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13 September 2024
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia to Coordinate with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic Firearm ViolenceRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The United States Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announce its partnerships, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Division and DeKalb County, Georgia, to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders.
“In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 to combat crimes against women associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our close partnerships with law enforcement agencies, local stakeholders, organizations, and others, is critical to combat the scourge of domestic violence to safeguard families and make our communities safer.”
The Department of Justice utilized data to identify DeKalb County and other communities throughout the United States that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources. Our office had previously implemented a domestic violence firearm case referral program with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. In 2018, our offices launched this partnership to identify individuals for federal prosecution who possess a firearm following a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
This referral protocol resulted from the development of an innovative framework, by the District Attorney’s Office, for identifying such cases within their office, involving the input of felony and misdemeanor prosecutors, probation officers, and victim advocates. (See e.g. DeKalb County criminal justice partners set out to save lives with a firearm reduction initiative, https://www.preventdvgunviolence.org/community-spotlight/spotlight-dekalb-county-ga.html.) In September 2019, our partnership was highlighted in a workshop at the Georgia Commission on Family Violence’s Annual Conference. Through this strategic enforcement initiative, we expect to continue to identify and prosecute the most serious perpetrators of domestic violence – including offenders who use and possess firearms, which greatly increases the risk of serious injury or death to the victim.
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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office to Work with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
U.S. Justice Department Designates Baltimore City Under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act, Prioritizing Firearms Prosecutions of Domestic Violence Offenders and U.S. Attorney Pledges to Use the Designation and Additional Resources To Address Intimate Partner Violence Throughout Maryland
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.“The prevalence of intimate partner violence should trouble us all,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron, “We are more motivated than ever to address this problem and will use additional resources to protect victims, not only in Baltimore, but throughout Maryland.”
“We are committed to working with our state and local partners to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office primarily addresses domestic violence as 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. The office is guided by core principles, including 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.
Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
Complete List of Jurisdictions as of September 11, 2024:
Montgomery County, Alabama
Jefferson County, Alabama
Little Rock, Arkansas
Washington County, Arkansas
Fresno, California
San Diego, California
Hartford, Connecticut
Ward 7, District of Columbia
Jacksonville, Florida
Alachua County, Florida
Metro Miami-Dade County, Florida
Macon-Bibb County, Georgia
DeKalb County, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii
Ada County, Idaho
Danville, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Madison County, Illinois
Gary, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Des Moines, Iowa
Linn County, Iowa
Garden City, Kansas
Fayette County, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Western Maine Region: Franklin, Oxford, and Androscoggin Counties, Maine
Baltimore City, Maryland
Boston, Massachusetts
Saginaw, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Greenville, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Greene County, Missouri
Gallatin County and Bozeman, Montana
Northeast Omaha, Nebraska
Las Vegas, Nevada
Strafford County, New Hampshire
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Borough of Brooklyn, New York
Onondaga County, New York
Borough and County of the Bronx, New York
Monroe County, New York
Fayetteville and Cumberland County, North Carolina
Forsyth County, North Carolina
Asheville (including Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), North Carolina
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Toledo, Ohio
Muskogee County, Oklahoma
Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Oklahoma
Portland, Oregon
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Greenville County, South Carol
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota
City of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee
Gregg County, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Houston, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Salt Lake County, Utah
South Hampton Roads (Chesapeake/Norfolk/Portsmouth/Virginia Beach), Virginia
Oswald Harris Court Housing Community, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Chittenden County, Vermont
Spokane County, Washington
King County, Washington
Wheeling Area (Ohio/Brooke/Hancock Counties), West Virginia
Kanawha County, West Virginia
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Dane County, Wisconsin
Fremont County, Wyoming
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Dulce Man with Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man is charged by federal prosecutors with kidnapping, strangulation, and assault against his intimate partner.
The indictment alleges that on April 7 and April 8, 2024, Kayiliab Haines, 33, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, unlawfully kidnapped and held Jane Doe, his intimate partner, and strangled and suffocated her.
The indictment also alleges that on March 23, 2012, Haines assaulted Jane Doe and the assault caused serious bodily injury.
Haines will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
If convicted, Haines faces up to 10 years in prison for the assaults and any term of years up to life in prison for the kidnapping.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
View the IndictmentAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney's Office to Work with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
In the Southern District of Mississippi, Jackson has been designated.
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.
“Domestic violence offenders are dangerous persons whose access to firearms can lead to tragic consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi. “We look forward to working with our law enforcement partners in the Jackson area to prosecute these offenders when they have illegal access to firearms, such as after any felony conviction or a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.”
Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
U.S. Attorney's Office and IRS Announce Sentencing of Albuquerque Man for Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 40 months in prison for devising and operating a tax evasion scheme and ordered to pay over $5.5 million in restitution.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, in January 2005, David Wellington and Stacy Underwood founded National Business Services, LLC in New Mexico, specializing in creating LLCs for clients seeking to "beat the IRS" by evading taxes. Wellington focused on marketing and client development, while Underwood managed corporate filings and bank accounts.
The company obtained Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) for clients and opened bank accounts under Underwood's sole signature authority. From 2005 to 2015, they created 192 LLCs and opened 114 bank accounts, with approximately $41.7 million deposited into accounts under Underwood’s control, representing concealed income.
One notable client, Jerry Shrock, had three LLCs formed by National Business Services while undergoing an IRS audit. Despite the audit, Shrock transferred his home into one of the LLCs to shield it from the government. Between 2011 and 2015, he deposited nearly $4.9 million into a bank account opened for one of his LLCs, concealing over $4.3 million in income without ever filing tax returns.
Stacy Underwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Under the terms of her agreement, Underwood faces up to 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release.
Jerry Shrock pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and was sentenced to 5 years’ probation and ordered to pay $1,542,769.70 in taxes, interest, and penalties.
Upon his release from prison, Wellington will be subject to three years of supervised release and is prohibited from ever running any business advising clients or dealing with the IRS.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Carissa Messick, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, made the announcement today.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney's Office to Work with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s Offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.
The designated communities in the Western District of North Carolina are the City of Asheville and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI).
“Our partnerships with federal, local and Tribal law enforcement, service providers, and organizations that service the designated communities are critical in our efforts to address intimate partner violence and protect survivors,” said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “By joining forces, we can combine and leverage our resources and expertise to combat intimate partner violence. Together, we are committed to strengthening community safety, holding offenders accountable, and ensuring that victims have access to the support they need and protection they deserve.”
“ATF is proud to be part of this collaborative effort aimed at better protecting those affected by domestic violence,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Individuals who have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence are prohibited from possessing a firearm. ATF joins our law enforcement partners in efforts to make sure those individuals no longer pose a danger to their families or communities.”
“Reducing intimate partner violence and seeking justice for its survivors is a top priority for the Asheville Police Department,” said Asheville Police Chief Michael Lamb. “We value our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and appreciate the willingness of the Department of Justice and the ATF to work alongside us in our efforts to reduce and eliminate domestic violence.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina, in partnership with law enforcement, service providers, and community organizations, will continue to strengthen efforts to combat domestic violence through comprehensive training, increased federal prosecutions, and the allocation of federal resources.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office plans to conduct a series of specialized trainings for law enforcement and partner agencies. The goal of the trainings is to enhance the response to domestic violence incidents, improve victim safety, hold perpetrators accountable, and support local agencies that address these crimes and provide vital services to survivors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with state prosecutors, will continue to review cases for potential federal prosecution, focusing on cases that involve individuals with misdemeanor or felony domestic violence convictions, or individuals who are subject to domestic violence restraining orders, that illegally possess firearms or ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will deploy resources through federal grants to continue to support community organizations that combat intimate partner violence and assist victims of violence, survivors, and their families. The federal funding is administered to local organizations to ensure continuity of services, expand access to legal support, and help meet the integral needs and address the unique challenges of victims and survivors of domestic violence.
“Helpmate is pleased to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on this important initiative to address domestic violence. For nearly 50 years, Helpmate has provided shelter, safety, and support for survivors of intimate partner domestic violence. We applaud this initiative to bring increased focus on this issue that impacts thousands of families in our community each year,” said April Burgess-Johnson, Executive Director of Helpmate in Asheville.
According to the Department of Justice, communities were designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
For additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office please visit our website. Contact details and information about our Victim Witness Unit can be found here.
U.S. Attorney's Office to Work with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. Today, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson announced that Muskogee County, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, is included among those designated communities.
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning or possessing firearms.
Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
“We know that a gun in the hands of someone previously involved in intimate partner violence increases the likely deadliness of all future encounters, whether inside or outside of the home, and today’s initiative tackles this problem head-on,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “We are strongest when we partner together toward a common goal. Collaborating with our partners in the ATF and local, state, and Tribal agencies, we will build and implement plans to enhance public safety and protect abuse survivors in Muskogee County and throughout the Eastern District.”
“One of ATFs top priorities has been and will continue to be to reduce domestic violence. When prohibited people and abusers unlawfully possess firearms, the probability of intimate partner homicide increases substantially,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “Far too often, abuse escalates from bruises to bloodshed and tragically, loss of life. Through our partnerships with the Eastern District of Oklahoma U. S. Attorney’s Office and state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, we will continue to dial in and aggressively charge those who commit these heinous crimes that terrorize families, shatter homes, and destroy lives.”
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
U.S. Attorney's Office to Work with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.
In making the announcement, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland explained, “Today, I designated an initial set of 78 communities across the country, with more to follow, where we will surge Department resources to combat firearm violence against intimate partners and children.”
