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19 January 2023
La Quarenta gang drug dealers sent to prison for poly-drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Corpus Christi men have been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute meth, heroin and cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Ricky Reyna, 36, and Jayden Wandell Coleman, 20, pleaded guilty Oct. 20, 2021, and Jan. 27, 2022, respectfully.
Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Reyna to serve a total of 300 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Reyna, a member of the La Quarenta street gang, ran a 24/7 narcotics storefront that sold heroin, meth, cocaine, crack-cocaine and synthetic marijuana.
Coleman was previously sentenced April 20, 2022, and was ordered to serve a 121-month term of imprisonment. A fourth member of the conspiracy, Fernando Martinez, 44, also pleaded guilty on Nov. 23, 2021, and is scheduled to be sentenced March 15.
“Today’s sentence sends a strong message that our office will relentlessly work toward dismantling and disrupting local street gangs such as La Quarenta,” said Hamdani. “Criminal activity in our community is all too often fueled by drug traffickers, particularly those affiliated with these such groups.”
The investigation began in September 2020. It revealed the narcotics trafficking organization used a Corpus Christi residence on Cortez Street to distribute meth, heroin, crack and marijuana. Authorities observed Reyna, Martinez, and Coleman entering and exiting the drug stash house as various times and directing people to the residence. The conspiracy spanned from Sept. 6, 2020 to Aug. 26, 2021.
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement observed a high amount of foot traffic approach and enter the residence, stay for a few minutes and then exit the area. Traffic stops resulted in the seizure of narcotics they had obtained from the drug stash house.
Authorities also executed search warrants at four residences and a storage yard in August 2021. They ultimately found a total of over five kilograms of cocaine, over four kilograms of meth, more than two kilograms of heroin; nearly 200 grams of crack and 13 kilograms of marijuana and over a hundred thousand dollars, digital scales, a drug ledger, and loaded firearms and ammunition.
The investigation further revealed the men were in communication with each other regarding the purchase and sale of various narcotics for the duration of the conspiracy.
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, Corpus Christi Police Department’s Gang Unit and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their continued partnership and commitment to combating violent crime,” said Special Agent in Fred Milanowski. “As a result of our joint efforts, members of this criminal organization will no longer threaten our communities with their brazen acts of illegal activity.”
“Today’s sentencing is another step in the right direction in our collective effort to root out and eradicate the trafficking of illicit narcotics in the Corpus Christi community by gangs and other criminal elements, but there is much more work to do,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mario Trevino, HSI - Corpus Christi. “HSI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue anyone who traffics these deadly substances to keep them from poisoning our children and destroying our local communities.”
Reyna will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and Corpus Christi Police Department’s Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marck prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Minnesota Staffing Agency to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
Note: View the Spanish release here.
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Corp IV Holdings Inc., doing business as Masterson Staffing Solutions (Masterson Staffing), a staffing company based in Minnesota. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Masterson Staffing violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by routinely discriminating against its non-U.S. citizen workers when checking their permission to work in the United States.
“When employees present legally acceptable documentation to demonstrate their permission to work, employers cannot demand different or additional documents because of the employees’ citizenship or immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue the important work of ensuring that workers do not face unlawful barriers to employment.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Masterson Staffing will pay a civil penalty of $250,000 to the United States, and make $100,000 available for a back pay fund to compensate victims of Masterson Staffing’s alleged discriminatory practices. Additionally, Masterson Staffing will train staff on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, modify its policies, and be subject to quarterly reporting requirements.
The department’s investigation determined that Masterson Staffing routinely required specific documents from newly-hired non-U.S. citizens to prove their permission to work in the United States even though Federal law allows workers to choose among legally acceptable documents, regardless of citizenship, immigration status, or national origin. Specifically, the department found that Masterson Staffing required lawful permanent residents to show their Permanent Resident Cards (sometimes known as green cards), and other non-U.S. citizens to show their Employment Authorization Documents (sometimes known as work permits). At least one asylee lost work because of this discriminatory practice. The department also found that Masterson Staffing routinely required certain lawful permanent residents to show unnecessary documents to prove their continued permission to work.
The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific documents because of a worker’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Indeed, many non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees, are eligible for several of the same types of documents to prove their permission to work as U.S. citizens (such as driver’s licenses and unrestricted Social Security cards). Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine. In addition, if a lawful permanent resident provides an unexpired permanent resident card to prove their permission to work, employers must not request new documentation if the permanent resident card later expires. The INA prohibits employers from unnecessarily reverifying a worker’s permission to work.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying permission to work on IER’s website. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment, or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email IER@usdoj.gov; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.
Español
Justice Department Resolves Language Access Matter Concerning Louisiana Supreme CourtRead the Press Release
Note: This press release has been translated into several languages. See the attached files.
The Justice Department announced today the resolution of a matter involving the Louisiana Supreme Court (LASC) based on actions LASC has taken to improve access to state court proceedings and operations for people with limited English proficiency (LEP).
In May 2019, the Justice Department and LASC entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to address a complaint under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). Title VI is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin by any recipients of federal financial assistance, including state courts. Since the MOA was signed, LASC has taken a number of remedial actions to improve access for court users across Louisiana who are LEP.
“Courts across our country must ensure that the courthouse door is open to all, including people with limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will continue working to ensure that court systems, like the Louisiana Supreme Court, have the policies, practices, interpreters and other resources necessary to ensure access to justice for people with limited English proficiency.”
“With its actions, the Louisiana Supreme Court demonstrated a commitment to ensuring access to state courts in Louisiana for persons who are LEP,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “My office is committed to addressing all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against persons who are LEP.”
LASC has taken a number of actions to develop and implement a language access program and expand the availability of free language assistance services for people with LEP in Louisiana. LASC established an Office of Language Access and adopted the first Language Access Plan for Louisiana courts. LASC also created a centralized language access complaint system with an online complaint form in several non-English languages. For court staff, LASC developed training programs on language access, a judicial bench card focusing on access to court interpreters, and other language access resources. Further, LASC successfully advocated for a change to a state law that had allowed courts to charge people with LEP for the cost of an interpreter and then adopted new court rules based on that change in state law.
This matter was conducted jointly by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Press Release in Spanish (Español)
Press Release in Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)
Press Release in French (Français)
Press Release in Arabic ( العربية)
Justice Department Resolves Language Access Matter Concerning Louisiana Supreme CourtRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today the resolution of a matter involving the Louisiana Supreme Court (LASC) based on actions LASC has taken to improve access to state court proceedings and operations for people with limited English proficiency (LEP).
In May 2019, the Justice Department and LASC entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to address a complaint under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). Title VI is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin by any recipients of federal financial assistance, including state courts. Since the MOA was signed, LASC has taken a number of remedial actions to improve access for court users across Louisiana who are LEP.
“Courts across our country must ensure that the courthouse door is open to all, including people with limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will continue working to ensure that court systems, like the Louisiana Supreme Court, have the policies, practices, interpreters and other resources necessary to ensure access to justice for people with limited English proficiency.”
“With its actions, the Louisiana Supreme Court demonstrated a commitment to ensuring access to state courts in Louisiana for persons who are LEP,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “My office is committed to addressing all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against persons who are LEP.”
LASC has taken a number of actions to develop and implement a language access program and expand the availability of free language assistance services for people with LEP in Louisiana. LASC established an Office of Language Access and adopted the first Language Access Plan for Louisiana courts. LASC also created a centralized language access complaint system with an online complaint form in several non-English languages. For court staff, LASC developed training programs on language access, a judicial bench card focusing on access to court interpreters, and other language access resources. Further, LASC successfully advocated for a change to a state law that had allowed courts to charge people with LEP for the cost of an interpreter and then adopted new court rules based on that change in state law.
This matter was conducted jointly by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Press Release in Spanish (Español)
Press Release in Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)
Press Release in French (Français)
Press Release in Arabic ( العربية)
Justice Department Announces Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr. as Director of Office of Community Oriented Policing ServicesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced that Colonel Hugh T. Clements Jr. has been appointed to serve as the new Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The COPS Office is the component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation’s state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.
“The Department’s COPS Office is central to our efforts to strengthen the public trust between communities and law enforcement that is essential to public safety, and I am pleased to announce that Chief Hugh Clements, a nearly 40-year veteran of the Providence Police Department, will be serving as its next Director,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am confident that Chief Clements’s leadership will further enable the COPS Office to continue its important work to keep our communities safe and build trust and mutual respect between police and communities, and I look forward to working alongside him. I am deeply grateful to Rob Chapman for his leadership as Acting COPS Director, his contributions to community policing, and his continued service to the Justice Department.”
Mr. Clements joins the Justice Department after nearly 40 years with the Providence Police Department in Providence, Rhode Island. Mr. Clements started his distinguished public safety career as a night Patrol Officer in Providence’s Uniform Division. Over the next 17 years, he rose through the ranks, working in both the Special Investigations Bureau and the Detective Bureau, where he played active roles in several major investigations. He later served as Deputy Chief and was appointed as Acting Chief of Police in July 2011, and on Jan. 6, 2012, he was appointed as the 37th Chief of the Department and promoted to the rank of Colonel.
Mr. Clements has worked closely with major law enforcement, civil rights, and community organizations. He is the recipient of numerous commendations for outstanding police work and devotion to duty, including being recognized with the Providence Police Department Chief’s Award three times and the White House Champions of Change Award for Reducing Drug Use and Building a Healthier America.
Mr. Clements received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Rhode Island and a Bachelor of Science degree in the Administration of Justice from Roger Williams University. He holds a Master of Science degree in criminal justice from Boston University. He attended many specialty schools throughout his career, including the New York State Police Williams Homicide School, the Illinois State Police Supervisor’s School, and the ATF National Gang School in California, and in 2005 he graduated from the Senior Management Institute for Police put on by the Harvard Kennedy School at Boston University.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to agency for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to over 13,000 state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers.
