s secrets. The allegations in today’s indictment reveal a serious violation of that trust,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI and our partners remain firm in our commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our national security and the security of our allies around the world.”
“The unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security. Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens, and its allies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “We are committed to ensuring that those entrusted with sensitive national security information adhere to the law.”
According to the charging documents, Teixeira enlisted in the USANG in September 2019 and has held a Top Secret security clearance since 2021. It is alleged that, beginning in or around January 2022, Teixeira willfully, improperly, and unlawfully retained and transmitted National Defense Information classified as “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET” and/or Sensitive Compartmented Information, which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a social media platform to persons not authorized to receive such information.
According to the charging documents, Teixeira transmitted the classified National Defense Information on the social media platform in two ways. First, Teixeira allegedly accessed classified documents containing National Defense Information from a classified workstation at the Otis USANG Base and transcribed and transmitted the information in written paragraphs to other users on the social media platform. Teixeira also posted images of classified documents to the social media platform, which bore standard classification markings – including “SECRET,” “TOP SECRET,” and SCI designations – indicating that they contained highly classified United States government information. At least one of the documents containing national defense information was allegedly found in digital form in a particular account associated with Teixeira.
Each charge of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Boston and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Jared C. Dolan, and Jason A. Casey for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Air National Guardsman Indicted for Unlawful Disclosure of Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the United States Air National Guard (USANG) stationed in Massachusetts has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly retaining and transmitting classified National Defense Information on a social media platform beginning in or around 2022 and continuing until his arrest in April 2023.
Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Mass., was indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information). Teixeira was arrested on April 13, 2023 and charged by criminal complaint with retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. On May 19, 2023, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy granted the government’s motion for detention. Teixeira remains federal custody.
“The unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security. Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens and its allies,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We are committed to ensuring that those entrusted with sensitive national security information adhere to the law.”
“The American people entrust security clearance holders with our nation’s secrets, and anyone who flagrantly violates their duty to protect those secrets by unlawfully communicating classified national defense information to people who are not entitled to receive it will be brought to justice to answer for their criminal conduct,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.
“As laid out in the indictment, Jack Teixeira was entrusted by the United States government with access to classified national defense information — including information that reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if shared,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Teixeira is charged with sharing information with users on a social media platform he knew were not entitled to receive it. In doing so, he is alleged to have violated U.S. law and endangered our national security.”
“Individuals granted security clearances are entrusted to protect classified information and safeguard our nation’s secrets. The allegations in today’s indictment reveal a serious violation of that trust,” said Christopher A. Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The FBI and our partners remain firm in our commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our national security and the security of our allies around the world.”
According to the charging documents, Teixeira enlisted in the USANG in September 2019 and has held a Top-Secret security clearance since 2021.
It is alleged that, beginning in or around January 2022, Teixeira willfully, improperly and unlawfully retained and transmitted National Defense Information classified as “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET” and/or Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a social media platform to persons not authorized to receive such information.
According to the charging documents, Teixeira transmitted the classified National Defense Information on the social media platform in two ways. First, Teixeira allegedly accessed classified documents containing National Defense Information from a classified workstation at the Otis USANG Base and transcribed and transmitted the information in written paragraphs to other users on the social media platform. Teixeira also allegedly posted images of classified documents to the social media platform, which bore standard classification markings – including “SECRET,” “TOP SECRET,” and SCI designations – indicating that they contained highly classified United States government information. At least one of the documents containing national defense information was allegedly found in digital form in a particular account associated with Teixeira.
The charges of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC DiMenna; Attorney General Garland; FBI Director Wray; Matt Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Jared C. Dolan and Jason A. Casey of Levy’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ada Resident Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of A Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ronnie Lee Lamb, age 40, of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 180 months per count for three counts of sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country, and 180 months for one count of possession of child pornography, with sentences set to run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 10, 2021, Lamb pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual acts with a minor and to knowingly possessing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The crimes were committed in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Lamb will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith A. Singer and Assistant United States Attorney Anthony C. Marek represented the United States.
19-Year-Old Oregon Woman Faces Federal Charges for Running Social Media Drug Distribution Service Targeting MinorsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Clackamas County, Oregon woman is facing federal drug charges for using social media to advertise, sell, and distribute illegal drugs to minors in and around Portland.
Averi Rose Dickinson, 19, a resident of Damascus, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to distribute and distributing controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, in January 2023, the FBI began investigating Dickinson after learning she ran a drug distribution service called “Kiki’s Delivery Service” that advertised and took orders for illegal narcotics on various social media applications including Instagram, Snapchat, and Telegram. Investigators soon discovered that Dickinson had been operating the service for up to three years, taking and fulfilling orders for cocaine, LSD, MDMA, ketamine, marijuana, and various forms of pills, both real and fake. Investigators also identified Dickinson as a source of supply within a larger drug distribution chain responsible for several juvenile drug overdoses.
On June 14, 2023, investigators executed federal warrants on Dickinson’s Damascus residence and vehicle. They located and seized quantities of cocaine, ketamine, marijuana, and counterfeit Xanax bars; $3,000 in cash; a Glock 9mm handgun with extended magazine; an AR-style assault rifle; and a bullet proof vest. Dickinson told investigators she believed approximately 50% of her drug distribution clients were minors and that she used several minors as runners to deliver drugs.
Dickinson made her first appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta. She was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF), 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.
Seized firearm 02