In the Eastern District of Tennessee, the City of Chattanooga was designated.
“The cooperation and partnership between federal and state law enforcement in Chattanooga has always been strong,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee. “Our office supports the Department of Justice’s designation of Chattanooga as a community where federal prosecutors and agents will continue to work beside our local counterparts and community stakeholders to further target the most violent individuals, including violent domestic abusers. In collaboration with our state and local partners, we will continue to hold armed domestic violence offenders accountable.”
“ATF recognizes the role firearms play in violent crimes and, more specifically, domestic violence.” ATF Special Agent in Charge, Marcus Watson stated. “We at ATF are committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and will continue to work with our partners to remove convicted domestic abusers who possess firearms from our communities.”
Locally, the United States Attorney’s Office regularly assists with the prosecution of violent individuals who illegally possess firearms. Federal prosecutors routinely collaborate with Chattanooga-area assistant district attorneys general to evaluate strategies to maximize the effective prosecution of firearms crime in both state and federal court. Prosecutors estimate at least 50 percent of those individuals identified for federal prosecution for these offenses have a previous domestic violence arrest or conviction.
Designated areas across the country include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue to coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
Complete List of Jurisdictions as of September 11, 2024:
Montgomery County, Alabama
Jefferson County, Alabama
Little Rock, Arkansas
Washington County, Arkansas
Fresno, California
San Diego, California
Hartford, Connecticut
Ward 7, District of Columbia
Jacksonville, Florida
Alachua County, Florida
Metro Miami-Dade County, Florida
Macon-Bibb County, Georgia
DeKalb County, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii
Ada County, Idaho
Danville, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Madison County, Illinois
Gary, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Des Moines, Iowa
Linn County, Iowa
Garden City, Kansas
Fayette County, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Western Maine Region: Franklin, Oxford, and Androscoggin Counties, Maine
Baltimore City, Maryland
Boston, Massachusetts
Saginaw, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Greenville, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Greene County, Missouri
Gallatin County and Bozeman, Montana
Northeast Omaha, Nebraska
Las Vegas, Nevada
Strafford County, New Hampshire
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Borough of Brooklyn, New York
Onondaga County, New York
Borough and County of the Bronx, New York
Monroe County, New York
Fayetteville and Cumberland County, North Carolina
Forsyth County, North Carolina
Asheville (including Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), North Carolina
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Toledo, Ohio
Muskogee County, Oklahoma
Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Oklahoma
Portland, Oregon
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Greenville County, South Carolina
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota
City of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee
Gregg County, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Houston, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Salt Lake County, Utah
South Hampton Roads (Chesapeake/Norfolk/Portsmouth/Virginia Beach), Virginia
Oswald Harris Court Housing Community, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Chittenden County, Vermont
Spokane County, Washington
King County, Washington
Wheeling Area (Ohio/Brooke/Hancock Counties), West Virginia
Kanawha County, West Virginia
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Dane County, Wisconsin
Fremont County, Wyoming
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U.S. Attorney and FBI Charge Albuquerque Man with Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was charged by federal prosecutors with sexual abuse of a minor.
The indictment alleges that between January 2022 and May 2023, Joseph Arquero, 50, an enrolled member of Isleta Pueblo, engaged in or attempted to engage in a sexual act with a child that had not yet attained the age of 12 years.
Arquero will remain on conditions of release in the third-party custody of La Pasada Halfway House pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
If convicted, Arquero faces 30 years to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Isleta Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
View the IndictmentAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Secures 11 Year Prison Sentence for Assault of Incapacitated Minor VictimRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for sexually assaulting an unconscious 16-year-old girl and photographing the abuse.
According to court documents, on May 26, 2022, Willard Dedios, 60, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, sexually assaulted the minor victim, who was intoxicated, at his home in Dulce, New Mexico. After the victim lost consciousness, Dedios sexually assaulted her and took explicit photographs of the abuse. The victim briefly regained consciousness during the assault but was unable to stop it before passing out again.
Upon his release from prison, Dedios will be subject to 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander F. Flores and Zachary Jones are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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.
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U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger Announces Creation of Whistleblower Non-Prosecution Pilot ProgramRead the Press Release
Whistleblower Program
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today a new Whistleblower Non-Prosecution Pilot Program designed to proactively root out bribery, fraud, healthcare offenses, civil rights violations, corporate misconduct, and matters affecting the integrity of financial markets.
The program encourages individual participants in certain non-violent offenses to disclose their criminal conduct and provide cooperation against others who were involved. In exchange, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will enter into a non-prosecution agreement where certain specified conditions are met, including the condition that the government was not previously aware of the criminal conduct that is the subject of the disclosure. By providing clarity on the requirements and the benefits of such self-disclosure, the office seeks to incentivize individuals and their counsel to provide actionable and timely information. That will, in turn, help bring more misconduct to light and better protect the citizens of New Jersey.
“We are always looking for new and effective ways to identify and aggressively pursue crime,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “This program sends a clear message that if you’ve helped commit a crime, you should come forward early and fully. If you don’t, someone else will. To get on the right side of the law and take advantage of this program, email us using the instructions on our website.”
DNJ’s Whistleblower Non-Prosecution Pilot Program is for individuals who participated in criminal activity and face criminal liability; it is different from the Department of Justice’s Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program, which is for individuals who did not meaningfully participate in criminal activity that falls within four subject areas, as further detailed at www.justice.gov/CorporateWhistleblower.
As with all internal policies of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this new program provides guidance to prosecutors. Nothing in these policies creates any substantive or procedural rights, privileges, or benefits enforceable in any administrative, civil, or criminal matter by prospective or actual witnesses or parties. It remains at all times the sole discretion of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine whether an individual has satisfied each of the conditions necessary for the office to enter into a non-prosecution agreement in exchange for the individual’s cooperation, and, where the office has determined that any of those conditions are not met, it remains at all times in the sole discretion of the office to determine whether to extend a non-prosecution agreement in exchange for the individual’s cooperation.
dnj.whistleblowerpolicy.pdf dnj.whistleblowerintakeform.pdfU.S. Attorney Lapointe Announces Southern District of Florida Whistleblower Non-Prosecution Pilot ProgramRead the Press Release
Today, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe announced that the Southern District of Florida has launched its own Whistleblower Non-Prosecution Pilot Program (Whistleblower Program). The Whistleblower Program is designed to encourage voluntary self-disclosure by individual participants in certain types of non-violent criminal conduct involving corporations, to include financial crimes, corporate crimes, health care fraud, and public corruption.
In exchange for self-disclosing, fully cooperating with authorities, and paying any applicable victim compensation, restitution, or forfeiture, including returning any ill-gotten gains, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (USAO-SDFL) will enter into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) where certain specified conditions are met. One of those conditions is that the government was not previously aware of the criminal conduct that is the subject of the disclosure. The Whistleblower Program provides transparency regarding the circumstances in which the USAO-SDFL prosecutors will offer NPAs to incentivize individuals (and their counsel) to provide original and actionable information. Incentivizing the disclosure of information will: (i) help law enforcement investigate and prosecute criminal conduct that might otherwise go undetected or be difficult to prove; and (ii) encourage companies to create compliance programs that help prevent, detect, and remediate misconduct.
“By providing clarity on the requirements and the benefits of self-disclosure, the USAO-SDFL seeks to incentivize individuals and their counsel to provide actionable and timely information. Such disclosures will, in turn, help us continue to bring fraud, misconduct and corruption to light and better protect the diverse communities we serve,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We encourage people who qualify for the Whistleblower Program to take advantage of the opportunity to come clean, cooperate, and get on the right side of the law. Our message is clear: contact us before we contact you. Anyone with information can voluntarily self-disclose by emailing USAFLS.WhistleblowerProgram@usdoj.gov.”
This announcement comes on the heels of Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Lisa Monaco’s keynote remarks at the American Bar Association's 39th Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, where she outlined the Justice Department’s approach to corporate criminal enforcement: holding individuals accountable; targeting resources to combat the most serious white-collar criminal conduct; and pursuing tough penalties for repeat corporate offenders. DAG Monaco highlighted the Justice Department’s “carrots and sticks” approach of encouraging companies and individuals to self-report corporate crimes and other financial misconduct and imposing the most significant penalties on those most culpable.
To reinforce these efforts, DAG Monaco announced a new Justice Department Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program, which offers rewards to those who did not meaningfully participate in criminal activity but have information related to one of the following areas: (1) certain crimes involving financial institutions, from traditional banks to cryptocurrency businesses; (2) foreign corruption involving misconduct by companies; (3) domestic corruption involving misconduct by companies; or (4) health care fraud schemes involving private insurance plans. Additional information regarding the Awards Program is available here.
For the Corporate Whistleblower Awards Program, the whistleblower must discover and report financial and corporate misconduct not otherwise known to the government – akin to the successful whistleblower programs operated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). If the information a whistleblower submits results in a successful prosecution that includes criminal or civil forfeiture, the whistleblower may be eligible to receive an award of a percentage of the forfeited assets.
The USAO-SDFL is committed to carrying out the Department’s mission by upholding the rule of law and protecting victims. For individuals who are aware of crimes being committed, to include fraud and public corruption, and want to make a disclosure, the USAO-SDFL is providing them an avenue to recompense their victims in exchange for a possible NPA. This practice will advance the interests of justice, deter misconduct, and provide victim compensation.
