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14 June 2022
Erie Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
David Lyons, 29, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from January 2019 to March 2020, Lyons received computer and cell phone images depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Lyons on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lyons.
Eastern Idaho Nurse Practitioner Pays the Price for Unlawfully Prescribing NarcoticsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kenneth Lowther, a nurse practitioner in eastern Idaho, consented to judgment against him after admitting that he unlawfully prescribed narcotics on more than 15 occasions. The judgment, entered by the United States District Court for the District of Idaho, found Lowther civilly liable for violating the Controlled Substances Act and required that he pay a $30,000 fine.
According to the government’s Complaint, Lowther wrote prescriptions for hydrocodone in the name of one patient, but thereafter gave the prescriptions to a third-party for filling and use. The government alleged, and the Court and Lowther ultimately agreed, that the unlawful prescriptions lacked a legitimate medical purpose and were written outside the usual course of professional practice in violation of federal and state law.
“While there is a place for opioid pain medication in a legitimate medical practice, that place is not the unlawful diversion of such medication for illegal and unauthorized use,” said U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez Jr., who announced the judgment. “This office will continue to hold prescribers accountable under the Controlled Substances Act when they write prescriptions that lack a legitimate medical purpose, and this case once again demonstrates our commitment to attacking the opioid epidemic on all fronts.”
“The allegations in this matter describe an outrageous diversion of opioid pills without medical purpose and with the high potential to cause harm to individuals and communities,” said Steven J. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to root out this kind of abuse at every turn.”
This matter was investigated jointly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, with additional assistance provided by the Idaho Board of Pharmacy and the Idaho State Attorney General’s Office.
For additional case information and publicly available court documents, see United States v. Kenneth Lowther, 22-CV-00069 (REP) (U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho).
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East Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to 7 Years for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 84 months in prison for violating federal firearms laws and his conditions of supervised release, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David Cercone imposed the sentence on Terrence Pasley, age 34.
According to information presented to the court, on January 16, 2021, Mr. Pasley illegally possessed a firearm as a convicted felon, and violated the conditions of his release by possessing that firearm. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Ann Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for conducting the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Dubach Man Receives 10+ Year Sentence for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Brandon Khesahn Cooper, 50, of Dubach, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty. Cooper was sentenced to a total of 138 months (11 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of firearms by a convicted felon and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to evidence presented in court, deputies with the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Cooper’s residence on October 19, 2021. Inside his bedroom, deputies found 12 grams of methamphetamine and a Charter Arms .38 revolver located next to Cooper’s wallet. Deputies also found packaging material consistent with distribution of illegal substances and a .410 gauge CBC shotgun in the bedroom.
Law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) interviewed Cooper after being read his Miranda rights. In the interview, Cooper claimed the methamphetamine and firearms, and admitted to agents that he was selling drugs and had purchased the revolver even though he was a convicted felon. Cooper had previously been convicted of a felony and knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that the revolver and shotgun were both manufactured outside of the state of Louisiana and had traveled in interstate commerce.
The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF and the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Deputy U.S. Marshal Charged with Unlawfully Obtaining Cell Phone Location InformationRead the Press Release
A Deputy U.S. Marshal has been charged by indictment with unlawfully obtaining cell phone location information by misusing a law enforcement service, and later making false statements about his use of that service.
Adrian Pena, 48, of Del Rio, Texas, made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday in the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Pena allegedly unlawfully used a law enforcement service operated by Securus Technologies Inc. (Securus) for personal reasons, including to obtain cell phone location information relating to multiple individuals with whom the defendant had personal relationships and their spouses. Pena obtained this information by uploading false and fraudulent documents to the Securus system and by certifying that those documents were official documents giving permission to obtain the relevant individuals’ cell phone location information. After this activity became known to law enforcement, Pena lied to law enforcement officials about his use of the Securus service for personal reasons, including to locate individuals with whom he was or had been in a personal relationship. Pena also drafted an affidavit in the name of one of these individuals and persuaded that individual to sign the affidavit, which falsely stated that the individual had given Pena unlimited access to all of that individual’s personal cell phone information at all times.
Pena is charged with 11 counts of obtaining confidential phone records, two counts of false statements, and one count of falsification of a record. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison for each count of obtaining confidential phone records, up to five years in prison for each count of false statements, and up to 20 years in prison for falsification of a record. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Cloey C. Pierce of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Dallas Field Office made the announcement.
DOJ-OIG is investigating the case.
Deputy Chief Robert Heberle and Trial Attorney Nicole Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section 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.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Antwoine Johnson, 29, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty June 14, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City, to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on January 23, 2022, the Sioux City Police Department stopped Johnson for a traffic violation. Law enforcement detected the smell of marijuana emanating from the car. During a subsequent search of the car, Officers found a 9mm firearm in the void between the driver’s seat and console. Officers also found approximately 120 grams of marijuana in four separate baggies in the center console. Johnson was a convicted felon, previously convicted of felony burglary third degree in 2016, and was an unlawful user of marijuana, both of which prohibited him from legally possessing any firearm.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Johnson remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Johnson faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Sioux City Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4019.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Clinton Man Indicted for Illegally Excavating Native American SiteRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Clinton, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally excavating a prehistoric Native American site near Tightwad, Mo., causing more than $300,000 in damage.
Johnny Lee Brown, 70, was charged in an 11-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on April 26, 2022. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Brown’s arrest and initial court appearance.
According to the indictment, Brown participated in a conspiracy from June 20, 2016, to September 2021 to unlawfully excavate archeological resources from federal lands at Harry S. Truman Lake in Henry County, Mo. The site, which is located on a peninsula in Harry Truman Lake, is a large prehistoric Native American site that dates to the Late Archaic Period (3,000-5,000 years ago).
The federal indictment also refers to two known co-conspirators who are not identified as well as unknown co-conspirators. The indictment alleges that Brown and his co-conspirators either drove down a closed access road or walked to the site. They allegedly used tools ranging from small handheld trowels to full-size shovels, rakes, and hoes to dig, excavate, or otherwise damage large areas.
Damage to the site, says the indictment, has been estimated by a professional archeologist to be in excess of $300,000. According to the Osage Nation, the excavation damage to this archaeological site caused by this conspiracy greatly impacts the cultural history of the Osage Nation and affiliated tribes.
In addition to the conspiracy, Brown is charged with five felony counts of excavating, damaging, and otherwise altering and defacing archeological resources. Brown is also charged with five felony counts of injury or depredation to government property. The indictment cites 10 specific occasions on which Brown and his co-conspirators excavated the site.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Barnes and Cari Walsh. It was investigated by the National Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Chatham County man admits producing, possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Chatham County man has pled guilty to child exploitation charges, cancelling his trial that had been set for this week in Brunswick.
Rodney Bryant, 37, of Savannah, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The production charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to 30, along with five years to life of supervised release, substantial financial penalties and restitution, and registration upon release as a sex offender.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Pedophiles who produce child pornography and share it on the Internet doom exploited children to a lifetime of victimization,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Thanks to the diligence and determination of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, Rodney Bryant will be held accountable for these heinous crimes.”
As described in court documents and testimony, agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Savannah Police Department searched Bryant’s residence in 2020 after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided cybertips regarding images of child sexual abuse to the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Investigators later seized dozens of electronic devices from Bryant’s home, and found thousands of images of child sexual abuse and child erotica on those devices. The investigation determined Bryant produced many of those images in Georgia and at his previous residence in Fort Drum, N.Y.
Bryant had been scheduled for a jury trial, but it was cancelled by his guilty plea to key charges in the case. Sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood will be held after completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
“Bryant is a predator who not only abused children, but he also recorded these horrible acts for others to see. Thankfully, he will no longer be able to continue his deplorable acts of abuse and we all can breathe a little easier,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its partners will continue to find, arrest and prosecute those who seek to exploit our most vulnerable population.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood. Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Cavour Man Sentenced for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the InternetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Cavour, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet was sentenced on June 13, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
David Robert Farrell, age 40, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Farrell was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 4, 2021. He pled guilty on March 14, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between April 22 and April 27, 2021, when Farrell knowingly used his cell phone to persuade and entice a 15-year-old female to meet with him at a hotel in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the purpose of having sexual activity. Farrell had been texting with a person he knew to be a 15-year-old female. Unknown to him, and before the criminal conduct occurred, an undercover law enforcement officer assumed the identity of the 15-year-old female online. Some of his communications were sexual in nature and he expressed his intent to meet with the 15-year-old at a hotel in Sioux Falls for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Farrell was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
California Man and Nevada Woman Indicted for Interstate Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
A federal judge in the Southern District of Mississippi unsealed an indictment in which the United States charged a California man and a Nevada woman with one count each of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; and interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
According to the indictment, between April 2020 and June 2020, Michael Deon Fulcher, 52, and Jonzie Hamilton, 33, used force, fraud and coercion to cause an adult woman to engage in commercial sex acts in multiple states.
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is asking anyone with information about Michael Deon Fulcher and Jonzie Hamilton to contact the FBI Jackson Field Office at (601) 948-5000. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha L. Fomby for the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn Van Buskirk of the Southern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Brooklyn High School Teacher Convicted of Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, following a week-long trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, returned a guilty verdict against Jonathan Deutsch on four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and 6 counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Until his arrest, Deutsch was a teacher at Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences. When sentenced by United States District Judge Frederic Block, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdicts.