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Justice Department Announces Colonel Hugh T. Clements Jr. as Director of Office of Community Oriented Policing ServicesRead the Press Release
Today, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced that Colonel Hugh T. Clements Jr. has been appointed to serve as the new Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The COPS Office is the component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation’s state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.
“The Department’s COPS Office is central to our efforts to strengthen the public trust between communities and law enforcement that is essential to public safety, and I am pleased to announce that Chief Hugh Clements, a nearly 40-year veteran of the Providence Police Department, will be serving as its next Director,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am confident that Chief Clements’s leadership will further enable the COPS Office to continue its important work to keep our communities safe and build trust and mutual respect between police and communities, and I look forward to working alongside him. I am deeply grateful to Rob Chapman for his leadership as Acting COPS Director, his contributions to community policing, and his continued service to the Justice Department.”
Mr. Clements joins the Justice Department after nearly 40 years with the Providence Police Department in Providence, Rhode Island. Mr. Clements started his distinguished public safety career as a night Patrol Officer in Providence’s Uniform Division. Over the next 17 years, he rose through the ranks, working in both the Special Investigations Bureau and the Detective Bureau, where he played active roles in several major investigations. He later served as Deputy Chief and was appointed as Acting Chief of Police in July 2011, and on Jan. 6, 2012, he was appointed as the 37th Chief of the Department and promoted to the rank of Colonel.
Mr. Clements has worked closely with major law enforcement, civil rights, and community organizations. He is the recipient of numerous commendations for outstanding police work and devotion to duty, including being recognized with the Providence Police Department Chief’s Award three times and the White House Champions of Change Award for Reducing Drug Use and Building a Healthier America.
Mr. Clements received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Rhode Island and a Bachelor of Science degree in the Administration of Justice from Roger Williams University. He holds a Master of Science degree in criminal justice from Boston University. He attended many specialty schools throughout his career, including the New York State Police Williams Homicide School, the Illinois State Police Supervisor’s School, and the ATF National Gang School in California, and in 2005 he graduated from the Senior Management Institute for Police put on by the Harvard Kennedy School at Boston University.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to agency for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to over 13,000 state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers.
Jury Convicts Bush Man of Attempting to Entice a MinorRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – In a U.S. District Court on Wednesday, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict for a man from Bush, Illinois, accused of traveling to entice a minor into sexual activity.
Aimen Garro, 38, was convicted of traveling to entice a minor after conversing online and attempting to meet with an alleged 15-year-old girl, during an operation conducted by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in August 2020.
“Individuals who lurk online and try to entice children have a special place in society, and it’s called federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the work of the FBI, the Illinois State Police, the Herrin Police Department, and the Marion Police Department to prevent Garro from grooming any other minors online.”
“Every time the FBI’s proactive effort investigating child predators puts another offender behind bars, we prevent an unknown number of children from being lured into a dangerous trap,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Shannon Fontenot. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always work tirelessly to ensure the safety of children.”
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Garro responded to an online dating application and began sending messages to an undercover FBI agent in July 2020. Garro believed he was speaking with a 15-year-old girl, asked for nude photographs and used sexually-explicit language to plan meeting arrangements for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity.
On Aug. 28, 2020, Garro traveled to Marion from DeSoto, Illinois, where he lived at the time, to meet with the girl but was taken into custody upon arrival.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 3, 2023.
FBI-Springfield led the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the Illinois State Police, the Herrin Police Department, and the Marion Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Bloodworth and David Sanders are prosecuting the case.
Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Diontae Underwood, age 21, of Johnstown, New York, pled guilty today to distributing cocaine base on February 23, 2021 in Schenectady, New York.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarantino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
When Underwood is sentenced on June 8, 2023 by United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, he faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case.
Jefferson County Chiropractor Admits $3.5 Million Dollar Health Care, Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A chiropractor from Jefferson County, Missouri on Thursday admitted that he falsely claimed to have a medical license and exaggerated patients’ medical conditions so they would fraudulently receive more than $3.5 million in disability payments from the Social Security Administration and private disability benefit insurers.
Thomas G. Hobbs, 65, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to a conspiracy charge and admitted conspiring to commit the crimes of health care fraud, making false statements, theft of government funds and Social Security fraud.
Hobbs, the co-owner of Power-Med Inc., a chiropractic clinic in Arnold, Missouri, admitted that he falsely claimed to have a medical license. Despite his lack of a medical license, between 2011 and 2019 he purchased and dispensed prescription medications, administered injections and dispensed medications intravenously to patients. Hobbs admitted in his plea agreement that he knew he was not permitted to administer injections because the Missouri Board of Chiropractic Examiners placed him on probation for five years for fraudulently billing insurance companies for unlawfully administering injections.
Beginning in 2011, Hobbs also fraudulently assisted patients in receiving disability benefit payments through the Social Security Administration’s Disability Trust Fund and through private disability benefit insurance providers.
Hobbs charged patients between $2,000 and $8,600 to prepare disability forms and coach them to lie to the Social Security Administration and insurers about their ability to perform basic activities such as lifting, standing, walking, sitting, remembering and taking care of their personal needs.
Hobbs also used a fictitious medical license number to buttress patients’ disability claims so that his medical determinations would be given greater weight than those of medical experts evaluating the claims on behalf of the Social Security Administration and private disability benefit insurers. To further bolster his misrepresentations, Hobbs submitted false and fraudulent medical reports to give the appearance that he had a long history with the patients. Hobbs submitted or caused to be submitted false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to health care benefit programs for services that were not provided, medically unnecessary services or services provided by unqualified persons to make it appear that the disability patients had medical conditions. Those procedures included MRIs, CT scans and cardiovascular studies. He also submitted numerous claims for office visits when he had not provided the required face-to-face evaluation and management services to the patients.
Hobbs admitted the losses to the Social Security Administration and private insurers exceeded $3.5 million.
Hobbs is the seventh of ten individuals indicted in the case in 2020 to plead guilty.
Hobbs is scheduled to be sentenced April 19. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for each count, a fine of $250,000, or both. Both sides have agreed to recommend a four-year prison term. Hobbs will also be ordered to repay the money.
The cases were investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Berry, Dorothy McMurtry Diane Klocke and Gwendolyn Carroll are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who suspects fraud involving the Disability Insurance Benefit Program is asked to contact the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General Hotline at: 1-800-269-0271 or https://oig.ssa.gov/report/.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to three years and one month in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Don Cornelius Ward, 38, was found in possession of a firearm by officers of the Jackson Police Department on February 3, 2020. An individual alerted JPD officers that Ward was asleep in his car which was parked in her carport, and that she wanted Ward to leave her property. Two JPD officers responded and found that Ward had marijuana and a stolen firearm in his car. Ward has five prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Ward to possess any firearm.
The Jackson Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 139 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson sentenced Heriberto Ortiz-Torres, age 34, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to 139 months in prison for drug trafficking and was sentenced separately to 78 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon. The sentences are to run concurrently.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Ortiz-Torres pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine. Ortiz-Torres was part of a conspiracy that brought kilogram size quantities of cocaine into the Harrisburg area from Puerto Rico. Ortiz-Torres was involved in several transactions involving multiple ounces of cocaine and was also overheard in conversations discussing procuring and storing firearms.
Ortiz-Torres was arrested by the Harrisburg Police Department on February 8, 2019, following a traffic stop in which he possessed a loaded .40 caliber Glock handgun. The handgun was modified to fire on fully automatic, and Ortiz-Torres had previously been convicted of a felony offense, prohibiting him from possessing firearms.
The cases were investigated by the Harrisburg Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daryl F. Bloom and Scott R. Ford prosecuted the cases.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Hallam Man Sentenced to Six Months Confinement for Willful Failure to Pay over TaxRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Christopher D. Weaver, 49, of Hallam Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for willful failure to pay over tax. Weaver was sentenced to six months of community confinement, two years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system. Weaver was additionally ordered to pay a fine of $10,000.
The investigation of this case revealed that Weaver failed to file Forms 941 and pay over the trust fund taxes for his two businesses, Structural Enterprises, Inc. and SEI Millwright Service, Inc., for a period of approximately 10 years from 2010 until 2020. Specifically, during the third quarter of the year 2016, for the months of July 1, 2016 through September 30, 2016, Weaver deducted and collected from the total taxable wages of Structural Enterprises, Inc employees, “payroll taxes” in the amount of approximately $92,986.91 for the quarter ending September 30, 2016. Weaver willfully failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service the $92,986.91 in “payroll taxes” due and owing to the United States of America. Since being charged, Weaver has paid all payroll taxes due and owing and filed the required tax forms.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
Guatemalan Citizen Sentenced to 51 Months for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Heberto Martinez, age 38, a citizen of Guatemala who most recently resided in Lynn, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for distributing fentanyl.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Michael Alfonso, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, whose office leads the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT); and Ulster County District Attorney David Clegg.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Martinez admitted that he was a member of a Boston-based drug trafficking organization that trafficked 1.1 kilograms of a fentanyl mixture from Lynn to redistributors in northern Ulster County between October 2020 and March 2021. Martinez was arrested by HSI and URGENT investigators on March 22, 2021, and has remained in custody since that time.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby imposed a 2-year term of supervised release to begin after Martinez is released from prison, in the event that Martinez is not removed from the United States.
HSI and URGENT, with assistance provided by the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon prosecuted the case.
Guatemalan Citizen Sentenced for Fourth Illegal Re-entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – German Vasquez-Domingo, age 37, of Guatemala, was sentenced yesterday to serve one year and one day imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Thomas P. Brophy, Field Office Director, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) Buffalo, NY, and Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office, made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Vasquez-Domingo admitted that despite being deported back to Guatemala, he illegally reentered the United States again sometime prior to June 2022. Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes imposed the sentence based, in part, on the fact that this offense constituted Vasquez-Domingo’s fourth illegal reentry into the United States.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone prosecuted the case.
Greenville Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Greenville man was sentenced yesterday to more than eight years in prison for firearms related crimes.
According to court documents, Marco Dewayne Hemphill, 39, previously plead guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, all arising out of a traffic stop in Greenville in August 2021.
