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29 June 2022
Columbus man sentenced to prison for threatening local reproductive health services facility and an individual patientRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court this morning to one year and one day in prison for threatening to bring a bomb to a local reproductive health services facility.
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Brime, 26, also threatened to kill a patient whom he believed was seeking reproductive health services, specifically an abortion, at the clinic.
On April 11, 2021, Brime made two separate telephone calls to the local reproductive health care clinic. In the first, he made a death threat relating to the prospective patient and in the second, he made a bomb threat directly to the clinic, telling the clinic staff “my organization will be bringing a bomb to your facility. I suggest you close your doors.”
Specifically, Brime violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act – which makes it a federal crime to threaten the use of force to intimidate anyone receiving or providing reproductive health services. He also transmitted a threat in interstate commerce.
“Reproductive health providers and people seeking access to these services must be able to do so free from violence and threats of violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “This sentencing should send a strong message that the Justice Department will continue to aggressively enforce the FACE Act and hold those accountable who violate the law. We stand ready to ensure that healthcare providers and people seeking reproductive health services are safe, secure and free from violence and threats of violence.”
“Threatening the life of anyone who seeks any type of health service is a heinous act that should not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker. “People must handle their disagreements to positions that are contrary to theirs in a more civil way than using the threat of force or any kind of intimidation.”
Brime was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in September 2021. He pleaded guilty in February 2022.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and S. Courter Shimeall and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel are representing the United States in this case.
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Cocaine Distributor in Fidelis Way Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A drug distributor within a Boston-area drug trafficking organization (DTO) pleaded guilty yesterday to a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine and cocaine base.
Nelsin Hernandez, 31, of Brighton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 22, 2022.
Hernandez was charged with 23 others in June 2020 as part of Operation Snowfall, which ultimately resulted in the charging of two different drug trafficking conspiracies during the overall period of November 2018 through June 2020.
According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement investigated a DTO in which Hernandez was a drug distributor. The DTO was comprised of Boston-based street gang members and associates in the Commonwealth Development in Brighton, formerly known as Fidelis Way, a multi-apartment public housing development. It is alleged that the DTO assumed control over multiple apartments, where Hernandez and others stored, cooked, packaged, and sold drugs – most of which consisted of cocaine or cocaine base, which the DTO supplied to customers, wholesalers and distributors. As a result, the DTO caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents. As the investigation continued, law enforcement ultimately identified another DTO operating within the Boston area and targeted its large-scale drug suppliers and their associates.
Hernandez distributed between approximately 100 and 200 grams of cocaine base during the course of his participation in the Fidelis Way DTO. Hernandez is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in the conspiracy. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Timothy E. Moran of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Coalport Felon Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Coalport, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Kenneth Selvage, age 61.
According to information presented to the court, on or about January 24, 2020, to on or about January 25, 2020, Selvage was found in possession of a Mossberg .20-gauge shotgun and ten shells of ammunition. On June 16, 1999, Selvage was convicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, of Escape, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits persons who have been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Selvage.
Charlotte Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy for Falsely Obtaining Coronavirus Relief FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Yesenia Rodriguez, 25, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer today and pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining over $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s plea hearing, Rodriguez engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) by, among other things, obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) based on false information. As Rodriguez admitted in court today, from April 2020 through May 2021, the defendant conspired with another individual, identified in court documents as G.R., to obtain COVID-19 relief funds, including two loans under the EIDL program and federally subsidized unemployment benefits totaling over $100,000.
Plea documents show that in July 2020, Rodriguez electronically submitted a fraudulent EIDL application for a purported hair and nail salon named Yesenia Rodriguez. Rodriguez, who had recently left her job at a national bank, submitted the application for the purported salon, when in fact Rodriguez did not own a salon and, instead, was collecting unemployment. As a result of the fraudulent EIDL application, Rodriguez received $37,500 in relief funding via electronic financial transactions. Rodriguez’s co-conspirator, G.R., also fraudulently obtained EIDL funding totaling $47,500 for a business identified as Company 1. Although Company 1 was a real operating business, G.R. electronically submitted a fraudulent application that contained false representations about its eligibility for EIDL funding, including the date Company 1 was founded. At the time the EIDL application was submitted for Company 1, G.R. was also fraudulently collecting federally subsidized unemployment benefits from the State of North Carolina. Rodriguez and G.R. fraudulently obtained at least $112,000 in disaster relief funds that were intended for existing businesses and individuals harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rodriguez was released on bond following today’s guilty plea. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of 5 years and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 29, 2020, and it is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others, including the EIDL program, which is an SBA program that provides low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI for their investigation and thanked the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Special Operations and Intelligence Unit for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina remain vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you think you are a victim of coronavirus fraud or have information pertaining to fraud involving COVID-19, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a complaint online using the NCDF Web Complaint Form. Members of the public in the Western District of North Carolina are also encouraged to call 704-344-6222 to reach their local Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Participation in Violent Marijuana RobberyRead the Press Release
A man who participated in an armed robbery during a drug robbery in which a marijuana dealer was shot was sentenced June 28, 2022, to five years in federal prison.
Cortez Riggins, age 20, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 4, 2022 guilty plea to one count of robbery affecting interstate commerce.
Evidence at a prior hearing and information at sentencing showed that in October 2020, Riggins arranged to buy marijuana from another individual, the eventual victim. Riggins then drove three coconspirators to the purported deal. One of Riggins’s coconspirators entered the victim’s apartment to conduct the drug deal, but instead produced a firearm and demanded the drugs. A shot was fired and Riggins and the other coconspirators kicked in the apartment door and entered. The victim was shot at least five times in the upper torso by Riggins’s coconspirators. While the victim was laying on the floor, bleeding and unconscious, Riggins stole a PlayStation video game system, kicked the victim in the head, and took a designer belt off the victim’s body. Despite sustaining severe injuries from the attack, the victim survived.
Riggins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. At the sentencing, the judge commented that it was “remarkable” that the victim survived the attack. The judge also noted that Riggins’s actions in kicking the unconscious, bleeding, and likely dying victim were “callous, heartless, thoughtless, [and] cruel.” Riggins was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Riggins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Williams.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-00058‑CJW.
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California Man Sentenced on Meth ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Bakersfield, California, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on June 27, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Lee Molica, age 61, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Molica was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 10, 2021. He pled guilty on March 11, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from a traffic stop on May 20, 2021, in Buffalo County, South Dakota. During the stop, law enforcement located two plastic baggies containing approximately 90 grams of methamphetamine, which Molica intended to distribute on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the FBI, and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Molica was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
California Man Sentenced to 45 Months’ Imprisonment for His Role as A Courier for A Nationwide Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Esgardo Carrillo, age 29, of Stanton, California, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 45 months’ imprisonment and a 2-year term of supervised release, for his participation in a drug trafficking organization that moved large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine from California to various major Midwest and East Coast cities.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from at least mid-2018 until April of 2019, Carrillo coordinated a group of couriers, who packaged substantial quantities of illegal drugs in suitcases and transported them via commercial flights from West Coast locations to cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Milwaukee. Carrillo either himself took or coordinated at least 21 such trips during the conspiracy period. Upon arriving at their locations, Carrillo and the other couriers would pass on the illegal drugs to co-conspirators for local distribution.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Branson Sex Offender Sentenced to 12 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A three-time convicted sex offender in Branson has been sentenced in federal court today for possessing child pornography.
Andrew David Ferrill, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Tuesday, June 28, to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Ferrill to spend 20 years on supervised release following incarceration.
Today’s sentence includes an enhancement for obstruction of justice. According to court documents, Ferrill intentionally attempted to destroy his Apple iPad when he overheard law enforcement officers speaking to his mother when they arrived to execute a search warrant at his parents’ residence, where he lived. He also uninstalled the Kik application from his iPad.
On Oct. 21, 2021, Ferrill pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. Ferrill admitted that he uploaded an image of child pornography to the Kik application.
On Aug. 10, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ferill’s residence. He admitted to investigators that he used an iPad to access the internet and Kik to view child pornography.
Ferrill was convicted in a general court martial on Feb. 18, 2010, while he was enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecent acts with a 14-year-old victim, as well as production, receipt, and possession of child pornography under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Ferrill also was convicted of sexual abuse for assaulting a co-worker in Taney County, Mo., on Nov. 30, 2018. He was on probation for that state offense at the time of this federal offense.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Central Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Boise Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Aiding and Abetting the Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Caleb McCall-Teigen, 22, of Boise, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the production of child pornography.
According to court records, the investigation began after a 5-year-old child disclosed that she had been sexually abused by her nanny. Law enforcement learned that the nanny provided care for four additional children as well as the 5-year-old. The investigation revealed that McCall-Teigen communicated through Snapchat with the nanny and requested that she produce sexually explicit images and videos of the children in her care.
Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) obtained a federal search warrant for McCall-Teigen’s Snapchat account. Within the account, HSI located messages between McCall-Teigen and the nanny, as well as explicit videos of the minor victims. HSI subsequently obtained a federal search warrant for McCall-Teigen’s Boise residence and seized the cellphone he had used for the communication.
U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson ordered McCall-Teigen to serve 20 years of supervised release following his prison sentence and to forfeit the cellphone that was used to commit the offense. As a result of the conviction, McCall-Teigen will be required to register as a sex offender.
“This case reflects the sad reality that there are perpetrators in our communities who use technology and social media to exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, of the District of Idaho. “The collaboration between local, state, and federal partners in this case shows our joint commitment to protecting children and holding predators accountable to the full extent of the law. We encourage everyone to report suspected child abuse. The child’s report in this case led directly to this investigation and allowed multiple victims to escape further abuse and to receive help.”
“Mr. McCall-Teigen’s acts of coercion and victimization serve as a stark reminder of the lengths that child predators go to satisfy their depravity,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Though this sentence will never truly repair the damage caused by Mr. McCall-Teigen, it is hopefully some comfort to not just the victims and their families, but the entire community.”
The nanny was also charged by Information with five counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 and six counts of production of child sexually exploitative material. An arrest warrant is outstanding. An Information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Meridian Police Department, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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.