“Jonathan Deutsch connected with young children over the Internet and exploited them for his own sexual gratification. His conduct is criminal and deplorable,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office is committed to vigorously prosecuting individuals who sexually exploit children and to ensuring that they are brought to justice. Today’s conviction should serve as yet another reminder as to the importance of educating our children about the risks of communicating with strangers online.”
“As the evidence presented at trial proved, Deutsch groomed children as young as 10-years-old and enticed them into sending explicit photos of themselves in pursuit of his sexual gratification. Parents and guardians are the best line of defense against Deutsch and predators like him. Have a conversation with your children; talk with them about being safe online, and tell them to ask for help the moment they are asked to do something that doesn't feel right,” stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
“The trust between teachers and young students is vitally important, and violation of that trust by criminal predators is truly reprehensible,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “This defendant’s appalling actions are a reminder to all parents to closely monitor their child’s online activity, and today’s conviction further proves that the NYPD and our law-enforcement partners will never abate our efforts to keep young people safe. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, the New York Field Office of the FBI, and every investigator who worked on this important case.”
As proven at trial, beginning in 2016, Deutsch joined Facebook groups through which he identified users who appeared from their profiles to be minors. Deutsch, using two separate Facebook accounts, messaged children in an effort to develop relationships with them. Using one of these accounts, he posed as a 33-year-old teacher from New York, and using the other, he posted as a 15 year old boy. When chatting with children, he showered them with compliments and pretended to be their boyfriend. Deutsch enticed the children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and then to send him videos and photos of that conduct. He also sent minors sexual photos that he represented to be of himself. Ultimately, Deutsch requested and received sexually explicit images or videos from at least four children, ranging in age from 10 to 16 years old.
The evidence at trial included testimony from law enforcement witnesses who examined Deutsch’s computer and three of the children who the defendant exploited, as well as evidence of his internet browser history, and Facebook records, including his messenger communications with victims and potential victims, as well his account information.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell and Rachel A. Bennek are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
Jonathan Deutsch
Age: 38
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-502 (FB)
Beaver County Man Pleads to Violating Federal Drug and Gun LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former Beaver County resident pleaded guilty in federal court to violating the federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Michael Turner, 49, formerly of Wampum, PA, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that beginning in 2019, agents with the FBI and other agencies investigated drug trafficking activity in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood, and elsewhere. As part of that investigation, agents conducted court-authorized interceptions of telephonic communications over two telephones used by a codefendant between February 2020 through May 2020. During this period, agents intercepted Turner communicating regarding the purchase of kilogram quantities of cocaine. In connection with his guilty plea, Turner admitted that he acquired kilogram quantities of cocaine, which he redistributed to others, including to co-conspirators Brandon Quinn and Jeremiah Irving, both of whom have also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine. Turner further admitted to unlawfully possessing a .223 caliber rifle and ammunition, which agents seized from Turner’s Beaver County residence during a search of the same as part of the investigation on June 18, 2020. Turner, a felon, was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm and ammunition. Agents additionally recovered cocaine and approximately $17,000 in U.S. currency from Turner’s residence.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for October 27, 2022. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court remanded Turner to the custody of the United States Marshals.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the multi-agency investigation that included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police (Bureau of Narcotics Investigations), the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Bad check scheme sends Great Falls man to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man who admitted to defrauding others in a bad check scheme was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for convictions in two separate cases, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Mickey James Buchholz, 35, pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud, and today, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud as charged in a subsequent case.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris followed a plea agreement in which the parties recommended the two cases be joined and a global sentence of 12 months in prison be imposed. Chief Judge Morris ordered restitution totaling $747.
The government alleged in court documents that in 2019 and 2020, Buchholz became involved with his co-defendant, Rachel Abbott, in a fraudulent check scheme. Abbott used fake identification cards, stolen checks and check printing software and materials to create new checks with valid account numbers. Another individual would make fake identification cards for Abbott and Buchholz that contained real identities with their pictures. Buchholz then altered the payee line on valid checks to reflect himself and forged the checks for payment. Abbott was sentenced in March to 26 months in prison for conviction in the case.
After pleading guilty in the first case, the government alleged that Buchholz continued to commit wire fraud. Between January and April, Buchholz cashed or attempted to cash four additional stolen or forged checks in an account he opened in June 2021. One of the checks was written by a Jane Doe to Meals on Wheels to pay for meals for Doe’s elderly mother. Buchholz affected dozens of victims, impersonated numerous real individuals and passed hundreds of dollars in forged checks for his own personal gain. The victims suffered financial loss and face a lifetime of monitoring whether someone is using their personal information, bank accounts and all other identifying data.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica A. Betley and Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Great Falls Police Department.
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Armed Career Criminal sentenced to 15 years for St. Louis gun crimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man with a long and violent criminal history to 15 years in prison for a gun crime.
On Dec. 2, 2020, Steven D. Huffman was caught by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers in the 7200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in St. Louis with a Taurus 9mm pistol in his backpack. A tipster said Huffman was always armed, despite being a convicted felon, and was causing issues in the neighborhood. He was also on parole from a prior criminal conviction. Huffman initially ran from police before resisting arrest and threatening to kill at least two officers. Huffman threatened to shoot one officer in the face and then murder his family, he admitted in his plea agreement.
Huffman, 54, pleaded guilty in March to a felony charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Fleissig determined on Tuesday that due to his extensive criminal history involving a series of violent incidents, Huffman qualified as an “armed career criminal,” which meant he faced a 15-year mandatory prison term.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Alleged Health Care Fraudster Ordered Detained Pending Trial After Being Arrested on a Jet Ski Headed Toward CubaRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Yesterday, a federal judge in Miami ordered that a Hialeah resident who allegedly submitted more than $4 million in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare be detained pending trial, after the defendant was arrested on board a jet ski headed south from Key West toward Cuba.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, from February through April, 54-year-old Ernesto Cruz Graveran owned Xiko Enterprises, Inc., a Florida corporation which purported to provide durable medical equipment (“DME”) to eligible Medicare beneficiaries. The complaint alleges that Xiko, in only a two-month period in 2022, submitted approximately $4.2 million in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for DME that Xiko never provided, and that Medicare beneficiaries never requested. As a result, Medicare paid Xiko over $2.1 million. For example, according to the claims that Xiko submitted to Medicare, one physician purportedly prescribed DME from Xiko for approximately 145 Medicare beneficiaries, and Xiko billed Medicare over $1 million for DME referred by this one physician. But, according to the complaint, none of those 145 beneficiaries were in fact patients of that physician, and that physician never prescribed any of the billed-for DME.
The government alleged in court that the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers located Graveran aboard a broken-down jet ski in the waters south of Key West, headed in the direction of Cuba, roughly 90 miles away. Graveran was aboard the jet ski along with one other individual, who was known to law enforcement to be an alien smuggler. The jet ski was outfitted with a special fuel cell to allow for long trips, and within the compartments of the jet ski, law enforcement discovered a trove of food and water bottles.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Otazo-Reyes agreed with the government that Graveran should not be released on bond, and the Court ordered that Graveran remained detained at the Federal Detention Center in Miami until his trial.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Omar Perez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region; and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael B. Homer is prosecuting this case.
A complaint is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-mj-02982.
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13 June 2022
Vermont Residents Detained on Federal Drug Charges Arising from Middlebury IncidentRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Vermont residents Steven T. Browne, 37, of Shoreham, and Kayla Ramos, 22, of Rutland, have been detained in federal custody after their arraignment on a charge of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute. According to the indictment returned by the grand jury, Browne and Ramos possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin on or about October 25, 2021. Browne and Ramos were arrested on June 8, 2022, pursuant to warrants issued in conjunction with the indictment. They were arraigned on June 9, 2022, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on that charge, and they were held pending detention hearings. Browne and Ramos each appeared before Magistrate Judge Doyle for separate detention hearings today, and the Court ordered both defendants detained pending trial.
According to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint earlier in the case, police officers encountered Browne and Ramos at a hotel in Middlebury, Vermont on October 25, 2021. Officers removed Browne and Ramos from the room while they applied for a warrant to search the room. While the officers applied for a warrant, Browne and Ramos made multiple attempts to reenter the room, including by trying to break through an outside window. A subsequent search of the room led to the seizure of more than 3 ounces of cocaine and more than 1,800 individual baggies containing fentanyl or a mixture of fentanyl and heroin.
The charge in the indictment brought against Browne and Ramos is an accusation only, and they are each presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in further proceedings. If convicted of the crime of possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a) and (b)(1)(C), both defendants would face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Middlebury Police Department (MPD) and the collaboration of investigators between MPD; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Addison County.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Lasher. Steven Browne is represented by Robert Katims, Esq. Kayla Ramos is represented by John-Claude Charbonneau, Esq.
United States Resolves Voting Rights Lawsuit Against IBEW Local 98 Alleging Interference and Intimidation in 2020 Union ElectionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has resolved its civil suit on behalf of the U.S. Secretary of Labor against Local 98, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“Local 98”) for violating the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (“LMRDA”). In the settlement announced today, Local 98 has agreed to conduct its next nominations and election of officers under the Secretary of Labor’s supervision.
