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10 February 2023
Stroudsburg Man Sentenced to 80 Months’ Imprisonment for Heroin and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 9, 2023, United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Malik Adoyi, age 25, of Stroudsburg, PA, to 80 months of imprisonment and a 4-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute over 100 grams of heroin and over 40 grams of fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from July through November 2021, either personally or through a co-conspirator, Adoyi distributed over 100 grams of a substance containing heroin and fentanyl, in several instances in the area near Stroudsburg High School. The approximately 110 grams of fentanyl distributed by Adoyi corresponds to approximately 4,400 doses of the potentially lethal substance.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and its state and local law enforcement partners in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John 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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Springfield Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Wire Fraud in Connection with Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chaz Ryan Watkins, age 35, of Springfield, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain pandemic unemployment benefits. As a result of his plea, Watkins faces up to 20 years imprisonment.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, between December 2019, and continuing through at least September 2021, Watkins obtained the personal identifying information (“PII”) of inmates incarcerated in Louisiana prisons and of other individuals, including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers. Watkins submitted claims for pandemic unemployment assistance (“PUA”) benefits to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (“LWC”) in the names of the inmates, who were ineligible for such benefits, and in the names of other individuals, often without the individual’s knowledge or consent. In these applications, Watkins requested that the PUA benefits be transmitted via direct deposit to his financial accounts or via pre-paid debit cards mailed to addresses under his control. Once the funds were received, Watkins withdrew the funds as cash from ATMs at various financial institutions in the Middle District of Louisiana. Watkins received over $95,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “Those who take advantage of COVID relief benefits, of any type, will be dealt with harshly by this office. I want to thank our prosecutors and our federal and state partners for their hard work bringing this offender to justice.”
“Theft of federal pandemic funds intended to help those in need will not be tolerated,” said Dr. Joseph Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General (OIG). “We will continue to work with our partners at the State of Louisiana OIG, the Department of Labor OIG, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify and aggressively investigate allegations of fraud, protecting the integrity of programs funded by the taxpayer.”
Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented, “Once again we see that whenever there is a public emergency, fraudsters will be there to pounce. Chaz Watkins used the names and personal identifying information of incarcerated prisoners and deceased individuals to fraudulently enrich himself and deprive others who had a legitimate need for these emergency benefits. Now Mr. Watkins must bear the criminal consequences for his actions. The Louisiana Inspector General will continue to relentlessly pursue fraudsters who take advantage of an emergency to steal from the taxpayers.” Street added, “I want to thank United States Attorney Ron Gathe and his staff, and our partners at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security OIG and US Department of Labor OIG for another successful criminal outcome.”
This matter is being investigated by the Louisiana Office of State Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.
Spokane Resident Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $50,000 in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Natasha Ann Opsal, 41, of Spokane, Washington, has pleaded guilty to felony charges of fraudulently obtaining more than $50,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. This conviction is the most recent obtained by the COVID-19 Relief Fraud Strike Force Strike Force, which has brought criminal charges against numerous individuals and recovered millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained COVID relief funding.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided government-backed loans to small businesses which could be forgiven so long as the proceeds were used for payroll and other eligible expenses. Another program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. The PPP and EIDL programs have provided billions of dollars in aid, the vast majority of which have not been paid back, including hundreds of millions of dollars disbursed within Eastern Washington.
“COVID-19 relief programs were designed to lift up our community during crisis, and due to the number of people and businesses that requested funding, some deserving small businesses were not able to obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We created the Strike Force to ensure that those who misused COVID-19 relief funding are held accountable and to protect the strength and safety of our vital small business community.”
In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the USAO, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, and others.
According to court documents and information disclosed during court proceedings, Opsal fraudulently obtained over $50,000 in COVID-19 relief funding through three PPP loans she obtained in the spring of 2021 for a purported car detailing business. Opsal acknowledged she devised a scheme to defraud the SBA and made false representations about the purported business in order to obtain COVID-19 funding. Opsal pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years.
“I commend the stellar investigative work on these cases performed by the Strike Force and especially in this case by SBA OIG, U.S. Secret Service, and DHS OIG” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 relief funding, and to strengthen our communities by protecting our small and local businesses.”
“Individuals making false statements to fraudulently obtain pandemic funds will face justice,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
Judge Thomas O. Rice accepted Opsal’s guilty plea and set sentencing for May 10, 2023, in Spokane.
This case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by the SBA OIG, U.S. Secret Service, and DHS OIG. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frieda K. Zimmerman, and Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Brian Donovan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
Case No. 2:22-CR-53-TOR
Smuggler sentenced for importing fentanyl bundles labeled as tomatoesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 43 year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to import 13 kilograms of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Angel Amed Gomez-Garcia pleaded guilty Nov. 9, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered him to serve a total of 108 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Gomez-Garcia is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.
On Aug. 23, 2022, Gomez-Garcia attempted to enter into the United States after driving from Mexico across the Lincoln Juarez International Bridge at Laredo. He claimed he was simply going to shop.
However, upon inspection, authorities found 12 bundles hidden in the rear seat which contained a total of approximately 13 kilograms of fentanyl. The word “tomate,” (tomato in English) was stamped on each bundle.
Gomez-Garcia admitted he had been working for a drug trafficking organization in Mexico sometime on or after December 2021 to bring drugs into the United States. He would also take large amounts of cash from drug proceeds to Mexico.
Upon his arrest, he further acknowledged he was on his way to Chicago, Illinois, to pick up $3 million for the drug trafficking organization.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Homero Ramirez and former AUSA Samara Sweet prosecuted the case.
Smuggler sent to prison for three deathsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 24-year-old Laredo resident has been sent to prison for conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Abraham J. Ahumada pleaded guilty May 4, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Ahumada to serve 262 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $4,077 in restitution. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that Ahumada showed no remorse and laughed about his crime. The defense argued he grew up with ADHD and a learning disability, struggled in school and fell into crime. Judge Alvarez commented that was no excuse because such conditions, while difficult, are common among law-abiding people too.
At the time of his plea, Ahumada admitted to causing a car accident and leaving multiple victims behind.
“Three people are dead because of this human smuggler’s reckless behavior,” said Hamdani. “Traveling over 100mph on a highly trafficked rural highway, his actions caused one victim to be ejected from the vehicle and another to be killed on impact - his body trapped inside the burning car. This man took three lives, ruined his own and will pay the price in federal prison for decades.”
On Nov. 13, 2021, Ahumada drove a black Nissan Murano down U.S. Highway 83. Law enforcement attempted to pull him over, but he proceeded to flee. He did not yield and instead accelerated above the speed limit.
Ahumada disregarded a red light during the pursuit along U.S. 83 and collided with a passenger vehicle crossing the intersection with the right of way. The collision resulted in three deaths.
Two individuals in Ahumada’s vehicle were pronounced dead on the scene as well as a woman who was traveling in the struck vehicle with children. The three children suffered bodily injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Ahumada will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez prosecuted the case.
Sixteen Individuals Plead Guilty in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – “Operation Titan Fall”Read the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that 16 individuals, charged in 3 indictments, have all pleaded guilty to their respective roles in conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine, in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) “Operation Titan Fall” investigation. This investigation yielded evidence from three drug trafficking organizations, and each defendant faces penalties of up to life in federal prison (see chart below):
Name
Drugs, Drug Quantities, Other Charges
Date of Plea
Sentencing Date
Sentence or Sentencing Range
Alexander Acosta-Zapata
5 kilograms cocaine; 400 grams fentanyl
12/13/22
4/10/23
15 years to life
Frank Cadiz
5 kilograms cocaine
12/14/22
3/20/23
15 years to life
Adal Antonio Navas-Feliciano
400 grams fentanyl
1/18/23
4/10/23
15 years to life
Jonathan Andres Marte-Rodriguez
5 kilograms cocaine
2/8/23
TBD
10 years to life
Juan Felipe Sanchez
40 grams fentanyl
2/7/22
4/24/23
10 years to life
Nimesh Rashmikant Patel
500 grams cocaine
2/9/23
TBD
10 years to life
Joseph Juan Torres-Torres
500 grams cocaine
9/7/22
12/21/22
5 years
Gabriel Isaac Irizarry-Aponte
500 grams cocaine
2/10/23
TBD
5-40 years
Jacob Nelson
500 grams cocaine
1/25/23
4/17/23
10 years to life
Carlos Alberto Roman
cocaine, firearm w/silencer possessed in furtherance of drug offense
12/6/22
3/14/23
30 years to life
James Richard Howell
cocaine, fentanyl
12/5/22
3/14/23
Up to 20 years
Joely Manuel Burgos
40 grams fentanyl
12/28/22
3/13/23
5-40 years
Kenneth Angel Vera
cocaine
12/6/22
3/14/23
Up to 20 years
James Mirabal
5 kilograms cocaine
12/27/23
3/20/23
10 years to life
Jonathan Beharry
5 kilograms cocaine
11/29/22
2/13/23
15 years to life
Vilnarie Figueroa-Matos
5 kilograms cocaine
1/30/23
4/17/23
10 years to life
According to plea agreements and other court documents, during the course of this investigation the DEA seized an estimated 110 kilograms of cocaine along with kilograms of fentanyl through the mail, traffic stops, and search warrants. Many of the communications between Acosta-Zapata, Cadiz and their conspirators related to the “brand” or “logo” of the cocaine – for example, an anchor or Ferrari – that was visible on the exterior of the packaging of the cocaine that was seized.
