Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
7 February 2025
Harvey Man Sentenced for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MIGUEL KEELEN (“KEELEN”), age 36, of Harvey, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon on January 30, 2025 to 75 months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, KEELEN possessed a firearm on December 11, 2023, while at a Valero Gas Station in New Orleans. Specifically, KEELEN displayed and drew a pistol from his waistband before then concealing the pistol and fleeing from police. KEELEN was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his previous felony convictions.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Hampton man convicted on mail theft and firearm chargesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Hampton man today on charges of conspiracy, mail theft, and illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on July 22, 2024, Jamal Ashton Shields, 33, drove to a postal collection box at the Patrick Henry Post Office in Newport News along with Sampson G. Jumbo, 28, of the Bronx, New York, and another co-conspirator. Because the collection box had been broken into on multiple recent occasions, law enforcement was surveilling it. Jumbo and the other co-conspirator exited the vehicle and approached the collection box, then used an arrow key to open the collection box and remove mail. An arrow key is used to access collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, and apartment mailbox panels in a specific area.
After witnessing Jumbo and the co-conspirators take mail from the box, law enforcement moved in to apprehend them, and the three men fled. Shields, who fled in the vehicle, was eventually pulled over and taken into custody after a high-speed chase. When officers approached the vehicle, Shields informed them that he had a firearm in the vehicle. An investigation revealed that Shields had received the firearm while under felony indictment for rape and forcible sodomy in Hampton.
Jumbo, who fled on foot along with the co-conspirator, was apprehended 50 yards from the collection box. Jumbo had a black backpack with approximately 35 pieces of stolen mail.
The other co-conspirator discarded his jacket and then carjacked a vehicle. The discarded jacket was recovered and contained the arrow key.
The conspirators stole at least 82 pieces of outgoing mail, at least ten of which included checks.
On Nov. 15, 2024, Jumbo pled guilty to mail theft. Jumbo is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21 and faces up to five years in prison.
Shields faces up to 15 years in prison when sentenced on June 13. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the verdict. The Virginia State Police and Newport News Police Department assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Therese O'Brien and Mack Coleman are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-49.
Four More Defendants Plead Guilty to $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Four additional defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
First, according to court documents, at times between October 2020 and January 2022, Abduljabar Hussein, 44, of Shakopee, Minnesota, knowingly and willfully conspired with others to participate in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions in federal child nutrition funds.
According to court documents, in October 2020, Abduljabar Hussein’s wife, Mekfira Hussein, enrolled her non-profit, Shamsia Hopes, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future, at the direction of one of its employees, Abdikerm Eidleh. Mekfira Hussein submitted her application to Aimee Bock, Feeding Our Future’s executive director. In December 2020 and also at the direction of Abdikerm Eidleh, Abduljabar Hussein registered his company, Oromia Feeds LLC, with the State of Minnesota. Oromia Feeds LLC also participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor for food to be served by Shamsia Hopes sites run by his wife.
Together, the Husseins submitted fraudulent claims that sought reimbursement for far more meals and food than they actually prepared. Hussein and his wife submitted fraudulently inflated invoices for reimbursement—including inflated meal counts and false attendance rosters. As part of this scheme, Hussein and his wife paid at least $140,000 in kickbacks to Eidleh and least $12,000 in kickbacks to Aimee Bock, in exchange for Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship of Shamsia Hopes. In some instances, these kickback payments were disguised as “consulting fees,” when, in fact, neither Eidleh nor Aimee Bock provided any service to justify these payments.
According to his plea agreement entered today, the Husseins ultimately obtained up to $8.8 million in federal child nutrition program funds some of which they used to pay for personal expenditures unrelated to feeding children. For instance, the defendant used $173,438 of the proceeds to pay off the mortgage on his home in Shakopee, Minnesota, and also purchased a 2021 Porsche for $93,250, as well as a 2022 GMC truck for $61,722. As part of his sentence, Hussein was ordered to forfeit those vehicles as well as a 2021 Tesla, and the fraud money he applied toward his home mortgage.
Next, according to court documents, Zamzam Jama, 50, and Mustafa Jama, 48, of Rochester, Minnesota, and Asha Jama, 42, of Lakeville, Minnesota, each pled guilty to laundering fraudulent proceeds that were paid by Feeding Our Future through the Federal Child Nutrition Program to Brava Restaurant. In October 2020, Brava Restaurant, which was located in a retail strip mall in Rochester, Minnesota, enrolled as a distribution site in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.
The Jamas and their conspirators coordinated the establishment of shell companies through which they received and disbursed funds from the federal child nutrition program to make expenditures that had nothing to do with feeding children. Specifically, on January 7, 2021, Salim Said, a co-owner of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, paid to register six different shell companies with the state of Minnesota for the Jamas and others.
In 2021, Zamzam Jama, Mustafa Jama, and Asha Jama deposited at least $491,245, $1,429,730, and $449,933, in misappropriated Federal Child Nutrition Program funds into their respective shell entities’ bank accounts. The Jamas then used those funds for various personal expenditures that had nothing to do with feeding children.
Zamzam Jama spent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds on a home in Rosemount, Minnesota, and to purchase a 2021 Toyota RAV4 vehicle. With her guilty plea, Zamzam Jama has forfeited that vehicle, her interest in the Rosemount property, as well as $114,482 from her bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.
Mustafa Jama used Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to buy a home in Columbus, Ohio. He also spent $394,000 in program money toward a home in Lakeville, Minnesota, and to purchase Mediterranean coastal property in Alanya, Turkey. With his guilty plea, Mustafa Jama has forfeited any interest in the Ohio and Lakeville properties, as well as $239,500 from his bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.
Asha Jama spent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds toward a home in Lakeville, Minnesota, and another in Rochester, Minnesota. With her guilty plea, Zamzam Jama has forfeited her interest on those two properties any interest in that vehicle, the Rosemount property, as well as $149,880 seized from her bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.
In separate proceedings in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel, Abduljabar Hussein pleaded guilty on February 5, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Zamzam Jama pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025, to one count of money laundering; Mustafa Jama pleaded guilty on February 6, 2025, to one count of money laundering; and Asha Jama pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, to one count of money laundering. Sentencing hearings for all four defendants will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Former Whitefish Housing Authority executive director sentenced to prison for embezzling from organization; $144,842 restitution orderedRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — The former executive director of the Whitefish Housing Authority was sentenced today to four months in prison and four months of home confinement, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $144,842 for embezzling from the organization, which receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Dwarne Lamont Hawkins, 46, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to theft from organization receiving federal funding.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court also ordered Hawkins to perform 200 hours of community service. Hawkins was allowed to self-report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
In court documents, the government alleged that from about May 2023 to January 2024, while working as the Whitefish Housing Authority’s executive director, Hawkins embezzled from the organization. The Whitefish Housing Authority provides safe, decent and affordable housing options for low-income families in the Whitefish community and received approximately $468,616 in federal funds from HUD during the period of the indictment. Hawkins stole housing authority money by diverting and inflating payroll, fraudulently paying personal expenses with the Whitefish Housing Authority credit card and creating and paying fraudulent invoices to businesses over which he had control. The investigation identified approximately $144,842 in restitution.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
XXX
Former Stoneham Auxiliary Police Officer Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Bribery ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Stoneham Auxiliary Police Officer was sentenced in federal court in Boston for a bribery and kickback scheme that netted millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.
Christopher Ponzo, 50, of North Reading, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 27 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Ponzo was also ordered to pay a $300,000 fine. In November 2024, Christopher Ponzo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, 24 counts of honest services wire fraud and one count of making false statements to government officials. Christopher Ponzo was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023 along with his brother Joseph Ponzo.
Christopher Ponzo, along with his brother and co-conspirator, Joseph Ponzo, conspired to pay, and did pay, tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes, kickbacks and other in-kind benefits, including a John Deere tractor, a computer, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work, among other things, to Company A employees (Associates 1 and 2) in exchange for the Associates’ assistance in getting the defendants millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.
Massachusetts law requires utility companies to collect an energy efficiency surcharge on all Massachusetts energy consumers. These funds, which amount to hundreds of millions of dollars each year, are to be disbursed by the utility companies to fund energy efficiency programs and initiatives in Massachusetts. Under the Mass Save program, the utility companies select lead vendors, like Company A, to approve and select contractors to perform energy improvement work for residential customers. This contracting work – performed by contractors at no-cost or reduced cost to the customer – is then paid for by Company A with Mass Save funds.
On a weekly basis, from 2013 to 2017, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $1,000 in cash. At times, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $5,000 to $10,000 in cash, telling Associate 1 that the extra money was from Joseph Ponzo for his part in the bribery scheme. In return for these payments, Associate 1, among other things, helped Joseph Ponzo set up a shell company, Air Tight, to do insulation work and get approved as a Company A contractor under the Mass Save program. Joseph Ponzo put his spouse’s name on Air Tight incorporation documents and contracting licenses in order to conceal his involvement in his corrupt side business. Despite having no professional experience in residential insulation work, Joseph Ponzo collected over $7 million under the Mass Save program.
After Associate 1 left Company A in 2017, Christopher Ponzo and Joseph Ponzo recruited Associate 2 to the bribery-kickback scheme from approximately 2018 to 2022, paying Associate 2 thousands of dollars in cash and hiring a relative of Associate 2 as part of the ongoing scheme.
In April 2022, both Joseph Ponzo and Christopher Ponzo falsely denied making bribe payments to any Company A employees when interviewed by federal agents.Joseph Ponzo pleaded guilty in November 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 28, 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Dustin Chao of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Postal Employee Guilty of Delay of Election MailRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 5, 2025, a federal jury convicted María De Lourdes Martínez-Garriga, a former United States Postal Service City Carrier, for unlawfully delaying and not delivering four pieces of election mail.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on August 5, 11 and 15, 2022, Martínez-Garriga, 34, a then City Carrier assigned to the 65th Infantry Postal Office in San Juan, Puerto Rico unlawfully delayed four certified mail envelopes containing ballots for the 2022 Special Election for the District of San Juan. All affected voters confirmed, and four of them testified at trial, that despite having requested early vote ballots from the Puerto Rico Elections Commission they never received the Election Mail envelopes.
“Our democracy depends on the right of eligible voters to cast a ballot and to have that ballot counted. If voters do not receive their ballots, they cannot execute one of our fundamental rights as United States citizens -- the right to vote,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office along with our law enforcement partners will continue to protect this fundamental pillar of our society.”
“Placing mail into the hands of the Postal Service is an act of public trust all postal employees must uphold,” said Tammy Hull, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service. “Ms. Martínez violated that trust by delaying the delivery of election mail. Through our investigation USPS OIG special agents brought her to justice and she has been convicted of her crimes by a jury.”
“The FBI is committed to protecting the integrity of our democratic processes, including ensuring that every voter’s voice is heard. Any attempt to interfere with election mail is a violation of public trust and a threat to the foundation of our democracy,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This case is the result of our unwavering dedication to holding accountable those who undermine the electoral system.”
Three other former U.S. Postal Service employees were charged in separate indictments, and they are all pending trial. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), consistent with the mission to ensure efficiency, accountability, and integrity in the U.S. Postal Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Colón and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Salas-De Jesús from the USPS-OIG are prosecuting the case.
###
Former Massachusetts State Senator Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for COVID and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean A. Tran was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Tran was also ordered to pay $25,100 in restitution to the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and $23,327 to the Internal Revenue Service, as well as a $7,500 fine and a mandatory assessment of $2,300. In September 2024, Tran was convicted of 20 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.
Tran served as an elected member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing Worcester and Middlesex Counties from 2017 to January 2021. After Tran’s State Senate term ended in 2021, Tran fraudulently received pandemic unemployment benefits while simultaneously employed as a paid consultant for a New Hampshire-based retailer of automotive parts (the Automotive Parts Company). While working as a paid consultant for the Automotive Parts Company, Tran fraudulently collected $30,120 in pandemic unemployment benefits.
In addition, Tran concealed $54,700 in consulting income that he received from the Automotive Parts Company from his 2021 federal income tax return. This was in addition to thousands of dollars in income that Tran concealed from the IRS while collecting rent from tenants who rented his Fitchburg property from 2020 to 2022.
“When Dean Tran took his oath of office as a Massachusetts State Senator, he willingly entered into a world of being in the public eye. He chose to violate the public’s trust not once, but twice by defrauding the government out of unemployment benefits and willfully omitting his taxable income. His fraud and calculated deception erode the public’s trust in elected officials and diverted money away from those who truly needed it,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out public officials who violate the law and holding them accountable for their actions.”
“Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran stole taxpayer funds intended for American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to prioritize and investigate allegations of fraud involving the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) unemployment insurance (UI) program. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who exploit this critical benefit program,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Today’s sentencing of Dean Tran demonstrates that no one is above the law, even elected officials,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Elected officials are held to a higher standard when they take an oath to serve but to Tran, his oath meant nothing when he chose to steal from the America taxpayers on two separate occasions. Tran stole from a pandemic unemployment program designed to help those most in need. Tran proceeded to harm the American public further when he decided not to report his taxable income, the most basic of principles all Americans are expected to follow.”
“Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran blatantly defrauded a government program meant to keep businesses and workers afloat during the pandemic, using the money for his own personal expenses, effectively stealing funds from others who needed them,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to crack down on frauds like this because willfully defrauding the government and cheating honest taxpayers is a federal crime.”
U.S. Attorney Foley, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone, Acting IRS-CI SAC Thomas Demeo and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and John T. Mulcahy of the Office’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by 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 and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Former Federal Juror Sentenced to 30 Days for Contempt of CourtRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant, Gregorio Concepcion Tyquienco, age 72, was sentenced on February 4, 2025, in the District Court of Guam to 30 days imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release for Contempt of Court, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 401(3). The Court ordered Tyquiengco to pay $1,537.04 as restitution (representing the fees and mileage paid to him as a juror during a trial), a $2,000 fine, and a mandatory $25 special assessment fee.
Tyquienco was a juror in the trial of United States vs. Raymond John Martinez and Juanita Marie Quitugua Moser in the District Court of Guam. Between October 11, 2018, and December 27, 2018, Tyquienco knowingly disobeyed the Court’s instruction not to discuss the case with anyone outside of the jury’s deliberative process. During the trial, and prior to jury deliberation, Tyquienco discussed what verdict he would render with brothers William Topasna Mantanona and John T. Mantanona, aka “Boom.” Tyquienco knew Boom was working as a member of the defense team. He knew Boom previously but did not disclose the association to the Court. Tyquienco was asked by William and Boom to be the jury foreman and to issue a “Not Guilty” verdict regardless of the evidence. These discussions violated the clear and specific daily orders of the Honorable Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, Chief Judge, District Court of Guam. After a mistrial was declared, Boom met with Tyquiengco and gave him $1,100 in cash.
“Jury tampering is an affront to the Rule of Law,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Our citizens and the accused expect fair legal proceedings that result in justice. Jurors and witnesses make great sacrifices to fulfil this important civic duty. This case sends a message that the Department of Justice will hold accountable those who violate this public trust.”
“The integrity and impartiality of jurors and their deliberations are essential to our criminal justice system,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Those who tamper with this important civic responsibility attempt to deny our communities the justice they deserve. As reflected by this investigation, the FBI is committed to protecting our legal processes and will bring to justice those who act to corrupt it.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosetta L. San Nicolas in the District of Guam.
Former Army Private Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes Involving Girls He Met on SnapchatRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Army private based at Fort Irwin was sentenced today to 264 months in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting a 14-year-old girl, using Snapchat to receive CSAM of her when she was 13 years old, possessing CSAM featuring her on his iPhone, and for receiving sexually explicit images of a 15-year-old girl via Snapchat.
Parker William White, 24, of Johnsonville, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who scheduled a restitution hearing for May 2. Upon his eventual release from prison, White will be placed on lifetime supervised release. White has been in federal custody since February 2023.
At the conclusion of a five-day trial in August 2024, a jury found White guilty of one count of production of child pornography, three counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
In January 2022, the Department of Children and Families in Bay County, Florida received a tip that White was engaging in an online, sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Later, investigators found CSAM of her on White’s iPhone as well as CSAM that White had received via Snapchat featuring her and another minor.
White used Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media platforms to find minor “girlfriends” as young as 13 years old, according to court documents. White groomed these minor girls by boasting about his military service, telling them that they were “beautiful” and “queens,” and pretending to be in love with them. In some instances, White deceptively portrayed himself as teenager to earn their trust. White’s behavior would then escalate to a practice that he called “teasing.” He would send these children sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself via social media and encourage them to “tease” him back by doing the same.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi C. Allsop of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Laura A. Alexander of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section prosecuted this 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Antonio Bayarri-Barrera, 35, a citizen of Spain, pleaded guilty to a criminal complaint charging him with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities.
According to court records, on January 31, 2025, at approximately 2:52 a.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents were notified of a single individual walking south towards the United States-Canada international border near the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line, Vermont. Minutes later, a Border Patrol Agent stopped the individual, who had crossed into United States, and conducted an immigration inspection. In response to the agent’s questions, Bayarri-Barrera admitted that he was a citizen of Spain and that he had just walked over the border near the library.
During his initial court appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on February 3, 2025, Bayarri-Barrera entered his guilty plea and received a time-served sentence. Bayarri-Barrera had faced up to 6 months’ imprisonment.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. Bayarri-Barrera is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.
Feeding Our Future Defendant Sentenced to 43 Months in Prison for Her “Flagrant” Role in $250 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Sharon Denise Ross, 54, of Willernie, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. Ross was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,434,360. Ross was further ordered to forfeit to the United States all property derived from fraud proceeds, including her house in Willernie.
Ross was charged in a 12-count indictment on March 7, 2023, with wire fraud and money laundering for her role in devising and carrying out a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. On January 10, 2024, Ross pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Ross was the executive director of House of Refuge Twin Cities, a St. Paul-based non-profit which she enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition. Ross claimed that House of Refuge operated distribution sites at a dozen locations throughout the Twin Cities that served food by a vendor called Brava Café, a restaurant in Minneapolis run by Hanna Marakegn. Between September 2021 through February 2022, Ross falsely claimed to be serving thousands of children each day at her House of Refuge sites, which included fraudulently claiming to feed children at multiple area churches. In total, Ross fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 900,000 meals and she received approximately $2.4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Ross distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to family members and used the rest of the money to fund her lifestyle, including to pay for vacations to Florida and Las Vegas, to purchase a suite at a Minnesota Timberwolves game, and to purchase her house in Willernie.
In handing down the sentence today, Judge Nancy E. Brasel commented that Ross “used a position of trust in the community” for her own “flagrant personal gain.” Judge Brasel further noted that Ross’s crime was all the more aggravating because she acquired large amounts of fraudulent money in an “extremely short time span” while Ross was on probation for another fraud.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Facebook Marketplace Armed Robberies Case Ends in Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elijah Porter, 20, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges from two armed robberies, committed in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Porter pleaded guilty to armed robbery for an incident on December 2, 2023; he pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to commit robbery for an incident on November 8, 2023. Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 30, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, on December 2, 2023, Porter, using a false Facebook account, responded to a Facebook Marketplace advertisement for the sale of an Apple MacBook. The defendant arranged for the victim to meet him in the 1300 block of Orren Street NE. When the victim arrived, Porter asked to inspect the MacBook, so the victim handed the MacBook to the defendant. The defendant then pulled out what appeared to be a black handgun and stole the MacBook from the victim. A search, conducted two days later at Porter’s residence, resulted in the recovery of the victim’s MacBook.
On November 8, 2023, Porter created an advertisement for the sale of Apple iPhones using a false Facebook account and the victim responded to the advertisement, eventually agreeing to meet with the defendant to discuss the purchase of the iPhones posted for sale. Porter arranged for the victim to meet him in the 1300 block of Orren Street NE. When the victim arrived, Porter and an accomplice got into the victim’s vehicle and struck the victim in the face with what appeared to be a handgun. Porter and the accomplice then stole personal property belonging to the victim.
Porter was apprehended on December 4, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf.
Father and Son Duo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Bobby Glenn Wall, Jr., age 46, of Parchman, Mississippi, to 192 months in federal prison following his conviction for distribution and receipt of child pornography. Wall, Jr. must serve fifteen years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment and ordered to register as a sex offender upon his release.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on December 14, 2021, while using the Facebook Messenger application on a cell phone in the Wilkinson County Jail in Mississippi, Wall, Jr. knowingly transmitted five images of child pornography to his father, Bobby Glenn Wall, in Denham Springs Louisiana, with each image depicting a prepubescent female. Wall Jr. had access to, at a minimum, 100 images of child pornography that he sent to his own Facebook Messenger account, five of which he then sent to his father in Denham Springs via Facebook Messenger.
His father, Bobby Glenn Wall, age 68, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to 160 months in federal prison following his conviction for the same incident involving distribution and receipt of child pornography. Wall must serve five years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment and ordered to register as a sex offender upon his release.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Wall knowingly received five images of child pornography on his Facebook Messenger application, from his son, Wall, Jr. Wall received one image of child pornography from his son, and, after telling his son “to keep them coming,” received 15 additional images of child pornography, to include images depicting masturbation and sex acts.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese.
Exploiter of Children Sentenced to 38 Years in Prison by Miami Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Rafael Antonio Saldana, 39, of Miami-Dade County, has been sentenced to over 38 years in prison after a South Florida federal jury found him guilty in October 2024, of various child exploitation crimes.
In 2023, Saldana solicited sexually explicit images from three minors (aged 14, 16, and 17) and attempted to meet them in person for sex. Ultimately, Saldana coordinated a plan with the youngest of the children: They would meet at a local McDonald’s then go to Saldana’s house for sex. Saldana arrived across the street from the restaurant on the set date and time and directed the minor to meet him, but law enforcement officers were waiting for him. Investigation revealed that Saldana possessed over sixty images of child sexual exploitation.
At trial, the jury found Saldana guilty of three counts of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempted production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors, receipt of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors, and possession of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
HSI Miami and MDSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Arielle Klepach prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Anyone with information regarding child sexual exploitation and abuse is encouraged to call (877) 4-HSI-TIP [(877) 447-4847].
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 23-cr-20308.
###
Ecuadorian Man Charged with Being in the United States Illegally After Having Been Previously Removed by Immigration OfficialsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that during an arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on February 5, 2025, Alex Patin-Patin, 28, of Ecuador, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with being unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously removed by immigration officials. At a detention hearing held on February 6, 2025, Judge Doyle ordered that Patin-Patin be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Patin-Patin unlawfully entered the United States in or around February 2022, and was then removed from the United States by federal authorities in or around July 2022. It is unknown where or when Patin-Patin re-entered the United States, but in April 2024 Patin-Patin was arrested in South Burlington, Vermont, and charged by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office with, among other charges, aggravated domestic assault. Because Patin-Patin had not obtained permission to re-enter the United States, his presence in the country was in violation of U.S. law.
The federal grand jury returned the indictment charging Patin-Patin with this offense in October 2024 and at that time a federal warrant for his arrest was issued. Court records indicate that Patin-Patin’s arrest earlier this week followed surveillance indicating he had been living at an address other than that required by conditions imposed on him by the Vermont Superior Court in connection with his state domestic assault prosecution.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Patin-Patin is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Patin-Patin faces up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement/ Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Lasher and Michelle Arra. Patin-Patin is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Dumfries man pleads guilty to nearly $150,000 fraud of COVID relief programRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dumfries man pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application for and receipt of funds through a COVID-19 relief program.
According to court documents, in 2021, Kingsley Apenteng, 40, was the registered owner of Pioneers Real Estate LLC (Pioneers). From at least 2017 through 2021, Pioneers had no employees, transacted no business, and was completely inactive.
In March 2021, Apenteng completed and signed a loan application seeking $149,740.00 for Pioneers through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-19 relief program intended to provide loans to certain businesses to help them retain their employees or stay afloat during the pandemic. Apenteng falsely claimed on the application that, during all of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, Pioneers had nine employees and paid them, on average, a combined payroll of $59,896 per month. Apenteng falsely certified on the application that the PPP loan funds he was requesting would be used to pay the wages of those employees.
Apenteng prepared fraudulent tax return forms to support the PPP application. Apenteng filled out five IRS Forms 941 for Pioneers, one for each quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. To make these forms appear legitimate, Apenteng falsely claimed that they had been prepared by a professional tax preparer. Apenteng wrote the name of a real tax preparer, forged that person’s digital signature, and entered that person’s business information.
Apenteng also fraudulently altered a bank account statement. After downloading a PDF of a monthly statement for Pioneers’ bank account, Apenteng used a computer program to alter the date and transaction information on the statement to make it appear that Pioneers paid payroll to employees during the first quarter of 2020.
On or around March 10, 2021, Apenteng caused the fraudulent PPP loan application, tax forms, and bank statement to be electronically submitted to a lender and to the Small Business Administration (SBA). Based on the false claims in those fraudulent documents, Apenteng’s PPP loan application was approved and Apenteng received PPP loan funds in the amount of $149,740.00 on April 28, 2021.
On Nov. 2, 2021, Apenteng submitted a loan forgiveness application to the SBA for the Pioneers PPP loan. Apenteng again falsely claimed that Pioneers had nine employees and claimed that he spent all the PPP loan funds on their wages. On Nov. 9, 2021, the SBA approved Apenteng’s loan forgiveness application and reimbursed the lender for the full amount of the loan. Apenteng never repaid any portion of the PPP loan.
Apenteng is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-21.
Defendant Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Soliciting a Minor and Lying to the FBI About Pro-ISIS Social Media PostingsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A defendant has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for soliciting a minor to engage in commercial sex and lying to the FBI about social media postings supportive of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
HARDY LEE BROWNER, 37, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in 2023 to one count of making a materially false statement to the FBI involving international terrorism and one count of soliciting a minor to engage in commercial sex. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood imposed the sentence on Wednesday and ordered that it be followed by five years of court-supervised release.
Browner admitted in a plea agreement that Browner used various accounts on the social media site formerly known as Twitter to communicate with individuals associated with ISIS, including a media arm of the terrorist group. Browner also used the accounts to make public posts regarding, among other topics, jihad, martyrdom, and ISIS. When FBI agents interviewed Browner about the posts, Browner falsely claimed not to have used the accounts and not to have communicated with certain Twitter users, including the ISIS media arm.
The solicitation charge relates to Browner’s attempt to traffic a minor with whom Browner had engaged in a sexual relationship. Browner communicated with the minor on Instagram and through texts and phone calls. Browner then met the minor on multiple occasions and had sex with the minor. Browner sometimes gave the minor cash or other items of value. Browner also took steps to traffic the minor for sex with others for money, although Browner’s crimes were discovered before the minor was trafficked.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“The defendant disrespected law enforcement agents and sought to thwart the FBI’s mission in defending against terrorist organizations,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Julia Schwartz argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. With regard to the solicitation, the prosecutors argued, “Traffickers operating today should receive the message that if you traffic children in the Chicagoland area, the sentence will be severe.”
Crystal Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Counts of Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Crystal man has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of production of child pornography that victimized minor teenage girls in Minnesota and across the country, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between April 2022 and September 13, 2023, Dapree Richard Christlieb-Peterson, 22, used internet apps, social media, and text messages to engage minors in sexually explicit conversations in order to entice and coerce them to in engage in illegal sexual encounters with him. Christlieb-Peterson specifically targeted at least five minors between the ages of 12 and 17 years old in Minnesota, Florida, and elsewhere, to create images and videos of their sexually explicit conduct. Christlieb-Peterson knew the minor girls’ ages because the minor victims either disclosed them, or they were apparent on their social media profiles. Christlieb-Peterson enticed and coerced his minor victims to engage in sexually explicit activity with him, recorded it on a cell phone, and then distributed the child pornography he created to others.
Christlieb-Peterson pleaded guilty on February 4, 2024, in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud to five counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. 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. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood combines 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. Attorneys David M. Classen and Robert M. Lewis are prosecuting the case.
Corona Customs Broker Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Clients Out of More Than $5 Million and Evading More Than $1 Million in TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A customs broker pleaded guilty today to defrauding his clients – businesses who ship goods into the United States from foreign countries – out of more than $5 million, including after he had been indicted on fraud charges, and to committing more than $1 million in tax evasion.
Frank Seung Noah, 64, of Corona, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and two counts of wire fraud.
According to his plea agreement, Noah owned and operated Comis International Inc., a Cerritos-based logistics and supply-chain company, which offered customs import brokerage services on behalf of businesses. From 2007 to 2019, Comis was a customs import broker for Daiso, a Japan-based variety and value store with stores in the United States, including Southern California.
During that time, Noah provided Daiso with false customs duty forms and invoices in support of fraudulent requests for reimbursement for duty fees. These forms differed materially from those Noah submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and inflated the total amounts, resulting in Daiso overpaying Noah nearly $3.4 million.
After Noah was indicted for defrauding Daiso in 2022, he continued to defraud his other clients out of more than $2 million using a different fraud scheme. Noah defrauded two other client companies by invoicing and receiving funds from the two victim companies, and then simply pocketing the funds instead of paying the customs duties to CBP. After CBP notified the victim clients of their unpaid customs duties, they asked Noah about the unpaid fees, and he sent the victim clients altered bank statements falsely reflecting that he had paid the customs duties.
Noah also willfully evaded payment of federal taxes resulting in a loss to the IRS of approximately $2.4 million, with penalties and interest continuing to accrue. After agreeing with the IRS that he owed more than $1 million in taxes in 2014, Noah actively avoided IRS attempts to collect the amount owed. This included paying for two homes in his former girlfriend’s name, using check cashing businesses to avoid IRS levies of his bank accounts, lying to IRS collection agents, and spending thousands of dollars on country club memberships, travel, and golf purchases.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled a May 8 sentencing hearing at which time he will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to five years in federal prison for the tax evasion count.
IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter with the assistance of United States Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss and Robert J. Keenan of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.
Columbus Man Receives 78 Months After Selling Methamphetamine to Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Brandon Salyers, age 31, of Columbus, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 6, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Chief United States District Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Salyers to 78 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Salyers’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On October 29, 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled drug buy against Salyers whereby they purchased 3.5 grams of actual methamphetamine in Nebraska. The next day, law enforcement again purchased 12 grams of actual methamphetamine from Salyers during another controlled drug buy. One month later, on November 30, 2023, law enforcement purchased less than 1 gram of methamphetamine from Salyers. On December 28, 2023, law enforcement arrested Salyers and located 12 grams of actual methamphetamine on his person along with glass pipes and 39 grams of marijuana.
This case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department.
Clay County Felon Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Kyle Garrett Prevatt (24, Orange Park) to four years in federal prison for two counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Prevatt pled guilty on November 5, 2024.
According to court documents, over a period of five months, Prevatt sold multiple firearms to a confidential informant. The offense involved nine firearms in total. After the final transaction concluded, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office attempted to perform a traffic stop on Prevatt’s truck and Prevatt fled in his truck until he crashed it into a ditch. He then attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended. A search following Prevatt’s arrest revealed additional firearms, along with other ammunition, in the truck.
Prior to the firearms sales, Prevatt had been convicted of two felonies, including armed burglary of a dwelling structure or conveyance, and unarmed burglary of an unoccupied structure in 2020. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Kevin C. Frein.
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.
Cincinnati man sentenced to 27 years in prison for role in narcotics, firearms conspiraciesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The leader of a drug trafficking organization was sentenced in federal court here to 324 months in prison. He is one of 16 individuals convicted in a narcotics and firearms conspiracies case.
Ryan Haskamp, 36, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to conspiring to distribute controlled substances, conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
A federal grand jury indicted all 16 defendants in July 2021, charging the defendants in a firearms conspiracy and in a narcotics conspiracy involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine and 10 grams or more of LSD, as well as detectable amounts of MDMA, DMT, marijuana and ketamine.
In total, as part of this case, law enforcement seized 11 firearms and more than one kilogram of methamphetamine, more than 200 pounds of DMT, more than five kilograms of marijuana, more than 15 kilograms of hashish and hashish oil, more than one kilogram of MDMA, more than 19,000 dose units of LSD, fentanyl, cocaine, and other synthetic and counterfeit drugs.
The case originated with two individuals involved in an Aug. 7, 2020, police chase through Cincinnati that resulted in the deaths of two bystanders in Newport, Kentucky. Mason Meyer, 32, and Kirsten Johnson, 26, both of Cincinnati, were charged federally in August 2020. Ongoing investigation led to the additional 14 defendants and charges.
According to court documents, officials with the ATF, Cincinnati Police and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force were surveilling Meyer in Cincinnati on Aug. 7, 2020, when Meyer drove away. Cincinnati Police officers attempted to stop Meyer when he fled, causing a police chase through Cincinnati and into Covington and Newport, Kentucky.
Local court documents detail that Meyer’s vehicle struck and killed a couple dining on the patio of Press on Monmouth in Newport, Kentucky. Two other pedestrians were struck and suffered minor injuries.
At the time of the chase, Meyer and Johnson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle.
Additional investigation tied Meyer and Johnson to Haskamp’s drug trafficking organization. Haskamp was Meyer’s source of supply of methamphetamine. Haskamp used at least five Cincinnati residences as stash houses to store and sell drugs. He also had others rent Airbnb locations and hotel rooms to further his drug trafficking. Haskamp had packages of drugs delivered to the Airbnb rental properties. Haskamp supplied drugs for redistribution in Cincinnati and Dayton via numerous co-defendants.
Others convicted in this case include:
NameAgeCity of ResidenceWilliam Keith Jenkins37CincinnatiMichael Alden Mobley42Ghent, Ky.Michael Tyler Boeh35CincinnatiVictoria Stauffer30CincinnatiQuincy Pemberton33CincinnatiDamon Gene Wade31California, Ky.Kelly Marie Smart35CincinnatiKevin Patrick Thiery44CincinnatiCrystal Randall37CincinnatiRory Hartmann30CincinnatiJulie Renae Wetzel34CincinnatiAshley Long30CincinnatiHaley Pennington26Moraine, OhioKenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge and agencies with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force and Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force (DART) announced the sentence imposed on Feb. 6 by U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Chinese National Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Establishing A Commercial Enterprise for the Purpose of Evading Immigration LawsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Hua Yao Ke (38), of Jacksonville has pleaded guilty to establishing a commercial enterprise for the purpose of evading a provision of the immigration laws. Ke faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, Ke owned and operated the Kamiya 86 Sushi and Thai restaurant located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. At the restaurant, he employed workers who were unlawfully present in the United States. Contrary to federal law, Ke did not require the workers to provide documents to establish that they could legally work in the United States.
Ke also owned a residence at which he provided free housing to the undocumented workers, and he provided the workers with free transportation between the house and the restaurant. He also paid the workers in cash and did not withhold taxes and other payments from the workers’ wages.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Border Patrol, with assistance from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Chicago Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Manufacturing and Using Counterfeit BillsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit $100 bills and using them in retail stores.
MARQUISE SHORES used chemicals and a printer in his Chicago residence to manufacture approximately $92,000 in counterfeit $100 bills. Shores then used Facebook Messenger to recruit young women, including girls as young as 16 years old, to use the counterfeit bills to buy merchandise at retail stores, while Shores waited outside. He later instructed the young women to return the merchandise for genuine currency, with Shores retaining most of the illicit proceeds.
Shores, 28, pleaded guilty last year to a federal counterfeiting charge. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall on Wednesday sentenced Shores to seven years and three months in prison.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dai Tran, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Siegal.
“Marquise Shores manufactured counterfeit currency and used it to defraud local businesses and enrich himself,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute counterfeiters and ensure the integrity of our economy.”
“The U.S. Secret Service is dedicated to combatting crimes that threaten or harm our nation’s financial infrastructure,” Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Tran said. “Counterfeiting not only harms that infrastructure, but also hurts law-abiding citizens as evidenced by the businesses defrauded in this case. I’m proud of our agents, and I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent work on this case.”
Bucks County Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Possession of Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Joseph Weikel, age 50, a resident of Quakertown, Pennsylvania was sentenced on February 6, 2025, to 30 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, for possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on or about June 28, 2021, Weikel possessed two improvised explosive devices inside his former residence in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. After manufacturing the devices, Weikel concealed them behind the ceiling tiles in his apartment, abandoning them when he was evicted. The devices were discovered on May 31, 2023, by maintenance workers. Following their discovery, law enforcement agents disassembled the devices. They were subsequently analyzed at the FBI Laboratory and identified improvised explosive devices. Under federal law, it is illegal to manufacture or possess a destructive device without proper authority.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—Allentown Field Office and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson prosecuted the case.
# # #
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Man Sentenced for Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired with others to distribute large quantities of cocaine that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman was sentenced today to more than 16 years in federal prison.
Michael Samuel Knight, age 38, from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, received the prison term after a September 10, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine within 1000 feet of several parks and schools in Dubuque, Iowa, between 2017 and April of 2021, that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman on February 14, 2021. Knight also pled guilty to personally distributing the cocaine on February 14, 2021, that caused the woman’s death.
At the plea hearing, Knight admitted he was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Dubuque area near numerous parks and schools. He admitted getting cocaine from the individual who brought it from Chicago, and then worked with others to distribute the cocaine to customers in Dubuque. On February 14, 2021, Knight distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died.
Knight was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Knight was sentenced to 201months’ and 19 days imprisonment and was ordered to make $13,911 in restitution to the victim’s family. He must also serve a 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Knight 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 Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-01013.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Bristol Man Who Made Interstate Threats is SentencedRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DENNIS JOHN HERNANDEZ, also known as “DJ Hernandez” and “Jonathan Hernandez,” 38, of Bristol, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to approximately 18 months of imprisonment, time already served, and three years of supervised release for making interstate threats.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 6 and 7, 2023, Hernandez communicated with an individual via Facebook Messenger and made multiple statements threatening to carry out a shooting incident at UConn. The statements included “I would recommend remaining away from there because when I go I’m taking down everything And don’t give a f--- who gets caught in the crossfire. I’ve died for years now and now it’s others people turn. I’m prepared to give my life. So if I don’t get to see you on the outside know I love you always Not all shootings are bad I’m realizing. Some are necessary for change to happen.”
Court documents allege that Hernandez’s vehicle was identified on UConn’s campus on July 7.
On July 18 and 19, 2023, Hernandez made multiple Facebook posts threatening to harm or kill three individuals who reside out of state, including a state court judge. In addition, on July 19, in a conversation via text message with one of the victims, Hernandez stated “We’re taking lives if s--- isn’t paid up. It’s been years in planning just taking notes, names and locations. They talked their way into this and it’s almost point game. I know we don’t play in my family. If we have to take lives or buildings we will. So just letting you know so you can be prepared for a media circus one way or another.”
Hernandez has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on July 19, 2023. On December 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty to transmitting interstate communications containing a threat to injure.
While on supervised release, Hernandez must continue mental health and substance abuse treatment and allow his electronic devices to be monitored by the U.S. Probation Office, and he is prohibited from visiting UConn and other locations that he targeted in his threats.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bristol Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
Beechview Resident Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on February 6, 2025, to a charge of child exploitation, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Michael J. Close Jr., 53, of the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on at least four occasions from May 16, 2022, through July 6, 2022, Close purchased and received from an online Russian vendor compressed and encrypted video and still image collections depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, some of whom were prepubescent. Close created a cryptocurrency account and, using a cryptocurrency exchange platform, transferred payment to the vendor in bitcoin. Once payment was received, the vendor provided Close with a password to access and view the encrypted videos and still images.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $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 remanded Close to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations in Pittsburgh and Portland, Maine, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Close.
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.justice.gov/psc.
Arkansas man sentenced for possessing machinegun conversion deviceRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Little Rock, Arkansas, man has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a machinegun conversion device in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Jajuan Lee Bonds, 22, pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 7, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on July 21, 2022, an officer with the Corrigan Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Bonds. The officer observed what appeared to be marijuana in a clear plastic baggie in the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, the officer located a firearm outfitted with a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch”. The modified handgun had been previously reported stolen. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Corrigan Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman.
###
Anderson County Man Pleads Guilty to $13M Ponzi Scheme and Cyber StalkingRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Michael J. French, 41, of Pendleton, has pleaded guilty to operating a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme and to stalking two social media content creators.
Evidence put forth at the plea hearing established that French owned MJF Holdings, LLC and MJF Capital, LLC. Beginning in March 2019, through these companies, French offered promissory notes to investors that projected annual returns of 12 percent. He represented to investors that their funds would be used to provide loans to small businesses and that he had experience in the financial industry, including underwriting the loans in which the investor would be invested. French represented to investors that he would not receive compensation unless the promissory notes earned in excess of the 12 percent guaranteed to investors.
These were false representations. French paid previous investors with new investor monies because his investment product was not generating returns. This lulled investors into believing the product was successful, when, in fact, French was spending investor money to maintain a lavish lifestyle that included supporting female social media content creators by paying them thousands of dollars each month.
At one point, the content creators stopped communicating with French. He became angry with the women and began harassing them through various “burner” phone numbers and fake email accounts. French claimed that he was a sniper, had killed people, and that the police could not protect them. French traveled to one woman’s home unannounced, forcing her to hide in a locked vehicle in the garage with her 2-year-old child. She called 911 as French attempted to force his way into the home. He was arrested by local police before he could reach them.
United State Chief District Judge Timothy Cain accepted French’s guilty plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a pre-sentence report from the U.S. Probation Office. French faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The FBI Columbia Field Office and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins is prosecuting the case.
###
Amherst Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Amherst man pleaded guilty on Feb. 5, 2025 in federal court in Boston to distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Bradley Driscoll, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2025. Driscoll was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023.
The investigation determined that on or about Aug. 29, 2022, Driscoll knowingly distributed and possessed CSAM. Specifically, Driscoll engaged in a Kik on-line chat conversation with an undercover agent, where he expressed an interest in obtaining CSAM materials. Driscoll also distributed a link to the undercover agent which contained approximately 345 CSAM files depicting minor children, some as young as one year old, being sexually penetrated by adult males.
In September 2023, Driscoll told federal agents that he was the owner of the Kik username and that he located the link containing CSAM files through other Kik messenger chat groups. He acknowledged asking the undercover agent to send him sexual material related to child pornography and acknowledged that the Mega link he shared contained sexual materials involving young children.
The distribution charge provides for a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, supervised release of no less than five years and a maximum of life and a $250,000 fine. The possession charge provides for up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations; and Gabriel Ting, Chief of the Amherst Police Department made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
All Extradited Distributors of ANOM Hardened Encrypted Devices Plead Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Alexander Dmitrienko of Finland became the last of eight defendants extradited so far to admit participating in the worldwide conspiracy to distribute ANOM hardened encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates. The ANOM enterprise facilitated drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice crimes.
The eight defendants were among 17 indicted in San Diego in 2021 in connection with Operation Trojan Shield, a first-of-its-kind, international law enforcement effort in which the FBI secretly operated an encrypted messaging network. The ANOM criminal enterprise was responsible for the distribution of more than 12,000 devices in 100 countries. While ANOM’s criminal users unknowingly communicated on the system operated by law enforcement, agents catalogued more than 27 million messages between users around the world whose criminal discussions were covertly obtained and reviewed by the FBI.
ANOM devices were sold to and used by over 300 criminal syndicates, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, Italian and Balkan organized crime groups, and international drug trafficking organizations. The investigation culminated in a worldwide takedown on June 7, 2021. During the takedown, more than 10,000 law enforcement officers made over 500 arrests and searched over 700 locations around the world.
Of the 17 indicted in San Diego, eight have been extradited to date. Dmitrienko pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday; defendants Seyyed Hossein Hosseini and Aurangzeb Ayub of the Netherlands and Shane Ngakuru of New Zealand entered their guilty pleas on January 23, 2025; Dragan Nikitovic, Edwin Harmendra Kumar, Miwand Zakhimi, and Osemah Elhassen pleaded guilty between May and September 2024. All pleaded guilty to Count 1 of a superseding indictment charging them with a racketeering conspiracy in connection with the ANOM enterprise.
Prior to their guilty pleas, the defendants filed motions to dismiss the indictment and a motion to suppress the ANOM evidence. The District Court denied those motions, concluding the Fourth Amendment did not apply to the defendants and the ANOM data collection did not violate the U.S. Constitution.
In total, the investigation resulted in approximately 1,200 arrests; the seizure of more than 12 tons of cocaine, three tons of methamphetamine or amphetamines; 17 tons of precursor chemicals, 300 firearms, and $58 million in various currencies. Dozens of public corruption investigations, too, have been pursued, and more than 50 drug labs have been dismantled. Further, over 150 threats to life were prevented.
According to their plea agreements, the defendants promoted the ANOM platform as “Built by criminals for criminals,” and touted security features such as the ability to wipe devices remotely when seized by law enforcement. The defendants admitted that the conspiracy’s purposes included money laundering and laundering with cryptocurrency. As to drugs, specifically, the four defendants who pleaded guilty in January and February 2025—Hosseini, Dmitrienko, Ayub, and Ngakuru—all admitted that they sold ANOM devices knowing that they would be used to traffic at last 50 kilograms of cocaine; Ngakuru also admitted the importation, exportation, and distribution of at least five kilograms of methamphetamine. Based on their plea agreements and other court filings, what these defendants also did as part of the conspiracy included:
- Hosseini was a part of a team of ANOM distributors, “Team Wijzijn,” based in the Netherlands. He and Dmitrienko discussed the distribution of “90% pure, Peruvian” cocaine, for example, and he and Kumar messaged each other about bringing “kilos” from Belgium and getting drugs to Australia by “Fisher boats.” Hosseini promoted ANOM’s security features and told other distributors about vulnerabilities of competitors SkyECC and No. 1 BC. Hosseini also admitted to obstructing justice through wiping ANOM devices when they were seized by law enforcement.
- Dmitrienko distributed ANOM devices from Spain. He frequently used ANOM for cocaine and other drug distribution: “5 blocks of colombian coke” and “32 blocks,” he offered in two instances, in addition to conversations about “cook[ing] cocaine.” Dmitrienko wrote about “gateways” and “interesting opportunities” for the enterprise in Russia and Ukraine, including through Latvia and Lithuania. He also promoted money laundering through a company he had in Delaware, telling Hosseini that it involved “0% tax and no book[k]eeping…Yes this is pure moneylaund[e]ring ?.”
- Ayub was an ANOM distributor in Europe, who also sold encrypted communications devices in the U.A.E.—and he had been imprisoned in Dubai for distributing these types of platforms. Ayub was involved in cocaine distribution as he talked about “top” (cocaine) from Colombia, and delivery to London, and sending “100k at a time” to pay for the drugs. He promoted ANOM through his own experience and contrasts with Encrochat and SkyECC, both of which were taken down by law enforcement in 2020 and 2021. Ayub, too, admitted to the obstruction of justice through wiping ANOM devices.
- Ngakuru was based in Thailand, distributing ANOM devices there and in New Zealand and Australia. He used the platform for extensive cocaine and methamphetamine distribution and money laundering. He was tied to two seizures of methamphetamine; discussed quality, repressing, and prices for “rack” and “bird” (cocaine); and detailed in messages how seven kilograms of methamphetamine was concealed in boxes of “full scan proof” “commercial lights.” Among other times he laundered proceeds, Ngakuru coordinated cash pickup in Sydney, Australia and directed deposits into “Thai accounts.”
“The statistics of this case are staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The FBI led this unprecedented collaboration for years, harnessing the evidence to bring down cocaine, meth, and cash traffickers across the globe. These guilty pleas underscore the impact of international partnerships in dismantling organized crime.”
“Operation Trojan Shield was a massive, innovative, and unprecedented case having immeasurable implications to criminal organizations across the globe,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “This extraordinary impact came from an investigative strategy that relied on ingenuity, partnerships, and perseverance, designing a blueprint for disrupting organized crime within the United States and abroad. The guilty pleas of all extradited defendants highlight the effectiveness of this strategy and reinforces the FBI’s collaborative approach aimed at dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations worldwide.”
Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, said, “The triumph of this vast-scale operation demonstrates the immense value of partnerships, both domestic and international. Expert investigators in the DEA Los Angeles Division, working alongside innovative and exceptionally experienced federal and foreign-based partners, took an intricate investigation to the next level. Our multi-agency alliance managed to infiltrate these transnational criminal organizations, ultimately exposing and pummeling their schemes. DEA will continue to foster this type of unprecedented collaboration and offer a core presence.”
Elhassen and Zakhimi were previously sentenced to 63 and 60 months in prison, respectively. The other six defendants who have pleaded guilty are scheduled to be sentenced in February, April, and May, 2025. They were extradited to the Southern District of California from Australia (Kumar), Colombia (Elhassen), The Netherlands (Hosseini, Ayub, and Zakhimi), Spain (Dmitrienko and Nikitovic), and Thailand (Ngakuru). Eight other defendants in the case have been arrested in locations outside the United States and are yet to be extradited, and one remains a fugitive.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua C. Mellor, Mikaela L. Weber, and Peter S. Horn.
For further information on investigations and prosecutions of encrypted communication providers, see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/fbi-s-encrypted-phone-platform-infiltrated-hundreds-criminal-syndicates-result-massive (ANOM), https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/sky-global-executive-and-associate-indicted-providing-encrypted-communication-devices (Sky Global), and https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/chief-executive-communications-company-sentenced-prison-providing-encryption-services (Phantom Secure).
Operation Trojan Shield is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants to the United States.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 21cr1623-JLS
Seyyed Hossein Hosseini Age: 41 The Netherlands
Alexander Dmitrienko Age: 49 Finland
Aurangzeb Ayub Age: 48 The Netherlands
Dragan Nikitovic Age: 50 Croatia and Switzerland
aka Dr. Djek
Shane Ngakuru Age: 45 New Zealand
Edwin Harmendra Kumar, Age: 37 Australia
aka Edwin Harmendra Valentine
Miwand Zakhimi, Age: 30 The Netherlands
aka Maiwand Zakhimi
Osemah Elhassen Age: 52 Australia
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1: Racketeering Conspiracy – Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, and fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Drug Enforcement Administration
United States Marshals Service
Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
Australian Federal Police
Australian Attorney-General’s Department
Swedish Police Authority
Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau
National Police of the Netherlands
New Zealand Police
New Zealand Crown Law Office
Office of the Attorney General of Thailand
Royal Thai Police
EUROPOL
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Public Lands Violations
Boston Heil, 25, of Jackson, Wyoming, was sentenced to 7 days of incarceration with credit for 2 days previously served. The Defendant was also sentenced to pay a total of $980.00 in fines and court costs and placed on 2 years of unsupervised probation. Mr. Heil pled guilty to speeding, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and refusal of a motor vehicle operator to provide a breath test while in Grand Teton National Park. For refusing the official breath he also may not operate a motor vehicle for a period of 1 year on any federal lands pursuant to 18 USC 3118. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes prosecuted the crime and U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on February 5, 2025 in Mammoth.
Drug Trafficking
Heather Kathline Harker, 33, of Torrington, Wyoming, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow for the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, in January and February of 2024, agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) conducted multiple controlled purchases from the defendant resulting in a total of 132.72 grams of methamphetamine. Harker entered federal custody on Sept. 13, 2024, she was indicted on Sept. 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 21, 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 5, in Casper. DCI and the Wyoming Highway Patrol investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00135
Firearm Offenses
Reginald Troy Perry, 52, with no permanent residency, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on June 1, 2024, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a U-Haul truck traveling on I-80 East that was reported stolen. Upon further inspection, deputies found a High-Point .45 handgun. Perry is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was indicted on July 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 15, 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 4, in Cheyenne. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, and Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office investigated the crime. Case No. 24-CR-00157
Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses
Jesse Alexander Mostaert, 33, of Casper, Wyoming was sentenced to 47 months and 8 days in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to court documents, Mostaert has been the subject of several drug conspiracy cases in the Natrona County area and within the State of Wyoming. On Feb. 8, 2024, the Casper Police Department (CPD) encountered Mostaert. During the arrest, Mostaert tried to elude police officers while attempting to reach for a 9mm handgun in his waistband. He had methamphetamine, fentanyl, and steroids in his possession as well. He is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Mostaert was indicted on May 16, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 13, 2024. U.S. District Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 3, in Cheyenne. DCI and CPD investigated the crime. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Sprecher prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00065
Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Edgar Cruz-Miguel, 29, of Quezaltepeque, Chiquimula, Guatemala, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on June 11, 2024, the defendant was arrested by the Teton County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Teton County Detention Center for driving under the influence of alcohol, no driver’s license, open container, and not maintaining a single lane of traffic. The defendant claimed to be a citizen of Guatemala and agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted. They determined that Cruz-Miguel had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in February 2017. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 5, in Casper. Case No. 24-CR-00141Fernando Coeto-Arellano, 28, of Palmar de Bravo, Puebla, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, the defendant was arrested by the Teton County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Teton County Detention Center for driving under the influence of alcohol. Agents with ICE were contacted and found his fingerprints and a passport that indicated he was from Mexico. They determined that Coeto-Arellano had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in September 2020. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 5, in Casper. Case No. 24-CR-00144
Luis Lopez-Romero, 38, of Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on Oct. 2, 2022, the defendant was arrested by the Jackson Police Department and booked into the Teton County Detention Center for three charges of failure of duty to report upon colliding with an unattended vehicle or property. Agents with ICE were contacted and determined that Lopez-Romero was a citizen of Mexico. They also determined that Lopez-Romero had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in August 2013. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Feb. 7, in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00143
Juan Torres-Flores, 40, of Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on July 16, 2024, the defendant was arrested by the Jackson Police Department and booked into the Teton County Detention Center for driving under the influence of alcohol. The defendant claimed to be a citizen of Mexico and agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted. They determined that Torres-Flores had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in June 2010. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 7, in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00142
Jesus Cervantes-Garcia, 31, of San Simeon, Tlaxcala, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on Aug. 2, 2024, the defendant was arrested by the Jackson Police Department and booked into the Teton County Detention Center for charges of contempt of court/probation violation on April 23, 2024. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted. They determined that Cervantes-Garcia had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in October 2019. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Feb. 7, in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00140
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.
Victim Witness Assistance
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
6 February 2025
York County Man Indicted for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Andie Hartley, age 38, of Felton, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 5, 2025, by a federal grand jury on firearms charges.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on April 9, 2024, in York County, Pennsylvania, Hartley possessed a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol when he was a felon prohibited from possessing a firearm. The indictment also alleges that Hartley possessed a .22 H&R Victor revolver which had an obliterated serial number.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Monroe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for the charge of felon in possession is a period of 15 years imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for the possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number is a period of 5 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Washington man indicted for 2023 fatal fentanyl overdoses in SkagwayRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last month charging a Washington man with distributing and conspiring to distribute controlled substances that resulted in the fatal overdoses of two people in Skagway in 2023.
According to court documents, from Jan. 1 to Jan. 13, 2023, Jacob Cotton, 33, allegedly conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a substance containing fentanyl to another person. He also allegedly knowingly and intentionally distributed a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a second person during this time frame.
On Jan. 13, 2023, a 28-year-old man died after overdosing on fentanyl allegedly distributed by Cotton. The following day, a 44-year-old man also died after overdosing on fentanyl allegedly distributed through the conspiracy.
Cotton is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. The defendant made his initial court appearance on Jan. 31 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces between 20 years and life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Vogel of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge David Reames of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Seattle Field Division and Skagway Police Chief Jerry Reddick made the announcement.
The DEA Seattle Field Division and Anchorage District Office, and Skagway Police Department, as part of the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs Task FORCE (SEACAD), are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt 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.
###
Upshur County Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Devonna Nicole Moul, 30, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced to 56 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Moul, also known as “Devonna Nicole Keyser,” was selling methamphetamine in Elkins. Moul has prior convictions for drug violations, escape, and fleeing.
Moul will serve three years of supervised release after her prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative., investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
United States Seizes Venezuelan Aircraft Involved in Violations of U.S. Export Control and Sanctions LawsRead the Press Release
The Dassault Falcon 2000EX Aircraft Was Used by Venezuela’s State-Owned Oil and Natural Gas Company and Illegally Maintained and Serviced Using Parts from the United States
MIAMI — The Justice Department announced today that Dominican Republic authorities seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft used by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, at the request of the U.S. government based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.
“The seizure of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft provides yet another example of this office’s commitment to enforcing America’s export control laws against Venezuelan-owned PdVSA and other sanctioned entities,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Asset forfeiture is a powerful law enforcement tool, which we will continue to use aggressively to deter, disrupt, and otherwise combat criminal activity.”
“The use of American-made parts to service and maintain aircraft operated by sanctioned entities like PdVSA is intolerable,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with its federal law enforcement partners, will continue to safeguard our national security by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling schemes aimed at procuring American goods in violation of our sanctions and export control laws.”
“Today’s announcement — the seizure of a sanctioned aircraft used by the Maduro regime — clearly shows that sanctions and export control laws have teeth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Kevin J. Kurland of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “BIS will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate our regulations.”
“This seizure demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. export control and sanctions laws around the globe,” said Edwin F. Lopez, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Santo Domingo Country Attaché. “By working closely with our partners in the Dominican Republic and across the U.S. government, we successfully prevented the violation of U.S. laws designed to protect national security and foreign policy interests. HSI will continue to use its global reach and investigative expertise to target those who seek to evade justice and undermine the rule of law.”
In August 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13884, which, among other things, prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of PdVSA. Pursuant to the EO, on Jan. 21, 2020, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified 15 aircraft as blocked property of U.S. law that generally prohibit transactions by U.S. persons within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in blocked property.
According to the U.S. investigation, in July 2017, PdVSA purchased the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft from the United States and exported it to Venezuela where it was registered under tail number YV-3360. Following the imposition of sanctions on PdVSA and identification of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft as blocked property of PdVSA, the aircraft was serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States. The servicing included a brake assembly, electronic flight displays, and flight management computers: all in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.
According to a public statement issued by OFAC, since at least January 2019, the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft has transported Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez, who is also sanctioned by the U.S. government, to an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in the United Arab Emirates and has been used to transport senior members of the Maduro regime in a continuation of the regime’s misappropriation of PdVSA assets.
The Justice Department previously announced in September 2024 the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft in the Dominican Republic that was owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela.
The BIS Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from HSI Santo Domingo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorge Delgado and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.
The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
###
United States Seizes Venezuelan Aircraft Involved in Violations of U.S. Export Control and Sanctions LawsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Dominican Republic authorities seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft used by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, at the request of the U.S. government based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.
“The use of American-made parts to service and maintain aircraft operated by sanctioned entities like PdVSA is intolerable,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with its federal law enforcement partners, will continue to safeguard our national security by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling schemes aimed at procuring American goods in violation of our sanctions and export control laws.”
“Today’s announcement — the seizure of a sanctioned aircraft used by the Maduro regime — clearly shows that sanctions and export control laws have teeth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Kevin J. Kurland of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “BIS will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate our regulations.”
“The seizure of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft provides yet another example of this office’s commitment to enforcing America’s export control laws against Venezuelan-owned PdVSA and other sanctioned entities,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Asset forfeiture is a powerful law enforcement tool, which we will continue to use aggressively to deter, disrupt, and otherwise combat criminal activity.”
“This seizure demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. export control and sanctions laws around the globe,” said Edwin F. Lopez, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Santo Domingo Country Attaché. “By working closely with our partners in the Dominican Republic and across the U.S. government, we successfully prevented the violation of U.S. laws designed to protect national security and foreign policy interests. HSI will continue to use its global reach and investigative expertise to target those who seek to evade justice and undermine the rule of law.”
In August 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13884, which, among other things, prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of PdVSA. Pursuant to the EO, on Jan. 21, 2020, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified 15 aircraft as blocked property of U.S. law that generally prohibit transactions by U.S. persons within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in blocked property.
According to the U.S. investigation, in July 2017, PdVSA purchased the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft from the United States and exported it to Venezuela where it was registered under tail number YV-3360. Following the imposition of sanctions on PdVSA and identification of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft as blocked property of PdVSA, the aircraft was serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States. The servicing included a brake assembly, electronic flight displays, and flight management computers: all in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.
According to a public statement issued by OFAC, since at least January 2019, the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft has transported Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez, who is also sanctioned by the U.S. government, to an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in the United Arab Emirates and has been used to transport senior members of the Maduro regime in a continuation of the regime’s misappropriation of PdVSA assets.
The Justice Department previously announced in September 2024 the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft in the Dominican Republic that was owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela.
The BIS Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from HSI Santo Domingo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorge Delgado and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.
The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $4,551,419.18 from in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2024Read the Press Release
BILLINGS - U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced today that the District of Montana collected $4,551,419.18 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $3,165,015.74 was collected in criminal actions and $1,386,403.44 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the District of Montana worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $6,803,045.08 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $251,225 was collected in criminal actions and $6,551,820.08 was collected in civil actions.
“These collections come from both criminals who are ordered to pay restitution to victims and fines and from those who owe debts or civil penalties to the American taxpayer. As last year’s numbers reflect, our team of prosecutors, investigators, and staff have great success, and I thank them for their tireless and dedicated service in collecting more than $4.5 million on behalf of crime victims and the American people,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
Funds collected for criminal judgments and paid to victims include:
- $721,739.82 from John Kevin Moore, who was convicted in August 2018 by a federal jury of 21 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and false statements. Moore was also sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
- $345,932.98 from Joseph Glen Dickey, including the full payment of his $270,807.98 restitution and $75,000 fine. Mr. Dickey was convicted of tax crimes for failing to pay his taxes and was also sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
- $250,000 from Larry Price, Jr., a former official of Signal Peak energy, LLC, who was convicted of fraud and other crimes.
- $100,000 from U.S. Minerals, Inc., which was convicted of negligent endangerment for exposing workers to arsenic at its former Anaconda plant.
Funds collected for civil judgments and paid to victims include:
- $180,000 from Dr. David Bellamah, who agreed to pay more than $3.7 million to settle alleged False Claims Act violations.
- $1,156,929.30 from Kalispell Regional Healthcare, which was the final payment from a 2018 settlement where it agreed to pay more than $1 million for alleged False Claims Act violations.
- $5,394,890.78 from Atlantic Richfield in payment of its multimillion-dollar settlement for cleaning up the Anaconda Smelter Superfund Site.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $881,629 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
XXX
Two Individuals Found Guilty in Massive Drug Trafficking Operation in the Eastern Panhandle of West VirginiaRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced today that two men were found guilty for their roles in a massive drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
Lance Wade Cole, Jr., 53, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Damian Costello, 28, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, were found guilty by a federal trial jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, methamphetamine hydrochloride, cocaine, and cocaine base. Cole and Costello along with 80 other defendants were involved in the conspiracy. The leader of the Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization was co-defendant, Gary Brown, Jr. The investigation involved over 100 kilograms of fentanyl.
Prior to today’s verdict, seventy-seven (77) defendants had already entered guilty pleas. Fifty (50) defendants are awaiting sentencing. Twenty-seven (27) who have entered pleas have been sentenced. Some of those recently sentenced include:
- Gregory O’Brien Long, Jr., 36, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release;
- Amber Jean Davis, 41, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, sentenced to 96 months in prison, three years of supervised release;
- Zachary Thomas Doman, 24, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, sentenced to 70 months, three years of supervised release;
- John Wesley Yates, 37, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, sentenced to 70 months in prison, three years of supervised release;
- Jeremy Jason Crock, 43, of Romney, West Virginia, sentenced to 87 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release;
- Michael Lee Engle, 47, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, sentenced to 57 months, three years of supervised release.
Two (2) defendants, Matthew David Viands, of Summit Point, West Virginia, and Charles Delroy Singletary, of Baltimore, Maryland, are fugitives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia).
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Original press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/investigators-dismantle-fentanyl-drug-trafficking-network-eastern-panhandle
Two Hacienda Heights Men Arrested in Alleged Large-Scale Smuggling Scheme from China through L.A.-Area PortsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two men have been arrested on a criminal complaint by federal law enforcement for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband from China into the United States via the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the Justice Department announced today.
Zhongliang Wang, 39, of Hacienda Heights, was arrested Wednesday. Chenyu Zhao, 31, also of Hacienda Heights, was arrested last Thursday as he was boarding a plane on a one-way ticket to China. Both defendants were charged with conspiracy and illegally removing goods from customs custody. Wang and Zhao allegedly directed cargo shipping containers flagged for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) secondary inspection to unauthorized off-site locations, where they unloaded the contraband in the containers, replaced it with filler cargo, and then returned the cargo containers to CBP for inspection, in an attempt to deceive customs officials and evade law enforcement.
To date, law enforcement has seized more than $1.3 billion worth of contraband associated with this and similar cargo-swapping schemes. According to the court documents, a search of one warehouse used by the group charged in this case led to the seizure of significant quantities of counterfeit goods, including luxury handbags and footwear, as well as approximately 19.5 kilograms of enobosarm, an illicit steroid.
“Protecting our nation’s borders from illegal smuggling is a top priority,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “These arrests highlight the unrelenting efforts of law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks that seek to exploit our trade system and endanger American businesses and consumers.”
According to court documents, Zhao and other co-conspirators maintained and operated warehouses to store, conceal and sell large amounts of contraband goods that were illegally imported into the United States from China. When the contraband containers were selected by CBP for inspection, the defendants hired commercial truck drivers to transport the containers from the ports to locations that the conspirators controlled, including at least one warehouse in the City of Industry that was controlled or managed by Zhao and others.
At these locations, co-conspirators broke the security seals on the shipping containers and removed the contraband from inside. Then, they affixed counterfeit security seals onto the containers to conceal that the cargo had been tampered with. Wang, Zhao and others then directed co-conspirators to transport the containers – after they had been emptied of much of their original cargo and re-secured with counterfeit seals – to CBP-authorized locations for the “filler” cargo to be presented to customs officials for inspection.
Wang, Zhao and others paid fees to co-conspirators that were substantially above normal trucking fees to transport the contraband shipping containers. As alleged in the complaint, Wang paid $15,000 to divert a single cargo container in December of 2024.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of all charges, Wang and Zhao would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each count of breaking customs seals.
Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Coast Guard Investigative Services are investigating this matter.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Assistant United States Attorneys Colin S. Scott and Amanda B. Elbogen of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this matter.
Two Baltimore Men Indicted for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dominic Wise, age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, and Darius Gissentaner, age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, were indicted on February 5, 2025, by a federal grand jury on firearms charges.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on July 8, 2024, in York County, Pennsylvania, Wise possessed a Glock 9mm pistol, and Gissentaner possessed a 9mm SCCY pistol, when they were both felons prohibited from possessing a firearm. The indictment also alleges that the 9mm SCCY pistol that Gissentaner possessed had an obliterated serial number.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Monroe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for the charge of felon in possession is a period of 15 years imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The maximum for the Possession of a Firearm with an obliterated serial number is a period of 5 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Tulsa Woman Convicted of Conspiring to Distribute More Than 46 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury convicted Morgan Ashley Kirby, 20, of Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.
“Conspiring with others to deliver drugs onto the streets of the Northern District of Oklahoma will never be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I commend the law enforcement in Texas and Tulsa for working together to catch the defendants before they could complete their delivery.”
“The arrest and conviction of Ms. Kirby and her associates made our community safer and prevented further destruction that methamphetamine trafficking can bring to the citizens of Tulsa, Oklahoma, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. The DEA will continue to work hand in hand with our state and local law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served.”
In June 2024, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers pulled over a driver for traffic violations. During a search of the vehicle, troopers located a suitcase containing 21 plastic bags containing a white substance that appeared to be methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that the driver was getting paid $4k to deliver the methamphetamine to Tulsa.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents tested the white substance and confirmed that it was methamphetamine. In a coordinated effort, agents replaced the methamphetamine with fake methamphetamine and allowed the driver to complete the transaction.
The driver met with Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano and Morgan Kirby to be paid and delivered the fake methamphetamine for further distribution.
Later, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled over the vehicle Rios-Soriano was driving. Kirby was in the passenger side of the vehicle. Upon search of the vehicle, troopers discovered more than 46 pounds of fake methamphetamine and cash sitting on the floorboard of the passenger side of the vehicle.
As a result of the investigation, Kirby’s co-defendants, Feliciano Ortega-Banderas, 22, of East Palo Alto, California, and Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano, 25, a Mexican National, pled guilty in October 2024. Ortega-Banderas pled guilty to Attempted Distribution of Methamphetamine. Rios-Soriano pled guilty to Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.
All three will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal, awaiting sentencing before being transported to the Bureau of Prisons. Rios-Soriano is not a U.S. citizen and is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration – Tulsa and Amarillo Resident Offices, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Christian Harris prosecuted the case.
Truck Driver Who Dumped 25-Year-Old’s Body Convicted of Kidnapping Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
A truck driver who kidnapped a 25-year-old woman and dumped her dead body in the woods has been convicted at trial, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.
Naasson Hazzard, 28, of Austin, was charged via criminal complaint in August and indicted in October. After nine days of trial and approximately an hour of deliberation, a jury on Tuesday convicted him of kidnapping resulting in death.
“A young woman’s life was cut tragically short, her last moments likely spent in terror,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “But those final moments do not define her life. She mattered, her life had worth, and we are proud to put her kidnapper behind bars.”
“Just a few months ago, this violent criminal not only kidnapped an unsuspecting victim, but also took her life. From that time, our commitment has been to seek justice,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas. “With this guilty verdict, we are one step closer to achieving justice. HSI remains steadfast in using every method at our disposal to apprehend those who commit heinous acts in our communities.”
According to evidence presented at trial, surveillance video caught Hazzard’s victim, a young sex worker, entering his semi-truck in Dallas at 9:27 p.m. on Aug. 15.
Eight days later, her decomposing body was found in a wooded area off Texas Highway 11 in Pittsburg, Texas with a black plastic bag tied around her head.
Cell phone records showed that on the evening of Aug. 15, Mr. Hazzard traveled from the pickup location to a nearby parking lot, where he remained for approximately 17 minutes. He then drove over three hours to a wooded area off Highway 11 in Pittsburg, Texas, where he texted his boss that he would be out sick the following day and remained for almost an hour before completing a load for work.
The next day, he and his wife returned to the scene before going to dinner in Tyler, Texas.
In the days that followed, Mr. Hazzard switched cell phones and deleted his Google and Life360 location sharing accounts. He also cleaned the truck with bleach and searched “how many years for first second and third degree murders.” Meanwhile, his wife searched for “Pittsburg Texas news.”
On Aug. 23, the same day the victim’s body was recovered, agents found her cell phone shattered on the side of the road along Mr. Hazzard’s route the night she was killed.
Mr. Hazzard now faces an automatic life sentence.
The North Texas Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of the following agencies: the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, the Dallas Police Department, the Midlothian Police Department, the Texas Rangers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Titus County Sheriff’s Office, the Buda Police Department, the Austin Police Department, the Hayes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office leads the Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and Renee Hunter prosecuted the case with the help of appellate liaison Jonathan Bradshaw.
Trio Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Mail Theft and Card Cracking SchemeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Three individuals have been sentenced to a combined 16 years in federal prison for their roles in a multi-year mail theft and bank fraud scheme.
According to court documents, between October 2021 and April 2022, Cortez Venable, Ephraim Aung, and Brooke Bryan conspired together to commit bank fraud using financial documents such as checks and money orders, which were stolen from U.S. Postal Service (USPS) collection boxes. These collection boxes can only be opened by special “arrow keys” that belong to USPS letter carriers. In order to obtain the arrow keys, Venable and other unknown individuals robbed postal workers at gunpoint while they were on their daily routes delivering mail. Venable robbed a letter carrier on October 4, 2021. Prior to the robbery, Venable and Aung had been in contact via text message. Aung told Venable to take the letter carrier’s mail bag, in addition to their arrow keys, and to look for checks in the stolen mail.
On December 6, 2021, Bryan and Aung served as lookouts while other unknown men attempted to rob a letter carrier of her arrow key in the parking lot of an apartment complex. The letter carrier ran to Bryan and Aung’s vehicle for help, unaware that they were involved in the scheme.
Aung again served as a lookout during an armed robbery of a letter carrier that occurred on December 21, 2021.
Using the arrow keys taken during the robberies, Venable and Aung stole mail, checks and money orders from USPS blue collection boxes in the Indianapolis area. Next, they used the stolen checks and money orders to obtain real cash by either (1) creating fraudulent checks and money orders using some or all of the information found on the stolen checks and money orders; or (2) altering the payee information on the stolen checks and money orders. Venable and Aung recruited others to deposit the fraudulent checks and money orders into their personal bank accounts, a scheme that has come to be known as “card cracking.” Bryan also deposited stolen financial instruments into her personal account.
Card cracking is a form of fraud where bank account holders respond to an online solicitation for “easy money” and provide a debit card for withdrawal of fake check deposits. Criminals use social media platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, or Telegram to solicit account holders. Those who respond to these solicitations - now accomplices - provide their debit card, PIN, password, and other personal identifying information to give the criminal direct access to their account, as well as payment of sometimes $15,000 for the service. The fraudster deposits the worthless checks and either immediately withdraws the funds at an ATM or transfers it out of the account via money transfer applications like Zelle or CashApp. The criminal sometimes provides the customer with a cut of the money withdrawn using worthless checks – or, in other cases, takes all funds out of the customer’s account.
During a search of Venable’s car and home, U.S. Postal Service Investigators recovered 247 pieces of stolen mail, three arrow keys, $70,121.44 in stolen checks and four firearms. As a convicted felon, Venable was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Investigators also searched the apartment that Bryan and Aung shared and located several stolen checks, altered money orders, laptops, a printer, a scanner, and blank check stock, along with other items commonly used to alter checks, including razor blades and white out. Multiple firearms were also recovered in their residence.
In total, more than 150 people were victimized by this scheme, losing a total of approximately $104,747.09.
Aung, Bryan and Venable were convicted and sentenced as follows:
DefendantChargesSentenceEphraim Aung, 23, Indianapolis- Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud
- Bank Fraud, 2 Counts
- Mail Theft
5 years imprisonment
3 years supervised release
$807 in restitution
$500 fine
Brooke Bryan, 22, Indianapolis- Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud
- Bank Fraud
18 months imprisonment
2 years supervised release
$807 in restitution
$500 fine
Cortez Venable, 27, Lawrence- Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud
- Bank Fraud
- Robbery or Mail
- Brandishing a Firearm In Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
- Mail Theft
- Keys or Locks Stolen
130 months imprisonment
3 years supervised release
$807 in restitution
$500 fine
“Not only did this scheme victimize and traumatize letter carriers – it also victimized ordinary citizens who rely on the United States mail to send important correspondence or pay bills,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Letter carriers should not have to live in fear of gun violence simply for doing their jobs. Americans should not have to fear that their important financial documents will be stolen and exploited by fraudsters who wreak financial havoc. The serious federal prison sentences in this case demonstrates that the Department of Justice, working with our federal partners, will ensure there will be serious consequences for violence against public servants and fraud against the public.”
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents, the U.S. Postal Inspectors and the Beech Grove and Lawrence Police Departments, working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation. Substantial sentences such as these are a staunch reminder of the severity of stealing from the U.S. Mail,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The majority of postal employees are hard-working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination. The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
“The sentencing of these three individuals shows the utmost importance we place on the safety of U.S. Postal Service employees and the sanctity of the U.S. mail,” said Detroit Division Acting Inspector in Charge Felicia George. “We will not stop pursuing those who seek to harm our employees and victimize postal customers. We will bring them to justice to account for their violent and selfish crimes. The partnerships we’ve established with our USPS OIG counterparts, local police departments, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office allowed us to work jointly to pursue and hold these individuals accountable. Let this serve as reminder to those who want to make a quick dollar by traumatizing our letter carriers and financially preying on the American public: We will find you and bring you to justice.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this case, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Beech Grove Police Department, and the Lawrence Police Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Massa and Meredith Wood and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Hilton, who prosecuted this case.
###
Topeka man indicted for possession of child sexual abuse materialsRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with having child sexual abuse materials.
According to court documents, Joseph Donald Dube, 38, of Topeka was indicted on one count of possession of child sexual abuse materials.
Dube is accused of knowingly accessing and possessing materials depicting minors under 12 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The defendant made his initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Hunting is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Three Metro East Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire Fraud in Gas Pump SchemeRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal judge in southern Illinois sentenced three men to prison for their involvement in a scheme to use counterfeit credit and debit cards to fill up tanks for gas station patrons in exchange for cash.
Dee E. Day, 31, of Belleville, was sentenced Monday to 30 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $14,295 in restitution. Marquise Q. Golliday, 29, of Collinsville, and Montuelle F. Wright, 33, of East St. Louis, were each previously sentenced to 28 months’ imprisonment.
Day, Golliday and Wright each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
“Financial exploitation and identity theft crimes are serious offenses with lasting effects on victims, but thankfully, our law enforcement partners worked swiftly to disband this criminal ring,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
According to court documents, the conspirators had counterfeit credit and debit cards with one set of information on the front, but the routing information was electronically modified and reencoded on the cards’ magnetic strip. The encoded data included the victims’ names and card numbers.
“Financial crimes perpetrated on law-abiding citizens often have lasting effects on unknowing victims. The U.S. Secret Service is dedicated to stopping and deterring such crimes to safeguard our nation’s financial security as well as innocent people,” Special Agent in Charge Dai Tran, of the Chicago Field Office, said. “I’m proud of our agency’s work on this case and I’m thankful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for pursuing it.”
The trio used the modified cards to charge more than 130 fraudulent transactions on accounts belonging to 34 victims totaling more than $14,000.
Most of the fraud was committed at a Sauget gas station from Nov. 1-5, 2019. Similar conduct was reported at gas stations in Columbia and Fairview Heights in Illinois and Valley Park, Missouri.
The U.S. Secret Service led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Reed prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Sentenced for Role in Multi-State Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Anthony Allen, age 38, of Rosenberg, Texas, was sentenced today to 188 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Allen was the leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy, selling methamphetamine, cocaine base, cocaine hydrochloride, fentanyl, and heroin in Monongalia County. Allen was operating the organization from a townhouse in Morgantown and a storage unit in Star City. Allen’s drug supply came from California and was shipped via FedEx and USPS. The shipments totaled nearly 66 pounds of methamphetamine. Investigators also seized packages sent from California to Houston containing cocaine and fentanyl.
Allen will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and the Morgantown, WVU, Granville, and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi-Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Stafford man convicted by federal jury for brutally assaulting a deaf passenger during a flightRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Stafford man today on charges relating to his assault of a fellow passenger on a flight from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Oct. 28, 2024, Everett Chad Nelson, 44, was a passenger on United Airlines flight 2247. Without provocation, Nelson approached a sleeping, deaf passenger over twenty rows ahead of his seat, entered the passenger’s row, and began brutally punching the passenger in the face. Nelson punched the victim repeatedly and rapidly, using both hands, and landing forceful, violent blows on the victim’s cheeks, nose, and forehead. Nelson caused serious bodily injury to the victim, breaking his nose and leaving the victim with injuries that have required months of medical treatment.
Another passenger, sitting a few rows ahead, heard the commotion, saw the altercation, ran towards the assault and restrained Nelson. The flight crew relocated Nelson and secured him for the remainder of the flight. Nelson was arrested by the FBI upon the flight’s arrival at Dulles.
Nelson faces up to 10 years in prison, and sentencing will be set for a later date. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sanjay Virmani, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel K. Amzallag and Heather D. Call are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-251.
Spirit Lake Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Austin Cody Littlewind, a/k/a Austin Cody Littlewind Jr., age 22, from Spirit Lake, appeared in United States District Court for the District of North Dakota in Fargo today and Chief Judge Peter D. Welte sentenced him to serve 192 months (16 years) in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release during which time Littlewind will be required to abide by a number of conditions. Littlewind had previously pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder within Indian country. In November of 2023, Littlewind stabbed another man to death in Fort Totten, North Dakota, after Littlewind confronted the man over $40. As part of sentence, Littlewind was also ordered to pay restitution for funeral and related expenses.
“This crime was both extremely violent and totally pointless,” Schneider said. “While there is no undoing the tragic loss of life that occurred, we hope this sentence provides a measure of justice and reassures the community that violent criminals will be pursued, prosecuted, and sent to federal prison for their crimes. Our career prosecutors and partners at the FBI deserve credit for their successful efforts on this case and their dedication to public safety in Indian country.”
“Senseless acts of violence have no place in our communities," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "Today’s sentencing reaffirms that committing a violent crime carries serious consequences. The FBI, alongside our tribal and law enforcement partners, will continue to seek justice for victims and hold offenders accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Lori H. Conroy.
# # #