“Elections belong to the people, and union members have a federally-protected right to free and fair union elections,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Today’s agreement will protect the civil rights of all Local 98 members and ensure every member in good standing can freely exercise their rights to seek elected office and nominate and vote for candidates of their choosing without intimidation or fear of reprisal from those in positions of power.”
In its January 2021 complaint (Secretary of Labor v. Local 98, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Civ. No. 21-96 EDPA), the United States alleged that Local 98, through its incumbent officers and their supporting members, intimidated and threatened other members who sought to challenge incumbent union leadership in the union’s June 2020 elections, causing these members to withdraw from nominations. As a result, incumbent union leadership ran unopposed and all officers – including the president and five executive board members – were declared reelected without opposition. The United States alleged that Local 98’s interference, threats, and retaliation against the intended challengers violated its members’ rights under the LMRDA to nominate, be nominated, and vote for or otherwise support the candidates of their choice without improper interference or threat of reprisal.
In the civil lawsuit, the United States alleged that Local 98 convinced three of its members to withdraw from nominations in its June 2020 officer election through a pressure campaign orchestrated by its entrenched leadership, including then-Business Manager John Dougherty and President Brian Burrows. The alleged campaign included a promise by Dougherty to a member intending to run for office that Dougherty would associate the member with offensive comments on a website “if he ran with [an opposition] ticket” and threats such as “If you ain’t with me, you’re against me!” and “It’ll be a long three years if you lose.” It included an unannounced and knowingly unwelcome visit by business agent Robert Bark to a member’s home two nights before nominations, which “put the fear of God” into the member’s wife and family. It also included an in-person nomination requirement imposed by incumbent president Burrows that both required challengers to walk a “gauntlet” of Dougherty supporters to be nominated for office and violated the union’s constitution. Finally, it included enlisting a member’s elder relative and former Local 98 business agent to deliver a message that supporting a challenging candidate for office would disgrace the family’s generations-old reputation in the union.
The United States further alleged that Local 98, which at the time was controlled by a slate of officers that had not changed in years, had a pattern of interfering with the efforts of rank-and-file members to run for local union office since at least 2014. Dougherty resigned as Business Manager of Local 98, a position he had held since 1993, in November 2021, the day after he was convicted on federal conspiracy and corruption charges.
Under the agreement announced today, Local 98 will conduct its next regular election for the offices of president and five executive board members under the Secretary’s supervision.
“Today’s agreement will help ensure every Local 98 member will have his or her voice heard in a free and fair officer election. If you interfere with anyone’s rights to vote, or to seek office, the United States will hold you accountable,” Williams said.
“The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) is committed to protecting the rights of union members by ensuring that every member can participate fully in a fair union officer election,” said OLMS Northeastern Regional Director Megan Underwood. “We will work to ensure that the rights of IBEW Local 98 members are protected during the upcoming officer election.”
The claims resolved by the settlement announced today are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
The civil investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS), and is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren DeBruicker.
U.S. Attorney Announces $1.5 Million Settlement with Tzumi Innovations, LLC for Selling Unregistered Antimicrobial Household Products During the Covid-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Lisa F. Garcia, Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today that the United States has filed and simultaneously settled a counterclaim against TZUMI INNOVATIONS, LLC (“TZUMI”) for illegally distributing and selling millions of products claiming to have antimicrobial properties in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”) during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. TZUMI sold these products without submitting them to EPA for registration, a mandatory process that allows EPA to assess the safety and effectiveness of the products. TZUMI specifically targeted lower-income customers for sale of one of its products, “Wipe Out! Wipes.”
The proposed stipulation and order of settlement (“settlement”) agreed to by TZUMI includes payment of a $1.5 million civil penalty, the largest FIFRA civil penalty ever obtained in a judicial settlement and one of the largest FIFRA penalties obtained by EPA in any context.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “At the height of the pandemic, Tzumi misled consumers and retailers and exposed the public to pesticide products that had not been found by EPA to be safe and effective. It compounded matters by targeting low-income customers, who face disproportionate environmental burdens. Today’s settlement ensures that Tzumi pays the price for its misconduct. We will continue to pursue justice in environmental enforcement matters.”
EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia stated: “Consumers must be provided accurate information about pesticide products and merchandise such as those items involved in this case, which must be properly labeled and registered with EPA to protect public health. This settlement demonstrates EPA’s commitment to hold companies accountable that violate critical environmental laws and includes a provision where Tzumi Innovations, LLC will develop an extensive campaign to inform the public and retailers about the appropriate uses for the products in question.”
The counterclaim filed in Manhattan federal court today alleges that in 2020, TZUMI began to sell three product lines—Wipe Out! Wipes, Wipe Out! Multi-Surface Wipes, and Wipe Out! Multi-Surface Decontaminant Spray—in an effort to respond to the public’s increased demand for disinfectant products during the COVID-19 public health crisis. TZUMI expressly stated that it intended Wipe Out! Wipes to be sold to “lower income level customers.”
None of these supposedly antimicrobial products were registered with EPA under FIFRA. FIFRA prohibits the distribution or sale of pesticides—including products claiming to have antimicrobial properties intended to be used to disinfect surfaces—that are not registered under FIFRA, absent exceptions to registration not applicable here. Registration is a critical step in ensuring the efficacy and safety of antimicrobial pesticides: Among other things, during registration, EPA reviews the application information and performs a rigorous, comprehensive scientific assessment of the product, including the product’s active and inert ingredients and the proposed uses of the product, to ensure that the product is effective and has no unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment when used for its intended purpose and according to labeled directions.
TZUMI failed to register the Wipe Out! products with EPA, even though its labeling made antimicrobial pesticidal claims suggesting that these products were intended to be used to disinfect surfaces and TZUMI had knowledge that the products would be used as a pesticide, as that term is defined in FIFRA. Consistent with TZUMI’s claims, retailers then sold these products on their websites or in their physical stores in the same sections in which they included properly registered antimicrobial disinfectants, like Clorox and Lysol products. Reviews on retailers’ websites demonstrate that consumers in fact were misled into believing that Wipe Out! Wipes in particular could be used as an antimicrobial pesticide to disinfect surfaces.
TZUMI’s actions put the public—including the low-income consumers that TZUMI targeted—at risk of using products that failed to work as claimed or that were unsafe. Low-income communities in general bear a disproportionate burden of environmental exposures and public health risks, and selling unregistered pesticides to these communities raises particular concerns of environmental justice.
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In the settlement lodged with the federal court today, TZUMI admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following, among other things:
- In 2020, Tzumi introduced new product lines to the domestic household market in an effort to respond to the public’s increased demand for disinfectant products during the COVID-19 public health crisis. The new products Tzumi distributed or sold included Wipe Out! Wipes, Wipe Out! Multi-Surface Wipes, and Wipe Out! Multi-Surface Decontaminant Spray.
- Wipe Out! Wipes, Wipe Out! Multi-Surface Wipes, and Wipe Out! Multi-Surface Decontaminant Spray have never been registered as pesticides with EPA under Section 3 of FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. § 136a.
- From at least August through December 2020, Tzumi distributed 4,895,184 units of Wipe Out! Wipes to Home Depot bearing a label stating on the front in part “Wipe Out Antibacterial Wipes” and “KILLS GERMS FAST*” and on the back in part “To decrease bacteria on the skin that could cause disease”; “Cleans and sanitizes”; “KILLS 99.9% OF GERMS*”; “*Escherichia Coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus Aureus (Staph), Candida Albicans”; and “Use it Anytime, Anywhere.”
- From October through November 2020, Tzumi sold 472,281 units of Wipe Out! Multi-Surface Wipes bearing a label that displayed the words “active ingredient” and “purpose: antibacterial” and graphics of household appliances, bathroom fixtures, and surfaces.
- From February 2021 through April 2021, Tzumi sold 62,796 units of Wipe Out! Multi-Surface Decontaminant Spray that stated on its label “Controls Algae Harmful Bacteria” (sic) and “… spray directly on the surface and let stand … ten minutes for antimicrobial response.”
The settlement requires TZUMI to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty and to issue corrective statements advising consumers and retailers of the unregistered status and limited appropriate use of the Wipe Out! products. It also requires TZUMI not to distribute or sell such unregistered pesticide products in the future.
The settlement remains subject to a period of public comment and Court approval. Notice of the proposed settlement will be published in the Federal Register and the public will have the opportunity to submit comments on the proposed settlement for a period of at least 30 days before it is submitted for the Court’s approval.
U.S. Attorney Williams thanked EPA Region 2’s attorneys and program staff for their critical work on this case.
This case is being handled by the Environmental Protection Unit of the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Rovner is in charge of the case.
U.s. Attorney Encourages the Public to Observe World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2022Read the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith encourages the public to observe World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2022, and help combat elder fraud and abuse.
"If you suspect that an elderly person is being abused or defrauded, I strongly encourage you to call the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") National Elder Fraud Hotline," United States Attorney Smith said. "Unfortunately, too many of our older Virgin Islanders are becoming victims of the many forms of abuse, neglect, and financial fraud and scams that target the elderly."