A search warrant executed on Carlos Alberto Roman’s home on August 9, 2022, yielded 19 firearms, 6 silencers, 3 flash-bang grenades, and thousands of rounds of ammunition, depicted here along with three firearms seized from Cadiz’s home.
Mirabal and his conspirators were linked to a seizure of 50 kilograms of cocaine in April 2022, and the seizure of 20 kilograms of cocaine seized in Beharry’s apartment in the Baldwin Park area in October 2022 (pictured below):
In addition to controlled substances, the DEA seized proceeds and other assets used in the offenses. Upon the arrest of Beharry on October 17, 2022, the DEA seized $39,560; upon the arrest of Mirabal on October 31, 2022, 24 cellphones and $124,598 was seized (pictured below):
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Winter Garden Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Kissimmee Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Clermont Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Apopka Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Operation Titan Fall is a multi-agency Organize Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCEDTF) investigation. 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.
Shooting Near Federal Courthouse in Elizabeth City Gets Man a Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An altercation near the Federal Courthouse in Elizabeth City landed Tavori Ditron Lindsey 10 years in federal prison after he shot at another man with a handgun and AR-15. On October 18, 2022, Tavori Ditron Lindsey pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Lindsey, 36, and another man, Amos Parker, were involved in an early morning shooting on September 5, 2021, at the intersection of East Colonial Avenue and McMorrine Street in Elizabeth City, which is about a block away from the federal courthouse. Street cameras captured the shooting and showed Parker and Lindsey engage in a verbal altercation with a man outside the Cue, a nearby establishment. Parker can be seen on video surveillance firing a handgun at another man as he fled the area on foot. Lindsey can also be seen shooting an AR-15 style rifle at the same man. The Elizabeth City Police Department (ECPD) quickly responded and noticed damage to a nearby building consistent with gun shots. Officers recovered several .223 caliber and .45 caliber shell casings in the street where the shooting occurred. The pair were later arrested by ECPD and charged with state offenses, and they were later indicted in federal court.
Lindsey is a convicted felon, having prior convictions for common law robbery, second degree kidnapping, and selling or delivering marijuana, as well as several misdemeanor convictions.
Parker pled guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon on October 18, 2022 was sentenced to 103 months in federal prison on January 18, 2023.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-CR-33-BO.
Seven newly indicted on federal charges for crimes including drugs and illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Seven defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession.
The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.
“An essential component in the fight against violent crime is our effort to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to remove from our communities those who threaten the safety of our streets.”
In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Recent federal legislation increases the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.
Defendants named in federal indictments from the February 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:
- Javonte Deshawn Washington, 30, of Savannah, and Nygeria Tasheema Brown, 32, of Savannah, charged with False Statement during the Purchase of a Firearm. Washington also is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, while Brown also is charged with Straw Purchase and with Transfer of a Firearm to a Prohibited Person;
- Melvin Brinson, 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine;
- Darrell Lamar Williams, 24, of Claxton, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Calvin Lomont Powell Jr., 21, of Waynesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Lear A. Williams, 33, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Tekayo Spencer, 39, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:
- Gregory Mitchell, 58, of Savannah, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers investigating a report of gunshots arrested Mitchell in November 2020 after finding a pistol in his waistband.
- James Deon Green, 51, of Savannah, was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Green in December 2020 after a traffic stop and foot pursuit when they found a pistol in Green’s waistband.
- Melvin Jamarcus Lanier, 42, of Statesboro, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Statesboro Police officers arrested Lanier in January 2022 during a traffic stop after finding a pistol in his vehicle.
- Devonte Malik Jorame, 25, of Aiken, S.C., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jorame in June 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop. Jorame has prior state criminal convictions for domestic violence and gun possession.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Rochester Man Going to Prison for Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Daryl Green, 53, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 87 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that in October 2020, law enforcement began investigating the illegal drug activities of Green and his wife, Pamela Green. Daryl and Pamela Green sold cocaine to customers at their East Main Street residence, where they also stored, processed, and packaged cocaine for sale. They also met customers at various locations throughout Monroe County to sell cocaine.
In the early morning hours of October 26, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at the Green residence, seizing approximately 1.3 kilograms of cocaine, a drug ledger, a digital scale with white powder residue, strainers with a white powder residue, and numerous empty plastic bags. Approximately $45,446 in cash, which consisted of drug proceeds, was also seized during the search.
Pamela Green was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the direction of Field Office Director Thomas Brophy; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff David Cirencione; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief David M. Smith; the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood; the Brighton Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Catholdi; and the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team.
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Renton, Washington man sentenced to 11 years in prison for huge stash of guns and drugsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 44-year-old Renton, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 11 years in prison for federal drug and gun crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. David Christopher Pitts was arrested in December 2021, following an undercover investigation of his drug trafficking activities. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones urged Pitts to recognize the damage drug addiction does in our community saying, “Look at all the people you see in our city clutching foil and a straw… You are feeding their addiction every day… They can’t pay their rent, they can’t feed their children… They may have an addiction because of what you put into the community… I want you to develop a conscience beyond the money you put in your pocket.”
“Mr. Pitts has consistently shown that he cannot live in the community without endangering others,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Firearms are destroying countless lives, and Mr. Pitts’ possession of 25 firearms, combined with his extensive drug trafficking activity, is alarming. I hope that this sanction will convince him to change his ways.”
According to records filed in the case, in November and December 2021, a person working with law enforcement purchased fentanyl from Pitts at his residence in Renton. After obtaining a search warrant, Seattle Police officers arrested Pitts without incident and searched his residence. In the main bedroom, officers found three different handguns – one of them stolen. In the closet of the bedroom, there was a hard-shell case containing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and Xanax bars. In a safe, in that same closet, investigators found heroin, cocaine, suboxone, ketamine, fentanyl pills, and medical grade fentanyl. There was also more than $55,000 in cash.
In a second bedroom, which Pitts had been using as a storage space, officers found fifteen handguns, four semiautomatic assault rifles, two bolt action rifles, and a 12-guage shotgun. Throughout the residence, there were numerous items that appeared to be stolen goods, such as power tools, computer equipment, laptops, and camera gear. Many of these items are often traded for drugs.
Pitts is prohibited from possessing guns due to two prior state convictions for possessing firearms while dealing drugs.
In asking for a 12-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Erin H. Becker wrote to the court, “Looking just at his fentanyl powder and pills, the defendant intended to enrich himself by distributing more than 470,000 lethal doses. Worse, many of the doses were disguised as pharmaceutical pills that would not put the user on notice that he was ingesting such a potentially dangerous substance…. In addition, the defendant possessed 25 firearms. Several of these guns were loaded, at least one was stolen, two had extended magazines, [and] all of them were possessed to facilitate his drug trafficking.”
“One fentanyl dose may be one too many” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Considering the amount of fentanyl found in his residence, as well as the number of weapons and cash, Mr. Pitts posed an immediate and significant threat to the safety and security of our community. This case illustrates how, working with our partners, the FBI is committed to getting fentanyl off our streets.”
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department as part of the FBI’s Violent Crime, Gang and Organized Crime Task Force.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin H. Becker.
Receiving and storing child pornography via social media lands man in prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 22-year-old Laredo man has been ordered to federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Ricardo Reyna pleaded guilty July 7, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Reyna to 210 months and 210 months for the possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently. The court also heard additional information today including letters from identified victims detailing the trauma and revictimization they have experienced as a result of the Reyna’s crimes.
In handing down the prison term, the court noted that eventually Reyna would be released from prison and the self-described hell he is going through while incarcerated, but the victims of his crimes can never escape their trauma. They will have to continue enduring their abuse for the rest of their lives.
Reyna was further ordered to pay a total of $16,000 in restitution and will serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Reyna will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
At the time of his plea, he admitted to viewing and sharing child pornography between May 1, 2020, and May 6, 2022.
During the investigation, authorities found 51 video files and 16 images of child pornography on Reyna’s cellphones. Reyna admitted to viewing and sharing child pornography on Kik starting in 2020.