The Office’s Whistleblower Program policy is publicly available on the Southern District of Florida website at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
USAO-SDFL Whistleblower Non-Prosecution Pilot Program flyer
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U.s. Attorney’s Offices to Work with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
U.S. Justice Department Designates Communities Under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act, Prioritizing Firearms Prosecutions of Domestic Violence Offenders
MIAMI – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.
Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
Metro Miami-Dade County is the designated jurisdiction in the Southern District of Florida. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to combat violent crime, to include domestic violence.
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
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U.s. Attorney’s Office to Work with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
Oxford, Miss. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi has developed community and law enforcement partnerships to ensure that we use all the tools at our disposal to keep victims safe and ensure that justice is done,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We will leverage all available resources to prioritize the prosecution of domestic violence offenders who unlawfully possess firearms, or whose criminal conduct occurs online or crosses state lines.”
Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
In the Northern District of Mississippi, Greenville, Mississippi was designated as a VAWA site. Greenville has been a Project Safe Neighborhoods site since 2002. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi will work in Greenville and towns across the District to prioritize domestic violence prosecutions.
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
Complete List of Jurisdictions as of September 11, 2024:
Montgomery County, Alabama
Jefferson County, Alabama
Little Rock, Arkansas
Washington County, Arkansas
Fresno, California
San Diego, California
Hartford, Connecticut
Ward 7, District of Columbia
Jacksonville, Florida
Alachua County, Florida
Metro Miami-Dade County, Florida
Macon-Bibb County, Georgia
DeKalb County, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii
Ada County, Idaho
Danville, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Madison County, Illinois
Gary, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Des Moines, Iowa
Linn County, Iowa
Garden City, Kansas
Fayette County, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Western Maine Region: Franklin, Oxford, and Androscoggin Counties, Maine
Baltimore City, Maryland
Boston, Massachusetts
Saginaw, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Greenville, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Greene County, Missouri
Gallatin County and Bozeman, Montana
Northeast Omaha, Nebraska
Las Vegas, Nevada
Strafford County, New Hampshire
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Borough of Brooklyn, New York
Onondaga County, New York
Borough and County of the Bronx, New York
Monroe County, New York
Fayetteville and Cumberland County, North Carolina
Forsyth County, North Carolina
Asheville (including Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), North Carolina
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Toledo, Ohio
Muskogee County, Oklahoma
Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Oklahoma
Portland, Oregon
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Greenville County, South Carolina
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota
City of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee
Gregg County, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Houston, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Salt Lake County, Utah
South Hampton Roads (Chesapeake/Norfolk/Portsmouth/Virginia Beach), Virginia
Oswald Harris Court Housing Community, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Chittenden County, Vermont
Spokane County, Washington
King County, Washington
Wheeling Area (Ohio/Brooke/Hancock Counties), West Virginia
Kanawha County, West Virginia
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Dane County, Wisconsin
Fremont County, WyomingU.s. Attorney’s Office to Work with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell applauded Attorney General Garland as well as the Oglala Sioux Tribe for agreeing to participate in this program. “Intimate partner violence involving guns presents a grave danger to victims trapped in violent relationships. Once domestic violence abusers take to firearms, the threat to their victims increases exponentially. Through this program, we will add new focus and commitment to our federal, tribal, and state investigative and prosecutive response. History has shown that, particularly with this type of crime, law enforcement collaboration and strong community partnerships provide the best means of stemming this violence and punishing those who perpetrate it.”
“We are proud to stand alongside our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office on this focused initiative,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis S. Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “A firearm in the hands of domestic abuser is a very real threat to those trapped in these unfortunate situations. We highly encourage those who may find themselves, or may know of a person, affected by domestic violence where a firearm is involved to reach out to authorities. No one should have to live their life in constant fear, and we’re here to work alongside our law enforcement partners to investigate these cases.”
Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
Two drug traffickers sentenced to lengthy prison terms in case arising from investigation of Aryan Family prison gangRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Two men indicted in March 2023 as part of a drug distribution organization associated with an Aryan prison gang were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for drug and gun crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ronaldo McComb, 59, of Ridgefield, Washington, was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Isaac Cervantes, 32 of Phoenix was sentenced to 9 years in prison. At the sentencing hearing for Cervantes, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “We are talking about massive quantities of controlled substances. This is not some street-level dealer…. The amount of societal harm from these substances is almost immeasurable.” Discussing the firearms involved in the offense, Judge Estudillo said, “these are not small-time firearms, and obviously they’re there to protect the drug trade, and people suffer from the violence involved in this.”
McComb pleaded guilty in June 2024 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and felon in possession of a firearm. McComb acknowledged multiple recorded phone calls with coconspirators in which he discussed his drug trafficking activities involving distributing multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and creating a distribution network of fentanyl pills up to Alaska. He further admitted to possessing large quantities of heroin and a 9mm handgun that law enforcement seized from the trunk of his vehicle following a traffic stop in February 2022. Law enforcement eventually arrested him on March 22, 2023. On that date, authorities found methamphetamine, heroin, three firearms, and large quantities of cash and gold bars in McComb’s Kalama residence. As part of the plea, McComb stipulated to the forfeiture of that cash and gold as proceeds of his drug trafficking. McComb was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his felony convictions for assault and robbery in Clark County and another assault conviction in Cowlitz County.
Cervantes was arrested in Phoenix at the time of the drug takedown. Cervantes assisted the drug traffickers by transporting fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs to Washington from Arizona. He also worked at the stash house where the crew pressed powdered fentanyl into pills.
On July 1, 2021, Cervantes was stopped in Oregon with 50,000 counterfeit M30 Oxycodone pills in a vehicle belonging to one of the leaders of the drug distribution cell. In November and December 2022, Cervantes was associated with the “stash house” in Shelton, Washington, where law enforcement later seized 64 kilograms of fentanyl pills—some 640,000 pills. Also at the stash house they found more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine and a kilogram of fentanyl powder. In addition to the drugs, law enforcement seized two pill presses, 23 firearms, a silencer and more than $81,000 in cash.
Cervantes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in February 2024.
In making their sentencing recommendations, prosecutors pointed out that fentanyl laced pills can be deadly, writing to the court “…first-time users of fentanyl, are sometimes unaware that the counterfeit oxycodone pills they are taking contain fentanyl, their lives are put at risk with every use of these dangerous substances. This has resulted in an unprecedented epidemic of overdose deaths in the United States, and an unrelenting increase in overdose deaths in Washington state…. the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, estimates that, despite a small decrease in overdose deaths nationwide, Washington had an increase in overdose deaths of over 27% in the year ending December 2023.”
The investigation of the drug trafficking ring resulted in the seizure of 245 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 830,000 fentanyl pills and an additional 26 pounds of fentanyl pills and powder, more than six pounds of heroin, 225 firearms and more than $668,000 in cash.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon and Max Shiner.
Two Missouri Felons Sentenced on Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two convicted felons who were caught with firearms and homemade silencers have been sentenced to prison.
U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday sentenced Steven Matthew Dinzebach, 35, of Franklin County, Missouri to 72 months in prison. He will be on supervised release for three years after his release from prison.
U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced Bryan Daniel Flynn, 44, of Ballwin, to 75 months in prison. He will be on supervised release for two years after his release from prison.
Flynn pleaded guilty in April to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted being caught with 30 firearms, despite being a convicted felon who is barred from possessing guns. He also had homemade silencers, ballistic vests, stolen property and drugs.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department detectives conducted a court-approved search of Flynn’s home in Ballwin on July 25, 2023, after learning that he was participating in a stolen property ring, his plea agreement says. Detectives found 4.48 grams of cocaine, .44 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine, 10 Diazepam tablets, one Alprazolam tablet and 300 grams of psilocybin. Flynn admitted being in possession of a Ford F250 stolen from Ranken Technical College, which was stored on his property near Troy, Missouri. Detectives found 27 firearms there, as well as homemade silencers, three large containers of firearm accessories, two large containers of ammunition, five ballistic vests and stolen property.
Flynn’s cell phone led detectives to two storage units in Festus, Missouri that contained two more guns and ammunition. His boat, which was stored in a marina in St. Charles, contained another silencer, a drum magazine loaded with .22-caliber rounds and a large amount of ammunition. On Aug. 7, 2023, Flynn’s assistant turned a 7.65mm Walther firearm into law enforcement, saying Flynn had asked her to hide it at a “cabin” in Ballwin.
Dinzebach pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of one of more firearms in May. He admitted being caught by investigators with a .22-caliber handgun equipped with a homemade silencer, a .380-caliber handgun and a large amount of ammunition. He also admitted selling firearms to Flynn after first doubling their purchase price. Dinzebach told investigators that he purchased guns from a website where people conducted private firearms sales. Two of the firearms seized from Flynn were traced to Dinzebach’s wife as the purchaser.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie Schneider prosecuted the cases.
"Instead of learning from their past, they chose to continue a life of crime and put our community at risk of potential gun violence,” said Bernard G. Hansen, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Kansas City Field Division. "Today’s sentencing demonstrates the outstanding partnership between ATF and the St. Louis Police Department as well as the commitment we share to work together in keeping firearms out of the hands of felons so that our streets are safer for everyone.”
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.
Two Men Each Sentenced to More Than 100 Years in Prison for Killing 13-Year-Old Malachi LukesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyiion Freeman, 25, and Koran Jackson, 24, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to 108 years and 164 years, respectively, for a nine-day shooting spree that culminated in the March 1, 2020, murder of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A Superior Court jury on July 10, 2024, found Freeman, Jackson, and a third conspirator, Stephon Nelson, guilty of first-degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy to commit various firearms offenses and other firearms-related charges. Nelson, who supplied the illegal firearms, is scheduled for sentencing on September 19, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, between February 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, Freeman and Jackson, along with two other defendants who are awaiting trial, participated in a firearms conspiracy.
Using the firearms from that conspiracy, the defendants engaged in four separate shooting sprees that resulted in the murder of Malachi Lukes and assaults on 10 other victims. Three of shootings stemmed from a longstanding rivalries among various District of Columbia neighborhoods.
According to the evidence, on March 1, 2020, Jackson, Freeman, and two co-conspirators traveled to the Shaw neighborhood in a stolen vehicle. Malachi and his three teenage friends were walking to a basketball court. The defendants followed the teens and pulled alongside them. Two defendants exited the stolen vehicle and opened fire on the boys, killing Malachi Lukes and grazing another. Immediately thereafter, the defendants drove 10 minutes to another neighborhood where they opened fire on another victim.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force and ATF along with the Arlington County Police Department. They also thanked the Arlington County Sheriff Department; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Capitol Police; D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences; DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Montgomery County Police Department; D.C. Department of Corrections; and the Internal Revenue Service—Atlanta Branch.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb, and Nebiyu Feleke, with assistance from Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, Supervisory Paralegal Tasha Harris, Paralegals April Urbanowski and Alyssa Schroeder, Superior Court Operations Manager Linda McDonald, and Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen.
Two Members of Kennedy Street Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aaron DeAndre Mercer, 33, and Ronald Lynn Dorsey, 30, both of Washington D.C. and members of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), were sentenced today to federal prison terms for their roles in a drug trafficking organization operating open-air drug markets in Northwest Washington D.C.
Mercer was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being a bulk supplier of fentanyl, marijuana, and cocaine base for the KDY organization. Dorsey was sentenced to 30 months for laundering KDY’s trafficking proceeds by establishing phony businesses and shell companies and by using local casinos.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office.
Mercer, aka “Curby,” pleaded guilty on June 14, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, marijuana, and cocaine base before U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell. Dorsey pleaded guilty on February 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade and defend its territory from rival crews.
For his part, Mercer conspired with his KDY associates to traffic fentanyl in bulk in addition to cocaine base and marijuana. Dorsey concealed the proceeds of KDY’s illegal operations, helping to smuggle bulk quantities of drugs by flying 15 times to the West Coast, and conducting retail sales of crack cocaine and marijuana in the open-air markets. Dorsey and co-defendant Kenneth Olugbenga created two businesses for money laundering: Heavy Baggz LLC and HBG LLC. The later purported to be a music, entrepreneurial, and car detailing business, but tax records for both entities confirmed that neither business reported income. Dorsey, aka “HBGeezy,” also used the businesses to apply for, and receive, two forgivable loans from the Small Business Administration during the Covid pandemic. He allegedly used the EIDL and PPP loans to purchase bulk narcotics to further fuel KDY’s drug trafficking. Dorsey and his co-conspirators also concealed illicit income at D.C. area casinos by using drug trafficking proceeds to wager bets, then cash out the funds after incurring small losses to make the funds appear as if they were legitimate.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
It was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, FBI Washington Field Office and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Lynch.
DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
CHARGES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga
27
Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee”
22
Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Aiding and Abetting; Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; Possessing a Machine Gun During a Drug Trafficking Offense; Unlawful Possession of a Machine Gun; Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number
Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford”
21
Pleaded Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy”
23
Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour”
23
Sentenced 3/22/2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
Cameron Xavier Reid
26
Sentenced 5/31/2024, to Five Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,”
27
Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 10 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base
David Penn, aka “Turtle”
30
Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl; and two counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy”
29
Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King”
22
Sentenced 2/8/24, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment
Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle”
27
Sentenced 4/26/24, to 15 months for Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana Within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location
Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui”
29
Pleaded Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub
26
Sentenced 5/16/24, to 90 months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
23cr0202
Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies to Steal CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced to 47 years in prison on Wednesday for his role in a scheme involving a series of home invasion robberies targeting cryptocurrency. Between Sept. 5 and Sept. 12, a total of 12 men have been sentenced for their role in the scheme.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial, Remy Ra St Felix, 25, of West Palm Beach, and his co-conspirators stole over $3.5 million from victims through SIM swapping and violent home invasions in which they held victims at gunpoint, assaulted them, and bound them with plastic cable ties. St Felix was convicted on June 25 by a federal jury in Greensboro, North Carolina, after a six-day trial. In addition to his sentence of incarceration, St Felix was sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning in late 2020, St Felix’s co-conspirator, Jarod Gabriel Seemungal, 23, of West Palm Beach, and foreign co-conspirators stole cryptocurrency from victims’ accounts at exchanges. They obtained access to the accounts by gaining control of the victims’ phone numbers through SIM swapping. In 2022, Seemungal and his co-conspirators devised the home invasion scheme and recruited St Felix and others to assist with the invasions. St Felix later became the leader of the home invasion crew. In September 2022, St Felix and members of the crew committed violent home invasions in Delray Beach and Homestead, Florida. In Delray Beach, the victims were held at gunpoint in their home. In Homestead, a man and his family were held at gunpoint in their home, and then the man was abducted, held hostage, and beaten, before the man was found by law enforcement 120 miles from his home.
Later in 2022, St Felix and his crew targeted a Little Elm, Texas, man and made several trips to attempt the robbery. In December 2022, Seemungal and a Houston-based crew comprised of Deangelo Lee Contreras, 21, Tristian Rene Gamez, 21, Victor Gonzalez, 27, Jesus Salazar, 24, Cristian Valdez, 21, and Jesus Gerardo Valdez, Jr., 27, all of Houston, Texas, committed the home invasion. The Little Elm man and members of his family were held at gunpoint and restrained in their home for over three hours, during which time members of the crew tortured the man and his mother. The perpetrators stole approximately $150,000.00 in cash, two Rolex watches, and a valuable necklace and pendant.
In April 2023, St Felix and Elmer Ruben Castro, 23, of West Palm Beach, invaded the home of a wife and a husband in Durham, North Carolina. Prior to the invasion, St Felix’s co-conspirators obtained unauthorized access to the couple’s email account and conducted multiple days of surveillance on their home. During the invasion, the men violently assaulted the couple, threatened them with guns, and restrained them with plastic cable ties. They forced the man to provide access to his computer and cryptocurrency exchange account. Seemungal then remotely accessed the computer and stole over $150,000.00 worth of cryptocurrency. Conspirators laundered the funds through anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies, as well as “instant exchanges” and decentralized finance platforms that did not conduct know-your-customer checks.
In July 2023, St Felix traveled from Florida to Long Island, New York, to commit a home invasion of a family of five. Before St Felix could do so, however, he was arrested. At the time of his arrest, St Felix was in possession of two firearms and plastic cable ties.
Throughout the conspiracy, the conspirators communicated via an encrypted messaging application to plan their crimes. They identified targets and discussed how to gain entry to homes, the tools required to carry out the crimes, the technical aspects of cryptocurrency, and the patterns of life of their targets.
They also circulated pictures of their targets and their targets’ homes. In addition to the home invasions described above, conspirators used the encrypted messaging application to plan additional home invasion robberies in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Orlando, Florida; and Georgia. Seemungal and the foreign co-conspirators financed the purchase of rental cars, hotel rooms, and firearms by co-conspirators Haisel Daily, 22, of West Palm Beach, and Ruben Matias Nicolopulos Silva, 22, of Lake Worth, Florida, to use during the robberies.
Seemungal was also sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $4,038,479.39 in restitution. Seemungal pleaded guilty on December 19, 2023, for his role in the scheme to steal cryptocurrency by hacking victims’ cryptocurrency accounts as well as the home invasion and robbery scheme.
On Feb. 6, Castro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1.
On May 29 and 30, nine of St Felix’s and Seemungal’s co-conspirators pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and were sentenced as follows:
- Jose Alfredo Avila, 27, of West Palm Beach, was sentenced on Sept. 11, to 20 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $365,100.00 in restitution.
- Contreras was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Daily was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 25 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
- Gonzalez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Nathan Noel Quintana, 24, of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 16 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $365,100.00 in restitution.
- Silva was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
- Cristian Valdez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Jesus Valdez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Jesus Manuel Santiago, III, 23, of West Palm Beach, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1.
Also, on May 29 and 30, Salazar and Gamez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery. Salazar was sentenced on Sept. 5, to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution. Gamez was sentenced on Sept. 11, to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; and Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Durham Police Department and the FBI New York, Miami, Houston, Mobile, and Newark Field Offices.
The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) is partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in prosecuting the case. CCIPS/NCET Trial Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Iverson for the Middle District of North Carolina and CCIPS Trial Attorney Brian Mund are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Texas, and Eastern District of Texas provided valuable assistance.
NCET was established to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Within CCIPS, NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that enable the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, obfuscation services, and infrastructure providers. NCET also sets strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identifies areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and leads the department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.
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Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies to Steal CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced to 47 years in prison on Wednesday for his role in a scheme involving a series of home invasion robberies targeting cryptocurrency. Between Sept. 5 and Sept. 12, a total of 12 men have been sentenced for their role in the scheme.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial, Remy Ra St Felix, 25, of West Palm Beach, and his co-conspirators stole over $3.5 million from victims through SIM swapping and violent home invasions in which they held victims at gunpoint, assaulted them, and bound them with plastic cable ties. St Felix was convicted on June 25 by a federal jury in Greensboro, North Carolina, after a six-day trial. In addition to his sentence of incarceration, St Felix was sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning in late 2020, St Felix’s co-conspirator, Jarod Gabriel Seemungal, 23, of West Palm Beach, and foreign co-conspirators stole cryptocurrency from victims’ accounts at exchanges. They obtained access to the accounts by gaining control of the victims’ phone numbers through SIM swapping. In 2022, Seemungal and his co-conspirators devised the home invasion scheme and recruited St Felix and others to assist with the invasions. St Felix later became the leader of the home invasion crew. In September 2022, St Felix and members of the crew committed violent home invasions in Delray Beach and Homestead, Florida. In Delray Beach, the victims were held at gunpoint in their home. In Homestead, a man and his family were held at gunpoint in their home, and then the man was abducted, held hostage, and beaten, before the man was found by law enforcement 120 miles from his home.
Later in 2022, St Felix and his crew targeted a Little Elm, Texas, man and made several trips to attempt the robbery. In December 2022, Seemungal and a Houston-based crew comprised of Deangelo Lee Contreras, 21, Tristian Rene Gamez, 21, Victor Gonzalez, 27, Jesus Salazar, 24, Cristian Valdez, 21, and Jesus Gerardo Valdez, Jr., 27, all of Houston, Texas, committed the home invasion. The Little Elm man and members of his family were held at gunpoint and restrained in their home for over three hours, during which time members of the crew tortured the man and his mother. The perpetrators stole approximately $150,000.00 in cash, two Rolex watches, and a valuable necklace and pendant.
In April 2023, St Felix and Elmer Ruben Castro, 23, of West Palm Beach, invaded the home of a wife and a husband in Durham, North Carolina. Prior to the invasion, St Felix’s co-conspirators obtained unauthorized access to the couple’s email account and conducted multiple days of surveillance on their home. During the invasion, the men violently assaulted the couple, threatened them with guns, and restrained them with plastic cable ties. They forced the man to provide access to his computer and cryptocurrency exchange account. Seemungal then remotely accessed the computer and stole over $150,000.00 worth of cryptocurrency. Conspirators laundered the funds through anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies, as well as “instant exchanges” and decentralized finance platforms that did not conduct know-your-customer checks.
In July 2023, St Felix traveled from Florida to Long Island, New York, to commit a home invasion of a family of five. Before St Felix could do so, however, he was arrested. At the time of his arrest, St Felix was in possession of two firearms and plastic cable ties.
Throughout the conspiracy, the conspirators communicated via an encrypted messaging application to plan their crimes. They identified targets and discussed how to gain entry to homes, the tools required to carry out the crimes, the technical aspects of cryptocurrency, and the patterns of life of their targets. They also circulated pictures of their targets and their targets’ homes. In addition to the home invasions described above, conspirators used the encrypted messaging application to plan additional home invasion robberies in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Orlando, Florida; and Georgia. Seemungal and the foreign co-conspirators financed the purchase of rental cars, hotel rooms, and firearms by co-conspirators Haisel Daily, 22, of West Palm Beach, and Ruben Matias Nicolopulos Silva, 22, of Lake Worth, Florida, to use during the robberies.
Seemungal was also sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $4,038,479.39 in restitution. Seemungal pleaded guilty on December 19, 2023, for his role in the scheme to steal cryptocurrency by hacking victims’ cryptocurrency accounts as well as the home invasion and robbery scheme.
On Feb. 6, Castro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1.
On May 29 and 30, nine of St Felix’s and Seemungal’s co-conspirators pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and were sentenced as follows:
- Jose Alfredo Avila, 27, of West Palm Beach, was sentenced on Sept. 11, to 20 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $365,100.00 in restitution.
- Contreras was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Daily was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 25 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
- Gonzalez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Nathan Noel Quintana, 24, of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 16 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $365,100.00 in restitution.
- Silva was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
- Cristian Valdez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Jesus Valdez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Jesus Manuel Santiago, III, 23, of West Palm Beach, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1.
Also, on May 29 and 30, Salazar and Gamez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery. Salazar was sentenced on Sept. 5, to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution. Gamez was sentenced on Sept. 11, to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; and Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Durham Police Department and the FBI New York, Miami, Houston, Mobile, and Newark Field Offices.
The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) is partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in prosecuting the case. CCIPS/NCET Trial Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Iverson for the Middle District of North Carolina and CCIPS Trial Attorney Brian Mund are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Texas, and Eastern District of Texas provided valuable assistance.
NCET was established to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Within CCIPS, NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that enable the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, obfuscation services, and infrastructure providers. NCET also sets strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identifies areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and leads the department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.
Strategic Technology Institute, Inc. to Pay $750,000 to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Strategic Technology Institute, Inc. (“STI”) will pay $750,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. STI is a defense military contractor headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.
The settlement resolves allegations that STI submitted false claims in conjunction with obtaining payments from the United States under its subcontract agreement to provide onsite support services at the Marine Forces Reserve (“MARFORRES”) facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Government contends that STI submitted false and fraudulent invoices and supporting documents for work it allegedly performed at MARFORRES.
U.S. Attorney Evans credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service and U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Loan “Mimi” Nguyen.
Standing Rock Man Accepts Responsibility for Deadly Shooting on Navajo NationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Standing Rock man charged by federal prosecutors for the fatal shooting of a woman during a confrontation at his home pleaded guilty today to involuntary manslaughter and assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to court documents, on December 30, 2023, Sonny Hannah, 75, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was confronted by Jane Doe 1 outside Hannah’s residence on the Navajo Nation because her car had been broken into while it was parked behind his residence. Hannah became defensive and threatened Jane Doe 1.
Jane Doe 1 walked away and returned to her car. A short time later, Hannah exited his house with a rifle and threatened to shoot Jane Doe 1 if she did not leave. When she did not leave, Hannah fired his gun twice in Jane Doe’s direction from 20 to 35 feet away.
Hannah said he intended to shoot above Jane Doe 1’s head to scare her, but at least one gunshot struck and killed her. In his plea agreement, Hannah acknowledged it was unreasonable to shoot in Jane Doe 1’s direction and that he did so without due caution and circumspection, causing her death.
Additionally, Hannah admitted that immediately after shooting Jane Doe 1, while still holding the gun, he physically motioned towards her children to leave. This action gave Jane Doe 2 reasonable fear that Hannah intended to do bodily harm to her with the rifle.
Hannah will remain in a halfway house pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Hannah faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Hannah must also forfeit the rifle used in the crimes.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
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Special education teacher posing as teen heads to prison for exploiting minor he met onlineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old Mission resident has been sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Juan Carlos Munoz pleaded guilty March 29.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced Munoz to serve 168 months in prison immediately followed by five years of supervised release. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. At the hearing, the court heard how Munoz would not only solicit photos and videos from minor children but would share and exchange those sexually explicit photos with another adult male child predator. In handing down the prison term, the court noted its concern for the safety of our school children.
“Munoz is a predator who hid within the walls of a local school and behind fake personas,” said Hamdani. “This sentence should show this family and all families that justice will bring child predators out of the shadows and placed behind bars where they belong.”
“Mr. Munoz abused his position of public trust as a special education teacher to prey on those he was entrusted to protect,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “The sexual exploitation of children is among the most egregious crimes HSI investigates, and today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that our agency will work tirelessly to protect children from coercion and enticement of minors.”
In November 2022, law enforcement in South Carolina met with a family who discovered their 14-year-old girl was communicating with an individual who was soliciting nude photos and videos. The girl met the individual who claimed to be a 19-year-old teenage boy on a social media/video chat site. Law enforcement uncovered numerous conversations and successfully traced the perpetrator’s phone number to the Rio Grande Valley. They determined his true identity was 41-year-old Munoz, a high school special education teacher.
In December 2022, Texas authorities located Munoz at the school where he was employed. He admitted to communicating with approximately 50 minor children and requesting sexually explicit photos and videos.
Munoz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
HSI-Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of York County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Southeast Missouri Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for One Fatal, One Nonfatal ShootingRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Friday sentenced a man responsible for one fatal and one non-fatal shooting in Hayti, Missouri in 2023 to 25 years in prison.
Eugene Winters, 44, of Hayti, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in November to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Winters admitted that just before 7:30 p.m. on April 19, 2023, he shot two people outside "The Store" at 301 Washington Street in Hayti. Winters told police that he argued with one man before going to his vehicle to retrieve his gun. The victim was sitting in his vehicle and Winters believed he had a gun, Winters’ plea says. Winters and the victim argued again, and Winters shot the victim from the driver’s side of the car before walking around to the passenger side of the vehicle and shooting the victim more times, his plea agreement says. The second victim came out of the store and approached Winters, who started shooting at that second victim. Winters followed that man into the store and fired two more shots while the victim was running away.
Hayti police arrived, and Winters threw down his gun and laid on the ground.
Both victims were taken to a local hospital, then by air ambulance to the Regional One Health Trauma Center in Memphis, Tenn. due to the seriousness of their injuries. One died.
Winters was a convicted felon and thus is barred from possession of a firearm. His prior convictions include aggravated robbery and aggravated assault. Due to those crimes, Winters qualified as an “armed career criminal,” triggering a possible sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
The Hayti Police Department, Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn prosecuted 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.
South Yarmouth Resident Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A South Yarmouth man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court for possessing a firearm. Defendant barricaded himself in basement following domestic disturbance.
Michael Giampapa, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2024.
On March 16, 2022, local police responded to a call reporting a domestic disturbance at a residence in South Yarmouth involving Giampapa and a family member. Giampapa was barricaded in the basement when police arrived. He spoke by phone with a family member and during that call, stated he has a gun. After a standoff with law enforcement, Giampapa eventually exited the residence and was arrested.
Following a search of the residence where Giampapa was staying a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard loaded .380 handgun was recovered inside a cereal box that was on top of open shelving in the basement. Giampapa had previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The firearm charge provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a period of three years of supervised release as well as a $250,000 fine. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Chief Kevin Lennon of the Yarmouth Police Department made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit.
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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
South Florida Attorney Who Embezzled Client Funds Charged with Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MIAMI - A South Florida attorney, who was recently disbarred, has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering in U.S. District Court for embezzling approximately $650,000 of client funds.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office announced the unsealing of an indictment charging John Spencer Jenkins, 54, formerly of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. As alleged in the indictment, Jenkins, while working as a lawyer, was entrusted with $643,399.35 in proceeds from a client’s estate that were supposed to be distributed to the client’s heirs. Instead of disbursing the funds to the decedent’s heirs, the indictment alleges Jenkins had the funds deposited into his firm’s Interest on Trust Account only to then take the funds for his own personal gain, laundering the funds through another account in the process.
Jenkins was arrested yesterday in Philadelphia, Pa., on the Southern District of Florida indictment. Jenkins is scheduled to have his initial hearing at 1:30 p.m., today, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Philadelphia.
Jenkins is charged with three counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and three counts of money laundering, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. If Jenkins is convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60172.
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Shipment of Pounds of Meth and Cocaine Leads to 134 Months in Prison for St. Louis ManRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Friday sentenced a man who was caught by police after a shipment of 15 pounds of methamphetamine and four and one-half pounds of cocaine was intercepted to 134 months in prison.
On March 24, 2022, Damon L. Pruitt was caught by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers in a home where the meth and cocaine had just been delivered. Earlier in the day, the parcel delivery company opened the package due to concerns about it, found the drugs and called police. A court-approved search of the delivery address, in the 6600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue home, also found two handguns. Pruitt is a convicted felon and told police that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms, his plea agreement says.
There was about 6.8 kilograms of meth in the package and more than two kilograms of cocaine.
Pruitt, 38, pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Second Canadian resident pleads guilty to massive COVID-19 benefit fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Tacoma – The second of two Nigerian men residing in Canada pleaded guilty Thursday September 12, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his fraud scheme that stole more than $1.3 million in federal funds, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Fatiu Ismaila Lawal, 45, was extradited from Canada in mid-July. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan scheduled his sentencing for December 12, 2024.
According to records filed in the case, Lawal, and codefendant Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 45, used the stolen identities of thousands of workers to submit over 1,700 claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to over 25 different states, including Washington State. In total, the claims sought approximately $25 million, but the conspirators obtained approximately $2.7 million, primarily from pandemic unemployment benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Lawal agreed to make restitution of $1,345,472.
Lawal admits in his plea agreement that he personally submitted at least 790 unemployment claims using the stolen identities of 790 workers. The co-conspirators allegedly submitted claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to New York, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, California, Washington and some 19 other states. Lawal also established four internet domain names that were subsequently used for fraud – creating some 800 different email addresses that were used in this scheme.
Additionally, between 2018 and November 2022, Lawal used stolen personal information to submit 3,000 income tax returns for $7.5 million in refunds. The IRS detected the fraud and paid just $30,000.
Lawal and Ambali also attempted to use the stolen American identities for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA). The pair submitted some 38 applications, but SBA caught most of the fraud and paid only $2,500.
Lawal and Ambali had the proceeds of their fraud sent to cash cards or to “money mules” who transferred the funds according to instructions given by the co-conspirators. They also allegedly used stolen identities to open bank accounts and have the money deposited directly into those accounts for their use.
Lawal and Ambali also used a Telegram channel to teach others how to commit similar frauds and how to misuse personally identifying information. They instructed others how to purchase such information on the dark web and how to use it to fraudulently apply for benefits from various COVID-19 programs.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a total of no more than 65 months in prison for Lawal. Judge Bryan is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
Co-defendant Ambali was sentenced to 42 months in prison in March 2024.
The National Unemployment Fraud Task Force provided a lead on this case to the investigative team in Western Washington. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). Also contributing to the investigation were Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Employment Security Division (ESD), and the Small Business Administration (SBA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang of the Western District of Washington. DOJ’s Office of International Affairs assisted with extradition on this matter.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
San Angelo Man Charged with Sextorting Minors and AdultsRead the Press Release
A San Angelo man has been charged with sextorting minors, ranging from 11 to 17 years old, and adults across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Juelz Sincere Armstead, 21, was charged in a superseding indictment with seven counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, two counts of attempted production of child pornography, and ten counts of cyber stalking. He was arraigned on Wednesday before U. S. Magistrate John R. Parker and is currently in custody.
According to the superseding indictment, beginning in August 2021, Mr. Armstead persuaded at least seven minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produced visuals of such conduct. On February 26, 2024, Mr. Armstead attempted to do the same with two additional minors. Mr. Armstead used the images he produced to harass and intimidate the individuals and caused them substantial emotional distress.
An indictment is merely an allegation, not evidence. Mr. Armstead is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Homeland Security Investigations, Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, San Angelo Police Department, and several federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Texas, Indiana, Oregon, California, New Jersey, Colorado, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kansas, North Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the federal case.
Rochester man and woman charged with robbing a postal carrier, postal keys and mailRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Shyasia Kelis McCullough, 23, and Malik Shameer McCray, 24, both of Rochester, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with unlawful possession of USPS mailbox keys, mail theft, robbery of a USPS letter carrier, and conspiracy. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on June 5, 2023, while delivering mail on Lake Avenue in Rochester, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier was robbed of his keys, which included a mailbox key, vehicle key, and keys to secured buildings along the mail delivery route. Postal Inspectors reviewed video surveillance in the area and identified a suspect and a vehicle suspected of being involved in the robbery. A few days later, on June 9, 2023, a Gates Police Officer spotted the vehicle entering the Westgate Post Office and conducted a traffic stop. McCray was driving the vehicle and McCullough was a passenger. McCray was taken into custody on traffic violations.
During the execution of a search warrant on the vehicle, officers located multiple filled out personal checks with multiple different names on them, as well as a USPS vehicle key and other keys similar to the ones stolen from the letter carrier. Also recovered, numerous cell phones, ski masks, blank check stock paper, invoices, and portions of what appeared to be invoice remittance slips, bank credit/debit cards and identifications in names other than the defendants. These items are indicative of mail theft, check washing, and bank fraud. A ledger was also found listing what appeared to be individuals who provided access to their financial accounts for the purposes of fraudulent check deposits. A review of McCray’s cell phone recovered a chat between McCray and McCullough, with the two discussing the robbery of the mail carrier. It also recovered a photo of the stolen mail keys.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and the Gates Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Long.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Rioter Federally Charged with Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union Station Following RallyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isabella Giordano, 20, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested this morning in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging her with destruction of federal property. -This complaint alleges that Giordano spray painted several pieces of federal property at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Giordano will make her initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. She is charged with willfully injuring or depredating any property of the United States.
“Politically motivated violent and destructive behavior, regardless its motivation, is a crime—not protected speech,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Today’s federal prosecution should make clear that those who engage in politically motivated violence and destruction in the District of Columbia should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We anticipate more charges in connection with the criminal conduct that occurred on July 24, 2024. And we ask for the public’s continued assistance in identifying individuals who engaged in criminal conduct.”
According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators who had gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.
Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Giordano using red spray paint to write “Gaza” on the Columbus Fountain. She also spray-painted the base of two of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle. On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Park Police posted a bulletin with multiple photos and the FBI issued a bulletin seeking information on five individuals, including Giordano, who engaged in criminal activity on July 24, 2024. On August 1, 2024, USPP received two tips identifying Giordano.
The flags pulled down from the flag poles, and the statutes and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated that the cost to clean and repair the site at about $11,282.23.
This case is being investigated by the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
24mj287Rancho Cucamonga Man and Woman Found Guilty of Federal Criminal Charges in Connection with ‘Birth Tourism’ SchemeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two San Bernardino County residents were found guilty by a jury today of operating a “birth tourism” scheme that charged Chinese clients tens of thousands of dollars to help them give birth in the United States to obtain birthright U.S. citizenship for their children.
Michael Wei Yueh Liu (刘维岳), 59, of Rancho Cucamonga, and Jing Dong, (董晶), 47, also of Rancho Cucamonga, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of international money laundering.
According to evidence presented at a four-day trial, from at least January 2012 to March 2015, Liu and Dong ran a maternity house in Rancho Cucamonga. Liu and Dong rented apartment units in Southern California to provide short-term housing and provided other services to pregnant women from China who traveled to the United States to give birth so their children would acquire U.S. citizenship. Typically, within one or two months after giving birth, the women returned to China.
Among the services Liu and Dong provided was assistance on how to obtain visas to enter the United States, customs entry guidance, housing, and transportation in the United States, as well as assistance applying for U.S. legal documents for the children of their customers.
Liu and Dong advised their customers on how to hide their pregnancies from the immigration authorities. Liu and Dong also knew – or deliberately avoided learning – that their customers lied on their visa applications submitted to immigration authorities to enter the U.S.