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. It provides communities an opportunity to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic, and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. Elder abuse is any act that causes harm to an older person and is carried out by someone they know and trust, such as a family member or friend. The abuse may be physical, financial, psychological, or sexual and can include exploitation, mistreatment, and neglect.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to supporting and coordinating enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder fraud and abuse, including working with our local law enforcement and community partners, United States Attorney Smith said. DOJ’s hotline, which is managed by the Office of Victims of Crime, is staffed by caring professionals who treat all callers with dignity and respect. Callers will be assigned a case manager, who will remain their point of contact, and will assist with reporting the crime and connecting victims with other resources as needed.
If you or someone you know is a victim of elder fraud, please call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11 (833–372–8311). The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time. Services are available for speakers of English, Spanish, and other languages. You may also report suspected elder fraud by calling the local FBI office at (340) 777-3363.
Two Time Federal Felon Sentenced to 37 Months’ Imprisonment for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on June 13, 2022, Kyle Tetreault, 31, formerly of Middlebury, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III to 37 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Tetreault also agreed to forfeit the firearms recovered from his residence. Tetreault had previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms, which carried a maximum sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
According to court records, on May 14, 2021, Special Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) assisted the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department in executing a search warrant at Kyle Tetreault’s residence in Middlebury. The search warrant related to an investigation into a number of state crimes committed by Tetreault, including, failure to report big game, illegal taking of big game, and petit larceny. During the search, investigators found ten firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The firearms and ammunition were found throughout the house, some in plain view and others under household goods, such as the master bedroom mattress. Tetreault has multiple prior felony convictions and a 2015 federal felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. This instant conviction is Tetreault’s second conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.After Tetreault’s sentencing, Sergeant Robert Currier of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department stated: “This case is an example of the Vermont Warden Service’s dedication to the protection of Vermont and its natural resources, which includes its strong working relationship with federal partners in law enforcement.”
This matter was investigated by the ATF and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the ATF and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department in the investigation and prosecution of Tetreault.
This case was prosecuted on behalf of the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy L. Fuller. Tetreault was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Mary Nerino.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn for more information.
Tucson Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Possessing Device to Convert Glock into Automatic FirearmRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Anthony Michael Brumfield, 24, of Tucson, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Brumfield previously pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of a Machine Gun.
On February 12, 2020, Brumfield posted a video on his social media account showing him in possession of two conversion devices, which are designed to convert Glock pistols into automatic firearms. These conversion devices are defined as machine guns under federal law. On the same date, Brumfield sold one of the conversion devices to another individual.
“Conversion devices like the ones possessed by the defendant are inherently dangerous,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “And let’s be clear: these aren’t used for hunting, or for personal protection. These devices are drivers of violence in communities across America.”
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-00889-TUC-SHR (EJM)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-092_Brumfield# # #
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 Men Sentenced to Prison for Offenses Related to Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A man from San Bernardino, California, and two Las Vegas residents were sentenced to prison last week in three separate human trafficking related investigations.
Tyler Sampson (26), a San Bernadino, California resident, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Andrew P. Gordon to six and half years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. On March 15, 2022, Sampson pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, on July 19, 2021, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers were patrolling a portion of Tropicana Avenue that was known for prostitution. Sampson’s car was illegally parked in the area. A woman spoke with the officers and told them Sampson was a “pimp.” Officers approached Sampson’s car to investigate and ultimately located a pistol sticking out from underneath the driver’s seat. Officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber Glock 22 pistol. Because Sampson has prior felony convictions in Los Angeles County, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Officers also searched Sampson’s cell phone and found videos of child pornography depicting a suspected human trafficking victim.
In a separate case, John Glen Burnett (59), a Las Vegas resident, was sentenced by Judge Gordon to nine years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release after pleading guilty on January 11, 2022, to coercion and enticement.
According to court documents, on September 17, 2021, Burnett responded to an online prostitution advertisement and exchanged messages with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old prostitute. He agreed to pay $100 to the girl in exchange for her to engage in sex acts with him. A couple of hours later, Burnett drove to the agreed upon location where he was arrested by law enforcement.
In another case, Tamarion Williams (22), a Las Vegas resident, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge James C. Mahan to 30-months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty on March 11, 2022, to felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, in November 2020, Williams used social media to post photographs of himself holding a gun. William’s probation officer saw the posts and notified the police who obtained a search warrant. Officers recovered the same .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol shown in the posts and arrested Williams. In 2019, Williams was convicted of Pandering and Battery with Substantial Bodily Harm in Clark County. As a result of these felony convictions, Williams is not allowed to possess a firearm.
These cases were jointly investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bianca Pucci.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Report child sexual exploitation to NCMEC by calling the hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.
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Stoughton Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to firearm offenses.
Michael Robert Moura, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and one count of receipt and possession of an unregistered firearm. U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. scheduled sentencing for Oct. 11, 2022. Moura was arrested and charged in April 2021.
Over the course of several months in 2020 and again in February 2021, Moura sought to purchase a firearm. On the morning of April 28, 2021, Moura purchased a Glock handgun, an assault rifle, pistol and rifle magazines and over 100 rounds of ammunition in a parking lot in Brockton. Shortly thereafter, Moura was arrested and the illegally obtained handgun, rifle, ammunition and magazines were seized.
Moura is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to an April 2020 conviction in Worcester County punishable by more than one year in prison.
Both charges provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided the Brockton and Stoughton Police Departments. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Tolkoff and Timothy Kistner of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Spencer, Iowa Man, Who Twice Illegally Possessed Firearms, Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed two separate guns, on two separate occasions, was sentenced, June 3, 2022, to more than 8 years in federal prison.
Demetrius Wright, 41, from Spencer, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 19, 2021, guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Evidence in the case revealed Wright, on two occasions in 2021, illegally possessed two different guns, a Glock .22 Caliber semi-automatic handgun and a Smith and Wesson, M&P 15-22, .22 LR Caliber semi-automatic handgun.
This after Wright had been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence in January 2017, and while he was subject to two different protection orders, issued in Iowa and Florida. Each of these prohibitions prohibited Wright from lawfully possessing firearms.
On April 23, 2021, in Spencer, Iowa Wright possessed the Smith and Wesson, M&P 15-22, .22 LR caliber pistol after it was “straw purchased” for him by another person. Wright then used it in an attempt to threaten another person by making a threatening video with the firearm.
On or about August 1, 2021, in Sioux City, Iowa Wright possessed the Glock .22 Caliber semi-automatic handgun after another person used it to commit a shooting in an apparent effort to conceal it from law enforcement investigating the shooting.
Wright was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wright was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve 36 months of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Wright is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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.
The case was investigated by the Spencer, Iowa Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, the Clay and Woodbury County Attorneys’ Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety: Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4071. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
South Texas mayor arrestedRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – The Mayor of Penitas has been charged with bribery and fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Authorities took Rodrigo Lopez, 38, into custody today as he re-entered the United States at a Port of Entry in Hidalgo County.He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano tomorrow at 11 a.m.
The two-count indictment, returned June 1 and unsealed today, charges Lopez with embezzling or fraudulently obtaining property of the La Joya Independent School District (LJISD). From March through August of 2018, LJISD allegedly made purchases totaling approximately $70,010 from Lopez’s company Xizaka LLC.
Lopez offered or gave a bribe to an LJISD employee in connection with these purchases, according to the allegations.
If convicted, Lopez faces up to 10 years on each count.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; Texas Department of Insurance; McAllen Police Department and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto Lopez is prosecuting the case.An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Self-Professed Charleston Gang Member Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Travis Stefenon Dequan Lawrence, 29, of Charleston, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that Lawrence was a felon and self-professed member of a dangerous street gang. When he was arrested, he was in possession of a stolen pistol with a magazine holding 17 rounds of hollow point ammunition. His record shows that he has been involved in criminal activity since he was 14 years old.
United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Lawrence to 84 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Kittrell prosecuted the case in federal court in coordination with Assistant Solicitor Stephanie Linder of the Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office.
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Sanostee man charged with second degree murderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Tyrone Atcitty Nez was charged by criminal complaint with second degree murder in Indian Country. Nez, 33, of Sanostee, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, made an initial appearance in federal court today and will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for June 15.
According to the complaint, on June 8, Nez allegedly fatally assaulted a man, identified as John Doe, in the home where Nez resides near Sanostee on the Navajo Nation. Nez allegedly punched John Doe in the face, rendering John Doe unconscious. Nez then allegedly stomped the victim in the face several times.
Neighbors called 911. Emergency Medical Services were unable to revive John Doe, and Navajo Police arrested Nez.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Nez faces up to life in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.
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Readout of Latest Justice Department Leadership Meeting on Joint Task Force Alpha’s Anti-Human Smuggling and Trafficking EffortsRead the Press Release
Last week, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division convened a meeting in San Diego to highlight the progress of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTF Alpha) in recognition of the one-year anniversary since its formation.
AAG Polite brought senior leadership from the Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) together with members of the task force to discuss how to ensure that JTF Alpha is empowered to continue its significant progress moving forward. Participants included U.S. Attorneys Randy S. Grossman for the Southern District of California, who helped host the meeting, Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas, Ashley C. Hoff for the Western District of Texas; Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Savel for the District of Arizona; Assistant Director Steve Cagen of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Acting Commissioner Troy A. Miller of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and interagency members of JTF Alpha.
Since its creation, JTF Alpha has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department and DHS, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States, and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys Offices across the country. JTF Alpha has been comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTF Alpha – led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). JTF Alpha is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners.
Leading up to the meeting, AAG Polite led senior leaders from the Justice Department and DHS components in a visit to the southwest border in San Diego. AAG Polite and other senior leaders met with law enforcement officials at the border and received briefings on current operations. The tour provided an important perspective on challenges presented by transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling and other crimes who impact border security efforts by land, sea, and air.
“I am proud of the success of Joint Task Force Alpha,” said AAG Polite. “We are better at dismantling human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and elsewhere because we are a stronger, unified law enforcement team. I believe our collective efforts to combat these crimes will continue to generate immediate results, while building towards greater, enduring positive impacts.”
At the outset of the meeting, AAG Polite expressed his appreciation for the broad and continued support of JTF Alpha and highlighted that, in its first year, this joint law enforcement effort has resulted in substantial disruption through specific and general deterrence – collaborating on numerous high priority investigations and cases of significant organizations and their key leaders and facilitators, resulting in dozens of arrests, indictments, and convictions both in the United States and with foreign law enforcement partners, along with obtaining substantial jail sentences and asset forfeiture. AAG Polite praised the partnership between a myriad of law enforcement agencies in attendance, including ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), CBP, U.S. Coast Guard, the FBI, and the DEA in concert with JTF Alpha prosecutors, to tackle this important mission.
The U.S. Attorneys, Chief Assistants, and their designated JTF Alpha prosecutors spoke about smuggling trends and challenges in their respective districts and ways to better employ JTF Alpha resources. ICE Assistant Director Cagen and CBP Acting Commissioner Miller spoke about the need to continue coordinating law enforcement counter-network strategies and prioritizing support for JTF Alpha.
Participants discussed ways to further advance JTF Alpha’s mission to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras; and to identify ways to strengthen efforts to disrupt and dismantle those human smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse or exploit those being smuggled, pose national security risks, or have links to transnational organized crime.
JTF Alpha leadership provided an assessment of the initiative’s progress thus far and its plans to continue and enhance its work; and prosecutors and agents presented case studies and discussed various investigations and successful cases including: A Bangladeshi national sentenced to 46 months in prison for his role in a scheme to smuggle undocumented individuals from Mexico into the United States, the takedown of a prolific transnational human smuggling organization operating in Nogales, Sonora, along the U.S.-Mexico border, the over 38-year prison sentence of a Cuban national who was using his border ranch as a criminal corridor to further his drug trafficking and human smuggling activities, and the sentencing of two human smugglers responsible for attempting to smuggle 14 Mexican citizens by sea to the shores of La Jolla, California, resulting in the tragic drowning death of a 43-year-old passenger, the guilty pleas and sentencings in Arizona of individuals involved in human smuggling organizations responsible for smuggling, transporting, and harboring over 100 undocumented nationals from Guatemala and Mexico, and the indictment of eight defendants on charges of human smuggling and drug smuggling for their involvement in an international scheme to smuggle 24 undocumented individuals and cocaine from Honduras into Louisiana via boat. Additionally, JTF Alpha leadership identified enhancements made to increase the efficiencies of the Task Force model at the local and national level and discussed ways to better foster interagency collaboration to target criminal organizations involved in smuggling and related crimes in and through the region.
The meeting ended with a commitment of continued support for JTF Alpha’s work and that of the assigned prosecutors devoted to the task force from each district. ICE Assistant Director Cagen and CBP Acting Commissioner Miller committed to ensuring that law enforcement strategies prioritize JTF Alpha support, enhance information sharing, and focus on investigative collaboration. AAG Polite confirmed that the Criminal Division, including numerous components that participate in the initiative, remains steadfast in its support and prioritization of JTF Alpha and assured everyone that the department is focused on its continued success. AAG Polite also thanked the meeting attendees for their valuable and faithful service, and for the professionalism and inestimable dedication of the prosecutors, agents, analysts, and all other personnel supporting JTF Alpha.
Preston County residents sentenced for wire fraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Preston County residents were sentenced today for their roles in an insurance fraud scheme, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Cynthia Miller, of Newburg, West Virginia, and Dustin Miller, of Reedsville, West Virginia, were each sentenced today to five years of probation with the first four months on home detention for wire fraud. Cynthia, 36, and Dustin, 41, each pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.” Both admitted to working with others to stage a vehicle accident, fabricate injuries, and file false insurance claims. The crime occurred from March to July 2019 in Taylor and Preston Counties.
Cynthia and Dustin were also ordered to jointly pay $8,474.65 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the West Virginia Insurance Commission Fraud Unit investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Palm Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Criminal Charge for Distributing Sexually Explicit Videos of Children via ZoomRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for streaming sexually explicit videos of children – some of them toddlers – in a Zoom online meeting room for individuals interested in child exploitation.
Michael John Andersen, 53, of Palm Springs, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, in February 2018, Andersen, using the login name “TattdPigPS,” and other individuals logged into a Zoom meeting room that law enforcement previously identified as a place for people interested in sexually explicit images and videos of children. Within a 10-minute span, Andersen streamed three sexually explicit videos of children – two of the videos featured toddlers.
In March 2018, Andersen again logged into the same Zoom meeting room and again streamed two sexually explicit videos featuring children.
Law enforcement recorded both sessions in which Andersen posted child pornography online.
In August 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Andersen’s home. Andersen admitted to law enforcement that he believed the agents were at his residence because of his activities in “pedophile or perv Zoom rooms.” He also admitted to previously streaming child pornography on Zoom.
A forensic analysis of Andersen’s digital devices, including an iPhone and iPad, revealed approximately 151 images and nine videos of child pornography.
United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson scheduled an October 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Andersen will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 30, 2016, Donald Ray Jackson, 38, of Columbus, assisted in the sale of what was purported to be heroin to a confidential informant in Huntington. A forensic chemist who analyzed the substance subsequently found it to contain a mixture of both heroin and fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
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. 3:17-cr-183.
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Office Manager Sentenced for Embezzling over $775,000 from EmployerRead the Press Release
AUSTIN – A Round Rock woman was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for embezzling from her employer.
According to court documents, Cynthia Linette Jones, 52, was the office manager for a Central Texas business. In that role, she had access to the company’s accounting system and checkbook. From 2012 to 2018, she forged over 70 company checks and stole over $775,000.
On November 30, 2021, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of tax evasion. In addition to the prison sentence, Jones was ordered to pay over $775,000 in restitution to her former employer and over $185,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
“Institutions run on trust,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “They depend on trusted individuals to do the right thing in the interests of their coworkers and employers. Today’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of Jones’ abuse of her position and the determination of this office to seek stiff punishments against those who embezzle from their employers.”
“Cynthia Jones violated the trust placed in her by her employer through the multi-year theft of company funds while also violating the duty to report all income, even income illegally earned, to the IRS,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), Houston Field Office. “The sentencing today communicates the severity of both violations Jones committed, which should also serve as a deterrent reminder to other would-be tax evaders and white collar criminals.”
The IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan prosecuted the case.
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Montrose Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jared Newman, age 44, of Montrose, Colorado, was sentenced to 55 months in federal prison for wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant was the ringleader of a bogus billing fraud scheme while employed as a subcontractor working in the warehouse at the Western Area Power Administration (“WAPA”) in Montrose, Colorado. WAPA is a government agency within the U.S. Department of Energy that is responsible for supplying and marketing electricity generated from federal dams to public entities within the U.S. As part of Newman’s scheme, he enlisted the assistance of friends and family members to create various shell companies which were in turn used to submit fraudulent invoices to WAPA for goods which were never provided to the government. After receiving funds for the nonexistent goods, Newman and his associates split the stolen funds. Newman received his funds by way of “kickbacks” which totaled $652,292. Newman used most of the funds to support his lavish lifestyle, which included making personal expenditures on such things as a private airplane and a vacation home located on Lake Havasu in Arizona. As part of his sentence, Newman will be responsible for paying WAPA’s total loss of $879,392 back to the government as restitution.
“This was a complex fraud, carried out over a long period of time, and it resulted in a substantial loss to the government,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We will go after anyone who cheats the government for their own personal gain.”
“Those who steal from the government steal from all of us, and we will continue to make sure they are found out and held accountable,” said Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson. “I’d like to thank our partners at DOJ and GSA for their hard work on this case, and also WAPA who brought this matter to our attention.”
"Procurement fraud schemes such as this one harm the taxpayer and are a violation of the public's trust," said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Willemin of the GSA Office of Inspector General, Southwest and Rocky Mountain Division. "GSA OIG special agents are committed to working with their partners to find and hold accountable those who violate that trust."
United States District Court Judge Regina Rodriguez sentenced the defendant Jared Newman on June 8, 2022.
The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General jointly conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Tim Neff handled the prosecution of the case.
Case number: 21-cr-00300-RMR
Middleton Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ramar A. Brown, 26, Middleton, Wisconsin was sentenced on Friday, June 10 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 40 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. This prison term will be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Brown pleaded guilty to this charge on March 7, 2022.
On October 12, 2021, Fitchburg Police Department (FPD) officers planned to arrest Ramar Brown who was the subject of unrelated state investigations and was observed operating a stolen vehicle. When officers approached and identified themselves to Brown, he fled. He was eventually apprehended by FPD officers. During his flight, Brown threw a bag to the ground. Officers searched the bag and found a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with a 28-round extended magazine. Brown’s DNA was later found on the Glock handgun.
Brown was prohibited from legally possessing a firearm based on multiple prior felony convictions. At the time of this incident, he was on state extended supervision for a prior armed robbery conviction. His state supervision was revoked in January 2022, and he is currently serving a state prison sentence of just over 2 ½ years on that case. Judge Conley ordered this federal sentence to run concurrently with the remainder of Brown’s state prison sentence.
At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that the handgun being loaded with an extended magazine was an aggravating factor, as was the fact that Brown was on state supervision for armed robbery when he committed this offense.
The charge against Brown was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Twice DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced June 10, 2022 to almost three months in federal prison.
Hector Vasquez-Vasquez, age 36, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Tama County, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on April 11, 2022, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Vasquez-Vasquez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. In March 2005 Vasquez-Vasquez was arrested in Florida on drug charges using an alias and was convicted in June 2005 of felony possession of cocaine and marijuana. Vasquez-Vasquez was first deported to Mexico by immigration officials in October 2007. In January 2018, Vasquez-Vasquez was returned to Mexico after illegally reentering the United States. He was again formally deported to Mexico in October 2018 following his arrest by immigration officers in the United States. On March 8, 2022, immigration officers learned Vasquez-Vasquez had illegally returned to the United States and found Vasquez-Vasquez at the Tama County Jail following his arrest on state charges.
Vasquez-Vasquez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Vasquez-Vasquez was sentenced to 86 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Vasquez-Vasquez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-24.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Maryland man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Darren Anthony Burnett, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced today to 60 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Burnett, 38, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of “Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.” Burnett admitted to having a 9mm pistol while trafficking cocaine and marijuana in October 2020 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON W.Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to receipt of stolen money, for his role in a scheme that defrauded more than 200 victims, many of them elderly, of at least $2.5 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Oluwabamishe Awolesi, also known as Oluwabamise Johnson, 29, of Beltsville, Maryland, admitted that one victim of the scheme transferred a total of $90,000 into Awolesi’s checking account in September 2018. He kept $12,000 of the total and forwarded the rest to others involved in the scheme.
Awolesi lived in Huntington during his involvement in the scheme. Three indictments targeting the scheme allege that from 2016 to 2020, multiple defendants participated in a series of romance and other online scams designed to coerce vulnerable victims into sending money to various bank accounts controlled by them. The indictments describe romance scams as online schemes that target individuals looking for romantic partners, friendship, and other close personal and business relationships on dating websites and other social media platforms. Members of the fraud and money laundering conspiracy created profiles using fictitious names, locations, and images which allowed them to cultivate relationships with the victims. To carry out the schemes alleged in the indictments, victims were often led to believe that they were in relationships with U.S. residents working abroad. However, the investigation revealed that the individuals the victims viewed as their romantic partners were false personas created by members of the fraud and money laundering conspiracies.
At the early stages of the romance scams, the fraudsters frequently requested relatively small gifts, such as gift cards and cell phones from their victims. As the relationships continued, they requested increasingly larger sums of money from their victims. Mr. Awolesi opened bank accounts and received the proceeds of the romance scams through those accounts. Members of the fraud and money laundering conspiracy also occasionally used cryptocurrency and celebrity meet-and-greet scams to obtain money from their victims.
Awolesi, a citizen of Nigeria and the United States, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,00 fine. As part of his plea, Awolesi agreed to pay $90,000 in restitution.
The cases are the result of a long-term investigation that spanned approximately two years. United States Attorney Will Thompson made today’s announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), the West Virginia State Police, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and R. Gregory McVey are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
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-68.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in the Murder of A Federal Witness and Two OthersRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jerell Adgebesan, age 34, of Baltimore and Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to participating in the June 25, 2016, murders of three individuals in Mercersburg, Franklin County, one of whom was cooperating with state and federal drug investigators. The guilty plea was before United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner. Adgebesan faces a possible life sentence.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the charges against Adgebesan were the result of a six-year investigation into three murders that occurred on June 25, 2016, on a property along Welsh Run Road in Mercersburg, Franklin County. When Pennsylvania State Police officers were called to the scene, they found Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Hagerstown, Md, Brandon Cole, 47, Fayetteville, PA, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36, Mercersburg, PA, all to have been shot in a barn on victim Jackson’s property. The three victims had their hands zipped-tied behind their backs and had been set on fire. Jackson and Cole were shot once in the head. Chaney was shot twice, once in the back and once in the head. Wendy Chaney and Brandon Cole were already dead when the police responded to the scene. Phillip Jackson was transported to York Hospital where he died shortly after arrival.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea proceeding established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with co-defendants Kevin Coles and Torey White and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operation. Coles, White and co-defendant Devin Dickerson learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Adgebesan and co-defendant Kenyatta Corbett recruited members of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family and others from Baltimore to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney. Adgebesan knew these individuals from Baltimore. The killers were promised that they could take as payment $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property. Once there, the killers encountered not only Wendy Chaney but also Brandon Cole and Phillip Jackson. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Coles, White, Dickerson, Corbett, and others. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms.
Adgebesan, along with other individuals, were charged in connection with the investigation:
- Kevin Coles, age 36, of New York, NY and Hagerstown, Maryland, was found guilty after a guilty trial in April of multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking, and is awaiting sentencing;
- Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and is awaiting sentencing;
- Kenyatta Corbett, age 38, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
- Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
- Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and is awaiting sentencing;
- Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
- Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
- Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
- Christopher Johnson, age 31, Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to multiple counts including murder for hire and is awaiting sentencing
- Mark Johnson, age 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and is awaiting sentencing; and
- Llesenia Woodard, age 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing.
Joshua Davis, age 30, previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders. Davis was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment. Torey White’s trial is scheduled for January 2023.
The following federal, state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation: Drug Enforcement Administration Harrisburg Resident Office; Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg; Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H; Franklin County Drug Task Force; Franklin County Adult Probation; Pennsylvania State Probation and Parole; Hagerstown Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division; Drug Enforcement Administration, Hagerstown Resident Office; Washington County Narcotics Task Force; Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office, Strike Force Group 1; Maryland State Police Homicide Unit; Baltimore Police Department Narcotics, Fugitive And Homicide Units; Baltimore County Police Department Narcotics and Gang Unit; Federal Bureau of Investigation Evidence Management Unit, Quantico, VA; US Marshal’s Service Harrisburg, PA and Phoenix, AZ; Franklin County District Attorney’s Office; United States Attorney’s Office, District Of Maryland; and the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael Consiglio are prosecuting 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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) identified as “Retribution for Welsh Run.” OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Maryland Man Admits to Extortion in Connection with a Maryland State Contract for Information TechnologyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Kenneth Coffland, age 67, of Riva, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to extortion committed in connection with the operation of a state government contract for information technology (IT) services.
The guilty plea was entered on late on June 7, 2022, and announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Coffland used his relationship with co-defendant Isabel FitzGerald to compel Company # 1 to re-hire Coffland for a position on a state contract that he had resigned from 18 months earlier, at a substantially increased salary and with a bonus agreement that was far more lucrative than that what Coffland had previously enjoyed.
From 2009 to September 2011, Coffland was an employee of Company # 1, an IT company that held a large contract with the Maryland State Department of Human Resources (DHR) to operate a data center that was used to host various applications that provided social welfare benefits under various federal and state programs (“the Hosting Contract”). In 2010, Company # 1 promoted Coffland to the position of Hosting Director on this contract, with overall responsibility for ensuring that Company # 1’s operation of the data center met its contractual obligations to DHR. Coffland’s annual salary as Hosting Director in 2010-11 was approximately $171,000, plus a potential bonus of up to 20% of his salary.
While working first as an employee of Company # 1 on the Hosting Contract and later as the Hosting Director, Coffland developed a close working relationship with Isabel FitzGerald, who was then DHR’s Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) and was directly responsible for overseeing the performance of the Hosting Contract. By the spring of 2010, Coffland’s and FitzGerald’s relationship had evolved into a close personal one.
Although FitzGerald resigned from DHR effective October 2011, starting at least in December 2011 and continuing through early December 2012, FitzGerald served as a consultant to the Secretary of DHR and to her successor as CIO. She dealt directly with Company # 1 and its officials who had responsibility for the Hosting Contract and advised the Secretary of DHR on matters relating to the Hosting Contract.
On Friday, September 23, 2011, after FitzGerald had given notice that she was resigning her position as CIO, Coffland resigned his position as Hosting Director with Company # 1. The following Monday, September 26, 2011, Coffland started work for Company # 2, which was responsible for reviewing and reporting to the State concerning Company # 1’s performance on the Hosting Contract. In his new position, Coffland’s sole job was to monitor and report to DHR on his previous employer’s performance on the Hosting Contract, which continued to involve working closely with FitzGerald in her new role as an DHR consultant.
In December 2012, FitzGerald was appointed Deputy Secretary for Operations of DHR, a position that reported directly to the DHR Secretary and that oversaw the Hosting Contract and numerous additional offices within DHR. As detailed in Coffman’s plea agreement, after FitzGerald was appointed as DHR’s Deputy Secretary, in early 2013 she caused her successor as CIO to instruct Company # 1 to remove the person who then held the position of Hosting Director. FitzGerald then met with Company # 1’s program manager concerning its “problematic performance” on the Hosting Contract. During this conversation, FitzGerald told Company # 1’s program manager that if it rehired Coffland as Hosting Director, she believed he would be able to fix the performance issues she discerned and that the State would then be willing to award Company # 1 a five-year contract renewal, after the original five-year term of the Hosting Contract expired in 2014. FitzGerald subsequently communicated the substance of her discussion with Company # 1’s program manager to Coffland.
According to the plea agreement, although it was reluctant to do so, largely because of its discomfort with what it perceived to be the relationship between FitzGerald and Coffland, Company # 1 offered the Hosting Director position to Coffland in February 2013, with a salary and bonus arrangement that were an improvement over what which he had received during his previous tenure in the position. However, Coffland rejected Company # 1’s initial offer, and countered with a demand for a salary and bonus structure that far exceeded what he had previously received. Coffland also demanded that he be hired as an independent contractor rather than an employee.
Given FitzGerald’s position, Company # 1 felt that it had no choice but to agree to Coffland’s demands, and it offered him the Hosting Director’s position as an independent contractor in April 2013. Company # 1 also agreed to pay Coffland at a rate of $125 per hour, up to a maximum of 2,400 annual hours – a potential annual salary of $300,000. In addition, Company # 1 agreed to Coffland’s demand for a quarterly bonus of up to $50,000.00, resulting in a potential annual bonus of $200,000. Coffland forwarded Company # 1’s emailed offer to his personal email address and from there to FitzGerald’s personal email address, and he discussed Company # 1’s offer with FitzGerald before he accepted it.
On July 2, 2013, Coffland returned to the Hosting Director position as an independent contractor.
Isabel Fitzgerald, age 52, of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to bribery in connection with a scheme to receive financial benefits from two senior members of an information technology company in exchange for influence in connection with the performance of favorable official acts. She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2020.
Coffland faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release for extortion. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for October 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Jefferson M. Gray, who are prosecuting the 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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Man sentenced to 8 years in prison for stealing firearms from Hannibal farm supply storeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a man who stole firearms from a Hannibal farm supply store and sold one to an undercover federal agent to eight years in prison.
Dalton Culp, 29, of Hannibal, was also ordered to repay more than $5,000 to the Farm and Home Supply store in Hannibal. Culp and others stole seven guns from the store early on the morning of June 26, 2020. A special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later learned that Culp had a gun for sale. The agent, working undercover, bought a Kimber 9mm pistol from Culp on Sept. 3, 2020. The serial number of the gun had been partially obliterated, but it appeared to match one of the guns taken in the burglary.
After his arrest, Culp, 29, of Hannibal, admitted participating in the burglary and keeping the Kimber pistol for himself, his plea agreement says.
Culp, who has prior felony convictions, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court March 7 to three felonies: theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee, possession of a stolen firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On March 30, Judge Fleissig sentenced Culp’s cousin, Cory Culp, 28, of Ralls County, to 21 months in prison.
A charge of possession of a stolen firearm is pending against a third defendant, Kyle Stolberg, 22.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hannibal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce prosecuted the case.
Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A photo captured during the theft of firearms from Farm and Home Supply in Hannibal, Missouri on June 26, 2020.Man Who Led Police on a Car Chase Trying to Destroy Evidence of Methamphetamine Smuggling Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Springdale, Arkansas, man who led Saraland police and other law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase on Interstate 65 on July 9, 2021, was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice.
According to court documents, 22-year-old Umberto Rosales Mendoza, was identified as the driver of the Honda Accord that was traveling 80 miles per hour on the interstate through Saraland, Alabama, near Exit 13 in Mobile County. A Saraland police officer attempted to stop the vehicle after activating his blue lights and siren, but Mendoza abruptly changed lanes and exited the interstate at Celeste Road. Mendoza ran the red light at the intersection and traveled at a high rate of speed onto Shelton Beach Road. There, the passenger in the Honda threw out a black plastic trash bag later found to contain approximately 12 kilograms of methamphetamine ice when it was seized by the police. Mendoza crossed into the opposite lane of traffic, passing some vehicles and running others off the road. Mendoza continued to Interstate 65 southbound, and there reached speeds of 114 miles per hour, even passing vehicles in the left emergency lane. Mendoza attempted to exit the interstate at the Dauphin Street exit, where he ran another red light and caused an innocent civilian to strike the Honda on the passenger side. Mendoza the jumped out of the Honda and fled on foot across southbound Interstate 65, narrowly avoiding being hit by multiple vehicles before he was apprehended by a Saraland police officer.
Both Mendoza and his passenger, co-defendant Luis Alexander Guzman Calderon, also of Springdale, Arkansas, entered guilty pleas to the federal charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed the 210-month sentence in Mendoza’s case this afternoon. The judge further ordered that Mendoza would also serve five years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of his supervision, Mendoza will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion, and he will undergo mental health testing and treatment. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Mendoza pay $100 in special assessments.
The case was investigated by the Saraland Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.Makah Tribal member sentenced to 16 months in prison for carjacking and threatening young boysRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A enrolled member of the Makah Tribe was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 16 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Nicolas Joseph James Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty to robbery in March 2022. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle noted the trauma suffered by three young boys who were ordered out of the car at knifepoint.
According to records filed in the case, on the evening of September 18, 2021. Johnson carjacked a vehicle from outside the Mini-Market on Bay View Avenue in Neah Bay, Washington. There were three brothers in the car, ages 16, 12 and 10. Johnson used a machete to threaten the boys and ordered them out of the car. After the boys got out Johnson sped off and led police on a high-speed chase.
Johnson has two prior convictions in state court related to stolen vehicles. He had just terminated supervision on the state convictions when he committed this crime.
The case was investigated by the Neah Bay Police Department and the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London. Mr. London serves as Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Leader of Mexico’s United Cartels Extradited to U.S. to Face Charges of Importing over 1100 Pounds of Crystal MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Adalberto Fructuoso Comparan-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Fruto,” who is the former mayor of Aguililla, Mexico and, according to the allegations, a leader of the United Cartels in Michoacán, Mexico, made his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida today after his extradition from Guatemala. A South Florida grand jury returned an indictment charging Comparan-Rodriguez with drug trafficking crimes in April 2021.
Also prosecuted for their alleged roles in the methamphetamine scheme are Alfonso Rustrian, of Mexico; Adalberto Fructose Comparan-Bedolla, (the son of Comparan-Rodriguez); Carlos Basauri-Coto; Silviano Gonzalez-Aguilar; and Salvador Valdez.
According to the allegations, in January 2021, Comparan-Rodriguez and Rustrian met in Cali, Colombia with a person they believed to be a money launderer and drug trafficker associated with Hezbollah (“buyer”). Rustrian explained that Comparan-Rodriguez was a leader of the United Cartels, and that they could supply hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine to the buyer, it is alleged. They ultimately agreed that Comparan-Rodriguez and Rustrian would send 500 kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico, through Texas, to the Miami area, according to the charges.
To make the methamphetamine undetectable, members of the organization hid it inside different materials. On March 20, 2021, according to the allegations, a truck carrying concrete tiles filled with methamphetamine arrived in Miami. It is alleged that Comparan-Bedolla helped crack the concrete tiles open and remove approximately 200 kilograms of methamphetamine from them. The rest of the meth (over 300 kilograms) arrived in Miami on March 26, 2021, say the court documents. This time, it was dissolved within five-gallon buckets of house paint.
According to the allegations, Comparan-Bedolla and two chemists (Gonzalez-Aguilar and Valdez) worked for days inside a warehouse, extracting pure crystal methamphetamine from the paint. Law enforcement agents seized the meth before it hit the streets and made arrests.
On March 30, 2021, Guatemalan authorities arrested Comparan-Rodriguez based upon a provisional arrest request by the United States. The government of Guatemala ordered him extradited based upon an extradition request by the United States. U.S. Attorney Gonzalez extends his gratitude to the government of Guatemala for its assistance, as well as the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) for its substantial assistance in securing Comparan-Rodriguez’s arrest and extradition. Rustrian was also arrested in Guatemala in March 2021, at the request of the United States. Rustrian was extradited to the United States in January 2022.
DEA Miami investigated this case. OIA, along with the DEA’s Mexico City, Guatemala City, and Bogota Country Offices; Hialeah Police Department; Hialeah Gardens Police Department; City of Miami Police Department; Aventura Police Department; Miami Beach Police Department; Miami-Dade County Police Department; and Miramar Police Department assisted in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederic “Fritz” Shadley is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.
This investigation and prosecution was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.
Criminal complaints and indictments are charging documents that contain mere allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20221.
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Justice Department Announces Charges Against Alleged Gun TraffickerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a man who allegedly purchased guns later used in multiple incidents in the United States and Canada has been charged with federal firearm crimes. According to court documents, Demontre Antwon Hackworth, 31, allegedly purchased at least 92 guns from federally licensed firearms dealers, including 75 guns in just six months from a single dealer that later relinquished its seller’s license.
“As part of the Department-wide anti-violent crime strategy we launched last year, we are marshalling the resources of every one of our U.S. Attorneys’ offices, law enforcement agencies, grant-making entities, and other components to work in partnership with state and local law enforcement to disrupt violent crime,” Attorney General Merrick B Garland said at a press conference in Washington, DC on Monday. “We are cracking down on the criminal gun-trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns, and we have instructed our federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents to prioritize prosecutions of those who are responsible for the greatest gun violence. The case we are announcing today is just one example of those efforts.”
“The second amendment protects the rights of law-abiding citizens – but not prohibited persons, or those who arm them,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham for the Northern District of Texas. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF Dallas, and the entire Department of Justice is working our level best to keep guns away from dangerous offenders before they can put finger to trigger.”
“Illegal firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeff Boshek of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “There are real consequences when individuals illegally engage in the business of buying and selling firearms. ATF will continue to use all available resources to strategically target and identify illegal firearms sales, trafficking patterns, and sources of crime guns; and to interrupt the illegal flow of firearms to criminal gang members, felons, firearm traffickers, and all persons who are otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.”
Despite claiming to be the actual transferee (i.e. buyer) of the firearms, Hackworth allegedly engaged in the business of reselling the guns without a federal firearm license and without conducting required background checks. Federal law prohibits individuals engaging in the business of dealing in firearms – defined as repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain – from doing so without a license.
At least 16 of the guns Hackworth purchased are alleged to have been subsequently recovered in Texas, Maryland, and Canada from incidents that include homicide, aggravated assault, and drug trafficking.
As alleged in the indictment, according to an analysis by the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), three of the recovered guns had been used in multiple crimes. One gun was used in three separate criminal incidents – two aggravated assaults and one unlawful possession; and two more were used in two incidents each. At least 14 of the 16 recovered guns were recovered in incidents within one year of purchase. One was recovered from an incident just seven days after Hackworth purchased it.
Hackworth was indicted on June 7 for dealing firearms without a license and making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. He was arrested by ATF agents in Dallas on Friday and made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Texas on Monday. If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in federal prison, with a statutory maximum penalty of five years for dealing without a license and up to 10 years for each count of false statement during purchase. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The ATF’s Dallas Field Division, in partnership with the agency’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) program, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam is prosecuting the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert for the Northern District of Texas.
Justice Department Announces Charges Against Alleged Gun TraffickerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a man who allegedly purchased guns later used in multiple incidents in the United States and Canada has been charged with federal firearm crimes. According to court documents, Demontre Antwon Hackworth, 31, allegedly purchased at least 92 guns from federally licensed firearms dealers, including 75 guns in just six months from a single dealer that later relinquished its seller’s license.
“As part of the Department-wide anti-violent crime strategy we launched last year, we are marshalling the resources of every one of our U.S. Attorneys’ offices, law enforcement agencies, grant-making entities, and other components to work in partnership with state and local law enforcement to disrupt violent crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B Garland. “We are cracking down on the criminal gun-trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns, and we have instructed our federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents to prioritize prosecutions of those who are responsible for the greatest gun violence. The case we are announcing today is just one example of those efforts.”
“The second amendment protects the rights of law-abiding citizens – but not prohibited persons, or those who arm them,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham for the Northern District of Texas. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF Dallas, and the entire Department of Justice is working our level best to keep guns away from dangerous offenders before they can put finger to trigger.”
“Illegal firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeff Boshek of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “There are real consequences when individuals illegally engage in the business of buying and selling firearms. ATF will continue to use all available resources to strategically target and identify illegal firearms sales, trafficking patterns, and sources of crime guns; and to interrupt the illegal flow of firearms to criminal gang members, felons, firearm traffickers, and all persons who are otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.”
Despite claiming to be the actual transferee (i.e. buyer) of the firearms, Hackworth allegedly engaged in the business of reselling the guns without a federal firearm license and without conducting required background checks. Federal law prohibits individuals engaging in the business of dealing in firearms – defined as repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain – from doing so without a license.
At least 16 of the guns Hackworth purchased are alleged to have been subsequently recovered in Texas, Maryland, and Canada from incidents that include homicide, aggravated assault, and drug trafficking.
As alleged in the indictment, according to an analysis by the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), three of the recovered guns had been used in multiple crimes. One gun was used in three separate criminal incidents – two aggravated assaults and one unlawful possession; and two more were used in two incidents each. At least 14 of the 16 recovered guns were recovered in incidents within one year of purchase. One was recovered from an incident just seven days after Hackworth purchased it.
Hackworth was indicted on June 7 for dealing firearms without a license and making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. He was arrested by ATF agents in Dallas on Friday and made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Texas on Monday. If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in federal prison, with a statutory maximum penalty of five years for dealing without a license and up to 10 years for each count of false statement during purchase. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF’s Dallas Field Division, in partnership with the agency’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) program, conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam is prosecuting the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert for the Northern District of Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jefferson County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Richard Brent Collum, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Collum, 36, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Collum, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a .45 caliber handgun in August 2021 in Jefferson County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Charles Town Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jefferson County man sentenced for fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Howard Anson Peterson, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months of incarceration for a fentanyl charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Peterson, also known as “Happy,” 57, pleaded guilty in March 2022 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Fentanyl.” Peterson admitted to working with another to distribute fentanyl in February 2021 in Jefferson County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Loudon County, Virginia Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jefferson County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Lynch, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced today to three years of probation for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Lynch, 58, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine Base and Cocaine Hydrochloride.” Lynch admitted working with others to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and cocaine hydrochloride, also known as “coke,” from July 2018 to June 2021 in Jefferson County and elsewhere.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police, the DEA Task Force Montgomery County, Maryland; and the Frederick, Maryland, HIDTA group investigated. The EPDTF consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
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.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Inmate Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Sholanda Thomas, 38, an inmate at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges for submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the California Employment Development Department in her own name and the names of other inmates, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Thomas sent her own and other inmates’ personal identifying information to Christina Smith, who was on parole and had previously been an inmate at CCWF, to submit the fraudulent claims in their names. The underlying applications falsely represented that the inmates had been working as carpet cleaners, hair stylists, mechanics, and other jobs. This was impossible because they were incarcerated and ineligible for benefits. The loss to the EDD and the United States is over $250,000. Thomas split the proceeds with Smith and her other co-conspirators.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Investigative Services Unit, and the EDD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Sept. 12, 2022. For the conspiracy charge, she faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. For the aggravated identity theft charge, she faces a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other sentence and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Smith pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in federal prison in September 2021.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Operating Subscription-Based Computer Attack PlatformsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Illinois man was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for running websites that allowed paying users to launch powerful distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attacks that flood targeted computers with information and prevent them from being able to access the internet.
Matthew Gatrel, 33, of St. Charles, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt.
At the conclusion of a nine-day trial in September 2021, a federal jury found Gatrel guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit unauthorized impairment of a protected computer, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of unauthorized impairment of a protected computer.
“Gatrel ran a criminal enterprise designed around launching hundreds of thousands of cyber-attacks on behalf of hundreds of customers,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “He also provided infrastructure and resources for other cybercriminals to run their own businesses launching these same kinds of attacks. These attacks victimized wide swaths of American society and compromised computers around the world.”
Gatrel owned and operated two DDoS facilitation websites: DownThem.org and AmpNode.com. DownThem sold subscriptions allowing customers to launch DDoS attacks while AmpNode provided “bulletproof” server hosting to customers with an emphasis on “spoofing” servers that could be pre-configured with DDoS attack scripts and lists of vulnerable “attack amplifiers” used to launch simultaneous cyberattacks on victims.
Records from the DownThem service revealed more than 2,000 registered users and more than 200,000 launched attacks, including attacks on homes, schools, universities, municipal and local government websites, and financial institutions worldwide. Many AmpNode customers were themselves operating for-profit DDoS services.
Gatrel offered expert advice to customers of both services, providing guidance on the best attack methods to “down” different types of computers, specific hosting providers, or to bypass DDoS protection services. Gatrel himself often used the DownThem service to demonstrate to prospective customers the power and effectiveness of products, by attacking the customer’s intended victim and providing proof, via screenshot, that he had severed the victim’s internet connection.
Gatrel’s DownThem customers could select from a variety of different paid “subscription plans.” The subscription plans varied in cost and offered escalating attack capability, allowing customers to select different attack durations and relative attack power, as well as the ability to launch several simultaneous, or “concurrent” attacks. Once a customer entered the information necessary to launch an attack on their victim, Gatrel’s system was set up to use one or more of his own dedicated attack servers to unlawfully appropriate the resources of hundreds or thousands of other servers connected to the internet in what are called “reflected amplification attacks.”
Co-defendant Juan Martinez, 29, of Pasadena, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to one count of unauthorized impairment of a protected computer and was sentenced to five years’ probation. Martinez was one of Gatrel’s customers and became a co-administrator of the site in 2018.
The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office and its Los Angeles-based Cyber Initiative and Resource Fusion Unit investigated this matter. Akamai Technologies, Inc.; Cloudflare, Inc.; DigitalOcean, Inc.; Google, LLC; Palo Alto Networks - Unit 42; University of Cambridge Cyber Crime Centre; and Unit 221B, LLC assisted this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Cameron L. Schroeder, Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crime Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Adam Alexander of the District of Alaska are prosecuting this case.