Reyna will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Mark Hicks handled the sentencing. Former AUSA April Ayers-Perez prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Prison Sentence for Possession of Pipe Bombs and Drug SalesRead the Press Release
A man who manufactured pipe bombs and distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison.
Thomas Jay Downer, age 34, from Charles City, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 7, 2022 guilty plea to distribution of more than 5 grams of pure methamphetamine, possession of multiple destructive devices (pipe bombs) and possession of firearms as a felon.
At the guilty plea, Downer admitted he distributed more than 5 grams of pure methamphetamine on October 27, 2020. He further admitted possessing and selling 5 pipe bombs on October 30, 2020. Downer also admitted possessing firearms after being convicted of one or more felony offenses on November 13, 2020. At his detention hearing, it was shown that Downer’s pipe bombs were made of plastic plumbing pipe and included BBs and nails as shrapnel. At sentencing, Downer was found to be a career offender based upon his serious prior criminal history.
Downer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Downer was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Downer is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-02015.
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Pearl River Woman Pleads Guilty in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Pearl River woman pled guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi and DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCall.
In June of 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Joyce Cauthen in a four-count indictment involving the possession and distribution of methamphetamine and hydrocodone on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. Cauthen entered a plea of guilty to count four of the indictment, possession with the intent to distribute hydrocodone. As stated in Court, Cauthen admitted her role in the offense.
According to court documents, tribal and federal investigators executed a search warrant on Cauthen’s home following the introduction of methamphetamine into the Choctaw Detention Center by an inmate. During the search of her home, investigators recovered hydrocodone tablets and Cauthen’s cellular telephone which revealed numerous text messages between Cauthen and other persons regarding the price and quantity of hydrocodone sold by Cauthen.
Cauthen will be sentenced on May 19, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Four other co-defendants have all pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi is dedicated to fighting drug trafficking in Tribal and non-tribal communities,” said U.S. Attorney LaMarca.
U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the members of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration who investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns.
North Royalton Man Charged with Defrauding Victims Out of More Than $800k in Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - A federal grand jury has returned a one-count indictment charging Paul Lebo, 40, of North Royalton, Ohio, with wire fraud related to an alleged investment fraud scheme.
According to court documents, from April 2017 to October 2021, the defendant is accused of devising a scheme to defraud approximately 99 victim investors out of more than $800,000.
As part of the scheme, court documents say that the defendant solicited and accepted deposits from victim investors purportedly for deposits on future equity ownership in the defendant’s hedge fund, Paul Kimmins Investments (PKI), LP, as well as for investment into various options trades. However, court records state that the defendant used investor funds for personal expenses and to repay earlier investors.
According to court records, the PKI hedge fund was insolvent, and the defendant took steps to conceal the alleged misuse of investor funds from investors by using shell companies with no legitimate operations or assets, making false statements to victims about the status of their investment, and using funds from his relatives and new investor funds, without permission or authorization, to repay prior victims.
In total, the indictment alleges that the defendant caused approximately $800,124.86 in losses to victim investors, utilized approximately $49,630 in funds from relatives to repay individuals who invested or loaned money to the defendant, and accepted approximately $18,565 from seven different victims for the purported “sale” of the same item that the defendant never delivered.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any; the defendant’s role in the offense; and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erica D. Barnhill.
Norfolk Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm Used in an Attempted Malicious WoundingRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on May 7, 2021, Louis Bernard Lee, III, 26, a former affiliate of the criminal street gang the United Blood Nation, was stopped by an Old Dominion University Police Department (ODUPD) officer for speeding. Lee had an outstanding warrant for an attempted malicious wounding that occurred on April 26, 2021. During the arrest, ODUPD discovered two firearms in Lee’s vehicle. Also recovered from the vehicle was a loaded 30-round extended clip and a loaded 50-round drum magazine. Lee was previously convicted of a felony in the City of Norfolk and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Lee admitted he used one of the firearms recovered from the vehicle in a shooting on April 26, 2021. For the April 2021 shooting he was convicted in Norfolk Circuit Court for attempted malicious wounding, use of a firearm in a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Lee was sentenced for those charges on December 22, 2021, and received a 4-year sentence.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; and Christopher Amon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle and Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler prosecuted the case. Stolle also serves as an Assistant Norfolk Commonwealth Attorney.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-85.
Noel, Missouri Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Noel, Missouri man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2022, officers with the Sulphur Springs Police Department responded to the area of North Highway 59 to assist deputies from the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri in the pursuit of Trevor Dean Meeker, age 31. While enroute to the area, the Sulphur Springs officers received notification that the suspect vehicle, operated by Meeker, wrecked out at the Dollar General Store located in Sulphur Springs.,
Upon arrival at the Dollar General, officers observed that the vehicle driven by Meeker went through a privacy fence owned by Dollar General and wrecked out near the entrance of the business. A search of the vehicle, resulted in officers locating a small backpack in the front passenger seat, which contained what appeared to be a large amount of methamphetamine, along with numerous plastic baggies and various counterfeit bills. As officers continued to search the scene of the crash, they located a black bag in the parking lot near the vehicle. Inside the bag officers located two loaded firearms.
On March 31, 2022, a Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force Officer conducted an interview of Meeker at the Benton County Jail. After being advised of and waiving his Miranda rights, Meeker admitted to knowledge of the methamphetamine and firearms seized on March 18, 2022. Meeker further admitted to being involved in the distribution of methamphetamine.
The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory in Miami, Florida, where it tested positive for 173 grams of actual methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department, the McDonald County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration Fayetteville Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris 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.
New Orleans Man Sentenced on Drug and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant, ARTHUR ALLEN, of Orleans Parish, was sentenced on February 8, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to 90 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee on Counts One, Two, and Four of a four-count indictment.
Count One of the indictment charges ALLEN with possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and (b)(1)(D). Count 2 charges ALLEN with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2. Count 4 charges ALLEN with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). ALLEN was not charged in Count 3 of the indictment.
On July 29, 2021, New Orleans Police Officers conducted a stop on a vehicle containing three individuals, including ALLEN. During this stop, ALLEN fled the vehicle but was later apprehended by officers. Upon a search of the vehicle, officers discovered illegal drugs and weapons.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances and the Federal Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KENDALE ADAMS, age 41, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on February 7, 2023 to one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) and one count of felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, On Saturday July 17, 2021, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Task Force Officer conducting surveillance at a convenience store in New Orleans, Louisiana observed ADAMS loitering outside the convenience store. The officer also observed a large bulge in ADAMS’s front right waistband consistent with a firearm being concealed.
The officers alerted nearby New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) uniformed units. Several units arrived and approached ADAMS who removed a firearm from his waistband and ran behind a vehicle. The officers apprehended ADAMS, seized the firearm and placed him under arrest.
While searching ADAMS, officers seized a clear bag containing multiple drugs from ADAMS’s front right pocket along with $366 in cash. The seized drugs consisted of approximately 6 grams of marijuana, .58 grams of methamphetamine, 4.49 grams of heroin, and approximately 5 of a heroin and fentanyl mixture. The recovered firearm, a gLock Model 19, was stolen as confirmed by law enforcement.
It was determined that ADAMS had possessed the heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute the substances and that he had previously distributed heroin and fentanyl near the 1300 block of France Street in New Orleans, Louisiana on many occasions.
ADAMS was previously convicted of felony offenses, making it illegal for him to be in possession of a firearm. Between 2004 and 2009, in Orleans and Jefferson Parish, ADAMS was convicted possession of crack cocaine, attempted armed robbery, possession of ecstasy, possession of heroin, theft of goods, and possession of stolen firearms.
For the drug count, ADAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and a term of supervised release of at least three (3) years. For the felon in possession count, ADAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to three (3) years. For each count, ADAMS must pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 at sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.
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New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDDIE HARRIS, age 38, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on February 8, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Jane T. Milazzo, to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) and to being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, HARRIS admitted to possessing a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic weapon after he had been convicted of several state felony offenses, including possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and felon in possession of a firearm or weapon. HARRIS also admitted to possessing 25 baggies of cocaine with the intent to distribute them.
For the drug trafficking offense, HARRIS faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. For the firearms offense, HARRIS faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. For each count, HARRIS must pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 at sentencing.
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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit.
New Britain Man Indicted for Scheme Targeting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 10-count indictment charging ALRICK ANTHONY GARDNER, 32, of New Britain, with fraud offenses stemming from his alleged participation in a sweepstakes scam that defrauded primarily elderly victims across the country of millions of dollars.
Gardner was arrested yesterday. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford, entered pleas of not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $50,000 bond pending trial.