Hemphill was sentenced on Wednesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Debra Brown to serve 100 months in prison, including 40 months for possessing a gun as a convicted felon and 60 months for possessing a gun during a drug trafficking crime. In addition, Hemphill will serve a three-year term of supervision upon his release from prison. Hemphill was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following his sentencing hearing.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi and Greenville Police Chief Marcus Turner made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Mims 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.
Georgia Man Sentenced to 240 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Christopher Hale, 42 years old, of Ellenwood, Georgia, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Hale was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on three occasions in May 2022, law enforcement purchased methamphetamine from Hale at various Fort Wayne locations. A June 2022 search of Hale’s residence yielded additional quantities of methamphetamine as well as scales, baggies, and gloves.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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Gary Man Convicted of Armed Bank Robbery and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Anthony Day, age 55, of Gary, Indiana, was found guilty following a 3-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
The jury found Day guilty of armed robbery, brandishing a firearm during that bank robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Day will be scheduled for sentencing by separate order of the Court. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Hammond Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula and Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Grindlay.
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.
Four Defendants Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Geneva CountyRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – A fourth defendant was sentenced this week for his role in selling methamphetamine in Alabama’s Wiregrass region, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. This concludes a series of federal sentencings that resulted from a Geneva County drug trafficking investigation beginning in 2019.
The following provides more detail about the various defendants convicted and sentences imposed.
- On January 18, 2023, Shanna Collins, 44, a resident of Hartford, Alabama, received a 77-month prison sentence followed by four years of supervised release for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute the drug. Collins pleaded guilty to the charge on September 16, 2022.
- On December 14, 2022, Dewey Gibson, 34, a resident of Enterprise, Alabama, received a 92-month prison sentence followed by four years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Gibson pleaded guilty to the charge on August 2, 2022.
- On December 6, 2022, Jarmaricue Williams, 33, also a resident of Hartford, received a 92-month prison sentence followed by four years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Williams pleaded guilty to the charge on June 8, 2022.
- On March 1, 2022, Larry Jerome Hilliard, Jr., 48, a resident of Slocomb, Alabama, received a 63-month prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Hilliard pleaded guilty to the charge on September 24, 2021. The judge also ordered that Hilliard’s federal sentence run consecutive to any related state sentence he may receive.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Geneva County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, the Geneva Police Department, and the Hartford Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson prosecuted the case.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Almarez Henderson, 55 years old, of Fort Wayne was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Henderson was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in April 2022, officers observed Henderson going in and out of rooms at a local hotel. After leaving the hotel, he was pulled over for a traffic violation. During the stop, officers determined that Henderson’s driver’s license was suspended and that he had an active warrant. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a knife, a 9mm firearm, methamphetamine, and other items consistent with drug distribution.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Fort Totten, ND, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Saunders Jamel Jackson, a/k/a Saunders Jackson-Buckles, age 23 of Fort Totten, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to a total of 27 years in federal prison followed by 25 years of supervised release for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Jackson pleaded guilty to these offenses on October 13, 2022.
Law Enforcement began investigating Jackson for sexual abuse of a 14-year-old female victim in August of 2020. As the investigation progressed, it was discovered that there were two additional female minor victims. Jackson sexually abused one victim who was between the ages of 9-12 at the time and a second who was 15. The investigation also revealed Jackson not only sexually abused the children, but also provided, and sometimes injected, them with methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Lori H. Conroy assigned to the case.
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Former West Point Staff Sergeant Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that PATRICK EDWIN GORYCHKA was sentenced to 42 months in prison by United States District Judge Kenneth M. Karas for his possession of child pornography. The sentencing today followed GORYCHKA’s guilty plea on May 23, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The availability of child pornography spread through chatrooms and discreet websites is every modern parent’s worst nightmare. This Office will continue to prioritize protecting our most vulnerable citizens, children, from this kind of exploitation.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
In October 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) received information from an FBI Online Undercover Employee (“UC-1”) concerning UC-1’s communications with an individual using the Kik username “epg84,” who was later identified as GORYCHKA, in a Kik chat room known to be frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children. UC-1 identified himself as a 48-year-old uncle who had engaged in sex acts with his niece. GORYCHKA, who identified himself as “Eric G.,” asked UC-1 for photos of UC-1’s niece. UC-1 told GORYCHKA that UC-1 had met a “pedo mom” (“UC-2”) in New York. UC-1 told GORYCHKA that “she keeps kids of illegals while they work for a couple weeks” and “makes some $ on the side.” GORYCHKA stated, “Omg that’s hot” and asked UC-1 to connect him to UC-2.
Thereafter, UC-2, going by the name “Jane,” and GORYCHKA engaged in numerous communications from in or about October 31, 2019, through in or about November 16, 2019. During these communications, GORYCHKA said he was interested in “preteens” and told UC-2, “I heard that you could potentially facilitate certain things.” GORYCHKA said that he was interested in a “similar setup” as UC-1 and told UC-2, “I have money.”
On November 2, 2019, GORYCHKA transmitted two links to Mega, a New Zealand-based cloud storage platform that permits users to store and share electronically stored information, including images and videos.[1] Both links contained numerous images and videos of children engaging in sexually explicit activity.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Karas underscored, “The possession of child pornography feeds a business that exploits the most vulnerable in our society.”
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In addition to the prison term, Judge Karas sentenced GORYCHKA, 40, of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI, West Point’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Town of New Windsor Police Department in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] With respect to Mega, a user can send a link to a Mega cloud account to another person. Once the link to the Mega cloud account is transmitted, the person who clicks on the link to the cloud account can access, view, and download the files contained in that Mega cloud account.
Former Top Official in Orange County’s Democratic Party Agrees to Plead Guilty to Attempted Wire Fraud and Admits to Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The former executive director of the Democratic Party of Orange County has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge for attempting to defraud one of her political consultancy firm’s clients. She further admitted in court documents that she agreed to bribe two members of the Irvine City Council – both on cannabis-related matters.
Melahat Rafiei, 45, of Anaheim, agreed to plead guilty to one count of attempted wire fraud. She is expected to make her initial appearance in United States District Court in Santa Ana on February 6.
Rafiei is the principal and founder of Progressive Solutions Consulting, a Long Beach-based political consulting firm. Rafiei was a longtime leader in Orange County’s Democratic Party and formerly served as secretary of the California Democratic Party and state representative to the Democratic National Committee.
Bribery
According to her plea agreement, from April to June 2018, Rafiei agreed to give at least $225,000 in bribes to Irvine City Councilmembers in exchange for their introducing and passing a city ordinance that would allow Rafiei’s clients to open a retail cannabis store in Irvine.
In April 2018, Rafiei presented a business opportunity to an individual who was then employed in the medical cannabis industry and offered to introduce the individual to an Irvine politician, identified in court documents as “Elected Official 1.”
The next month, Rafiei met with Elected Official 1 to discuss introducing an ordinance in Irvine that would legalize retail medical cannabis and ultimately benefit the individual’s business. At this meeting, Rafiei and Elected Official 1 told the individual and his business partner that they planned to use a separate member of the Irvine City Council – identified in court documents as “Elected Official 2” – to introduce the ordinance.
Following this meeting, still in May 2018, Rafiei asked the individual’s business partner to pay her between $350,000 and $400,000 in exchange for getting the cannabis ordinance introduced.
To avoid detection and mask the bribe payments to the Irvine elected officials, Rafiei planned to enter into legal retainer agreements with them. In June 2018, Rafiei caused a contract to be drafted between herself and Elected Official 2, the terms of which included a $25,000 retainer for “legal services.” Later, Rafiei explained to the individual’s business partner that Elected Official 2 had asked for approximately $25,000 and that Elected Official 1 had asked for $200,000.
Rafiei then instructed the business partner that the bribe payments would be disguised as attorney fees for legal services rendered to her various public affairs and campaign management companies. The payments had to be “maneuvered” in this way, she said, to circumvent the elected officials’ disclosure requirements.
Attempted Wire Fraud
In September and October of 2019, Rafiei falsely represented to a commercial cannabis company owner that, in exchange for a payment of at least $300,000, she would work to pass a cannabis-related ordinance in Anaheim that would benefit and be specifically tailored for the victim’s business. However, Rafiei already had been working on such an ordinance for other paying clients.
Rafiei then falsely represented to the victim that she would keep only $10,000 of the payment in exchange for her purported work. In fact, Rafiei intended to keep $100,000 of the payment.
Rafiei also falsely represented to the victim that $200,000 of the $300,000 would go to the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, when in fact, she intended to split the $200,000 equally between herself and an associate of hers who was not affiliated with the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce. She instructed the victim to pay the $300,000 to various entities whose accounts she controlled.
Once Rafiei enters her guilty plea, she will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel S. Lim and Melissa S. Rabbani of the Santa Ana Branch Office are prosecuting this case.
Former Louisiana Health Clinic CEO Sentenced to 82 Months in Federal Prison for Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson sentenced Victor Clark Kirk, age 73, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 82 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud. The Court further sentenced Kirk to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $1,841,527.31 to the Louisiana Medicaid Program.
After a six-day trial, the jury unanimously convicted Kirk of defrauding the Louisiana Medicaid Program of over $1.8 million and causing false medical diagnoses of children. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kirk was the CEO of St. Gabriel Health Clinic, Inc. (St. Gabriel), a Louisiana non-profit corporation that provided health care services to Medicaid recipients. St. Gabriel operated in local elementary and high schools to provide routine medical services. Evidence at trial showed that St. Gabriel practitioners, at Kirk’s direction, also provided educational programs—including a program called “Character Counts!”—to entire classrooms of students during regular class periods. These educational classes taught students character traits such as respect and trustworthiness. However, evidence at trial showed that for several years, Kirk caused the fraudulent billing of these programs to Medicaid as group psychotherapy. The evidence further showed that to facilitate the fraudulent scheme, Kirk directed that St. Gabriel practitioners falsely diagnose students, including children as young as kindergartners, with serious mental health disorders, such as impulse control disorder and attention deficit disorder. From 2011 through 2015, Kirk caused over $1.8 million in fraudulent claims for purported group psychotherapy services.