Generally, their customers’ visa applications falsely stated that the purpose of the trip to the United States was for tourism, when it was to give birth, and the length of the stay was days or weeks, when it was in fact months. The visas also misstated the location where the customers intended to stay, which was defendants’ maternity hotel.
Liu and Dong or their agents also advised their customers to fly to ports of entry with perceived less customs scrutiny, such as Hawaii, before flying to Los Angeles, to wear loose fitting clothing, to favor certain lines at customs that they perceived to be less strict, and on how to answer the customs officials’ questions.
Liu and Dong received money from overseas and used that money to promote their scheme.
United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner scheduled a December 9 sentencing hearing, at which time Liu and Dong will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in federal prison for each international money laundering charge.
Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI investigated this matter. The Irvine Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory W. Staples and Kevin Y. Fu of the Santa Ana Branch Office are prosecuting this case.
Raleigh County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ashley Nicole Luster, 29, of Sophia, was sentenced today to eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Luster sold approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Beckley apartment complex while aided and abetted by co-defendant Angelo Johnson. Luster admitted that she handed the controlled substances over after Johnson took the money.
Johnson, 29, of Beckley, was sentenced on December 8, 2023 to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-13.
Prisoner Who Escaped from Bloomfield Halfway House Receives Additional Time in PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS PADILLA, 39, formerly of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for escaping from a halfway house in Bloomfield.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 27, 2018, Padilla was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 78 months of imprisonment for conspiring with others to traffic narcotics from Connecticut to Maine. On March 17, 2021, Padilla was transferred from a federal prison in West Virginia to the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center (halfway house) in Bloomfield, to complete his custodial sentence. On June 1, 2022, Padilla walked out of the Drapelick Center and never returned. He was located and arrested in Bangor, Maine, on April 5, 2024.
On June 10, 2024, Padilla pleaded guilty to escape from the custody of the Attorney General.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Philadelphia Woman Charged with Stealing Social Security Disability Benefits of Homicide Victim Found Buried Under Rowhome BasementRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Holly Sadowski, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment on charges of Social Security fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, for concealing the death of a woman, referred to as E.W., to steal her Social Security Administration (“SSA”) disability benefits totaling approximately $99,447.90.
The indictment alleges that the deceased woman’s remains were found buried beneath approximately six to eight feet of concrete in the basement of a Philadelphia home in which she had resided. According to the indictment, the last time E.W. was seen alive was on or about December 12, 2012. During her lifetime, E.W. received Disability Insurance Benefits from the SSA, due to an intellectual disorder.
The indictment further alleges that a DNA analysis of the human remains recovered from the concrete basement concluded that the remains were those of E.W. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office and a forensic anthropologist examined E.W.’s remains and concluded that the cause of death was blunt trauma to the head and neck and the manner of death was homicide. The forensic anthropologist estimated that E.W. died at least four years and up to ten years prior to the recovery of her remains.
Defendant Sadowski was indicted for accessing the deceased woman’s bank account and stealing her Social Security benefits for her own personal use. In furtherance of the scheme to defraud, Sadowski is charged with utilizing the deceased’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number to continue to access her bank account containing the Social Security benefit funds. Sadowski is charged with fraudulently obtaining and converting to her own use approximately $99,447.90 in SSA benefits payments intended for E.W.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 107 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $1,750,000 fine, and a $700 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Curran and Laura J. Bradbury.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Peridot Woman Sentenced to 15 Years for Killing Her HusbandRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Terri Lynn Victor, 43, of Peridot, was sentenced on August 26, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 180 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Victor is a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
In the late-night hours of July 6, 2022, and into the early morning hours of July 7, 2022, Victor stabbed her husband in the chest, ultimately killing him. Victor pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter on February 14, 2024.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the San Carlos Apache Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dimitra Sampson and Vinnie Lichvar, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01129-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-122_Victor# # #
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.Ohio County Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Mustafa A. Baker, age 55, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wheeling Police officers pulled over Baker’s vehicle because of an outstanding warrant and found a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition. Baker is prohibited from having firearms because of eight prior felony convictions in Virginia, including drug possession, 3rd offense DUI, felony domestic assault, and felony assault and battery.
Baker will serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence.
Investigative agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kyle, also with the Brooke County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
North Carolina Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Counterfeit Currency ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Crystal Wilks, 24, of Lenoir, North Carolina, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Harris admitted to her role in a conspiracy to create and pass counterfeit United States currency in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2022, Wilks and co-defendants Xavier Sanders and Jamarcus Harris traveled with another individual from North Carolina to West Virginia. Wilks admitted that they passed counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville.
Wilks and her co-conspirators rented a room that evening at a Summersville hotel, where they attempted to create new counterfeit United States currency. Wilks admitted that their counterfeiting process involved bleaching $1 bills, scanning a genuine $100 bill, and printing the scanned image on the bleached bills.
Harris, 33, of Lenoir, North Carolina, was sentenced on February 2, 2024, to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Sanders, 25, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on November 9, 2023, to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and sentenced on April 26, 2024, to three years of probation after serving five months in jail .
United States Attorney Will Thompson made today’s announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon, Andrew D. Isabell and Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-54.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA- HERBERT COOPER (“COOPER”), age 28, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on September 5, 2024, by U.S. District Judge, Eldon E. Fallon, to 120 months’ imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to Counts 1, 2, and 3 of a superseding bill of information. The Court also ordered that COOPER be placed on supervised release for 5 years following release from imprisonment and pay a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
Count 1 charged COOPER with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D). Count 2 charged COOPER with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 3 charged COOPER with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, COOPER was previously convicted of felony offenses in St. Tammany Parish and Orleans Parish. Due to his criminal history, he is prohibited from having a firearm. On March 13, 2022, while conducting video surveillance of the 300 block of North Gayoso Street in New Orleans, New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) officers observed COOPER conduct a suspected hand-to-hand narcotics distribution transaction. When a uniformed NOPD officer approached COOPER, he fled and discarded a loaded Glock Model 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, with an extended magazine containing twenty-five (25) live rounds of ammunition. Upon COOPER’s arrest, NOPD officers discovered approximately $2,300.00 in cash on his person. Officers also recovered 1460.5 grams of marijuana, 29.46 grams of methamphetamine, a bottle half-filled with Promethazine, a digital scale, plastic sandwich baggies, and a standard, as well as an extended magazine for a Glock Model 23, semi-automatic handgun, from COOPER’s vehicle.
On March 23, 2022 after obtaining a search warrant for a residence and a safe used by COOPER, officers recovered $12,000.00 in cash, two falsified Western Union money orders for $900.00 each, a Smith and Wesson, .38 Special revolver with an obliterated serial number, a Social Security card, and birth certificate, belonging to COOPER.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for His Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of a nationwide drug trafficking ring was sentenced today in federal court in Boston. During the investigation over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled.
Eric Daneault, 48, of Manchester, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to eight years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Feb. 16, 2024, Daneault pleaded guilty to one count of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The superseding indictment also charged 10 other defendants with controlled substance offenses, firearm offenses and money laundering offenses.
In approximately October 2020, investigators received information about drug trafficking activities of a large-scale methamphetamine supplier in the Boston area. In late 2020, investigators identified Reshat Alkayisi as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker who distributed multi-pound quantities to multiple co-conspirators throughout the New England area. Daneault was identified as one of Alkayisi’s methamphetamine distributors. In May 2021, Alkayisi distributed approximately over 5.3 kilograms of methamphetamine to Daneault.
Daneault is the fourth defendant to be sentenced. All other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Michigan man was sentenced yesterday to five years (60 months) in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Michael Anthony McBride, 30, was stopped for speeding by the Iowa State Patrol in Adair County on July 21, 2023. A search of McBride’s vehicle led to the discovery of user quantities of marijuana and cocaine, a digital scale, and two firearms: a loaded nine-millimeter pistol and a semi-automatic “ghost gun.” McBride admitted to purchasing the firearms for protection. The nine-millimeter pistol had been reported stolen from a residence in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan in June 2023. McBride had been convicted of a felony drug crime in Michigan and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
After completing his term of imprisonment, McBride will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Miami Jury Finds Convicted Child Molester Guilty of Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Sept. 11. a federal jury found Orlando Chavez, 43, a convicted child molester, guilty of naturalization fraud and using a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate.
According to testimony and evidence presented during the two-day trial, Chavez was born in Cuba. On July 14, 2017, he submitted an Application for Naturalization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). On his application, and under penalty of perjury, Chavez falsely responded “No” to two questions: “Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following: Forcing or trying to force, someone to have any kind of sexual conduct or relations?”; and “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense of which you were not arrested?” On April 19, 2018, Chavez was interviewed by a USCIS officer and provided the same responses to the same questions while under oath and penalty of perjury. In a ceremony on April 30, 2018, Chavez took the Oath of Allegiance and was naturalized as a United States citizen. On May 19, 2018, Chavez used his fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate as proof of United States citizenship to apply for a passport from the U.S. Department of State.
In Oct. 2019, Chavez was convicted of two counts of child abuse for conduct against a minor victim under 12 years of age between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2014. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison, five years of probation and was ordered to attend a sex offender treatment program. Chavez was not arrested for these offenses until after he was naturalized.
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman is scheduled to sentence Chavez on Jan. 8, after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In addition to any sentence imposed, Chavez’s citizenship will be automatically revoked.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Field Office Director Garrett Ripa of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and District Director Brett R. Rinehart of the USCIS Miami and Caribbean District made the announcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Shaw and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yisel Valdes for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. The case was presented by ICE’s ERO division in Miami as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing national initiative designed to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained United States citizenship.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20035.
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Meriden Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MIGUEL ACEVEDO, 41 of Meriden, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to cocaine trafficking offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 7, 2021, Meriden Police arrested Acevedo on state crack cocaine distribution and firearm possession charges. On that date investigators seized from Acevedo approximately 390 grams of cocaine and $281,000 in cash.
In December 2022, while he was released on bond in his state case, investigators made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Acevedo.
Acevedo was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 14, 2023. On that date, a search of his residence on South Avenue in Meriden and his business on West Main Street in Meriden revealed approximately 40 grams of cocaine and more than $3,000 in cash. At the time of his arrest, investigators also seized two vehicles owned by Acevedo, an SUV and a minivan. A search of the minivan revealed a hidden trap that contained six kilograms of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded firearm.
After his arrest, Acevedo was released on a $60,000 appearance bond, cosigned by three sureties. Within 24 hours of his release, Acevedo was observed meeting with several visitors at his home and receiving a paper bag from one visitor who was a known drug associate. Acevedo has been detained since March 1, 2023, when his bond was revoked. On July 25, 2023, U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley granted the government’s motion to forfeit Acevedo’s appearance bond.
Acevedo pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. At sentencing, which is not scheduled, he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
The state charges against Acevedo stemming from his June 2021 arrest are pending. The cash that was seized in June 2021 was previously forfeited.
Acevedo’s criminal history includes a 2008 federal narcotics trafficking conviction for which he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Meriden Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Member of Makah Tribe convicted at trial of abusive sexual contactRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 46-year-old member of the Makah Tribe was convicted of abusive sexual contact yesterday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma following a three-day trial, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The jury deliberated for about an hour before finding Schyler Colfax, guilty. The Neah Bay, Washington, man faces up to two years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on October 29, 2024. Colfax will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to records filed in the case, Colfax had regular access to the home of the victim on Makah Tribal lands. On October 23, 2023, Colfax was found in the bedroom of the 13-year-old victim who had stayed home from school due to illness. Adult relatives found Colfax in the victim’s bed and ordered him to leave. The victim immediately disclosed to her guardians that Colfax had touched her inappropriately. The family then reported the conduct to Neah Bay Police and Colfax was arrested that evening.
The FBI joined the Neah Bay police in the investigation and an experienced forensic interviewer took a statement from the child. Because the crime occurred on tribal land and involved tribal members the case was prosecuted in federal court.
Colfax was indicted in November 2023 and has been in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington since his arrest on November 16, 2023.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Harder and Celia Lee, who both serve as Tribal Liaisons for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Massachusetts Business Owner Indicted for over $18 Million Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Carlisle man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls.
Durgaprasad Rao, 65, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. In May 2024, Rao was arrested and charge by criminal complaint.
According to the charging documents, Rao is the owner and operator of Accelerated Engineering, LLC., a product engineering service provider, and Upstream Global Services, Inc., a software company that provides software consulting services and temporary staffing needs.
It is alleged that, between April 2020 and May 2021, Rao submitted numerous fraudulent applications seeking over $18 million in PPP funds for various companies in multiple states including companies in Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Georgia. Nine of the fraudulent PPP loan applications Rao allegedly submitted were for companies he owned and controlled. For Rao’s Massachusetts-based companies, he received nearly $7 million in PPP loans – of which, one PPP loan of over $1.5 million was approved for forgiveness.
Rao’s PPP loan applications allegedly contained false statements regarding payroll and the number of employees that worked for his companies and included fraudulent supporting documents, including false tax return documents and false payroll records. It is further alleged that Rao misused the funds he received by, among other things, transferring the funds to foreign businesses he owned and purchasing a luxury condominium in New York City.
The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction. 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.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Carlisle Police Chief Andrew Amendola made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Sullivan and David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Possession of Ammunition and Possession of Substances with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the Honorable Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Boie Barry, age 32, of Hyattsville, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to the guilty plea, law enforcement officers were patrolling Hyattsville, Maryland in September of 2022, when they observed a vehicle parked in a handicap space without a handicap placard. Officers approached the vehicle, smelled and saw marijuana in the vehicle’s center console, and directed Barry, who had been sitting in the front passenger seat, to step out. As Barry stepped out, an officer saw a bulge in Barry’s front left pocket. The officer repeatedly directed Barry to keep his hands up, and when Barry eventually raised his hands, the officer saw a firearm in his waistband. Barry tried to flee but was stopped by other officers. Officers recovered a 9mm privately manufactured firearm bearing no apparent serial number, commonly known as a “ghost gun,” which was equipped with a laser sight and fully automatic switch and loaded with 32 rounds of ammunition. The switch allowed the firearm to fire in fully automatic mode, making it a machinegun. Officers also found bags in Barry’s front left pocket containing various controlled substances, including cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, para-fluorofentanyl and fentanyl. They also found $1,565.75 on Barry’s person that were proceeds from his drug trafficking.
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.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and Patrick Kibbe, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanay Mitchell, who prosecuted 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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Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Bomb Threat to Scott Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge in southern Illinois sentenced a Florida man to 87 months’ imprisonment after he used social media to make a bomb threat to Scott Air Force Base and cyberstalked an active duty Air Force member.
DeAyre M. Jones, 32, of Land O’ Lakes, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communication with threat to injure, one count of cyberstalking and one count of threatening and conveying false information concerning use of fire or an explosive.
“The defendant intentionally disrupted operations at Scott Air Force Base to make a bomb threat and send harassing messages to base officials,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Luckily, this incident was a false alarm, but our national security and the Air Force community depend on uninterrupted service at the base. I’m grateful to the investigators for their efforts to hold this offender accountable.”
According to court documents, Jones used multiple fake Facebook profiles to accuse a woman, whom he previously had a personal relationship with, of having a bomb and tracker attached to her car at Scott Air Force Base in September 2022.
“This successful joint investigation between our office, the FBI, and assistance by the Untied States Marshall Service sends the message that we treat any disruption to the Air Force mission very seriously. The tireless efforts of all teams involved ensured the base remained safe and fully operational at all times,” said Special Agent Joseph Straus, AFOSI Detachment 301, Commander.
After detecting the threat, base officials dispatched an explosive detection canine and the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team to search the suspected vehicle and surrounding lot but did not find any items of concern. The victim identified Jones as the potential suspect, and investigation revealed that he had created multiple fake Facebook profiles to harass the victim and make several bomb threats to the base.
“DeAyre Jones embarked on a campaign of harassment that brought extreme distress to the victim and led to a hoax bomb threat which created chaos in the day-to-day operations of Scott Airforce Base,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “Hoax threats cause a significant drain on resources and taxpayer dollars and put innocent people at risk. Because safety is paramount to the FBI and our law enforcement partners, we will use all available resources to investigate and determine the credibility of a bomb threat.”
In addition, Jones also admitted to sending threatening and harassing messages to the victim and other base officials from August through December 2022.
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI Springfield Field Office contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. Carraway prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Transporting Three Teens to San Diego for ProstitutionRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – Sept 13, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Clifford Stokes Jr. of Tempe, Arizona, was sentenced in federal court today to 10 years in prison for transporting a 19-year-old woman and two 16-year-old girls from Arizona to San Diego in January 2023 to engage in prostitution. One of the minor victims was reported as a missing juvenile from Arizona at the time Stokes drove her and the other two victims to an area in San Diego known for street-based commercial sex trafficking.
On January 17, 2023, San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force officers were conducting an operation in a high-prostitution area to recover sex trafficking victims when they observed Stokes driving his vehicle with out-of-state plates into the area and letting two of the victims out of the car. Officers observed as the victims began walking the street and waving at vehicles. When Stokes returned to the area in his vehicle to pick up the two victims, task force officers initiated a traffic stop. Stokes, the driver of the vehicle, was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm, and the three victims were passengers.
The adult victim told investigators that Stokes used violence and threats of violence to require her to earn $1,000 a day in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit. Officers were able to quickly identify the juvenile victims and contact Child Welfare Services, helping to reunite the victims with their families back home to Arizona.
“Today’s sentence underscores the gravity of human trafficking crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The road to recovery for these young girls will be long and painful, but they will walk free from fear and brutality years before this defendant is released from prison.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message to potential offenders that they will be held accountable for their criminal behavior and the exploitation of the youth in California will not be tolerated,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m extremely grateful to our San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, local law enforcement and our federal partners for their dedication and commitment to keeping our communities safe. My office always stands ready to work with our partners across California to fight for public safety.”
“Predatory behavior will not be tolerated by HSI,” said Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “This investigation demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the victims of these crimes and bringing these predators to justice.”
If you are living or working under threat of violence or extortion, or you suspect someone else may be, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free, 24/7 Hotline: CALL: (888) 373-7888 or TEXT BeFree or 233733.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23-cr-00258-TWR
Clifford Stokes Jr. Age: 23 Tempe, AZ
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Transportation for Purpose of Prostitution – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2421(a)
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
San Diego Police Department
San Diego Sheriff’s Office
California Highway Patrol
Man Indicted for Weapons ViolationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on August 29, 2024, CUONG QUOC TRAN (“TRAN”), age 38, of Slidell, La, was indicted for possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 922(o).
If convicted, TRAN faces up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit .