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10 March 2025
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. The sentencing took place on March 3, 2025.
Caesar Valle, 22, was sentenced to three years and four months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Valle was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty in December 2024.
In December 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received a tip that Valle was illegally selling firearms. ATF then conducted an undercover operation in which an agent reached out to Valle, posing as a firearms purchaser. Valle eventually met up with the undercover agent and sold a Beretta shotgun to the agent for $650. Valle told the agent the shotgun was stolen, which was confirmed based on a check of the serial number. Valle is prohibited from possessing firearms due to three prior felony convictions, including First Degree Robbery and Possession of a Firearm After Violent Felony Conviction.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by ATF. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Valle was immediately remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Seattle man who trafficked drugs and fired gun in International District Drive-by sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 50-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 90 months in prison for drug trafficking and carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Phuong Nguyen Le was stopped in connection with a drive-by shooting in Seattle’s International District in February 2023 and was indicted in May 2023. Le was taken into custody with a loaded firearm and fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base. Le was arrested after he fired several shots out of the window of his car in the Little Saigon neighborhood. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, Le’s conduct “inflicted serious risk to members of the community.”
“Local and federal law enforcement continue to work to increase safety in the International District. This case is a good example of our office working with the King County Prosecutors Office and the Seattle Police to take the cases where federal prosecution provides the most impact,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller.
On February 24, 2023, Seattle Police officers responded to reports of shots fired at the intersection of 10th Avenue South and South King Street in Seattle. Witnesses at the scene reported a man in a white Mercedes fired a handgun in the air multiple times at the intersection. SPD officers then located the vehicle nearby and found Phuong Nguyen Le driving, with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. Le was the owner of the vehicle. Le ultimately gave consent to search the vehicle. SPD officers seized the following items:
- a Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm caliber pistol, with a round of ammunition in the chamber and a partially loaded magazine;
- an additional Springfield Armory 9mm caliber magazine loaded with ammunition;
- two spent bullet shell casings;
- approximately 83 grams of heroin;
- approximately 135 grams of cocaine;
- approximately 194 grams of suspected fentanyl powder;
- approximately 350 pills suspected to contain fentanyl.
In asking for the 90 -month sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Le was found in possession of multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl, which he intended to distribute to others for his financial gain. Making matters more concerning is the fact that he was armed with a loaded firearm while possessing the controlled substances. Worse still is the fact that Le discharged his firearm while driving through a neighborhood in Seattle. The combination of drug distribution with firearm possession places the community at danger and warrants a substantial custodial sentence.”
Le will be on five years of supervised release following prison.
In April of 2012, Le was convicted of distribution of cocaine base in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. In September of 2020, Le was sentenced to two years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of drugs
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne
Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Isaias Aroldo Contreras, 26, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Contreras’s Folsom residence in January 2023. During the search, law enforcement seized 992 fentanyl-laced pills that were made to look like oxycodone “M-30” pills, a loaded Glock 9mm pistol, over $31,000 in cash drug proceeds, a money counter, and numerous items of custom diamond jewelry including a Rolex watch with full-cut diamonds. On Contreras’s seized cell phone, law enforcement found messages from at least March 2020 through December 2022, between Contreras and drug suppliers and customers regarding the purchase and sale of counterfeit M-30 pills (in quantities ranging from hundreds of pills to thousands of pills) and cocaine in kilogram quantities.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force (SAINT). Assistant United States Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.
Contreras is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge William B. Shubb on May 27, 2025. Contreras faces a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison. 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. As part of his plea agreement, Contreras also agreed to forfeit to the government $31,154 in cash and numerous items of seized jewelry that was seized from his residence.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Rochester man charged with receipt and possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Daniel P. Walsh, 58, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that the according to the complaint, in November 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report from Google that an individual using an account registered in Walsh’s name, from Walsh’s IP address, uploaded multiple images of child pornography to Google’s platforms. Rochester Police and the FBI executed a search warrant at Walsh’s residence, during which they seized multiple computers and other digital devices. A forensic examination of those devices revealed that Walsh had received and possessed hundreds of images of child pornography, to include child pornography depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexual conduct with adults. In many instances, Walsh had superimposed the faces of minors that he knew onto the images.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was released on conditions.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Raleigh Woman Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of a 12-Year-Old Victim and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh woman was sentenced to 216 months in prison for conspiring to sex traffic a minor and production of child pornography. On August 15, 2024, Brieania Shidae Pinnock, age 23, pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on June 23, 2022, law enforcement received a report regarding a missing juvenile child. Later that night, officers responded to the Budgetel Inn and Suites in Raleigh for a suspected overdose. Upon arriving at the hotel room, first responders identified the overdose victim as the missing 12-year-old female. The child was revived and transported to the hospital for treatment.
Law enforcement later discovered that the 12-year-old victim had been advertised for commercial sex on two separate websites. The advertisements featured multiple nude and exposed photographs of the minor victim. Investigators discovered the advertisements, which falsely claimed the victim was 19, had been posted to the websites on June 16, 2022. Investigators also determined that Pinnock did not act alone in advertising the minor for commercial sex, they identified an accomplice, Trinity Sky Alston. A review of phone messages between Pinnock and Alston confirmed they were aware of the victim’s true age and arranged for her to engage in commercial sex.
A forensic review of Pinnock’s phone revealed numerous images of child pornography, including original images of the victim taken on June 16, 2022, at Alston’s residence in Goldsboro, and subsequently posted on commercial sex websites.
On March 13, 2024, Alston [Case No. 5:23-cr-00210-FL-2] pled guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion of a minor, and sex trafficking of children age 13 years old or younger; and aiding and abetting. Alston is scheduled to be sentenced in April.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Peaden prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-00210-FL-1.
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Prior felon pleads guilty to new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that John Douglas Looney, 82, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to transportation of obscene material in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that Looney was previously convicted on a federal charge of possession of child pornography. Between August 2018, and March 2019, Looney used an internet connected device and an interactive computer service to receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography via the internet. The images and videos were obscene and depicted prepubescent children being subjected to sexual abuse. Some of the images depicted the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler. In total, Looney possessed more than 1,000,000 images of child pornography on three computers.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 10, 2025, before Judge Siragusa.
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Plainview Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Alejandro Aguirre, 28, of Plainview, Texas, pleaded guilty to Production of Child Pornography announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham. Aguirre pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda ‘Amy’ R. Burch and was immediately remanded to custody pending sentencing.
According to court documents, in June 2023, officers with the Amarillo Police Department received information that Aguirre was contacting minors through a social media application and that he had sexual intercourse with at least one minor. One of the minors, who was 16 years old, was forensically interviewed and stated that Aguirre had sexual intercourse with her in Amarillo.
When APD detectives interviewed Aguirre, he admitted to having sex with the minor and recording it on his cell phone. APD detectives obtained a search warrant for Aguirre’s cell phone and recovered the video Aguirre described. However, the minor in the video was not the one that had been forensically interviewed.
APD officers contacted a detective with the Plainview Police Department to help identify the minor in the video. The Plainview Police Department detective was able to identify the minor as a 16-year-old Plainview resident.
That minor was forensically interviewed and stated that Aguirre had messaged her on a social networking application. The minor stated that Aguirre made a video of them having sexual intercourse in Plainview, which was the video found on Aguirre’s cell phone.
Aguirre faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not been set.
The Amarillo Police Department and Plainview Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.
Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Hazeon Kidd, age 24, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Kidd was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police on May 18, 2024. Eventually, a search of the vehicle revealed a loaded firearm in the proximity of where Kidd was seated. It is illegal for Kidd to possess firearms as he has been previously convicted in federal court of firearm and drug trafficking offenses.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2025 at 10:00 am The law provides for a total sentence of fifteen 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 of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in conjunctions with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Kidd.
Pine Ridge Woman Sentenced to 12 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Her Role in a Methamphetamine Conspiracy in South DakotaRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Stella Caldwell, age 29, was sentenced on March 7, 2025, to 12 years and seven months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Caldwell was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 and pleaded guilty on December 20, 2024.
In the time period charged, Caldwell and others distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine in Pine Ridge and Rapid City, South Dakota. She played a supervisory role in the conspiracy, managing moving drugs from co-conspirators to subsequent distributors. In sentencing Caldwell, Judge Schreier lamented how Caldwell’s actions severely damaged the community. The judge also noted the drugs Caldwell was distributing came from Mexican cartels and was 100% pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Caldwell was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
Paterson Firearms Trafficker Indicted on Firearm Offenses, Including Possession of Machine GunsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson man was indicted today by a federal grand jury for his role in committing firearms offenses after authorities discovered dozens of illicit firearms, including 3D-printed “ghost” gun frames, machine gun conversion devices, firearm silencers, short-barreled rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a 3D printer in his residence, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Mikhail Gouldson, 36, of Paterson, New Jersey, is charged in a five-count indictment with one count of dealing in firearms without a license, one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession of machineguns, one count of possession of unregistered firearms and one count of attempted trafficking in firearms. Gouldson, who was previously charged by complaint, will be arraigned on a date to be determined.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement intercepted multiple shipments of weaponry that were mailed to Gouldson’s residence. After searching Gouldson’s residence, law enforcement recovered large quantities of firearms and ammunition, as well as 3D printing equipment.
The dealing in firearms without a license count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment. The possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and attempted trafficking in firearms counts each carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment. The possession of machineguns and unregistered firearms counts each carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment. Each of the counts carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney John Giordano credited special agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Ricky J. Patel; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; and the postal inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of the Paterson Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in 2020 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Paterson’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Paterson. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals, the Paterson Department of Public Safety, the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Bergen County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, and N.J. Department of Corrections.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Rosenblum of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
gouldson.indictment.pdf
Ohio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Ordering, Receiving, and Paying for Child Sexual Abuse Material on Social MediaRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Waterville, Ohio, resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge Cristina D. Silva to 15 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for the sexual exploitation of children that he met on social media messaging applications and then coerced them to make and send him child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, on September 25, 2023, Todd Maxson, 56, began a conversation with a 14-year-old girl in Nevada via Telegram, an internet-based social media application that allows users to privately message each other. Almost daily between September 25, 2023, and October 19, 2023, Maxson ordered, received, and paid for sexually explicit images and videos of the victim via Cash App. Additionally, Maxson sought out females expressing suicidal or depressive tendencies and encouraged the behavior by requesting sexual content depicting self-harm, cutting, and bleeding. He would send knives to the children to help them make the videos.
In October 2024, Maxson pleaded guilty to one count each of sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Maxson must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current.
Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at https://report.cybertip.org.
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Northumberland County Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Samuel Rodriguez, age 27, of Northumberland County, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for drug trafficking.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine from October 2022 to February 2023, in Northumberland County. In total, Rodriguez distributed approximately 270 grams, approximately 1,350 single doses, of methamphetamine and 29 grams, approximately 1,000 single doses of fentanyl.
Co-defendant, Paris DeSimone, was previously sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin the case.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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Newport Beach Man Indicted for Allegedly Using Sports Gambling Losses as Business Expenses to Evade Federal Tax PaymentsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man is scheduled to be arraigned today on a federal grand jury indictment alleging he committed tax evasion by deducting millions of dollars in gambling losses and other personal expenditures as business expenses.
Edward Michael Greer, of Newport Beach, is charged with four counts of tax evasion.
Greer is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the indictment, Greer owned an insurance salvage company, the La Mirada-based Greer & Kirby Co. Inc. From 2017 to 2020, Greer allegedly used the company’s bank accounts to pay for personal expenses, including payments to bookmakers Wayne Joseph Nix and Ken Arsenian to cover sports gambling losses, and to purchase a 2021 Mercedes-Benz automobile.
The indictment further alleges that Greer concealed these personal payments in the company’s business records, and in many cases directed to payments to be recorded as business expenses to reduce the company’s income.
Nix and Arsenian previously pleaded guilty for their roles in operating an illegal sports gambling business and are expected to be sentenced in the coming months.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Greer faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Mitchell of the Major Frauds Section and Trial Attorneys Julia Rugg and Mahana Weidler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting this case.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Fareed Davis, age 47, of Camden, New Jersey, was sentenced to 46 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for drug conspiracy charges.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Davis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and tramadol. In his role in the conspiracy, Davis was responsible for distributing at least 40 grams of opioids or 1,200 individual doses from March of 2018 to December of 2020.
This case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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Multiple Defendants Charged with Federal Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Huntsville has indicted nine individuals for illegal reentry after deportation and one individual for being an alien in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank.
The following individuals were indicted for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported:
- Eusebio Cruz-Zurita, 29, of Mexico;
- Rufino Cristobal-Reyes, 41, of Mexico;
- Edgar Esmain Rivas-Martinez, 37, of Honduras;
- Rigoberto Tzun-Garcia, 34, of Guatemala;
- Eleazar Suarez-Salinas, 42, of Mexico;
- Rodolfo Cantu-Navarrete, 45, of Mexico;
- Albert Obel Figueroa-Figueroa, 40, of Guatemala;
- Juan Gomez-Marquires, aka “Diego Torrez-Tadeo,” 33, of Mexico; and
- Maximiliano Pablo-Cinto, 40, of Guatemala.
Karim Arguello-Barraza, 22, of Mexico, was charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm.
In addition to prosecuting these cases, Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Northern District of Alabama continue to provide regular training to attorneys, federal agents, and state and local law enforcement partners to assist them in investigating and prosecuting immigration offenses in federal court.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Morgantown Business Owner Sentenced for Federal Broadband Funding FraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Timothy Chad Henson, the owner of Clearfiber, Inc., an internet service provider in Monongalia County, was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for money laundering.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Henson, 35, of Morgantown, West Virginia, applied for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding to provide high-speed internet services in Monongalia and Marion Counties. The USDA’s Community Connect Program offered grants to eligible applicants providing broadband services to rural areas. Henson’s Clearfiber, Inc. was awarded $1.96 million. Henson then submitted false invoices to the USDA to receive more than $340,000, transferring $322,900 into another bank account for his personal use.
Henson was ordered to pay $1,401,849.06 in restitution.
Henson will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Modesto Man Sentenced to Prison for 45 Years for Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. – Daniel Vincent Salazar, Jr., 29, of Modesto was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for his convictions on five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. After serving his prison sentence, Salazar will be subject to a 25-year term of supervised release during which his access to minors, electronic devices, and the internet will be restricted. He will also be required to register as sex offender.
According to court documents, Salazar used Instagram and Snapchat accounts on dates between December 2018 and January 2020 to contact minor females and coerce them into creating and sending to him images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The females Salazar targeted were typically 12 to 14 years old. If victims refused to cooperate with Salazar’s demands, he threatened to send explicit images that he had already received to classmates and family members of victims. When one victim expressed suicidal thoughts in their chats, Salazar made comments such as “[t]hat’s on you. Not my fault,” and “[t]he cops can’t do nothing trust me.” Salazar has been in custody since his arrest on January 20, 2020.
The investigation was conducted by Patterson Police Services, the Los Banos and San Jose Police Departments, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Division of Adult Parole Operations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Mexican National Sentenced to 13 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri P. Chappell today sentenced Tomas Juarez-Santos (45) to 13 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States without authorization by federal immigration officials. Juarez-Santos pleaded guilty in December 2024.
According to court documents, on September 3, 2024, Juarez-Santos was arrested in Collier County on state criminal charges and was found to be present in the United States without legal authorization. Juarez-Santos has previously been convicted on two occasions for illegal reentry to the United States after deportation, in 2010 and 2019, and has been deported from the United States to Mexico on four occasions.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
Mexican National Man Sentenced to 22 ½ Years in Federal Prison for His Role in a Large-Scale Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Mexican National man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Reynaldo Garcia-Gonzalez, age 42, was sentenced to 22 years and five months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Garcia-Gonzalez was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023 and pleaded guilty on December 9, 2024.
Between April and November 2022, Garcia-Gonzalez was part of a drug conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota. Garcia-Gonzalez transported large quantities of methamphetamine from California to co-conspirators in Western South Dakota who then distributed the methamphetamine to others. During his involvement in the conspiracy, Garcia-Gonzalez was personally involved in the handling and distribution of multiple pounds of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Garcia-Gonzalez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
Mexican National Arrested on Child Sex ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Federal agents on Monday arrested a Mexican national accused of illegal sexual activity with a minor.
Giovanni Falcon, 40, of University City, was indicted Feb. 26, 2025, in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with two felonies: transfer of obscene material to a minor and coercion and enticement of a minor. The indictment says that between July 26, 2024, and August 12, 2024, Falcon used the internet to expose his genitals to a minor. It also accuses him of coercing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity between Jan. 1, 2024, and August 12, 2024.
Falcon appeared in court Monday and pleaded not guilty.
A motion seeking to have Falcon detained until trial says he is not in the country legally and presents a flight risk if released.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The coercion charge is punishable by not less than 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The transfer of obscene material charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same fine.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Ann Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Medical Clinic Owners and Clinical Investigator Plead Guilty in Connection with Fraudulent Clinical Drug TrialsRead the Press Release
Two owners of a clinical research facility pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with their work on two clinical trials testing drugs designed to treat asthma.
According to court documents, Angela Baquero, 49, and Ricardo Acuna, 52, both of Weston, Florida, owned A&R Research Group (A&R), located in Pembroke Pines, Florida. A&R was a medical research facility that conducted clinical trials of prospective new drug treatments on behalf of drug sponsors seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Baquero served as A&R’s clinical research director and study coordinator. Acuna served as A&R’s regulatory and contract affairs manager.
Pursuant to their plea agreements, Baquero and Acuna admitted to conspiring to unlawfully enrich themselves by making fraudulent representations to the asthma drug trial sponsor regarding subject eligibility, and falsifying and fabricating material documents and data, including case histories, spirometry readings, and echocardiogram data. As a result of the conspiracy, A&R provided fraudulent clinical research data to the drug trial sponsor and to an FDA investigator. According to the plea agreements, fraudulently enrolling subjects who did not qualify, and submitting data for subjects who were not participating, allowed A&R to inflate payments due from the sponsor.
“Clinical trials are essential to evaluating the safety and efficacy of potential drug treatments,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to work with the FDA to investigate and prosecute those who illegally undermine the integrity of the clinical trial process to facilitate fraudulent payments.”
The guilty pleas by Baquero and Acuna follow a March 3 guilty plea to a separate criminal information by Dr. Matthew Teltser, 70, of Hollywood, Florida, who served as the clinical investigator for numerous A&R clinical trials. Teltser pleaded guilty to making false statements to an FDA investigator regarding his work on the trials. According to his plea agreement, Teltser was the clinical investigator responsible for performing physical examinations on subjects and maintaining accurate records of data pertinent to the clinical trial. Teltser admitted that, during an FDA inspection, he knowingly and falsely told the FDA investigator that he had been present at every subject visit during the two asthma clinical trials.
Baquero and Acuna’s matters are set for further hearings before U.S. District Judge David S. Leibowitz on Sept. 19. Teltser is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal on June 10. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office, investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew K. Crawford and Brianna M. Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has provided critical assistance.
McKeesport Resident Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Richard L. Edwards Jr., 49, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Weigand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on August 9, 2024, Westmoreland County Adult Probation conducted a search of Edwards’ residence, after learning that he had made two unauthorized visits to a local firearms store, and located four firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition. One of the firearms was a short-barreled shotgun and two of the firearms were reported stolen. Edwards is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon prior convictions for terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another and robbery.
Judge Weigand scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025, at 10:00 AM. The law provides for a total sentence of 15 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 ordered that Edwards would remain in custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Westmoreland County Adult Probation, McKeesport Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Edwards.
Maryland Man Indicted for Theft of Government Property and Passport FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Jorge Echeverri, 73, of Port Tobacco, Maryland, charging him with theft of government property, false statements, passport fraud, social security misuse, and false statement of citizenship.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Michael S. McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); David Richeson, Special Agent in Charge Department of State, Diplomatic Security (DSS), Washington Field Office; and Collen Lawlor, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division.
According to the indictment, Echeverri, a Colombian national, illegally entered the United States in 1972. He was deported three times, but unlawfully re-entered the United States for a fourth time between 1985 and 1987. Echeverri, who used a fraudulent birth certificate from Puerto Rico to create a fraudulent identity, then began living as a U.S. citizen named Pedro Torres Rivera. Under the Rivera identity, Echeverri unlawfully applied for and received retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration from May 2010 thru January 2025. Additionally, Echeverri applied for a U.S. Passport, voted in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, and misused a Social Security number.
If convicted, Echeverri faces up to 10 years for passport fraud and up to 10 years for theft of government property. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI’s Document Benefit Fraud/El Dorado Task Force, DSS, and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about 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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Mansfield Tax Preparer Sentenced in Tax and PPP Loan Fraud Schemes, Ordered to Pay $10.2 million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
A former Mansfield tax preparer who previously pled guilty to charges related to his false preparation of tax returns was sentenced last week to nearly 5 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Festus Adenisimi, 65, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States. He was sentenced on March 6, 2025 to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. Senior District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn, who also ordered him to pay $10,283,737.65 in restitution.
According to court documents, Adenisimi was the owner of a tax preparation business, FA Tax, where he and other tax preparers prepared fraudulent tax returns for their clients, often causing the IRS to issue refunds to those clients. Adenisimi admitted to falsely preparing his own tax returns as well.
As part of the plea agreement, Adenisimi also admitted that he fraudulently obtained two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $760,415 under the Small Business Administration’s COVID -19 relief program. The Court ordered Adenisimi to pay restitution in relation to both the tax fraud and the PPP loan fraud.
IRS-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu prosecuted the case.
Mankato Felon Indicted in Child Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Mankato man has been charged with multiple counts related to the production and possession of child sexual abuse material, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, in October 2024, Mitchell Ray Williams, 39, engaged minor victims in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material videos. Between approximately October 1, 2024, and November 1, 2024, Williams possessed—and advertised the availability of—visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The indictment charges Williams with one count of production and attempted production of child pornography, one count of advertisement of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Williams made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on February 5, 2025, and was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings by Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko. An arraignment hearing has been scheduled for March 11, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Mankato Department of Public Safety. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Weir is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man who Illegally Possessed Multiple Firearms in Cedar Falls Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Iowa man who illegally possessed multiple firearms, including a sawed off-shotgun, was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.
Ian Jon Duffy, age 35, from Independence, Iowa, received the prison term after a October 10, 2024 guilty plea to two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession of a national firearms destructive device not registered to possessor.
In October 2023, law enforcement officers traffic stopped Duffy due to concerns about his wellbeing. At that time, he was in possession of multiple loaded firearms. Duffy had a prior domestic conviction which prohibited him from possessing firearms. After the traffic stop, Duffy had his wife obtain a Glock firearm for him and later possessed multiple firearms in his residence. One of those firearms included a sawed-off shotgun that Duffy had altered by changing the grip.
Duffy was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Duffy was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Duffy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Cedar Falls Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR- 02031-2.
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Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Using Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Obtain over $1 Million in COVID-19 Relief and Unemployment CompensationRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On March 6, 2025, Conrad Brandon Bernard, age 24, was sentenced to 50 months federal prison and ordered to pay restitution and forfeit assets in the amount of $1.08 million for committing bank fraud and identify theft during a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1 million in Covid-19 relief loans and unemployment compensation payments.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program was utilized to provide loan assistance to small businesses and other eligible entities in need. The U.S. Department of Labor's unemployment insurance programs were created to provide unemployment benefits to eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and meet certain other eligibility requirements.
Beginning as early as in or around May 2020 and continuing through on or about December 2022, Bernard carried out a scheme to defraud the EIDL and unemployment insurance programs. Bernard fraudulently applied for fourteen EIDLs using the name and personal identifying information (PII) of other individuals without their knowledge or consent. Once the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) approved the fraudulent loan applications, the SBA transferred the EIDL funds to various bank accounts at Bernard’s direction. Bernard opened and operated these accounts with the name and PII of other individuals without those individuals’ knowledge or consent. Bernard then transferred those funds from the bank accounts to other accounts under his control including various accounts he created using the name and PII of other individuals without their knowledge or consent.
Bernard also transferred or withdrew fraudulently obtained unemployment benefit funds from bank accounts he opened and operated using the name and PII of other individuals without their knowledge or consent. These unemployment benefits were paid from several states, including West Virginia and Arizona. The unemployment benefit funds were fraudulently obtained because the name and PII of other individuals were used to apply for the unemployment benefits without those individuals’ knowledge or consent. In all, Bernard fraudulently obtained $1,083,340 in EIDL funds and unemployment benefits.
During the investigation, law enforcement also discovered that Bernard possessed numerous false identifications including counterfeit passport cards, false Florida driver’s licenses and identification cards, the means to create false identification, and the PII of several thousand individuals including their names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Conklin of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) made the announcement.
The DSS Miami Field Office and BSO investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deric Zacca from the Southern District of Florida and Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Nebesky from the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On Sept. 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
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 24-cr-60168.
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Man Sentenced to 40 Years After Sexually Abusing Three ChildrenRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man from Kansas, Oklahoma, was sentenced today for two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country, Aggravated Abuse of a Minor by Force and Threat in Indian Country, and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Sequoyah Jo Hinzo, 30, of Kansas, Oklahoma, to 480 months, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon release, Hinzo will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, from 2020 through 2022, Hinzo sexually abused three children, who were 6, 9, and 13 years old. Additionally, Hinzo created fake social media accounts to entice a minor child to send him sexually explicit photos.
Hinzo is a citizen of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, Kansas Police Department, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Valeria Luster prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Lincoln County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Michael Allen Kenney, 54, of Hamlin, was sentenced today to six years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A federal jury convicted Kenney on November 6, 2024, following a two-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that on May 17, 2023, Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call at a video poker parlor in Poca and encountered Kenney. An officer saw Kenney reach into his waistband and retrieve a Ruger Model EC9s 9mm pistol, which was loaded and had a round in the chamber. Officers seized the firearm and arrested Kenney.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Kenney knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions, including convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle in Kanawha County Circuit Court on October 27, 2017, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm in Mason County Circuit Court on August 5, 2014, and fleeing with reckless indifference in Putnam County Circuit Court on February 11, 2014.
After arresting Kenney, officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle in which he arrived at the video poker parlor. Officers found a 9mm bullet in the vehicle and a magnetic lockbox hidden near the gearshift that contained a quantity of methamphetamine packaged for distribution. During a recorded jail call with the vehicle’s owner three days after his arrest, Kenney indicated that the lockbox belonged to him after the individual told Kenney that the box had been found and seized during the search of the vehicle.
The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory determined the firearm seized from Kenney was fired during an April 26, 2023, incident in Poca. During that incident, the same vehicle searched by officers after Kenney’s arrest stopped outside a residence. After arguing with the resident’s owner, a male in the vehicle fired four to six rounds at the owner.
Kenney has a long criminal history that also includes more than 20 other prior convictions since age 18 including for domestic battery, breaking and entering, DUI, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and controlled substance offenses.
“Mr. Kenney has spent much of his adult life unlawfully endangering the public, as reflected by his extensive criminal record and by repeatedly and illegally possessing firearms,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their investigative work in this case, and the trial team led by Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Stephanie Taylor for prosecuting this case and securing his conviction.”
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 3:24-cr-40.
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Jury Finds Bank Robber Guilty Following Two-Day Federal TrialRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Shannon T. Hanson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Justin Cabot, age 52, of Newark, was convicted of bank robbery after a two-day trial in federal court last week. The Honorable Colm F. Connolly, Chief United States District Judge, presided over the trial.
According to evidence and witness testimony, on June 24, 2022, Cabot, wearing a distinguishable bright yellow shirt, entered the Bank of Delmarva in Laurel, Delaware and handed the bank teller a demand note. It was the teller’s first day of work at the Laurel branch. Cabot also made additional threatening statements, directing the teller to “use big bills” and to “hurry up.” Complying with Cabot’s written and oral demands, the bank teller filled a bag Cabot tossed at him with money and a GPS tracking device. Cabot was observed on surveillance footage from nearby businesses leaving the area of the bank and removing the distinguishable yellow shirt. Five days after the robbery, he was arrested in Salisbury, Maryland.
“Cabot’s actions demonstrated his disregard for the rule of law. While no one was injured here, bank robbery is inherently dangerous to innocent bystanders and bank staff,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson. “My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals, like the defendant, who commit such crimes.”
“Cabot’s use of threat and intimidation terrified employees of the bank he robbed. This conviction should serve as a reminder that the FBI will not waver when it comes to protecting Delaware and taking dangerous criminals off the streets,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno.”
Cabot is facing a maximum of 20 years imprisonment. Chief Judge Connolly will determine the defendant’s sentence, after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli H. Klein and Edmond Falgowski prosecuted the case. This case was investigated by the Laurel Police Department and the FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the Wicomico County, Maryland Sheriff’s Department.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-32.
Indy Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal Prison After Attempting to Purchase a Dozen Vehicles with Fraudulent ChecksRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Frank Lassen Garay, 45, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to bank fraud.
According to court documents, over a period of a little more than two weeks in November and December of 2022, Garay passed fifteen fraudulent checks, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of vehicles and jewelry.
In the fall of 2022, Frank Garay received a settlement check for $15,066.95 from a law firm. This check was for the proceeds from a legal dispute that had been settled. On November 3, 2022, Garay visited a bank and presented the $15,066.95 check to the bank for payment. In standard practice, the bank provided $10,000 in cash and issued a cashier’s check for the remaining $5,066.95. Using the banking information found on these checks, more than a dozen fraudulent checks were created. Garay then used fraudulent checks to purchase services, vehicles, and jewelry as follows:
DateItemAmountNovember 18, 2022Cleaning Services$486.93.November 18, 20222013 Lincoln MKT$12,500November 25, 20222008 BMW 335 XI$12,500November 29, 2022SRT8$23,710.13November 30, 20222010 Lincoln Navigator$13,000November 30, 2022BMW$16,000.00November 30, 20222015 BMW$19,500.79December 1, 2022Lincoln MKT$14,906.93December 2, 20222013 GMC Sierra$40,820.79.December 2, 2022White gold necklace/bracelet set$16,253.30December 3, 2022,2012 Acura TL$17,677.51December 5, 20222015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500$38,858.47.December 6, 2022,2022 Forrest River Trailer$34,885.25December 6, 2022,2019 Honda Accord$20,595.40December 7, 2022,2023 Nexus Triumph RV$107,000During each vehicle purchase, Garay did not attempt to hide his identity, using his real driver’s license, signature and fingerprints to close the deals. In one case, Garay even took a picture with his new truck in front of the dealership. In almost all instances, the companies realized the checks were fraudulent only after Garay had already left the lot with the vehicle.
Garay has been passing fake checks, stealing vehicles, and defrauding victims for over 15 years. He has amassed convictions for theft, receiving stolen property, fraud and theft of property by deception, and six counts of forgery. He has defrauded coworkers, employers, banks and businesses out of thousands of dollars.
“In less than a month, Garay went on a buying spree that would put even the most brazen car thief to shame,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Complex economic crimes such as these devastate the finances and security of businesses and individuals. The serious prison sentence imposed today demonstrates that this U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service, and all our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to hold these criminals accountable.”
“Financial fraud, like what was found in this case, does more than chip away at our nation’s financial infrastructure. It has real-life victims, and these law-abiding citizens were defrauded of thousands of dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Ike Barnes of the U.S. Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office. “I commend the work of everyone who investigated this case and brought the defendant to justice. I also thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, and all our law enforcement partners for their fine work in this case.”
The U.S. Secret Service investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case.
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Huntsville Man Charged with Multiple Bank Robberies in Madison CountyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Huntsville has charged an individual with committing a string of bank robberies in Madison County, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A four-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Lawrence Jones, 57, of Huntsville, with committing bank robberies at four Regions Bank locations between May 2022 and January 2023.
FBI investigated the case along with the Huntsville Police Department and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara M. Judah and Russell Penfield are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Homer big game transporter sentenced for transporting unlawfully taken black bearsRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Homer big game transporter was sentenced today to five years’ probation for providing big game transportation services for four illegally taken black bears in the Kenai Peninsula.
According to court documents, Travis Larson, 49, has been a licensed big game transporter since 2010, and provides transporter services through his company, Alaska Premier Sportfishing LLC (APS). Larson and APS offered paying clients transportation for multi-day hunting and fishing trips aboard a 65-foot liveaboard vessel, Venturess. He used a smaller motorboat for transporting clients and illegally harvested black bears to and from Venturess to the areas they would hunt. Larson and APS charged $3,500 per hunter to participate in a black bear hunting trip.
Court documents explain that in May 2018, through his company APS, Larson transported eight hunters on a black bear hunt in the Nuka Bay area of the Kenai Peninsula. Each hunter paid $3,500 to participate in the hunt. The group included four Norwegian nationals. Larson knew all four people were not residents of the U.S and that they were not accompanied by a licensed hunting guide or assistant guide, which is required under state law.
Court documents further explain that on May 9, 2018, one foreign hunter was transported to a beach adjacent to Surprise Bay to hunt a black bear. The hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On May 10, 2018, Larson transported three foreign hunters to a beach adjacent to Beauty Bay to hunt black bears. Two of the hunters each shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the Port Graham Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation, and the other hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On both days, Larson transported the hunters and the illegally harvested black bears back to Venturess via the smaller motorboat.
On May 11, 2018, Larson transported the four foreign hunters and the four illegally harvested black bears to Homer, Alaska, where he knew the black bears would be transported in interstate and foreign commerce following the hunt.
On Oct. 9, 2024, Larson pleaded guilty to four counts of violating the Lacey Act–unlawful transportation of wildlife. At sentencing, the Court also ordered Larson to pay a $40,000 fine and $2,400 in restitution and ordered him to forfeit $150,000. The Court also imposed special probationary conditions prohibiting Larson from hunting anywhere in the world and providing any big game commercial services throughout his probationary period.
“Despite knowing and understanding all relevant regulations governing licensed transporters, Mr. Larson chose to completely disregard the law so he could make a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Due to his conduct in this case, the defendant is now prohibited from operating within the big game transporting industry or hunting anywhere in the world for a significant period and will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties. May this sentence act as a deterrent for others in the industry—we will prosecute you and seek criminal sanctions if you willfully choose to disregard the rules in place that regulate hunting and protect wildlife in Alaska.”
“This sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to enforcing wildlife laws and holding accountable those who attempt to circumvent them,” said Doug Ault, Assistant Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “The facilitation of poaching and illegal transport of black bears by the defendant, along with his subsequent submission of false reports to conceal these illicit activities, poses a threat to our country's wildlife populations. We will relentlessly pursue those who engage in such activities and remain steadfast in our efforts to prevent the exploitation of America's shared natural resources."
The National Park Service, Investigative Services Branch and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey prosecuted the case.
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Guilty Verdict for Man Who Committed March 2020 Homicide in SoutheastRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Guy Johnson, 57, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today by a Superior Court jury of five charges, including second-degree murder while armed, in connection with a March 2020 homicide in Southeast, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Danya A. Dayson presided over the trial where the jury found Johnson guilty of one count each of second-degree murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm, as well as two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:17 a.m., on March 25, 2020, defendant Johnson shot multiple times into a white Kia Forte occupied by 28-year-old Kriston Robinson and the surviving victim. One of the shots struck the decedent in the head killing her nearly instantly. The surviving victim fled from the car and escaped injury.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including former Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Kimak.
It was tried and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Evans and Anthony Cocuzza.
Guatemalan National Previously Convicted of Sexual Offense Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a Guatemalan national of illegally re-entering the United States. Baudilio Ramos, 65, a citizen of Guatemala, was found to be living in Youngstown, Ohio.
According to court documents, Ramos originally came to the U.S. in 1990 on a commercial visa. In 2013, in the county of Rockland New York, he was convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child. After serving a prison term, he was deported from the U.S and returned to Guatemala. The defendant stated that he later paid $3,000 to a “coyote,” a slang term for a human smuggler, who arranged to take him from Mexico into Texas. A second smuggler took him from Houston to New York state. He then relocated to the Youngstown area where he has been living for about the last two years. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Ramos was not registered with the Mahoning County Sex Offender Registry.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. – Peter Yang, 34, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor today, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on dates between November 2021 and March 2022, Yang communicated with a 15-year-old victim in Missouri on the gaming platform Among Us, and then through Discord and FaceTime calls. Yang coerced the victim into creating and then transmitting sexually explicit images to Yang. Yang also discussed traveling from California to Missouri to meet the victim in person at a motel near the victim’s residence.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Christian County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office and the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.
Yang faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for sexual exploitation of a minor when he is sentenced on July 14, 2025. Any 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.
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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Four Individuals Sentenced for Smuggling Tropical BirdsRead the Press Release
Note, the press release has been updated to include a quote from the U.S. Coast Guard.
The final two of four Dominican nationals were sentenced last week for Lacey Act trafficking and smuggling wildlife from the United States after they attempted to smuggle tropical birds from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic.
Frankluis Carela De Jesús was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, while Domingo Heureau Altagracia was sentenced to 8 months in prison. Waner Balbuena and Juan Graviel Ramírez Cedano were previously each sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison.
According to court documents, De Jesús, Altagracia, Balbuena and Cedano were traveling on May 3, 2024, in a flagless vessel with more than 100 tropical birds of various species onboard. De Jesús, Altagracia, Balbuena and Cedano did not have wildlife export licenses, and they failed to make the required declarations for exporting wildlife. Many of the birds are internationally protected species, including white-crowned parrots, golden-capped parakeets and green-cheeked conures. The defendants also had red-crowned parrots, which are afforded the highest level of international protection due to their exploitation in the pet trade and risk of extinction.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) approached the vessel about 30 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico and saw the crew throwing objects overboard. The USCG stopped and boarded the vessel and recovered wood cages containing tropical birds from the water. A total of 113 birds were recovered, all of which drowned when the cages were thrown overboard.
“Defendants were caught in the act of smuggling tropical birds from Puerto Rico, and then drowned them to cover up their crime,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Whether it’s wildlife or other natural resources or goods, smuggling is illegal. We will prosecute those who try to circumvent our laws.”
“In this case, endangering the welfare of animals for personal gain was not only cruel — it was illegal,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “I commend the excellent collaboration of the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting our wildlife. Because of their hard work, justice was served.”
“This prosecution and conviction underscore the serious consequences of wildlife trafficking and the devastating impact it has on natural resources,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)’s Office of Law Enforcement. “The illegal smuggling of tropical birds not only threatens vulnerable populations but also undermines conservation efforts and poses significant risks as wildlife traffickers attempt to exploit our borders. We are resolute in our mission to hold accountable those who engage in such crimes, and we will continue to pursue justice with the full force of the law alongside our interagency partners.”
“The U.S. Coast Guard is the nation’s premiere maritime law enforcement agency with authorities to enforce federal and international law on the high seas,” said Commander Matthew Romano, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response. “This was a unique case for our Coast Guard crews who usually enforce fisheries laws to protect living marine resources in and around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The successful prosecution and sentencing in this case are a testimony to our strong partnerships and collaboration to secure our maritime borders and to deter illicit trafficking that fuels criminal enterprises.”
“The illegal trafficking of wildlife is not just an environmental crime-it is a direct threat to public health, economic stability, and global biodiversity,” said Director Roberto Vaquero of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Juan Field Operations. “CBP remains committed to enforcing wildlife trade laws and stopping the flow of illicit wildlife products that fuel criminal networks and endanger ecosystems. Protecting our borders from these threats is a critical part of safeguarding both national security and global health.”
Crates where birds were transported. Photo is from the indictment of United States v. Frankluis Carela De Jesús, et al., No. 3:24-CR-00174 in U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Dead tropical birds recovered from the ocean. Photo is from the indictment of United States v. Frankluis Carela De Jesús, et al., No. 3:24-CR-00174 in U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.The USCG, USFWS and CBP investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.
Former postal worker pleads guilty to stealing mailRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Christopher Porter, 37, of Angola, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to theft of mail by an officer or employee, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Franz M. Wright and Andrew J. Henning, who are handling the case, stated that between 2021 and May 2022, Porter was employed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a City Carrier, assigned to the West Seneca Post Office. In October 2021, Porter stole an envelope containing a Wegmans gift card and a Target gift card, which he gave to his wife. In addition, on various dates in March 2022, Porter opened envelopes and mail and rifled through the mail items, delaying their delivery.
The plea is a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Modafferi.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2025, before Judge Vilardo.
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Former NFL Player Sentenced to 2½ Years in Prison for Real Estate and Gold Mine Ponzi Scheme that Caused $5.3 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former NFL linebacker was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for running a Ponzi scheme in which he defrauded victims out of more than $5 million by lying to them that he was involved in lucrative luxury real estate investments, gold mines in Alaska and Ghana, and other ventures, and promising them high rates of return on their investments.
John Robert Leake, 43, of Plano, Texas, but who formerly resided in Marina del Rey, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $5,314,059 in restitution.
Leake pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of transactional money laundering.
From June 2015 to March 2020, Leake solicited money from victims by falsely claiming that he was participating in multiple lucrative business ventures, including subletting luxury real estate properties and real estate investing. Leake offered his victims the opportunity to loan him funds for him to invest in these purported ventures in exchange for a high rate of return.
In fact, Leake knew these investment opportunities often were fabricated and non-existent and were devised by Leake to defraud victims and trick them into giving him money.
Leake duped his victims by lying that he had invested large amounts of his own money in the purported business ventures he promoted. Leake rarely invested his own money into them.
He also fraudulently offered to personally guarantee return of the victims’ loans and provided them promissory notes purporting to memorialize his promise to repay the victims at a fixed rate of interest. Leake’s lies to his victims included his claims that his business ventures were successful, and he had accumulated substantial personal assets and income. In fact, Leake lacked sufficient personal assets and income to repay his victims.
Once in receipt of the victim’s money, Leake – without the victims’ knowledge or consent – used some of the funds to pay his own personal expenses, including credit card bills, car payments, rent, and gambling expenses. To continue his scam, Leake also used some of the victims’ money to lull victims by making purported “interest” and “capital” payments on the promissory notes. Leake used a small amount of his personal funds to make these payments.
In total, Leake fraudulently received approximately $8,129,450 from six victims, causing them a total loss of approximately $5,314,059.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney James C. Hughes of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Family to Hide from the IRS More than $90M in Offshore Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
Note: View plea agreement here. View factual basis here.
MIAMI – A Florida woman, and dual U.S. and Colombian citizen, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States by, among other things, concealing tens of millions of dollars in undeclared foreign financial accounts, filing false tax returns, and evading taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2010 and 2022, Gilda Rosenberg, of Golden Beach, Florida, conspired with two family members to conceal from the IRS more than $90 million in assets and income held in undeclared bank accounts in Andorra, Israel, Panama and Switzerland.
Rosenberg’s family had maintained offshore accounts since the 1970s. By the late 1990s, Rosenberg — who was identified as an owner and an authorized signer on some of the accounts — knew that she and her family members had not disclosed their ownership of these foreign financial accounts to the U.S. government and that they had not paid any taxes on the income earned from the assets in those accounts as was required by law.
Starting in the early 2000s, the family consolidated their assets at accounts with Credit Suisse in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Family members told Credit Suisse employees that they were U.S. persons and seeking to hide their assets from U.S. authorities. The assets remained at Credit Suisse until 2013, when Credit Suisse closed the accounts because the family members were U.S. persons.
When Credit Suisse closed their accounts, the family moved their assets, which were typically titled in the names of nominee entities, to new accounts located at Bank Leumi in Israel, Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) and PKB Privat Bank SA in Switzerland, and an Andorran bank. Rosenberg was documented as the beneficial owner of accounts at UBP and the Andorran bank. She also signed false account opening documents that claimed she was a Colombian resident and not a U.S. citizen.
Rosenberg, as well as her relatives, did not file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARS) disclosing their foreign financial accounts, as they were required to do. In addition, Rosenberg and her relatives continued to file false tax returns that omitted income generated by their offshore assets.
In or about 2017, as part of a scheme to continue to evade their U.S. tax and reporting obligations, Rosenberg and the family members divided the family’s assets and signed documents to make it appear that Rosenberg and a relative gifted the offshore assets to another relative after he had renounced his U.S. citizenship. Rosenberg and her relatives then tried to covertly transfer assets to Rosenberg in the United States and to conceal their ongoing and historical tax evasion. To do so, Rosenberg and her relatives, among other things, created fake loan and investment documents to make it appear that transfers to and from Rosenberg were loans and business investments.
From 2010 through 2017, Rosenberg filed false tax returns that did not report more than $5.5 million in income she earned from her assets at UBP, which caused a tax loss to the IRS of $1,927,342.
Rosenberg is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Rosenberg previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Texas to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), by making and presenting false reports in order to avoid fully paying contractually required commissions. See United States v. Rosenberg, 4:24-cr-00062-ALM-AGD (E.D. Tex.)
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation’s International Tax & Financial Crimes Unit is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining important evidence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez for the Southern District of Florida, Senior Litigation Counsel Mark Daly and Stan Okula, and Trial Attorney Marissa Brodney of the Tax Division, are prosecuting the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
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 25-cr-20005.
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Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Family to Hide from the IRS More than $90M in Offshore Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
View plea agreement. View factual basis.
A Florida woman, and dual U.S. and Colombian citizen, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States by, among other things, concealing tens of millions of dollars in undeclared foreign financial accounts, filing false tax returns, and evading taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2010 and 2022, Gilda Rosenberg, of Golden Beach, Florida, conspired with two family members to conceal from the IRS more than $90 million in assets and income held in undeclared bank accounts in Andorra, Israel, Panama and Switzerland.
Rosenberg’s family had maintained offshore accounts since the 1970s. By the late 1990s, Rosenberg — who was identified as an owner and an authorized signer on some of the accounts — knew that she and her family members had not disclosed their ownership of these foreign financial accounts to the U.S. government and that they had not paid any taxes on the income earned from the assets in those accounts as was required by law.
Starting in the early 2000s, the family consolidated their assets at accounts with Credit Suisse in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Family members told Credit Suisse employees that they were U.S. persons and seeking to hide their assets from U.S. authorities. The assets remained at Credit Suisse until 2013, when Credit Suisse closed the accounts because the family members were U.S. persons.
When Credit Suisse closed their accounts, the family moved their assets, which were typically titled in the names of nominee entities, to new accounts located at Bank Leumi in Israel, Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) and PKB Privat Bank SA in Switzerland, and an Andorran bank. Rosenberg was documented as the beneficial owner of accounts at UBP and the Andorran bank. She also signed false account opening documents that claimed she was a Colombian resident and not a U.S. citizen.
Rosenberg, as well as her relatives, did not file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARS) disclosing their foreign financial accounts, as they were required to do. In addition, Rosenberg and her relatives continued to file false tax returns that omitted income generated by their offshore assets.
In or about 2017, as part of a scheme to continue to evade their U.S. tax and reporting obligations, Rosenberg and the family members divided the family’s assets and signed documents to make it appear that Rosenberg and a relative gifted the offshore assets to another relative after he had renounced his U.S. citizenship. Rosenberg and her relatives then tried to covertly transfer assets to Rosenberg in the United States and to conceal their ongoing and historical tax evasion. To do so, Rosenberg and her relatives, among other things, created fake loan and investment documents to make it appear that transfers to and from Rosenberg were loans and business investments.
*From 2010 through 2017, Rosenberg filed false tax returns that did not report income she earned from assets in the account she concealed at UBP. For the 2009 through 2017 tax years, unreported income belonging to Rosenberg and two of her co-conspirators totaled more than $5.5 million, causing a tax loss of $1,927,342.
Rosenberg is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Rosenberg previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Texas to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), by making and presenting false reports in order to avoid fully paying contractually required commissions. See United States v. Rosenberg, 4:24-cr-00062-ALM-AGD (E.D. Tex.)
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation’s International Tax & Financial Crimes Unit is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining important evidence.
Senior Litigation Counsel Mark Daly and Stan Okula, and Trial Attorney Marissa Brodney of the Tax Division, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez for the Southern District of Florida, are prosecuting the case.
*Paragraph has been updated to include additional information and context.
Flat Rock Man Guilty of Illegally Transporting and Receiving of Explosive Device that Caused a Home Explosion in River RougeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Flat Rock man pleaded guilty today to illegally transporting and receiving an explosive device, announced Acting United States Attorney Julie Beck.
Beck was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Detroit Field Division.
Steven Marchbanks, 58, also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to court documents, the investigation arose out of a home explosion in River Rouge, Michigan in June 2024. On that date, Marchbanks purchased an illegal explosive device, thought to be an M-80, from an unknown individual off the street and transported it to the residence, where he left the device unattended with two children. One of the children set off the device. The explosion caused severe injuries to the children and structural damage to the home. Subsequently, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Marchbanks’ house and found two guns that belonged to him. Marchbanks had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and, as a result, cannot legally possess guns.
“The facts of this case show the danger that illegal explosive devices pose to our community. Tragically, this defendant’s actions caused devastating injuries to minor children,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Beck.
“The allegations in this case represent the most horrific unintended consequences associated with poor choices. Steven Marchbanks is a repeat offender prohibited from lawfully possessing a firearm. Tragically, he chose to leave an unsecured M80 caliber explosive device with children in the home,” said Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “In a millisecond, a youngchild’s life was changed forever. In the end, Mr. Marchbanks will have several years behind bars to reflect on how his poor decision-making caused serious injuries to a child. Illegal fireworks are extremely dangerous and should never be left stored inside of your home.”
Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, 2025. Marchbanks faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for transporting and receiving explosive materials without a license and 15 years in prison for possession of firearms as a felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from River Rouge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan Ho is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
El Paso Woman Arrested for Allegedly Defrauding Paycheck Protection Program of More Than $2 MillionRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso woman was arrested on criminal charges related to her alleged Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud.
According to court documents, Araceli Benitez, 46, was the owner of both an insurance and tax services company and a home health services company. Between April 9, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2022, she allegedly submitted fraudulent loan applications and requests for fund disbursement to the PPP, a federal government COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration.
The indictment, filed Jan. 22, alleges Benitez attracted and induced clients to hire her to apply for PPP loans through paid radio commercials and social media—usually in Spanish. She allegedly sent and caused to be sent to a credit union PPP loan applications which contained material misrepresentations and omissions. Unbeknownst to her clients, Benitez allegedly included false federal income tax documentation, false information about her clients’ businesses, and false information about her clients’ need and qualifications. Benitez allegedly submitted approximately 156 loan applications totaling $2,305,294.06.
Benitez was arrested March 7 and is charged with seven counts of wire fraud; eight counts of bank fraud; two counts of money laundering; one count of structuring transactions to evade reporting requirement; two counts of aggravated identity theft; and one count of false or fictitious claims. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Doctor Agrees to Pay $468,000 to Settle Civil False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – John Patterson, M.D., a physician practicing in El Paso has agreed to pay the United States $468,626 to resolve allegations under the Federal False Claims Act.
The United States alleged that Dr. Patterson received kickbacks from Nursemind Home Care Inc., a freestanding hospice care center in El Paso, to certify patients as eligible for hospice services when in fact the patients were not eligible for these services. The United States further alleged that by falsely certifying these patients as eligible for hospices services, Dr. Patterson caused false claims to be submitted to federal healthcare programs.
“My office will hold providers accountable, both through the civil and criminal process, when they attempt to defraud federal healthcare programs and the American taxpayer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas.
Dr. Patterson received cooperation credit under the terms of the settlement pursuant to the Justice Department’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation, and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters. Dr. Patterson cooperated with the United States’ investigation by, among other things, agreeing to cooperate with an ongoing criminal investigation and to testify truthfully in any resulting criminal prosecutions.
The investigation into this scheme led to the criminal prosecution of Zenia Chavez, the owner of Nursemind Home Care, Inc. Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit illegal renumerations regarding a federal health care program, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
“Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute waste valuable federal health care program funds and corrupt the medical decision-making process,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The emotional toll it takes on Medicare recipients and their families to be placed on hospice when it is not appropriate is reprehensible. HHS-OIG will continue to identify and investigate those who seek to unlawfully benefit from such abhorrent financial arrangements.”
“Dr. Patterson falsely certified individuals for hospice services under Medicare when they did not meet eligibility criteria,” said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for FBI El Paso. “He violated his oath as a physician to fight against healthcare fraud and waste. Today’s civil settlement shows how steadfastly committed the FBI El Paso Healthcare Fraud and Financial Crimes Task Force is in protecting the integrity of the Medicare Program, which is vital to the health and well-being of individuals in need of their services. We will go after individuals who seek to enrich themselves by jeopardizing the healthcare of Medicare beneficiaries and defrauding American taxpayers.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo Castillo negotiated the civil settlement on behalf of the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Skillern and Debra Kanof represented the United States in the criminal prosecution of Ms. Zenia Chavez.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Disbarred attorney sentenced to more than 3 years in prison for Social Security number fraud as part of scheme to obtain jobs at law firmsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A disbarred attorney who previously practiced law in the Cincinnati area was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 37 months in prison. He used false identities to obtain employment with at least seven law firms.
Richard Louis Crosby III, 37, of Mason, Ohio, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to three counts of Social Security number fraud.
At various times throughout his scheme, Crosby used identifying information belonging to his elderly father, his girlfriend, a deceased man and others. He falsely told at least one law firm that he was a University of Michigan football player and an ex-Marine.
According to court documents, the Cincinnati Bar Association filed a complaint against Crosby in November 2020. In April 2021, he indicated his intent to resign from the practice of law.
In both June and November 2021, Crosby was indicted and charged in Hamilton County with crimes related to stealing client funds. After his indictments, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio entered an order disbarring Crosby.
In May 2022, Crosby was arrested in both of his Hamilton County cases. He was sentenced to probation in both cases in June 2023.
According to his federal plea agreement, while Crosby’s local cases were pending, he created an email account using “richardcwilliamsesq.” Crosby used the email address and the alias Richard Williams to communicate with a law firm in Washington D.C. in June 2021. The firm briefly employed “Williams.”
In June 2022 – at which point Crosby had been disbarred in Ohio and arrested on the Hamilton County charges – Crosby used his alias to apply online for an attorney position with a law firm in California. The firm offered Crosby a position as an associate attorney with a salary of $150,000. The defendant was employed under his alias for approximately three months and used a firm email address with his alias name.
In September 2022, Crosby used his alias to apply for an attorney position with a law firm based in Miami, Florida. Crosby met with a recruiter via Zoom, and represented himself as Richard Williams, a licensed attorney admitted to the bar in New York and D.C.
Crosby then met with one of the firm’s hiring managers in Florida and was ultimately offered employment in October 2022. His starting salary was $185,000 per year with a $5,000 signing bonus. Crosby used his girlfriend’s Social Security number, passport number and banking information to complete his onboarding paperwork at the law firm.
In April 2023, the firm received an inquiry from an investigator with the Clermont County Child Support Enforcement Office, making the firm aware of Crosby’s true identity. He was subsequently fired.
In July 2023, Crosby interviewed with the founding partner of a different California law firm. He also falsely claimed to work at the law firm of Kirkland and Ellis. After the founding partner asked Crosby to verify with whom he worked with at Kirkland and Ellis, Crosby withdrew his interest in the job.
A few days later, Crosby again used the alias to attempt to obtain employment. He interviewed over Zoom with senior management of a law firm located in Coral Gables, Florida. Crosby doctored a “screen shot” of the name Richard Coleman Williams Jr. in the online D.C. bar membership directory to attach with his resume.
The firm offered Crosby a starting salary of $195,000 per year with a $10,000 signing bonus, but eventually determined Crosby was using a false identity and did not hire him.
In August 2023, the defendant applied for a job at another law firm. The firm, located in Michigan, sent Crosby a letter offering a salary of $145,000 per year and a $10,000 signing bonus. When his credential information had discrepancies, the firm terminated their working relationship before issuing Crosby’s first paycheck.
In September 2023, one month prior to his arrest on federal charges, Crosby used a different alias to apply for a job at another law firm in California. He claimed that he was a University of Michigan football player and an ex-Marine. Crosby was hired as an attorney at a salary of $250,000 per year. He used the Social Security number of a deceased man from North Carolina in his tax paperwork to the firm.
In early 2024, while out on bond, Crosby ran a new scheme in which he pretended to be an attorney who specialized in appeals and other criminal matters. He scammed local inmates and their families, claiming he could help local inmates with post-conviction relief like appeals, parole and sentence reductions. For example, he was paid $2,500 from the mother of a local inmate for the above mentioned but provided no services in return.
As part of his sentence, Crosby will pay nearly $171,000 in restitution to law firms he defrauded. The court also ordered him to serve three years of supervised release and perform 300 hours of community service.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced sentence imposed on March 7 by U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and United States Marshals Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry represented the United States in this case.
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Dauphin County Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dwayne Cavanaugh, age 55, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on March 5, 2025, by a federal grand jury for possession of child pornography.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Cavanaugh possessed child pornography on or about January 21, 2024. The indictment further alleges that this offense occurred after Cavanaugh was convicted in 2010 for receipt of child pornography in United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen W. Dukes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is twenty years of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of ten years of 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 are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 144 Months’ Imprisonment for Possession of Firearms and the Distribution of CocaineRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey man was sentenced to 144 months in prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Dominick Montgomery, 38, of Plainfield, New Jersey, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Georgette Castner on October 8, 2024, and pleaded guilty to possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On March 6, 2025, Judge Castner sentenced Montgomery to 144 months’ imprisonment.
According to court documents:
In October of 2021, law enforcement was investigating narcotics trafficking in the Somerset and Middlesex County area. During the investigation, law enforcement identified Montgomery as an individual distributing narcotics in that area. From October 27, 2021 until January 24, 2022, Montgomery sold eight firearms, cocaine, and fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer in exchange for money. During the last transaction, on January 24, 2022, Montgomery sold the undercover officer cocaine and three firearms in exchange for $6,750. On February 2, 2022, law enforcement arrested Montgomery and found him in possession of a Smith and Wesson pistol and fifteen rounds of ammunition.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Montgomery to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., and the Somerset County Prosecutors Office, under the direction of Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan N. Linares of the Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
Commercial fisherman sentenced to 6 months in prison for falsifying fishing records and taking an endangered sperm whaleRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A Southeast Alaska commercial fisherman was sentenced today to six months in prison for falsifying fishing records in violation of the Lacey Act and illegally taking a sperm whale in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
According to court documents, between October and November 2020, Dugan Paul Daniels, 55, of Coffman Cove, knowingly submitted false records about his commercial fishing activities to make it appear that he lawfully caught sablefish, aka “black cod,” in federal waters on two separate occasions. An investigation revealed he harvested the fish illegally in State of Alaska waters, specifically, in Chatham Strait and Clarence Strait, respectively. The total market value of the illegally harvested fish was $127,528.
Court documents further explain that, in March 2020, Daniels and three crew members were fishing for sablefish southwest of Yakobi Island in the Gulf of Alaska when they came upon a sperm whale. During the encounter, Daniels knowingly tried to take the endangered sperm whale by having a crewman shoot the whale multiple times and by trying to ram the whale with his fishing vessel. Court documents detail that the term “take” means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct. Daniels documented the encounter in writing and through text messages sent from a GPS communication device. Some of the messages stated he wished he “had a cannon to blow” the whale out of the water and that he hoped “to be reeling in a dead sperm whale.”
Court documents explain that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) does not know if Daniels succeeded in killing the whale, as no sperm whale carcass was reported in Southeast Alaska in 2020.
On June 6, 2024, Daniels pleaded guilty to one count of Lacey Act violation for false labeling and one count of Endangered Species Act violation for an illegal take. In handing down the sentence, the Court called Daniels’ actions “deliberate” and emphasized Daniels' 20 years of experience as a commercial fisherman and the importance of deterring others from similar conduct because of the threat it poses to the sustainability of Alaska's marine resources. At sentencing, the Court also ordered Daniels to pay a $25,000 fine and serve three years on supervised release, with a one-year commercial fishing ban while on supervised release and 80 hours of community work service as special release conditions.
“Though he had been a fisherman for over 20 years, Mr. Daniels showed a blatant disregard for endangered animals, the laws that protect them and the regulation of commercial fishing,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska. “Let this sentence serve as an example that these violations will not go unpunished. Falsifying recordkeeping and reporting documents has a direct effect on sustainable fishery management and interferes with Alaska’s ability to ensure species are not overfished. Our office, in collaboration with our wildlife law enforcement partners, is committed to holding all individuals to the same standards and will continue to seek criminal sanctions for wildlife crimes.”
“Mr. Daniels believed that he could use deception to escape the consequences of his actions,” said Benjamin Cheeseman, Assistant Director of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Division. “Anyone who violates the laws that protect Alaska’s marine resources will face serious repercussions. We remain committed to holding individuals accountable for these offenses.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney and Andrea Hattan, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney/NOAA Office of General Counsel Enforcement Attorney, prosecuted the case.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jason Lorel Minter, 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 10, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Minter’s residence and seized 126.8 grams of fentanyl, 312.7 grams of methamphetamine, 490 grams of marijuana, a loaded Taurus model G3 9mm pistol, a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P .40-caliber pistol, and $1,522. Minter admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances.
Minter is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting 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. 2:24-cr-196.
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Canadian Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Destruction of Energy Facilities in North and South DakotaRead the Press Release
Cameron Monte Smith, 50, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced today to 150 months in prison per count, to be served consecutively, for two counts of destroying an energy facility — one incident in the District of North Dakota and another in the District of South Dakota.Smith was also ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution.
According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to the two offenses where he admitted to damaging the Wheelock Substation, located near Ray, North Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in May 2023. The Wheelock substation is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
Smith also admitted to damaging a transformer and pumpstation of the Keystone Pipeline located near Carpenter, South Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in July 2022. Smith damaged the Wheelock substation and the Keystone Pipeline equipment by firing multiple rounds from a high-power rifle into the equipment resulting in disruption of electric services to the North Dakota customers and resulting in disruption of the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota; U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota; and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Williams County (North Dakota) Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Clark County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Department, and the Beadle County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Hagler and Jonathan J. O’Konek for the District of South Dakota, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri for the District of North Dakota, and Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.