The indictment alleges that, since at least 2020, Gardner and his associates used a sweepstakes scheme to induce elderly victims to provide them with money. As part of this scheme, scammers notified victims, primarily by telephone, that they won a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. The victims were told that in order to collect their winnings, they must pay fees and taxes. Following the initial phone call, Gardner sometimes mailed the victims fake documents, including a “winning notification” letter from Publishers Clearing House and a letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that the victims were required by law to pay taxes on their winnings. Victims sent cash, money orders or checks through the mail to various addresses in Connecticut and throughout the U.S. Gardner deposited some of that money into his personal bank account.
The indictment charges Gardner with six counts mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Each of these charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the New Britain Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. The Hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers. Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller. The Hotline’s toll-free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).
Nebraska Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Cindy Anne Ortiz, age 46 of Omaha, was sentenced on February 1, 2023, to 156 months in prison. In September 2022, a jury rendered a guilty verdict convicting Ortiz of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Upon her release from prison, Ortiz was ordered to serve five years of supervised release.
On November 21, 2021, law enforcement officers were called to the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Council Bluffs regarding an unresponsive male in one of the hotel rooms. Ortiz rented the hotel room and reported the unresponsive male (an acquaintance) in her room to the front desk. The male was pronounced dead. Law enforcement searched the hotel room and bags Ortiz was seen carrying into the room on surveillance footage. Ortiz’s bag contained 643 grams of methamphetamine, empty baggies, a scale, and other paraphernalia.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated the case.
Nearly 40,000 Victims Receive over $115M in Compensation for Fraud Schemes Processed by MoneyGramRead the Press Release
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced today the disbursement of over $115 million to 38,889 victims in connection with fraud schemes processed by MoneyGram International Inc. (MoneyGram). The victims, many of whom are elderly, will recover the full amount of their losses.
“This distribution of $115.8 million to nearly 40,000 victims – each of whom is being fully compensated for their losses – demonstrates the Department of Justice’s continued commitment to making victims whole,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This is an example of how the department will use every tool at its disposal, including in corporate criminal matters, to provide justice to victims.”
MoneyGram originally entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice in 2012 for willfully failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and aiding and abetting fraud schemes that generally targeted the elderly and other vulnerable groups. In November 2018, MoneyGram agreed to extend its DPA, implemented additional enhanced compliance obligations, and forfeited $125 million – representing the volume of consumer fraud transactions it processed during the DPA term. The USPIS is using these forfeited funds to compensate the victims of the fraud through the remission process. MoneyGram completed its DPA in May 2021.
“This $115 million disbursement provides a measure of financial justice for the many victims who were harmed by fraudsters who preyed on them,” said Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen of the USPIS Philadelphia Division. “The USPIS is proud to be part of this exemplary collaborative effort with our law enforcement and regulatory partners, particularly the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to facilitate a process where victims are delivered restitution.”
“Working together with the skilled and dedicated investigators of the USPIS, the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and the FTC, we have achieved outstanding results,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “This $115.8 million disbursement to over 38,000 victims demonstrates the commitment to compensate and serve justice to the victims of these frauds.”
The USPIS is managing the victim remission. The victim compensation in this case would not have been possible with the extraordinary efforts of the USPIS Philadelphia Division’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, office, which investigated the case, and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section’s Bank Integrity Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, who prosecuted the case.
More information about the remission process is available at http://moneygramremission.com/.
Missoula fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 46 months in prison after investigation of overdose deathRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to trafficking fentanyl pills in the community after law enforcement responded to a drug overdose death was sentenced today to 46 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $10,000 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jacob Eugene Odman, 39, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Feb. 18, 2022, law enforcement responded to a Missoula County residence for a reported drug overdose and found the victim, John Doe, deceased. Next to John Doe was a small blue pill engraved with “M30,” Officers recognized this pill as consistent with counterfeit Oxycodone, and lab testing determined that the pill contained fentanyl. A toxicology report confirmed that John Doe had fentanyl and a fentanyl metabolite in his blood when he died. The investigation determined that Odman provided fentanyl pills to John Doe the previous evening. Law enforcement officers spoke with Odman, who denied any knowledge of pills and asked if John Doe was ok. Agents executed a search warrant on Odman’s residence and found 409 fentanyl pills. In addition, four days before John Doe’s death, Idaho State Police stopped an individual, searched his vehicle and found more than 300 fentanyl pills hidden in containers that looked like soda cans. Odman was texting the individual about purchasing a product and asked for travel updates. The individual texted Odman that, “Idaho is searching my car.” Odman responded, “Oh no.” The individual then said, “It’s in cans.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Missoula Police Department and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.
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Minneapolis Felon Charged with Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been charged in a federal indictment for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on November 17, 2022, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department observed Muhnee Jaleel Bailey, 23, step out of his vehicle and enter an Auto Zone store in Minneapolis. Officers could see, in plain view, an extended magazine of a firearm sticking out from under the driver’s seat of Bailey’s vehicle. Officers approached Bailey when he came out of the Auto Zone store and Bailey began to flee on foot. Bailey eventually stopped running and officers apprehended him. Officers later searched Bailey’s vehicle and recovered a Glock, Model 30, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Because Bailey has prior felony convictions in Ramsey County, including drive-by shooting and possession of a machinegun, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
The indictment charges Bailey with one count of possession of a firearm as felon.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican resident sent to prison for trafficking firearms under new lawRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Mexico has been ordered to prison for trafficking handguns into Mexico under the Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Said Isaac Hernandez admitted to one count of trafficking firearms Sept. 29, 2022, and is the first person believed to be convicted under the new law.
The Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act is part of the broader Safer Communities Act, passed June 25, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez imposed an 80-month term of imprisonment for Hernandez. In handing down the prison term, Judge Alvarez noted that although Hernandez had no criminal history, the number firearms he was trafficking to Mexico was disturbing, and the guns were likely ending up in the wrong hands.
“Hundreds of firearms likely ended up in the hands of Mexican cartel members thanks to Hernandez’s firearms trafficking, only worsening the ongoing gun violence terrorizing the citizens of Mexico and the United States,” said Hamdani. “He worked with a contact in Mexico who instructed him on the type and number of firearms to purchase. Hernandez’s actions exemplify why laws such as the Trafficking in Firearms Act are so important.”
“This was a textbook case of trafficking firearms to Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Firearms trafficking is illegal and immoral. Unfortunately, the consequences of a firearm illegally possessed in the United States and Mexico can cause danger and harm for decades. As demonstrated by this case, we will continue to investigate and prosecute gun traffickers who endanger the lives of law-abiding citizens in our communities.”
On July 11, 2022, authorities apprehended Hernandez while he was traveling south on U.S. Interstate 35 towards the port of entry in Laredo. At the time of his arrest, they discovered 17 firearms hidden in his car.
Hernandez had been the subject of an investigation related to the purchasing of a large number of firearms and transporting them to Mexico. Between Jan. 21, 2020, and July 11, 2022, Hernandez purchased a total of 231 handguns in calibers of 9mm, .380 and .22.
Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens is prosecuting the case.
Methamphetamine Drug Traffickers Receive Sentences Totaling over 24 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that James Pittman, 41, and Jeffery Southern, 51, both from the Ruston, Louisiana, area have been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for trafficking methamphetamine. Pittman was sentenced to 153 months (12 years, 9 months) in prison, and Southern was sentenced to 150 months (12 years, 5 months) in prison. Both will be under supervised release for 5 years following their release from prison.
Law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into the trafficking of methamphetamine in the Ruston area. During their investigation, agents learned that Pittman and Southern were traveling together to Houston, Texas to obtain methamphetamine on February 18, 2022. Agents conducted surveillance of their vehicle and observed the men as they returned from Houston and traveled through Shreveport and Bossier City. A deputy with the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office observed the vehicle commit a traffic violation and conducted a stop of their vehicle. Pittman was identified as the driver and Southern as the passenger. Pittman admitted to the deputy that he had a warrant out of Webster Parish. The deputy confirmed that the warrant was valid and returned to the vehicle and asked Pittman to step out. While conducting a pat down of Pittman, Southern slid over into the driver’s seat and fled the scene. A back-up deputy gave chase and shot out the back tire of the vehicle as it fled. Southern was eventually stopped and taken into custody.
A search of the vehicle was conducted, and law enforcement officers found a duffel bag in the trunk containing 4.5 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. In addition, officers found a black zippered bag which Southern had thrown from the vehicle when he fled. The bag contained methamphetamine which was sent to the DEA Southeast Laboratory for testing, and it was confirmed to be 1460.7 grams of pure methamphetamine. Southern and Pittman were charged in an indictment, and both pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the DEA, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ruston Police Department and Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath.