To report suspected child abuse in Idaho, call your local Police or Sheriff’s Department or call the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare: (208) 334-5437 or toll free, (855) 552-KIDS (5437).
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Bangor Man Sentenced to 9+ Years for Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in federal court for drug trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nikolas Raines 30, to 111 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Raines pleaded guilty on June 30, 2021.
According to court records, in November 2020, agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant at a Bangor motel room where Raines was staying. Agents found 310 grams of fentanyl, along with a digital scale, blender and other drug paraphernalia. They also found a loaded .22 caliber revolver close to the fentanyl. Raines was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior Maine felony convictions.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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Atlanta Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JONATHAN JOHNSON, age 32, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to one-hundred fifty (150) months’ imprisonment, eight (8) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee after pleading guilty to a one-count indictment that charged him with possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, On March 31, 2021, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies patrolling Highway 1 in Thibodaux, Louisiana observed a white Mercedes four-door sedan traveling south with tinted windows that appeared to violate state law. The deputies executed a traffic stop of the vehicle and identified the driver as JOHNSON. The deputies checked JOHNSON’s license and learned that his license was suspended. The deputies requested assistance at the scene. As the deputies approached JOHNSON, they observed JOHNSON open the driver’s door of the vehicle and discard three hundred (300) grams of pure crystal methamphetamine onto the ground from a clear plastic bag.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.
Annapolis, Maryland Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Keith L. Brown, a/k/a “Clown”, age 63, of Annapolis, Maryland, pleaded guilty on June 27, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washinton Division; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.
According to his guilty plea, in April 2021 Brown participated in several controlled purchases at two residences on Monroe Street in Annapolis, Maryland. Law enforcement observed Brown frequently visiting the two residences. During the transactions at one of the residences, presumed narcotic customers routinely stood in a line on the sidewalk outside of the residence prior to Brown’s arrival. Further, on January 6, 2022, an individual who was seen walking in the vicinity of the location in which Brown’s transactions frequently occurred, overdosed directly in front of a covert law enforcement vehicle. According to the first responders, the non-fatal overdose was attributed to the PCP.
As stated in his guilty plea, on January 13, 2022, law enforcement executed a search and seizure warrant on Brown’s Annapolis, Maryland residence and on Brown’s vehicle. As the result of the search warrant, officers located several controlled substances. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that Brown possessed 470 grams of PCP, 55.5 grams of crack cocaine, 6.2 grams of heroin, and 71 grams of cocaine. On the same day, law enforcement executed search and seizure warrants at several other residences connected to Brown and his associates where officers seized $32,695 in cash as well as a handgun.
Brown and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Brown will be sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for August 8, 2022, at 3:30 p.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended FBI, DEA, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joan C. Mathias and LaRai Everett, who are prosecuting the case. Mr. Barron also thanked Kristy Penny and Alisha Swiger for their assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Albuquerque man sentenced to five years in prison for federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Genaro Ramos, 36, of Albuquerque, was sentenced to five years in prison for possession of a machinegun. Ramos pleaded guilty on March 30.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, in July 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received information from a business owner who had been approached by Ramos about purchasing 200 Glock firearms that would be taken to Mexico. An ATF undercover agent then made contact with Ramos, who informed the agent that he was purchasing AK-type firearms and 9mm firearms.
In August 2021, the agent sent Ramos photos of two Glock firearms and two AK-type firearms, one of which was fully automatic. In his plea agreement, Ramos admitted that he intended to traffic the firearms to Mexico and knew that one of the firearms was a machinegun. They agreed on a price of $2,600 and arranged to meet. On Aug. 24, 2021, Ramos met with undercover agents. Ramos inspected the firearms, paid the agents $2,600, and took possession of the firearms, including the machinegun. ATF agents arrested Ramos after he had taken possession of the firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal prosecuted the case.
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53 Fatalities from Tractor Trailer Smuggling Incident – Charges Filed Against FourRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Homero Zamorano Jr., 45, was arrested today on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in alien smuggling resulting in death, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324.
According to court documents, on June 27, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) responded to the scene of a human smuggling event involving a tractor trailer and 64 individuals suspected of entering the United States illegally. San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) officers advised HSI Agents that they arrived at the location of the tractor trailer in southwest San Antonio after receiving 911 calls from concerned citizens. At the scene, SAPD officers discovered multiple individuals some still inside the tractor trailer, some on the ground and in nearby brush, many of them deceased and some of them incapacitated. SAPD officers were led to the location of an individual, later identified as Zamorano, who was observed hiding in the brush after attempting to abscond. Zamorano was detained by SAPD officers.
Laredo Sector Border Patrol provided HSI agents surveillance footage of the tractor trailer crossing through an immigration checkpoint. The driver could be seen wearing a black shirt with stripes and a hat. HSI agents confirmed Zamorano matched the individual from the surveillance footage and was wearing the same clothing.
HSI confirmed that 48 individuals at the scene were deceased. Of those 22 were Mexican nationals, seven Guatemalan nationals, two Honduran nationals and 17 of unknown origin but suspected to be undocumented non-citizens (UNCs). HSI confirmed the undocumented status of the deceased individuals by utilizing a mobile fingerprint device. Sixteen of the 64 undocumented individuals were transported to local hospitals for medical evaluation. Five died at the hospital. Officials are working with foreign consulate offices for proper notifications to family members of the deceased.
Zamorano is charged by criminal complaint with one count of alien smuggling resulting in death. He is originally from Brownsville but resides in Pasadena, TX. If convicted, Zamorano faces up to life in prison or possibly the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Also charged by criminal complaint is Christian Martinez, 28, who was arrested on June 28, 2022 in Palestine. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death. According to court documents, a search warrant was executed on a cell phone belonging to Zamorano. Through investigation, it was discovered that communications occurred between Zamorano and Martinez concerning the smuggling event. If convicted, Martinez faces up to life in prison or could face the death penalty. Martinez had an initial appearance today in Tyler. He will be transported to San Antonio for further proceedings.
In addition to arrests of Zamorano and Martinez, Juan Claudio D’Luna-Mendez, 23, and Juan Francisco D’Luna-Bilbao, 48, both citizens of Mexico, were arrested and had initial appearances on June 27, 2022. According to court documents, the registration for the tractor trailer used in the attempted alien smuggling event came back to a residence in San Antonio. SAPD officers set up surveillance on the residence and observed two males leaving in separate trucks. After traffic stops on both trucks, the drivers were identified as D’Luna-Mendez and D’Luna-Bilbao. D’Luna-Bilboa was in possession of a handgun that was found in the center console of the truck he was driving. A search warrant was executed at the residence where additional firearms were located. Both individuals were determined to be in the U.S. illegally and were charged by criminal complaint with one count of possession of a weapon by an alien illegally in the U.S. in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5). If convicted, both defendants face up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee, San Antonio Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred J. Milanowski, Houston Division, made the announcement.
The HSI and ATF, with valuable assistance from the San Antonio Police Department and the Palestine Police Department, are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Brown, Matthew Lathrop and Sarah Spears are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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22 Indicted After Phoenix-Area TakedownRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced today that the following individuals are in custody following the return of a 70-count indictment by a federal grand jury against 22 Arizonans, including:
- Marcus Wayne Wesley, 35, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Jesus Salazar, 24, of Avondale, Arizona
- Philip Nathaneal Austin, 42, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Alfred Wayne Wesley, 61, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Lequisha Shantai Jack, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Rayvontae Virshon Hampton, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Edward Jewel Norwood, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Michael Dewanz Gibson, 26, of Florence, Arizona
- Joshua Jordaun Jackson, 31, of Buckeye, Arizona
- David Andrew Connelly, 59, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Terry Lee King II, 40, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Lancer Edward Williams Jr., 36, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Tyrell Ann Gray, 53, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Donald Eugene Reed, 60, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Quincy Lamar Davis, 38, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Joseph Kizzee, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Christopher Duane Guy, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona
- James Donald Estell, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Terry Lee King, Sr., 62, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Christopher Marcus Mitchell, 35, of Goodyear, Arizona
Each of the above individuals was charged with either conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, or both. A number of the defendants are also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Furthermore, Marcus Wesley, Hampton, Williams, Austin, Davis, Guy, Estell, and King Sr. are charged with being felons in possession of a firearm. Finally, Hampton, Wesley, and Gray face additional charges for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and Hampton faces additional charges for transferring or possessing a machinegun.
According to the criminal complaints filed last week, in January 2020, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (“DPS”) began an investigation targeting a drug and firearms supplier in South Phoenix. In February 2021, in conjunction with the DPS investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) Violent Street Gang Task Force began investigating the Lindo Park Crips (“LPC”), a criminal street gang operating in South Phoenix. The investigation targeted numerous LPC members and associates, as well as their drug suppliers. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized over 2,430 grams of cocaine, 35,000 counterfeit M30 pills suspected to contain fentanyl, 26 grams of methamphetamine, 4.5 grams of crack cocaine, 32 doses of MDMA, 8 Glock Conversion devices, and 17 firearms. In connection with the investigation, the FBI also executed over a dozen search warrants on June 23, 2022, leading to the additional seizure of ammunition, narcotics, and 62 firearms.
A conviction for conspiracy to distribute or possessing with intent to sell the amounts of cocaine charged carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine. A conviction for conspiracy to distribute or possessing with intent to sell the amounts of fentanyl charged in the complaint carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine. A conviction for illegally possessing a firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A conviction for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a mandatory penalty of 5 years imprisonment, and a conviction for transferring or possessing a machinegun carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The FBI, Phoenix Police Department, and DPS led the investigation, with significant contributions from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Marshals Service. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-725-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-101_Wesley, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.12 Members and Associates of the "Route Boys" Charged with Multiple Burglaries, Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
On June 28, 2022, a federal grand jury in Central Islip, New York returned an 18-count superseding indictment charging Carlos Acevedo, Ramon Collado, Naresh Deonarrain, Jason Liriano, Charlie Maisonet, Cavier Nedrick, Eric Nunez, Jose Rosado, Alberto Santiago and Jeffrey Vargas with conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances. The superseding indictment, which was unsealed this morning, also charged the defendants, along with Jonathan Santiago, with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including ecstasy and fentanyl. Furthermore, the superseding indictment charged Luis Cerda, along with Collado, Liriano, Rosado and Alberto Santiago, with conspiracy to commit bank larceny. The defendants were also charged with several related firearms counts, including possessing a ghost gun.
