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1 November 2022
Guilty verdict on all counts for illegal alien who murdered whistleblower in an illegal labor conspiracyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA.: A U.S. District Court jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty to all charges lodged against an illegal alien for his role in a conspiracy to kill a whistleblower who exposed a multi-million-dollar scheme to fraudulently employ undocumented workers.
Juan Rangel-Rubio, 45, of Rincon, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, was found guilty after a five-day trial of Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; Conspiracy to Kill a Witness; Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; and Money Laundering Conspiracy, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a statutory minimum sentence of life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Two co-defendants – Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, and Rangel-Rubio’s brother, Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, of Rincon, await sentencing after pleading guilty in the conspiracy to kill Eliud Montoya, a United States citizen who blew the whistle on a scheme of hiring and mistreating illegal aliens and who was murdered August 19, 2017, near his home in Garden City, Ga.
“This jury verdict brings resounding resolution to any doubts about the culpability of these defendants in this horrific conspiracy to kill a man who threatened their illegal and lucrative labor-trafficking scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our law enforcement partners who solved this brutal murder and paved the way to holding these criminals accountable.”
As reflected in court records and evidence presented to the jury, Pablo Rangel-Rubio worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree – a contract company that performed tree-cutting services on utility rights-of-way. Working with his brother, Juan Rangel-Rubio – also a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States – the two schemed to hire illegal aliens to work for the company, and then routed the illegal aliens’ paychecks to their own bank accounts where they skimmed a portion of the pay for themselves. As a result of this scheme, the conspirators netted more than $3.5 million.
Mr. Montoya, a United States citizen who also worked at Wolf Tree, saw his colleagues being mistreated and complained to the company and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After Mr. Montoya blew the whistle on the scheme, Pablo Rangel-Rubio arranged for Mr. Montoya’s murder by paying Perez-Bravo for the use of his vehicles and to act as the getaway driver when Juan Rangel-Rubio shot Mr. Montoya to death.
Sentencings for all three defendants will begin in November in U.S. District Court.
“This sentence means that criminals like these defendants will not escape justice and will no longer be able to victimize anyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “We are thankful for the hard work done by all of the agencies involved in this case and hope that the verdict brings comfort to the victims and their families.”
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Tania D. Groover.
Guilty Plea Entered in Case Involving Illegal Distribution of Narcotics in Mansfield, LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Debra E. Craig, 66, of Converse, Louisiana, entered a guilty plea today before Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to one count of obtaining controlled substances by fraud.
Craig worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse Medical Assistant at the DeSoto Regional Health System in Mansfield, Louisiana and was assigned to work with Dr. Jeffrey L. Evans.
Dr. Evans convinced Craig to illegally fill prescriptions for hydrocodone-acetaminophen on his behalf by indicating to her that he needed medication to treat pain. Dr. Evans would write prescriptions to Craig in the name of “Debbie Craig” for 100 dosage units of hydrocodone-acetaminophen 10-325 mg and would provide cash to Craig to be used to pay for the prescriptions at Mansfield Drug Company in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. After filling the prescriptions, Craig would provide all the hydrocodone-acetaminophen to Dr. Evans. Hydrocodone-acetaminophen is a Schedule II controlled substance. One of the fraudulent prescriptions was filled at Mansfield Drug Company on September 18, 2020 and is the basis for the guilty plea entered today. The prescription was for 100 tablets of hydrocodone-acetaminophen 10-325 mg, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Craig faces up to 4 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentencing date will be set at a later time.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the United States Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Shannon.
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Gang Leader Sentenced to More Than 25 Years for Assault and Murder Schemes Committed Inside Monterey County JailRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE –Vincent Gerald Garcia was sentenced to 306 months in federal prison today following his federal jury convictions for multiple conspiracies involving gang violence in the Monterey County Jail, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Beth L. Freeman.
U.S. District Judge Freeman imposed sentence on each of the three counts Garcia was convicted of, as follows: 306 months in prison for engaging in a racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, 120 months for engaging in a conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and 36 months for engaging in a conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. The shorter sentences were ordered to run concurrently with the longer sentence, for a total custody time of 306 months.
Garcia, 55, of Salinas, is the 14th defendant charged, convicted, and sentenced in this case. Garcia was convicted by a federal jury on June 7, 2022. Garcia’s only co-defendant at the jury trial, Jorge Jasso, is the 15th and final defendant in the case and was also convicted at the trial of all counts. Jasso is awaiting his sentencing hearing.
At trial, the evidence showed that from December 2012 through April 2014, Garcia was an active member of the Nuestra Familia (“NF”) prison gang and, for most of that time, incarcerated in the Monterey County Jail. Garcia held the position of Regiment Commander for the NF in charge of all Monterey County and, as such, controlled the criminal activities of gang inmates at the Monterey County Jail. The Norteño street gang is affiliated with the NF, and Norteño gang members pledge loyalty to the NF. Evidence showed that inside prisons and local jails, all members and affiliates of the NF, including Norteños, worked together to maintain gang structure and to follow gang rules.
According to trial evidence, any member in a Norteño housing unit who committed a serious violation of the rules was subject to “removal.” A removal operation was executed by Norteño gang members and involved an organized attack upon the targeted victim. In the attacks, one or more “hitters” stabbed the victim and were followed immediately by at least two “bombers” who viciously beat the victim without weapons. The beating by the bombers inflicted further injury to the stabbed target and continued the attack’s chaotic distraction at the jail, which allowed time for the hitters to hide their weapons and wash off.
Trial evidence also showed that removals were approved in advance by the gang leader in charge of the facility. The Norteño gang member who was in charge of the particular housing unit then planned the removal. All members in the Norteño housing unit were aware of the removal process and were required to assist if requested.
Additional trial evidence demonstrated that the sale of controlled substances both inside custodial facilities and on the street was a central income producer for the gang. Evidence showed that Norteño members smuggled controlled substances into Monterey County Jail as well as other jails and sold the “hard” drugs to the inmates, while any smuggled marijuana was distributed only to fellow gang members.
The trial focused on ten removals in the Monterey County Jail between December 2012 and April 2014. Most of the removals occurred in “K-Pod,” a cell block in Monterey County Jail that housed active Norteño members and associates exclusively. Three of the removals occurred in the jail’s main yard, during the recreation period for inmates who were housed in the lockdown pods for Norteños.
Evidence at trial identified Garcia as the gang leader responsible for approving all removals. Evidence showed that Garcia was a long time gang member who rose through the ranks to become a carnale of the NF prison gang in the 1990s before becoming the NF Regiment Commander in charge of Salinas and Monterey County from 2012 through 2014. From May 2013 through February 2015, Garcia was incarcerated in the Monterey County Jail. Evidence demonstrated that while he was in charge of the entire jail for the NF, he ordered the assaults and murder attempts. He had ultimate gang authority and could put fellow gang members on “freeze” status, clear them for rule violations or strip them of gang or leadership roles, and elevate members into leadership positions. Evidence showed that Garcia approved all of the ten removals, including ones in which his co-defendants Jasso participated.
In addition to the concurrent prison sentences, U.S. District Judge Freeman imposed a five term of supervised release upon Garcia’s release from prison. Defendant Garcia was in custody at the time of his sentencing hearing and will begin to serve his sentence immediately.
Below are the names, charges of conviction, and sentences of the 15 individuals charged in this case:
Name Charge(s) Sentence Johnny Magdaleno 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy 360 months imprisonment Vincent Gerald Garcia- 18 U.S.C. §1962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
- 18 U.S.C. §1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Meyer and Neal C. Hong prosecuted the case at trial with the assistance of Christine Tian, Mimi Lam, Laurie Worthen, Susan Krieder, Lynette Dixon, and Elise Etter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI with investigative assistance from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Salinas Police Department, the Soledad Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department.
Four Men Found Guilty of Federal Kidnapping and Homicide Charges in June 2018 SlayingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four area men were found guilty by a federal jury today of murder and other charges in the kidnapping of a Maryland man whose body was found in June 2018 in an alley in Southeast Washington. The victim had been shot numerous times and his hands were still bound with zip-ties.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Darin Moore, Jr. 29, of Bowie, Md., Gabriel Brown, 33, and John Sweeney, 29, who are all from Washington, D.C., were found guilty following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death, first-degree murder while armed, and felony murder. James Thomas Taylor, 33, also of Washington, D.C.., was found guilty of kidnapping resulting in death and felony murder. A mistrial was declared on the remaining two counts in the indictment against Taylor. All four defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 6, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 19, 2018, the victim, Andre Simmons, Jr., 28, from Bowie, Maryland, was abducted at gunpoint in Maryland, bound with zip ties, and forced into a vehicle by Moore and Sweeney. During the following few hours, several ransom calls were made from Taylor’s phone to Mr. Simmons’ family, who delivered $7,000 in cash to a drop location as instructed by the kidnappers. The money was subsequently picked up by Brown.
Just over an hour after the ransom payment, at about 6:25 a.m. on June 20, 2018, the defendants shot Mr. Simmons 19 times and left his zip-tied body in an alley off the 600 block of Atlantic Street SE. The four men then met up in Capitol Heights, Maryland, to divide up the proceeds of the ransom demand.
Moore was arrested on June 20, 2018. Brown was arrested on June 27, 2018, Taylor was arrested on Aug. 17, 2018, and Sweeney was arrested on Jan. 14, 2019. All have been in custody since their arrests.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD’s Homicide Division. Valuable assistance was provided by Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Wasserman, Laura Crane, and Will Hart, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Paralegal Specialist Genevieve De Guzman also assisted in the prosecution.
Four Defendants Charged in Multi-Million Dollar National Coronavirus Fraud RingRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Four defendants have been charged in the District of South Carolina for their alleged roles in a fraud scheme related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that involved nearly a hundred individuals from across the country, including Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
The indicted defendants are
- Jacob Liticker, a/k/a “Jay Stunna,” 25, from Houston, Texas;
- Kehinde Mubarak Ladepo, 26, an enlisted member of the United States Air Force stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter;
- Ganiyu Victor Ladepo, a/k/a “Victor,” 29, from Fayetteville, North Carolina; and
- and Maxwell Uzoma Okobi, a/k/a “Maxi,” 24, a resident of North Carolina currently deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
The indictment alleges that the defendants were part of a national scheme, led by Liticker, that attempted to fraudulently acquire $2 million in PPP loans, and that did fraudulently acquire nearly $1 million in PPP loans. The PPP loan program was administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. According to the indictment, Liticker created false PPP loan applications for nearly 100 people across the country, typically for amounts around $20,000, and would assist those individuals in submitting this false information to SBA-approved lenders. In doing so, he would often create false tax documentation to support the non-existent businesses. In exchange for his services, Liticker would receive a portion of the PPP loan proceeds. The indictment alleges that Liticker would also assist in getting the loans forgiven.
“PPP loans were finite funds designed to help businesses stay afloat amid unprecedented times and extraordinary challenges. Every dollar wrongly taken from this taxpayer-funded program was a dollar that could not go to a legitimate business in need,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “This Office takes pandemic-related crime seriously and stands ready prosecute fraud related to the Coronavirus in all its forms. This case highlights those efforts.”
"The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the government's pandemic-related resources from abuse," said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas J. Groesbeck, OSI Procurement Fraud Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. "AFOSI and our joint law enforcement partners will continue the fight against fraud, which impacts legitimate smalls business that these programs are designed to support while ensuring those who violate the law are held accountable."
"These arrests are representative of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) steadfast commitment to hold accountable those who perpetrate fraud against the Department of Defense, even when those perpetrators are within the ranks of the Armed Forces," said Special Agent in Charge Chris Dillard, Department of Defense Inspector General, DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. "DCIS and our partner agencies are dedicated to protecting the integrity of government programs as well as defending the Department of Defense's long standing traditions and values of honesty and integrity."
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of imprisonment of up to 20 years, fines, and restitution.
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.
The case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and SBA’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek A. Shoemake, who also serves as the Office’s Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Marosek are prosecuting the case. A copy of the indictment and a copy of the chart illustrating the scope of the alleged scheme are attached.
U.S. Attorney Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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liticker_indictment.pdf liticker_chart.pdfFort Lauderdale Man Sentenced to Prison for String of Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
MIAMI — Robert Willis Jr., 47, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has been sentenced to 145 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Rodney Smith for his participation in a string of bank robberies.
According to court records, between March 23-26, 2022, Willis entered three banks and demanded money while warning tellers he had a gun. On March 26, 2022, he entered TD Bank located at 1371 West Palmetto Boulevard in Boca Raton, Fla. He approached and passed a note to the teller which read, “I have a gun. Do not give me dye money. Do not give me mark money. Do not push any buttons or you will die. Empty your drawers now.”
The victim teller gave Willis more than $6,000 in U.S. currency, including a bait bill pack that contained a GPS tracking device. As he left the bank’s parking lot, a bank manager was able to photograph the getaway vehicle’s license plate. Willis’s Mitsubishi Outlander soon was spotted by Broward County Sheriff’s deputies. Willis fled the marked police cars, crashing into multiple vehicles and eventually flipping his own car onto its side near the corner of US 441 and Commercial Boulevard in Tamarac, Fla. Most of the cash, including the bait bill pack, was recovered near the crash site.
Willis, who’d had multiple prior convictions for armed/strongarm robbery, also had been convicted of attempted murder.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI, Miami Office, investigated this case, with assistance from Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and Boca Raton Police Services Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita White prosecuted the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former West Haven Employee and State Representative Admits Stealing COVID Relief and Other City FundsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Christina D. Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced that MICHAEL DiMASSA, 31, of West Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to conspiracy charges stemming from his involvement in schemes that resulted in the theft of more than $1.2 million dollars in COVID relief funds and other funds from the City of West Haven.
According to court documents and statements made in court, DiMassa was a Connecticut State Representative who was also employed by the City of West Haven, most recently serving as the Administrative Assistant to the City Council. In April 2020, the State of Connecticut was allocated money by the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (“CRF”), which was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) for the purpose of helping local governments pay costs incurred in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. From July 2020 through September 2021, the City of West Haven received approximately $1,150,257 in financial assistance from this fund. DiMassa, who was authorized to approve the designated relief funds for the reimbursement of COVID-related expenditures incurred by West Haven, conspired with others to steal these funds and other West Haven funds through the submission of fraudulent invoices, and subsequent payment, for COVID relief goods and services that were never provided.
In one scheme, DiMassa conspired with John Bernardo, who was employed by the City of West Haven as a Housing Specialist in the office of Community Development Administration. In January 2021, DiMassa and Bernardo formed Compass Investment Group, LLC. Beginning in February 2021, Compass Investment Group LLC fraudulently billed the City of West Haven and its “COVID-19 Grant Department” for consulting services purportedly provided to the West Haven Health Department that were not performed. From February 2021 through September 2021, the City of West Haven paid Compass Investment Group a total of $636,783.70. DiMassa made several large cash withdrawals from the Compass Investment Group LLC bank account, some of which were made shortly before or after he was recorded as having made a large cash “buy-in” of gaming chips at the Mohegan Sun Casino.
DiMassa also conspired with his now wife, Lauren DiMassa, through the submission of numerous fraudulent invoices to West Haven for services related to a Youth Violence Prevention Program and for Youth Violence COVID-19 Associated Expenses. These invoices listed charges for in-home counseling, cleaning supplies, special needs hourly service, wi-fi assistance for low/moderate income families, counseling services, license fees, a fall youth clinic, meals, support group supplies, equipment rental, and youth clinic support group. West Haven made at least 16 payments totaling approximately $147,776.10 to Lauren DiMassa, who never provided any services to the City of West Haven.
In a third scheme, DiMassa conspired with another individual through the submission of fraudulent invoices from companies, which were controlled by DiMassa’s co-conspirator, to West Haven for goods and services, including thousands of units of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), HVAC maintenance at multiple municipal locations, COVID supplies for the Board of Education, and cleaning services for various municipal and school buildings, including one school building that had been vacant and abandoned for several years. The co-conspirator’s companies received approximately $431,982 through this scheme.
DiMassa has agreed to pay restitution of $1,216,541.80.
DiMassa pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
DiMassa has been released on a $250,000 bond since his arrest on October 20, 2021.
Bernardo and Lauren DiMassa each previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. They await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General for Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray Miller and David Sheldon.
Individuals with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former Prisoner Transport Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Female DetaineeRead the Press Release
Former prisoner transport officer, Rogeric Hankins, 37, pleaded guilty in federal court in the Western District of Missouri to violating a female detainee’s civil rights by sexually assaulting her.
“We acknowledge the courage of this survivor who reported the defendant’s egregious crimes as soon as she was dropped off in Minneapolis,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “A private prisoner transport officer’s job is to keep those in their custody safe and secure, and this defendant did the opposite. The Justice Department is committed to holding anyone carrying out a law enforcement function accountable when they abuse their authority to perpetrate such appalling crimes.”
“A private prisoner transport officer abused his position of trust and authority by sexually assaulting a detainee who was in his custody while transporting her through Missouri,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “Such a violent civil rights violation will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice. Individuals who wield their official power to rape and assault victims in their care will be held accountable for their criminal behavior.”
“This is a particularly heinous case as the defendant used his position and authority to commit his crime" said Special Agent in Charge Bob Meacham of the FBI Minneapolis Field Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure those who violate the color of law will be held accountable and the victim’s voices heard.”
According to the plea agreement, at the time of the offense, Hankins worked as a prisoner transport officer for Inmate Services Corporation. As a private prisoner transport officer, Hankins performed the government function of picking up individuals who were arrested on out-of-state warrants and transporting those individuals back to the jurisdictions that issued the warrants. On March 31, 2020, Hankins picked up the victim, a female detainee, from a jail in Olympia, Washington, to transport her to St. Paul, Minnesota.
On April 3, 2020, before arriving in Minnesota, Hankins stopped the transport van at a gas station in Joplin, Missouri. Hankins brought the victim into the gas station to use the bathroom. After the victim used the women’s bathroom, Hankins led her into the men’s bathroom, and told her to go into the stall furthest from the door. Once inside the stall, Hankins began to try to pull the victim’s shirt up. She resisted and told Hankins to stop. In response, Hankins told the victim to be quiet and made her perform a sexual act on him. Hankins then further sexually assaulted the victim, while bending her over a toilet seat.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Hankins faces a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment, three years of mandatory supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Moore and Special Agent in Charge Meacham made the announcement.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Division, with assistance from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.
Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Former Maryland Heights Police Officer Sentenced to 4 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a former Maryland Heights police officer who requested nude pictures from an undercover law enforcement officer to four years in prison.
Gregory Ortlip, 57, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty July 27 to one count of attempted possession of child pornography and admitted communicating online with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. During the conversations, Ortlip brought up sex and requested nude pictures from the girl. He also offered to send her pictures of his genitals.
The girl was really an undercover law enforcement officer involved in a Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children investigation.
Ortlip also admitted that in 2020, he communicated with a 15-year-old Kansas girl and requested and received pictures of her breasts. The girl told Ortlip she was 16.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office - Department of Criminal Investigations and the Overland Park (Kansas) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division'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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Home Depot Employee Pleads Guilty in Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kimyada Latoya Knight (41, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to credit card fraud. Knight faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to Home Depot.
According to court documents, Knight worked in a specialized area of Home Depot (HD) business operations that primarily handled business and customer credit card accounts. Her area of responsibility included resolving charge disputes and requests for refunds from customers with credit card accounts and other accounts at HD. An initial review by HD, with follow up investigation by the United States Secret Service, determined that Knight had initiated a large number of fraudulent customer and business refunds between approximately January and August 2019 involving credit card accounts and other accounts at HD. After processing the fraudulent transactions, Knight then transferred the payments to accounts that she controlled and subsequently used the proceeds.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Former Apple Employee Admits Defrauding Apple of More Than $17 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Dhirendra Prasad pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with multiple schemes defrauding his then employer Apple, Inc., announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson.
In a written plea agreement entered today, Prasad, 52, of Mountain House, California, described that he was employed by Apple from 2008 through 2018 and acted for most of that time as a buyer in Apple’s Global Service Supply Chain. Prasad’s responsibilities involved purchasing parts and services for Apple from vendors. Prasad admitted he began to defraud Apple as early as 2011 by taking kickbacks, inflating invoices, stealing parts, and causing Apple to pay for items and services never received. Prasad admitted these schemes continued through 2018 and ultimately resulted in a loss to Apple of more than $17 million.
Prasad admitted his co-conspirators in the fraud schemes were Robert Gary Hansen and Don M. Baker, who reside in the Central District of California. Hansen and Baker each owned vendor companies, and their companies engaged in business with Apple. Hansen and Baker were earlier charged in separate federal criminal cases, and they have admitted their involvement in the schemes.
In one of several fraud schemes admitted by Prasad, in 2013 he had motherboards shipped from Apple’s inventory to Baker’s company, CTrends. Baker arranged to have the motherboards’ components harvested, and Prasad arranged for Apple to issue purchase orders for those harvested components. Baker shipped the harvested components back to Apple, and CTrends submitted invoices to Apple, thus billing Apple for its own components. Prasad caused Apple to pay the fraudulent invoices, and Baker and Prasad thereafter split the proceeds of the fraud.
In another example, in approximately 2016 Prasad arranged to have components shipped from Apple’s inventory located in a Nevada warehouse to Hansen’s business, Quality Electronics Distributors, Inc. Hansen intercepted the components, removed them from their packaging, placed them in new packaging, and shipped them back to Apple’s warehouse. Prasad created purchase orders for the components, and Hansen submitted invoices to Apple for them, thus billing Apple for its own components. Prasad caused Apple to pay the fraudulent invoices, and Hansen and Prasad split the proceeds of the fraud.
In addition to the many fraud schemes, Prasad admitted he engaged in tax fraud by funneling illicit payments from Hansen directly to Prasad’s creditors. Prasad also caused a shell company to issue sham invoices to CTrends in order to conceal Baker’s illicit payments to Prasad and to allow Baker to claim hundreds of thousands of dollars of unjustified tax deductions. These schemes resulted in an IRS loss of more than $1.8 million.
The United States also instituted a civil forfeiture action to forfeit the assets acquired by Prasad with the fraud proceeds, including multiple real properties he purchased and numerous financial accounts containing funds traced to Prasad’s crimes. These assets have an aggregate value of approximately $5 million. Today, Prasad agreed to forfeit all the assets to the United States.
Prasad pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, 18 U.S.C. § 1341 & 18 U.S.C. § 1343, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
United States District Judge Beth L. Freeman scheduled Prasad’s sentencing hearing for March 14, 2023. Prasad remains out of custody pending his sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Pitman is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. Assistant United States Attorney Karen D. Beausey is representing the United States in the civil forfeiture action, with the assistance of Carolyn Caparas. The prosecution was the result of an investigation led by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation with the assistance of the Special Enforcement Program.
Federal inmate charged with making threatsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – An inmate Federal Corrections Institution Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, is facing threat charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Michael J. Carter, 37, was indicted today on 11 counts of “Transmitting Threatening Communication in Interstate Commerce.” Carter is accused of threatening a person in email and by phone from the prison in September and October 2022 in Preston County.
Carter faces up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Prisons., the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Oxon Hill Division IV Investigations investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Jury Finds Maple Grove Man Guilty of Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft in $1.4 Million Medicaid Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Maple Grove man has been convicted by a federal jury for his role in a $1.4 million Medicare fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud, Eskender M. Yousuf, 40, was convicted on all seven counts of the superseding indictment, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charged conspiracy consisted of nine total defendants. Six of Yousuf’s co-conspirators pleaded guilty prior to trial and two remain fugitives from law enforcement.
As proven at trial, Yousuf was a mental health practitioner who worked with Live Better, LLC, a patient services company with offices in Roseville and Minneapolis. As part of the scheme, Yousuf and his co-conspirators knowingly prepared and signed client progress notes for mental health services—and related interpreter verification forms—that were not actually rendered and submitted claims to the Minnesota Medicaid program for reimbursement of mental health services and the related interpretation of those services. As a result of the false and fraudulent claims, the Medicaid program paid more than $1.4 million for services that never occurred. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and the Minnesota Attorney General Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela M. Munoz and Jordan L. Sing tried the case.
Federal Court Permanently Bars Utah Physician from Issuing Opioid and Controlled Substance PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
A federal judge entered a consent order that permanently bars a Utah physician from issuing prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances.
The consent order resolves allegations made by the United States against Dr. Sean Ponce, a medical doctor licensed in Utah. In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, the government alleged that Dr. Ponce unlawfully issued controlled substance prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. The complaint alleged that Dr. Ponce catered to customer requests for opioids and other controlled substances, at times using text messages to arrange the exchange of prescriptions for cash. The complaint further alleged that Dr. Ponce used virtual office space in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, to meet with cash-paying customers to maintain the guise of a medical practice despite the routine lack of legitimate examinations, medical findings supporting the prescriptions or bona-fide doctor-patient relationships.
“Doctors who facilitate the illegal diversion of opioids and other controlled substances harm the public and violate the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue working with its partners to stop medical professionals who seek to profit from the opioid addiction epidemic.”
“In the District of Utah, we will enforce the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “This includes violations of the Act committed by doctors and healthcare professionals who unlawfully distribute controlled substances under the guise of legitimate medical practice.”
“We entrust healthcare professionals to act in the community’s best interest,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Besser of the DEA Rocky Mountain Division. “With that trust, the DEA expects practitioners to prescribe controlled substances in accordance with the laws and regulations set forth by legislation. When public trust is broken and healthcare providers seek to benefit from those that are at risk, they will most certainly be held accountable. I commend our Salt Lake City agents and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch for judiciously building this case and seeing it through.”
The consent order, entered by U.S. District Judge David Barlow, requires Dr. Ponce to pay a $65,000 civil penalty. The order also permanently prohibits Dr. Ponce from administering, dispensing or distributing controlled substances and from managing or supervising other medical providers who work with or prescribe opioids or controlled substances. The order prohibits Dr. Ponce from owning a business or medical practice where opioids or controlled substances are handled.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Ferre for the District of Utah and Trial Attorneys Yolanda D. McCray Jones and Scott B. Dahlquist of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Salt Lake City District Office provided substantial investigative support.
The claims resolved by the resolution are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Dyersburg Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Assault of a Federal Officer with a Deadly WeaponRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Bobby Joe Claybrook, Jr., 41, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and discharging a weapon during and relation to a crime of violence. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.
United States Attorney Ritz stated: “This defendant pled guilty to committing a violent assault on federal law enforcement officers. That’s an extremely serious crime, deserving of this extremely serious sentence. The United States will not hesitate to bring significant resources to bear when citizens attack our law enforcement partners.”
United States Marshal Tyreece Miller added: “Law enforcement are public servants that place their lives on the line everyday, enforcing laws throughout our communities. Sadly, the possibility of physical danger and harm are part of what it means to wear a badge. But trying to hurt a Deputy
U.S. Marshal has serious consequences. We are glad our Deputy Marshals weren’t seriously injured, and thankful for the steadfast work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case to closure.”According to information presented in court, on August 3, 2020, the United States Marshals received information that Bobby Joe Claybrook, Jr. was wanted by the Dyersburg Police Department for attempted second degree homicide and for being a felon in possession of firearm. On November 2, 2020, agents located the defendant at a duplex in Jackson, Tennessee. Federal agents and local law enforcement, all wearing clothing and badges that clearly established themselves as law enforcement officials, approached the residence. Prior to the team stepping onto the porch to knock on the door, Claybrook began firing on the team through the small porch window. A task force officer was hit in his arm, leg, and another officer was struck by a round from Claybrook’s firearm. The officers were treated for their injuries at the hospital and released.
Several other officers were pinned alongside the house until the Jackson Police Department SWAT
Team arrived to assist them. The SWAT team took over the scene and negotiated the surrender of
Claybrook after a lengthy standoff.Tennessee Bureau of Investigation personnel executed a search warrant of the residence and located a 9mm firearm and several 9mm shell casings inside the residence near the window where Claybrook carried out his assault on law enforcement. As a result of Claybrook’s prior felony convictions, he is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.
On October 28, 2022, Chief United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Claybrook to
480 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Jackson-Madison County Narcotics, and the Jackson Police Department SWAT Team.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham, who prosecuted this case.
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at 901-544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow@WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Denver Nurse Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Stealing Fentanyl from Hospital PatientsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Alejandro Gort, 39, of Denver, was sentenced to five years of probation after he earlier pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deception.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant worked the night shift at a Denver hospital on March 3, 2021. He was assigned to care for a critically ill patient admitted to the Sick and Intensive Care Unit following emergency surgery for a head injury. The patient was comatose and intubated when Mr. Gort was assigned to care for him. The defendant initiated a fentanyl drip to treat the patient’s pain, but stole the majority of the bag of fentanyl for his own use, concealing his crime by lowering the drip rate on the IV pump and failing to accurately document the flow rate in the patient’s medical record. He then used this fentanyl at the hospital during his shift. Later during the same shift, the defendant drained a second bag of fentanyl hung for the patient into a cup, then filled the bag with saline to facilitate and conceal the theft. The defendant intended to take the cup of fentanyl for his personal use, but hospital staff interrupted him and escorted him out of the building. According to other staff members, the defendant’s drug use affected his behavior and clinical judgments. There is no evidence that the patient was harmed by the defendant’s act of illegally obtaining the fentanyl. The defendant participated in a voluntary interview with law enforcement agents on March 11, 2021. During that interview, the defendant admitted that he diverted drugs from the hospital between late 2020 and the date the hospital confronted him. He stated he usually obtained fentanyl by falsely identifying the drug as “waste” that was to be discarded, but he kept the drugs for his personal use. He also admitted to using saline to waste fentanyl bags after diverting the fentanyl. The defendant stated he used the drugs at work.
“The defendant knowingly and repeatedly risked patient health for his own selfish interests,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Medical professionals have to be held to the highest standard when caring for critically ill patients. Stealing controlled substances is illegal, and this criminal conduct will be dealt with by facing prosecution under federal law.“
“Patients rely on the knowledge that they will receive FDA-approved medications to manage their conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “When health care professionals tamper with those needed medications, we will pursue and bring them to justice.”
Judge Regina M. Rodriguez sentenced the defendant on October 28, 2022.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI).
Case Number: 21-cr-00227.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – Davenport man, George Winston Taylor, was sentenced on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, to 260 months in prison for Receiving Child Pornography. Taylor was also ordered to pay $48,000 in restitution. Following his imprisonment, Taylor was ordered to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, George Winston Taylor, age 65, was identified by law enforcement through a cyber-tip from a social media platform stating that an image containing child pornography had been uploaded. The email associated with the cyber-tip was registered to Taylor. Following further investigation, officers executed a search warrant on Taylor’s residence in Davenport. Multiple electronic devices were seized. Forensic examination of the devices revealed approximately 3,000 images and over 400 videos containing child pornography. Taylor was previously convicted of Possession of Child Pornography in the Central District of Illinois in 1998.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Theodore L. Snow, III, age 39 of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on Friday, October 28, 2022, to 130 months in prison following his plea of guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Snow will be on supervised release for five years after his release from imprisonment.
On March 3, 2021, a Council Bluffs Police Officer stopped Snow’s car for numerous traffic violations. Snow consented to a search of the car. During the search, the officer located drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine, and shotgun shells, and located a loaded pistol in the waist band of Snow’s pants. Snow is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction. Between the fall 2020 and spring 2021, Snow was distributing a large amount of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs area.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated 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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.
Coon Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening a U.S. SenatorRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Coon Rapids man has pleaded guilty to making interstate threats against a U.S. Senator, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 11, 2022, Brendon Michael Daugherty, 35, left two voicemail messages on the field office telephone of a U.S. Senator located outside the state of Minnesota. Both messages contained threats of violence directed at the U.S. Senator. In his first message, Daugherty stated, “You and the Republican Party should be proud that you’re pushing me to become a domestic terrorist. Have a nice [expletive] day; can’t wait to kill ya.” In his second message, Daugherty stated, “I also just wanted to note, thank God the Republican Party is against gun control laws because it would keep guns out of the hands of a person that was disabled and volatile like I am, but you guys are totally against that. So, I may actually get to carry out my nefarious goals.” Field office staff retrieved and recorded the messages and reported them to U.S. Capitol Police.
Daugherty pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Eric C. Tostrud to one count of interstate transmission of a threat to injure the person of another. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen is prosecuting the case.
Colorado Springs Felon Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Jeffrey Scott Taylor, 51, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison after earlier pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, on April 9, 2022, officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department were called to an apartment complex on Tappan Drive in Colorado Springs. Officers spoke with an individual who reported the defendant came to her apartment earlier that evening and said he wanted to show her something. She followed the defendant to his apartment, where he showed her a semi-automatic handgun sitting on his coffee table. Officers applied for, and received a lawful search warrant for the defendant’s apartment. Inside, they recovered a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol from the coffee table in the living room area. The pistol was loaded and contained eight rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber. In the bedroom closet, officers recovered a Smith and Wesson magazine and two boxes of .40 caliber ammunition. The defendant had been convicted of a felony prior to April 9, 2022, and was aware that he had been convicted of a felony.
Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced the defendant on October 31, 2022.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to violent crime prevention, and taking illegal weapons off the streets is an important part of that,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Under federal law, felons are prohibited from having firearms, and we will hold them accountable when they break the law.”
“Previously convicted felons who continue to unlawfully possess firearms have made the choice to continue to live a high-risk lifestyle which often leads to more violent gun crime in the communities they live and frequent,” said Special Agent in Charge David S. Booth. “We are grateful for the partnership with the Colorado Springs Police Department in this investigation, and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for a successful prosecution.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Colorado Springs Police Department. Prosecution was handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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.
Case number: 22-cr-00162
Clayton Man Admits Soliciting Child Pornography from 11-year-oldRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Clayton, Missouri pleaded guilty on Tuesday to federal charges and admitted requesting and receiving nude pictures of minors, including pictures of an 11-year-old from Kentucky.
Jason W. Fine, 50, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to two felonies: soliciting child pornography and receiving child pornography.
Fine admitted as part of his plea that between July 1, 2021 and Sept. 2, 2021, he communicated with the 11-year-old Kentucky girl on Kik Messenger while pretending to 11-year-old girl himself. He requested and received nude pictures of the girl.
In an interview with law enforcement on June 14, 2022, Fine said he had communicated online with multiple minors and that a few had sent him child pornography, his plea agreement says.
Fine is scheduled to be sentenced January 31. Both charges carry penalties of five to 20 years in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department the Campbell County (Kentucky) Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division'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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Clarksburg woman indicted on threat chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Courtney B. Sedler, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted today on threat charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Sedler, 30, was indicted today on three counts of “Influencing Federal Officer by Threat.” Sedler threatened to kill Vincent Kennedy, Chief of the Veterans Affairs Police, on three separate occasions in February, March, and October 2022.
Sedler faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Veterans Affairs Police investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
City of Lakewood, Ohio, Agrees to Improve Sewer Systems to Reduce Discharges of Raw SewageRead the Press Release
The city of Lakewood, Ohio, has agreed to perform work that will significantly reduce discharges of untreated sewage from its sewer system into Lake Erie and the Rocky River. The settlement is set forth in an interim partial consent decree that was filed today in federal court in the Northern District of Ohio.
The decree requires Lakewood to complete construction of a high-rate treatment system that will treat combined sewer overflows and build two large storage basins that will hold millions of gallons of wastewater until it can be sent to the wastewater treatment plant. Under the decree, Lakewood will spend about $85 million to improve its sewer system and will pay a civil penalty of $100,000, split evenly between the United States and Ohio.
The decree would partially resolve the violations alleged in the underlying complaint filed by the United States and the state of Ohio. The complaint alleges that Lakewood discharged untreated sanitary sewage into the Rocky River or directly into Lake Erie on at least 1,933 occasions from January 2016 through the present. The complaint also alleges that on numerous occasions from January 2016 through the present, Lakewood discharged water from combined sewer outfalls that violated the effluent limitations included in its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
“The Clean Water Act requires adequate infrastructure to limit discharges of untreated sewage,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement requires meaningful investments in Lakewood’s wastewater collection and treatment system that will protect the waters surrounding the city of Lakewood.”
“Discharges of untreated sewage can damage local water bodies and sicken community members who come in contact,” said Larry Starfield, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator s for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This settlement will benefit Lakewood and other Ohio communities by preventing the discharge of millions of gallons of untreated sewage from entering the Rocky River and Lake Erie.”
Under the decree, Lakewood will also conduct multiple pipe lining and repair projects within its sewer system designed to eliminate causes of sanitary sewer overflows. Lakewood will also undertake a sampling pilot study designed to identify sewage in stormwater outfalls and a one-year post-construction monitoring program, which will provide the data needed for future work in Lakewood’s sewer system.
The implementation of this decree will prevent millions of gallons of raw sewage carrying harmful pollutants, such as E. coli, from being discharged to Lake Erie and the Rocky River. These reductions in pollutants will improve water quality in Lake Erie and the Rocky River.
This decree is an important, but partial step to address the problems in Lakewood’s sewer system. It will resolve all civil penalty claims, but will not fully resolve the injunctive relief claims alleged in the complaint. Lakewood will be required through a subsequent, enforceable agreement with the United States and the state of Ohio to implement a plan that addresses the remaining permitted and unpermitted overflows in Lakewood’s sewer system and to demonstrate compliance with the Clean Water Act.
The proposed agreement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval after publication in the Federal Register. The agreement is available on the Justice Department’s website: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Child Sex Trafficker and Producer of Videos of Child Sex Abuse Sentenced to 55 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Mark Manuel Angeles Marino (27, Jacksonville) to 55 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking and the production, receipt, and possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Marino serve a life term of supervised release and pay $163,500 to victims of his offenses. Marino had been found guilty after a bench trial on November 16, 2021.
According to court documents, in March 2019, Marino began communicating with a particular email user in response to an advertisement on the dark web offering child sexual abuse material for sale. Marino responded to the ad and specifically inquired about an 11-year-old girl, requesting to see a video of the sexual assault of that child. After asking several times for depictions of specific sexual abuse of the child, the supplier requested Marino “go elsewhere.” Six months later, Marino contacted the individual again, requesting a specific video of the rape of a child wearing a diaper. The next month, Marino sent a message requesting a video of the sexual assault of a 9-year-old and requested the child’s face not be covered as he wanted to see the child’s reaction while the assault took place. On October 23, 2019, Marino sent $172.09 in bitcoin to the supplier, and the following day he received a 2-minute and 34-second video of a young child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The next day, Marino requested a 30-minute video of a child being raped by an adult and sent the supplier $909.07 in bitcoin in payment for the video. Marino continued to request the 30-minute video, but complained, in a later interview with law enforcement, that he only received a 4-minute video in exchange for the payment. Marino admitted to using bitcoin to pay for child sexual abuse material.
During the execution of a search warrant, agents seized Marino’s electronic devices and discovered thousands of files of child sexual abuse material. Further, the investigation revealed that Marino had produced child sex abuse files of a 12-year-old child known to him, using threats and coercion.
“Child predators feel they can target and victimize children and remain hidden behind the anonymity of the Dark Web,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “HSI special agents in Jacksonville, New York, and the Philippines, utilizing cutting-edge techniques, ensured that this predator was identified and held accountable for his crimes.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Burlington County Man Admits Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal bank customer identities and then use that information to steal more than $520,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jamere Hill-Birdsong, 33, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2016 through August 2017, Hill-Birdsong conspired with Lamar Melhado, of the Bronx, New York, and others to defraud a Mount Laurel, New Jersey, bank. Hill-Birdsong worked inside the call center and recruited other call center employees to participate in the scheme by stealing the identities and account information of customers who called into the bank’s call center. The conspirator bank employees would then take photographs or screenshots of the bank customer’s account information and signatures and would send that information to Hill-Birdsong and Melhado. The conspirators then had phony identification documents made in the names of the bank customers, and used various runners to go into bank branches and make unauthorized cash withdrawals. The conspirators also used the stolen identity information to conduct unauthorized online transfers of moneys from the customer’s accounts.
The conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge to which Hill-Birdsong pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. In his plea agreement, Hill-Birdsong agreed to make restitution for the full amount of the loss, which is estimated at $523,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2023.
Melhado previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced in March 2022 to four years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in Philadelphia, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Brownsville man pleads guilty to transporting people trapped in travel trailerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 40-year-old Brownsville resident has admitted to transporting illegal aliens within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
On June 30, Gaston Perez drove a truck hitched with a recreational vehicle (RV) in to the Javier Vega Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Sarita. Shortly after, a K-9 alerted law enforcement to the RV. Further inspection revealed individuals trapped in the back of the travel trailer. They were unable to exit on their own due to the slide outs being drawn in and not having power to extend them.
Authorities used jumper cables to restart the RV battery and operate the slide outs. Five people were located in the back of the trailer including two inside a bed. Three additional individuals were discovered in the front of the RV.
Law enforcement used a backscatter machine to scan the travel trailer and found two anomalies inside a wooden entertainment console. They removed a television set and discovered two more individuals sweating profusely.
A total of 10 undocumented individuals were located in the RV. One of them told authorities she felt like she was going to faint as she was getting out of the trailer.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Feb. 15, 2023. At that time, Perez faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Perez was allowed to remain on bond pending that hearing.
BP and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher and J. Parker Gochenour are prosecuting the case.
Bronx Man Pleads Guilty to Offering Bribe to Government OfficialRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Muhammad Z. Aabdin, age 32, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty today to offering a bribe to a public official, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office.
In pleading guilty, Aabdin admitted that in September 2020, he offered a bribe to a contracting officer with the Veterans Administration (“VA”) in Syracuse. Specifically, Aabdin offered to share profits with the VA contracting officer in exchange for her awarding VA contracts to him for personal protective equipment (“PPE”). Aabdin made the initial bribe offer by email and then reiterated it in subsequent text messages and in a recorded phone conversation with an undercover agent posing as the contracting officer. In text messages dated October 15, 2020, Aabdin offered a bribe of $8,333.33 in the event he received a VA contract for N-95 masks leading to a total profit of $25,000.
The defendant will be sentenced on March 8, 2023 by United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. Aabdin faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. 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.
This case was investigated by VA Office of Inspector General, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Bristol Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NEVILLE WALTERS, 34, of Bristol, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of April 4, 2020, Bristol Police received reports of gunshots being fired in the area of Davis Drive. Analysis of security video from a nearby residence revealed that the shots were fired from a light-colored Cadillac as it approached the intersection of Davis Drive and Jerome Avenue. Seven .40 caliber shell casings were recovered from the scene. Later that morning, officers responded to a report of a disturbance at Walters’ residence on Prospect Street and observed a beige Cadillac with other features matching the description of the car that was involved in the shooting incident. Walters departed the residence before officers could question him.
In the early evening of April 4, Farmington Police were called to local gas station on a report of a burning vehicle. Responding officers stopped Walters and an associate as they walked away from the gas station. Walters was arrested on state charges after officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun and a small amount of marijuana on the ground nearby.
After Walters’ state arrest and while he was released on bond, Walters posted on his Instagram page multiple images of him in possession of firearms. On May 12, 2020, Bristol Police executed a state search warrant at Walters’ residence and seized two handguns, a high-capacity magazine, fentanyl and marijuana, items used to process and package drugs for street sale, and other items. Investigators also seized $2,827 from Walters’ person. Walters was arrested on state charges and was again released on bond. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement received a report that Walters brandished a firearm during an argument outside of his residence on approximately May 14, 2020.
Walters has been detained since his federal arrest on May 22, 2020. On May 16, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Bristol Police Department and the Farmington Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Konstantin Lantsman.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Bethany Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $850,000 from Former EmployerRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, JEANNIE VALENTIN, 68, of Bethany, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to a single-count felony Information charging her with wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Public records reflect that from 2000 until 2020, Valentin was the credit manager for the Oklahoma City branch of Dealers Electrical Supply (“DES”). DES was an electrical supplies distributor headquartered in Waco, Texas. Valentin was responsible for the management of the consolidated billing for DES’s customers, which included processing checks made payable to DES and then forwarding the checks to DES’s accounts payable department.
Yesterday, at a change of plea hearing before United States District Judge Bernard M. Jones, Valentin admitted that in 2003, she added “DESCO” as a DBA (“doing business as”) to her personal WEOKIE checking account without DES’s knowledge or authorization. Valentin further admitted that between 2003 and 2017, she diverted approximately 144 checks sent from customers for payment to DES and deposited each of these checks into her personal WEOKIE checking account without DES’s authorization. Valentin further admitted that used these funds to pay for various personal services and expenses. As a result of this scheme, Valentin defrauded DES out of approximately $854,449.06.
A sentencing hearing will take place in approximately 90 days. At sentencing, Valentin faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. She will also be ordered to pay restitution.
This case is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Oklahoma City Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Brown.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Band of Cybercriminals Responsible for Computer Intrusions Nationwide Indicted for RICO Conspiracy That Netted MillionsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the partial unsealing of an indictment charging Andi Jacques (41, Greenacres), Monika Shauntel Jenkins (33, Hollywood), Louis Noel Michel (28, Hollywood), Jeff Jordan Propht-Francisque (28, Pompano Beach), Dickenson Elan (39, Clearwater), Michael Jean Poix (31, West Palm Beach), Vladimyr Cherelus (33, Lauderdale Lakes), and Louisaint Jolteus (37, West Palm Beach) with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy.[1] Jacques, Poix, Jenkins, and Michel have also been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the RICO conspiracy count. Jacques, Poix, Jenkins, and Michel also face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy count and a consecutive 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count.
According to the indictment and information shared in court, from 2015 through 2019, the defendants and numerous other conspirators—including a now-deceased conspirator who is referenced in the indictment as RICH4EVER4430—banded together to engage in a sophisticated cybercrime and tax fraud scheme.
Jenkins, Michel, Propht-Francisque, Cherelus, and RICH4EVER4430 purchased on the dark web server credentials for the computer servers of Certified Public Accounting (CPA) and tax preparation firms across the country. They used those server credentials to remotely and covertly commit computer intrusions and exfiltrate the tax returns of thousands of taxpayers who were clients of those CPA and tax preparation firms. Those tax returns included the clients’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and financial information.
Jenkins, Michel, Propht-Francisque, Cherelus, RICH4EVER4430, and other conspirators then partnered with Jacques, Elan, Poix, Jolteus, and others to form an enterprise through which they filed thousands of false tax returns in the names of more than 9,000 identity theft victims.
Members of the enterprise created and operated at least six fraudulent tax preparation businesses in south Florida, and used those businesses to file many of these false tax returns. The conspirators directed the resulting tax refunds to debit cards and bank accounts that they controlled. Also, to make the businesses appear more legitimate, members of the enterprise opened bank accounts in the names of these fraudulent tax businesses to receive fake “tax preparer fees.” Members of the enterprise also registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) preparer tax identification numbers using the names and information of identity theft victims, to make it appear that those victims were the individuals who were filing false returns in bulk.
In other iterations of the charged RICO conspiracy, members of the enterprise “hijacked” the IRS-issued identification numbers of CPA and tax preparation firms and used those identification numbers to file scores of additional false tax returns. Members of the enterprise filed false self-prepared tax returns using stolen identities as well.
To obfuscate their cybercriminal conduct, the conspirators routinely used pseudonyms, opened business entities and bank accounts in the names of nominees and identity theft victims, and conducted their illicit business using dozens of different email addresses. Altogether, the enterprise claimed more than $36 million in false tax refunds over the course of approximately four years. The actual loss amount is still being calculated but is at least $4 million.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation in Orlando, with assistance from the FBI in Miami and IRS-CI in Minnesota. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.
[1] A ninth conspirator was charged, and the indictment will be fully unsealed when that conspirator is arrested.
Atlanta Man Pleads Guilty in Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy Involving 500+ Firearms Shipped from Georgia to California and Sold on the Black MarketRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Malek Williams, 29, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to unlawful dealing in firearms without a license, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On March 24, 2022, Williams was indicted with four other co-conspirators in a firearms trafficking scheme where firearms were acquired in Georgia and shipped to California to sell on the black market. Also charged in the conspiracy are Jerrell Lawson, 32, of Sacramento; Aisha Hoggatt, 30, of Sacramento; Terrence Phillips, 40, of Union City; and James Gordley, 33, of Modesto.
According to court documents, between November 2019 and October 2021, Williams participated in a conspiracy that brought more than 500 firearms from Georgia into California. Lawson would broker firearms transactions in Georgia over the internet, and Williams, a Georgia resident with a license to carry a concealed firearm, would pick up firearms in person and mail the firearms to various locations in California at Lawson’s direction. Some of the firearms went to individuals that are prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. Hoggatt worked with Lawson to coordinate the purchase, mailing, and distribution of the firearms. Phillips and Gordley also distributed the firearms in California.
The investigation began when a firearm used in a shooting in Sacramento was traced to the last known sale by a federally licensed dealer in Georgia. A subsequent sale of the firearm led to Lawson’s organization. Lawson and his co-conspirators used coded language to traffic firearms and moved money using a variety of financial institutions. During the investigation, interdicted packages destined for Lawson and other co-conspirators were found to contain firearms, ammunition, knives, and brass knuckles, among other things.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Sacramento Region/San Francisco Bay Area Cross-Jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force Initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Klein and Justin Lee are prosecuting the case.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Jan. 31, 2023. Williams faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison for unlawful dealing in firearms.
Charges are pending against the remaining defendants. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
The Sacramento Region/San Francisco Bay Area Cross-Jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force is one of five cross-jurisdictional strike forces launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in July 2021 to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Each strike force is led by designated United States Attorneys, who collaborate with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and with state and local law enforcement partners within their own jurisdiction as well as law enforcement partners in areas where illegally trafficked guns originate. The strike forces use the latest data, evidence, and intelligence from crime scenes to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes, and are an important part of the Department’s Comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy.
Armed Waterbury Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARTRE BOOKER, 28, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to 76 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm possession and drug distribution offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2022, the Waterbury Police Department’s Gang Task Force made two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Booker. Booker was arrested at his Winchester Street residence on February 16, 2022. A search of his residence on that date revealed a 9mm pistol with 15 cartridges and a 30-round magazine, a 9mm pistol with 14 cartridges, an empty 9mm drum magazine, 335 baggies of heroin/fentanyl, marijuana, narcotics paraphernalia, and $1,115 in cash.