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Meth importer and courier sent to prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two Laredo residents have received significant sentences for their roles in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 19 kilograms of meth from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Antonio Ruiz, 37, and Timothy Andrew Hernandez, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a controlled substance Nov. 9 and 1, 2022, respectively.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Ruiz to serve 30 years in prison, while Hernandez received a 130-month-term of imprisonment. In handing down the sentences, the court noted Ruiz’s long history of crime since turning 18 years of age. She further noted that as an older relative of Hernandez, Ruiz should have pushed him away from crime, instead of bringing him into it. After she imposed the sentence, Ruiz remarked that he was not the kind of man who uses or traffics in drugs and that the sentence was too long. The judge replied that sometimes it’s enough if you do it just once.
On May 7, 2022, an undercover agent whom Ruiz believed he had hired drove a meth-laden truck to a location Ruiz had designated. Ruiz had hired Hernandez to pick it up from him. Ruiz remained in the area to oversee the operation – guiding Hernandez to the location of the vehicle and informing the driver of his progress.
Upon arrival, the driver showed Hernandez the hidden compartment within the truck where the meth was stored. Hernandez was then supposed to drive the vehicle to another location in Laredo where the drugs would then be transferred to different vehicle. Another driver would then transport the drugs into the interior of the United States.
The meth was found to be 99% pure.
Hernandez and Ruiz were was taken into custody after arrest warrants were issued for them on July 7 and Sept. 9, 2022, respectively.
Both men will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Texas Department of Public Safety and the United Independent School District Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.
Meriden Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine Through the MailRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JEAN CARLOS MERCADO, 34, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 50 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a drug trafficking organization that used the U.S. Mail to ship kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2020, law enforcement identified suspicious parcels that were being mailed from Puerto Rico to an address in Meriden. On October 26, 2020, investigators identified Mercado after he picked up a parcel from that location. After Mercado picked up another parcel from the location on November 6, 2020, investigators coordinated a traffic stop of his vehicle, which was unregistered, and towed the vehicle and seized the parcel. A court-authorized search of the parcel revealed two kilograms of cocaine. In the following months, Mercado conspired with others to pick up postal parcels, and law enforcement seized four more kilograms of cocaine linked to Mercado.
Mercado was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on July 21, 2021. On July 26, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
At the conclusion today’s court proceeding, Mercado, who was released on bond, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
This matter was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Meriden Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes personnel from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Memphis Man Sentenced to over Eleven Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Memphis man was sentenced to 135 months in prison, followed by ten years of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a minor and interstate sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wayne Edwards Settles, 31, trafficked a minor for commercial sex and transported another individual from Louisiana to Mississippi to engage in commercial sex. Settles posted advertisements online for the minor and branded her with a tattoo. The minor was trafficked in Jackson, Memphis, and New Orleans.
Settles was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 11, 2022. He pled guilty on October 25, 2022 to one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of interstate sex trafficking.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, and Richland Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie 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.
Member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Prison for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Kings Mountain-based Pagans Motorcycle Club (PMC) member was sentenced today to 330 months in prison for armed drug trafficking. On June 7, 2022, Justin Matthew Fite, also known as “Raw,” pled guilty to the charges. Fite, 31, is one of 20 defendants charged as part of Operation Ice Diamond, which was announced last week, when Christopher Lamar Baker, a national leader of the PMC was sentenced to 75 years (900 months) in prison on drug trafficking, firearm and money laundering charges. The PMC is recognized by law enforcement as an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMG).
The investigation was initiated by members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh Police Department into individuals involved in the distribution of firearms and methamphetamine in multiple states. Investigators utilized controlled purchases, confidential informants, and undercover agents to successfully identify 20 individuals, including Fite and Baker, who were involved in the drug trafficking operation.
“This case is yet another example of the coordinated action that law enforcement is taking to address organized crime and stem the flow of methamphetamine into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “It should serve as a warning to gangs and other armed drug traffickers.”
“This collaborative effort was aimed at disbanding a violent criminal operation from the top down,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Not only were we recently able to apprehend, charge, and sentence one of the top leaders in this organization, but we also worked to make sure that those participating in the violence and drug crimes associated with this group were also brought to justice.”
Fite was associated with Baker through their shared involvement in the PMC, a criminal enterprise with leaders across the United States of America and Puerto Rico. Fite was stopped in July of 2021 when law enforcement in Aiken County, South Carolina, initiated a traffic stop on a motorcycle operated by Fite. Law enforcement knew that Fite was picking up methamphetamine on behalf of Baker from his source in the Atlanta area. The officer observed a concealed firearm and Fite was detained. A K9’s positive hit on the motorcycle’s saddlebag revealed two large bags containing nearly two kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Fite admitted he was a member of the PMC and was federally arrested at his residence in Kings Mountain on March 18, 2022.
It was discovered during interviews conducted by law enforcement that Fite repeatedly dealt and purchased crystal methamphetamine for himself and other members of the PMC. Fite is accountable for distributing nearly five kilograms of methamphetamine between October of 2020 and March of 2022.
The prosecution of Fite is part of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF) Ice Diamond. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Raleigh Police Department (NC), and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office (SC) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly L. Sandling prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00434-M.
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MediaMuv L.L.C. Principal Pleads Guilty to Stealing Millions in Music RoyaltiesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jose Teran, 32, of Scottsdale, Arizona, pleaded guilty last week to Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, and Transactional Money Laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2023, before United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes.
Teran pleaded guilty to charges from a federal indictment issued on November 16, 2021. The indictment charged Teran and Webster Batista with 30 felony counts involving Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Transactional Money Laundering, and Aggravated Identity Theft. In pleading guilty, Teran admitted to conspiring with Batista to monetize music on Y.T. that he had no lawful rights to monetize or otherwise control. Teran further admitted that the entity, MediaMuv L.L.C., was created for the purpose of falsely claiming ownership over music recordings. He admitted that false claims were made to Y.T. that MediaMuv L.L.C. owned over 50,000 songs. Teran also admitted that he and Batista fraudulently received approximately $23,400,000 from their fraudulent scheme.
Teran faces up to five years in prison for the Conspiracy conviction, up to 20 years for the Wire Fraud conviction, and up to 10 years for the Transactional Money Laundering conviction. He may also be fined up to $250,000 per felony conviction.
Batista pleaded guilty to Conspiracy and Wire Fraud on April 21, 2022.
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Raymond K. Woo and Seth T. Goertz, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecution.
If you believe you were defrauded by the defendants in this case, please contact our Victim Witness Section at usaaz.victimassist@usdoj.gov.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-0955-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-018_Teran# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Maryland Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Prison for Fatally Stabbing AcquaintanceRead the Press Release
Defendant Followed Victim’s Car, Stabbed Him After Vehicle Crashed
WASHINGTON – Herbert Smallwood, 42, of Suitland, Maryland, was sentenced today to 275 months in prison for stabbing an acquaintance last year in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Smallwood pleaded guilty on April 4, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. accepted the plea and sentenced Smallwood accordingly. Following his prison term, Smallwood will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 30, 2021, at approximately 7 p.m., Smallwood was traveling in an SUV that was following another vehicle being driven by an acquaintance. The other vehicle, a Ford Focus, crashed and flipped over in the rear of the 1600 block of 17th Place SE. Smallwood got out of the SUV with a knife and stabbed the victim, Joseph Ogundoju, approximately 31 times. Mr. Ogundoju, 46, died a short time later.
Surveillance video shows Smallwood’s vehicle following Mr. Ogundoju’s vehicle immediately before it crashed. The victim’s blood also was found on Smallwood’s clothing. Smallwood was arrested on June 30, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams and Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ganjei, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 9 Months for Stealing Dozens of Catalytic Converters from Around St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Friday sentenced a man from East St. Louis, Illinois to nine months in prison for stealing 39 catalytic converters from trucks and vans around the St. Louis, Missouri area.
Matthew Jennings, 31, was also ordered to repay $46,001 to victims.
Beginning in December of 2019, Jennings and his co-defendant, D’Ante Carter, stole a total of 39 catalytic converters and tried to steal three more, primarily from pickup trucks and vans parked overnight at landscaping companies, other commercial businesses and an organization that helps those with disabilities.
Carter was the lookout and Jennings used a reciprocating saw to cut away the converters, which contain trace amounts of precious metals. The men then sold the converters to a recycling company in Illinois.
Carter, 38, of Florissant, was sentenced in September to nine months in prison and ordered to repay victims after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods.
Jennings pleaded guilty in November to the same charge.
The FBI and the St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Creve Coeur, Bridgeton, Maryland Heights, O’Fallon, Missouri and Webster Groves police departments investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 26 Years for Double Fatal Shooting During Drug RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a man involved in a triple shooting in 2021 that killed two people to 26 years in prison.
Antaveon Bernard Le'Vell Kent, 22, used Facebook to communicate with his co-defendant, pick the targets and work on the plan to steal and sell their marijuana. When the victims arrived at a meeting spot in the 1100 block of Montgomery Street on March 16, 2021, Kent and his co-defendant opened fire, shooting all three victims, Kent’s plea agreement says.