According to court filings, the defendants are members and associates of a burglary and drug trafficking organization known as the “Route Boys.” Over the past two years, the defendants, along with other associates of the Route Boys, committed dozens of burglaries of pharmacies and convenience stores in Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester and Rockland Counties, as well as in New Jersey and Connecticut. They then used social media to sell the controlled substances and frequently displayed images of themselves possessing firearms.
Earlier this morning, when agents arrested the defendants, they recovered several loaded guns and observed controlled substances in various defendants’ residences and cars. Acevedo, Cerda, Collado, Deonarrain, Maisonet, Nunez, Jonathan Santiago and Vargas were arrested this morning and will be arraigned on the superseding indictment later today in Central Islip, New York before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay. Liriano, Nedrick, Rosado and Alberto Santiago are presently incarcerated on other charges and will be arraigned on a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) announced the arrests and charges.
“For two years the defendants went on a crime spree targeting local businesses throughout the Tri-State, stealing money and pharmaceuticals to fuel their illegal drug business, and frequently using firearms to commit their crimes,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “This office is working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect local businesses and put a stop to those who seek to endanger our communities from drugs or guns.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Suffolk County Police Department, Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Kings County District Attorney’s Office, Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the investigation.
“This criminal wrecking crew allegedly broke into businesses and pharmacies, stole prescription medications, and created havoc in their Hollywood style getaways,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “These drugs are protected because of how addictive and potentially deadly they can be. The members of this gang showed no regard for the damage they caused the businesses or the danger they put people's lives in illegally pushing drugs, all to fuel their own greed.”
“The NYPD, in close cooperation with our state and federal partners, continues to focus its resources on the relatively small percentage of people responsible for much of our region’s crime and disorder,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “Neither the law-enforcement community nor the New Yorkers we serve will stand for our neighborhoods to be overrun by individuals or groups operating in illegal guns and drugs, and the havoc so often associated with them. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District, the FBI’s New York Field Office, the Nassau County Police Department, and all of our investigators for their hard work in this important case.”
“The indictments of 12 members of the “Route Boys” is a clear example of the commitment by numerous law enforcement agencies as they continue to work cohesively to bring this group of dangerous felons to justice,” stated Nassau Police Commissioner Ryder. “The results of this extensive investigation will ensure the safety of the public and quality of life in Nassau County as we continue to exhibit a zero tolerance approach for all illegal criminal activity. I would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of all of the investigators and their agency’s for a job well done.”
As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, the Route Boys began committing burglaries in late 2020, breaking into convenience stores, check-cashing businesses, laundromats and restaurants, stealing primarily cash and tobacco products. In addition, they often stole free-standing ATMs, forcing them open and stealing the cash from inside the machine. The Route Boys then began targeting small “mom-and-pop” pharmacies throughout the Tri-State area.
Their pattern remained consistent throughout their crime wave: three to four participants would travel to multiple locations in quick succession on a given night, often in a stolen car, with stolen plates that were routinely switched to avoid detection, and then break into the business, either by smashing glass with crowbars, rocks or grinders. Once inside, the defendants or their associates quickly stole controlled substances – including oxycodone, alprazolam and promethazine-codeine cough syrup – and moved on to the next crime, often burglarizing several locations on a single night. After the Route Boys committed a crime, they routinely fled in stolen luxury vehicles at extremely high rates of speed, often crashing into other vehicles and endangering the lives of law enforcement officers and innocent citizens. Route Boys’ members, including Carlos Acevedo, Ramon Collado, Naresh Deonarrain, Jason Liriano, Charlie Maisonet, Cavier Nedrick, Eric Nunez, Jose Rosado, Alberto Santiago and Jeffrey Vargas used social media to sell the controlled substances and frequently displayed images of themselves possessing firearms, including high capacity magazines, scopes and multiple guns at once.
If convicted, Carlos Acevedo, Ramon Collado, Naresh Deonarrain, Jason Liriano, Charlie Maisonet, Cavier Nedrick, Eric Nunez, Jose Rosado, Alberto Santiago, and Jeffrey Vargas all face up to life imprisonment. Jonathan Santiago faces a sentence of up to 40 years’ imprisonment, and Luis Cerda faces a sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Samantha Alessi and Andrew Wenzel are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of paralegal specialist Dejah Turla.
The Defendants:
CARLOS ACEVEDO (also known as “AM” and “Cartier_a.m”)
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkLUIS CERDA
Age: 32
Queens, New YorkRAMON COLLADO (also known as “Greedy”, “greedy.billzz” and “greedyyt2gg”)
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkNARESH DEONARRAIN (also known as “Kans” and “nocheck_kans”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkJASON LIRIANO (also known as “S.L. and jay_bigfella”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New YorkCHARLIE MAISONET (also known as “Charlie_._rb”)
Age: 20
Brooklyn, New YorkCAVIER NEDRICK (also known as “Chief”, “big.chiefs” and “_bigchiefsrb”)
Age: 25
Hauppauge, New YorkERIC NUNEZ (also known as “Tok” and “therealtok”)
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkJOSE ROSADO (also known as “Cream” and “elite_cream”)
Age: 29
Queens, New YorkALBERTO SANTIAGO (also known as “Kom” and “dot._kom._”)
Age: 26
Queens, New YorkJONATHAN SANTIAGO (also known as “Chop”)
Age: 23
Franklin Square, New YorkJEFFREY VARGAS (also known as “Chito” and “chito_1838”)
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-451 (S-2) (GRB)
10 charged with distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, meth, marijuanaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – This morning federal agents arrested individuals charged as part of a national narcotics distribution operation bringing drugs into Central Ohio from California.
They have been charged by criminal complaints for allegedly participating in a polydrug trafficking organization involving 76 kilograms of fentanyl including 115,500 fentanyl-laced pills, nine kilograms each of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, and distributable amounts of heroin and crack cocaine.
“In what is believed to be the largest single fentanyl seizure ever in the Southern District of Ohio, the government has removed approximately $4.5 million worth of fentanyl and fentanyl pills from our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Today’s cooperative law enforcement operation has the potential to save lives.”
This investigation stems from the early-June arrest of Isabel Odir Castellanos, of Los Angeles.
Those charged today include:
Name
Age
City of residence
Darrell Enrico Maurice Peterman Sr.
60
Youngstown, Ohio
Susana Maria Orellana
39
Columbus, Ohio
Martel D. Owens
38
Springfield, Ohio
Dwayne Stanley Childs
33
Columbus, Ohio
Justin M. Berrien
42
Springfield, Ohio
Kelvin R. Battle
47
Springfield, Ohio
Jermaine Anthony Peterson
37
Springfield, Ohio
Linda Laura Marie Houle
47
Springfield, Ohio
Carl Dewayne Jenkins
53
Wadestown, West Virginia
James Ian Sheets
49
Fairview, West Virginia
According to the charging documents, Castellanos transported narcotics from Los Angeles to Columbus via semi-truck. Castellanos is a business owner of a transportation company and a semi-truck driver who frequently travels across the United States.
It is alleged Castellanos delivered the narcotics to Susana Orellana’s residence in Columbus, which served as a stash house. Orellana then allegedly delivered the drugs to mid-level retail distributors. Those mid-level retailers then allegedly sold the drugs in Central Ohio, Youngstown, Ohio, Springfield, Ohio and in West Virginia.
Orellana allegedly collected the drug proceeds and provided them to Castellanos before he returned to California.
Many of the individual drug transactions charged involve tens of thousands of dollars. For example, one drug transaction detailed in an affidavit describes Orellana transporting 5,000 fentanyl pills to Childs’ home in Columbus in exchange for $36,000.
To date, law enforcement officials have seized from the defendants more than $478,000 in cash, a semi-truck, a Porsche Panamera, a BMW X5 and a GMC Terrain.
Defendants are making their initials appearances in federal court in Columbus today.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Orville Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the charges and commended the cooperative investigation including the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Springfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Hunter is representing the United States in this case.
This investigation 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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"R. Kelly" Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Robert Sylvester Kelly, the R&B singer also known as “R. Kelly,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 30 years in prison. On September 27, 2021, following six weeks of trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Kelly of all nine counts of a superseding indictment charging him with racketeering predicated on criminal conduct including sexual exploitation of children, forced labor and Mann Act violations involving the coercion and transportation of women and girls in interstate commerce to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Steve K. Francis, Acting Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the sentence.
“R. Kelly used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification, while many turned a blind eye,” stated U.S. Attorney Peace. “Through his actions, Kelly exhibited a callous disregard for the devastation his crimes had on his victims and has shown no remorse for his conduct. With today’s sentence he has finally and appropriately been held accountable for his decades of abuse, exploitation and degradation of teenagers and other vulnerable young people. We hope that today’s sentence brings some measure of comfort and closure to the victims, including those who bravely testified at trial, and serves as long-overdue recognition that their voices deserve to be heard and their lives matter.”
Mr. Peace also thanked the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the case.
“Robert Kelly is a prolific serial predator who utilized his wealth and fame to prey on the young and vulnerable by dangling promises of fame, fortune and stardom for his own sexual gratification. For nearly thirty years, Kelly and his accomplices silenced his victims through bribery, intimidation, blackmail and physical violence, confident they were immune to justice” stated HSI Acting Executive Associate Director Steve K. Francis. “Today’s sentence is a victory which belongs to the survivors of Kelly’s abuse. These brave women and men came forward, despite threats to their own personal safety, and were forced to relive the pain of the most traumatic days of their lives to tell the truth and make their voices heard.”
As proven at trial, for nearly three decades, Kelly was the leader of a criminal enterprise (the Enterprise) consisting of himself and an entourage of individuals who served as managers, bodyguards, accountants, drivers, personal assistants and runners for the defendant. As the leader of the Enterprise, Kelly used his fame to recruit women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity with him. Kelly identified these girls and women at concerts, and then directed members of the Enterprise to escort them backstage following his musical performances. Kelly exchanged contact information with girls and women so that he and other members of the Enterprise could arrange travel and lodging for them to visit Kelly and engage in the charged illegal sexual conduct.
The evidence at trial included the testimony of 45 government witnesses, including more than 10 victims, five of whom are named in the superseding indictment, testimony from employees of the defendant, text messages, video and audio recordings, photographs, phone and travel records, DNA evidence and expert witnesses.
Kelly issued rules that many of his sexual partners were required to follow, including that the women and girls were to call him “Daddy”; they were not permitted to leave their rooms to eat or visit the bathroom without receiving his permission; they were required to wear baggy clothing when not accompanying Kelly to an event; and they were directed to keep their heads down and not look at or speak to other men. Kelly also isolated the women and girls from their friends and family and made them dependent on him for their financial well-being. He required the victims to engage in sex with him and others, and recorded many of the sexual encounters.
Racketeering Act One – Bribery
Kelly bribed a state employee to create an identification card for Jane Doe #1, then 15 years old, so that Kelly could marry Jane Doe #1 because he believed she was pregnant and therefore the marriage could keep him out of jail.
Racketeering Acts Two, Seven and Ten – Sexual Exploitation of a Child – Jane Doe #2, Jane Doe #4 and Jane Doe #5
Kelly coerced Jane Doe #2, Jane Doe #4 and Jane Doe #5 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing video recordings. Over the course of decades, he made these recordings, and other recordings of sexually explicit conduct, using VHS video cameras, Canon camcorders, iPhones and iPads. Such videos constituted child pornography.
Racketeering Acts Six, Eleven and Thirteen – Forced Labor – Jane Doe #4, Jane Doe #5 and Jane Doe #6
Kelly used the threat of physical harm and physical restraint to ensure that his victims, including Jane Doe #4, Jane Doe #5 and Jane Doe #6, performed sexually at his command. As to Jane Doe #4, he slapped her, choked her and spit on her, before demanding she give him oral sex. As to Jane Doe #5, over a period of years, he spanked her, viciously assaulted her, confined her to a room or a bus for prolonged periods of time, including days, and otherwise manipulated her, to ensure that she would perform for him sexually, including with other women and a man. As to Jane Doe #6, he forced her to give him oral sex while there was a gun within Kelly’s reach.
Racketeering Acts Five and Nine – Mann Act Violations – Jane Doe #4 and Jane Doe #5
Between May 2009 and January 2010, Kelly regularly spoke with Jane Doe #4 over the telephone to arrange for Jane Doe #4 to come to his residence in Olympia Fields for the purpose of illegal sexual activity, which was illegal because Jane Doe #4, who was then 16 years old, was too young to consent to sex in Illinois. Similarly, between September 2015 and October 2015, Kelly transported Jane Doe #5, who was then 17 years old, from New York City to Oakland, California for the purpose of illegal sexual activity, as she was too young to consent to sex in California.
Racketeering Acts Eight, Thirteen and Fourteen – Mann Act Violations – Jane Doe #5 and Jane Doe #6
In April 2015, Kelly arranged for Jane Doe #5 to fly from her home in Orlando, Florida, to Los Angeles, California, for the purpose of illegal sexual activity, which was illegal because Kelly knew he had an incurable sexually transmitted disease (STD) and did not inform Jane Doe #5 about the STD prior to engaging in sexual intercourse with her. In May of 2017 and again in February of 2018, Kelly arranged for Jane Doe #6 to fly from her home in San Antonio, Texas, to La Guardia Airport in Queens, New York, for the purpose of illegal sexual activity, which again was illegal because Kelly failed to disclose that he had an incurable STD and obtain Jane Doe #6’s consent to engage in sexual intercourse under those circumstances.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Geddes, Nadia Shihata and Maria Cruz Melendez are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ROBERT SYLVESTER KELLY (also known as “R. Kelly”)
Age: 55
Chicago, IllinoisE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-286 (AMD)
28 June 2022
Wichita Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man has been sentenced to a total of 295 months in prison for drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents, in March 2022, a federal jury convicted Travis Vontress, 45, of Wichita of the following charges:
- one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
- one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin;
- one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine;
- one count of maintaining a drug involved premises;
- two counts of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime;
- one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and
- one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
The FBI, Wichita Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Barton County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Service, Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Marshall Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Nebraska State Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak prosecuted the case.
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West Michigan Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Intending to Sell Fake Adderall PillsRead the Press Release
Roddrick Wilson intended to sell over 15,000 fake Adderall® pills that subsequently tested positive for methamphetamine at time of his arrest in August 2021
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN —U.S. Attorney Mark A. Totten announced that on June 24, 2022, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Roddrick Montez Wilson, 26, of Muskegon and Grand Rapids, to 23 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
During a traffic stop in August 2021, Michigan State Police in Muskegon found Wilson in possession of over 15,000 fake pills that appeared to be Adderall®, an amphetamine used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, but the pills were in fact methamphetamine. Wilson intended to sell the pills, worth an estimated $75,000, and possessed a loaded, stolen firearm in furtherance of that crime. After further investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigators learned that law enforcement in Grand Rapids had encountered Wilson in February and June 2021, and on both occasions, found smaller quantities of the same type of fake pills, in addition to a firearm in June and other drugs in February.
Over 15,000 fake Adderall® pills and a stolen firearm seized from Roddrick Wilson in Muskegon, Michigan on August 25, 2021
“Counterfeit pills pose a significant danger to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “There are often devastating consequences for drug users who ingest fake pills bought off the street. My office is committed to raising awareness about this issue, and prosecuting those individuals who seek to profit off the distribution of counterfeit substances.”
According to the DEA,[1] a nationwide surge in fake prescription pills, made and marketed by criminal drug networks, is driving harm, violence, and overdoses across the United States. Fake pills are marked as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public, are easy to purchase, and widely available. Between August and December 2021, almost 10 million fake pills were seized by law enforcement nationwide. You should never take prescription medication that was not prescribed to you by your doctor and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. For more information about the DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” campaign, visit: https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
Fake pills can be hard to detect. Wilson possessed fake Adderall® pills like the ones depicted below:
Counterfeit Adderall® pills, front and back
Authentic, or real Adderall® pills, are shown below:
Authentic Adderall® pills, front and back
“Across the Midwest, law enforcement is seizing methamphetamine pressed into fake-pill form so that it appears to be a less potent substance, such as Xanax or Adderall. This case should serve as a stark reminder to everyone: the only pill anyone should take is one that has been prescribed by a physician and obtained at a legitimate pharmacy,” said Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Detroit Division.
The DEA, Michigan State Police, and Grand Rapids Police Department investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan McGraw.
[1] https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/20220208-DEA_OPCK%20Overview%20and%20Key%20Results.pdf
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Virginia Beach Man Sentenced for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced yesterday to 27 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material in his home.
According to court documents, on or about March 20, 2021, Jason Woolwine, 44, produced a video of himself sexually abusing a four-year-old victim. Woolwine’s exploits were discovered during the child pornography investigation of John Stanley Zelinsky. Zelinsky, 70, of Newport News, confessed to FBI agents that he and Woolwine were romantically involved, shared their sexual fantasies about children over instant messaging application services, and showed federal agents the video he received from Woolwine with the toddler.
The FBI immediately began its investigation into Woolwine and confirmed the information from Zelinsky. Despite Woolwine’s use of anti-forensic evidence destruction software, forensic examination was able to retrieve images of child pornography from Woolwine’s cellular phone, to include the self-produced video with the young boy inside Woolwine’s home.
Zelinsky pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and received a sentence of 7 years’ imprisonment on April 26. On November 5, 2021, Woolwine pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. Woolwine received a sentence of 27 years for his crime.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Osyf prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice’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.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk Child Exploitation Task Force (NCETF). The NCETF is composed of FBI agents and detectives from the Chesapeake Police Department, Hampton Police Division, and Newport News Police Department. Assistance in this matter was also provided by federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children. Tips regarding child exploitation can be provided to the task force at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
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. 4:21-cr-46.
U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Electronic Equipment and Technology to the Government of IranRead the Press Release
A dual citizen of the United States and Iran pleaded guilty today to conspiring to illegally export U.S. goods, technology and services to end users in Iran, including the Government of Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
According to court documents, Kambiz Attar Kashani, 44, and his co-conspirators, using two United Arab Emirates companies, evaded U.S. export laws between February 2019 and June 2021 by procuring electronic goods, technology and services from U.S. technology companies for end users in Iran without obtaining required licenses or other authorization from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Kashani acted at the direction of an arm of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). CBI has been designated by OFAC for having materially assisted, sponsored or provided financial, material or technological support to known terrorist organizations.
Kashani faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and he has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine, in addition to any forfeiture owed. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen for the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolanta of the FBI’s Boston Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Meredith A. Arfa of the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney S. Derek Shugert of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Electronic Equipment and Technology to the Government of IranRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Kambiz Attar Kashani, a dual citizen of the United States and Iran, pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally export U.S. goods, technology, and services to end users in Iran, including the Government of Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Today’s plea proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry. When sentenced, Kashani faces up to 20 years in prison. The defendant has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Joseph R. Bonavolanta, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, announced the guilty plea.
As set forth in court filings, between February 2019 and June 2021, Kashani and his co-conspirators, using two United Arab Emirates companies, evaded U.S. export laws by procuring electronic goods, technology, and services from U.S. technology companies for end users in Iran, including the Government of Iran, without obtaining required licenses or other authorization from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. Kashani acted at the direction of an arm of the Central Bank of Iran, which has been designated by the United States government as acting for or on behalf of terrorist organizations.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Meredith A. Arfa are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney S. Derek Shugert of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Defendant:
Kambiz Attar Kashani
Age: 44
United Arab EmiratesE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 22-CR-33 (EK)
U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches ADA Settlement with Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.Read the Press Release
FARGO - United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota completed its investigation and entered into a settlement agreement with Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. ("Ulta") to resolve allegations that Ulta violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"). Specifically, a complaint alleged that Ulta refused to allow an individual with a disability who uses a service animal to enter Ulta with her service animal. Ulta operates a retail store located in Fargo, North Dakota, where the alleged incident occurred.
During its investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office found that the complainant attempted to enter Ulta with her service animal. An Ulta employee told the complainant she was not allowed to enter the store with her service animal, and incorrectly told her a North Dakota cosmetology statute prohibited service animals without documentation.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities who use service animals may enter places of public accommodations, such as retail stores, with their service animals. There is no requirement that individuals with disabilities show any documentation, licensure, or certification, nor is there a requirement that the service animal be wearing any vest, harness, or collar that indicates it is a service animal. A service animal is simply any dog trained to work or perform tasks for individuals with disabilities. If a place of public accommodation is unsure whether an animal is a service animal, under the ADA they may only ask two questions:
• Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
• What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Under the settlement agreement, Ulta agreed to adopt a nationwide service animal non-discrimination policy for all its stores, provide relevant training to its employees regarding the ADA, post signage indicating service animals are welcome, and pay $1,000 in damages to the complainant.
"People with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal are entitled to come and go freely in the community," said United States Attorney Puhl. "The corrective measures agreed to by Ulta will give individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the largest beauty retailor in the United States, as is required by the ADA. We hope other proprietors will proactively comply with this important civil rights law. Service animals play an important role to ensure the independence of people with disabilities, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities will have full and equal access to places of public accommodation."
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa H. Burkland of the District of North Dakota.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in North Dakota is not accessible to persons with disabilities may file a complaint online at www.ada.gov or contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 701-297-7400.
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U.S. Attorney Romero Announces Arson Charges Against Philadelphia Man for Pizza Shop Fire That Resulted in Death of FirefighterRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Al-Ashraf Basem Khalil, 28, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested on June 24, 2022, after being charged by Criminal Complaint with arson on June 23, 2022. During a news conference held today with officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the Philadelphia Fire Department; First Assistant United States Attorney Nelson S. T. Thayer, Jr., detailed the charges outlined in the Complaint accusing the defendant of causing the arson at 300 W. Indiana Avenue in Philadelphia on June 18, 2022, which resulted in the death of Philadelphia Fire Lieutenant Sean Williamson. The announcement comes the day after funeral services were held for Lt. Williamson.
Specifically, the defendant has been charged with one count of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce resulting in death, one count of aiding and abetting and willfully causing the same, and one count of making materially false or fraudulent statements. Khalil was arrested Friday afternoon at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, NY, by United States Marshals who thwarted Khalil’s efforts to leave the United States, getting as far as Jordan, until he was forced to return to face these charges. Khalil made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of New York, where he was detained and ordered transferred to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
As detailed in the Complaint, voluminous video surveillance recovered by investigators showed two suspects – minutes before the fire began in the early morning hours of June 18 – walk behind a dumpster and enter the basement doors of the property at 300 W. Indiana Avenue. The video surveillance further shows the two suspects leave the location about twenty minutes later, shortly after which smoke can be observed that gradually grows thicker emanating from the area of building.
On June 20, 2022, ATF agents interviewed the defendant, the owner of the property, as part of their federal investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. The Complaint alleges that Khalil provided false information about where he was at the time he learned of the fire, and that he stated that he had no plans to travel outside the U.S. in the next year. While he was being interviewed, agents noted that some of the defendant’s clothing appeared to be similar to one of the two suspects captured on the video surveillance footage.
Further, the following day on June 21, 2022, Khalil again met with investigators at their request, and later that day booked a flight from JFK airport to Amman, Jordan with a layover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. On June 22, 2022, the defendant left the United States on that flight.
“Whenever there is a fire in our city, the brave men and women of the Philadelphia Fire Department put their lives on the line to protect us. Intentionally causing a fire and deliberately putting firefighters and innocent victims in harm’s way is truly unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We are grateful to all of the investigators on this case who moved rapidly to determine the origins of the fire, identify a suspect, and return him to U.S. soil so he can answer these charges before the court. And while we mourn the loss of Lt. Williamson, we are grateful for his life and his service to our city, and hope that by seeking justice in this case we honor his memory.”
“ATF is dedicated to investigating and preventing violent crime,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Arson, just like gun crime, can have serious consequences and as alleged in this case, caused the death of a beloved public servant. Our team of investigators and dedicated prosecutors will continue to seek justice for the victims of these violent acts.”
“The phenomenal effort between U.S. law enforcement agencies and our international partners in quickly capturing this fugitive while attempting to flee to the Middle East demonstrates our global reach and unwavering commitment to justice,” said U.S. Marshal Eric Gartner. “Our hope is that this rapid capture will provide some measure of comfort to the family of Lt. Sean Williamson and the Philadelphia Fire Department.”
“We respond to more than 3,500 structure fires annually, and the majority are unintentional. However, intentional fires are still a problem: last year, more than 650 incendiary incidents were investigated by our Fire Marshal's Office in close partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and ATF,” said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel. “This incident demonstrates the tragic consequences of arson. Our thoughts remain with Lt. Williamson’s family, friends and PFD colleagues as this case moves forward and justice is served.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of seven years in prison if, as here, personal injury results to any person. If death results to any person, including a public safety officer performing duties, the statute carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty.
The case was investigated by ATF Philadelphia and the ATF’s National Response Team, the Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Diplomatic Security Service in Amman, Jordan and Dubai, UAE, and INTERPOL Washington. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeanine Linehan and Sarah Damiani.
An Indictment, Information, or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Parents in College Admissions Case SentencedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two California parents were sentenced today in federal court in Boston for their participation in the college admissions case in which they paid a total of $600,000 to facilitate their children’s admission to college.
Bruce Isackson, 65, and Davina Isackson, 58, of Hillsborough, Calif., were each sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to time served (approximately one day in prison), one year of probation and 250 hours of community service. Additionally, Bruce Isackson was ordered to pay a fine of $7,500 and Davina Isackson was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000. In May 2019, the Isacksons pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Bruce Isackson also pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. The Isacksons cooperated with the government’s investigation.
The Isacksons conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others – including university athletic coaches and administrators as well as standardized test administrators – to secure their daughters’ admission to elite colleges and universities through bribery and fraud. Specifically, the Isacksons agreed to pay Singer a total of $600,000 to facilitate cheating on their younger daughter’s college entrance exam to obtain an inflated test score, as well as to facilitate both daughters’ college admissions as purported athletic recruits. To conceal the scheme, Bruce Isackson conspired to make the bribes appear as charitable donations by laundering the payments through Singer’s fake charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, and deducted the payments from their taxes as purported charitable contributions.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Ian Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Two Indian Nationals Admit Receiving over $1.2 Million in Global Robocall Scam That Defrauded Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Indian nationals admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud by accepting illegally obtained $1.2 million in wire transfers from victims across the country, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Arushobike Mitra, 27, and Garbita Mitra, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an information charging them each with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
As part of an international fraud scheme, criminal India-based call centers utilized automated robocalls to victims across the country with the intent of defrauding U.S. residents, particularly the elderly. After establishing contact with victims through these automated calls, other members of the conspiracy would coerce or trick the victims into sending large sums of cash through physical shipments or wire transfers to other members of the conspiracy, including the Mitras. These conspirators used a variety of schemes to convince victims to send money, including impersonating government officials from agencies such as the Social Security Administration, or impersonating law enforcement officers from the FBI or DEA, and threatened victims with severe legal or financial consequences if they did not comply. Another method utilized by the callers involved convincing the victim they were speaking with someone from a tech support company and coercing the victim into granting the caller remote access to their personal computers. The caller would then access the victim’s bank accounts and make it appear to the victim that the caller had inadvertently added money to the victim’s bank account, when in fact the caller had simply transferred money from another one of the victim’s own accounts. The caller would then instruct the victim to “return” the money by way of mail or wire transfer to other members of the conspiracy, including the Mitras. Arushobike Mitra and Garbita Mitra are charged with receiving fraudulent transfers of cash from 48 victims across the country totaling more than $1.2 million.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine of twice the amount of the loss, whichever is greater. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for Dec. 13, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Cyber Intrusion Group, and El Dorado Task Force Asset Identification & Removal Group, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, Peter C. Fitzhugh in New York; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Hoboken Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the New York City Police Department, and the Brunswick County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah Russell of the U.S. Attorney's Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Two Fairbanks Men Indicted for Conspiracy, Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft and Money Laundering in Five Year Check Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned a 31-count indictment charging two Fairbanks men with conspiracy, bank and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
According to court documents, Jared Post, 25, and Levi Skulstad, 26, defrauded multiple banks and individuals they viewed as vulnerable to scams between 2017 and 2021, obtaining at least $500,000. Post and Skulstad contacted individuals who they called “Plays” via social media or in person and convinced the “Play” to share their bank account information under the pretense they needed to deposit a check into the “Play’s” account. Post or Skulstad then offered the “Play” a portion of the deposited check in return for use of the “Play’s” bank account.
Once the check posted in the “Play’s” account, Post or Skulstad logged in via the “Play’s” remote banking app and withdrew or transferred the funds electronically or directed the “Play” to transfer the funds to one of them via a cash app or Western Union. In reality, the checks Post and Skulstad deposited were stolen and fraudulently altered; and they withdrew the funds prior to the bank flagging the checks as fraudulent and reversing the transaction. The involved banks, the “Plays,” and the initial victim whose checks were stolen, were left paying losses and overdraft fees while Post and Skulstad made off with the cash.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the most serious indictment count and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Fairbanks Resident Agency of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Police Department, Anchorage Police Department and the Vancouver, Washington, Police Department are investigating the case. The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office also assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Tansey is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Turner Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Turners Falls man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield on child pornography charges.
Brian Cooper, 64, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Feb. 24, 2022, Cooper pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of child pornography, six counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Between April 2018 and October 2019, Cooper distributed, received and possessed child pornography files depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He distributed and received the child pornography files from online associates via Instagram. A search of Cooper’s residence in October 2019 revealed thousands of child pornography files stored on a tablet and multiple thumb drives. At the time of the search, Cooper was arrested on state court charges and has been detained since.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; David E. Sullivan, Northwestern District Attorney; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Tuba City Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Sexual Abuse of ChildrenRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Ralph Yellow, 78, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 240 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Yellow previously pleaded guilty to one count of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child.
Yellow admitted that in 2012 or 2013, he knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a six-year-old child. The evidence also showed that Yellow engaged in sexual acts with other children for decades. The crimes took place on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where Yellow is an enrolled tribal member.
The FBI, Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations, and Gallup Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-08133-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-100_Yellow# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Three-time sex offender lands in prison for collecting sadistic virtual child pornography imagesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 55-year-old Aransas County man has been ordered to federal prison for transporting obscene images, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Bryan Wesley Fulfer, Aransas Pass, pleaded guilty April 5.
Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton sentenced Fulfer to 60 months in prison. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that Fulfer was previously convicted of indecency with a child, possession of child pornography and failure to register as a sex offender. The charges spanned from 1992 to 2014.
The court also saw several virtual images Fulfer possessed which depicted adult men sadistically abusing prepubescent boys.
Fulfer was further ordered to serve three years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.
The investigation began July 28, 2021, when Fulfer’s relatives found his cellphone in a room at their grandmother’s house. He had been residing there. On the device, they saw computer-generated images of prepubescent children engaging in sex acts.
They notified authorities who, in turn, arrested Fulfer within days.
He ultimately admitted to viewing what he called “fake” child pornography online.
Fulfer has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of the Aransas County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Dennis E. Robinson prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Three Defendants Indicted in Software License Piracy SchemeRead the Press Release
Today, the Western District of Oklahoma unsealed an indictment charging three individuals with violating federal wire fraud and money laundering statutes in connection with an operation to sell over $88 million of stolen Avaya Direct International (ADI) software licenses, which were used to unlock features of a popular telephone system used by thousands of companies around the globe.
The grand jury charged the following defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 13 counts of wire fraud: Raymond Bradley Pearce, aka Brad Pearce, 46, of Tuttle, Oklahoma; Dusti O. Pearce, 44, of Tuttle, Oklahoma; and Jason M. Hines, aka Joe Brown, aka Chad Johnson, aka Justin Albaum, 42, of Caldwell, New Jersey. In addition, the grand jury charged both Brad Pearce and Dusti Pearce with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.
According to the indictment, Avaya Holdings Corporation, a multinational business communications company headquartered in California, sold a product called IP Office, a telephone system used by many midsize and small businesses in the United States and abroad. To enable additional functionality of IP Office such as voicemail or more telephones, customers had to purchase software licenses – which Avaya generated – from an authorized Avaya distributor or reseller. Avaya used software license keys to control access to Avaya’s copyright-protected software and to ensure that only customers who paid for the software could use it. In addition, Avaya required that each software license on an IP Office system be associated with the system’s Avaya Secure Digital (SD) card – a small flash memory card with a unique serial number that plugged into the IP Office manager computer – which the end user had to keep in its possession in order to use the licenses.
According to the indictment, Brad Pearce, a long-time customer service employee at Avaya, allegedly used his system administrator privileges to generate tens of millions of dollars of ADI software license keys that he sold to Hines and other customers, who in turn sold them to resellers and end users around the globe. The retail value of each Avaya software license ranged from under $100 to thousands of dollars.
As set forth in the indictment, Brad Pearce also allegedly employed his system administrator privileges to hijack the accounts of former Avaya employees to generate additional ADI software license keys. Furthermore, he allegedly used these privileges to alter information about the accounts to conceal the fact that he was generating ADI license keys, preventing Avaya from discovering the fraud scheme for many years. Brad Pearce’s wife, Dusti Pearce, is alleged to have handled accounting and helped run the financial side of the illegal business. Hines operated Direct Business Services International (DBSI), a de-authorized Avaya reseller, in New Jersey. He allegedly bought software licenses from the Pearces under his own name and also using an alias, Joe Brown. Hines was the Pearces’ largest customer and significantly influenced how the scheme operated. Hines also received help from Brad Pearce to resell the stolen software licenses. Hines was allegedly one of the biggest users of the ADI license system in the world.
According to the indictment, the Pearces and Hines’ operation not only prevented Avaya from making any money on its stolen intellectual property but also undercut the global market in Avaya ADI software licenses because the Pearces and Hines were selling licenses for significantly below the wholesale price. In fact, Brad Pearce allegedly told Hines that the Pearces’ customers could not obtain same-day ADI software licenses from anyone else for anything even close to the Pearces’ prices, and Hines suggested that he and Brad Pearce work together to “corner” the market in licenses. Altogether, the Pearces and Hines allegedly reaped millions of dollars from the fraud. Moreover, to hide the nature and source of the money, the Pearces allegedly funneled their illegal gains through a PayPal account created under a false name to multiple bank accounts, and then transferred the money to numerous other investment and bank accounts. They also allegedly purchased large quantities of gold bullion and other valuable items. The indictment lists numerous assets subject to forfeiture including cash, gold, silver, collectible coins, cryptocurrency, and real property.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI conducted the investigation.
Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia E. Barry and William Farrior for the Western District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Defendants Indicted in Massive Software Piracy SchemeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, a court in the Western District of Oklahoma unsealed an indictment charging three individuals with violating federal wire fraud and money laundering statutes in connection with an operation to sell over $88 million of stolen Avaya Direct International (ADI) software licenses, which were used to unlock features of a popular telephone system used by thousands of companies around the globe.
The grand jury charged the following defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 13 counts of wire fraud: Raymond Bradley Pearce aka Brad Pearce, 46, of Tuttle, Oklahoma; Dusti O. Pearce, 44, of Tuttle, Oklahoma; and Jason M. Hines aka Joe Brown, aka Chad Johnson, aka Justin Albaum, 42, of Caldwell, New Jersey. In addition, the grand jury charged both Brad Pearce and Dusti Pearce with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.
According to the indictment, Avaya Holdings Corporation, a multinational business communications company headquartered in California, sold a product called IP Office, a telephone system used by many midsize and small businesses in the United States and abroad. To enable additional functionality of IP Office such as voicemail or more telephones, customers had to purchase software licenses – which Avaya generated – from an authorized Avaya distributor or reseller. Avaya used software license keys to control access to Avaya’s copyright-protected software and to ensure that only customers who paid for the software could use it. In addition, Avaya required that each software license on an IP Office system be associated with the system’s Avaya Secure Digital (SD) card – a small flash memory card with a unique serial number that plugged into the IP Office manager computer – which the end user had to keep in its possession in order to use the licenses.
According to the indictment, Brad Pearce, a long-time customer service employee at Avaya, allegedly used his system administrator privileges to generate tens of millions of dollars of ADI software license keys that he sold to Hines and other customers, who in turn sold them to resellers and end users around the globe. The retail value of each Avaya software license ranged from under $100 to thousands of dollars.
As set forth in the indictment, Brad Pearce also allegedly employed his system administrator privileges to hijack the accounts of former Avaya employees to generate additional ADI software license keys. Furthermore, he allegedly used these privileges to alter information about the accounts to conceal the fact that he was generating ADI license keys, preventing Avaya from discovering the fraud scheme for many years. Brad Pearce’s wife, Dusti Pearce, is alleged to have handled accounting and helped run the financial side of the illegal business. Hines operated Direct Business Services International (DBSI), a de-authorized Avaya reseller, in New Jersey. He allegedly bought software licenses from the Pearces under his own name and also using an alias, Joe Brown. Hines was the Pearces’ largest customer and significantly influenced how the scheme operated. Hines also received help from Brad Pearce to resell the stolen software licenses. Hines was allegedly one of the biggest users of the ADI license system in the world.
According to the indictment, the Pearces and Hines’ operation not only prevented Avaya from making any money on its stolen intellectual property but also undercut the global market in Avaya ADI software licenses because the Pearces and Hines were selling licenses for significantly below the wholesale price. In fact, Brad Pearce allegedly told Hines that the Pearces’ customers could not obtain same-day ADI software licenses from anyone else for anything even close to the Pearces’ prices, and Hines suggested that he and Brad Pearce work together to “corner” the market in licenses. Altogether, the Pearces and Hines allegedly reaped millions of dollars from the fraud. Moreover, to hide the nature and source of the money, the Pearces allegedly funneled their illegal gains through a PayPal account created under a false name to multiple bank accounts, and then transferred the money to numerous other investment and bank accounts. They also allegedly purchased large quantities of gold bullion and other valuable items. The indictment lists numerous assets subject to forfeiture including cash, gold, silver, collectible coins, cryptocurrency, and real property.
U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester of the Western District of Oklahoma, Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia E. Barry and William Farrior of the Western District of Oklahoma and Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
Third Former Coast Guard Employee Pleads Guilty in Test-Fixing Case, Several Co-Defendants SentencedRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that former United States Coast Guard employee ELDRIDGE JOHNSON pleaded guilty on June 23, 2022, to one count of bribery and to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Judge Barry W. Ashe took JOHNSON’S guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for September 29, 2022. The maximum terms of imprisonment are fifteen years for bribery and five years for conspiracy. Each offense is also punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The bribery conviction relates to JOHNSON’S conduct as an examination administrator at a Mandeville, Louisiana Coast Guard exam center. JOHNSON administered examinations that merchant mariners were legally required to pass in order to obtain licenses to serve in various positions on vessels. The examinations tested mariners’ knowledge and training to safely operate under the authority of the licenses. Beginning no later than 2011 and continuing until about the time of his January 2018 retirement, JOHNSON engaged in a scheme to receive bribes from mariners who had applied for licenses. JOHNSON offered and sold various forms of improper assistance, including reporting false information to the Coast Guard and, more commonly, selling examination questions and answers to mariners before they took the tests.
JOHNSON’S conspiracy conviction relates to his post-retirement conduct, in which he acted as an intermediary for exam center employee DOROTHY SMITH in a scheme in which SMITH entered false exam scores in exchange for money. SMITH and another former Coast Guard employee who acted as SMITH’S intermediary, BEVERLY MCCRARY, pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on September 15, 2022.
JOHNSON, SMITH, and MCCRARY were charged in an indictment along with twenty-eight mariners, the last two of which were recently sentenced: on April 28, 2022, Judge Ashe sentenced SHUNMANIQUE WILLIS, who pleaded guilty to obtaining a license though false scores entered by SMITH, to six months imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release and 100 hours of community service; on June 23, 2022, Judge Ashe sentenced SHARRON ROBINSON, who pleaded guilty to being an intermediary in SMITH’S scheme, to 54 months imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release. ROBINSON conspired to obtain false scores for herself and for nine other mariners.
A separate indictment charged eight mariners with obtaining licenses though false scores entered by SMITH. In that case, between April and June 2022, Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced the following seven mariners to probation: RANSFORD ACKAH, NATHANIEL DOMINICK, ODELL GRIGGS, DEVIN HEBERT, RAYNEL LEWIS, ADRIAN MACK, and MAURICE PALMER. The eighth defendant in that case, DERRICK WARD, pleaded guilty on March 4, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Fallon on August 4, 2022. The maximum penalty is five years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This matter is being investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon is in charge of the prosecution.
Thai National Sentenced for Trafficking Meth and Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Thai national who stored more than a thousand counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine and/or fentanyl in a child’s backpack inside the apartment he shared with his three young children has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Davith Hoy, 42, was arrested in March 2021, and pleaded guilty on March 16, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to information presented to the court, Hoy wholesaled methamphetamine and fentanyl pills to other distributors. His criminal activity came to light after, Ronald M. Kramer, 38 of Providence, allegedly a dealer whom Hoy was supplying, was arrested and imprisoned in an unrelated case. It is alleged that, in monitored telephone calls made from inside the ACI, Kramer contacted his girlfriend, Rebecca L. Beauchamp, 37, of North Providence, and arranged for her to meet with Hoy and receive a supply of meth pills.
According to court documents, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents surveilled Hoy as he allegedly met with Beauchamp and delivered the pills. On March 19, 2021, ATF agents searched a residence Hoy shared with his three young children and discovered a large quantity of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills that Hoy stored inside a child’s Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles backpack. Agents seized more than one thousand pills along with parts of a pill press and other items used to manufacture meth and fentanyl pills. The pills were manufactured to mimic the appearance of the prescription drug Adderall.
Hoy was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 87 months in federal prison to be followed by four years of federal supervised release.
Kramer and Beauchamp are currently awaiting trial in U.S. District Court on methamphetamine trafficking charges. Kramer also faces a federal charge of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. In all instances, a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William F. Ferland.
United States Attorney Cunha thanks investigators at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections for their assistance in the investigation of this case.
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Texas Man Sentenced to 4 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Texas man was sentenced yesterday to 4 ½ years in prison for aggravated identity theft, unlawful possession of identity documents, possession of counterfeit and unauthorized credit and debit card information, and possession of equipment to make fraudulent credit and debit cards. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Bronson Meador, 35, of Hurst, Texas, who lived for a brief time in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, engaged in a months-long scheme in 2021 to obtain and use counterfeit and unauthorized credit and debit cards and other personally identifying information and financial information of various real individuals for his own personal benefit. As part of his scheme, Meador would purchase and otherwise obtain counterfeit and unauthorized credit card, debit card, and other personally identifying information and financial information of various individuals, known and unknown to him, and then use that information to personally assume their identities and access the financial accounts of those individuals without their authorization. Meador would also use the information to manufacture unauthorized access devices, such as credit or debit cards, which he subsequently used or sold. When Meador was encountered and stopped by law enforcement in April 2021, while engaged in an act of aggravated identity theft, he was in possession of at least 16 identification documents, including driver’s licenses, social security cards and military identification documents, and at least 44 credit or debit card numbers, several of which he had recently used to make unauthorized purchases. In addition to the 4 ½-year prison sentence, Meador was also ordered to pay $66,592 in restitution.
“I appreciate the combined effort of the United States Secret Service, the Elizabethtown Police Department, and the Louisville Airport Police during the investigation and prosecution of this case,” said United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett. “The fallout for victims of identity theft is burdensome, costly, and often long lasting. I commend our law enforcement partners for their quick response in this case and their ongoing work to make the Western District safer for all citizens.”
“This case should serve as a strong deterrent for criminals considering taking part in identity theft and related fraud schemes,” said Robert Holman, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service Louisville Field Office. “The Secret Service along with our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and arrest criminals who attempt to defraud and victimize our citizens.”
The United States Secret Service, the Elizabethtown Police Department, and the Louisville Airport Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Zimdahl prosecuted the case.
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Sussex County Woman Admits Concealing Terrorist Financing to Syrian Foreign Terrorist OrganizationsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, woman today admitted that she concealed her attempts to provide material support to Syrian foreign terrorist organizations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge Jesse Levine, and FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Timothy Langan announced.
Maria Bell, aka “Maria Sue Bell,” 54, of Hopatcong, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging her with one count of concealing attempts to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.
According to documents previously filed in this case:
Bell admitted that from February 2018 to November 2018 she knowingly concealed and disguised the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the attempted provision of material support and resources to fighters based in Syria who were members Jabhat Fath al-sham, also known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Bell admitted that she knew JFS and HTS were designated foreign terrorist organizations, that JFS and HTS has engaged or engages in terrorist activities. She admitted the offense to which she pleaded guilty involved the concealment of the attempted provision of funds or other material support or resources with the intent, knowledge, or reason to believe they were to be used to commit or assist in the commission of a violent act.
The charge of concealment of terrorist financing to a designated foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 21, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jesse Levine, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorneys Brenda Sue Thornton and Kathleen Campbell of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
Superseding Indictment Charges Former Executive Director of Maryland Environmental Service for Allegedly Falsifying Documents, Wire Fraud, and Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $276,731Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment adding an additional charge against Roy C. McGrath, age 52, of Naples, Florida, for falsification of records to the previous federal charges of wire fraud and theft in programs receiving federal funds.
The superseding indictment was announced by First Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Phil Selden and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. The United States Attorney has recused himself from this case.
“Honesty and integrity are essential elements of a public servant and those who operate in public trust,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Phil Selden. “Together with our federal and state partners, our office will continue to investigate and prosecute public officials who attempt to violate their trusted positions.”
McGrath was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve as Executive Director of Maryland Environmental Service (MES), a corporation owned by the State of Maryland to provide environmental services such as water and wastewater management, solid waste management, composting, recycling, dredged material management and other services to state and local government agencies, federal government entities, and private clients. MES, which was headquartered in Millersville, Maryland, generated its operating funds from fees charged to governmental and private clients for its services, as well as from federal grants and funding from federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. MES functioned as an independent state corporation which did not pay its employees according to the state government pay scale but did require its employees to comply with state travel regulations, annual leave policies, and policies regarding compensatory leave, and time and attendance reporting. McGrath resigned from MES as of May 31, 2020, to become the Governor’s Chief of Staff effective as of June 1, 2020.
Count Eight of the superseding indictment alleges that after press accounts of his “severance” payment from MES of a year’s salary or $233,647.23 occurred in August 2020, McGrath knowingly falsified a document which falsely purported to be a memorandum to the Governor of Maryland, referenced a salary of $233,647.23, and a severance package from MES. The allegedly false memorandum contained a blue check mark, as characteristically used by the Governor of Maryland, in the “approved” box which created the illusion that the Governor had seen and approved the memorandum. The allegedly false memorandum was backdated to May 18, 2020, which the indictment alleges was the date McGrath interviewed for the Chief of Staff position with the Governor.
The previously filed indictment alleges that to conceal the payments and circumstances surrounding the payments from the Governor of Maryland and the MES Board of Directors, McGrath falsely told the MES Board that the Governor was aware of and consented to the severance payment. As detailed in the indictment, when the Governor learned about the severance package and questioned McGrath about it, McGrath falsely stated that the MES Board of Directors had offered him the severance payment in accordance with their usual practice. McGrath also attempted to delete or caused to be deleted from the public minutes of the MES Board of Directors meeting, any mention of compensation of McGrath or the Executive Director of MES, or the amount $233,647.23, or the description of the compensation as a “year’s salary.”
The indictment re-alleges the federal charges previously filed against McGrath filed in 2021- specifically that from March 2019 through December 2020, McGrath personally enriched himself by using his positions of trust as the Executive Director of MES and the chief of staff for the Governor of Maryland to cause MES to make payments to McGrath, or on his behalf, to which he was not entitled. One additional wire fraud charge has been added to the superseding indictment.
The previously filed federal indictment alleges that McGrath caused MES funds to be paid to a museum where he was a member of the Board of Directors instead of using his personal funds to pay his pledge to the museum; that McGrath caused the MES Board of Directors to approve paying McGrath a $233,647.23 severance payment—equal to one year’s salary—upon his departure from MES by falsely telling them that the Governor was aware of and approved the payment; that McGrath caused MES to pay tuition benefits for McGrath after he left MES by personally approving reimbursements for payments made by Subordinate Employee #1 on McGrath's behalf; and that McGrath falsified his time sheets, reporting that he was at work while on two separate vacations in 2019.
McGrath also faces pending state criminal charges relating to an alleged illegally recorded private conversations involving senior state officials without their permission during his employment at MES and as the Governor’s Chief of Staff. In the state case, McGrath faces a maximum penalty of any sentence that is not cruel or unusual for Misconduct by a Public Official, and a maximum of five years in prison for felony theft, felony theft scheme, misappropriation, and for each violation of the Maryland Wiretap Statute.
If convicted of the federal charges, McGrath faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of the five counts of wire fraud; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each of two counts of embezzling funds from an organization receiving more than $10,000 in federal benefits; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the charge of falsifying a document. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
First Assistant United States Attorney Phil Selden commended the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Selden thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joyce K. McDonald, Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. David, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Statement from U.S. Attorney Rachael. S. Rollins Regarding the Dismissal of Charges Against Yanzhi ChenRead the Press Release
“Along with her husband, Haoyang Yu, Yanzhi Chen was charged by indictment in September 2020 with participating in a scheme to defraud Mr. Yu’s former employer, a Massachusetts company called Analog Devices Incorporated (ADI). Last month, a jury convicted Mr. Yu of one count of possessing a stolen ADI trade secret. However, the jury found Mr. Yu not guilty of the remaining 18 counts charged in the indictment, including counts alleging that Mr. Yu defrauded ADI and violated immigration laws.
Today’s dismissal of the fraud charges against Mr. Yu’s wife, Ms. Chen, is in the interests of justice. As prosecutors, we have a constant obligation to assess the merits of every prosecution that we pursue. Today’s dismissal is the result of my office’s continuing assessment of the evidence against Ms. Chen in light of the jury’s verdict against Mr. Yu. We understand that our charging decisions deeply impact people’s lives. I will continue to require our prosecutors to rigorously assess cases at every stage of our proceedings to see if we should continue pursuing and prosecuting those suspected of engaging in criminal conduct.”
Statement by United States Attorney Ashley C. Hoff Regarding Migrant Deaths in Tractor Trailer Incident Yesterday EveningRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – “San Antonio first responders and law enforcement discovered a tragic and disturbing scene yesterday evening on the southwest side of San Antonio. Dozens of immigrants were found dead or incapacitated in and around a tractor trailer with over a dozen others hospitalized in critical condition. All were the apparent victims of human smugglers indifferent to the well-being of human life. The South Texas heat is brutal this time of year, especially given the recent record-high temperatures. We will continue to work with the Homeland Security Investigations and the local responders to identify and bring those who were responsible for this tragedy to justice.”
Ashley C. Hoff, United States Attorney, Western District of Texas
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St. Peters man who filmed sex with teen sentenced to 6 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man from St. Peters, Missouri who filmed a sex act with a 14-year-old girl to six years in prison.
Donovan P. Walker, 27, will be on supervised release for 10 years and was also ordered to undergo sex offender, drug and mental health treatment, as appropriate.
Walker met the girl via the Tinder app in April of 2020. She originally told him she was 18, and then said she was 15 before eventually admitting her true age. The two exchanged nude photos via Snapchat, and met on four occasions, during which Walker gave the girl marijuana and then engaged in sex acts with her, he admitted in his guilty plea.
On May 26, 2020, Walker filmed the two engaged in sex in his car. In the recording, he asks the victim’s age and she answers, “14.” He then discusses her age multiple times. Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies interrupted Walker and arrested him.
Walker pleaded guilty in January to a charge of possession of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. 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. 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.
St. Louis man sentenced to 11 years in prison for selling methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man to 11 years for selling methamphetamine to drug investigators.
Judge White also found that Shaun Glenwood Mack, 44, was a career offender due to prior drug convictions.
In August 2020, investigators for the Drug Enforcement Administration learned that Mack was selling methamphetamine from his St. Louis apartment in ounce quantities. A DEA confidential source arranged to buy two ounces of crystal methamphetamine from Mack on Aug. 7, 2020 for $1,800.
After Mack was indicted for that sale and arrested on June 29, 2021, investigators found 7 grams of methamphetamine, 211 capsules containing a total of 12.5 grams of fentanyl and clear plastic bags containing approximately 13.7 grams of fentanyl, 5.8 grams of cocaine and 5.2 grams of cocaine base.
Mack pleaded guilty on March 30 to a charge of intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
St. Louis County man sentenced to seven years in prison for threatening postal worker with a gunRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis County man to seven years in prison for threatening a mail carrier with a gun in 2021.
The postal worker was preparing to deliver a package to the home of DeJuan Wilson in the 1400 block of Columbus Drive on Jan. 11, 2021 when Wilson emerged from his home. Wilson was upset and claimed that a package delivered four days earlier was missing some of its contents.
Wilson became increasingly aggressive, pulled a semiautomatic firearm from his right front pocket and then told the mail carrier that he had two hours to produce the missing contents or Wilson would “settle this."
The worker, fearing for his safety, got into his vehicle and began to drive away. As he did so, Wilson fired his weapon several times. Neither the worker or his vehicle was hit.
Wilson, 27, pleaded guilty March 22 to assaulting a postal employee with a deadly weapon.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware prosecuted the case.
Springfield, Illinois, Man Convicted of Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on June 23, 2022, against Stacey Furlow, 61, of the 3000 block of North Peoria Road in Springfield, Illinois, for attempted enticement of a minor, use of interstate facilities to attempt to transmit information about a minor, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Sentencing for Furlow is scheduled for October 21, 2022, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield.
During the trial, the government presented evidence that established that between August 27 and August 29, 2020, Furlow met an individual online and believed he was communicating with a fifteen-year-old child. Despite learning the individual’s age, Furlow discussed engaging in sexual activity with the minor, asked for the minor’s address on numerous occasions, and sent inappropriate pictures of himself to the child. On August 29, 2020, after confirming that the minor was alone, he asked for the child’s address and drove to the residence expecting to engage in sexual conduct; he was then arrested.
Furlow remains in the custody of U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. At sentencing, he faces statutory penalties of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison for attempted enticement of a minor; not more than five years in prison for use of interstate facilities to attempt to transmit information about a minor; and not more than 10 years in prison for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
The prosecution was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Office, with assistance from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Springfield Police Department; and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tanner K. Jacobs and Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government at trial.
The case against Furlow was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Smuggled individual charged with having pornographic images on phoneRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 24-year-old Mexican national been charged with possession and transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment today against Cristian Dolores Munoz-De La Rosa. He is expected to appear for his arraignment in the near future.
On June 6, law enforcement was conducting a human smuggling investigation near Carrizo Springs, according to the charges. Upon inspection, they seized a phone allegedly belonging to one of the individuals.
The charges allege they found child pornography images on that device. A preliminary review of the phone showed approximately 20 images of child pornography, according to the allegations.
If convicted, Munoz-De La Rosa faces up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney April Ayers-Perez is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Sisseton Man Sentenced to Nine Months in Federal Prison for Assault of a Federal EmployeeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Sisseton, South Dakota, man convicted of assault of a federal employee was sentenced on June 21, 2022, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Richard Reuben Simon, age 28, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay $25 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Simon was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 14, 2021. He pled guilty on April 4, 2022.
On August 16, 2021, Simon forcibly assaulted, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with the victim, while the victim was employed as a federal health care professional with the Indian Health Service (IHS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, assigned to perform health care functions, while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties.
The victim was working in an official capacity as a nurse practitioner for an IHS facility. During an exam of the Defendant, he made inappropriate comments to and committed a simple assault against the victim, specifically including unlawful physical contact amounting to simple assault.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Simon was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Serial rapist sentenced to 35 years in prison for sexually assaulting 7-year-oldRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to a total of 420 months in prison for transporting a young child in the bunk of his semi-truck across multiple states for the purpose of sexually assaulting the victim.
Joseph C. Gaines, 42, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to transporting a minor interstate with the intention of sexually abusing the victim, and committing a new offense against a minor as a registered sex offender.
According to court documents, during July and August of 2019, Gaines transported a minor who was approximately 7 years old from Ohio to numerous other states. While in those other states, Gaines sexually assaulted the child repeatedly and in a variety of ways.
Gaines was on parole when he committed the sexual assaults. He was convicted in Stark County Common Pleas Court in 2005 of raping a 13-year-old in 1998.
In 2000, Gaines was convicted in Florida of kidnapping and attempted aggravated assault after approaching a woman on the beach, placing a knife to her throat, and saying, “you’re coming with me.”
Gaines’ DNA also linked him to two other rapes. Around the time of the 1998 rape, the defendant approached a 15-year-old on the street in Canton, Ohio, and threatened her with a box cutter before taking her into the woods and raping her. Gaines’ DNA was found in the victim’s underwear. In 2002, a married couple was walking on the beach in Florida when the defendant approached them with a weapon covered by a towel and forced them to an abandoned building. Gaines raped the wife and forced the husband to watch.
“A multi-decade sentence is warranted for this defendant, whose ongoing actions reveal him to be a true predator,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Gaines spent much of the past 20 plus years – other than the times he was incarcerated – perpetrating dangerous sexual assaults. Now, he’ll spend the next 35 years in federal prison. This is the type of incorrigible conduct that prison walls are made for.”
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill and Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
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Rosebud Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Damon Clyde Has Horns, age 41, was indicted on March 8, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 24, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between October 6, 2021, and March 8, 2022, in the District of South Dakota, Has Horns, a person required to register as a sex offender by reason of conviction under federal law, knowingly failed to register and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Has Horns is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler is prosecuting the case.
Has Horns was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Rapid City Woman Sentenced to 10 Years Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on June 23, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Rayne Jackson, age 28, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $60 restitution for drug testing costs.
Jackson was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2020. She pleaded guilty on January 14, 2022. During her involvement in the conspiracy, methamphetamine was brought to South Dakota from out-of-state by the defendant, or by others through arrangements with her. She then dispersed methamphetamine in South Dakota to others for use and distribution.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota National Guard, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case. Two co-defendants, Nathan Bellew and Eric Yockey, were previously sentenced.
Jackson was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Putnam County Man Sentenced to Prison for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Keegan Shane Stanley, 31, of Poca, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for transportation of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stanley admitted to uploading videos of child pornography to Dropbox, an online file sharing website, with his computer on May 9, 2021. After receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the Dropbox activity, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Stanley's residence on August 5, 2021. Officers seized the computer and other electronic devices during the search. A forensic analysis revealed over 1,600 images of child pornography on Stanley's computer. Stanley admitted to knowingly possessing the images, and further admitted than many depicted prepubescent minors while some depicted minors engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-208.
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