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18 September 2024
Tucson Man Indicted for Deadly Human Smuggling-Related Crash Near ArivacaRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Samuel Lopez-Ozuna, 18, of Tucson, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on charges of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, stemming from a deadly crash last month.
On August 9, 2024, near Arivaca, approximately five miles north of the international border, United States Border Patrol agents attempted to pull over a Chevrolet Tahoe with fake license plates, on suspicion that the driver, Lopez-Ozuna, was engaged in human smuggling. Instead of yielding to law enforcement, Lopez-Ozuna sped up and fled, crashing and rolling the Tahoe. Lopez-Ozuna was smuggling seven undocumented noncitizens, all of whom were ejected from the vehicle during the crash. One person died and three others sustained serious injuries.
A conviction for any one of the charges - Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death - carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Homeland Security Investigations- Tucson, Custom and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Desiree Chery and Ryan P. DeJoe, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-06035-TUC-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-123_Lopez-Ozuna# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Tracy Woman Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Fraudulent Scheme to Steal California Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kaymeisha Keyes, 33, of Tracy, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to nine years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme to defraud the unemployment insurance benefit program during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Keyes was also ordered to pay $1,116,683 in restitution.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and August 2021, Keyes executed a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department (EDD) by filing more than 70 fraudulent unemployment benefit claims with EDD, seeking Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. During the scheme, Keyes collected personally identifiable information of numerous individuals — including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers — and used their identities to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. The filings represented, among other things, that the claimants had recently lost employment or were unable to find employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These unemployment insurance claims were fraudulent because, for example, the claimants were not unemployed, they were not eligible for California unemployment insurance benefits, or Keyes did not have authority to file claims on their behalf.
Since at least October 2021, EDD partnered with ID.me — a private company used by the EDD for ID verification of claimants — to implement a system for verifying claimant identities before EDD can process unemployment insurance claims. In executing this fraudulent scheme, Keyes submitted false information to ID.me that allowed fake and stolen identities to be verified. This false information included images of fake driver’s licenses that contained photos of Keyes and co-schemers and the names of the purported claimants. She also submitted photos of herself and co-schemers that were used to verify the photos on the fake driver’s licenses. Once these false identities were verified, Keyes filed the fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with EDD under the same identities.
In the fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, Keyes requested that the unemployment insurance benefits be mailed to various addresses under her control, including her residence in Tracy. EDD approved dozens of the fraudulent claims and authorized Bank of America to mail out EDD debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits. Keyes then activated the EDD debit cards and spent the benefits on herself. The scheme sought over $2 million in unemployment insurance benefits and caused EDD and the United States to incur actual losses exceeding $1.1 million.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Office of Correctional Safety, and the California EDD – Investigation Division with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Suburban Chicago Tax Professional Admits Stealing More Than $1.1 Million in Client FundsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago tax professional has admitted in federal court that he fraudulently obtained more than $1.1 million from more than ten clients under the false pretense that the money would be sent to the IRS and state revenue authorities to satisfy tax liabilities.
ADAM R. OLIVA, 43, of Rolling Meadows, Ill., pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2024, to one count of wire fraud and one count of preparing a false tax return. The wire fraud count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while the tax count carries a maximum sentence of three years. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood set sentencing for Jan. 24, 2025.
Oliva held himself out as a tax professional who did business under various names, including Oliva and Associates LLC and The Oliva Group LLC. Oliva admitted in a plea agreement that from 2015 to 2020, he fraudulently induced the clients to provide him with money for the purported purpose of paying the clients’ income taxes. Oliva instead kept the money for himself. Oliva also admitted that he filed false tax returns on behalf of some of the clients, reflecting no or lower tax liabilities in order to make it less likely that the IRS would contact the clients about their unpaid tax liabilities.
The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office, and Vincent R. Zehme, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick D. Young.
Earlier this year, Oliva pleaded guilty in a separate fraud case for duping investors who had provided him with money to fund purported short-term loans to clients. Oliva promised the investors that they would receive returns of 10-20% on their investments. In reality, Oliva never intended to make any short-term loans. Instead, he pocketed the investors’ money and used it for personal expenses, including gambling, meals at restaurants, and retail purchases. Oliva faces up to 20 years in prison in that case when he is sentenced on Oct. 18, 2024, by U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr.
Oliva plea agreement (23 CR 195) Oliva plea agreement (22 CR 178)Springfield Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield men was sentenced yesterday for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.
Isaias Diaz, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to five years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. In May 2024, Diaz pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. In July 2023, Diaz was indicted along with his co-defendant Robert Collado.
From about June 2022 through June 2023, Diaz and Collado conspired with each other to distribute fentanyl and more than 500 grams of cocaine.
Collado pleaded guilty in May 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12, 2024.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; the Holyoke, Springfield, Chicopee, West Springfield and Easthampton Police Departments; and the Berkshire, Hampden and Franklin County Sherriff’s Offices; t provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Shreveport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Committing Wire Fraud and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Mario Maurice Hall, Jr., 38, of Shreveport, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 74 months (6 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for committing wire fraud and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
Hall was charged in a Bill of Information with wire fraud in connection with his intent to devise a scheme to defraud the government by obtaining money and property from the Small Business Administration (SBA) via a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan. He was also charged in an Indictment with the firearms offense. Hall pleaded guilty to both charges.
In March 2020 Congress enacted the CARES Act which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the CARES Act, the SBA provided Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which were low-interest financing to small businesses, renters and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. The CARES Act also provided authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).
Hall submitted applications for three separate PPP loans and was approved for these loans after providing false information on each of the applications. On February 24, 2021, and May 26, 2021, Hall was approved for two PPP loans, for $19,415 and $20,833, for purported “Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists.” Hall admitted to knowingly submitting fraudulent 1040 and 1099 tax forms, as well as false bank statements in order to qualify for these loans. When in truth and in fact, Hall had no legitimate income to qualify for the loans, nor did he truthfully meet any of the qualifications.
On May 26, 2021, Hall applied for a third PPP loan for purported “Sound Recording Studios” in the amount of $20,832. Hall admitted to again knowingly providing false and fraudulent information on the application related to the business he alleged to have.
In connection with the firearms offense, agents with the Shreveport Police Department and United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intercepted a package that was sent to a residential address in Shreveport on March 9, 2023. The package was opened via a federal search warrant, and it contained approximately five pounds of marijuana. The package was then closed, and a tracker was installed. The agents conducted a controlled delivery to the address on the package and it was retrieved by a male at the residence. After a period of time, another individual drove up to the residence and went inside the residence and retrieved the package and put it in the rear driver side of his vehicle. Agents subsequently observed Hall arrive at the residence and remove the package from the rear driver side of the first vehicle and move it to his own vehicle.
The package tracker indicated the package had been opened and agents approached Hall and his co-conspirator to execute a search warrant. They found both to have UV powder on their hands. Agents also observed Hall gripping a dark colored object in his waist band and he fled into the residence and came back out. A search of the residence resulted in the discovery of a Glock Model 23 .40 caliber pistol on the couch and over 1.4 kilograms of packaged marijuana. Hall admitted that the gun was his.
“This defendant had no legitimate income or business, but nevertheless decided to fraudulently obtain these funds during a time when America was at arguably one of her most vulnerable states,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “He is also a drug dealer, and the combination of the convicted crimes shows we were willing to utilize any statute necessary to hold those in this community accountable for such illicit activity.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Shreveport Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
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Sex Trafficker of Minor Sentenced to 17.5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Harrison Lee, 43, of Northeast Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl for his own financial benefit, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Lee pleaded guilty on February 8, 2024, to sex trafficking of a minor before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden. In addition to the 210-month prison sentence, Judge McFadden ordered Lee to serve 15 years of supervised release and pay $70,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, in December 2015, Lee began advertising the minor for commercial sex on Backpage.com, a now-defunct website that had an escorts-for-hire section. Lee placed ads with headings such as “Young Exotic MIXED GIRL” on a near-daily basis from December 18, 2015, to January 24, 2016. The advertisements posted by Lee contained nude and sexually explicit images of the minor that constituted child sexual abuse material.
Lee transported the minor to hotels in the Washington D.C. area as well as to other states up and down the eastern seaboard, including New Jersey and Georgia. He took all the money that the minor earned, rendering her completely dependent on him.
After the victim turned 18, Lee continued to exploit her in commercial sex off and on for years, until the time of his arrest on July 20, 2023. Lee received at least $70,000 from her commercial sex work.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jessica Arco from the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenya Davis from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
23cr213
Self-Described Racist Skinhead Sentenced for Race-Based Threats via Social Media Against Black Neighbors in MaineRead the Press Release
A Lewiston, Maine, man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for threatening a Black family who lived in his apartment complex.
Charles Allen Barnes, 47, previously pleaded guilty to one count of threatening communications in interstate commerce. In connection with his plea, Barnes admitted to sending a Facebook voice message in which he stated that he was outside a neighbor’s residence and would kill anyone who emerged. In the message, Barnes repeatedly used racial slurs to refer to the victims.
“Violent and racially motivated threats have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant, a self-described racist skinhead, used social media to terrorize his innocent neighbors because they are Black. This sentence cannot undo the fear and trauma his hateful actions caused but should make clear that online threats come with real-world penalties. The Justice Department is steadfast in enforcing our federal civil rights laws to ensure all communities, including communities of color, are protected from hate-fueled threats of violence.”
“The hate-fueled threat and his subsequent possession of a weapon nearby instilled fear in this family in the one place we all should feel safest,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “Hate of any kind will not be tolerated in Maine, and we will continue to pursue justice for victims of racial harassment, threats, and violence.”
“Charles Barnes’ abhorrent behavior and racist threats put his neighbors through a horrific experience,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Division. “People of all races and faiths deserve to feel safe in their communities. It is our hope that today’s sentence helps the victims in this case heal, while making it clear to others that violence, especially borne from hate, will not be tolerated.”
According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Barnes harbored longstanding racist views, espoused white supremacist rhetoric online and had described himself to an acquaintance as a racist skinhead. After hearing this and other evidence, the court enhanced the sentence based on its finding that Barnes intentionally selected his victims because of race. The court also heard that, several hours after Barnes sent the threatening message, police officers found him sitting outside of his apartment located in the same complex, armed with a large knife. Based on this evidence, the court imposed an additional sentencing enhancement.
The FBI Boston Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Maine Attorney General’s Office and Lewiston Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Sebring Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Possess and Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Sept. 16, Hubert Ramon Santiesteban, 55, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempt to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to the court record, Santiesteban, of Sebring, Fla., negotiated the purchase of 30 kilograms of cocaine. In April of 2023, Highlands County Sheriff’s Office detectives witnessed Santiesteban and his co-conspirator prepare for the transaction at Santiesteban’s residence. Santiesteban and his co-conspirator then showed the undercover members of law enforcement, during a FaceTime call, large amounts of U.S. currency that they planned to use to purchase the cocaine. Highlands County Sheriff’s deputies searched Santiesteban’s residence and property and located $418,000 hidden in a van on the property.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. Santiesteban faces up to life in federal prison, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; and Paul Blackman, Highlands County Sheriff, made the announcement.
DEA Miami Field Division and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock is prosecuting it.
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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case no. 24-cr-14034.
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Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Anthony Coates, 28, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Coates distributed 1 pound of methamphetamine in March 2024 and 3 pounds of methamphetamine in April 2024.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from members of the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Citrus Heights Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid is prosecuting the case.
Coates is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2025, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Coates faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Sabine Parish Man Found Guilty by Federal Jury of Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a federal jury returned a guilty verdict late yesterday evening against Huey P. Scott, Jr., 63, of Many, Louisiana, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The jury acquitted Scott of one count of possession of firearms during a drug trafficking offense and one count of receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm.
Evidence introduced at trial revealed that agents with the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Tactical Narcotics Team conducted controlled buys of methamphetamine from Scott at his residence in Many, Louisiana, on three separate occasions in 2022. Testimony established that Scott was a frequent user and distributor of methamphetamine, and it was proven that he sold the drugs. After law enforcement conducted multiple controlled buys, agents executed a search warrant and arrested Scott at his residence. During the search of Scott’s property, agents found and seized a duffel bag containing a clear plastic bag which had approximately 139.31 grams of methamphetamine. In another bag, agents found what appeared to be smaller baggies containing smaller quantities of methamphetamine. The seized drugs were tested by the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory and found to be methamphetamine.
Scott faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison, a $10,000,000 fine, or both, on the drug charge. His sentencing has been scheduled for January 30, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Shannon and Earl M. Campbell.
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Richmond man sentenced to four years in prison for trafficking cocaine and fentanyl 19 days after leaving prisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to four years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
According to court documents, on Sept. 24, 2023, a Virginia State Police (VSP) trooper observed Jayquan Jermaine Harris, 30, run a red light and attempted a traffic stop. Harris accelerated, driving approximately 65 miles per hour in a residential area in the rain. Harris continued to flee for over 13 miles, driving more than double the speed limit, running stop signs, backing into the police car, and traveling on the wrong side of the road.
Harris eventually entered I-95 northbound, traveling at over 100 miles per hour before running into the median and striking a wall. After the vehicle came to a stop, the trooper approached the car and observed a plastic bag containing suspected narcotics between the cupholders and the right passenger seat. The suspected drugs were tested and confirmed to be 5.59 grams of a solid containing cocaine, 7.73 grams of powder containing cocaine, and 9.31 grams of powder containing fentanyl.
In 2021, as law enforcement performed a traffic stop of a vehicle, Harris and another passenger exited the vehicle and fled. Officers found a bag in the backseat of the car with 10 grams of crack cocaine, 17 grams of heroin, 20 grams of marijuana, and Harris’ identification card. Harris was convicted in February 2023 of two counts of possession with intent to distribute Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances. Harris was in custody until Sept. 5, 2023, less than three weeks before he committed the offense for which he was sentenced today.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted 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. 3:24-cr-54.
Readout of Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s Meeting LGBTQI+ Community StakeholdersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department convened on Monday its quarterly interagency meeting with LGBTQI+ community stakeholders. Members of the Office of the Attorney General and the LGBTQI+ Working Group of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division outlined relevant enforcement efforts across the department and highlighted actions to address discrimination in education and employment and combat hate crimes. Assistant Secretary of Education Catherine Lhamon of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights also addressed the attendees and highlighted efforts to ensure safe learning environments at schools, colleges and universities.
Justice Department leadership, including representatives from the Civil Rights Division, FBI, Community Relations Service, Office of Justice Programs, Office on Violence Against Women, Office of Victims of Crimes and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, heard from participating organizations about discrimination faced by LGBTQI+ students, parents and teachers; barriers to access to gender-affirming medical care for LGBTQI+ people; health data privacy concerns; the need to increase intersex awareness; and hate crimes. Representatives from other government agencies, including the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Labor and State, as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Environmental Protection Agency, National Endowment of the Arts and AmeriCorps, were also in attendance.
Combating hate crimes and addressing claims of discrimination are among the division’s top priorities. Monday’s meeting represents the division’s ongoing efforts to engage with LGBTQI+ organizations and stakeholders on issues affecting LGBTQI+ communities.
The department has continued to prosecute hate crimes, including obtaining several life sentences for the perpetrator of the mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQI+ establishment in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The department also filed a statement of interest in a case challenging a policy in Florida schools prohibiting teachers from using personal titles and pronouns inconsistent with their sex assigned at birth and a statement of interest in a case challenging a Georgia school district’s alleged retaliation against a teacher for her support of LGBTQI+ students and her opposition to the hostile environment they were allegedly subject to as a result of bullying and harassment.
These and other efforts by the Civil Rights Division can be found on its website at its LGBTQI+ Working Group page.
Members of the LGBTQI+ Working Group convene for the quarterly interagency meeting with LGBTQI+ community stakeholders.Readout of Assistant Attorneys General Kristen Clarke and Carlos Uriarte’s Trip to El Paso, TexasRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte of the Justice Department’s Office of Legislative Affairs traveled to El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 16 to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. U.S. Attorney Jamie Esparza for the Western District of Texas joined them for the meetings.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the tragic mass shooting at the Cielo Vista Walmart that claimed the lives of 23 and wounded 22 more. In July 2023, the Justice Department secured 90 consecutive life sentences for the defendant responsible for these hate crime acts. The Assistant Attorneys General and the U.S. Attorney visited a memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives and were injured that day.
In the morning, Assistant Attorney General Clarke and Assistant Attorney General Uriarte participated in a fireside chat with junior and senior students at Burges High School, which is predominantly Latino. The Assistant Attorneys General, along with U.S. Attorney Esparza, discussed their respective career paths and roles at the Justice Department and encouraged the students to pursue public service.
In the afternoon, Assistant Attorney General Clarke and U.S. Attorney Esparza met with local leaders and community stakeholders for a listening session to hear the most pressing civil rights issues residents are facing in El Paso. They highlighted the Justice Department’s efforts to address predatory lending in communities of color; unconstitutional conditions inside juvenile detention facilities; improve language access; and ensure equal educational opportunity.
Following the listening session, Assistant Attorney General Clarke met with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. She thanked the office’s leadership and staff for their service and commitment to protecting civil rights.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke ended her trip at the El Paso Center for Children, a nonprofit organization founded in 1919 that is dedicated to providing universal care and development services for children and families in the greater El Paso area. The Center received a grant from the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention through their Children Exposed to Violence program. The staff described their work and the challenges they face as they assist hundreds of families impacted by violence, including the mass shooting at the Cielo Vista Walmart.
Assistant Attorneys General Clarke and Uriarte view the memorial at the Cielo Vista Walmart. Assistant Attorneys General Clarke and Uriarte and U.S. Attorney Esparza speak at Burges High School.
Assistant Attorneys General Clarke and Uriarte and U.S. Attorney Esparza with students and staff from Burges High School. Assistant Attorney General Clarke and U.S. Attorney Esparza with local leaders and stakeholders at the El Paso community meeting.Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Dozens of Firearms from Local Pawn ShopRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for breaking into a local pawn shop and stealing forty-seven firearms from the federal firearm licensee.
Kory Dean Boyd, 39, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on January 31, 2022, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) were notified of a burglary at a Southeast Portland pawn shop. Early that morning, shop owners discovered two large holes in a concrete block wall on the building’s exterior. The exposed room contained dozens of firearms, forty-seven of which were reported stolen, including pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns.
ATF agents reviewed exterior surveillance video from the pawn shop and observed two vehicles and five individuals present near the holes in the building during the late evening and early morning hours of January 29 and 30, 2022. Two individuals used a sledgehammer to make holes in the exterior wall while Boyd and others carried firearms and firearm cases to the vehicles.
On February 4, 2022, ATF agents searched Boyd’s residence and recovered eight firearms, including seven stolen from the pawn shop. Boyd was arrested without incident and admitted to his involvement in the burglary.
On February 8, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Boyd with the theft of firearms and possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
On March 4, 2024, Boyd pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from a federal firearm licensee.
This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the FBI, Portland Police Bureau, and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a federal drug trafficking charge, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Dirk Barfield Jr., 38, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in September 2022, Barfield was the subject of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police. The investigation revealed that Barfield would travel from a Pittsburgh residence in his Maserati to distribute cocaine. On September 13, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants upon Barfield and the Pittsburgh residence. When law enforcement announced their presence from outside the residence, Barfield threw bags of suspected controlled substances from a second floor window onto the yard. Law enforcement recovered the bags and made entry into the residence, where, following a waiver of his rights, Barfield admitted to throwing about two ounces of cocaine and one ounce of crack from the window. At the time Barfield committed this crime, he was serving a term of federal supervised release related to his last drug trafficking conviction in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for January 21, 2025. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both on the drug charge, and a term of imprisonment of up to five years on the federal supervised release violation. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Judge Colville ordered Barfield remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Barfield.
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Making Fantasy Football-Related Bomb Threat and Mass Shooting ThreatRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Matthew Gabriel, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage to two counts of interstate and foreign communication of a threat to injure.
According to the guilty plea agreement, the defendant had an online disagreement with a member of his fantasy football chat group. Gabriel learned that the member with whom he had a disagreement was going to study abroad in Norway in August of 2023. On August 3, 2023, Gabriel, while located in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, submitted an anonymous “tip” through the internet to the Norwegian Police Security Service, also known as Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste (“PST”), claiming that a member of his fantasy football chat group was going to carry out a mass shooting in Norway:
On August 15th a man named [Victim 1] is headed around oslo and has a shooting planned with multiple people on his side involved. they plan to take as many as they can at a concert and then head to a department store. I don’t know any more people then that, I just can’t have random people dying on my conscience. he plans to arrive there unarmed spend a couple days normal and then execute the attack. please be ready. he is around a 5 foot 7 read head coming from America, on the 10th or 11th I believe. he should have weapons with him. please be careful
Law enforcement in Norway and the United States spent hundreds of man-hours reacting to and investigating the threatened mass shooting over the course of a five-day period. When interviewed by the FBI, Gabriel admitted that he had submitted the “tip” to the PST and that the tip was false.
Then, on March 22, 2024, the defendant, again while located in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, sent an email posing as another individual to the University of Iowa with the subject line “Possible Threat.” The email stated:
Hello, I saw this in a group chat I’m in and just want to make sure everyone is safe and fine. I don’t want anything bad to happen to any body. Thank you. A man named [PERSON 1] from I believe Nebraska sent this, and I want to make sure that it is a joke and no one will get hurt.
The email then contained a screenshot from the fantasy football group of a message that stated “Hello University of Iowa a man named [Victim 1] told me he was gonna blow up the school.”
Gabriel knew that the victim was not going to blow up the university and that the message had been sent in jest by another member of the fantasy football group regarding Gabriel’s prior threat. Despite knowing that there was no actual threat to the University of Iowa, the defendant transmitted the email knowing that the University of Iowa would view it as a true threat.
“While already being prosecuted for one hoax threat spurred by, of all things, his fantasy football league, Matthew Gabriel inexplicably decided to send another,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “His actions were extremely disruptive and consumed significant law enforcement resources on two continents, diverting them from actual incidents and investigations. Hoax threats aren’t a joke or protected speech, they’re a crime. My advice to keyboard warriors who’d like to avoid federal charges: always think of the potential consequences before you hit ‘post’ or ‘send.’”
“You do not get to express emotions through violence or threats of violence,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “We thank our international partners for their assistance in bringing together this case. The FBI will continue to work alongside partners at all levels to protect our community.”
The defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of five years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Bateman. Substantial assistance was provided by the Norwegian Police Security Service, also known as Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste.
Philadelphia Man Admits Enticing MinorRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man today admitted using an internet-based chat application to entice a minor to engage in prostitution, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Louis Goldenberg, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In August 2023, Goldenberg began interacting on a messaging application with an undercover agent, who was posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece. From August through September 2023, Goldenberg messaged the undercover, continuously expressing interest in having sexual contact with the minor. During one of the conversations, Goldenberg indicated a specific hotel in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, where he wanted to have sex with the minor. On Sept. 18, 2023, Goldenberg traveled from Pennsylvania to the Mt. Laurel hotel, where he had a reservation for that evening. When Goldenberg arrived, he was arrested by law enforcement.
The charge to which Goldenberg pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 10 years in prison, a potential maximum term of life in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and Mount Laurel Police Department.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Waegener of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
goldenberg.information.pdfParkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christian Elliott, 21, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 2, 2024, Elliott was on parole when his residence was searched as a condition of his parole supervision. The search revealed a loaded Glock model 43X 9mm pistol, a loaded Diamondback firearms model DB-15 multi-caliber pistol and a loaded Glock model 29SF 10mm pistol in the residence. Elliott admitted to possessing the firearms.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Elliott knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer in Lucas County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on September 7, 2022.
Elliott is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-97.
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Omaha Man Sentenced to Five Years for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Antonio Paredez, agev26, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced September 18, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Paredez to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Paredez’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On March 12, 2021, Paredez sold approximately one gram of cocaine and a 9mm handgun to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. The transaction occurred inside an Omaha residence. The handgun had a defaced serial number. Paredez also made three other sales to the cooperator during the investigation, all of which for a gram or half-gram of cocaine and one also involving a double barrel shotgun.
As part of a plea agreement, the prosecution dismissed a charge for distribution of cocaine. The 60-month sentence is the mandatory minimum for conviction of the firearm offense.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Ocala Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Rickey Lee Miller, Jr. (45, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Miller faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, on July 27, 2024, a detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office posed as a 15-year-old girl on an online messaging platform. Miller contacted the undercover detective’s account and initially asked if she wanted to “hang out.” Miller then engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the detective. During that conversation, Miller asked the detective if she would be interested in having “some fun” with Miller and a female friend. He also asked, “[W]ill you tell my friend your 18[?] I really don’t want her to know your real age.” When Miller subsequently drove to a predetermined location to meet with the minor for sex, he was arrested by law enforcement. The cellphone located in Miller’s vehicle was confirmed to be the phone communicating with the undercover detective.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chiefland Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Oak Street Health Agrees to Pay $60M to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Paying Kickbacks to Insurance Agents in Medicare Advantage Patient Recruitment SchemeRead the Press Release
Oak Street Health, headquartered in Chicago and a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVS Health since 2023, has agreed to pay $60 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to third-party insurance agents in exchange for recruiting seniors to Oak Street Health’s primary care clinics.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes money or any other thing of value — to induce referrals of patients or to provide recommendations of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded programs. Under the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program, also known as Part C, Medicare beneficiaries have the option to obtain their health care through privately-operated insurance plans known as MA plans. Some MA Plans contract with health care providers, including Oak Street Health, to provide their plan members with primary care services.
The United States alleged that, in 2020, Oak Street Health developed a program to increase patient membership called the Client Awareness Program. Under the Program, third-party insurance agents contacted seniors eligible for or enrolled in Medicare Advantage and delivered marketing messages designed to generate interest in Oak Street Health. Agents then referred interested seniors to an Oak Street Health employee via a three-way phone call, otherwise known as a “warm transfer,” and/or an electronic submission. In exchange, Oak Street Health paid agents typically $200 per beneficiary referred or recommended. These payments incentivized agents to base their referrals and recommendations on the financial motivations of Oak Street Health rather than the best interests of seniors. The settlement resolves allegations that, from September 2020 through December 2022, Oak Street Health knowingly submitted, and caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare arising from kickbacks to agents that violated the Anti-Kickback Statute.
“Health care providers that attempt to profit from kickbacks will be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division. “We are committed to rooting out illegal practices committed by Medicare Advantage providers, insurance agents and brokers that undermine the interests of federal health care programs and the patients they serve.”
“Kickbacks, in any form, have no place in our federal healthcare system” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “My office is alert for kickbacks that can subvert patient choice and defraud federal health care programs. This investigation and settlement help to ensure that patient choice is prioritized above a provider’s bottom line.”
“Kickbacks impose hidden costs on the federal health care system and compromise medical choice and decision-making,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working determinedly with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to protect the integrity of federal health care programs, and we encourage the public to come forward with information about violative conduct.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Joseph Stinson. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Stinson v. Oak Street Health, et al., No. 20-cv-7381 (N.D. Ill.). As part of today’s resolution, Mr. Stinson will receive $9.9 million.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from HHS-OIG and the FBI.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney David G. Miller of the Justice Department's Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Haile for the Northern District of Illinois handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Nigerian National Extradited from France to Face Charges for His Alleged Role in A Scheme to Steal Government Benefits, Including More Than $8 Million in Federal Emergency AssistanceRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Newton Ofioritse Jemide, a Nigerian national, was extradited from France to the United States on September 13, 2024 to face federal charges for wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits. Jemide had his initial appearance on September 16, 2024, and is currently detained pending trial.
The extradition was announced by Philip Selden, First Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Mark I. Tasky of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office; Andrew McKay, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
During the time period covered by the indictment, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was responsible for providing emergency benefits and compensation for damage to victims who were affected by declared national emergency disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. Among other benefits, an individual in an area affected by a national disaster was immediately eligible for “Critical Needs Assistance” (CNA) to purchase life-saving or life sustaining materials. The assistance was paid to the victim in a manner of his/her choosing, including being deposited onto pre-paid debit cards.
According to the two-count indictment, from 2016 through 2018 Jemide’s co-conspirators purchased hundreds of Green Dot debit cards, which they then registered with Green Dot, using the stolen personal information of identity theft victims from around the country. In 2017, amidst Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the California wildfires, co-conspirators allegedly applied online with FEMA for CNA using the stolen personal information of additional identity theft victims. According to the indictment, FEMA paid at least $8 million in amounts of $500 per claim to the Green Dot debit cards purchased by the co-conspirators.
In addition to filing false disaster-assistance claims with FEMA, the indictment alleges that co-conspirators also filed false claims online for Social Security benefits, for IRS tax refunds and for other government benefits, using the stolen identities of multiple additional individuals, including names, addresses, Social Security Numbers (“SSN”) and other personal identifiers.
The indictment alleges that FEMA, and the other federal agencies to whom fraudulent applications for benefits were submitted, deposited the falsely claimed benefits directly onto the Green Dot debit cards. After the funds were placed onto the Green Dot debit cards, Jemide and his co-conspirators then informed other conspirators that funds were available on the cards, and provided information to facilitate “cashing out” the funds from the cards, which co-conspirators did in exchange for a commission. The co-conspirators cashed out the cards by depositing the money into bank accounts, and/or through ATM withdrawals or purchases of money orders.
According to the indictment, the co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities and the conspiracy and scheme to defraud, including by enlisting other individuals to make the purchases and withdrawals with the cards, utilizing multiple store and bank locations and methods of withdrawal, using multiple bank accounts (including in the names of corporate entities), converting funds into cash rather than placing them into bank accounts, and making money orders payable to other individuals and/or corporate entities which they or their co-conspirators controlled.
Jemide and his co-conspirators allegedly used an encrypted messaging application, e-mail and other means to communicate, and used the stolen federal funds to pay rental and housing expenses, to purchase used vehicles, and for other purposes.
If convicted, Jemide faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceeding.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Selden commended the DHS OIG, SSA OIG, USSS, TIGTA and French authorities for their work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshal’s Service for their valuable assistance to secure the extradition of Jemide to the United States. Mr. Selden thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Michigan Woman Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor in New OrleansRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Michigan woman was sentenced today to five years in prison for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.
According to court documents, from around December 2021 through around March 2022, Latesha Gardner, 30, of Flint, Michigan, and her boyfriend, Charles Cunigan, conspired to sex traffic a minor victim and used force, fraud, or coercion to carry out the conspiracy. Cunigan and Gardner transported the minor victim across state lines, from Tennessee to Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas, for the purpose of causing her to engage in commercial sex acts. Specifically, Gardner taught the minor victim how to “pose sexy” for photos and used those photos to advertise the minor victim online for commercial sex. Gardner also participated in commercial sex encounters with the minor victim and would instruct the minor victim what to do during the encounters. If the minor victim did not comply with Cunigan’s demands, he would beat the minor victim, and on occasion, he directed Gardner to use physical force against the minor victim as well. In an altercation in February 2022, Cunigan punched and kicked the minor victim, and Gardner hit the minor victim with a liquor bottle and a high-heeled shoe. Cunigan and Gardner knew the minor victim was a juvenile throughout the timeframe of the conspiracy.
In addition to the prison sentence, Gardner was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $9,750 in restitution to the victim. After her release from prison, Gardner will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Gardner pleaded guilty on June 18 to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Cunigan pleaded guilty on June 25 to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24.
Principle Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Trial Attorney Melissa E. Bücher of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Selling Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas, Transcripts and Nursing LicensesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – On Monday, September 16, 2024, the Honorable Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Ejike Asiegbunam, age 55, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland to 21 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Boardman also ordered Asiegbunam to forfeit $1,662,732 that Asiegbunam personally received as a result of the fraud.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.
According to Asiegbunam’s plea agreement, Asiegbunam conspired with others to sell fraudulent nursing diplomas and educational transcripts to individuals (“purchasers”), and assisted the purchasers in fraudulently obtaining nursing licensure, which the purchasers needed to obtain employment in the healthcare field. Asiegbunam owned and operated Nursing School 2, which was not licensed to offer LPN degrees. In addition, many students received RN degrees from Nursing School 2 without attending labs, classes, or completing required clinical assignments.
Specifically, between approximately January 2018 and June 2021, Asiegbunam and his co-conspirators recruited potential purchasers in Maryland and elsewhere who were looking to obtain nursing degrees. Asiegbunam sold purchasers false and fraudulent Nursing School 2 documents, which Asiegbunam signed as the owner of Nursing School 2. In addition, students paid Asiegbunam and others to complete required prerequisites to enter the nursing program at Nursing School 2. Asiegbunam generally charged purchasers between $15,000 and $22,000 for false and fraudulent Nursing School 2 documents. Asiegbunam also generally charged approximately $5,000 to complete online prerequisites. In total, Asiegbunam sold false and fraudulent Nursing School 2 documents in exchange for at least $1,390,332.
In addition, between in or around February 2018 and December 2018, Asiegbunam conspired with Johanah Napoleon, who resided in Florida, to sell false and fraudulent RN degrees from Palm Beach School of Nursing, located in Florida, to individuals located in Maryland and New York. Asiegbunam would send student grades from Maryland to the registrar for the Palm Beach School of Nursing in Florida, via interstate wire, and in exchange would receive transcripts purportedly from the Palm Beach School of Nursing (despite the individuals not attending the school). When Asiegbunam sold a student a degree from Palm Beach School of Nursing, the student paid the school directly, and the school, in turn, paid Asiegbunam 40 percent of the tuition as payment for recruiting the student. In total, Asiegbunam received approximately $272,400 from the Palm Beach School of Nursing.
By providing false and fraudulent documents, Asiegbunam and his co-conspirators assisted the purchasers of the false and fraudulent documents to obtain fraudulent nursing licenses from state licensing agencies, including the Maryland Board of Nursing, and ultimately employment in the healthcare field. The scheme thus allowed individuals who had not completed the necessary coursework to apply for licensure and to practice as nurses. The scheme therefore exposed patients in Maryland and elsewhere to potential harm and Asiegbunam and his co-conspirators consciously and recklessly exposed these patients to the risk of death or serious bodily injury.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the HHS-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case.
If you have information to report regarding this case or any other case involving falsified medical degrees, please call the FBI hotline: (410) 277-6999.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Manchester Men Charged with Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Three Manchester men were charged in connection with controlled substances violations, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Raynerson Marcos De La Paz Matos, 29, Randy Gabriel De La Paz Matos, 25, and Edwin Manuel Saldana, 27, were each charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The defendants were arrested on September 11, 2024, and appeared in federal court in Concord on the same date. The defendants are currently detained.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, the underlying investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Manchester Police Department involved a series of 10 controlled purchases of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine, in different locations in Manchester, New Hampshire. These purchases resulted in the total seizure of approximately 450 grams of fentanyl, 59 grams of cocaine, and 27 grams of crack cocaine. As a result of these purchases, DEA and Manchester police obtained and executed federal search warrants at two residences on Cilley Road and Dubuque Street in Manchester. The search of the Cilley Road residence yielded a total of more than 2 kilograms of suspected controlled substances and cash, while the search of the Dubuque Street residence yielded an estimated $59,000.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Manchester Man Charged with Fentanyl and Cocaine Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a 14-count indictment charging ROBERTO PABON, also known as “Goya,” 44, of Manchester, with fentanyl and cocaine distribution offenses.
The indictment was returned on September 11, 2024, and Pabon appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on August 29, 2024.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force has been investigating members of Los Solidos, a Hartford-based street gang, who are involved drug trafficking and other criminal activity. Between December 2023 and July 2024, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from Pabon, a member of Los Solidos. Pabon used an apartment on Brown Street in Hartford to store narcotics, and he typically sold drugs to customers in the area of Hartford’s South Green Park.
It is alleged that on August 2, 2024, Pabon was arrested at his residence by Manchester Police on state charges. A drug scale fell from Pabon’s pocket as he was being apprehended, and a search of his car, which he had just exited, revealed more than 1,300 wax folds of fentanyl, and quantities of crack and powder cocaine. A related search of another car parked at Pabon’s residence revealed more than 200 grams of raw and packaged fentanyl, approximately 38 grams of crack cocaine, and approximately five grams of powder cocaine. A search of Pabon’s residence revealed items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $8,800 in cash.
It is further alleged that, in August 2024, while Pabon was released on a $750,000 bond in his state case, FBI Task Force investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl from him at a gas station on Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford.
The indictment charges Pabon with nine counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl; four counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl and cocaine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Manchester Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
Man Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud Factoring CompaniesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Micky Lee Wagner, also known as “Clifton Leigh Wagner Martin,” “Mickey Lee Wagner,” “Leigh Wagner,” “Michy Wagner,” “Lee Wagner,” and “Dr. Leigh,” has been sentenced to federal prison for operating a scheme to defraud factoring companies of more than $5 million while using stolen identities.
“Wagner has an extensive history of devising schemes to take advantage of unsuspecting businesses and individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the diligence of our federal law enforcement partners at FBI, a measure of justice has been achieved that will also prevent Wagner from victimizing others.”
“Wagner took great measures to create the fraudulent billing scheme to use these companies like his personal ATM,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley. “His actions not only harmed businesses, but also the victims of his identity theft. Wagner will now have several years behind bars to consider the impact of his actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Wagner was the owner and CEO of Right Step Staffing, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia. Right Step Staffing was purportedly a personnel staffing company that provided temporary employees to other businesses. Wagner used stolen identities to create a false impression that he had workers; then he falsely claimed that his staffing company provided temporary workers to major businesses, including Kroger Distribution, Material in Motion, Duracell, and Clorox. But Right Step Staffing had no relationship with those businesses.
Based on Wagner’s misrepresentations, a factoring company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida entered into a contract with Right Step Staffing to purchase its accounts receivable to collect money on outstanding invoices that businesses supposedly owed to Right Step Staffing for temporary workers. Factoring companies advance funds through these kinds of arrangements so that staffing companies can meet their payroll obligations in a timely fashion.
To further the fraud, Wagner deceived the factoring company by providing them with fraudulent customer contracts, when in fact, Right Step Staffing had no agreements with the businesses. Wagner also provided the factoring company with email addresses that supposedly belonged to representatives of the businesses, as a means to confirm that Right Step Staffing supplied employees to their businesses. The email addresses appeared similar to the real businesses’ email addresses but were deceptively created by Wagner to defraud the factoring company.
After entering into the agreement, Right Step Staffing sent fraudulent invoices to the factoring company claiming that it had provided temporary workers to the businesses. These invoices totaled over $6 million during a several-month period, resulting in actual payments of more than $5 million to Wagner.
Wagner spent the fraudulent proceeds from the scheme to purchase real estate, a café, multiple luxury vehicles, plastic surgery, and a Royal Caribbean cruise, and he also diverted a substantial amount of cash for his personal use.
After his indictment in July 2022, Wagner fled to Kansas City, Missouri, where he evaded arrest for nearly a year. In July 2023, FBI agents arrested Wagner as he was leaving a residence in Kansas City. Also after his indictment in July 2022, Wagner defrauded another factoring company based in Minnesota. He stole more than $750,000 from that business. Wagner unsuccessfully attempted to defraud other factoring companies around the same time. Wagner has multiple prior felony convictions, including a prior federal fraud conviction from 2001. He fled Kansas City while on supervised release for that conviction.
Micky Lee Wagner, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. P. Boulee to seven years, 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,092,512.88. Wagner was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on April 24, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Sekret T. Sneed prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Madison Man Sentenced to 3.5 Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dedonta J. Davis, 36, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on September 12, 2024 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 3 1/2 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. This will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Davis pleaded guilty to this charge on June 13, 2024.
On January 5, 2024, law enforcement arrested Davis on state charges related to an ongoing investigation into a shooting which occurred weeks prior outside a bar in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Following that arrest, officers executed a search warrant at Davis’s apartment and found a loaded Remington 9mm handgun with an 18-round magazine. The Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory confirmed that Davis’s DNA was on the handgun. Davis is prohibited from legally possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions.
At sentencing, Judge Conley said that Davis was modeling dangerous behavior by keeping a loaded firearm in his apartment, which increased the chance of him committing harm. Judge Conley also considered Davis’s admitted involvement in the recent shooting and his criminal history involving drugs and alcohol, as well as Davis’s efforts toward gainful employment in the community.
The charge against Davis was the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consisting of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Lennon and Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Lackawanna man pleads guilty to his role in kidnapping conspiracy attempting to force sister to marry in YemenRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Waleed Abughanem, 32, of Lackawanna, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to misprision of felony, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Maeve E. Huggins, who are handling the case, stated that Abughanem is the son of Khaled Abughanem and the brother of Adham Abughanem. Waleed Abughanem has several other siblings, including an adult sister (Victim). On September 1, 2021, the Victim traveled from Lackawanna to Guadalajara, Mexico, to temporarily stay with her fiancé, whom she had known for several years. The Victim did so out of fear that family members would require her to enter into a non-consensual arranged marriage. Khaled and Adham Abughanem, and the Victim’s mother traveled to Guadalajara, and told the Victim that she would be allowed to marry her fiancé if she returned to the United States, which the Victim agreed to do. Waleed Abughanem knew that Khaled and Adham Abughanem did not intend to allow the Victim to marry her fiancé after she returned to the United States.
After the Victim returned to the United States, Khaled, Adham, and Waleed Abughanem restricted her freedom of movement and forced her to stay in the Abughanem family’s Lackawanna residence for several weeks in September and October 2021. In October 2021, Khaled and Adham tricked the Victim into thinking that she would be permitted to marry her fiancé if she traveled with Khaled and Adham Abughanem, and other family members to Egypt, and later to Yemen. Waleed Abughanem drove the Victim and other family members to an airport in Cleveland, Ohio, for the purpose of traveling to Egypt. Khaled and Adham Abughanem intended to find a man for the Victim to enter into a non-consensual arranged marriage, which Waleed Abughanem was aware of.
The Victim was held involuntarily in Cairo, Egypt and then in Sana’a, Yemen, from October 2021 until April 6, 2023. During this time, she did not have free access to her United States passport, and, as an unmarried woman, the Victim was not permitted to freely travel or leave Yemen without the approval of family members. Waleed Abughanem knew the Victim was being held involuntarily, and during some of this period, he was present in Yemen. When he was not present in Yemen, Waleed Abughanem instructed his wife to monitor and supervise the Victim. In December 2022, Waleed Abughanem traveled from Yemen to the United States. When questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as to the whereabouts of his siblings, Waleed Abughanem told the CBP Officer that the Victim was in the United States. By making a false statement, Waleed Abughanem concealed that the Victim had been kidnapped and was being involuntarily held in Yemen.
Charges remain pending against Khaled and Adham Abughanem. They are scheduled to go to trial in October, 2024.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Diplomatic Security Director Carlos Matus and Deputy Assistant Secretary Paul Houston. Additional assistance was provided by the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and CPB in Boston, Massachusetts.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 24, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.
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Knoxville Woman Sentenced to over Eight Years in Murder for Hire PlotRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On September 18, 2024, Melody Sasser, 48, of Knoxville, TN, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 100 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following her imprisonment, Sasser will be on supervised release for three years. Sasser was also ordered to pay over $5,389.31 in restitution to the victim in this case.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Sasser pled guilty to using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1958.
According to filed court documents, Sasser admitted to using a dark web-hosted site known as the Online Killers Market for the purpose of hiring a hitman to murder an Alabama resident. In her communications with the site, Sasser provided photographs and location information of the victim. Sasser also requested that the killing appear “to seem random or accident. Or plant drugs, do not want a long investigation.” In exchange for the anticipated murder of the victim, Sasser used the internet to transmit nearly $10,000 in cryptocurrency to the would-be assassins. Ultimately, the plan was unsuccessful. Sasser was arrested, and her home searched. At her house, law enforcement uncovered a journal listing out several other hitman websites, a handwritten account of communications with the Online Killers Market, and a stack of U.S. currency underneath a sticky note listing a Bitcoin address.
United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud made the announcement.
The charges were the result of an investigation by HSI Knoxville and HSI Birmingham, with the assistance of the Knoxville Police Department and the Prattville, Alabama Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne-Marie Svolto of the Eastern District of Tennessee is prosecuting the case.
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Kissimmee Felon Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Unlawful Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Edward Charlesalton Chappell (41, Kissimmee) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Chappell to forfeit the firearms and ammunition used in the offense. Chappell entered a guilty plea on June 17, 2024.
According to court documents, on July 13, 2022, a state search warrant was executed at a hotel room occupied by Chappell after he sold fentanyl to an undercover agent. Inside the hotel room, agents located cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs as well as drug processing materials. Agents also located a Glock pistol, a Ruger pistol, and 9mm caliber ammunition.
At the time, Chappell had multiple prior felony convictions, including four convictions for delivery of cocaine and one conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver. As a multi-convicted felon, Chappell is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
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.
Kimball Township Men Sentenced to 50 Years for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Two Kimball Township men were each sentenced to 50 years for sexually exploiting children, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Douglas Zloto, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service.
Austin Ray Sabb-Visga, 30, and Todd Allen Sabb-Visga, 48, both of Kimball Township, Michigan, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Laurie J. Michelson, after having pleaded guilty in May 2024.
The Sabb-Visgas sexually exploited children entrusted to their care and videotaped their abuse. Austin Sabb-Visga also distributed videos of the abuse to Todd Sabb-Visga and others. In June 2023, Michigan State Police and the United States Secret Service were alerted to the Sabb-Visgas’ crimes after a tipster informed the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Austin Sabb-Visga sent an image of child pornography. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Sabb-Visgas’ home, seizing several cell phones. Forensic examination of the devices revealed the prolific abuse of one child over the course of at least a year and the exploitation of at least two other children.
In addition to their federal convictions, the Sabb-Visgas also pleaded guilty in St. Clair County to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. They were each sentenced to 50 years in prison for their state crimes.
“These sentences should send a strong message to these defendants and others like them who exploit our children behind closed doors and online,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “For those who refuse to heed this message, we will search high and low for you.”
“The Secret Service would like to recognize the dedicated personnel of the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their tenacity in identifying child predators and delivering justice for the victims of this case – which we know can never be enough,” stated Douglas Zloto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Detroit Field Office. “We are especially thankful for our partnership on the Michigan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and for the strong support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who work tirelessly
to deliver justice for the most vulnerable of victims – those who are defenseless against the worst among us. Hopefully, these sentences provide a clear deterrent to other who are thinking about committing crimes against children.”
This case was investigated by the Secret Service and the Michigan State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Hindelang and Doug Salzenstein.
Justice Department and Department of Housing and Urban Development Secure over $15M from OceanFirst Bank to Resolve Redlining Claims in New JerseyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that OceanFirst Bank, N.A. has agreed to pay over $15 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of lending discrimination by redlining predominantly Black, Hispanic and Asian neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties in New Jersey. Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in communities of color because of the race, color or national origin of residents in those communities.
In October 2021, Attorney General Garland and Assistant Attorney General Clarke launched the Justice Department’s Combating Redlining Initiative, a coordinated enforcement effort to address this persistent form of discrimination against communities of color. The initiative is expanding the department’s reach by strengthening partnerships with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country, regulatory partners, and its partners in state Attorneys General offices. Since 2021, the department has announced 13 redlining resolutions and secured over $137 million in relief for communities of color that have been the victims of lending discrimination across the country.
“This settlement, and the over $137 million in relief the Justice Department has secured for communities across the country, will help to ensure that future generations of Americans inherit a legacy of home ownership that they have been too often denied,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Redlining is unlawful, it is harmful, and it is wrong. The Justice Department will continue to hold banks and mortgage companies accountable for redlining and to secure relief for the communities that continue to be harmed by these discriminatory practices.”
“Far too often, communities of color have been denied equal access to credit and the opportunity to build generational wealth,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through our historic efforts to combat modern day redlining, we have opened up new homeownership opportunities for impacted families and communities. This agreement underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to holding banks and financial institutions accountable for their discriminatory actions while ensuring racial and economic justice for all Americans.”
“We are committed to ensuring that everyone in New Jersey has access to the American dream of homeownership, regardless of race, color, or national origin,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “This agreement is an important step in leveling the playing field and removing illegal and discriminatory barriers in residential mortgage lending.”
“Redlining is not only illegal, but it unfairly closes doors of economic opportunity for thousands of families of color in this country,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “Together with our partners at the Justice Department, HUD remains committed to enforcing the Fair Housing Act by rooting out all forms of discrimination in housing. Today’s announcement underscores our shared commitment to achieving justice and creating equitable opportunities for Americans, particularly those who have historically been denied access.”
The Justice Department’s complaint, which was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that, from 2018 through at least 2022, OceanFirst Bank failed to provide mortgage lending services to predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties and discouraged people seeking credit in those communities from obtaining home loans. Specifically, the complaint alleges that OceanFirst disproportionately focused its outreach and advertising on majority-white communities, placed its branches in majority-white neighborhoods, and closed its only branches in the majority-Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in those counties.
The Justice Department has resolved its claims via a proposed consent order, which is subject to court approval. Additionally, OceanFirst and HUD have entered into a conciliation agreement with equivalent terms. In those resolutions, OceanFirst has agreed to do the following:
- Invest at least $14 million in a loan subsidy fund to increase access to home mortgage, home improvement, and home refinance loans for residents of majority-Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties;
- Spend $400,000 on community partnerships to provide services related to credit, consumer financial education, homeownership, and foreclosure prevention for residents of predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in those counties;
- Spend $700,000 on advertising, outreach, consumer financial education, and credit counseling focused on predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in those counties;
- Open a loan production office and maintain the bank’s recently opened full-service branch, both located in predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in those counties, with at least one mortgage loan officer assigned to each location;
- Conduct a community credit needs assessment, evaluate its fair lending compliance management systems, and conduct staff trainings on fair lending; and
- Hire a director of community lending who will oversee the continued development of home mortgage lending in communities of color.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey opened their investigation into OceanFirst’s lending practices after receiving a referral from the bank’s regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. OceanFirst cooperated with the investigation and worked with the Justice Department and HUD to resolve the redlining allegations.
Information about the Justice Department’s fair lending enforcement work can be found at www.justice.gov/fairhousing. Individuals may report lending discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s housing discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291 or submitting a report online. Information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s civil rights enforcement may be found at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement. Individuals in the District of New Jersey may also report civil rights violations here or by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Indiana County Following Allegations the County Illegally Denied Zoning Approval for Islamic Seminary and Residential HousingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Hendricks County (the County), Indiana, to settle allegations that the County violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by twice unlawfully denying zoning approval to Al Hussnain Inc., an Islamic educational organization, seeking to develop a religious seminary, school and residential housing in Hendricks County.
“Animus directed towards the Muslim community masked under the guise of an ordinary zoning restrictions violates the law and runs contrary to the principles of fairness and tolerance that are core in our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “Federal law prohibits local governments from making zoning decisions about housing or religious land use on the basis of the religion of the developer or those whom they perceive might live at or worship at the development. The Justice Department will use its authority to stop discriminatory anti-Islamic conduct and hold local governments accountable.”
“Discrimination on the basis of religion has no place in the Crossroads of America,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “This office will steadfastly defend the right of all persons to enjoy housing free from discrimination. This complaint and consent decree demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that people of all faiths are not discriminated against by unlawful local government actions.”
The proposed consent decree, which was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and must still be approved by the court, resolves a lawsuit the United States also filed today. The complaint alleges that the County, facing significant community animus and opposition, denied Al Hussnain’s rezoning applications to develop a mixed-use community containing a residential neighborhood, community center, K-12 religious school, Islamic seminary and dormitories for seminary students at two different locations in the County, citing concerns that lacked a legitimate basis.
The complaint further alleges that Hendricks County repeatedly departed from its own zoning ordinances as well as the county’s processes and procedures for reviewing zoning applications and treated Al Hussnain’s application worse than similar applications brought by non-Muslim developers. The complaint alleges that the County engaged in a pattern or practice of unlawful discrimination and denied rights to a group of persons because of religion in violation of the FHA and imposed a substantial burden on the Islamic organization’s religious exercise, treated the organization on less than equal terms with nonreligious assemblies or institutions and discriminated against the organization on the basis of religion in violation of RLUIPA.
The consent decree requires Hendricks County to pay monetary damages of $295,000 to Al Hussnain, Inc., a civil penalty of $5,000 to the United States, adopt Fair Housing and Religious Land Use policies, train its officials and employees on the requirements of RLUIPA and the FHA, and establish a procedure for receiving and resolving RLUIPA and FHA complaints.
The FHA prohibits discrimination by direct providers of housing, such as landlords and real estate companies as well as other entities, such as municipalities, banks or other lending institutions and homeowners’ insurance companies whose discriminatory practices make housing unavailable to persons because of race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability. More information about the FHA can be found here.
RLUIPA is a federal law that protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Unit at USAINS-CivilRights@usdoj.gov or the Civil Rights Division Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (800) 896-7743, or through the complaint portal on the Place to Worship Initiative website.
Justice Department Secures Agreement to Resolve Allegations That Former Burlingame Landlord Discriminated Against Family with Two Young ChildrenRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The Justice Department announced that it reached a settlement with a former Bay Area landlord to resolve allegations that she discriminated against a couple and their two minor children based on their familial status, in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Under a consent order that was approved today by the Honorable Maxine M. Chesney, U.S. District Judge, Melinda Bautista Teruel is required to pay $137,500 to the couple.
Teruel sold the Burlingame property after the family’s tenancy. The consent order also requires that, if Teruel acquires another residential rental property over the next three years, she must undergo training on FHA compliance, develop and implement a nondiscrimination policy and complaint procedure, hire a property manager, and submit regular reports concerning her compliance with the order.
“Housing providers must always comply with federal civil rights laws. They cannot discriminate based on national origin, race, or other protected characteristics, including familial status,” said Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California. “This agreement demonstrates our office’s commitment to enforcing the Fair Housing Act and ensuring that all families have access to fair and inclusive housing.”
“The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) applauds today’s action and remains committed to working with the Department of Justice to enforce our nation’s fair housing laws,” said Diane M. Shelley, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “We will continue to work with our partners in protecting against harassment and discrimination of families with children.”
Filed on July 17, 2023, the Department’s lawsuit alleges that Teruel managed a two-story, seven-unit apartment complex in Burlingame in which the family resided from 2017 to 2020. According to the complaint, when Teruel learned the couple was expecting their first child, she told them that a one-bedroom apartment is not for families; and when she learned they were expecting their second child, she threatened to evict the family. The lawsuit alleges that Teruel told the couple that families cause more wear and tear and repeatedly pressured them to move from their one-bedroom unit into a larger apartment. The lawsuit also alleges that Teruel falsely claimed damage to the unit after the couple told Teruel that discrimination against families is illegal and that the family vacated the unit because of Teruel’s continuing pressure.
After vacating the apartment, the couple filed a complaint with HUD. Based on its investigation, HUD determined that Teruel violated the FHA by discriminating based on familial status and issued a charge of discrimination. HUD then referred the matter to the Justice Department when the couple chose to have the matter decided in federal court. The matter was handled jointly by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVito and Kelsey Helland for the Northern District of California and the Civil Rights Division.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status (includes making housing unavailable to families with children, making discriminatory statements about them, and harassing tenants because they are pregnant or have young children). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report harassment or other forms of housing discrimination to the department by calling 1-833-591-0291, emailing fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or submitting a report online at civilrights.justice.gov. Individuals may also report such discrimination to HUD by calling 1-800-669-9777 or filing a complaint online at www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/online-complaint.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the Owner and Operator of the Vessel That Destroyed the Francis Scott Key BridgeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Earlier today, the Justice Department filed a civil claim in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the Singaporean corporations that owned and operated the container ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
In the early morning hours of March 26, the Motor Vessel DALI left the Port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka. While navigating through the Fort McHenry Channel, the vessel lost power, regained power, and then lost power again before striking the bridge. The bridge collapsed and plunged into the water below, tragically killing six people. In addition to this heartbreaking loss of life, the wreck of the DALI and the remnants of the bridge obstructed the navigable channel and brought all shipping into and out of the Port of Baltimore to a standstill. The loss of the bridge also severed a critical highway in our transportation infrastructure and a key artery for local commuters.
The suit seeks to recover over $100 million in costs the United States incurred in responding to the fatal disaster and for clearing the entangled wreck and bridge debris from the navigable channel so the port could reopen.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which resulted in the tragic deaths of six people and disrupted our country’s transportation and defense infrastructure,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “With this civil claim, the Justice Department is working to ensure that the costs of clearing the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore are borne by the companies that caused the crash, not by the American taxpayer.”
The United States led the response efforts of dozens of federal, state, and local agencies to remove about 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the channel and from the DALI itself. While these removal operations were underway, the claim alleges that the United States also cleared a series of temporary channels to start relieving the bottleneck at the port and mitigate some of the economic devastation caused by the DALI. The Fort McHenry Channel was cleared by June 10, and the Port of Baltimore was once again open for commercial navigation.
“The owner and operator of the DALI were well aware of vibration issues on the vessel that could cause a power outage. But instead of taking necessary precautions, they did the opposite,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Out of negligence, mismanagement, and, at times, a desire to cut costs, they configured the ship’s electrical and mechanical systems in a way that prevented those systems from being able to quickly restore propulsion and steering after a power outage. As a result, when the DALI lost power, a cascading set of failures led to disaster.”
Indeed, the lawsuit specifically asserts that none of the four means that should have been available to help steer the DALI — the propeller, rudder, anchor, or bow thruster — worked when they were needed to avert or even mitigate this disaster.
“In so many ways, the Key Bridge has symbolized the resilience of both the State of Maryland and our Nation. In a very real way, the Key Bridge was a pathway to the American Dream. A part of our culture is gone,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “Those responsible for the Key Bridge collapse will be held accountable.”
“This was an entirely avoidable catastrophe, resulting from a series of eminently foreseeable errors made by the owner and operator of the DALI. The suit seeks to recover the costs incurred by the United States in responding to this disaster, which include removing the bridge parts from the channel and those parts that were entangled with the vessel, as well as abating the substantial risk of oil pollution,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division.
The Justice Department’s claim also seeks punitive damages to deter the owner and operator of the DALI and others. During a press call announcing the Justice Department’s actions, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Chetan Patil explained, “This accident happened because of the careless and grossly negligent decisions made by Grace Ocean and Synergy, who recklessly chose to send an unseaworthy vessel to navigate a critical waterway and ignored the risks to American lives and the nation’s infrastructure.”
The Department’s claim is part of a legal action the owner and operator of the DALI initiated shortly after the tragedy, in which they seek exoneration or limitation of their liability to approximately $44 million.
“Wholly preventable failures by the owner and operator of the DALI caused this tragic incident that cost six bridge construction workers their lives and closed one of the largest ports on the East Coast,” said Rear Admiral Laura M. Dickey, Deputy for Operations Capability and Policy, U.S. Coast Guard. “The Coast Guard quickly responded by establishing a Unified Command with federal, state, and local stakeholders to rapidly open alternative channels and restore the Port of Baltimore to full operations in just over two months. We stand ready to support the Department of Justice to ensure that those responsible for this tragedy pay the costs of reopening the Port.”The claim on behalf of the United States does not include any damages for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The State of Maryland built, owned, maintained, and operated the bridge, and attorneys on the State’s behalf may file their own claim for those damages. Subsequently, pursuant to the governing regulation, funds recovered by the State of Maryland for reconstruction of the bridge will be used to reduce the project costs paid by federal taxpayer dollars.
The United States is represented in the filed action by attorneys from the Civil Division’s Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation section and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division.The claims alleged by the United States are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Owner and Operator of the Vessel that Destroyed the Francis Scott Key BridgeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil claim today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the Singaporean corporations that owned and operated the container ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
In the early morning hours of March 26, the Motor Vessel DALI left the Port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka. While navigating through the Fort McHenry Channel, the vessel lost power, regained power, and then lost power again before striking the bridge. The bridge collapsed and plunged into the water below, tragically killing six people. In addition to this heartbreaking loss of life, the wreck of the DALI and the remnants of the bridge obstructed the navigable channel and brought all shipping into and out of the Port of Baltimore to a standstill. The loss of the bridge also severed a critical highway in our transportation infrastructure and a key artery for local commuters.
The suit seeks to recover over $100 million in costs the United States incurred in responding to the fatal disaster and for clearing the entangled wreck and bridge debris from the navigable channel so the port could reopen.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which resulted in the tragic deaths of six people and disrupted our country’s transportation and defense infrastructure,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “With this civil claim, the Justice Department is working to ensure that the costs of clearing the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore are borne by the companies that caused the crash, not by the American taxpayer.”
The United States led the response efforts of dozens of federal, state, and local agencies to remove about 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the channel and from the DALI itself. While these removal operations were underway, the claim alleges that the United States also cleared a series of temporary channels to start relieving the bottleneck at the port and mitigate some of the economic devastation caused by the DALI. The Fort McHenry Channel was cleared by June 10, and the Port of Baltimore was once again open for commercial navigation.
“The owner and operator of the DALI were well aware of vibration issues on the vessel that could cause a power outage. But instead of taking necessary precautions, they did the opposite,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Out of negligence, mismanagement, and, at times, a desire to cut costs, they configured the ship’s electrical and mechanical systems in a way that prevented those systems from being able to quickly restore propulsion and steering after a power outage. As a result, when the DALI lost power, a cascading set of failures led to disaster.”
Indeed, the lawsuit specifically asserts that none of the four means that should have been available to help steer the DALI — the propeller, rudder, anchor, or bow thruster — worked when they were needed to avert or even mitigate this disaster.
“This was an entirely avoidable catastrophe, resulting from a series of eminently foreseeable errors made by the owner and operator of the DALI,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. "The suit seeks to recover the costs incurred by the United States in responding to this disaster, which include removing the bridge parts from the channel and those parts that were entangled with the vessel, as well as abating the substantial risk of oil pollution.”
“In so many ways, the Key Bridge has symbolized the resilience of both the State of Maryland and our Nation. In a very real way, the Key Bridge was a pathway to the American Dream. A part of our culture is gone,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Those responsible for the Key Bridge collapse will be held accountable.”
The Justice Department’s claim also seeks punitive damages to deter the owner and operator of the DALI and others. During a press call announcing the Justice Department’s actions, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Chetan Patil of the Civil Division explained, “This accident happened because of the careless and grossly negligent decisions made by Grace Ocean and Synergy, who recklessly chose to send an unseaworthy vessel to navigate a critical waterway and ignored the risks to American lives and the nation’s infrastructure.”
The Department’s claim is part of a legal action the owner and operator of the DALI initiated shortly after the tragedy, in which they seek exoneration or limitation of their liability to approximately $44 million.
“Wholly preventable failures by the owner and operator of the DALI caused this tragic incident that cost six bridge construction workers their lives and closed one of the largest ports on the East Coast,” said Rear Admiral Laura M. Dickey, Deputy for Operations Capability and Policy of the U.S. Coast Guard. “The Coast Guard quickly responded by establishing a Unified Command with federal, state, and local stakeholders to rapidly open alternative channels and restore the Port of Baltimore to full operations in just over two months. We stand ready to support the Justice Department to ensure that those responsible for this tragedy pay the costs of reopening the Port.”
The claim on behalf of the United States does not include any damages for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The State of Maryland built, owned, maintained, and operated the bridge, and attorneys on the State’s behalf may file their own claim for those damages. Subsequently, pursuant to the governing regulation, funds recovered by the State of Maryland for reconstruction of the bridge will be used to reduce the project costs paid by federal taxpayer dollars.
The United States is represented in the filed action by attorneys from the Civil Division’s Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation Section and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division.
The claims alleged by the United States are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Complaint
Jury Convicts Two Men of Violent KidnappingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man who earlier pleaded guilty in a separate kidnapping case has been convicted at trial by a federal jury, along with his accomplice, of kidnapping a woman who was rescued from her attacker at a Neosho, Mo., hotel room.
Freddie Lewis Tilton, 51, of Joplin, Mo., and Alvin Dale Boyer, 39, of Rogers, Arkansas, were found guilty on Tuesday, September 17, of one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of kidnapping. Tilton was also convicted of one count of stalking. This is Tilton’s second conviction in a federal kidnapping case.
Evidence introduced during the trial demonstrated that Tilton and Boyer conspired on July 18 and 19, 2020, to kidnap the victim, identified in court documents as “S.T.”
An employee at Boonslick Lodge in Neosho called police at approximately 11:46 p.m. on July 19, 2020, to report that a woman was being choked and dragged into a room. A police officer knocked on the door of the room, and S.T., bloody and injured, opened the door, and ran out of the room. Tilton had jumped out the back window and escaped.
Boyer rented a room at the motel and invited S.T. to the motel to spend time with him. Unknown to S.T., Boyer had rented the motel room for Tilton and Tilton was waiting in the room for her. S.T. had separated from Tilton and had an ex parte order of protection against him. When S.T. entered the room, she was assaulted by Tilton. S.T. was observed on video surveillance struggling to get out of the room, but she was dragged back in by Tilton. Tilton struck S.T. repeatedly with a firearm and his fist. Tilton attempted to shoot S.T., but the gun jammed. S.T. was assaulted inside the room by Tilton for over eight minutes before law enforcement arrived.
Tilton escaped out of a window inside the motel room with a handgun. Tilton attempted to climb down a vertical rain gutter, but fell to the ground as the guttering broke then ran away.
Officers searched the motel room and found numerous indications that a violent, physical assault had taken place inside the room. In addition to blood on the room floor and door, officers found a chair with rope and zip ties attached, more nylon rope and zip ties, duct tape, a pair of pliers, a blowtorch and lighter fluid, a butane torch, drop cloths, plastic gloves, a Taurus 9mm handgun, and a Kimber .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle.
S.T. was transported to a hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for one hour and 32 minutes before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 16.
Under federal statutes, Tilton and Boyer each are subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ami Harshad Miller and Anthony Brown. It was investigated by the FBI and the Neosho, Mo., Police Department.
USA v. Tilton, et al
In addition to today’s trial conviction, Tilton has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing for his role in a kidnapping just a few days earlier, which resulted in the torture and death of the victim, and for illegally possessing firearms.
Four co-defendants pleaded guilty in that case and have been sentenced. Amy Kay Thomas, 41, of Webb City, Mo., was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole. James B. Gibson, also known as “Gibby,” 42, of Neosho, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison without parole. Russell Eugene Hurtt, also known as “Uncle,” 52, of Greenwood, Mo., was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole. Lawrence William Vaughan, also known as “Scary Larry,” 53, of Neosho, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
Additionally, Carla Jo Ward, 50, of Joplin, pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 3, 2024.
Tilton admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to kidnap the victim, identified as “M.H.,” in July 2020. Tilton offered Ward and Vaughan $5,000 each to locate and secure M.H. for him. Ward picked up M.H., whom she knew was being sought by Tilton, and took him to Vaughan’s residence.
Tilton, Thomas, and Gibson arrived at Vaughan’s residence in the early morning hours of July 15, 2020. They bound M.H.’s hands with handcuffs, and duct tape was placed around his mouth and other parts of his body. Gibson, Thomas, and others assaulted M.H. for a period of time. M.H. was cut, beaten, and shot at. Gibson burned M.H. with a blowtorch. Tilton fatally shot M.H. in the head. Thomas and others cleaned up the blood and damage created during the assault and shooting of M.H. They wrapped M.H.’s body in plastic wrap and Thomas, Tilton, and Gibson transported it to Hurtt’s property.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hurtt’s property on July 28, 2020, based on information that a deceased body was located on the acreage. When officers attempted to contact the occupants of the residence, Tilton fired multiple shots from inside the residence at the officers. Tilton was apprehended.
Officers found M.H.’s body on the property. Officers searched the residence and found a Rigarmi .25-caliber pistol, an Ithaca .22-caliber rifle, a Remington .22-caliber rifle without a serial number, a Harrington and Richardson 12-gauge shotgun, a Ruger 9mm handgun, and a Taurus 9mm handgun without a serial number.
Jury Convicts Former Marine in Sextortion Scheme Targeting Minors, Faces up to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a former Marine stationed at Cherry Point Air Station on five counts of production of child pornography, four counts of online exploitation of a minor, one count of possession of child pornography including a victim under 12, and two counts of extortion. Anthony Joseph Fritzinger, age 25, faces up to life in prison when sentenced.
“Criminals like Fritzinger actively target kids on social media to coerce them into sending explicit images, which they then use to intimidate, control, and extort their victims. This former Marine now faces up to life in prison for his scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We cracked this case because one victim had the courage to come forward, which led other brave victims to share their stories. This case is a warning to predators and wakeup call for parents. Closely monitor your kids’ social media accounts and talk to them about the dangers of strangers online who may pretend to be a friend.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Fritzinger tried to extort an eighteen-year-old online to send him naked pictures by threatening to distribute naked pictures she had sent him when she was a minor. Her family contacted their local police, who referred the case to Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). NCIS discovered Fritzinger’s extensive online activities stalking, soliciting, and extorting minors to obtain sexual images and videos of them.
Fritzinger used teen “dating” websites like Spotafriend and mylol.com to identify and contact potential victims, sometimes posing as a teenage girl. Then he began online “relationships” with victims, including on Snapchat and Instagram, in which he encouraged children to send him sexually explicit images and videos. Fritzinger taught his victims to engage in a dominant/submissive relationship in which he exerted total control over them and required them to perform sadistic, sexual punishments. He manipulated and coerced victims to continue sending images, including falsely claiming to be dying and exploiting their immaturity and personal histories. Then he extorted several victims, threatening to expose their images to their friends and family if they did not send more.
Evidence recovered in the case from Fritzinger’s cell phone, laptop, social media accounts, and Dropbox account including hundreds of screenshots of apparent minors’ social media profiles, hundreds of sexually explicit chat messages enticing minors to produce child pornography, hundreds of images and videos of the victims, and other images and videos of child pornography, including depicting victims under 12 years old.
“Anthony Fritzinger deserves to be held accountable for the predatory crimes he has committed against children, who are the most vulnerable members of our society. Such behavior has no place in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly Parrish of the NCIS Carolinas Field Office. “This conviction demonstrates the unwavering commitment of NCIS, our investigative partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to conducting thorough investigations and working aggressively to bring to justice those who threaten the safety of our communities.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. The NCIS are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Blondel and Jake Pugh are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.4:20-CR-00081.
Hendricks County Agrees to Change Policies and Pay $300,000 Following Justice Department Allegations the County Illegally Denied Zoning Approval for Islamic Seminary and Residential HousingRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Hendricks County Indiana, has agreed to implement new policies and training, to pay $295,000 in compensation to an Islamic educational organization, and to pay a $5,000 fine to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit alleging that the County violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by twice unlawfully denying zoning approval to Al Hussnain Inc., when it sought to develop a religious seminary, school, and residential housing in Hendricks County.
“Animus directed towards the Muslim community masked under the guise of an ordinary zoning restrictions violates the law and runs contrary to the principles of fairness and tolerance that are core in our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “Federal law prohibits local governments from making zoning decisions about housing or religious land use on the basis of the religion of the developer or those whom they perceive might live at or worship at the development. The Department of Justice will use its authority to stop discriminatory anti-Islamic conduct and hold local governments accountable.”
“Discrimination on the basis of religion has no place in the Crossroads of America,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “This office will steadfastly defend the right of all persons to enjoy housing free from discrimination. This complaint and consent decree demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to ensuring that people of all faiths are not discriminated against by unlawful local government actions.”
The proposed consent decree, which was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and must still be approved by the court, resolves a lawsuit the United States also filed today. The complaint alleges that the County, facing significant community animus and opposition, denied Al Hussnain’s rezoning applications to develop a mixed-use community containing a residential neighborhood, community center, K-12 religious school, Islamic seminary and dormitories for seminary students at two different locations in the County, citing concerns that lacked a legitimate basis.
The complaint further alleges that Hendricks County repeatedly departed from its own zoning ordinances as well as the county’s processes and procedures for reviewing zoning applications and treated Al Hussnain’s application worse than similar applications brought by non-Muslim developers. The complaint alleges that the County engaged in a pattern or practice of unlawful discrimination and denied rights to a group of persons because of religion in violation of the FHA and imposed a substantial burden on the Islamic organization’s religious exercise, treated the organization on less than equal terms with nonreligious assemblies or institutions and discriminated against the organization on the basis of religion in violation of RLUIPA.
The consent decree requires Hendricks County to pay monetary damages of $295,000 to Al Hussnain, Inc., a civil penalty of $5,000 to the United States, adopt Fair Housing and Religious Land Use policies, train its officials and employees on the requirements of RLUIPA and the FHA, and establish a procedure for receiving and resolving RLUIPA and FHA complaints.
The FHA prohibits discrimination by direct providers of housing, such as landlords and real estate companies as well as other entities, such as municipalities, banks or other lending institutions and homeowners’ insurance companies whose discriminatory practices make housing unavailable to persons because of race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability. More information about the FHA can be found here.
RLUIPA is a federal law that protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Unit at USAINS-CivilRights@usdoj.gov or the Civil Rights Division Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (800) 896-7743, or through the online form on Southern District of Indiana Civil Rights webpage.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Preston and Joi Kamper, along with attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, who are handling this case.
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Hartford Man Admits Robbing Victims Who Advertised Goods on Internet MarketplacesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JALEN LASALLE, 20, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to a series of gunpoint robberies targeting individual sellers of luxury goods over online marketplaces.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF, the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Departments investigated a series of gunpoint robberies of individuals who advertised items for sale on internet marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. At an arranged meeting place to sell their items, which included cell phones and luxury sneakers and accessories, the purported purchaser would brandish a firearm, force the victim to hand over the luxury goods, and flee. The investigation revealed that Lasalle and John Villegas, also known as “Kirby,” committed five armed robberies in Hartford in late August and early September 2022. Villegas, with Valerie Meneses, also committed an armed robbery in August 2022 in Middletown.
Lasalle was arrested on February 3, 2023.
Lasalle pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years on each count.
Lasalle is released on a $50,000 pending sentencing, which is scheduled for January 7.
Villegas and Meneses, both of Hartford, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Villegas has been detained since his arrest on December 14, 2022, and Meneses is released on bond.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and A. Reed Durham.
U.S. Attorney Avery encouraged those who sell and purchase items online, and need to meet an individual in person to complete the sale, to use a visible, monitored location. Contact your local police department to see if it offers a monitored meeting location, or search online for a nearby monitored location.
Guilty Verdict Returned in 2022 Murder at East River ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darius Anderson, 23, of Washington, DC, has been found guilty by a jury today, of first-degree murder while armed for 2022 killing of 30-year-old Israel Mattocks, in in the 3900 block of Minnesota Ave, NE., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Anderson was found guilty by a jury on September 18, 2024, following a one-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of one count of first-degree murder while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Marisa Demeo scheduled sentencing for December 13, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:00 a.m. on June 15, 2022, the victim, Mr. Mattocks, a shoe reseller, asked the defendant for help purchasing shoes from Shoe City located at the East River Park Shopping Mall. After the defendant failed to purchase the shoes for Mr. Mattocks, the two had a brief conversation and parted ways. A short time later, the two met again in another nearby local shoe store, DownTown Locker Room. Mr. Mattocks and the defendant had a brief argument. Afterwards, Mr. Mattocks left the store with another individual to return to Shoe City to buy the shoes the defendant failed to purchase. In the meantime, defendant Anderson walked home, dropped off his purchase from the DownTown Locker Room, and returned to the Shoe City. When the victim and the other individual walked out of the Shoe City, Anderson, was waiting, standing to the right entrance of the store, and fired numerous shots at Mr. Mattocks. Mr. Mattocks was shot at least six times – sustaining injuries to his left and right arms, his right chest, and his neck. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
In announcing this verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ariel Dean and Stephanie Dinan.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Juan Dionicio Romero-Mendez (23, Guatemala) to 18 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an alien illegally and unlawfully present in the United States. Romero-Mendez entered a guilty plea on June 10, 2024.
According to court documents, Romero-Mendez is a citizen of Guatemala. In January 2024, he was involved in a traffic collision in Marion County. During the subsequent investigation of the traffic collision, Romero-Mendez was found to be in possession of a Chiappa Firearms pistol. As Romero-Mendez is not legally or lawfully in the United States, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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.
Guatemalan National Arrested for Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Reagan Morales Roblero (37, Guatemala) on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Morales Roblero faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Morales Roblero is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.
According to court documents, in July 2024, an undercover (UC) special agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) posed online as a 13-year-old girl. The UC received a message from Morales Roblero, who then engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the UC throughout July and August. On September 5, 2024, Morales Roblero told the UC that he would be in Ocala. Despite the UC describing that she was only 13 years old, Morales Roblero sent her sexually explicit videos and discussed meeting her at a local motel because he wanted to “make love tonight.” Ultimately, Morales Roblero was taken into custody by law enforcement in the lobby of the Marion County motel.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Grand Rapids Man Who Shot Multiple Victims Sentenced to 130 Months in Federal Prison for Being Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Craig E. Hunnicutt Jr., 43, of Grand Rapids, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition as a convicted felon.
“The gun violence epidemic is inflicting grave harm on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “As a convicted felon, Mr. Hunnicutt Jr. was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. His brazen actions of firing a gun and shooting several victims in the parking lot of a convenience store put the public at great risk of harm. As we did here, my Office will continue to focus our limited federal resources on those few individuals driving violence in our communities.”
In August 2023, the Grand Rapids Police Department responded to a shooting at a convenience store parking lot where four people had been shot. Investigators made contact with one victim who needed emergency medical care due to a gunshot wound to his leg. Two additional victims were also transported to the hospital to receive emergency medical care for gunshot wounds.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage which shows Hunnicutt Jr. walk up to a group of people and open fire with a handgun. Hunnicutt is a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Investigators retrieved five spent casings from the pistol used in the shooting and a witness also identified Hunnicutt Jr. as the shooter.
At the time of the shooting, Hunnicutt Jr. was under federal supervision after having been released from a 17-year sentence for possessing cocaine base and a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
“Craig Hunnicutt Jr. is a repeat habitual felon prohibited from possessing firearms,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “During this incident, Hunnicutt Jr. illegally possessed a firearm and shot four people in our community. Michiganders deserve better and demand more from our community members. Rest assured: Mr. Hunnicutt Jr. will have a lot of time to redeem himself for his reprehensible conduct. Simply put, Michigan is safer with Mr. Hunnicutt Jr. off our streets and behind bars.”
The Grand Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Metoxen and Steve Baker prosecuted the case.
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Glendale Woman Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting TSA Agent at Sky Harbor AirportRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ma’Kiah Cherae Coleman, 20, of Glendale, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to four months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for assaulting a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Coleman pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer Inflicting Bodily Injury on April 23, 2024.
On April 25, 2023, Coleman assaulted a TSA agent at Sky Harbor Airport by grabbing the agent’s hair, forcing the agent’s head down against a baggage screening area table, and punching the agent in the head several times with a closed fist. Coleman had to be restrained by several other TSA agents.
In addition to being sentenced to prison, Coleman is banned from traveling by commercial aircraft during the three-year term of her court supervision.
TSA officers are federal employees who work for the Department of Homeland Security to protect the nation's transportation systems. Their primary role is to screen passengers, baggage, and cargo for terrorism threats. Coleman’s actions resulted in the temporary closure of a Sky Harbor Airport Security Checkpoint while law enforcement responded.
The Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00780-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-124_Coleman# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Georgia Man Charged with Defrauding His Former Employer Williams Sonoma Out of More Than $10 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Ben Thomas III today with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering for defrauding his former employer, San Francisco-based Williams Sonoma, Inc. (WSI), announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley.
According to the indictment, Thomas, 48, of Georgia, is alleged to have registered a fictitious temporary staffing company, Empire Logistics Services (Empire), that billed WSI more than $10 million for work that Empire never performed. Further, Thomas hid from WSI the fact that he founded and controlled Empire and billed WSI for Empire’s purported – but never in fact performed – services. According to the indictment, Thomas spent the proceeds of the scheme on, among other personal items, a yacht, automobiles, tickets to professional sporting events, pet cloning, a 12,000-square-foot home, and professional landscaping services for the home.
“The defendant is charged with enriching himself by cheating his employer, a publicly traded company. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to rooting out fraud in this District and to ensuring that those who abuse positions of trust and authority are held accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey.
According to the indictment, from 2016 to 2023, Thomas worked as the general manager of the WSI hub and distribution facility in Braselton, Georgia. In that role, Thomas had the authority to hire temporary staffing vendors and approve payments up to $50,000 to vendors. As a WSI general manager, Thomas was prohibited from self-dealing and from billing WSI for work from a company affiliated with him. The indictment alleges that Thomas concealed from WSI the fact that he owned and controlled Empire, and that he was billing WSI via Empire for work never performed. Between 2017 and 2023, Thomas fraudulently submitted hundreds of Empire invoices to WSI, each for less than Thomas’s $50,000 approval limit. Thomas then approved WSI payment on the invoices, and Thomas caused WSI to make approximately 335 payments over six years totaling more than $10 million in a bank account Thomas controlled.
Thomas is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco on Oct. 1, 2024, before the Honorable Peter H. Kang, U.S. Magistrate Judge.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud) and 10 years imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957 (money laundering). However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christiaan Highsmith is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.
Fort Pierce Man Pleads Guilty to Producing a Video of the Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Sept. 13, Blaine Korbin Hulten, 23, pled guilty to production of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
According to the court record, Hulten, of Fort Pierce, Fla., had sex with a 13-year-old minor and a 16-year-old minor, and recorded the sex act with the 16-year-old victim. Social media records contained Hulten’s conversations with both minor victims, as well as evidence that Hulten was aware they were under the age of 18. Hulten distributed the recording of his 16-year-old victim using a social media platform.
Hulten is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18, before U. S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg. Hulten faces up to 30 years in federal prison, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and William D. Snyder, Martin County Sheriff, made the announcement.
HSI Fort Pierce and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock is prosecuting it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If you have information regarding the sexual exploitation of a minor, please contact the HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case no. 22-cr-14027.
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Former U.S. Government Employee Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sex OffensesRead the Press Release
A former U.S. government employee was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for drugging and sexually abusing numerous women in multiple countries, including photographing and video recording more than two dozen nude and partially nude women without their consent while they were unconscious or incapable of consenting.
According to court documents, Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 48, of La Mesa, California, was employed by the U.S. government. His last assignment was in Mexico City. There, he drugged and sexually assaulted several women in his U.S. government-leased housing. Additionally, between 2006 and 2020, in Mexico City and elsewhere, Raymond drugged and then photographed or video recorded 28 victims while they were nude or partially nude, and also admitted to drugging two others. Many of the recordings show Raymond touching and manipulating the victims’ bodies while they were unconscious and incapable of consent. Raymond deleted or attempted to delete explicit photographs and videos depicting the victims after learning about the criminal investigation.
“Brian Raymond sexually exploited dozens of women over the course of 14 years, including while he served abroad as a U.S. government employee,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentence underscores the Criminal Division’s commitment to prosecuting sexual abuse in violation of federal law — no matter where those violations occur or who commits them. We are grateful for the valuable partnership we have with the Mexican government and will continue to work with our domestic and international partners to pursue justice for victims of sexual exploitation.”
“When this predator was a government employee, he lured unsuspecting women to his government-leased housing and drugged them,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “After drugging these women, he stripped, sexually abused, and photographed them. Today’s sentence ensures that the defendant will be properly marked as a sex offender for life, and he will spend a substantial portion of the rest of his life behind bars.”
“This case demonstrates the strong commitment of the Diplomatic Security Service to work with our law enforcement partners here and abroad to investigate public servants in positions of trust who commit sexual assault anywhere in the world,” said Director Carlos F. Matus of the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). “It is a good example of how DSS’s global presence enables our agency to serve as a bridge between U.S. and foreign law enforcement counterparts to assist in bringing those who commit such heinous crimes to justice.”
“For 14 years, Raymond exploited his trusted position as a U.S. government representative to lure women into his confidence,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “He then drugged and sexually assaulted them and took explicit photos and videos of them without their consent. The FBI thanks the brave women who shared information that furthered this investigation. We recognize our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners who helped bring Raymond to justice for his reprehensible crimes.”
In November 2023, Raymond pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse, one count of abusive sexual contact, one count of coercion and enticement, and one count of transporting obscene material. As part of the plea agreement, Raymond admitted to drugging and then engaging in nonconsensual sexual acts with four women and nonconsensual sexual contact with six women. Raymond further admitted to drugging and then creating obscene material depicting 28 women without their knowledge or permission, and drugging another two women.
Raymond was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to pay $260,000 in restitution to the victims. After his release from prison, Raymond will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The DSS Office of Special Investigations, the DSS Computer Investigations and Forensics Division, and the FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division provided valuable assistance. The FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Mexico City also provided especially valuable assistance.
The Justice Department gratefully acknowledges the government of Mexico, including the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), the Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México, and the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE), for its extraordinary efforts, support, and cooperation during the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Angela Buckner and Katharine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen and Paralegal Specialist Vanessa Douglas of HRSP; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Hooks, Jolie Zimmerman, and Janani Iyengar for the District of Columbia; Victim Specialists Yvonne Bryant and Tonya Jones for the District of Columbia’s Victim Witness Unit; and Assistant U.S. Attorney April Russo for the Eastern District of Virginia also provided valuable assistance.
Former U.S. Government Employee Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Multiple Sexual AssaultsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 48, of La Mesa, California, a former U.S. government employee, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 years in prison for drugging and sexually abusing numerous women in multiple countries, including photographing and video recording more than two dozen nude and partially nude women without their consent while they were unconscious or incapable of consenting.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Director Carlos F. Matus of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office.
Raymond pleaded guilty November 7, 2023, to one count each of sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact, coercion and enticement, and transportation of obscene material. As part of the plea agreement, Raymond admitted to drugging and then engaging in nonconsensual sexual acts with four women and nonconsensual sexual contact with six women. Raymond further admitted to drugging and then creating obscene material depicting 28 women without their knowledge or permission and drugging two other women.
“When this predator was a government employee, he lured unsuspecting women to his government-leased housing and drugged them,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “After drugging these women, he stripped, sexually abused, and photographed them. Today’s sentence ensures that the defendant will be properly marked as a sex offender for life, and he will spend a substantial portion of the rest of his life behind bars.”
“Brian Raymond sexually exploited dozens of women over the course of 14 years, including while he served abroad as a U.S. government employee,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Argentieri. “Today’s sentence underscores the Criminal Division’s commitment to prosecuting sexual abuse in violation of federal law—no matter where those violations occur or who commits them. We are grateful for the valuable partnership we have with the Mexican government and will continue to work with our domestic and international partners to pursue justice for victims of sexual exploitation.”
“This case demonstrates the strong commitment of the Diplomatic Security Service to work with our law enforcement partners here and abroad to investigate public servants in positions of trust who commit sexual assault anywhere in the world,” said DSS Director Carlos F. Matus. “It is a good example of how DSS’s global presence enables our agency to serve as a bridge between U.S. and foreign law enforcement counterparts to assist in bringing those who commit such heinous crimes to justice.”
“For 14 years, Raymond exploited his trusted position as a U.S. government representative to lure women into his confidence,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “He then drugged and sexually assaulted them and took explicit photos and videos of them without their consent. The FBI thanks the brave women who shared information that furthered this investigation. We recognize our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners who helped bring Raymond to justice for his reprehensible crimes.”
According to court documents, while Raymond was on assignment in Mexico City, Mexico, he drugged and sexually assaulted several women in his government-leased housing. Additionally, between 2006 and 2020, in Mexico City and elsewhere, Raymond drugged and then photographed or video recorded 25 victims while they were nude or partially nude. Many of the recordings show Raymond touching and manipulating the victim’s bodies while they were unconscious and incapable of consent. Raymond attempted to delete the explicit photographs and videos depicting the victims after learning about the criminal investigation.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Raymond to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to pay $260,000 restitution to the victims. After his release from prison, Raymond will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The DSS Office of Special Investigations, the DSS Computer Investigations and Forensics Division, and FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division provided valuable assistance. The FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Mexico City also provided valuable assistance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department gratefully acknowledges the government of Mexico, including the Fiscalía General de la República, the Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México, and the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, for their extraordinary efforts, support, and cooperation during the investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Angela Buckner and Katharine Wagner of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP). Valuable assistance was provided by Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen and Paralegal Specialist Vanessa Douglas of HRSP, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Hooks, Jolie Zimmerman, and Janani Iyengar for the District of Columbia. Additional assistance was provided by Victim Specialists Yvonne Bryant and Tonya Jones of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Victim Witness Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney April Russo with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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