Kortlin Williams and Johnnie Jones, who were best friends, died. Another man was shot but survived.
Police found 621 grams of marijuana in the victims’ vehicle.
Kent pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to distribute marijuana, attempting to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and two charges of possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime that resulted in the fatal shootings of Williams and Jones.
Demorion Little has pleaded not guilty to drug and gun charges, including a gun charge that accuses him of the fatal shooting of Rocoby Rodgers on Feb. 25, 2021.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police.
Level 3 Registered Sex Offender Arrested on Multiple Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Donald Campbell Sr., 60, of Elmira, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from Google, Inc. that a Gmail user possessed, manufactured, and distributed child pornography via Google Photos. Google forwarded multiple images of suspected child pornography from the subject account. Subsequent investigation traced the account to Campbell. On January 9, 2023, the Elmira Police Department executed a search warrant at Campbell’s Linden Place residence, seizing 19 digital storage items. A preliminary analysis indicates that at least eight items contain child pornography, including over 200 images and videos of child pornography on a cell phone and over 200 images and videos on an SD card. Some of the images include children as young as infancy and children engaged in sexual acts with other children and adults.
Campbell is a registered level-three sex offender (the highest risk level) following two prior felony child pornography offenses in New York State Court in December 2004 and March 2019.
Campbell was detained following a detention hearing this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen.The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Darren Cox and the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Kristen Thorne.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Kittrell Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Multiple Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Stanley Kearney Jr., 27, of Kittrell was sentenced yesterday to 190 months in prison for charges related to two bank robberies in Raleigh and Greenville.
According to court records and other information presented in court, On December 6, 2019, the SunTrust bank located at 7320 Creedmoor Road in Raleigh, was robbed at gunpoint by four men. The men left the bank with approximately $11,578.00 and witnesses saw them fleeing the scene in a white Hyundai Elantra. On December 30, 2019, around 4:30 p.m., the Branch Bank & Trust (BB&T) located 2475 Stantonsburg Road in Greenville was robbed at gunpoint by three men. They left the bank with $72,853 and witnesses saw them flee the scene in a white Hyundai Elantra. Kearney was stopped on January 10, 2020, for unrelated traffic violations and attempted to flee from law enforcement. In an interview with law enforcement, Kearney would admit to committing the SunTrust and BB&T bank robberies. The codefendants in this case were Clifton Harris, Cameron Evans and Joshua Bailey. All three have pled guilty. Harris was sentenced to 81 months. Evans and Bailey are awaiting sentencing.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Davie County Sheriff’s Department, the Raleigh, Greenville and Mebane Police Departments, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign and Barbara Kocher prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-CR-00071-M.
Kalamazoo Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that William Henderson, Jr., 27, of Kalamazoo, Michigan was sentenced to 13 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney also ordered Henderson to spend 4 years on supervised release after his confinement.
“Our message to violent offenders is clear: violence will gain you a new home in federal prison for a long time,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office is committed to disrupting the cycle of gun and drug-related violence in our district and communities.”
On March 15, 2022, Henderson possessed a loaded .40 caliber pistol in a bag with over 13 grams of cocaine. Shortly before police arrested him, Henderson attended a block party on Woodbury Avenue in Kalamazoo where he openly displayed the firearm to others. As a felon, Henderson was prohibited from possessing firearms.
In February 2022, Cornell Gordon of Kalamazoo was shot three times when an assailant exited a vehicle and began shooting. Police located shell casings at the scene. The government presented evidence connecting the shell casings from that scene to the gun Henderson was arrested with. The government also presented text message evidence recovered from Henderson’s phone discussing his involvement in Gordon’s shooting. After hearing the evidence, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney applied a sentencing cross reference for assault with intent to commit murder.
In announcing Henderson’s sentence, Judge Maloney highlighted that he viewed Henderson as a “risk to the public.” Henderson also had numerous prior criminal convictions, (including prior convictions for carrying concealed weapons, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and controlled substance possession and distribution), which Judge Maloney also considered when imposing the sentence.
This case was investigated through a joint and federal partnership by the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Crime Reduction Team, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety would like to thank our federal partners for their continued assistance in our focused approach to reduce gun violence,” said Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief David Boysen. “Through this partnership, we are able to identify the most dangerous individuals who are driving the gun violence in Kalamazoo and remove them from our community through federal sanctions. Our community is safer today because Mr. Henderson is in federal custody,” added Boysen.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren F. Biksacky 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.
ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) played a pivotal role in the evaluation of the firearm and shell casing evidence. NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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KC Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Meth, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., men have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a nearly $10 million conspiracy that distributed almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Fahrudin F. Fejzic, also known as “Frank,” 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Feb. 9, to 24 years and two months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Fejzic to pay a money judgment of $325,000, which represent the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
Lloyd L. Hagan, also known as “Trey,” 45, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced today to 18 years and nine months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hagan to pay a money judgment of $19,442, which represents the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
On Aug. 26, 2022, Fejzic pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019, and to one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Hagan, in a separate but related case, pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy on March 29, 2022.
On Feb. 19, 2019, law enforcement investigators were conducting surveillance on the residence of co-defendant Mirza Alihodzic, 37, of Kansas City, Mo. Fejzic and others were present with Alihodzic at the residence. Alihodzic and Fejzic were carrying items out of the house and putting them into a black BMW, which was parked in the driveway.
Fejzic left in a taxi, which took him to a residence in Grandview. Fejzic was then stopped by a police officer. Fejzic had a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun tucked in his backside waistband; he was carrying a bag that contained approximately four and a half pounds (more than two kilograms) of methamphetamine and a Romarm/CUGIR Mini Draco AK-47-type 7.62x39mm semi-automatic firearm with two high-capacity, 40-round magazines and 69 total rounds of ammunition.
Law enforcement officers also executed a search warrant the same day at Alihodzic’s residence. Officers found approximately 5.5 grams of methamphetamine, $1,620 in cash, and two firearms inside the residence. Officers also seized 18 firearms from Alihodzic’s BMW, including a Sten 9mm machine gun, two short-barreled shotguns (a Mossberg 20-gauge and a Revelation 16-gauge) and a stolen Sig Sauer 9mm handgun.
On at least two occasions in April and May 2019, Hagan was involved in the controlled purchase of a half-pound of methamphetamine for $2,300 by a law enforcement confidential human source. Hagan admitted that he purchased methamphetamine from co-conspirators that came from Alihodzic. Hagan sometimes received methamphetamine rather than cash in exchange for doing work on multiple houses for co-conspirators. He served as a middleman to pick up half-pound and quarter-pound amounts of methamphetamine to deliver to others to distribute. Hagan was responsible for the distribution of nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine.
Alihodzic was sentenced on Dec 1, 2022, to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Alihodzic to forfeit to the government $1,158,058, which represents his responsibility in trafficking 113.79 kilograms (more than 250 pounds) of methamphetamine (based on a conservative street price of $2,300 for 226 grams (a half-pound) of methamphetamine).
Eighteen defendants have been convicted in two separate indictments that resulted from this investigation. Fifteen defendants have been sentenced.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Sean T. Foley, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Jury Convicts Colchester Man of Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, on February 9, 2023, Dennis Martin, 42, of Colchester, Vermont, was convicted for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, following a four-day jury trial before United States District Judge Christina Reiss.
According to court records, on February 17, 2019, Martin’s wife reported ongoing domestic abuse perpetrated by Martin. On February 18, 2019, Martin’s mother-in-law reported she had received a Snapchat video from Martin in which he brandished a firearm and made threatening statements. On February 18, 2019, Colchester Police with the assistance of the Vermont State Police Tactical Services Unit arrested Martin for felony domestic assault and disorderly conduct with an electronic device. A search of the vehicle Martin was in at the time of his arrest resulted in the seizure of a Ruger model LCP .380 caliber pistol. Martin was subsequently convicted in Vermont Superior Court of misdemeanor domestic assault and disorderly conduct by phone and was sentenced to 363 to 364 days of jail.
Also, according to court records, on the evening of June 22, 2021, Martin was alleged to have brandished a firearm in the area of Franklin Square in Burlington, Vermont. Martin turned himself in to Burlington Police on June 29, 2021. On July 1, 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) obtained a federal criminal complaint charging Martin with being a felon in possession of a firearm for the February 18, 2019 possession of the Ruger model LCP .380 caliber pistol. Martin was subsequently indicted by the federal grand jury, and on August 20, 2021, Martin was ordered detained pending trial.On February 9, 2023, the trial jury returned a verdict of guilty, finding that on February 18, 2019, Martin had knowingly possessed the Ruger model LCP .380 caliber pistol while knowing that he had a prior conviction for a crime punishable for more than one year. Martin was ordered to remain detained pending sentencing.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the ATF, the Colchester Police Department, and the Vermont State Police in the investigation and prosecution of Martin. United States Attorney Kerest also stated, “Prosecution of felons who both unlawfully possess firearms and inflict domestic abuse on their households will continue to be prioritized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Martin faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and up to a $250,000 fine. Martin’s actual sentence, however, will be determined by the sentencing judge with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The prosecution of Martin was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt, Corinne M. Smith, and Wendy L. Fuller. Martin was represented by Michelle Anderson Barth, Esq.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .
Jamaican Citizen Indicted for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme Extradited to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Adrian Lawrence, a citizen of Jamaica, will be arraigned this afternoon in federal court in Central Islip on a six-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud U.S. citizens. Today’s proceeding will be held before United States Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields. Lawrence was detained last month in Panama and extradited to the United States on February 8, 2023, at the request of U.S. authorities.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Daniel B. Brubaker, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Field Office (USPIS), and J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, Lawrence and his co-conspirators preyed on dozens of elderly persons, contacting the victims by phone and email, spinning the lie that they had won a sweepstakes prize, then having gained their trust, betrayed them by extracting a purported fee to collect the non-existent winnings,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s arrest demonstrates our Office’s commitment to aggressively investigate and prosecute those individuals who exploit our senior citizens for personal gain.”
Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their valuable assistance with this case.
“As alleged, Lawrence defrauded dozens of elderly victims of collectively more than $5 million by willfully misleading them to believe they had won a sweepstakes and needed to pay fees to release their winnings. After the victims paid the fees, they came to the unfortunate realization that the prizes they had been promised were non-existent. While elder fraud continues to be a persistent crime problem, today’s action should serve as a reminder the FBI will continue to do all we can to protect the vulnerable from those who seek to take advantage of them for their own greedy purposes,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Brubaker stated: “Postal Inspectors have been in the business of tracking down fugitives for over 200 years. With the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and the U.S Attorney’s Office, Adrian Lawrence will face justice in the Eastern District of New York. Lawrence, a Jamaican national, is allegedly the head of a scamming operation that defrauded more than 50 victims out of more than $5 million dollars over the past 10 years. This arrest should serve as a clear message to Lawrence and anyone else involved in lottery or sweepstakes scams, that if you prey upon the American public there will be consequences. No matter how far you run, or how good you think you can hide, justice will always find you. Postal Inspectors remind everyone that you can’t win a lottery or sweepstakes that you didn’t enter, and that you NEVER have to pay any amount to collect a legitimate prize.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively investigates individuals who impersonate Internal Revenue Service employees or who use the IRS’s tax collecting authority to scam others, especially seniors and other vulnerable populations,” stated Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure those who endeavor to corrupt federal tax administration are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
As set forth in the indictment and court filings, between October 2013 and April 2020, Lawrence, also known as “Mastermind,” and his co-conspirators carried out a scheme via telephone and email to defraud elderly United States citizens (the “Victims”) by falsely telling the Victims that they had won certain sweepstakes contests that were sponsored by Publishers Clearing House, federal agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, and other entities. Lawrence also told the Victims that in order to facilitate the release of their sweepstakes prizes, the Victims first needed to wire-transfer money to various bank accounts that he had his co-conspirators established at bank branches in the United States, and to mail checks and cash to Lawrence’s co-conspirators throughout the United States, in order to pay for purported fees. In reality, Lawrence knew that the Victims owed no fees and had won no sweepstakes prizes. Lawrence used a variety of aliases, email addresses and phone numbers to perpetrate the scheme. At least 50 victims, whose average age was 81-years-old, sent more than $5.6 million to Lawrence and his co-conspirators.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and Lawrence is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Caffarone is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ADRIAN LAWRENCE (also known as “Mastermind”)
Age: 31
JamaicaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-159 (JMA)
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Feb. 9 was:
Matthew Ryan Cubberly, 36, of Kalispell, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Cubberly faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Cubberly was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kalispell Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-3.
Appearing on Feb. 6 was:
Zachary Vernon Stephens, 34, of Bozeman, on charges of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. If convicted of the most serious crime, Stephens faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release. Stephens was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-20.
Jessica Elizabeth Garrett, 42, of Billings, on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Garrett faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the wire fraud charge and a mandatory minimum two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft charge. Garrett was detained pending further proceedings. The Billings Police Department and Missoula Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-03.
Appearing for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint was:
Lindsay Ann Rumph, 33, of Missoula, on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rumph faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum five years to life, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the firearm charge. Rumph was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-11.
Eric Anthony Navarro, 32, of Missoula, on charges of conspiracy to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Navarro faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum five years to life, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the firearm charge. Navarro was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-12.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Feb. 8 was:
Joseph Ernest Potts, 32, of Browning, on charges of assault on a federal officer. If convicted of the most serious crime, Potts faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Potts was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-104.
Appearing on Feb. 6 was:
James Lee Brown, 60, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Brown faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Brown was detained pending further proceedings. The Great Falls Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-09.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Feb. 8 was:
James Joseph Sangrey, 39, of Great Falls, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sangrey faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Sangrey was detained pending further proceedings. The Great Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-13.
Ralph Edward Page, 52, of Boulder, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Page faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Page was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Probation and Parole and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-06.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J, Cavan and pleading not guilty on Feb. 7 was:
Dane Ralph Jams Curry, 39, of Baker, on charges of conspiracy to produce child pornography, sex trafficking of a minor and destruction of records in a federal investigation. If convicted of the most serious crime, Curry faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Curry was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-05.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Illegal Possession of Methamphetamine, Ecstasy, and Heroin Leads to Time in Federal Prison for Three MenRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of three men this week for the illegal possession of drugs. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced Archie Louis Carter, Jr., 40, of Alexandria, Louisiana, and Isaiah Charles Jones, 34, of Houston, Texas.
Carter was sentenced to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Jones was previously sentenced on January 23, 2023, to 151 months (12 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On February 13, 2020, a warrant was issued for Carter based on a criminal complaint which had been filed in the Western District of Louisiana charging him with a firearms violation. On February 15, 2020, law enforcement officers with the U.S. Marshal Service’s Violent Offender Task Force conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Carter was driving from the Houston, Texas area into the Western District of Louisiana. Jones was a passenger in the vehicle. Carter and Jones were ordered out of the vehicle and law enforcement agents detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. A K-9 officer was deployed and alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. A search resulted in the seizure of large amounts of narcotics, including approximately 1,090 grams of heroin, 2,556 grams of cocaine, 1,030 grams of methamphetamine, and 12,223 dosage units of Ecstasy. Both Carter and Jones were arrested and subsequently indicted. On September 19, 2022, Carter pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Jones pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute Ecstasy on September 19, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Marshal Service’s Violent Offender Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog.
In a separate and unrelated case, Travis Trentel Thorne, 39, of Crowley, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph to 37 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of heroin.
According to evidence presented to the court, on June 20, 2020, deputies with the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop. Deputies found Thorne to be in possession of approximately 28.7 grams of heroin. In addition, deputies located a silver scale with heroin residue on the passenger side floorboard of the vehicle. Thorne admitted to law enforcement officers that the heroin was his and he possessed with the intent to distribute the heroin. Thorne pleaded guilty to the charge of possession with intent to distribute heroin on November 9, 2022.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel.
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Hiawatha Women Sentenced for Providing Guns to OthersRead the Press Release
A woman who provided firearms to others illegally was sentenced on February 9, 2023, to more than a year in federal prison.
Kori Dawn Hobbs, age 41, from Hiawatha, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the possession of firearms by a person convicted of domestic violence.
In a plea agreement, Hobbs admitted that she purchased 22 firearms between May 2019 and August 2021. She also allowed Jae Bernard, age 49, also from Hiawatha, Iowa, access to them despite knowing that he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior domestic abuse conviction. Hobbs was previously convicted of transferring a firearm to a minor in 2021, following an incident where Bernard’s son attempted to sell a firearm to another individual and that individual stole the firearm instead. Bernard’s son was also prohibited from possessing firearms at the time because of a no contact order. Bernard pled guilty to illegally possessing firearms on December 27, 2022, and is awaiting sentencing at a time and date to be determined. Firearms purchased by Hobbs were also recovered in Urbandale and Chicago.
Hobbs was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Hobbs was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Hobbs was released on the bond conditions previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Hiawatha Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Urbandale Police Department, and the Chicago Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-03-CJW.