Booker’s criminal history includes two state convictions for felony firearm offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Booker has been detained since his arrest. On August 10, 2022, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Arkansas Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Soliciting and Paying for the Production of A Video Depicting A 9-Year-Old Child Being MolestedRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Cody Dillon Hogan (27, Leachville, Arkansas) to 20 years in federal prison for using the internet to solicit and pay an individual to molest a 9-year-old child and to create a video recording depicting this sexual abuse. Hogan was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release, pay $71,000 in restitution to child victims, and register as a sex offender. Hogan was arrested on November 9, 2020 and has been detained awaiting sentencing. Hogan had pleaded guilty on June 15, 2021.
According to court documents, in December 2019, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, who was posing as a parent of a 9-year-old child, made contact with Hogan in an online social media application (app). During an online conversation, Hogan, using the user name “stonetelephone,” sent the undercover agent a photo of his genitalia and asked for “naughty” photos of the purported 9-year-old “child.” Hogan offered to pay the “parent” to create and send him a video of the “child” being sexually abused by the “parent.” Hogan gave instructions as to exactly how he wanted to see the “child” being molested in the requested video, and he sent the undercover agent a $50 gift card in prepayment for the video. For over a month, Hogan continued to solicit the undercover agent to produce and send him a video of the 9-year-old “child” being molested, and he provided instructions on alternate ways to send it to him using group sharing accounts and online cloud storage. During one online conversation, Hogan stated, “After I see this video there could be all kinds of money and requests coming your way lol.”
Later, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Hogan’s residence in Arkansas and arrested him. During an interview, Hogan admitted that he had engaged in online conversations with the parent of a 9-year-old child about producing and sending him a pornographic video of the child. He also stated that he had solicited three other children over the internet to produce and send him sexually explicit photos of themselves. Hogan stated that he has viewed pornographic images depicting infants. Forensic examination of Hogan’s iPhone and his custom-built computer revealed that these devices contained more than 1,000 videos and 5,000 images, some of which were arranged and categorized in user-created folders and all of which depicted the sexual abuse of young children, including sadistic conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville, Florida, and Jonesboro, Arkansas, together with the Jonesboro (Arkansas) Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
American Woman Who Led ISIS Battalion Sentenced to 20 YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A U.S. citizen was sentenced to 20 years in prison today in the Eastern District of Virginia for organizing and leading an all-female military battalion in Syria on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, Allison Fluke-Ekren, aka “Allison Ekren,” aka “Umm Mohammed al-Amriki,” and aka “Umm Mohammed,” 42, a former resident of Kansas, traveled overseas and, from in or about September 2011 through in or about May 2019, engaged in terrorist acts in multiple countries, including Syria, Libya, and Iraq. Fluke-Ekren ultimately served as the leader and organizer of an ISIS military battalion, known as the Khatiba Nusaybah, where she trained women on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts. Over 100 women and young girls, some as young as 10-years-old, received military training from Fluke-Ekren in Syria on behalf of ISIS.
During the sentencing hearing, the Court incorporated into the record two separate letters submitted by Fluke-Ekren’s adult daughter and adult son, both of whom wrote about being abused by Fluke-Ekren, beginning in Kansas and continuing overseas when they were minors. The government also played audio recordings of January 2021 phone conversations between Fluke-Ekren and her daughter, where she instructed her to delete messages shared between them to ensure Fluke-Ekren could continue to evade capture in Syria, and encouraged her daughter to leave the U.S. and return to Syria. Additionally, Fluke- Ekren’s adult daughter delivered a victim impact statement in court today describing the severe abuse that Fluke-Ekren inflicted upon her in Syria, including coercing her to marry an ISIS fighter, who then raped her, when she was only 13 years old. Fluke-Ekren’s adult son also delivered a statement in court describing attempts by Fluke-Ekren to convince him to leave the U.S. and travel to Syria to prevent him from approaching authorities with any information that could compromise her.
In or around 2008, Fluke-Ekren departed the United States and moved to Egypt with her second husband, a now-deceased former member of the terrorist organization Ansar al-Sharia. Fluke-Ekren resided in Egypt until in or around 2011, at which point she moved to Libya. Near the end of 2011, Fluke-Ekren resided with her second husband, among others, in Benghazi, Libya. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and CIA Annex in Benghazi, Fluke-Ekren’s second husband claimed that he removed at least one box of documents and at least one electronic device from the U.S. compound in Benghazi. He brought the items to the residence where he resided with Fluke-Ekren and others at that time. Fluke-Ekren assisted her second husband with reviewing and summarizing the contents of the stolen U.S. government documents. The stolen documents and electronic device, along with the summaries that Fluke-Ekren helped prepare, were provided to the leadership of Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi.
In or around late 2012, Fluke-Ekren, her second husband, and others traveled from Libya to Turkey. Shortly thereafter, they traveled from Turkey to Syria. After approximately six weeks, Fluke-Ekren returned to Turkey while her second husband remained in Syria. Fluke-Ekren’s second husband ascended through the ranks of ISIS and ultimately became the “emir” (leader) of ISIS snipers in Syria. In or around mid-2014, Fluke-Ekren and others were smuggled back into Syria. While residing in Syria, Fluke-Ekren told a witness about her desire to conduct an attack in the United States. To conduct the attack, Fluke-Ekren explained that she could go to a shopping mall in the United States, park a vehicle full of explosives in the basement or parking garage level of the structure, and detonate the explosives in the vehicle with a cell phone triggering device. Fluke-Ekren also spoke about learning how to make bombs and explosives. Fluke-Ekren further said that she considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources. Fluke-Ekren would hear about external attacks taking place in countries outside the United States and would comment that she wished the attack had occurred on United States soil instead.
In 2014, ISIS officials sent a female member of ISIS, who traveled from Central America, to Ablah, Syria, where she resided in an adjoining residence to Fluke-Ekren for approximately 18 days. This witness visited Fluke-Ekren at her residence in Syria on multiple occasions. During those visits, Fluke-Ekren discussed ideas for an attack involving the use of explosives on the campus of a U.S.-based college in the Midwest.
In or around 2015, Fluke-Ekren, her second husband, and others moved from Syria to Mosul, Iraq, where they temporarily resided inside an ISIS-controlled compound within the University of Mosul. When Fluke-Ekren arrived in Mosul, she met with ISIS personnel who were in charge of homes for widowed women whose husbands died while fighting for ISIS. Fluke-Ekren assisted the ISIS personnel by providing ideas for how the homes should function and operate.
In or around mid-2016, Fluke-Ekren led and organized an effort to establish a Women’s Center in Raqqa, Syria. Fluke-Ekren obtained authorization from the “Wali,” the ISIS-appointed mayor of Raqqa, in order to establish the Center. There, Fluke-Ekren and others provided medical services, educational services about the Islamic State, child care, and various training to women and young girls. As the Center’s leader, Fluke-Ekren also provided and assisted other female ISIS members in providing training to numerous women and young girls on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and explosive suicide belts.
In or around late 2016, the ISIS “Wali” of Raqqa approved the creation of the “Khatiba Nusaybah” – a military battalion to be comprised solely of female ISIS members. The Khatiba Nusaybah began operations on behalf of the terrorist organization in or around February 2017. Fluke-Ekren’s main objective as the leader and organizer of the Khatiba Nusaybah battalion was to teach female ISIS members how to defend themselves against ISIS’s enemies, including helping male fighters defend ISIS-controlled Raqqa. Fluke-Ekren sought to motivate her trainees by explaining how female fighters can ensure the Islamic State is kept alive by “helping ISIS expand and to remain” through the use of weapons, including automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts packed with explosives. In addition, witnesses with first-hand knowledge stated that the Khatiba Nusaybah also provided certain members with instruction on physical training including martial arts, medical training, VBIED driving courses, ISIS religious classes, and how to pack and prep a “go bag” with rifles and other military supplies.
In 2018, Fluke-Ekren informed another witness that she had instructed an individual in Syria to send a message to one of her family members stating that Fluke-Ekren was dead so that the U.S. government would not attempt to locate her. Fluke-Ekren informed this same witness that it was important to kill the “kuffar” (disbelievers) and die as martyrs on behalf of ISIS in Syria. Fluke-Ekren was located outside the United States since on or about January 8, 2011, until she was transferred in custody to the Eastern District of Virginia on January 28, 2022.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
First Assistant United States Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant United States Attorney John Gibbs from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-92.
American Woman Who Led ISIS Battalion Sentenced to 20 YearsRead the Press Release
A U.S. citizen was sentenced to 20 years in prison today in the Eastern District of Virginia for organizing and leading an all-female military battalion in Syria on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, Allison Fluke-Ekren, aka Allison Ekren, aka Umm Mohammed al-Amriki, and aka Umm Mohammed, 42, a former resident of Kansas, traveled overseas and, from in or about September 2011 through in or about May 2019, engaged in terrorist acts in multiple countries, including Syria, Libya and Iraq. Fluke-Ekren ultimately served as the leader and organizer of an ISIS military battalion, known as the Khatiba Nusaybah, where she trained women on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide belts. Over 100 women and young girls, some as young as 10 years old, received military training from Fluke-Ekren in Syria on behalf of ISIS.
During the sentencing hearing, the Court incorporated into the record two separate letters submitted by Fluke-Ekren’s adult daughter and adult son, both of whom wrote about being abused by Fluke-Ekren, beginning in Kansas and continuing overseas when they were minors. The government also played audio recordings of January 2021 phone conversations between Fluke-Ekren and her daughter, where she instructed her to delete messages shared between them to ensure Fluke-Ekren could continue to evade capture in Syria, and encouraged her daughter to leave the United States and return to Syria. Additionally, Fluke-Ekren’s adult daughter delivered a victim impact statement in court today describing the severe abuse that Fluke-Ekren inflicted upon her in Syria, including coercing her to marry an ISIS fighter, who then raped her, when she was only 13 years old. Fluke-Ekren’s adult son also delivered a statement in court describing attempts by Fluke-Ekren to convince him to leave the United States and travel to Syria to prevent him from approaching authorities with any information that could compromise her.
In or around 2008, Fluke-Ekren departed the United States and moved to Egypt with her second husband, a now-deceased former member of the terrorist organization Ansar al-Sharia. Fluke-Ekren resided in Egypt until in or around 2011, at which point she moved to Libya. Near the end of 2011, Fluke-Ekren resided with her second husband, among others, in Benghazi, Libya. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and CIA Annex in Benghazi, Fluke-Ekren’s second husband claimed that he removed at least one box of documents and at least one electronic device from the U.S. compound in Benghazi. He brought the items to the residence where he resided with Fluke-Ekren and others at that time. Fluke-Ekren assisted her second husband with reviewing and summarizing the contents of the stolen U.S. government documents. The stolen documents and electronic device, along with the summaries that Fluke-Ekren helped prepare, were provided to the leadership of Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi.
In or around late 2012, Fluke-Ekren, her second husband and others traveled from Libya to Turkey. Shortly thereafter, they traveled from Turkey to Syria. After approximately six weeks, Fluke-Ekren returned to Turkey while her second husband remained in Syria. Fluke-Ekren’s second husband ascended through the ranks of ISIS and ultimately became the “emir” (leader) of ISIS snipers in Syria. In or around mid-2014, Fluke-Ekren and others were smuggled back into Syria. While residing in Syria, Fluke-Ekren told a witness about her desire to conduct an attack in the United States. To conduct the attack, Fluke-Ekren explained that she could go to a shopping mall in the United States, park a vehicle full of explosives in the basement or parking garage level of the structure,and detonate the explosives in the vehicle with a cell phone triggering device. Fluke-Ekren also spoke about learning how to make bombs and explosives. Fluke-Ekren further said that she considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources. Fluke-Ekren would hear about external attacks taking place in countries outside the United States and would comment that she wished the attack had occurred on United States soil instead.
In 2014, ISIS officials sent a female member of ISIS, who traveled from Central America, to Ablah, Syria, where she resided in an adjoining residence to Fluke-Ekren for approximately 18 days. This witness visited Fluke-Ekren at her residence in Syria on multiple occasions. During those visits, Fluke-Ekren discussed ideas for an attack involving the use of explosives on the campus of a U.S.-based college in the Midwest.
In or around 2015, Fluke-Ekren, her second husband and others moved from Syria to Mosul, Iraq, where they temporarily resided inside an ISIS-controlled compound within the University of Mosul. When Fluke-Ekren arrived in Mosul, she met with ISIS personnel who were in charge of homes for widowed women whose husbands died while fighting for ISIS. Fluke-Ekren assisted the ISIS personnel by providing ideas for how the homes should function and operate.
In or around mid-2016, Fluke-Ekren led and organized an effort to establish a Women’s Center in Raqqa, Syria. Fluke-Ekren obtained authorization from the “Wali,” the ISIS-appointed mayor of Raqqa, in order to establish the Center. There, Fluke-Ekren and others provided medical services, educational services about the Islamic State, childcare and various training to women and young girls. As the Center’s leader, Fluke-Ekren also provided and assisted other female ISIS members in providing training to numerous women and young girls on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and explosive suicide belts.
In or around late 2016, the ISIS “Wali” of Raqqa approved the creation of the “Khatiba Nusaybah” – a military battalion to be comprised solely of female ISIS members. The Khatiba Nusaybah began operations on behalf of the terrorist organization in or around February 2017. Fluke-Ekren’s main objective as the leader and organizer of the Khatiba Nusaybah battalion was to teach female ISIS members how to defend themselves against ISIS’s enemies, including helping male fighters defend ISIS-controlled Raqqa. Fluke-Ekren sought to motivate her trainees by explaining how female fighters can ensure the Islamic State is kept alive by “helping ISIS expand and to remain” through the use of weapons, including automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide belts packed with explosives. In addition, witnesses with first-hand knowledge stated that the Khatiba Nusaybah also provided certain members with instruction on physical training including martial arts, medical training, VBIED driving courses, ISIS religious classes and how to pack and prep a “go bag” with rifles and other military supplies.
In 2018, Fluke-Ekren informed another witness that she had instructed an individual in Syria to send a message to one of her family members stating that Fluke-Ekren was dead so that the U.S. government would not attempt to locate her. Fluke-Ekren informed this same witness that it was important to kill the “kuffar” (disbelievers) and die as martyrs on behalf of ISIS in Syria. Fluke-Ekren was located outside the United States since on or about Jan. 8, 2011, until she was transferred in custody to the Eastern District of Virginia on Jan. 28, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gibbs for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Albuquerque man charged with federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Maurice Lacey made an initial appearance on Oct. 31 in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Lacey, 64, of Albuquerque, will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Nov. 2.
As alleged in the complaint, on Oct. 21, Lacey shot a family member at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Cutler Avenue NE in Albuquerque. Lacey allegedly walked into the breakroom, pulled a 9mm pistol from his waistband and shot the victim in the back of the head. Lacey then allegedly walked to the customer service area and placed the firearm on the counter.
Albuquerque Police officers responding to the scene took Lacey into custody without further incident. The victim was transported to a hospital for emergency treatment.
On Oct. 17, the victim had been granted a temporary restraining order against Lacey, who was served with a copy of the order on Oct. 18.
Previously, Lacey had been convicted of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and was twice convicted of trafficking controlled substances with intent to distribute. As a previously convicted felon, Lacey cannot possess a firearm or ammunition.
“Gun violence will not be tolerated in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “Federal agents and prosecutors are working hand-in-hand and case-by-case with state prosecutors and local law enforcement to bring justice to those who resort to violence. Together, we will hold shooters and murderers responsible and restore safety to our streets.”
“ATF is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to remove violent criminals from the general public and help make our communities a safer place to live and work,” said Brenden Iber, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of this charge, Lacey faces up to 15 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Trembley is prosecuting the case.
Anyone experiencing domestic violence or who knows someone experiencing domestic violence can reach an advocate at the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). In New Mexico, the Domestic Violence Resource Center is available by telephone at (505) 843-9123 or online at https://dvrcnm.org/.
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31 October 2022
Walden, VT Man Charged with Fentanyl Offense After High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Antonio Vergara, 29, of Walden, VT, was charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Vergara was arrested on October 26, 2022, and made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on October 28, 2022. Vergara was ordered detained pending trial.
According to court records, police in Massachusetts attempted to stop Vergara as he was driving on Interstate 91. Vergara fled at speeds of over 120 miles per hour and was ultimately apprehended approximately 130 miles away, in Newbury, VT. Police discovered 5,500 bags of fentanyl in the car Vergara was driving, and later discovered an additional 5,000 bags of fentanyl in the median near the location where Vergara was stopped. In total, the fentanyl seized by law enforcement weighed more than 200 grams.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police.
Major Dan Trudeau of the Vermont State Police stated, “This case is a great example of how State, Federal, and Local law enforcement is working together to combat the influx of dangerous drugs, and associated violence, from coming into Vermont. We will continue to deploy our resources to intercept and mitigate drug trafficking organizations from continuing to prey on Vermonters.”
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation and Vergara is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charged offense, Vergara faces up to 40 years of imprisonment, with a five-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and a mandatory three years of supervised release.
The Assistant United States Attorney handling the prosecution is Nate Burris. Vergara is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender and Evan Barquist, Esq.
U.S. Attorney's Office to Host Protecting Houses of Worship Training SeminarRead the Press Release
FORT COLLINS - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces it will co-host a Protecting Houses of Worship (PHOW) event in Fort Collins on November 17, 2022. This interfaith event will focus on providing faith-based institutions with information from law enforcement and faith-related security experts about the threats of violence facing houses of worship and responsive measures to counter potential risks.
The location for the event on November 17, 2022 is the Congregation Har Shalom at 725 West Drake Road in Fort Collins. If interested in attending, please RSVP to Jillian Dardani at Jillian.Dardani@usdoj.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office plans to co-host roughly four PHOW trainings a year across Colorado. The PHOW programs are interfaith events hosted at a community center, church, mosque, synagogue or other faith-based facility for participation by all interested faith-based organizations in the city or region.
The event in Fort Collins is sponsored by The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, Community Relations Service, Rocky Mountain Region, and the Fort Collins Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown Announces Election Day Program to Prevent Voter Fraud and Protect Voting RightsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/MONROE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Cytheria Jernigan and Karen King will lead the efforts of this office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSAs Jernigan and King have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the Western District of Louisiana, and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs/DEOs Jernigan and King will be on duty in this district while the polls are open. AUSA Jernigan can be reached by the public at our Shreveport office at 318-676-3600 and AUSA King can be reached at our Lafayette office at 337-262-6618.”
For those who may have complaints regarding violations in the Shreveport, Monroe, and Alexandria areas, please contact AUSA Cytheria Jernigan at 318-676-3600. Those who may have complaints involving violations in the Lafayette or Lake Charles areas, please contact AUSA Karen King at 337-262-6618. You can also email us with any complaints at: usalaw.election-fraud@usdoj.gov.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public in Shreveport at 318-861-1890, Monroe at 318-387-0773, Alexandria at 318-443-5097, Lafayette at 337-233-2164 and Lake Charles at 318-433-6353.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov.
United States Attorney Brown stated: “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
For more information about federal elections, please go to our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/election-fraud and click on the Federal Election Fact Sheet.
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Two Defendants Arrested for Role in Aggravated AssaultRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that two South Dakotan men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Cody Nicolas Gill, age 32, and Jesse Burton Robert Hopkins, Sr., a/k/a JJ, age 35, were indicted in October of 2022. Each appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on October 25, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for each count is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution and forfeiture may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, in late July of 2022, in Day County, South Dakota, Gill and Hopkins committed an aggravated assault against the victim. The victim sustained serious bodily injuries as a result of the assault.
The charges are merely accusations, and Gill and Hopkins are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Both defendants were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date of December 27, 2022, has been set.
Three Individuals Charged in MurderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that three Pine Ridge, South Dakota, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Second Degree Murder – Aiding and Abetting.
Lance Wahokiza Red Cloud, age 27, Vine Phillipe Hayes, age 47, and Michael Red Cloud, age 30, were indicted in September of 2022. All three men appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Lance Red Cloud, Vine Hayes, and Michael Red Cloud beating a man to death in November of 2021, at Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
The charge is merely an accusation, and all three men are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Lance Red Cloud, Vine Hayes, and Michael Red Cloud were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Three Arrested for Drug Trafficking Following Rutland SearchRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that Maurice Pompey, 34, of Columbia, South Carolina, Christopher Moton, 29, of Columbia, South Carolina, and Danielle Richardson, 30, of Rutland, Vermont, were arrested on October 27, 2022 following the execution of a federal search warrant at 116 State Street, Apartment #4, in Rutland Vermont. All three defendants were charged with violating the Controlled Substances Act. Defendant Richardson appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on October 28, 2022, and was released on conditions pending trial. Defendants Pompey and Moton appeared this afternoon before Judge Doyle for their initial appearances. Moton was detained pending trial, and the Court will hold a hearing to address the government’s motion for the detention of Pompey on November 3.
According to court records, law enforcement conducted multiple covert purchases of controlled substances from Pompey and Richardson between August and October of 2022. Both defendants were linked to 116 State Street, Apartment #4, in Rutland, Vermont. On October 24, 2022, a federal search warrant was obtained authorizing the search of the apartment. The search resulted in the seizure of two handguns and suspected cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl. Richardson was arrested during a traffic stop and found in possession of suspected cocaine base at the time of her arrest.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that all three defendants are presumed innocent until and unless convicted of a crime.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the coordinated investigatory efforts of the Rutland Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force, the Vermont State Police, and the Manchester Police Department.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Stendig and Jonathan Ophardt. Pompey is represented by Richard Bothfeld, Esq. Moton is represented by Kevin Henry, Esq. Richardson is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Stockton Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jeffrey James Bray, 37, of Stockton, was sentenced today to nine years and two months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Bray sold eight firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition to an undercover agent or confidential source in 2019. During the investigation, Bray was arrested on unrelated state charges. While in custody on those state charges, Bray used jail phone calls and directed others to continue his illicit firearms business. Bray cannot lawfully buy or possess firearms or ammunition himself because he has sustained numerous felony convictions, including evading a police officer, vehicle theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and twice for second degree burglary.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Yuba City Police Department, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Promoting ProstitutionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis pleaded guilty on Monday to a prostitution charge and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Terico C. Dudley, 39, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig to a felony count of using interstate facilities to promote prostitution. As part of his plea agreement, he admitted that in December of 2017, St. Louis County Police Department detectives who were monitoring a social media website using a previously created undercover profile received a message from Dudley, using the name “King C.”
Dudley invited the detectives to join his new business, “Kingpin Money Girl Group,” which he called a business for “Bad Girlz.” Dudley said he was looking for women willing to have sex for money, dance in clubs or make webcam videos. Dudley said he would provide a house for the women.
An undercover detective with the Chandler Police Department in Arizona called Dudley, who said he wanted her to join his “kingpin girl gang.” He discussed how the money would be shared as well as work conditions and the safety of his home. He then bought the detective a bus ticket.
The charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison. Recommended sentencing guidelines called for 30 to 37 months in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the Florissant Police Department, the Chandler Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Collins prosecuted the case.
St. Augustine Doctor Indicted for Distributing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Scott Andrew Hollington, M.D. (57, St. Augustine) with 10 counts of distribution of controlled substances and 1 count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, Hollington faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each distribution count and up to 5 years’ imprisonment for the conspiracy count. The indictment also notifies Hollington that the United States intends to forfeit his medical license, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense. Hollington was arrested on October 28, 2022. He was released on bond pending trial.
According to the indictment, Hollington knowingly distributed and dispensed Schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances—that is, amphetamine, buprenorphine, benzodiazepine, and alprazolam. The indictment noted that Hollington issued prescriptions for controlled substances not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.
Spokane Man Sentenced to More than a Decade in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane – On October 27, 2022, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Paul Aaron Murray, 49, of Spokane, Washington, to 126 months in federal prison for Possession of Child Pornography. Murray pleaded guilty on March 28, 2022, the morning that trial in the case was scheduled to begin. Judge Rice also ordered Murray to serve an additional five years on federal supervision after he is released from prison, and Murray will be required to pay $24,000 in restitution to victims and $5,000 to a fund set up for victims who may request restitution in the future. The devices Murray used to commit his crime were ordered forfeited by Judge Rice. In announcing the sentence, Judge Rice referred to the material Murray collected as depicting the extreme abuse of infants and toddlers and the victimization of the most vulnerable members of our society.
According to court documents and proceedings, dating back to 2013, Murray had in interest in, downloaded, and viewed child pornography depicting very young children. In 2017, federal agents downloaded child pornography files from a computer traced to Defendant’s Spokane residence. Agents then obtained and executed a search warrant at Murray’s residence, seizing a number of Murray’s computers, phones, and storage media. Investigators discovered over two million internet searches for child pornography using commonly used terms for such searches. This was in addition to hundreds of child pornography images, videos, and anti-forensic software used to delete files on Murray’s devices.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, Vanessa R. Waldref, commended the dedication of the investigators and prosecutors who continued to investigate Defendant’s online criminal activity, even while the case was litigated for over four years and credited the substantial sentence to their diligence and pursuit of justice. “Mr. Murray serves as a reminder to us all that child predators may hide in the places we least expect,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “By outward appearances, Mr. Murray was a law-abiding citizen and family man. The sentence imposed reflects that underneath this veneer was a deviant interest in and years-long victimization of the most vulnerable among us.”
Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick, who led the United States’ prosecution in this case, stated, “I am fortunate to work with such incredible law enforcement agents, who work tirelessly to protect children in our communities. While the work is never easy, these agents’ skill, professionalism, and dedication helps ensure that those who victimize the most vulnerable in our community are held accountable and that the victims’ voices are heard.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
- Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, with the support of the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes detectives from the Kennewick and Richland Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Ann T. Wick and Alison L. Gregoire, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
Sexual Predator Sentenced After Using SnapChat, Grindr to Solicit TeensRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A North Carolina man, who used the social media platforms Snapchat and Grindr to exploit teenage boys from Southwest Virginia, was sentenced last week to 151 months in federal prison on federal enticement charges.
Jonathan Avery Shumate, 54, of Warrensville, N.C., pleaded guilty in March 2022 to one count of coercion and enticement of minors.
According to court documents, Shumate used both Snapchat and Grindr to contact teenage males attending Oak Hill Academy in Grayson County, Virginia, and offered to provide vapes and vaping materials in exchange for the sixteen- and seventeen-year-old boys sending him sexually explicit photographs and nude videos of themselves. In addition to communicating online, Shumate traveled to Oak Hill Academy to deliver the vaping supplies, and also offered to provide oral sex for the juveniles while requesting that they perform oral sex on him.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Second St. Petersburg Child Sex Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Leslie Reio (25, St. Petersburg) to 8 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for engaging in the sex trafficking of minor children. Reio was also ordered to register as a sex offender and to pay restitution to the victims. Reio had pleaded guilty on November 16, 2021.
According to court documents, between March 6 and March 14, 2021, Reio and her co-defendant, Julius Arline, obtained, enticed, and housed two child victims in a St. Petersburg hotel room, forcing them to commit commercial sex acts. The child victims—14 and 15 years old—were rescued after being forced to take sexually explicit photographs of themselves that were used as online advertisements for commercial sex with strangers. The two children were kept in the hotel room where they were provided illegal drugs and forced to participate in a number of sex dates over the eight-day period. After being forced to engage in the sex acts and receiving payment, the child victims were required to give money to Arline and Reio.
Arline, the leader of the organization, was sentenced on June 8, 2022, to 40 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
“Predators who hold children captive in hotels and force them to commit commercial sex acts are some of the most vile traffickers,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “HSI, alongside the St. Petersburg Police Department, are committed to rescuing child victims from these truly disturbed individuals. We will not rest until predators like her are put behind bars and held responsible for their heinous crimes.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force, with substantial assistance from St. Petersburg Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.
This case was brought as part of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force of the Middle District of Florida, which is one of 13 task forces in the country to receive grant funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Task Force is a collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement agents working together with organizations to detect, investigate, and prosecute human trafficking in the Tampa Bay area. This includes trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. More information about the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/humantrafficking. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Richmond Man Charged with Assault and Attempted Kidnapping Following Breaking and Entering of Pelosi ResidenceRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A Richmond man was charged today with assault and attempted kidnapping in violation of federal law in connection with the break-in at the residence of Nancy and Paul Pelosi in San Francisco on Friday.
According to the complaint, David DePape, 42, was arrested on Friday inside the Pelosi residence by San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) police officers responding to a 911 call from Paul Pelosi, husband of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Paul Pelosi later described to police that he had been asleep when DePape, whom he had never seen before, entered his bedroom looking for Nancy Pelosi.
According to the complaint, minutes after the 911 call, two police officers responded to the Pelosi residence where they encountered Paul Pelosi and DePape struggling over a hammer. Officers told the men to drop the hammer, and DePape allegedly gained control of the hammer and swung it, striking Pelosi in the head. Officers immediately restrained DePape, while Pelosi appeared to be unconscious on the ground. As set forth in the complaint, once DePape was restrained, officers secured a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties from the crime scene, where officers also observed a broken glass door to the back porch.
The complaint charges DePape with one count of assault of an immediate family member of a United States official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. DePape is also charged with one count of attempted kidnapping of a United States official on account of the performance of official duties, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp of FBI San Francisco, and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police made the announcement.
The charges contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case. FBI San Francisco, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the San Francisco Police Department are investigating the case.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Latest Online ConductRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A registered sex offender from Kansas City, Kansas, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Nashville on Friday to 15 years in prison for attempting to transfer obscene materials to a minor and engaging in this activity as a registered sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Shawn Glazier, 51, was indicted in July and pleaded guilty in August, after engaging in online communications with an undercover FBI agent who he believed to be 13 years old and living in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Earlier this year, Glazier used an online dating application to initiate a conversation with the undercover agent. Believing that the undercover was a 13-year-old female, Glazier turned the conversation to a sexual nature and began requesting nude and explicit photographs. At one point, Glazier sent the undercover agent a photograph of his penis.
On June 22, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Glazier’s home and arrested him. The subsequent investigation determined that Glazier had been convicted in Missouri in 2006 of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and interstate travel to attempt to engage in a sexual act with a minor, which required him to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Morrison.
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