“The sentencing of Victor Kirk demonstrates that no one is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. “Health Care Fraud is a serious problem and I commend the trial team and all of our partners who worked tirelessly to ensure justice for not only the patients but taxpayers as well.”
“Criminals must be punished for their crimes, and today justice was served to Mr. Kirk,” said Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our State’s most vulnerable and the taxpayers who fund their welfare.”
“It is especially egregious to commit fraud on the backs of children, and all to fund a lifestyle Kirk did not earn or deserve,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The damage Kirk inflicted on these kids is immeasurable and may follow them for years. Patient harm is a top priority of HHS/OIG and we will work with our law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue those who perpetrate it.”
“Instead of using the Louisiana Medicaid Program for its intended purpose, Victor Clark Kirk, the CEO of St. Gabriel Health Clinic, sought to enrich himself by defrauding Medicaid of over a million dollars through the submission of false diagnoses for pediatric patients,” said Douglas A. Williams, Special Agent in Charge, FBI New Orleans. “We thank our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Louisiana; Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section; Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General; and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their strong partnerships and dedication to investigating Medicaid fraudsters.”
The Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, HHS-OIG, and FBI investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Gulf Coast Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.
Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Former Elementary School Teacher Convicted of Sexually Abusing ChildrenRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a former elementary school teacher yesterday for sexually abusing four former students.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Stefan Zappey, 56, of Stuttgart, Germany, was employed by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) between 2001 and 2021 and taught first through third grade at Patch Elementary school, which is located on a U.S. military installation near Stuttgart. Army criminal investigators were notified in 2020 that one of Zappey’s former students reported that he touched her inappropriately under her clothing between 2009 and 2010. Investigators interviewed four of Zappey’s former students who reported that Zappey placed his hand inside their underwear and touched their genitals. Other students and faculty members of Patch Elementary reported that Zappey frequently hugged students, had them sit on his lap, and touched their backs and stomachs under their clothes. The victims were between six and eight years old at the time of the sexual abuse.
Zappey was convicted of four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and four counts of abusive sexual contact. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Lisa Yockel of the Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Europe Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and Army CID Europe Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Contractor Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
A dual citizen of the United States and Syria who evaded arrest for over two decades pleaded guilty today in the District of Columbia for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay gratuities to a federal public official.
According to court documents, between 1993 and 1998, Ammar Kanaan, 61, of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, while working as a private sector contractor providing transportation engineering services to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), engaged in a scheme to provide unlawful cash payments and money orders to an FHWA official. To reimburse themselves for the funds paid to the public official, Kanaan and other contractors – with the official’s permission – submitted false invoices through which they obtained FHA funds to which they were not entitled.
Shortly after federal agents interviewed Kanaan about this conduct in 1998, he fled to Syria and then subsequently to the United Arab Emirates. Kanaan successfully challenged extradition in both countries. Through the dedicated efforts of federal law enforcement, however, Kanaan was ultimately located and arrested by Italian authorities while traveling in Italy in August 2022. Italian authorities extradited Kanaan back to the United States on Jan. 5.
Kanaan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay gratuities. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Italian Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Court of Appeal of Milan, and Italian law enforcement authorities provided invaluable assistance. The U.S. Marshals Service transported Kanaan back to the United States, with valuable support from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Craig Miles of the DOT Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office and DOT-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.
Former City of Jackson Employee Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A former City of Jackson employee was convicted today for fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in grant money intended for artistic projects in the City of Jackson, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jackson Field Office.
According to court documents, Keyshia Sanders, 47, the City of Jackson’s former Constituent Service Manager, pleaded guilty to violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, for engaging in a wire fraud scheme to fraudulently induce the disbursement of grant money for her own benefit. The scheme involved the use of fraudulent invoices that caused the grant’s fiscal agent to disburse funds to Sanders in clear contradiction to the terms of the grant and Sander’s role as a City of Jackson employee. The grant was intended to provide project support in the City of Jackson to invest in artists, artist collectives, and small arts organizations of color. In total, the fraudulent transactions caused by Sanders over the course of the scheme totaled a loss of approximately $54,000.
Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2023, in Jackson, and faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew W. Eichner is prosecuting the case.
Former Certified Nurse Practitioner Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Drug Diversion and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was sentenced in federal court on charges of drug diversion and health care fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Larry J. Goisse, Jr., 38, of the City’s Mt. Washington neighborhood, was sentenced to 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. On October 4, 2022, Goisse pled guilty to one count of an Indictment charging him with drug diversion, and five counts of an Information charging him with health care fraud.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in September 2018 through January 2019, Goisse, a former certified nurse practitioner, illegally prescribed the scheduled drug Aderall after his state medical license was revoked and he lost his DEA registration. In order to continue to receive payments from Medicare, Goisse submitted claims to Medicare for office visits under a co-worker’s license after suspension.
Judge Fischer stated that Aderall, the drug diverted by Goisse, is a highly addictive drug and could cause harm if incorrectly prescribed. Goisse’s conduct in diverting Aderall created a serious harm beyond monetary loss and that Goisse’s actions had a destructive effect on his patients relying on him for health care.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The investigation leading to the filing of charges in this case was conducted by the Western Pennsylvania Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit (OFADU). The Western Pennsylvania OFADU, led by federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, combines the expertise and resources of federal and state law enforcement to address the role played by unethical medical professionals in the opioid epidemic.
The agencies which comprise the Western Pennsylvania OFADU include: Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General – Bureau of Narcotic Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office – Criminal Division, Civil Division and Asset Forfeiture Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General, Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Office of Inspector General and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Licensing.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty in Gas Station Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a scheme to steal thousands of customers’ debit and credit card account numbers, and other personally identifying information, via a network of electronic skimming equipment at gas stations across New England.
Luis Angel Naranjo Rodriguez, 32, of Hialeah, Fla., pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of possessing 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices (the debit and credit card account numbers) and one count of possessing device-making equipment (the card skimming devices). U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2023. Naranjo Rodriguez was arrested and charged in March 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2020.
Naranjo Rodriguez secretly installed card skimming devices in gas pumps in Massachusetts gas stations and in other New England states. The devices were programmed to send Naranjo Rodriguez’s mobile phone a text message with stolen account information after customers had used their debit or credit cards to purchase gas at the compromised fuel pumps. Card skimming devices linked to Naranjo Rodriguez’s mobile phone were traced to at least 11 different gas stations located in Lynnfield, Concord, Malden, Taunton, Randolph and Raynham, Mass.; Portland, Maine; Nashua, N.H.; and Willington, Conn.
Between April 2019 until November 2019, Naranjo Rodriguez traveled frequently from Florida to Massachusetts to maintain this network of card skimmers. During the course of the scheme, Naranjo Rodriguez’s mobile phone received at least 4,878 text messages containing stolen debit and credit card account numbers. Many of these text messages also included the account holders’ names and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs).
Naranjo Rodriguez cloned the account information belonging to the unwitting victims onto gift cards and other prepaid cards in order to steal money from them, typically by using the cloned cards to make ATM withdrawals, to purchase consumer goods that could be resold in secondary markets, and to request cash back on debit card transactions. On Nov. 16, 2019, security cameras at a Framingham gas station and CVS captured Naranjo Rodriguez using four cloned cards to withdraw money from victims’ bank accounts at ATMs. Naranjo Rodriguez was arrested the same night at the Concord Rotary Gulf gas station, where he was tampering with a fuel pump after the gas station had closed. In Naranjo Rodriguez’s car, four cloned cards from the ATM withdrawals earlier that night were found, along with fuel pump keys, black latex gloves, four card skimming devices and the mobile phone that was receiving the text messages with the stolen credit and debit card account numbers.
The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possessing device-making equipment provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possessing 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Concord, Lunenburg and Raynham Police Departments in Massachusetts, Nashua (N.H.) Police Department and the Portland (Maine) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.Five Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Chittenden CountyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced the recent arrests of five men with ties to Philadelphia on drug related charges. Ronald Harris, aka Rizz, was arrested January 17 following his indictment for a drug conspiracy spanning nearly two years. Rasheed Stokes-Johnson, aka Slay, Eric J. Weaver, and Shamir W. Elliott were arrested the same day following the search of an Essex Junction, Vermont residence believed to be used by the Harris drug distribution organization. Shannon Studivant-Barnes was arrested the next day for his distributions on behalf of the network. Harris was arraigned today before Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle and was ordered detained pending trial. The other four defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances before Magistrate Judge Doyle later today.
The indictment returned by the federal grand jury alleges that Harris and others conspired to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base between October 2021 and January 2023. According to court records, law enforcement officers began investigating the drug trafficking organization in October of 2021. Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted 17 controlled purchases of illegal drugs from members of the organization. Affidavits filed in this matter allege that members of the organization bring narcotics from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to distribute in Chittenden County, Vermont. Following Harris’s arrest pursuant to a federal arrest warrant, a search of the vehicle he was driving when arrested yielded approximately $100,000 in cash. On January 18, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an Essex Junction residence and seized approximately 13,500 bags of suspected fentanyl and approximately 1,300 grams of suspected cocaine base that had been thrown from the window of the apartment. Stokes-Johnson, Weaver, and Elliott, who were in the area of the residence from which the drugs were thrown, were arrested. Studivant-Barnes was arrested on January 18 for distributions of heroin and cocaine base in June 2022.
The charges against these defendants are accusations only, and they are each presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, each defendant would face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Any actual sentence, however, would be determined by the court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the governing sentencing statutes.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Burlington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Homeland Security Investigations.
“Our office will continue to prioritize investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking organizations peddling deadly substances within Vermont,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest. “This case represents a significant effort by many of our great law enforcement partners in Chittenden County. Thank you to all of our law enforcement partners who work bravely and tirelessly to address the significant public safety issue created by illegal drug trafficking.”
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia Cowles and John Boscia. Ronald Harris is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth. Rasheed Stokes-Johnson is represented by Robert Katims, Esq. Eric Weaver is represented by Kevin Henry, Esq. Shamir Elliott is represented by Karen Shingler, Esq. Shannon Studivant-Barnes is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.
Federal, State Agencies to Hold Public Forum to Strengthen Security of Maine’s Houses of WorshipRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Multiple federal and state agencies are collaborating to host a Protecting Houses of Worship event series aimed at helping Maine’s faith-based organizations identify vulnerabilities and strengthen security. The next event will be held on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at the University of Maine at Augusta.
The Protecting Houses of Worship event is open to all Maine faith-based organizations. Local law enforcement and community leaders are also welcome to attend. Registration is required, and a registration form can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/PHOW. There is no cost to attend.
“Everyone should feel safe when they gather to express their faith or serve their community,” said Dr. T.J. Swenson Jr., DHS-CISA’s Protective Security Advisor (PSA) to the State of Maine. “However, in a complex and dynamic threat environment, no single entity has the full picture of the threat, so it is imperative that we work together across the community to protect against the physical and cyber threats facing our communities and houses of worship.”
The Protecting Houses of Worship event is a collaboration of the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA); Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS-CISA); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Boston Field Office, Portland Resident Agency; U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Community Relations Service (CRS); and U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maine, along with the participation of local law enforcement and faith-based partners.
“Faith-based events and houses of worship – churches, synagogues, mosques – are inherently welcoming, with open access and publicly-available services. As we have seen around the country, this welcoming environment can leave them vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “There are steps that can be taken to reduce risks, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with MEMA, the FBI, DHS-CISA, CRS and local law enforcement to bring this information and resources to Maine’s faith-based community.”
The goal of the event series is to provide practical information, tools and resources (including information on available federal grants) to help bolster emergency preparedness efforts and foster best practices to keep Maine’s faith-based events and houses of worship safe. Topics discussed during the event will include:
- Security, Risk and Vulnerability Assessments
- Active Shooter Preparedness, Response & Resources
- Building Your Own Emergency Operations Plan
- Faith-Based Experiences with Public Safety Issues
“No one should feel unsafe in their place of worship or fear becoming a victim of violence because of their religion. In today’s dynamic threat environment, now more than ever, all of us need to work together to safeguard our houses of worship and public spaces where Mainers gather every day,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This event will bring us together to facilitate this very important conversation and allow us to share information and resources in real time.”
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Federal Jury Convicts Westbrook Man of Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Westbrook man was convicted today of two counts of sexually exploiting a child after a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Portland.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in August 2019, Rayevon Deschambault, 27, used a 14-year-old minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. The sexually explicit videos that Deschambault had produced were found on his cell phone after investigators seized the phone in August 2019.
Deschambault faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison on each of the two counts. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and the Portland Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: 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 Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Updated 01/23/23 with reporting information
Federal Jury Convicts Shreveport Man of Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict late yesterday afternoon convicting Recardo Cartrell Pierce, 26, of Shreveport, of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter presided over the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s deputies conducted a stop of a vehicle for a traffic violation on May 21, 2022, in Bossier. Pierce was the sole passenger in the vehicle being driven by a female companion. When deputies approached the vehicle, they found Pierce with his seat pushed all the way back near the back seat of the vehicle and the seat was leaned back. Deputies were given consent to search the vehicle and found in the back seat behind the driver’s seat, and just within Pierce’s reach, a backpack containing a Kel-Tec semi-automatic 5.56 caliber rifle with a loaded magazine and a pair of safety gloves. This high-powered weapon had a round in the chamber ready to fire with the safety switch in the off position. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) joined the investigation and tested the firearm and found it to be in working order.
Deputies learned that Pierce had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition and he was arrested at that time. Pierce was previously convicted of the same charge in federal court in 2018.
“Through the joint investigative efforts of deputies with the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and the ATF, the jury was able to hear and evaluate the evidence, deliberate and convict this defendant accordingly,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “We look forward to the sentencing hearing where we will seek a stiff, but just, sentence of imprisonment.”
Pierce faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. His sentencing date has been set for May 19, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and Seth D. Reeg.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Man for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on December 22, 2022, charging a Louisville man with fentanyl trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Trevor A. Nicheols, 25, of Louisville, Kentucky, distributed 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Nicheols made his initial court appearance on January 13, 2023, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. On January 17, 2023, he was ordered to remain in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Nicheols faces a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years 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 DEA Louisville Field Office and the Louisville Metro Police Department are investigating the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Ford.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Franklin, Kentucky Pharmacist and his Spouse for Medical Products Theft and Controlled Substances Distribution ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on January 11, 2023, charging a local pharmacist and his spouse with conspiracy to commit theft of medical products and conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Director Tommy Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Drug Task Force, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Sheriff Brett Hightower of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to the indictment, pharmacist Joseph Patrick Huff, 44, and Jennifer Huff, 44, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit theft of medical products and one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. The indictment charges the Huffs with conspiring to take, carry away, and conceal and knowingly possess, transport and traffic a pre-retail medical product, namely oxycodone and hydrocodone, with a value over $5000, and conspiring to sell and trade the oxycodone and hydrocodone for marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine.
Joseph and Jennifer Huff made their initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Joseph Huff faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and Jennifer Huff faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the Bowling Green/Warren County Drug Task Force, the Kentucky State Police, and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Ansari is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Grand Jury B Indictments Announced- January 2023Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the January 2023 Federal Grand Jury B.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Alphonso Alvarez-Torrez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Alvarez-Torrez, 42, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on Nov. 1, 2019, at or near San Ysidro, California. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-31
Kelly Ross Dawson. Theft of Government Property Over $1,000; Misuse of Social Security Funds; Concealment of Material Facts. Dawson, 47, is alleged to have stolen a total of $59,844 in Social Security Title II Survivor Benefits. The benefits were provided to Dawson and minors in his care based on specific criteria. From June 2016 through February 2018, Dawson no longer met those criteria and did not report the changes to the Social Security Administration. Instead, he allegedly continued to receive the benefits and used the funds for his own personal gain. The Social Security Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon B. Cozzoni is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-32
Samson Eugene Frye Jr. Felony Murder in Indian Country; Child Neglect in Indian Country. On Nov. 9, 2018, Frye Jr., 24, of Afton, is alleged to have murdered an infant while abusing the infant. He is further charged with neglecting the child from Aug. 10, 2018, through Nov. 9, 2018. The FBI, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Grove Police Department, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-17
Jojani Saday Garcia-Luevano. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Garcia-Luevano, 22, a Mexican National, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on Feb. 20, 2019, at or near Nogales, Arizona. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-19
Adrian Llanas -Flores. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Llanas -Flores is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on May 12, 2021, at or near Calexico, California. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-33
Melanie Ann Mcelyea. Willfully Making a Threat to Kill, Injure, Intimidate, and Damage by Means of an Explosive. On Nov. 22, 2022, Mcelyea, 42, of Vinita, allegedly threatened to kill an individual at a law office located within the Muscogee Nation reservation. She left a voicemail suggesting that she would blow up a courthouse and the law office as well. She then stated, “…you will all be dead…” The courthouse Mcelyea was referencing was the Cherokee Nation Courthouse in Tahlequah, which is within the Cherokee Nation reservation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-20
Zachariah Kade McGuire. Possession of a Firearm in a Federal Facility. On Nov. 14, 2022, McGuire brought a firearm into the Veteran Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, located at 8921 South Mingo Road, Tulsa, Oklahoma. See initial Complaint press release here. The Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General, Department of Veteran Affairs Police, Tulsa Police Department, and FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma. 23-CR-21
Pascual Medrano-Santibanez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Medrano-Santibanez, 56, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on Jan. 2, 2020, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-30
Simon Pedro Ramirez-Contreras. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ramirez-Contreras, 23, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on July 30, 2018, at or near Hidalgo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-22
Oscar Daniel Salazar-Alcantar. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Salazar-Alcantar, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on Dec. 29, 2018, at or near Calexico, California. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-29
Rayes Sanchez. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. Sanchez, 24, of Tulsa, allegedly assaulted an individual with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm on Dec. 12, 2022. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-23
David Serrano-Hernandez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Serrano-Hernandez, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on June 7, 2009, at or near Naco, Arizona. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-24
Devan Shay Tiffany. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of an Unregistered Weapon Made from a Shotgun Having a Barrel of Less Than 18 Inches in Length. On Sept. 7, 2022, Tiffany, 36, of Miami, Oklahoma, was a felon in possession of a Savage Arms 16-guage double-barrel shotgun and four rounds of ammunition. Additionally, the shotgun’s barrel was less than 18 inches in length and not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Miami Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-25
Noe Vazquez-Solis. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Vazquez-Solis, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed on Oct. 8, 2020, at or near Hidalgo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-28
Justus Wayne Wayt. Robbery in Indian Country (Counts 1, 3, 5); Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence in Indian Country (Counts 2, 4, 6). Wayt, 25, of Tulsa, allegedly brandished a firearm and robbed three different victims at three convenience stores on Nov. 22, 2022; Nov. 24, 2022; and Dec. 20, 2022. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-26
Marvin Thomas Wilkins. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Wilkins, 63, of Big Cabin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Remington 270 caliber bolt-action rifle; a JC Higgins 12-guage caliber shotgun; Marlin Firearms (Glenfield) .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Savage. 22 caliber bolt-action rifle; a Rifle Factory Ishapore (R.F.I.) 7.62mm caliber bolt-action rifle; a Marlin Firearms (Glenfield) .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle; and four rounds of ammunition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Mayes Countyh Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-27
Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Keon Lamont Lee, 31, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, to distributing fentanyl resulting in an overdose death.
According to his guilty plea, in February of 2021, Lee illegally provided fentanyl to someone, who overdosed and died. Lee had obtained two bags of controlled substances from his dealer – one contained cocaine, the other fentanyl. Lee regularly sold cocaine to the victim. Intending to distribute cocaine, Lee distributed fentanyl to the victim, who used the drugs, overdosed, and died. Text messages from both the victim’s and Lee’s phones confirmed these events and Lee provided a confession to law enforcement.
Lee was indicted in March 2022
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
Lee is currently scheduled to be sentenced on April 28. He faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kiebler and Todd Bradbury.
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Fallon man sentenced to four years in prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Fallon man who admitted to possessing an extensive amount of child pornography on electronic media was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a total of $36,000 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Tyrel Grant Huseby, 25, pleaded guilty in August 2022 to an information charging him with possession of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also imposed a $5,000 mandatory special assessment and allowed Huseby to self-report when assigned to a federal facility.
The government alleged in court documents and statements in court that in November 2020, a sexually explicit image of a minor was inserted into an internet search engine, which then submitted a Cybertip to law enforcement. The investigation led to Huseby. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Huseby’s residence in July 2021. Huseby admitted to law enforcement that he possessed and acquired child pornography. A review of multiple pieces of Huseby’s electronic media found that he possessed more than 20 videos and approximately 4,470 images of child pornography. Huseby’s conduct spanned 15 years, beginning when he was approximately 10 years old.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Prairie County Sheriff’s Office, Billings Police Department and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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FBI and Partners Issue National Public Safety Alert on Sextortion SchemesRead the Press Release
The FBI, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is issuing a national public safety alert regarding an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for additional explicit material or money—a crime known as sextortion.
Over the past year, law enforcement agencies have received over 7,000 reports related to the online sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys. More than a dozen sextortion victims were reported to have died by suicide. The FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners implore parents and caregivers to engage with their kids about sextortion schemes so we can prevent them in the first place.
Sextortion schemes occur in online environments where young people feel most comfortable—using common social media sites, gaming sites, or video chat applications that feel familiar and safe. On these platforms, predators often use fake accounts and target minors.
Through deception, sextortionists convince the young person to produce an explicit video or photo. Once predators acquire the images, they often threaten to release the compromising material unless the victim sends additional sexually explicit material. Some of these criminals demand money or gift cards to keep them from releasing the compromising material in their possession. Often, these predators demand payment through a variety of peer-to-peer payment applications. In many cases, however, sextortionists release the images even if additional material is sent or payments are made. The shame, fear, and confusion that victims feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse and may drive them towards self-harm.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana prosecuted several “sextortion” related cases in recent years, including the following:
United States v. Kyle Peterson: Between March of 2020 and March of 2021, Kyle Peterson persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Beginning on March 20, 2020, Peterson used the social media platforms Omegle and Snapchat to contact minors, including Victim 1. Victim 1 was twelve years old at the time of contact with Peterson. Knowing the victim was a child, Peterson began to groom her by sending her sexually explicit images and videos online. The material Peterson distributed to Victim 1 included an image depicting sadomasochistic behavior and images and videos depicting sexual abuse of animals.
Peterson engaged in sexually explicit video chats with the child and instructed her to send him sexually explicit videos of herself. When Victim 1 stopped complying with Peterson’s continuous demands, he began threatening to disseminate her sexually explicit images and videos to her family and friends and post them on the Internet.
Peterson was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison in December 2022.
United States v. Buster Hernandez: In August 2017, Buster Hernandez was initially charged with sexually exploiting a minor, threatening to use an explosive device, and threatening to kill, kidnap, or injure another person. Those charges eventually extended to include 41 separate allegations including: production of child sexual abuse materials, coercion and enticement of minors, receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material, the threatened use of explosive devices, extortion, threats to kill, kidnap or injure other persons, witness tampering, obstruction of justice and retaliation against a victim. The offense conduct included the actual or attempted sextortion of at least 375 victims including those from two foreign countries, threats to kill, rape, and kidnap hundreds, and threats to use explosive devices against Plainfield and Danville High Schools, the Shops at Perry Crossing, and a local Walmart.
Hernandez also sexually exploited and threatened several other minor victims in Hendricks County and other cities in Indiana. When victims stopped complying with his demands, he posted sexually explicit images and videos that the victim had sent against their will and often threatened to kill them and their families.
Hernandez was convicted and sentenced to 75 years in federal prison in March 2021.
“Sexual exploitation of children is a despicable crime that may go unrecognized by friends and family of the victims. In this digital age, it is imperative that we stay informed of the deception and other tactics sexual predators use to harm our children,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Victims of sextortion may feel confused, embarrassed, and as if there is no escape. I strongly urge parents and caregivers to engage with the children in their lives to discuss this crime and help law enforcement agencies prevent the abuse before it happens.”
What if you or your child are a victim?
If young people are being exploited, they are victims of a crime and should report it. Contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined steps parents and young people can take if they or their child are a victim of sextortion, including:
- Remember, the predator is to blame, not your child or you.
- Get help before deciding whether to pay money or otherwise comply with the predator. Cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail and continued harassment.
- REPORT the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature.
- BLOCK the predator and DO NOT DELETE the profile or messages because that can be helpful to law enforcement in identifying and stopping them.
- Let NCMEC help get explicit images of you off the internet.
- Visit missingkids.org/IsYourExplicitContentOutThere to learn how to notify companies yourself or visit cybertipline.org to report to us for help with the process.
- Ask for help. This can be a very complex problem and may require help from adults or law enforcement.
- If you don’t feel that you have adults in your corner, you can reach out to NCMEC for support at gethelp@ncmec.org or call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST.
Take a moment to learn how sextortion works and how to talk to your children about it. Information, resources, and conversation guides are available at fbi.gov/StopSextortion.
Eleven sentenced in connection with a $3 million Paycheck Protection Program fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Eleven men, eight from the metropolitan Atlanta-area, and three from South Carolina, have been sentenced for their roles in obtaining approximately $3 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of ten businesses based on Georgia and South Carolina.
“The CARES Act and the PPP designated funds to aid struggling businesses during a pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan. “American businesses needed these funds to keep their companies and employees afloat during a national emergency and world-wide pandemic. These defendants took advantage of that program to obtain money to which they were not lawfully entitled. We will continue investigating and prosecuting those who attempt to steal these critical funds.”
“The FBI and our partners will not tolerate anyone who misdirects federal emergency assistance intended for business who actually need it to stay operational," said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "This sentence serves as a message that the FBI and our federal partners remain committed to making sure funds provided by programs like PPP are used as intended."
“Individuals that conspire to defraud SBA programs will be brought to justice,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite. “These sentences demonstrate that those that defraud the nations vital economic programs will be held accountable. I want to thank the U.S. Department of Justice for its leadership and dedication to pursuing justice.”
“We will continue to aggressively pursue those who defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program which was funded by taxpayers and designed to assist businesses during the pandemic,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We appreciate the efforts by our federal partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold these individuals to account.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Rodericque Thompson recruited Micah Baisden, Travis Crosby, Stanley Dorceus, Keith Maloney, Tabronx Smith, Mark Stewart, Timothy Williams, Thomas Wilson, and Kenneth L. Wright, Jr., to apply for fraudulent PPP loans on behalf of their respective businesses:
- PowerHouse Sports Academy, LLC;
- Faithful Transport Services, LLC;
- Elevate Yourself, LLC;
- KMJ Transport, LLC;
- Market Yourself, LLC;
- The Infinity Group of SC, LLC;
- Bamigi Brand;
- Rare Breed Nation, LLC;
- Lux Realty; and
- Lux Automotive.
In exchange for approximately 50 percent of the loan proceeds, Thompson helped each business owner obtain a $300,000 PPP loan by submitting fraudulent loan applications that contained numerous false and misleading statements about their businesses.
For example, each of the loan applications claimed that the relevant business employed 16 individuals and paid monthly wages of $120,000. Additionally, identical fraudulent quarterly tax returns were submitted in connection with each loan application. After they received the funds, the business owners wrote “payroll” checks to individuals who did not work for their businesses and then either kept the money for themselves or gave the money to Thompson. They hoped to hide the fraud and expected to get the loans forgiven by writing “payroll” on the checks.
Antonio Hosey, who was not a business owner, acted as a go-between with the business owners and Thompson by recruiting a group of check cashers who cashed the false “payroll” checks from the business owner defendants and then gave the cash to Hosey who, in turn, gave it to Thompson.
The group fraudulently obtained approximately $3 million in PPP loans. To date, authorities have recovered approximately $1,195,784.98 of the stolen money. Ten of the defendants involved in this scheme pleaded guilty. Travis Crosby, the sole defendant to go to trial, was convicted on September 22, 2022, after a two-day trial. All of the defendants have received the following sentences:
- Kenneth L. Wright, Jr., 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $242,177.81 on January 8, 2021. Wright was convicted on August 20, 2020, of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false statements to a federal agency.
- Thomas D. Wilson, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $300,000, on October 24, 2022. Wilson was convicted of bank fraud on April 14, 2021.
- Micah K. Baisden, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and order to pay restitution in the amount of $300,000, on November 8, 2022. Baisden was convicted of bank fraud on May 20, 2021.
- Rodericque Jarmaine Thompson, 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years, ten months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,732,259.47, on November 9, 2022. Thompson was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on May 20, 2021.
- Keith A. Maloney, 35, of Yemassee, South Carolina, was sentenced to one year, three months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $114,828.19, on November 10, 2022. Maloney was convicted of bank fraud on May 4, 2021.
- Antonio D. Hosey, 50, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and order to pay restitution in the amount of $463,779.79, on November 16, 2022. Hosey was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States on November 19, 2020.
- Stanley Dorceus, 36, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to three months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $207,829.85, on November 29, 2022. Dorceus was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false statements to a federal agency on August 26, 2020.
- Mark A. Stewart, 56, of Greenville, South Carolina, was sentenced to four months in prison to be followed by two years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $300,000, on December 6, 2022. Steward was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false statements to a federal agency on September 25, 2020.
- Timothy Williams, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, three months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $869,427.54, on December 8, 2022. Williams was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false statements to a federal agency on October 13, 2020.
- Tabronx W. Smith, 45, of Buford, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, five months in prison to be followed by two years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $118,818.45, on December 20, 2022. Smith was convicted of bank fraud on June 8, 2021.
- Travis C. Crosby, 32, of Wellford, South Carolina, was sentenced to three years, ten months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and order to pay restitution in the amount of $897,172.61. Crosby was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, false statement to a bank, and money laundering.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane C. Schulman, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber, and DOJ Trial Attorneys Michael McCarthy and Matthew Reilly prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
El Departamento de Justicia resuelve un asunto de acceso lingüístico relativo a la Suprema Corte de LuisianaRead the Press Release
Nota: Este comunicado de prensa ha sido traducido a varios idiomas. Consulte los archivos adjuntos.
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy la resolución de un asunto que atañe a la Corte Suprema de Luisiana (LASC, por sus siglas en inglés) basado en medidas que la LASC ha tomado para mejorar el acceso a procesos judiciales estatales y operaciones para individuos que no dominan el inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés).
En mayo de 2019, el Departamento de Justicia y la LASC celebraron un Memorando de entendimiento (MOA, por sus siglas en inglés) para resolver un reclamo relacionado con el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI). El Title VI es una ley federal que prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color y nacionalidad de beneficiarios de asistencia económica federal, incluidos los tribunales estatales. Desde que se firmó el MOA, la LASC ha tomado varias medidas correctivas para mejorar el acceso a individuos LEP que necesitan hacer uso de los tribunales de Luisiana.
“Los tribunales de todo el país deben garantizar que sus puertas estén abiertas para todos, incluidas las personas que no dominan el inglés” manifestó la Fiscal General Kristen Clarke de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Seguiremos trabajando para garantizar que los sistemas judiciales, como la Corte Suprema de Luisiana cuenten con las políticas, las prácticas, los intérpretes y otros recursos necesarios para garantizar el acceso a la justicia para personas que no dominan el inglés”.
“A través de sus acciones, la Corte Suprema de Luisiana demostró un compromiso para garantizar el acceso a los tribunales estatales en Luisiana para individuos LEP”, explicó el Fiscal Federal para el distrito este de Luisiana, Duane A. Evans. “Mi oficina asume el compromiso de eliminar todas las formas de discriminación, incluida la discriminación de personas LEP”.
La LASC ha tomado varias medidas para desarrollar e implementar un programa de acceso lingüístico y expandir la disponibilidad de servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística para personas LEP en Luisiana. La LASC estableció una Office of Language Access (Oficina de Acceso Lingüístico) e implementó el primer Language Access Plan (Plan de Acceso Lingüístico) en los tribunales de Luisiana. La LASC también creó un sistema centralizado de reclamos sobre el acceso lingüístico con un formulario de reclamo digital en varios idiomas diferentes del inglés. Para el personal judicial, la LASC desarrolló programas de capacitación sobre el acceso lingüístico, una ficha informativa judicial que se centra en el acceso a intérpretes judiciales y otros recursos de acceso lingüístico. Además, la LASC propuso y logró un cambio en una ley estatal que les permitía a los tribunales cobrarles a las personas LEP el costo de un intérprete, y adoptó nuevas normas judiciales en función de este cambio en la ley estatal.
Este asunto fue llevado a cabo conjuntamente por la Civil Rights Division (División de Derechos Civiles) del Departamento de Justicia y la Oficina de los Fiscales de los Estados Unidos para el distrito este de Luisiana. Hay información adicional disponible sobre la Civil Rights Division en su sitio web, www.justice.gov/crt, y hay información disponible sobre el dominio limitado del idioma inglés y el Title VI en www.lep.gov. Las posibles violaciones a los derechos civiles pueden denunciarse en https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
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El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una agencia de contrataciones con sede en Minnesota que resuelve unas acusaciones de discriminación relacionadas con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Corp IV Holdings Inc., que opera como Masterson Staffing Solutions (Masterson Staffing), una agencia de contrataciones con sede in Minnesota. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Masterson Staffing vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés) al discriminar de manera rutinaria a trabajadores no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. a la hora de comprobar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
«Cuando los empleados presentan documentación legalmente aceptable a fin de demostrar su permiso para trabajar, los empleadores no pueden requerir documentos específicos o innecesarios por motivos de su ciudadanía o estatus migratorio», manifestó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia seguirá el trabajo importante de garantizar que los trabajadores no enfrenten barreras ilegales al empleo».
Según los términos del acuerdo, Masterson Staffing pagará una sanción civil de $250,000 a los Estados Unidos, y destinará $100,000 para un fondo de pagos retroactivos, a fin de indemnizar a las víctimas de las supuestas prácticas discriminatorias de Masterson Staffing. Asimismo, Masterson Staffing capacitará al personal sobre la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA, cambiará sus políticas y se someterá a la supervisión trimestral.
La investigación del Departamento determinó que Masterson Staffing, de manera rutinaria, requería documentos específicos de los no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. recién contratados a fin de probar que tenían permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos aunque la ley federal permite a los trabajadores elegir entre documentos legalmente aceptables independientemente de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. En concreto, el Departamento encontró que Masterson Staffing requería que los residentes permanentes legales mostraran sus tarjetas de residente permanente (conocidas algunas veces como tarjetas verdes), y que otros no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. mostraran sus Documentos de Autorización para Trabajar (conocidos algunas veces como permisos de trabajo). Al menos un asilado perdió trabajo debido a esta práctica discriminatoria. El Departamento también encontró que Masterson Staffing, de manera rutinaria, requería que algunos residentes permanentes legales mostraran documentos innecesarios a fin de probar que seguían con permiso para trabajar.
La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores soliciten documentos específicos por motivos de la ciudadanía, el estatus migratorio o la nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. En efecto, muchos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., incluyendo a residentes permanentes legales, refugiados y asilados, son elegibles para varios de los mismos tipos de documentos como lo son los ciudadanos de los EE. UU. para demostrar su permiso para trabajar (tales como licencias de conducir y tarjetas de Seguro Social sin restricciones). Los empleadores deben permitir que sus trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que dichos trabajadores quieran y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parece ser genuina. Además, si un residente permanente legal proporciona una tarjeta de residente permanente para demostrar que tiene permiso para trabajar, los empleadores no deben pedir nuevos documentos si la tarjeta de residente permanente llega a vencerse.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Encuentre más información en el sitio web de la IER sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación durante el proceso de verificación de su permiso para trabajar. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés o español. Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery.
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Effort Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Matthew Luce, a/k/a “Luck,” age 36, of Effort, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Judge Mannion also sentenced Luce to 188 months on a separate drug trafficking conspiracy case. The sentences are to run concurrently.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on February 6, 2021, Luce knowingly and intentionally distributed a quantity of fentanyl within the Middle District of Pennsylvania, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old Clinton, New Jersey man. Luce was also responsible, between November 26, 2020 until the date of his arrest on February 23, 2021, for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and 100 grams of heroin. Luce had previously pleaded guilty to both charges.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office (NJ), the Clinton Police Department (NJ), the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan 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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Edward Mullins, Former President of NYPD Sergeants’ Union, Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Union and Its MembersRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EDWARD MULLINS, the former President of the Sergeants Benevolent Association (“SBA”), the union that represents all current and former Sergeants of the New York City Police Department, pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the SBA through the submission of fraudulent expense reports. MULLINS pled guilty before United States District Judge John G. Koeltl.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Edward Mullins promised to look out for the thousands of hard-working NYPD Sergeants who are members of the SBA. Instead, as admitted today in federal court, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from them to fund his lavish lifestyle. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, Mullins’s betrayal has been exposed, and he now faces jail time and significant financial penalties.”
According to the Information filed in the case and statements made in court:
The SBA is the fifth-largest police union in the United States with its headquarters located in lower Manhattan. The SBA’s membership consists of all active and retired Sergeants of the NYPD, with approximately 13,000 members. From 2002 until October 2021, EDWARD MULLINS served as President of the SBA.
Beginning in 2017, MULLINS devised a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the SBA. MULLINS used his personal credit card to pay for meals at high-end restaurants and to purchase luxury personal items, among other things, and then submitted false and inflated expense reports to the SBA, representing that his charges were legitimate SBA expenditures when in fact they were not. MULLINS routinely included meals on his expense reports that were not SBA-related. MULLINS also inflated the costs of his meals – whether SBA-related or not. For example, if the actual cost of a meal was $522.55, MULLINS would seek reimbursement from the SBA for $822.55 and pocket the difference. MULLINS would also take personal expenses like supermarket bills and claim them on his expense reports as SBA-related meals for which he also sought reimbursement.
MULLINS’s fraudulent expenses were paid through the SBA’s Contingent Fund, which is funded primarily through annual dues paid by SBA members. In total, MULLINS stole at least $600,000 from the SBA through the filing of hundreds of fraudulent expense reports.
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MULLINS, 61, of Port Washington, New York, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, MULLINS agreed to forfeit $600,000 to the United States and to make restitution in the amount of $600,000 to the SBA.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. MULLINS is scheduled to be sentenced at 12:00 p.m. on May 25, 2023, by U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FBI/New York City Police Department Public Corruption Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Rothman, Andrew Rohrbach, and David Robles and are in charge of the prosecution.
Eau Claire Woman Sentenced to 5 Years for Possessing Methamphetamine for DistributionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Golia Xiong, 40, Eau Claire, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 60 months in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Xiong will receive credit for time she has served in custody since her arrest on March 30, 2022. This prison term will be followed by a 4-year term of supervised release.
On March 30, 2022, the Barron County Sheriff’s Department stopped Xiong as she arrived at a gas station near Highway 53 in New Auburn, Wisconsin to make a delivery of suspected methamphetamine. Upon searching Xiong and her vehicle, police found approximately one-quarter pound of methamphetamine in the vehicle along with drug related paraphernalia.
Judge Peterson stated that a significant sentence was necessary for Xiong’s conduct particularly because she had been convicted in state court of methamphetamine trafficking offenses twice in the recent past and was on supervision for those offenses when she attempted to deliver the methamphetamine in this case. Judge Peterson stated that a harsh sentence was called for due to her repeated behavior of returning to drug trafficking.
The charge against Xiong was the result of an investigation conducted by the Barron County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson prosecuted this case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with Intent to KillRead the Press Release
Defendant Cut Victim’s Throat with a Box Cutter
WASHINGTON – Keith Green, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to Assault with Intent to Kill for an incident in which he confronted Mr. Abdiel Velasquez Diaz, a Virginia resident, at Banneker Circle SW, and slit his throat with a box cutter. The plea was announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. Green pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of assault with intent to kill. He will be sentenced by the Honorable Robert Okun on March 31, 2023.
According to court documents, on September 4, 2022, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Green approached the victim who was waiting for a taxi at Benjamin Banneker Circle SW. Green took out a box cutter and slit the victim’s throat with a box cutter. Green then attempted to cut the victim’s throat one more time, but the victim put his arm up in defense resulting in Green cutting the victim’s shoulder with the box cutter. Green attempted to strike the victim a third time, before the victim fended him off and sought the assistance of nearby witnesses. The victim was provided with emergency assistance and was rushed to the hospital where he received life saving treatment.
Green fled the area and was spotted crossing southbound on I-395. Metropolitan Police Department officers pursued Green through oncoming traffic before eventually arresting him on a grass field on the 900 block of Ohio Drive SW. In Green’s flight path, officers recovered Green’s passport, a box cutter with blood on it, and a putty knife.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Allison Daniels. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Charges for Shooting A Man in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
Victim Shot in Upper Chest Outside Nightclub
WASHINGTON – Emanuel Leyton, 22, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of the July 2021 shooting of a man outside of a Northwest Washington nightclub, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. The verdict was returned late yesterday. The Honorable Robert Okun scheduled sentencing for March 31, 2023.
Leyton, 22, was found guilty at trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol without a license, and lesser included firearms offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, shortly after midnight on July 30, 2021, Leyton got into a verbal argument with the victim, the victim’s cousin, and another anonymous acquaintance, inside Johana’s nightclub, in the 4700 block of 14th Street NW. Leyton left the club but returned a short time later. He left, again, around the same time as the victim and the victim’s cousin, who walked in the direction of 14th and Decatur where their vehicle was parked. Leyton was ahead of the victim walking in the same area. At the cross street, the defendant retrieved a gun from his waistband and shot the victim in the chest. The victim took shelter back inside the club, where he was found by officers who arrived minutes later. He was rushed to the hospital by DC FEMS personel. When officers arrived, Leyton was still on the sidewalk. Bystanders pointed him out as a potential suspect and he was stopped. The defendant agreed to a noncustodial interview at the 4th District station, where he put himself on the scene but claimed someone else fired the shot from a car.
Hours later, while the defendant was still voluntarily with police, the victim’s cousin, identified Leyton as the shooter. The next day, an employee of a business in that area found a gun in a flowerpot outside and called 911. DNA evidence linked Leyton to the recovered firearm, and ballistics evidence linked the gun to the shooting.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alec Levy and Randle Wilson of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Kern, Paralegal Specialists Antoinette Sakamsa and Renee Prather, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.
Court Sentences Colombian Drug Smuggler Caught with Nearly a Ton and a Half of CocaineRead the Press Release
On January 9, 2023, United States District Court Chief Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Jaminson Valencia Moreno, a Colombian national, to 135 months imprisonment for smuggling 1,315 kilograms of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Valencia Moreno had previously pled guilty to the offense.
Documents filed with the Court established that on January 11, 2022, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a Marine Patrol Aircraft located a suspected drug smuggling vessel approximately 50 nautical miles south of Isla De Malpelo, Colombia. The United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) James was patrolling nearby and diverted to intercept. The James developed reasonable suspicion of the vessel being without nationality, displaying no indicia of nationality, and drug trafficking in international waters.
The Coast Guard cutter launched an intercept craft, which reported seeing bales on board consistent with contraband on the vessel. The vessel had no physical flag flown, no registration documents, no registration number on the hull, no homeport on the hull, no name on the hull, and no other painted-on markings. The vessel was in fact a Vessel Without Nationality under United States law.
The USCG crew recovered approximately 1,315 kilograms of cocaine from the vessel. The defendant Jaminson Valencia Moreno conspired with two other men, Wilmer Orobio Payan and Osiber Vente Orobio, and others, to knowingly and intentionally possess with the intent to distribute the cocaine. Payan and Orobio both pled guilty to the offense and await sentencing.
In title 46 of the United States Code, Congress found and declared that (1) trafficking in controlled substances aboard vessels is a serious international problem, is universally condemned, and presents a specific threat to the security and societal well-being of the United States and (2) operating or embarking in a submersible vessel or semi-submersible vessel without nationality and on an international voyage is a serious international problem, facilitates transnational crime, including drug trafficking, and terrorism, and presents a specific threat to the safety of maritime navigation and the security of the United States. Title 46 further provides that such offenses may be prosecuted in any United States federal district court.
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello praised the outstanding work of the United States Coast Guard and federal investigators in interdicting and bringing these international drug smugglers to justice, noting “The wholesale value of the cocaine seized in this case is conservatively valued at approximately 40 million dollars and seizures of drugs in these quantities have a material impact the operations of drug cartels.”
The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.
Court Sentences Colombian Drug Smuggler Caught with Nearly Five and a Half Tons of CocaineRead the Press Release
On January 18, 2023, United States District Court Chief Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Alonzo Escobar-Valenzuela, a Colombian national, to 210 months imprisonment for smuggling 4,951 kilograms of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Escobar-Valenzuela had previously pled guilty to the offense.
Documents filed with the Court established that on December 13, 2021, while on routine patrol, in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a Marine Patrol Aircraft detected a suspicious low profile go-fast vessel west of Malpelo, Colombia. The US Coast Guard Cutter James diverted to intercept. The Coast Guard cutter launched an intercept vessel and a helicopter and requested that their command authorize a boarding of a vessel suspected of illicit maritime activity. The approach to the vessel revealed four persons on board, including the defendant.
There was no flag flown for the vessel, no vessel registration, and no claim of nationality for the vessel. No crewmembers claimed to be the Master or person in charge of the vessel. The vessel was properly deemed to be a “Vessel Without Nationality” in that it was a vessel aboard which any master or individual in charge failed, on request of an officer of the United States authorized to enforce applicable provisions of United States law, to make a claim of nationality or registry for that vessel under federal law.
The Coast Guard boarding officers found approximately 4,951 kilograms of cocaine on board the vessel. The USCG also found an AK-47 assault rifle underneath the bales of cocaine with 20 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
Escobar-Valenzuela later admitted that he was offered 80 million Columbian pesos to conduct the smuggling trip. He was paid 40 million Columbian pesos up front prior to the trip and was to be paid the remaining 40 million Columbian pesos after the trip was completed. Escobar-Valenzuela also admitted he recruited the other three crew members for the trip: Fernando Preciado, Nestor Javier Salazar Montano, and Henry Hernandez-Garcia.
All three of the co-defendants also pled guilty. Salazar-Montano and Hernandez Garcia were each previously sentenced by Judge Moorer to 168 months imprisonment. Preciado is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2023.
In Title 46 of the United States Code, Congress found and declared that (1) trafficking in controlled substances aboard vessels is a serious international problem, is universally condemned, and presents a specific threat to the security and societal well-being of the United States and (2) operating or embarking in a submersible vessel or semi-submersible vessel without nationality and on an international voyage is a serious international problem, facilitates transnational crime, including drug trafficking, and terrorism, and presents a specific threat to the safety of maritime navigation and the security of the United States. Title 46 further provides that such offenses may be prosecuted in any United States federal district court.
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello praised the exemplary work and dedication of the United States Coast Guard and federal investigators in interdicting and bringing these international drug smugglers to justice, noting “The wholesale value of the massive load of cocaine seized in this case is conservatively valued at approximately 140 million dollars.” Costello added that this is by far the largest seizure his office has prosecuted under Title 46 and represents a significant loss to the drug cartel.
The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 71 Months’ Imprisonment for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A man from St. Clair County will spend nearly six years in prison for
illegally possessing a firearm. Nicholas A. Briddell, 33, of Belleville, Illinois, was sentenced on Tuesday to 71 months in federal prison for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
According to court documents, on March 6, 2021, officers with the East St. Louis Police Department witnessed Briddell lean out of the passenger window of a vehicle stopped at an intersection near the Visions Night Club in East St. Louis. Briddell was holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand and a handgun in the other. Briddell then proceeded to point the firearm at patrons walking towards the door of the nightclub. ESPLD officers stopped the vehicle, arrested Briddell and found the firearm under the seat where Briddell had been sitting. The gun was loaded with a round in the chamber.
At the time of his arrest, Briddell was a multiple-convicted felon, with prior convictions for armed robbery and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or firearm ammunition. A federal grand jury in East St. Louis indicted Briddell in October 2021, and he pled guilty in September 2022.
“Pointing a loaded handgun at unsuspecting patrons is a bad, reckless decision, and the defendant will have time to think about his actions in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “It cannot be understated: we’re fortunate to have local, state and federal law enforcement partners promoting public safety in East St. Louis.”
As part of his sentence, Briddell will serve a two-year term of supervised release following his
release from federal prison.
The investigation was conducted by the ESLPD and the Public Safety Enforcement Group of the Illinois State Police. Further assistance in the investigation was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Burns and David Dean prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Patraic Setzer (28, New Port Richey) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Setzer faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and forfeiture of the firearm involved in the case.
According to court documents, on March 31, 2022, Setzer, a convicted felon, possessed a firearm in his vehicle. Law enforcement had conducted a traffic stop on Setzer’s vehicle where he was the only occupant. During the stop, a K9 alerted on the vehicle and officers searched Setzer’s car. The officers located a loaded Sig Sauer Inc, Model 9365 in the center console. During an interview with the New Port Richey Police Department, Setzer admitted to possessing the firearm, but denied ownership. At the time, Setzer had previous felony convictions for possession of alprazolam, possession of a controlled substance, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
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 New Port Richey Police Department, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.