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Grand Jury Indicts Former Buffalo Man on Wire Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment charging Joshua Parra, 31, formerly of Buffalo, NY, now living in Melbourne, Florida, with bank fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, Parra defrauded Bancorp and Stride Bank by creating 94 fictitious disputed transactions on behalf of 11 customers of Fintech Company 1, a financial technology company that offers customers mobile banking services. However, none of the 11 customers’ accounts with Fintech Company 1 had transactions that would justify such disputes. Nearly all of the fictitious disputed transactions were in the amount of $5,000. As a result, funds were transferred from settlement accounts, held at Bancorp and Stride Bank, to accounts maintained by the Fintech Company 1 customers for whom Parra created the fictitious disputed transactions. Losses to Bancorp and Stride Bank totaled approximately $450,000.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Darren Cox.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Georgia Inmate Sentenced for Orchestrating Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Scheme from JailRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Georgia inmate who admitted he conducted a pandemic unemployment insurance fraud scheme from behind bars, which included using the personal identifiable information (PII) of other inmates, was sentenced to prison this week for his crime.
Jacob Garner, 34, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell on Feb. 9 after he previously pleaded guilty to theft of United States government funds. Garner’s federal sentence will be served consecutively to the parole revocation sentence he is currently serving in Baldwin County, Georgia. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, Garner was an inmate at the Baldwin County Jail in 2020 when a Baldwin County detective located messages between Garner and his then girlfriend and co-defendant, Lindsey Garner (née Quinton), 32, of Milledgeville, discussing filing fraudulent unemployment insurance/pandemic unemployment assistance (UI/PUA) claims to the Georgia Department of Labor (GA-DOL).
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) agents investigated and discovered that Garner instructed Quinton to obtain fraudulent UI/PUA loans for both themselves and two inmates. Ultimately, of the four claims, only two claims were issued: $10,329 in Quinton’s name and $13,776 in Garner’s name, totaling $24,105. Quinton was employed at the time and was not eligible for the pandemic loans; incarcerated individuals are also not eligible for UI/PUA benefits. All four of the claims listed Quinton’s former mailing address and were submitted from the same IP address. In addition, the email addresses used to obtain fraudulent UI/PUA loans were linked back to Quinton’s personal email account. A search of Garner’s jail cell found a list of inmates with their PII, including social security numbers and dates of birth. Both Garner and Quinton admitted to their roles in the scheme; Quinton pleaded guilty to theft of government funds on Aug. 24, 2022, and was sentenced to serve five years of probation on Nov. 2, 2022.
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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), the United States Secret Service (USSS) and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim prosecuted the case.
Four Men Arrested on Federal Indictment Charging Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned a ten-count indictment on February 7, 2023, charging four men with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Each were also charged with additional drug distribution offenses, and one was also charged with firearms offenses. All four were arrested today.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Sheriff John Aubrey of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Cesar Valdes, 31, of Louisville, Victor Hernandez, 35, of Louisville, Jorge Morales Martinez, 45, of Mexico, and Irlan Salazar, 39, of Louisville, were all charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and over 400 grams of fentanyl. Valdes was also charged with three counts of fentanyl distribution, four counts of methamphetamine distribution, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Hernandez was also charged with one count of methamphetamine distribution and one count of fentanyl distribution. Martinez was also charged with one count of fentanyl distribution. Salazar was also charged with one count of methamphetamine distribution.
The defendants made their initial court appearances today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, all defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI, Louisville Metro Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
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Four Individuals Sentenced for Conspiring to Stage Automobile AccidentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAVID BROWN (“BROWN”), age 51, of Morgan City, Louisiana; GILDA HENDERSON (“HENDERSON”), age 70, of Morgan City, Louisiana; LATRELL JOHNSON (“JOHNSON”), age 30, of New Orleans, Louisiana; and STACIE WHEATEN (“WHEATEN”), age 51 of Fairburn, Georgia, were sentenced on February 8, 2023 for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans.
According to court documents, WHEATEN and others introduced “slammer” Damian Labeaud to attorney Patrick Keating in 2017. At this meeting, Keating agreed to pay Labeaud for staged automobile collisions. WHEATEN recruited passengers to participate in staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers in New Orleans, including on May 17, 2017 and on June 5, 2017. The passengers in these collisions filed fraudulent lawsuits that falsely claimed the tractor-trailers were at fault.
BROWN, HENDERSON, and JOHNSON served as passengers for a collision on May 11, 2017. These defendants conspired with Labeaud and others to intentionally collide with a tractor-trailer in the area of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road in New Orleans. After the intentional collision, BROWN, HENDERSON, and JOHNSON made a false police report, lied in depositions, and/or filed fraudulent lawsuits claiming that the tractor-trailer was at fault. As a result of this conduct, the insurance company for the tractor-trailer involved in the May 11, 2017 collision paid over $140,000.00 in settlement funds.
U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced WHEATEN to serve 18 months in prison, to be followed by two (2) years of supervised release. WHEATEN was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $54,000.00 and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. BROWN, HENDERSON, and JOHNSON were each sentenced to serve three (3) years of probation. Additionally, Judge Milazzo ordered BROWN, HENDERSON, and JOHNSON each to pay restitution in the amount of $200,963.59 and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Long.
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Former Vancouver, Washington man sentenced to 21 years in prison for producing images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 24-year-old former Vancouver, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 21 years in prison for producing images of child sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Kaleb Michael Scott has already been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Clark County Superior Court. The sentences will run concurrently. Scott will be required to register as a sex offender when released from prison. Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo ordered him to be on lifetime supervised release following his prison sentence.
According to records filed in the case, Scott was trusted with the care of an infant in 2021. An investigation revealed that a snapchat user had uploaded images of child molestation. The snapchat account was linked to Scott. By the time the images were traced to Scott, he had relocated to Utah, but had left his phone with relatives in Vancouver. A forensic examination of the phone revealed 34 images of sexual abuse of an infant, and Google search terms related to images of child sexual abuse.
In asking for the 20-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Stuart wrote to the court, “As a trusted caregiver, the defendant horrifically abused his position and preyed upon the infant. Not only did he abuse the infant, he disseminated images of the abuse on the internet, where it will live forever. Further, he detailed his abuse in online chats, discussing details of the pain and suffering of a small, helpless, innocent.”
At the sentencing hearing Chief Judge Estudillo said Scott’s conduct was not only “despicable, it was calculated… He used his personal relationships to foster trust to gain access to particularly vulnerable victims, all exacerbated by having recorded his conduct, sharing images and going so far as to brag about what he was doing.”
The case was investigated by Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit of the Vancouver Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Stuart.
Former United States Postal Employee Sentenced for Stealing MailRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a former United States Postal employee for stealing mail, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick M. Davis, and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich.
U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Zachary Rashad Humphrey, 31, of Huntsville, to 18 months in prison followed by three years supervised release. Humphrey pleaded guilty to receipt of stolen mail matter and theft of mail by a postal employee in November 2022.
“Public servants who abuse their positions of trust to personally enrich themselves face serious consequences, including jail time,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “I am grateful for the collaboration between federal law enforcement and the Huntsville Police Department to apprehend this defendant and bring him to justice.”
“The defendant in this case took advantage of the public trust that had been bestowed upon him as a U.S. Postal Service employee,” said SAC Davis. “The U.S. Secret Service stands firm with our federal law enforcement partners in bringing those to justice, who violate that public trust.”
“The vast majority of U.S. Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would never dream of violating the public trust in this manner,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich. “An employee who decides otherwise will be aggressively investigated by our special agents and law enforcement partners. This case is an excellent example of the successful partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute employees involved in criminal activity and to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail.”
According to court documents, Humphrey was employed as a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service. Between March 2022 and April 2022, Humphrey stole checks from mail to be delivered on his route and sold them to associates over the dark web. The checks Humphrey stole totaled over $40,000.
The United States Secret Service and the Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case with assistance from the Huntsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
Former Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Biloxi woman was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for knowingly making a materially false statement on a tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge James Dorsey of IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office.
Gena Michelle Hall, 37, was sentenced on February 9, 2023 in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
In addition to her prison sentence, Hall was ordered to pay $231,636.67 in restitution to the United States.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Hall worked at a tax return preparation business in the Gulfport area, known as Tax Pros. Between 2015 and 2019, Hall prepared federal income tax returns for clients that contained one or more materially false entries. Hall knew that these tax returns were false at the time she prepared them. The materially false entries caused the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to issue inflated income tax refunds to her clients. Hall also knowingly filed false income tax returns for herself as a taxpayer. In 2017, she received about $49,000 in tax preparation fees by cashier's checks and transfers from Tax Pros' bank account, yet she reported none of those fees as income.
"Today's sentencing of Gena Michelle Hall emphasizes that IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s office will continue pursuing and prosecuting tax preparers who knowingly and willfully assist others in defrauding the U.S. Government by submitting fraudulent tax returns,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Tax professionals are in positions of trust and expected to follow the laws when preparing their own and clients tax returns.”
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris.