Northern District of Alabama
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Convicted Felon Charged with Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury indicted a convicted felon for illegally possessing firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
A four-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Kelvontae Rashad Wallace, 25, of Talladega, with possession of a machinegun, possession of an unregistered firearm, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, in January 2024, Wallace illegally possessed a Century Arms 7.62x39mm pistol. Also, in December 2023, Wallace illegally possessed a Glock .45 caliber pistol with an installed “Glock switch” – a device designed to illegally convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machine gun. Wallace is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions. Wallace was convicted in the Circuit Court of Talladega County, in July 2022, of the offense of Discharging a Gun into an Occupied Building and Assault, Second Degree.
ATF investigated the case, along with the USMS Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, Pell City Police Department, Talladega Police Department, Anniston Police Department, and 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Eight Individuals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Steal Government Property from Anniston Army DepotRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Eight individuals have been sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to steal United States property from Anniston Army Depot (ANAD), announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona; Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones; Defense Logistics Agency Office of the Inspector General Deputy Inspector General Jerold Unruh; and United States Army Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent in Charge D. Todd Outlaw.
According to court documents and evidence presented during a trial, police officers with the Directorate of Emergency Services and other civilian employees at ANAD stole millions of dollars in military property from warehouses at the Depot over a period of several years and delivered it to middlemen. The middlemen delivered the stolen property to the owner of a military surplus store to sell. The conspirators split the money from the sale of the stolen property. The stolen items included equipment that was designed to be attached to military weapon systems to provide operators with instant nighttime engagement capabilities and/or improved target acquisition.
The following individuals were sentenced to federal prison in connection with their participation in the conspiracy:
Steve Bonner, 63, of Goodwater, a middleman, was found guilty of conspiracy to steal United States property following a four-day trial. The court sentenced him to 30 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $1,873,200 to the United States Department of Defense.
Jerry Baker, 63, of Hokes Bluff, a Captain with the Directorate of Emergency Services, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 25 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3,750,000 to the United States Department of Defense.
Kelvin Battle, 54, of Anniston, a Sergeant with the Directorate of Emergency Services, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 21 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $2,414,582 to the United States Department of Defense.
Eric Matraia, 54, of Munford, a guard with the Directorate of Emergency Services, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 16 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3,000,000 to the United States Department of Defense.
Shane Farthing, 42, of Gadsden, a guard with the Directorate of Emergency Services, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 15 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $707,000 to the United States Department of Defense.
Christopher Price, 55, of Childersburg, the owner of a military surplus store in Sylacauga, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 14 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3,940,940 to the United States Department of Defense.
James Kenneth Scott, 73, of Sylacauga, a middleman, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 12 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3,500,000 to the United States Department of Defense.
Scott Bunch, 54, of Alexandria, a Defense Logistics Agency supervisor, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 12 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3,750,000 to the United States Department of Defense.
“These sentences send a clear message that such criminal conduct will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “The successful investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrates the dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure that these defendants were brought to justice.”
“I’m proud of the great work done by the investigative team and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring these government employees and their co-conspirators to justice,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “Our office will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure those who steal from our military supply chain and degrade our combat readiness are held accountable.”
“This is the latest example of Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division working collaboratively with federal partners to relentlessly pursue those who conspire to steal government property,” said D. Todd Outlaw, Special Agent in Charge, Southern Field Office, Army CID. “Army CID will continue to protect Soldiers, families, civilians, and warfighting assets from crimes that affect readiness and warfighting capabilities in multi-domain operations.”
The Department of Defense Office of Inspector Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Logistics Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case with assistance from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Ryan Rummage prosecuted the cases.
Man Arraigned in Federal Court on Multiple Charges of Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Lawrence County man was arraigned in federal court last week on multiple child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
A 13-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges David Edward Collier, 46, with four counts of sexual exploitation of children, eight counts of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to the indictment, between January 2017 and August 2022, Collier used, induced, or coerced minor children to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of that conduct. Between October 2022 and September 2023, Collier transported the child pornography. Collier was also charged with possession of child pornography.
FBI North Alabama Violent Crime Task Force and Cybercrime Squad investigated the case along with the assistance of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Moulton Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Huntsville Police Department, and Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.
The videos can be accessed from the following locations:
nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/
https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Corrections Officer Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmate in His CustodyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) Corrections Officer, Robert D. Smith, 39, was sentenced today in federal court to 24 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for sexually abusing an inmate while he was a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institution, in Aliceville, Alabama (FCI-Aliceville).
Smith previously pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a ward on Jan. 11.
“Robert Smith’s egregious acts have no place in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and he has been held to account for abusing of his position of trust,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today sentence marks the latest effort in the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to root out sexual misconduct within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Department will continue our efforts to hold accountable employees who fail to uphold their oath to protect those in their care.”
“Beyond the view of the cameras and the eyes of potential witnesses, this defendant sexually abused and assaulted vulnerable women inmates and thought he would get away with his crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This case should send an unequivocal message to officials working in correctional settings that we have zero tolerance for sexual assaults of women held inside jails and prisons. We encourage the survivors of these heinous crimes to report acts of official misconduct and violence to the FBI. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute those who violate the civil and constitutional rights of people detained in correctional facilities.”
“Corrections officers have the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of those incarcerated in our nation’s prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute corrections officers who abuse inmates and violate positions of public trust.”
“Today’s sentencing holds Smith accountable for the serious crimes he committed,” said Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz. “Smith sexually abused multiple inmates and he did so by taking them to areas of the prison without camera coverage. As the OIG has repeatedly found, the effective use of cameras by the FBOP is critical to preventing and deterring such criminal wrongdoing at its facilities.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Smith worked as a corrections officer at FCI-Aliceville, which is a low-security federal prison. As part of his duties, Smith was to ensure the safety and security of inmates housed at FCI-Aliceville and to uphold the U.S. Constitution.
While acting in his capacity as an officer, in or around February 2019, Smith knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a female inmate in official detention, who was under Smith’s custodial, supervisory or disciplinary authority. Smith committed this criminal act when he and his victim were in his office in the facilities department, which was away from cameras and other inmates and officers.
Smith also admitted to sexually abusing another inmate on a different occasion. Specifically, also while acting in his capacity as an officer, between on or about July 6, 2018, and Nov. 15, 2018, Smith knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a female inmate in official detention, who was under Smith’s custodial, supervisory or disciplinary authority. Smith committed this criminal act in the mechanical room, which Smith accessed with a key, and which was also away from cameras and other inmates and officers.
DOJ-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
FBOP is committed to rooting out misconduct within its ranks and working with law enforcement partners to prosecute violations of federal law. The numerous FBOP employees working diligently to ensure justice for the victims of misconduct are critical to the department’s reform efforts.
Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Corrections Officer Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmate in His CustodyRead the Press Release
A former Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) Corrections Officer, Robert D. Smith, 39, was sentenced today in federal court to 24 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for sexually abusing an inmate while he was a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institution, in Aliceville, Alabama (FCI-Aliceville).
Smith previously pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a ward on Jan. 11.
“Robert Smith has been held to account for abusing his position of trust by sexually assaulting an adult in his custody,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s sentence marks the latest step forward in the Justice Department’s ongoing campaign to root out sexual misconduct from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Department will continue to hold accountable any BOP employee who violates their oath to protect those in their care through sexual assault.”
“Beyond the view of the cameras and the eyes of potential witnesses, this defendant sexually abused and assaulted vulnerable women inmates and thought he would get away with his crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This case should send an unequivocal message to officials working in correctional settings that we have zero tolerance for sexual assaults of women held inside jails and prisons. We encourage the survivors of these heinous crimes to report acts of official misconduct and violence to the FBI. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute those who violate the civil and constitutional rights of people detained in correctional facilities.”
“Corrections officers have the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of those incarcerated in our nation’s prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute corrections officers who abuse inmates and violate positions of public trust.”
“Today’s sentencing holds Smith accountable for the serious crimes he committed,” said Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz. “Smith sexually abused multiple inmates and he did so by taking them to areas of the prison without camera coverage. As the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has repeatedly found, the effective use of cameras by the FBOP is critical to preventing and deterring such criminal wrongdoing at its facilities.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Smith worked as a corrections officer at FCI-Aliceville, which is a low-security federal prison. As part of his duties, Smith was to ensure the safety and security of inmates housed at FCI-Aliceville and to uphold the U.S. Constitution.
While acting in his capacity as an officer, in or around February 2019, Smith knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a female inmate in official detention, who was under Smith’s custodial, supervisory or disciplinary authority. Smith committed this criminal act when he and his victim were in his office in the facilities department, which was away from cameras and other inmates and officers.
Smith also admitted to sexually abusing another inmate on a different occasion. Specifically, also while acting in his capacity as an officer, between on or about July 6, 2018, and Nov. 15, 2018, Smith knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a female inmate in official detention, who was under Smith’s custodial, supervisory or disciplinary authority. Smith committed this criminal act in the mechanical room, which Smith accessed with a key, and which was also away from cameras and other inmates and officers.
The Justice Department OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
FBOP is committed to rooting out misconduct within its ranks and working with law enforcement partners to prosecute violations of federal law. The numerous FBOP employees working diligently to ensure justice for the victims of misconduct are critical to the department’s reform efforts.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty on Last Day of TrialRead the Press Release
BIRMIHGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon pleaded guilty on Tuesday to drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger.
Eric Damone Wilson, 34, of Hoover, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco on the last day of trial testimony before the jury began deliberations. Wilson pled guilty to two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to evidence presented at trial and included in Wilson’s plea agreement, on two separate occasions in April 2022, Wilson distributed methamphetamine at a gas station in Birmingham and at his apartment in Hoover. Upon his arrest for those trafficking offenses, Wilson was found in possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl, digital scales, and a gun.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Allison Garnett and Brittany Byrd are prosecuting the case.
U.s. Attorney Prim Escalona Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In honor of National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. The week will be observed Saturday, May 11 through Friday, May 17, 2024.
“As our country recognizes National Police Week, the Justice Department joins families and communities in remembering the members of the law enforcement community who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the public,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “Policing is difficult and dangerous, yet time and time again, law enforcement officers answer the call, showing up for their communities when they are needed the most. Their devotion to duty is matched only by that of their loved ones who make daily sacrifices to support them. The Justice Department is committed to doing everything in our power to help provide our law enforcement partners with the resources they need to carry out their noble work on behalf of the public.”
“During Police Week, we honor the brave men and women in law enforcement for their selfless sacrifice to protect the citizens of the Northern District of Alabama,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “I extend my sincere gratitude for your courage and dedication.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe.
U.S. Attorney Escalona will attend the 9th Alabama Law Enforcement Memorial Service on May 17, 2024, at 11:00 am in Centennial Memorial Park in Anniston.
On Monday, May 13, the names of more than 280 officers killed in the line of duty in 2024 were read during a Candlelight Vigil. Those officers’ names have been added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. A recording of the livestream of this event can be watched at https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2024/candlelight-vigil/.
To learn more about National Police Week and the candlelight vigil, please visit www.policeweek.org.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to More Seven Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a Jefferson County man for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Terrell Corey McMullin, 31, of Fairfield, to 87 months in prison. In October 2023, a jury convicted McMullin of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 1, 2022, a Pleasant Grove police officer conducted a traffic stop on McMullin. The officer attempted to make contact with McMullin, but he sped away. The chase ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle and wrecked a short distance later. McMullin got out of the vehicle and ran. The pursuit ended when McMullin crossed into the Fairfield city limits. During the search of the abandoned vehicle, the officer found a Glock 9mm pistol with an installed “Glock switch” – a device designed to illegally convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machine gun – in the driver’s seat. The Glock was later determined to be stolen.
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.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Pleasant Grove Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Royster and William R. McComb are prosecuting the case.
National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona joins the Department of Justice and communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 21-27. This year’s theme “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors,” emphasizes the importance of creating safe environments for crime victims. In these places, crime victims can share what happened to them, receive support, learn about life-saving services, and gain hope.
“Our community’s system of values is built on a shared commitment to seeing and serving our neighbors who have been harmed or taken advantage of,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is a steadfast partner to help victims of crime remedy harm and rebuild a sense of safety after trauma has occurred.”
Over the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama has provided direct services to over 650 crime victims. The office also worked alongside community partners to raise awareness about human trafficking and opioids and to host trainings and events for community members and law enforcement focused on those problem areas. The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to maintain pivotal partnerships with One Place Metro Birmingham Family Justice Center, One Place of the Shoals, the National Children’s Advocacy Center, North Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Agency for Substance Abuse Prevention. These partnerships are key to expanding access to services and enabling crime victims to find the justice they seek, in whatever form that might take.
In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Financial Litigation Program (FLP) has worked tirelessly to recover illegally obtained funds and return them to crime victims. In 2023, the FLP collected over $11 million in restitution debts imposed in criminal cases. These funds were provided directly to crime victims. The FLP also collected nearly $400,000 in fines imposed in criminal cases in 2023.
“Rebuilding life after victimization is not a quick or simple process for survivors of crime,” added U.S. Attorney Escalona. “We are here to walk alongside victims, to help guide them through the justice system, and to connect them with resources within our community that can help them heal and move toward a safe and hope-filled future.”
The Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), during which victim advocacy organizations, community groups, and state, and local agencies traditionally host rallies, candlelight vigils, and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. For more information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week website.
The U.S. Attorney and staff will attend the following events in our local area to commemorate NCVRW 2024:
- One Heart in the Park hosted by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office on Saturday, April 20, 2024, beginning at 11 a.m. at Linn Park.
- NCVRW Candlelight Vigil hosted by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Bessemer Division on Thursday, April 25, 2024, beginning at 6 p.m. at Perfecting Reconciliation Church.
Montevallo Man Sentenced to More Than 33 years for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a Montevallo man for child pornography offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Timothy Joseph Page, 40, to 405 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In December 2023, Page pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. This conviction will require him to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to the plea agreement, Page produced child pornography depicting a twelve-year-old female. He was also in possession of more than 400 images of child pornography, including images depicting prepubescent children.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
HSI investigated the case along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Alabaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
Birmingham Man Convicted on Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – Today, A jury convicted a Birmingham man of a fentanyl-related drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer.
The jury returned a guilty verdict against Demarcus Hill, age, of 42, after one day of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Corey Maze. Hill was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
“Removing fentanyl pills from our communities is not just a priority; it’s a duty to protect lives,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “Partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement are an integral part of our efforts to remove dangerous drugs from the streets and keep our communities safe.”
“Evidence presented at trial showed the defendant traveled across state lines to obtain a dangerous amount of fentanyl pills with the intent of distributing them in Alabama. This reckless disregard for public safety put countless lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer. “This sentencing sends a clear message that the DEA will continue to disrupt drug trafficking organizations, seize deadly drugs, and hold those responsible accountable.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Hill and his co-defendant, JT Toombs, drove from Birmingham to Atlanta, Georgia, where they picked up over 2000 fentanyl pills to bring back to Birmingham. An Oxford Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle on Interstate 20. His canine detected the odor of narcotics, and after searching the vehicle, the officer found the fentanyl pills.The maximum penalty for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl is 40 years in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case along with the Oxford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Blake Milner and Brittany Byrd are prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Launches Carjacking Task Forces in Targeted Areas Across the CountryRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that 11 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have now established a carjacking task force to focus efforts and resources on this important public safety threat.
“The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do so by targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime and by acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. We’re seeing results — with violent crime declining broadly nationwide,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, we are launching seven new carjacking task forces across the country to build on the success of task forces in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where available data shows that carjacking rates are now falling. When prosecutors, officers, agents, and analysts come together to crunch data, share intelligence, and apply best practices, we can make real progress in the fight against all forms of violent crime, including carjacking.”
In keeping with the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, the task forces represent a strategic enforcement priority for the Department, focusing federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime.
Building on the initial efforts of and best practices learned from carjacking task forces in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Columbia, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the following seven districts are announcing the creation of carjacking task forces in their communities:
- District of Oregon
- Eastern District of Texas
- Northern District of Alabama
- Northern District of California
- Eastern District of Louisiana
- Southern District of Mississippi
- Western District of Washington
Carjacking and other violent crime task forces have proven to be an effective part of successful violent crime reduction strategies by focusing on significant crime drivers and taking violent offenders off the streets of our communities. For example, carjackings in Philadelphia declined by 31% from 2022 to 2023, and armed carjackings are down 28% in the District of Columbia this year compared to the same period in 2023. In Chicago, carjackings decreased 29% from a high in 2021 through the end of 2023.
The newly formed task forces will be led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), working alongside state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners. At initial kickoff meetings, task force members will come together to institute expedited sharing and prompt action procedures related to car thefts, carjackings, and the recovery of stolen or suspect vehicles — as well as effective evidence gathering and technology exploitation strategies. The task forces will also collaborate on how to use federal sentencing enhancements for cases where adults use juveniles to commit carjackings, as well as work with state and local authorities to ensure the appropriate handling of juvenile suspects. The task forces will also assist state and local officials who wish to seek Justice Department grant funding for juvenile intervention and diversion resources.
Five Individuals Charged in Elder Fraud Scheme, Including Two In-Home CaretakersRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Five individuals have been charged in an elder fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
In March, a twelve-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charged Mykia Henderson, 32, of Moody, Cynthia H. Mixon, 50, of Fairfield, and Corey Webb, 44, of Moody, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, between December 2020 and February 2022, Mixon and Henderson, who are mother and daughter, were the caretakers for the elderly victim. Corey Webb was Henderson’s husband. During this time, the three defendants devised a scheme to defraud the victim by charging the victim’s credit cards through accounts set up by Square, Inc. and Stripe, Inc., issuing checks to themselves drawn on the victim’s bank accounts, and transferring the funds they received to their own personal bank accounts.
Two additional defendants have also been charged related to this scheme.
In March, Whitney Wallace, 33, of Birmingham, was charged in an information with wire fraud. According to the information, Wallace was employed as the victim’s house cleaner. Between December 2021 and March 2022, Wallace stole the victim’s credit card information and continued using the card to make purchases for personal items after she stopped working for the victim. Wallace used the fraudulently obtained credit card information to purchase items from Amazon.com, Target.com, and DoorDash in the amount of approximately $43,227.12.
In January, Shakira English, 23, of Birmingham, was charged in an eleven-count indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. English was a hairdresser. She maintained a payment-processing account with Square, Inc. that she would use to charge customers’ credit or debit cards for payment. Between May 2020 and October 2021, English used her Square, Inc. account to fraudulently charge the victim’s credit cards over $130,000 and then transferred the funds into her personal bank account.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for wire fraud is 20 years in prison. The mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft is two years.
The Mountain Brook Police Department and FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan S. Rummage is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Tuscaloosa Men Plead Guilty to COVID-19 Program FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced two Tuscaloosa men this week for defrauding the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
These cases are the part of a collaboration between the U.S. Secret Service and local partners to identify and focus enforcement on individuals who defrauded the systems meant to provide relief during the pandemic. The joint effort also addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute violent offenders in the Northern District of Alabama.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler presided over the two unrelated cases. Kenzarian Lemark Harris, age 38, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for PPP fraud. Harris pleaded guilty in November 2023 to wire fraud. According to the plea agreement, in February 2021 Harris submitted false and fraudulent PPP loan applications and received a PPP loan totaling more than $20,833. Harris’ loan application included fraudulent tax and bank records and several misrepresentations – including that his business was in operation, that the business had employees for whom it paid salaries, that the PPP funds would be used to retain workers, and that the information provided in the loan applications was true and accurate.
The court separately sentenced Reginald Dewayne Rhodes, Jr., age 26, to 18 months in prison for PPP loan fraud. Rhodes pleaded guilty in October 2023 to wire fraud. According to the plea agreement, between April and June 2021, Rhodes applied for and received a fraudulent PPP loan in the amount of $11,770. Rhodes claimed to own and operate a carpet cleaning business that did not exist, and his application included fraudulent tax and bank records.
In addition to their prison sentences, the court ordered both Harris and Rhodes to pay restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration in the full amount of the PPP loans, plus interest.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the cases, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Harrington prosecuted.
Throughout the country, federal, state, and local law enforcement are on high alert to investigate reports of individuals and businesses engaging in a wide range of fraudulent and criminal behavior. For more information about these scams visit 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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Member of the Gangster Disciples Sentenced to 235 Months in Prison for Role in Wide-Ranging, Prison-Based ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala – The last defendant involved in a prison-based phone scam that targeted retailers throughout the country has been sentenced, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Otis Bowers aka “Big O,” 44, of Bessemer, to 235 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Bowers smuggled controlled substances and other contraband into Donaldson Correctional Facility, which helped further the prison-based phone scam at the center of the investigation.
U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre previously sentenced seven other defendants involved in the scheme, including the following:
On August 15, 2023, one of the organizers and leaders of the conspiracy, Ricardo Poole, Sr., aka “Raoul,” 48, of Bessemer, was sentenced to 234 months in prison. He pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and aggravated identity theft.
On November 20, 2023, a manager and supervisor of the conspiracy, Kortney Jovan Simon, 43, of Birmingham, was sentenced to 144 months in prison. Simon pleaded guilty in January 2023 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
On October 3, 2023, a “skit” caller involved with the conspiracy, Terry Ray Bradshaw, aka “Skitzo,” 39, of Remlap, was sentenced to 61 months in prison. Bradshaw pleaded guilty in February 2023 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
On June 27, 2023, Ricardo Poole, Jr., 25, of Birmingham was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Poole, Jr. pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, between September 2020 and May 2022, Poole Sr. led a group of inmates housed at Donaldson Correctional Facility (Donaldson), who used telephone scams called “skits” to trick employees at The Home Depot, Inc. (Home Depot) into activating pre-paid gift cards. “Skit runners” used contraband cell phones, social engineering techniques, and spoofing technology to trick retailers into transferring funds to inmates under fraudulent pretenses. The defendants would use the fraudulently activated gift cards to make purchases.
Bradshaw was a “skit runner” who was housed at Donaldson for most of the period charged in the indictment. In private Facebook messages Bradshaw referred to himself as a “hacker” and a “professional phone scam artist.” On November 21, 2020, for example, Bradshaw told a Facebook contact that he was “the best scam artist this side of [the] Mississippi.”
During the relevant period, Bradshaw worked for members of the Gangster Disciples—a violent national criminal gang, founded in Chicago, and active across the U.S., including Alabama. At all relevant times, Poole Sr., Simon, and Bowers were members of the Gangster Disciples. Poole, Jr. assisted Poole, Sr. in the carrying out the scheme.
Bradshaw targeted Home Depot and other retailers with “skit” calls. He would then provide the gift card information he obtained to other members of the conspiracy who would purchase products or take steps to liquidate the cards. In exchange for his work as a “skit runner,” Bradshaw received protection from the Gangster Disciples, luxury items like Cartier glasses, and controlled substances like methamphetamine. As Poole Sr. explained in a series of messages he sent to a co-conspirator: “I got to pay the dude that be ordering shit,” “[h]e on ice so I got to keep him hi[gh],” and “I got to pay this dude to keep this shit coming.”
In connection with this aspect of the scheme, Poole, Sr. conspired with Bowers and others to smuggle controlled substances into Donaldson, including methamphetamine and heroin. One of the ways in which members of the conspiracy smuggled contraband into Donaldson and other ADOC facilities was by paying bribes to correctional staff. At other times, members of the conspiracy smuggled contraband into Donaldson and other ADOC facilities by throwing it over the perimeter fence, i.e., the “fence play.” As Poole Sr. explained to a co-conspirator, “I can get it thrown over or I can have it placed somewhere out there and have it brought in.”
In March 2022, Bowers and Poole Sr. worked together to smuggle controlled substances and other contraband into Donaldson in a “fence play.” The scheme was interrupted by law enforcement who confronted a group of co-conspirators trespassing on state property at Donaldson. After being confronted by ADOC officers, the subjects dropped multiple bags containing contraband and fled into a wooded area near the facility. Among other things, the bags contained heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, Delta-Nine-Tetrahydrocannabinol, and over a kilogram methamphetamine. ADOC officers also recovered a Ruger, Model LC9, 9mm pistol; 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition; an extended gun magazine; five pocket knives, one canister of pepper spray; 15 packages of Suboxone, a prescription medication used to treat opioid use disorder; 7 packages of Buprenorphine, another prescription medication used to treat opioid use disorder; 18 small packages containing more than 3.2 kilograms of suspected marijuana; 27 packages of THC gummies; cell phones; cell phone chargers; cell phone cables; a mobile hotspot; memory cards; SIM cards; scales; lighters; individually wrapped cigarillos and cigar wrappers; and shoes, jewelry, and watches.
The U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case. Home Depot’s Asset Protection Investigations – Organized Retail Crime Group, the Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation all provided significant assistance during the investigation.
Tuscaloosa County Man Sentenced to over 15 Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a Tuscaloosa County man on charges of transportation and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Nathaniel David Struening, 43, of Buhl, Alabama, to 188 months in prison followed by supervised release for life. Struening was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to the child victims. Struening pled guilty in November 2023 to one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
In 2020, FBI Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, was investigating numerous groups of individuals engaged in the receipt, possession, distribution and possible production of child sexual abuse material through a proactive operation. As part of the FBI’s operation, online covert employees documented these illegal activities and forwarded the documentation for further investigation to the appropriate FBI field office. According to court documents, Struening transported child pornography in a group on the social media application, Kik. Federal search warrants were obtained for Struening’s Kik account and his residence where several electronic devices were seized. Additional child pornography was found in his possession.
The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case, along with the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Division of the FBI, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Homewood Police Department, and Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Alabama Man Arrested on Federal Dog Fighting and Firearms Charges; Seventy-Eight Dogs Rescued and “Destructive Device” RecoveredRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury indicted an Alabama man on charges of illegally possessing dogs for fighting purposes and illegally possessing three firearms subsequent to a felony conviction.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama unsealed the indictment in conjunction with the arrest today of Carlton Lenard Adams, 51, of Bessemer and Adger. According to court documents filed in this case, Adams maintained a stock of 78 fighting dogs at three properties – two in Bessemer and one in Adger – and all were rescued by federal authorities.
Agents also recovered tools and supplies used in the training and keeping of dogs used for fighting. This included modified treadmills to hold dogs in place for dog fight conditioning, injectable veterinary steroids, suture materials and syringes, skin staplers, a homemade breeding stand used to immobilize female dogs who are too aggressive to mate naturally and a break stick device used to break the bite hold of a dog during specified intervals in a dog fight.
The defendant was further found to possess two pistols and a semi-automatic shotgun known colloquially as a “Street Sweeper.” The latter is considered as not just a firearm but a “destructive device” under federal law.
The dogs were rescued and cared for by a program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service. Following a separate, successful civil forfeiture action brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the dogs did not have to be returned to the defendant, but could instead be rehabilitated and evaluated for possible adoption.
If convicted, Adams faces penalties up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each firearms charge and up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count of animal fighting charges. Under federal law, it is illegal to fight animals and to possess, train, transport, deliver, receive, buy or sell animals intended for use in an animal fighting venture.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona of the Northern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, FBI and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency are investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rummage for the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Austin Shutt for the Northern District of Alabama handled the civil forfeiture case, which ensured that the dogs did not have to be returned to the defendant.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Texas man and convicted felon on gun and drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Wyndle Dorsie Shepherd, Jr, 31, of Wake Village, Texas, to 180 months in prison. Shepherd pleaded guilty in November 2023 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in.
According to the plea agreement, a Demopolis Police Department agent was patrolling I-20/I-59 in Boligee, Alabama, in March 2022 when the agent stopped Shepherd for speeding. Shepherd was traveling alone through Alabama on his way back to Texas in a rental car. The traffic stop ultimately led the agent to search the vehicle. During the search, the agent found a loaded and chambered Taurus 9mm pistol under the driver’s seat, a box of 9mm ammunition, a small bottle containing marijuana, 3 ounces of loose marijuana in a clear plastic bag, and a plastic bag containing drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine.
ATF investigated the case along with the Demopolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney L. Plyler and Kristy M. Peoples prosecuted the case.
Birmingham Home Builder Pleads Guilty to $1.2 Million-Dollar FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man has pleaded guilty to defrauding more than a dozen victims whose homes he had promised to build, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
Cecil Wayne Sanford, 58, of Birmingham, pleaded guilty before Judge Annemarie Carney Axon to one count of wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement, Sanford was a residential builder in Alabama who operated through his business, Stone Pointe Builders, LLC. Between 2020 and early 2022, more than a dozen victims in the Birmingham area contracted with Sanford to build their homes and paid Sanford substantial sums of money (tens of thousands of dollars or more). Yet the victims saw little or no work done despite Sanford’s representations, draws on their construction loans, and invoices for construction-related expenses. Sanford made statements to victims about how their funds would be used and then spent the money in other ways, including to pay his own living expenses. In February 2022, days after closing with a family on a construction contract and collecting more than $27,000 from the family as a down payment, Sanford moved $10,000 into his personal bank account, withdrew it, abruptly closed the business, and left town. In his plea agreement, Sanford agreed to pay restitution to victims totaling more than $1.2 million.
Sanford will be sentenced later this year.
The maximum penalty for wire fraud is twenty years in prison.
The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward is prosecuting it. The Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board assisted in the investigation.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and National Children’s Advocacy Center Partner to Educate Parents on SextortionRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – During Child Abuse Prevention Month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered to release a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. But the commitment does not end there. The USAO continues to prosecute child predators and prevent the proliferation of these abhorrent crimes, but the public’s support is needed help protect our children from exploitation.
“Engaged parents and teachers are our first-line defense against child predators,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona. “I am happy to come alongside the NCAC to educate parents on such an important topic. As your U.S. Attorney and a mother of four, I encourage parents to put in as many safeguards as they can when it comes to their children using devices. The technological advancements of camera phones - the ease and norm these days of snapping, sharing, and posting images on the various of social media platforms and apps that our youth have access to – has created an opportunity for those with nefarious intentions to take full advantage. Together, we can create a shield of protection around our children and ensure their well-being.”
“Young people are vulnerable to sextortion for many reasons that we will discuss throughout this video series,” said NCAC CEO Chris Newlin. “Emerging research tells us 60% of the victims know the perpetrator, and these victims are more often male than female. Through our collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we hope to empower parents with vital tools to guide children through the natural curiosity surrounding sexuality while safeguarding them from people who use these curiosities to cause harm.”
This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities. Presentations from individuals familiar with sextortion and the impact on victims share diverse strategies and resources that parents and caregivers can use to protect their children. The presenters will include leaders from various federal, state, and local agencies. Parents will learn how to start the dialog about sextortion with their child and how to best respond to a child who comes forward to report sextortion. Parents will be informed on who to contact for help if their child has potentially been affected by sextortion or online child sexual abuse. Importantly, the series will explore potential mental health repercussions and explain what to do if a child needs that type of help after being targeted.
A new video will be released every Monday in April.
Monday, April 1 – U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona, Sextortion and the Internet
Monday, April 8 – USAA Deputy Director Trisha Mellberg Cater, Sextortion and Cyberbullying
Monday, April 15 – Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Director Sallye Longshore, Talking with Your Child About Sextortion
Monday, April 21 – ANCAC Executive Director Lynn Bius, Sextortion and the Suicide Risk
Monday, April 28 – NCAC CEO Chris Newlin, Sextortion and Youth Vulnerabilities
The videos can be accessed from the following locations:
nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/
https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac
Anyone can become a victim. The Northern District of Alabama and the National Children’s Advocacy Center strive to safeguard all children. To help protect your children from online predators, we encourage parents to:
- Tell your children to avoid communicating with strangers online.
- Explain to your children that sometimes predators will offer them gifts in exchange for them taking and sending sexually explicit images or videos. Sometimes, the predators will make threats. Parents should explain to their children that these are strategies abusers use to get what they want, and if this happens, the child should not feel guilty. Instead, they should tell a parent or other trusted adult.
- To the extent possible, educate yourself about the internet tools your children use. For example, set up your child’s specific profile on cellphones, iPads, and computer devices to limit the websites and content your child can access, and have a weekly “usage” sheet sent to you for that profile. Make sure your children use privacy settings to restrict access to their online profiles.
- Check your children’s social media and gaming profiles and posts. Talk to your children about what is appropriate to say or share.
- Remind your child the world can see what they publicly post on the internet, people can share those posts, and that images can never be fully erased.
Federal offenses charged as a result of sextortion and the sexual exploitation of children are serious federal crimes, carrying severe penalties for offenders and potentially long-term impacts for victims. Some violations carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted and continues to prosecute child exploitation cases in the Northern District of Alabama.
In May 2006, the Department of Justice launched a nationwide initiative called Project Safe Childhood to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)’s website at www.cybertipline.com, call 1-800-843-5678.
Medical Sales Rep and Former Pain Clinic Owner Sentenced in Related Multi-Million-Dollar Health Care Fraud CasesRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A Gadsden medical sales representative and a Rainbow City pain clinic owner were sentenced today for their roles in health care fraud conspiracies that cost insurers millions of dollars. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Special Agent in Charge Tamela Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Atlanta Region made the announcement.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced James Ewing Ray, 53, of Gadsden, to 40 months for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Ray was ordered to forfeit more than $850,000 and to pay restitution to victims of more than $5.3 million. According to Ray’s plea agreement, Ray was a sales representative who marketed to doctors’ offices various health care products and services, including topical prescription creams from specialty pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME), and electro-diagnostic testing. Ray was paid fees for the prescriptions, DME, and tests he generated from doctors.
From at least 2012 through 2018, Ray conspired to pay and receive kickbacks to induce medical providers to issue medically unnecessary prescriptions and order medically unnecessary goods and services, which were then billed to Medicare and other health insurers. Among those services was nerve conduction testing provided by a Huntsville-based electro-diagnostic testing company called QBR or Diagnostic Referral Community. Ray received per-patient kickbacks from QBR for inducing medical providers to order tests from QBR. Medical providers received kickbacks from QBR too, disguised as hourly payments for the ordering physician’s time and staff’s time but in reality payments for every patient who got a test.
Judge Coogler sentenced David Lyle Shehi, 43, of Rainbow City, to 28 months for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Shehi was also ordered to pay forfeiture and restitution to his victims. According to Shehi’s plea agreement, Shehi owned Etowah Pain, a pain clinic in Rainbow City, and was paid kickbacks in exchange for his practice’s ordering nerve conduction tests from QBR that would be billed to Medicare and other health insurance programs. Shehi also caused his practice to routinely bill health insurance programs for patient office visits using the code that would generate the highest reimbursement—even though that code was not appropriate and Shehi was warned that billing in this way was not allowed.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward and Don Long are prosecuting it.
See related press here:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/pain-clinic-owners-sentenced-unlawfully-distributing-opioids-and-multimillion-dollar
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/etowah-pain-clinic-owner-pleads-guilty-multi-million-dollar-kickback-and-health-care
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/multiple-defendants-sentenced-major-compounding-pharmacy-fraud-conspiracy
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/new-hope-man-sentenced-his-role-multi-million-dollar-kickback-and-health-care-fraud.
Talladega Man Indicted and Arrested for Submitting False Loan Application to a BankRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted a Talladega man for making false statements to a bank on a commercial loan application that resulted in a loss to the bank of over $550,000, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Bermun Deamon McGhee, 44, of Talladega, with making false statements to obtain a bank loan.
According to the indictment, in December 2021, McGhee provided fraudulent information on a loan application to Peoples Bank of Alabama. McGhee fraudulently claimed, among other things, that he possessed $965,000 “Cash on Hand and in Banks” in various checking accounts and savings accounts.
FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rummage is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Member of “Noir’s Luxury Refunds” Telegram Channel Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A member of “Noir’s Luxury Refunds” pled guilty today to participating in a fraud conspiracy, organized through the cloud-based messaging service Telegram, that targeted retailers across the country, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
Brian Nicklaus Buchanan, 28, of Clayton, North Carolina, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
According to court documents, Buchanan was a member of Noir’s Organization, a group that operated the Telegram channel “Noir’s Luxury Refunds,” as well as other fraud-based Telegram channels. Noir’s Luxury Refunds was dedicated to refund fraud, a type of fraud where a purchaser claims to return an item, receives a refund, but keeps the product. Customers would pay Noir’s Organization a percentage of the product price in exchange for the organization fraudulently refunding the item on the customer’s behalf. Noir’s Organization marketed itself as having the expertise to defraud retailers across the world in a wide range of industries. At one point, the Noir’s Luxury Refunds channel had over 5,900 followers. Noir’s Organization operated from July 2020 until July 2022.
Documents reflect that the group obtained refunds or attempted to obtain refunds for millions of dollars’ worth of products, including electronics, designer clothing and apparel, home furnishings, and appliances. Noir’s Organization used a variety of tactics to commit refund fraud, including social engineering to manipulate customer services representatives into issuing refunds, manipulating shipping labels to deceive a retailer into believing they had received a returned product when it had not, and recruiting customer service representatives as “insiders” to perform refunds on the conspiracy’s behalf. Noir’s Organization also developed malware that would target retailers’ websites to facilitate refund fraud by circumventing fraud prevention measures.
Ten other individuals who are alleged to have been members of Noir’s Organization have been indicted in related cases pending in the Northern District of Alabama:
- Aiman Akram Kaif, also known as “Dior,” 19, from New York, New York;
- Damion Wayne Scarlett, also known as “Dash,” 23, from Deer Park, New York;
- Dhruv Gargi, also known as “Panda,” 24, from Newark, New Jersey;
- David James Park, also known as “Plutus,” 22, from Phoenix, Arizona;
- Andre Johannes Ischler Simonet, also known as “Chief,” 22, from Northfield, Minnesota;
- Nicholas John Caruso, also known as “Deaf,” 31, from Dallas, Texas;
- Jennifer Mireya Palma, also known as “Bianca,” 23, from Los Angeles, California;
- CK Chikong Tran, also known as “Radiant,” 28, from New York, New York;
- Tyree Samuel Tinsley, also known as “Tysamtin,” 30, from Richmond, Virginia; and
- Jason Seib, also known as “Waynor,” 42, from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Hundscheid and Edward J. Canter are prosecuting the cases.
Assistance was provided by Target Corporation; Amazon.com, Inc.; Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.; Wayfair Inc.; Dell Technologies; Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.; American Airlines Group Inc.; Hewlett Packard Incorporated; Adidas AG; eBay Inc.; and Google’s CyberCrime Investigation Group. The Sûreté Nationale of Morrocco also provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Operation Chargeback, an FBI investigation into organized refund fraud groups across the United States and internationally. Cases have also been brought in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of Oklahoma as part of the initiative.For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Representative John Rogers Agrees to Plead Guilty in Fraud Case Involving the Jefferson County Community Service FundRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama State Representative John Rogers has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice in connection with the scheme to defraud the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman.
In a plea agreement filed today in United States District Court, John Westley Rogers, Jr., 83, of Birmingham, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. Rogers has also agreed to resign from the Alabama House of Representatives. In February 2024, Rogers’s former assistant and companion, Varrie Johnson Kindall, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Rogers and former Representative Fred L. Plump, Jr. to defraud the Fund. Plump also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges in June 2023 and resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives.
According to the second superseding indictment, in 2015 the Alabama Legislature passed Alabama Act No. 2015-226 (the “Act”) and authorized the Jefferson County Commission to levy and distribute a one percent sales tax and a one percent use tax to benefit the public welfare and enhance the education of the children of Jefferson County. Jefferson County began levying the new taxes in or about August 2017. The Act required the County to distribute the tax revenue according to certain specified priorities, including paying debt incurred during school construction, increasing the County’s general fund, giving funds to each board of education serving students in the County, and for certain other purposes set forth in the Act.
The Act created the Jefferson County Community Service Fund (the “Fund”), which was subsidized by approximately $3.6 million annually from the new taxes. The Act also created the Jefferson County Community Service Committee (the “Committee”), the four members of which were elected by members of the Jefferson County House and Senate delegations. The Committee was responsible for ensuring that the Fund was used only for the purposes set forth in the Act, which included to support public entities and projects such as schools, libraries, museums, parks, zoos, neighborhood associations, athletic facilities, youth sports associations, road construction, the performing arts, police departments, the sheriff’s office, fire departments, and certain nonprofit entities. Each Representative and Senator representing Jefferson County could make recommendations to the Committee of expenditures from their allotted amount of the Fund. These recommendations were made on a form created by the Committee that required certain certifications by the legislator. The organization receiving the funds was required to submit information about the organization and confirm that it intended to use the money for a public purpose. During each fiscal year from 2018 to 2022, each Representative was allocated approximately $100,000 and each Senator was allocated approximately $240,000 from the Fund.
The second superseding indictment identifies certain relevant parties. Defendant John Rogers was a long-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Fred L. Plump, Jr. served as the Executive Director of the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League (“Piper Davis”), a nonprofit organization that claimed to provide a positive sporting experience for inner city youth in Jefferson County. Varrie Johnson Kindall was Rogers’ personal and professional assistant. Individual #1 was the Founder of Organization #1.
Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, Defendant Rogers was allocated approximately $500,000 by the Fund. Rogers directed approximately $400,000 of those discretionary funds to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump gave approximately $200,000 to Rogers and Kindall as a kickback.
The second superseding indictment alleges that from in or about March 2019, and continuing through April 2023, Rogers and Kindall conspired with Plump to defraud and obtain money from the Fund. It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracy that Rogers, with Kindall’s assistance, recommended during each fiscal year that most of his allotment of Fund money be paid to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump agreed to pay kickbacks to Rogers and Kindall. Rogers, Kindall, and Plump submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’s intended use of Fund money, and Rogers’s certifications on the request forms were false. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Rogers and Kindall for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis. The second superseding indictment also alleges that, in 2019, Rogers directed Fund money to Organization #1 and Kindall then required Individual #1 to pay kickbacks.
Additionally, the second superseding indictment alleges that, after learning about the federal investigation into the fraud scheme, Rogers and Kindall attempted to obstruct justice by offering a witness grant money as a bribe and otherwise trying to corruptly persuade the witness to give false information to federal agents. It is also alleged that Rogers and Kindall agreed that she would accept full responsibility for the crimes and falsely tell federal investigators that Rogers did not participate in the scheme in exchange for Rogers’s promise to take care of personal issues for Kindall if she went to prison. As part of that agreement, Rogers had Kindall give false statements to investigators and prosecutors during a meeting at the United States Attorney’s Office on May 25, 2023.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to obstruct justice is 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin, Catherine Crosby, and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States Attorney Prim Escalona Holds United Against Hate Event at Alabama A&M UniversityRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – United States Attorney Prim Escalona announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office held an event at Alabama A&M University to promote the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate initiative. The event, which included federal prosecutors and state and local law enforcement partners, focused on educating students on how to identify, report, and prevent hate crimes.
With approximately 195 students attending, Alabama A&M hosted subject matter experts from the United States Attorney’s Office; Montrez Payton, Chief of Police, Alabama A&M University; and Tafeni English-Relf, State of Alabama Director, Southern Poverty Law Center. Presenters highlighted differences between hate crimes and hate incidents and provided options for responding to hate incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime. Presenters also distinguished unlawful conduct from protected First Amendment activity, including distinguishing between protected speech and speech that advocates violence or encourages people to commit hate crimes.
U.S. Attorney Escalona previously hosted meetings in November 2023 in the Birmingham area at Ramsay High School for students and faculty and in the community with the FBI Birmingham Division and the Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee, which consists of community leaders from across the Northern District of Alabama.
“Through the United Against Hate initiative, we are working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners and community stakeholders to prevent hate crimes and incidents through education and awareness,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “It is so important to build community trust so that people feel comfortable reporting hate crimes. We want people to feel safe in their communities and that means they should be free of fear based on what they look like, where they are from, what faith they practice, and who they love.”
Those who believe they are subject to hate crimes or incidents should contact local law enforcement and the FBI. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Anyone in the Northern District of Alabama may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama by calling 205-244-2001.
Four Individuals Arrested During Joint Law Enforcement Operation in Tuscaloosa CountyRead the Press Release
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A 3-month operation focused on combatting the illegal possession of “Glock switches” in the City of Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas resulted in the arrests of four individuals, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
“Possession of a ‘Glock switch’ by an individual is a threat to the peace and safety of our communities. Our hope is that these arrests and continuing enforcement efforts across North Alabama will have a deterrent effect,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona. “Our ongoing collaboration with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners is instrumental in reducing violent crime and removing illegal firearms from our communities.”
“This operation demonstrates the effectiveness of working together to confront a growing threat to public safety,” said Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley. “Combining resources to enforce and prosecute offenders is the most effective way to stop the threat before it becomes more widespread. These partnerships between federal, state, and local agencies will strengthen our efforts to remove dangerous firearms from our community.”
In February, nine individuals were indicted on firearm charges. Of the nine, seven individuals were indicted on charges of illegal possession of machine gun conversion devices, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch” and two individuals were indicted on charges involving straw purchases of firearms. The federal indictments are the result of collaborative efforts with the ATF, Tuscaloosa Police Department, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and Tuscaloosa District Attorney’s Office to identify and focus enforcement on individuals who illegally possess “Glock switches” and firearms in the Northern District of Alabama.
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.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Individuals Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury indicted three individuals for their role in operating a scheme to defraud Chase Bank, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division.
A three-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Jon-Christopher Arrington Spencer, also known as “JC Spencer,” also known as “Money Mike,” 22, of Bessemer; Haley Monique Perkins, 21, of Pleasant Grove; and Jeffery Dwaine Moody, Jr., 22, of Birmingham with conspiracy and bank fraud. Spencer also was charged with theft of mail matter.
The indictment alleges that between May 2022 and August 31, 2022, Spencer, Perkins, and Moody conspired together to defraud Chase Bank. To achieve this goal, the defendants obtained three fraudulent checks drawn on three businesses’ banking accounts. These three businesses had deposited checks after hours into the blue depository boxes at the Meadowbrook U.S. Post Office. Those three checks were then stolen from the depository boxes. The fraudulent checks were made payable to Moody and deposited into a Chase Bank account controlled by him. The defendants attempted twice to withdraw money for personal use from this Moody-controlled bank account. The total value of the checks deposited into the bank account and drawn on the accounts belonging to three separate businesses was more than $7,000.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bank fraud is 30 years in prison. The maximum penalty for theft of mail matter is five years in prison.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittney L. Plyler is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Men Convicted in a Scheme to Defraud a Professional AthleteRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – Two men were convicted of financial crimes, including money laundering, structuring, tax fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against a professional athlete, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, ATF Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office Demetrius D. Hardeman, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division.
The jury returned a guilty verdict against Anthony Lamon Frazier, 41, of Talladega, and Frederick Andre Spencer, 38, of Birmingham, after four days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze. Frazier was convicted on twenty-four counts of money laundering, four counts of structuring, and three counts of tax fraud. Both Frazier and Spencer were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“This fraud was driven by the defendants’ greed,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who commit complex financial crimes. I want to thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners for their hard work investigating and prosecuting this case.”
“The verdict brought in this trial will have an immediate impact on this community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Watson. “This collaborative investigation, and the verdict rendered, will ensure those responsible for criminal activity in our community are held responsible. We at ATF will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners in our continuing effort to combat violent crime, maintain public safety, and remove criminals who continuously show total disregard for the law.”
“A primary component of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service mission is to ensure public trust in the mail,” said Scott Fix, Inspector-in-Charge of the Houston Division. “When individuals like Frazier and Spencer challenge that mission, Postal Inspectors will aggressively investigate and remain steadfast in our resolve to seek justice to the end.”
“The defendants unjustly enriched themselves through financial fraud on their victim,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners will continue actively pursuing those who engage in these types of illegal financial activities.”
According to evidence presented at trial, between 2017 and 2020, Frazier worked as a Talladega County Tax Assessor, and used his county work truck for drug trafficking and money laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. Frazier purchased and deposited postal money orders and input false information on the orders, purporting that they were for car sales, to launder his drug proceeds into his business bank accounts. Frazier also structured these proceeds into bank accounts and, in doing so, avoided reporting requirements for the U.S. Postal Service and for PNC Bank.
At the same time, Frazier and Spencer agreed to work on behalf of a professional athlete to create a sports-marketing agency called “Head of Game.” The professional athlete invested $500,000 for the purpose of building this agency and, based on promises made by Frazier and Spencer, wired the money into a “Head of Game” bank account held by Frazier. Frazier immediately wired almost half of the funds into a bank account for “Mom and Son’s Towing,” which was held by Spencer’s mother. In 2019 and 2020, Spencer and Frazier used the athlete’s money on various personal expenses rather than to build the marketing agency. Spencer and Frazier spent the money on luxury travel and dental bills and repeatedly withdrew bulk cash. By mid-2020, almost all the initial $500,000 investment had been spent to enrich Frazier and Spencer and not for the agreed-upon purposes. Frazier used over $100,000 of the Head of Game money to purchase a house in Atlanta on a short sale and deposited the proceeds of the sale into one of his own accounts.
The evidence also showed that Frazier substantially underreported his income on his 2017, 2018, and 2019 tax returns. Specifically, he did not report income relating to drug proceeds and fraud proceeds from Head of Game.
Prior to trial but as part of the same indictment, Spencer also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, false statements on a loan application, and wire fraud for his involvement in submitting false loan materials under the Paycheck Protection Program and obtaining “Covid loan” money from the Small Business Administration based on those false representations.
This investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Established in 1982, OCDETF is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized-crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation by using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to enforcement. OCDETF leverages the resources and expertise of its partners in concentrated, coordinated, long-term enterprise investigations of transnational organized crime, money laundering, and major drug trafficking networks.
ATF, IRS-CI, and USPIS investigated the case along with the Talladega County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Allison Garnett, Blake Milner, and Austin Shutt prosecuted the case.
Talladega County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Sylacauga man was sentenced on child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge James DeLoatch.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Lavon Paul Tarpley, 45, to 240 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for distribution of child pornography. Tarpley pleaded guilty to the charge in November 2023.
According to the plea agreement, in December 2020, an FBI Online Covert Employee (OCE) who is a member of the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in Albany, New York, was conducting an undercover operation involving the Kik messenger application. As part of the FBI’s operation, they discovered that Tarpley was an administrator of a specific group that was frequented by individuals who have a sexual interest in children, incest, and the production of child sexual abuse material. Tarpley distributed child pornography to members in this group. Additionally, on February 21, 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline Report from Kik who reported Tarpley for uploading numerous files of child pornography on its application.
“The harms caused by child pornography are so extensive. Child pornography is a permanent record of a child’s horrific abuse and the continued circulation by individuals like Tarpley magnifies the harm to the child,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “Victims and their families live every day with the knowledge that this cycle of revictimization may never end due to individuals like Tarpley. Deterrence in these type cases is of utmost importance. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners in Alabama and Albany, New York, this predator has been held accountable for his actions.”
“There is an inherent risk to children anywhere the opportunity exists to communicate online. That’s why the FBI continues to be proactive in our efforts to protect them, casting a wide net over the various online applications and internet platforms where children are vulnerable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge James DeLoatch. “Investigations like these demonstrate the outstanding work achieved in a collaborative environment with our law enforcement partners.”
The FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Trussville Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million-Dollar Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Another individual has pleaded guilty in a series of related cases involving multi-million-dollar health care fraud conspiracies, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles.
John Alan Robson, 40, of Trussville, pleaded guilty yesterday to health care fraud conspiracy.
According to the plea agreement, Robson was a sales representative who marketed to doctors’ offices various health care products and services, including topical prescription creams from specialty pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME), and electro-diagnostic testing. Robson was paid fees for the prescriptions, DME, and tests he generated from doctors. From at least 2014 through 2018, Robson conspired with others to pay and receive kickbacks to induce medical providers to issue medically unnecessary prescriptions and order medically unnecessary goods and services, which were then billed to Medicare and other health insurers.
Two of the sales reps named in Robson’s indictment as having engaged in the same conspiracy conduct have previously pleaded guilty to related crimes. Brian Bowman, 42, of Gadsden, and James Ewing Ray, 53, of Gadsden, each pleaded guilty to health care fraud conspiracy. As part of their respective plea agreements, Bowman agreed to forfeit more than $7.6 million, Ray agreed to forfeit more than $800,000, and Robson agreed to forfeit more than $1 million. All three will be ordered, at sentencing, to pay restitution to the victims of their crimes.
Dozens of defendants have been convicted in related cases.
Pharmacy cases. Among the medically unnecessary items Bowman, Ray, and Robson marketed were topical creams for specialty pharmacies including Global Compounding Pharmacy and Watson Rx Solutions. Bowman, Ray, and Robson were paid commissions to induce these prescriptions to be issued. According to Robson’s plea agreement, he and other marketers got blank pre-signed prescriptions from doctors and then completed the prescriptions to ensure the prescriptions would be paid for by insurance, regardless of whether the drugs were medically necessary for patients’ needs. Robson and other marketers also marked specific drugs or drug formulations to make sure insurance would pay for them. And they assured patients and providers that the pharmacies would not insist on collecting copays, which might discourage patients from getting the prescriptions filled. Sales reps also got prescriptions for themselves—regardless of whether there was a medical need—and Bowman, Ray, and Robson were paid commissions on those prescriptions.
More than two dozen defendants have been convicted in connection with the fraud at Global Compounding Pharmacy. Jason Akin, 46, of Florence, has pleaded guilty to health care fraud in connection with the fraud at Watson Rx Solutions.
QBR cases. Another service Bowman, Ray, and Robson marketed was electro-diagnostic testing, specifically, nerve conduction testing, provided by a Huntsville-based electro-diagnostic testing company called QBR, or Diagnostic Referral Community. Bowman, Ray, and Robson received per-patient payments from QBR for inducing medical providers to order tests from QBR. Medical providers received payments from QBR too; the payments were disguised as hourly payments for the ordering physician’s time and staff’s time, but in reality they were per-patient kickbacks.
Dr. Eric Beck, 65, of Huntsville, pleaded guilty to health care fraud conspiracy for his role in the fraud at QBR. John Hornbuckle, 54, of Huntsville, pleaded guilty to health care fraud and kickback conspiracy offenses for his role, as QBR’s CEO, in orchestrating the fraud.
Medical practice cases. Defendants associated with multiple medical practices have also been convicted in related cases.
In one case, a jury convicted Dr. Mark Murphy, 66, and his wife Jennifer Murphy, 66, both of Lewisburg, Tennessee, of drug distribution, fraud, and kickback crimes. The Murphys operated North Alabama Pain Services, which closed its Decatur and Madison offices in early 2017. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Murphys took kickbacks from QBR of more than a million dollars. In return, Dr. Murphy ordered electro-diagnostic tests from QBR for his patients, regardless of whether there was a medical need for those tests. Dr. Murphy also pre-signed prescriptions for expensive specialty topical creams, sprays, and patches, which patients then received whether they wanted the products or not.
In another case, David Lyle Shehi, 43, of Rainbow City, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay kickbacks and commit health care fraud. Shehi owned Etowah Pain, a pain clinic in Rainbow City, and pleaded guilty to receiving kickbacks in exchange for his practice’s ordering items or services that would be billed to Medicare and other health insurance programs.
Mark Murphy and Jennifer Murphy were each sentenced to twenty years in prison. Hornbuckle was sentenced to eighty months. Bowman, Ray, Robson, Shehi, and Akin are all awaiting sentencing. Other co-conspirators have already been sentenced.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit health care fraud is ten years in prison.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward and Don Long are prosecuting it.
See related press here:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/pain-clinic-owners-sentenced-unlawfully-distributing-opioids-and-multimillion-dollar
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/etowah-pain-clinic-owner-pleads-guilty-multi-million-dollar-kickback-and-health-care
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/multiple-defendants-sentenced-major-compounding-pharmacy-fraud-conspiracy
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/new-hope-man-sentenced-his-role-multi-million-dollar-kickback-and-health-care-fraud
Representative John Rogers Charged with Additional Offenses in Fraud Case Involving the Jefferson County Community Service FundRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Representative John Rogers has been indicted again by a federal grand jury for additional offenses involving the fraud scheme against the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, including conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, obstruction of justice, and making a false statement, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman.
A second superseding indictment filed this week in United States District Court charges John Westley Rogers, Jr., 83, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of mail fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, 3 counts of obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting the making of a false statement to federal investigators. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. In June 2023, former Representative Fred L. Plump, Jr., pleaded guilty to conspiracy in connection with the scheme and resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives.
According to the second superseding indictment, in 2015 the Alabama Legislature passed Alabama Act No. 2015-226 (the “Act”) and authorized the Jefferson County Commission to levy and distribute a one-percent sales tax and a one-percent use tax to benefit the public welfare and enhance the education of the children of Jefferson County. Jefferson County began levying the new taxes in or about August 2017. The Act required the County to distribute the tax revenue according to certain specified priorities, including paying debt incurred during school construction, increasing the County’s general fund, giving funds to each board of education serving students in the County, and carrying out other purposes set forth in the Act.
The Act created the Jefferson County Community Service Fund (the “Fund”), which was subsidized by approximately $3.6 million annually from the new taxes. The Act also created the Jefferson County Community Service Committee (the “Committee”), the four members of which were elected by members of the Jefferson County House and Senate delegations. The Committee was responsible for ensuring that the Fund was used only for the purposes set forth in the Act, which included supporting public entities and projects such as schools, libraries, museums, parks, zoos, neighborhood associations, athletic facilities, youth sports associations, road construction, the performing arts, police departments, the sheriff’s office, fire departments, and certain nonprofit entities. Each Representative and Senator representing Jefferson County could make recommendations to the Committee of expenditures from their allotted amount of the Fund. These recommendations were made on a form created by the Committee that required certain certifications by the legislator. The organization receiving the funds was required to submit information about the organization and confirm that it intended to use the money for a public purpose. During each fiscal year from 2018 to 2022, each Representative was allocated approximately $100,000, and each Senator was allocated approximately $240,000 from the Fund.
The second superseding indictment identifies certain relevant parties. Defendant John Rogers was a long-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Fred L. Plump, Jr. served as the Executive Director of the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League (“Piper Davis”), a nonprofit organization that claimed to provide a positive sporting experience for inner-city youth in Jefferson County. Defendant Varrie Johnson Kindall was Rogers’s personal and professional assistant.
Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, defendant Rogers was allocated approximately $500,000 by the Fund. Rogers directed approximately $400,000 of those discretionary funds to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump gave approximately $200,000 to Rogers and Kindall as a kickback.
The second superseding indictment alleges that, from in or about March 2019 through April 2023, Rogers and Kindall conspired with Plump to defraud and obtain money from the Fund. It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracy that Rogers, with Kindall’s assistance, recommended during each fiscal year that most of his allotment of Fund money be paid to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump agreed to pay kickbacks to Rogers and Kindall. Rogers, Kindall, and Plump submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’s intended use of Fund money; and Rogers’s certifications on the request forms were false. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Rogers and Kindall for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis.
Additionally, the second superseding indictment alleges that, after learning about the federal investigation into the fraud scheme, Rogers and Kindall attempted to obstruct justice by offering a witness grant money as a bribe and otherwise trying to corruptly persuade the witness to give false information to federal agents. It is also alleged that Rogers and Kindall agreed that she would accept full responsibility for the crimes and falsely tell federal investigators that Rogers did not participate in the scheme in exchange for Rogers’s promise to take care of personal issues for Kindall if she went to prison. As part of that agreement, Rogers had Kindall give false statements to investigators and prosecutors during a meeting at the United States Attorney’s Office on May 25, 2023.
The maximum penalty for the fraud conspiracy and substantive fraud counts is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to obstruct justice is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice by bribery is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for making a false statement is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from investigators from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine Crosby and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Alabama Landlord to Resolve Claims of Sexual Harassment of Female TenantsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with Randy Hames, an Alabama landlord who owned and managed rental properties in a mobile home park in Cullman, Alabama, known as Hames Marina, to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that Hames sexually harassed female tenants.
Under the agreement, Hames will pay $390,000 to 12 women who rented or sought to rent homes from him and a civil penalty of $10,000 to the government. The agreement also prohibits Hames from managing rental housing or contacting any of the women or their families. The agreement comes after a three-day trial during which the Justice Department presented compelling evidence to a Huntsville, Alabama, jury of Hames’ longstanding harassment and exploitation of female residents and prospective tenants, and the impact of Hames’ conduct on these women and their families.
“Today’s resolution recognizes the significant harm that the defendant caused to the women in this case and sends a message that this type of behavior is unacceptable and has no place in our communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is firmly committed to vigorously pursuing landlords who sexually harass and exploit their tenants.”
“Sexual harassment by landlords is illegal, immoral and unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases because everyone deserves to feel safe at home and thrive in an environment free from fear.”
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in July 2018, alleged that since at least 2011, Hames subjected female tenants and prospective tenants to a continuing pattern of egregious harassment, including demanding or pressuring female tenants to engage in sexual acts with him in exchange for rent or to prevent eviction, evicting female tenants when they refused his advances, making female tenants feel unsafe by stalking them and entering their residences without permission and making unwelcome sexual comments.
The case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, was launched in October 2017 and seeks to raise awareness about and address sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 38 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $11.3 million for victims of such harassment.
If you think you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord, property manager or rental agent, you may contact the Justice Department at 1-844-380-6178, or submit an online report at civilrights.justice.gov/. Reports also may be made by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777, or by filing an online complaint at www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint%20.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Alabama Landlord to Resolve Claims of Sexual Harassment of Female TenantsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with Randy Hames, an Alabama landlord who owned and managed rental properties in a mobile home park in Cullman, Alabama, known as Hames Marina, to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that Hames sexually harassed female tenants.
Under the agreement, Hames will pay $390,000 in damages to 12 women who rented or sought to rent homes from him and a civil penalty to the government. The agreement also prohibits Hames from managing rental housing or contacting any of the women or their families. The agreement comes after a three-day trial, during which the Justice Department presented compelling evidence to the jury of Hames’ longstanding harassment and exploitation of female residents and prospective tenants, and the impact of Hames’s conduct on these women and their families.
“Today’s resolution recognizes the significant harm that the defendant caused to the women in this case and sends a message that this type of behavior is unacceptable and has no place in our communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No woman should ever have to grapple with sexual harassment to avoid eviction, receive a fair rent or to ensure that they can keep a roof over their head. The Justice Department stands ready to vigorously pursue landlords who sexually harass and exploit their tenants.”
“Sexual harassment by landlords is illegal, immoral and unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases because everyone deserves to feel safe at home and thrive in an environment free from fear.”
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in July 2018, alleged that since at least 2011, Hames subjected female tenants and prospective tenants to a continuing pattern of egregious harassment, including demanding or pressuring female tenants to engage in sexual acts with him in exchange for rent or to prevent eviction, evicting female tenants when they refused his advances, making female tenants feel unsafe by stalking them and entering their residences without permission and making unwelcome sexual comments.
The case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, was launched in October 2017 and seeks to raise awareness about and address sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 38 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $11.3 million for victims of such harassment.
If you think you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord, property manager or rental agent, you may contact the Justice Department at 1-844-380-6178, or submit an online report at civilrights.justice.gov/. Reports also may be made by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777, or by filing an online complaint at www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint%20.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Indiana Man Charged with Obstructing Gambling InvestigationRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Indiana man has been charged with obstructing a federal grand jury investigation in the Northern District of Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A one-count information filed earlier today in United States District Court charges Bert Eugene Neff, 49, of Indianapolis, Indiana, with one count of obstruction of justice. The charge arose from a scheme to impede an investigation into suspicious gambling activity surrounding a National Collegiate Athletic Association baseball game.
According to the Information, Neff engaged in a multi-month obstruction scheme that began in May 2023 and continued until January 2024. During the course of the scheme, Neff destroyed his cell phone, encouraged witnesses to destroy their cell phones and delete encrypted messaging applications, and provided false statements to federal investigators. The scheme culminated in October 2023 when Neff participated in a one-hour twenty-one-minute telephone call concerning topics related to the investigation with two witnesses the day before they were scheduled to testify before a grand jury in the Northern District of Alabama. All of this activity was designed to interfere with ongoing grand jury investigation.
According to the plea agreement, also filed today, Neff has agreed to plead guilty to the charge, The Court will set a date for Neff to enter his guilty plea.
The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice is ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Canter and Lloyd C. Peeples are prosecuting the case.
An information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tuscaloosa Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A Tuscaloosa man was sentenced on a drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Jimmy Lee Spencer, 37, to 48 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Spencer was convicted of this charge in August 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, Spencer had large amounts of cocaine and marijuana inside his home in Tuscaloosa. He also had multiple firearms, digital scales, a money counter, a vacuum sealer, and packaging material that he used to package and sell narcotics in the community.
The ATF investigated the case along with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany T. Byrd and M. Blake Milner prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A convicted felon was sentenced on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Ernesto Mayo-Huerta, 31, of Attalla, to 99 months in prison. Mayo-Huerta pleaded guilty in September 2023 to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on August 1l, 2022, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) agents and Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Attalla, Alabama. Upon entering the residence, agents located Mayo-Huerta in the living room and immediately detained him without incident. Agents found approximately $4,489 in cash on Mayo-Huerta. In addition, $1,800 of buy money was co-mingled with the cash found on Mayo-Huerta from the “buy-walk” executed by an ALEA agent.
From one room, agents recovered large totes containing packages of marijuana; a Glock, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol; a GSG - 5 .22 caliber rifle; a Stevens 12-gauge shotgun; a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol; a Springfield Arms 16-gauge shotgun; an HW7, .22 LR caliber revolver; an Arminius, .38 special revolver; a Ruger .357 Magnum revolver; and a semi–automatic shotgun. From a second room, agents recovered a bag of marijuana; a Tactical Innovations T-15 rifle; a Mossberg .22LR caliber rifle; a Rock Island Armory .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol; an Anderson, Model AM-15 pistol; a Zip-loc bag containing $13,792 in cash; and a fanny pack containing $14,912 in cash. In total, agents recovered $33,193 dollars in cash, 14 firearms, and 57.5 pounds of marijuana from the residence.
The ATF investigated the case along with ALEA SBI, ADETF Region F, Etowah County Sheriff’s Office and Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius C. Greene prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 145 months in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A convicted felon was sentenced on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Lonnie Dean Hewlett, 30, of Huntsville, to 145 months in prison. Hewlett pleaded guilty in July 2023 to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to a plea agreement, on May 18, 2020, Hewlett, attempting to elude law enforcement, led officers on a chase. During the chase, a female passenger either jumped from or was thrown from a vehicle. Also, during the chase, officers observed the rear passenger throw a black backpack from the vehicle. Once officers were close enough to determine the rear passenger was a child, officers discontinued their pursuit. The bag thrown from the vehicle was recovered and officers discovered a firearm, a loaded 30-round magazine, a loaded 15-round magazine, a 100-round drum magazine, cocaine, and a set of digital scales.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Huntsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pillsbury prosecuted the case.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Trafficking FirearmsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two men pleaded guilty to trafficking firearms from Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
Yesterday, Juan Antonio Duran, 28, of Watford City, North Dakota, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide a false statement to a federal firearm licensee (FFL), false statement during the purchase of a firearm, straw purchasing a firearm, and firearms trafficking.
In November 2023, Jose Nicolas Flores, 31, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide a false statement to an FFL, false statement during the purchase of a firearm, straw purchasing a firearm, and firearms trafficking.
Both men pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler.
According to related court documents, between May 9, 2023, and May 11, 2023, Duran conspired with Flores to purchase at least three firearms from an FFL in the Northern District of Alabama. Flores, the straw purchaser, falsified documents by specifically stating that he was the actual buyer when in fact he was buying the firearms for Duran. On May 9, 2011, after Duran and Flores traveled into Alabama, Flores attempted to purchase three Barrett .50 caliber rifles from the FFL but was told the transaction was delayed pending completion of a background check. Instead, Flores purchased the FFL’s entire stock of Barrett .50 caliber rifle magazines. Flores paid $2,769 in cash for the 15 rifle magazines. The next day, the FFL called Duran and Flores and informed them that the background was complete, and the transfer could proceed. On May 11, 2023, Duran and Flores returned to the FFL from out of state. Flores recertified the document stating that he was the actual buyer and provided approximately $31,000 in cash before being detained by ATF agents. Flores told the ATF agents that he received the bulk cash from Duran for the purpose of buying firearms for Duran. Meanwhile, Duran was detained while moving their vehicle in anticipation of receiving the rifles. During a search of Duran’s property, agents found a receipt for three Barrett .50 caliber rifles purchased by another person from an FFL in Grimes, Iowa, on April 28, 2023. The purchase was made in cash for $35,843.91.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. Homeland Security Investigations provided translation and technical support. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel S. McBrayer and Brittney L. Plyler are prosecuting the case.
Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Inmate in His CustodyRead the Press Release
A former Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) Corrections Officer, Robert D. Smith, 38, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of sexual abuse of a ward.
“Today, Robert Smith pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a woman in his custody, in violation of the law and his sworn duty as a Federal Bureau of Prisons officer,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “This prosecution is the latest example of the Justice Department holding to account those who exploit their positions of authority within the Federal Bureau of Prisons and working to eliminate sexual assault from our prison systems.”
“When officials inside our jails and prisons carry out acts of sexual violence against vulnerable women in their custody, they will be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is zero tolerance for corrections officers who misuse their authority to commit egregious sex crimes, and that rule applies equally to those who work at federal prisons. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute sexual predators in correctional settings, while standing up for the civil rights of the survivors of these heinous crimes.”
“As today’s guilty plea demonstrates, the Office of the Inspector General is committed to ensuring that Federal Bureau of Prisons employees who exploit their power and authority to sexually abuse inmates are brought to justice and held accountable for their heinous acts,” said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG).
“Sexual abuse of prison inmates by federal corrections officers is intolerable,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute and bring to justice those who abuse their authority and prey on vulnerable people they are sworn to protect and keep safe.”
According to court documents, Smith worked as a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Aliceville (FCI-Aliceville), Alabama. As part of his duties, Smith was to ensure the safety and security of inmates housed at FCI-Aliceville and to uphold the U.S. Constitution.
While acting in his capacity as an officer, in or around February 2019, Smith knowingly engaged in a sexual act with T.M., a female inmate in official detention, who was under Smith’s custodial, supervisory, or disciplinary authority. Smith also admitted to sexually abusing another inmate on a different occasion. Also while acting in his capacity as an officer, between on or about July 6, 2018, and Nov. 15, 2018, Smith knowingly engaged in a sexual act with R.R-L., a female inmate in official detention, who was under Smith’s custodial, supervisory, or disciplinary authority.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 29. Smith faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DOJ-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
FBOP is committed to rooting out misconduct within its ranks and working with law enforcement partners to prosecute violations of federal law. The numerous FBOP employees working diligently to ensure justice for the victims of misconduct are critical to the Department’s reform efforts.
Two Women Sentenced for Murder Committed in the Talladega National ForestRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two women were sentenced today for crimes committed in the Talladega National Forest, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Yasmine Marie Hider, 21, of Edmond, Oklahoma, to 35 years in prison and Krystal Diane Pinkins, 37, of Memphis, Tennessee to life in prison. Hider accepted responsibility and pled guilty to murder, kidnapping, and robbery in October 2023. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Hider cooperated in the prosecution and testified against Pinkins at trial. Pinkins was convicted of murder, robbery, and unlawful use of a firearm during a crime of violence in September 2023.
“My sincere hope is that these convictions and sentences bring justice to the victims and the victims’ families, reassuring them that these defendants have been held accountable for their actions,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “I want to thank our local, state, and federal partners for their tireless efforts in this investigation.”
According to court documents, on August 14, 2022, college students from Florida, were driving to Cheaha State Park, in Clay County, Alabama, to hike to the waterfalls. The couple was flagged down by Hider to help “jump start” Pinkins’s car, which was broken down. Hider robbed the young male and female and shot the male as he attempted to defend himself and his girlfriend. Officers found Hider with four gunshot wounds several feet away from where the murder occurred. Pinkins provided the firearm and assisted in the planning of the robbery. She watched from the woods as the robbery and murder took place. Pinkins was found six hours later at a secluded campsite.
The FBI and the Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigations - U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated the cases, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Alabama State Park Rangers, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, St. Clair Correctional Facility K9 Tracking Team, District Attorney of the 40th Judicial Circuit of the State of Alabama- Joseph “Joe” D. Ficquette (which includes Clay County), Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office, Lineville Police Department, Ashland Police Department, Clay County Rescue Squad, Shinbone Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Tri-County Children’s Advocacy Center, and Jacksonville State University Center for Applied Forensics. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Cross and John B. Felton are prosecuting the case.
Tuscaloosa Woman Charged in $600,000 COVID-19 Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Tuscaloosa woman has been charged with defrauding the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and laundering the proceeds, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A twelve-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Tarnisha Doss Harrell, 46, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
According to the indictment, from July 2020 through June 2021, Harrell applied for and received two fraudulent PPP loans and conspired with four other Tuscaloosa residents to apply for an additional six fraudulent loans for which she received a share of the proceeds. Harrell submitted loan applications containing material misrepresentations and supported by falsified and fraudulent documentation. The eight loans total $603,976.
If convicted, Harrell faces up to 20 years in prison.
FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Harrington is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A man pleaded guilty today to traveling to Alabama with intent to engage in a sexual act with a child younger than 12, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
Mark Anthony Bedwell, 53, of Lowestoft, England, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala to aggravated sexual abuse: crossing the state line with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child under 12. According to court documents, Bedwell travelled from the United Kingdom to Huntsville, Alabama, in May 2013 and engaged in a sex act with a child in Madison County. The maximum penalty for the charge is life in prison.
Charles Dunnavant, 37, of Huntsville, Alabama, previously pled guilty on June 16, 2015, to the same charge in a related case before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala. Dunnavant was sentenced to 435 months imprisonment.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The FBI investigated the case, along with the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service and the North Rhein-Westfalia Landeskriminalamt, a German law enforcement agency. The Huntsville Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Stuart Burrell and John M. Hundscheid are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward assisted with extradition efforts.
Former Alabama Department of Corrections Lieutenant Sentenced for Civil Rights and Obstruction Offenses for Assaulting a Restrained Inmate and Lying to Cover It UpRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) lieutenant, Mohammad Shahid Jenkins, 52, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for using excessive force on an inmate and lying afterwards in an official report in an attempt to cover up his abuse. He previously pleaded guilty to these offenses on Sept.12.
“Lieutenants and Shift Commanders set the tone for less experienced officers whom they supervise,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Jenkins abused his position of power to commit an egregious assault on a restrained inmate, in an isolated location of the prison, over the course of five minutes. He is being held accountable for his actions, and the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who violate the civil rights of every American, including those who are incarcerated.”
“Corrections officers have the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of those incarcerated in our nation’s prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “The physical abuse of prisoners in violation of the Constitution threatens the safety of the entire institution, officers and inmates alike. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute corrections officers who abuse inmates and violate positions of public trust.”
“This sentence sends a strong message that the FBI remains committed to protecting the civil rights of all people, including those in prison custody,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “This individual's conduct is not reflective of the honor and professionalism with which the men and women of law enforcement exemplify. The FBI Birmingham Division is proud to work alongside the Civil Rights Division and ADOC to bring justice to these victims and remain steadfast in addressing all Color of Law allegations.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced at sentencing, Jenkins, former William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility Lieutenant and Shift Commander, who had more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement, used excessive force on inmate V.R. Specifically, on Feb. 16, 2022, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate V.R. of his right to be free from excessive force by kicking him, hitting him, spraying him with chemical spray, striking him with a can of chemical spray and striking him with a shoe, while V.R. was restrained inside of a holding cell and not posing a threat.
Over the course of approximately five minutes and outside the presence of other officers and inmates, Jenkins repeatedly re-entered the holding cell that V.R. was in and re-assaulted him numerous times. Jenkins used a dangerous weapon — chemical spray and the can of chemical spray — on V.R., and his attacks on V.R. caused V.R. to suffer bodily injury. Following his assault on V.R., Jenkins authored a false incident report and later Jenkins lied to investigators by denying using any force on V.R.
As part of the plea agreement, Jenkins also admitted that he used unlawful force on another inmate on a separate occasion at Donaldson. Specifically, on Nov. 29, 2021, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate D.H. of his right to be free from excessive force by repeatedly spraying D.H. with chemical spray while D.H. was handcuffed behind his back and compliant, by hitting D.H. in the head with the can of chemical spray and by delivering an open-hand strike to D.H.’s head while he was suffering from the effects of chemical spray.
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Martin for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Former Alabama Department of Corrections Lieutenant Sentenced for Civil Rights and Obstruction Offenses for Assaulting a Restrained Inmate and Lying to Cover It UpRead the Press Release
A former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) lieutenant, Mohammad Shahid Jenkins, 52, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for using excessive force on an inmate and lying afterwards in an official report in an attempt to cover up his abuse. He previously pled guilty to these offenses on Sept 12.
“This defendant was a lieutenant with more than 20 years of experience and a supervisor who was supposed to set an example of what proper law enforcement looks like for the less experienced officers he oversaw,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Instead, the defendant abused his position of power to repeatedly and viciously assault a restrained inmate, returning to the inmate’s cell several times to renew the assault. We are committed to holding accountable law enforcement officers who violate the civil rights of any American, including those who are incarcerated in our jails and prisons.”
“Corrections officers have the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of those incarcerated in our nation’s prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “The physical abuse of prisoners in violation of the Constitution threatens the safety of the entire institution, officers and inmates alike. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute corrections officers who abuse inmates and violate positions of public trust.”
“This sentence sends a strong message that the FBI remains committed to protecting the civil rights of all people, including those in prison custody,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “This individual's conduct is not reflective of the honor and professionalism with which the men and women of law enforcement exemplify. The FBI Birmingham Division is proud to work alongside the Civil Rights Division and ADOC to bring justice to these victims and remain steadfast in addressing all Color of Law allegations.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced at sentencing, Jenkins, former William E. Donaldson correctional facility lieutenant and shift commander, who had more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement, used excessive force on inmate V.R. Specifically, on Feb. 16, 2022, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate V.R. of his right to be free from excessive force by kicking him, hitting him, spraying him with chemical spray, striking him with a can of chemical spray and striking him with a shoe while V.R. was restrained inside of a holding cell and not posing a threat.
Over the course of approximately five minutes and outside the presence of other officers and inmates, Jenkins repeatedly re-entered the holding cell that V.R. was in and re-assaulted him numerous times. Jenkins used a dangerous weapon — chemical spray and the can of chemical spray — on V.R., and his attacks on V.R. caused V.R. to suffer bodily injury. Following his assault on V.R., Jenkins authored a false incident report and later Jenkins lied to investigators by denying using any force on V.R.
As part of the plea agreement, Jenkins also admitted that he used unlawful force on another inmate on a separate occasion at Donaldson. Specifically, on Nov. 29, 2021, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate D.H. of his right to be free from excessive force by repeatedly spraying D.H. with chemical spray while D.H. was handcuffed behind his back and compliant, by hitting D.H. in the head with the can of chemical spray and by delivering an open-hand strike to D.H.’s head while he was suffering from the effects of chemical spray.
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Martin for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon was sentenced today for illegally possessing ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Deandrea Darnelle Young to 63 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. Young was convicted of this charge at trial in July.
“We will continue to use every resource available to remove ammunition and firearms from prohibited persons.” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “Partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement are an integral part of our efforts to fight violent crime and keep our communities safe.”
“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the men and women of ATF and the Tuscaloosa Police Department for their efforts to confront violent crime,” Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ash Lightner said. “We will continue to work together tirelessly to keep our communities safe from people who endanger our neighborhoods.”
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 27, 2022, a Tuscaloosa Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on Young. Upon making contact with Young, the officer asked for his driver’s license and insurance. Young ignored the officer’s repeated requests for information and fled from the scene in the vehicle. The officer chased Young and found the vehicle abandoned in an apartment complex. During the search of the vehicle the officer found 10 rounds of Igman 9mm ammunition underneath clothing belonging to Young. The officer did not find a firearm.
Young is prohibited from having ammunition because of multiple prior felony convictions. Young was convicted on January 10, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. On August 15, 2012, he was convicted in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance and of two counts of Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, First Degree. On November 9, 2011, Young was convicted in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, of Burglary, First Degree and of Unlawful Possession of Marijuana First Degree.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney L. Plyler and Catherine Crosby prosecuted the case.
Six Defendants Plead Guilty to Fraud Charges in Multi-Million-Dollar, Nationwide Skimming ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala – Six defendants indicted for defrauding credit unions across the country have pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and identity theft charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
Maria Matei, 22, and Larisa Iordache, 28, each pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Florin Matei, 27, pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ionut Iamandita, 28, and Milena Iamandita 25, pleaded guilty in November to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Marius Iordache, 29, pleaded guilty in November to conspiring to commit bank fraud.
According to the plea agreements, between October 2022 and June 2023, the defendants defrauded credit unions in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Jacksonville, Florida; Philadelphia Pennsylvania; Albany, New York; Florence, Alabama; Dallas, Texas; Birmingham, Alabama; and Saginaw, Michigan. The defendants placed covert video cameras and skimming devices on the targeted credit unions’ Automatic Teller Machines, and then used the collected information to make fraudulent withdrawals for credit union customers’ accounts. The fraudulent withdrawals totaled more than $5 million dollars.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bank fraud is 30 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
The FBI and United States Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid is prosecuting the case. The Lauderdale County’s Sherriff’s Office, Tuscaloosa County Sherriff’s Office, Hoover Police Department, and Vestavia Hills Police Department aided the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania also provided significant assistance.
Leeds Woman Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Leeds woman was sentenced today on drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Joannah Ruth Ruoho, 34, to 120 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ruoho pleaded guilty to the charge in September.
According to the plea agreement, in February 2022, a Moody Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop on Ruoho. Ruoho rolled down the window and the police officer could smell the odor of marijuana. At the request of the police officer, Ruoho got out of the vehicle. The officer searched the vehicle and found a bag with methamphetamine inside it, two prepackaged cannabis bags containing methamphetamine, two clear plastic bags containing marijuana, a plastic bag containing mushrooms, and a glass pipe with narcotics residue on it. The officer also found a loaded Taurus PT140 G2 40 SW pistol underneath the driver’s seat.
The FBI investigated the case, along with the Moody Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Byrd prosecuted the case.
Vestavia Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Vestavia man was sentenced today on child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Eugene Douglas Reid, III, 48, to 288 months in prison followed by 20 years supervised release for distribution and transportation of child pornography. Reid was convicted of these charges at trial in August.
In 2020, FBI Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, was investigating numerous groups of individuals engaged in the receipt, possession, distribution and possible production of child sexual abuse material through a proactive operation. As part of the FBI’s operation, online covert employees documented these illegal activities and forwarded the documentation for further investigation to the appropriate FBI field office. The evidence at trial established that Reid had distributed and transported numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material on the Kik messaging application in various private groups during the first half of 2020. In addition to the evidence collected by undercover law enforcement, Kik’s parent company, MediaLab, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also provided evidence of further illegal activity under Kik usernames associated with Reid.
“Today’s sentence is the result of the collaborative work by our law enforcement partners in Alabama and Wisconsin to protect victims of child exploitation,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “I encourage anyone who may have information about possible child sexual exploitation, including posts on social media, to report it to the NCMEC at CyberTipline.org or by calling 1-800-THE-LOST.”
“Individuals who engage in the distribution and production of child pornography must be held accountable for their heinous actions. That is why the FBI, along with our local, state, and federal partners will stop at nothing to ensure these individuals and groups are brought to justice,” said SAC Peeples. This sentence just reconfirms the FBI’s commitment to stopping child predators and shutting down the online networks that produce child sexual abuse material.”
The FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of FBI Milwaukee Division, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, Vestavia Hills Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen S. Osborne and R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Seven Individuals Arrested on Drug, Gun, and Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Federal agents arrested seven individuals today on drug, gun, and fraud charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley, and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
In November 2023, a federal grand jury indicted ten individuals on drug, gun, and fraud charges.
Jamar Dariunte Clay, 36, of Anniston, was charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, multiple counts of distribution of methamphetamine, and multiple counts of use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
Jonathan Tyree McRath, 39, of Anniston, was charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, multiple counts of distribution of methamphetamine, and multiple counts of use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
Demarcus Sharon Brown, 39, of Anniston, was charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and multiple counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
Donarius Quinez Kincaid, 38, of Anniston, was charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and multiple counts of use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
Brandon Jamal Jernigan, 30, of Anniston, was charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and multiple counts of use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
Hantson Alexander Clark, 32, of Tuscaloosa, was charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and multiple counts of use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
Raregus Rice, 40, of Tuscaloosa, was charged with wire fraud and falsely representing a Social Security number.
The following three defendants were already in custody.
Michael Gardner Boone, 33, of Montgomery, was charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Terrence Antwon Stevens, 40, of Anniston, was charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, multiple counts of use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Yannick Kenyon Woolf, 34, of Anniston, was charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and multiple counts of use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
The maximum penalty for distribution of a controlled substance and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is life in prison. The maximum penalty for use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime is four years in prison and for being a felon in possession of a firearm is fifteen years in prison. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is twenty years in prison, and the maximum penalty for falsely representing a Social Security number is five years in prison.
DEA and ATF investigated the case, along with the Anniston Police Department, Oxford Police Department, 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit, and West Alabama Narcotics Task Force. The USMS provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Blake Milner and Brittany Byrd are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to over 19 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Bessemer man on child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced Jacquez Jarrone Conley, 24, to 235 months in prison followed by 25 years of supervised release. In August 2023, Conley pleaded guilty to one-count of possession of child pornography. This conviction will require him to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to the plea agreement, in July 2019, Conley was involved in an online social media group sharing child pornography. During that same time, FBI received a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child sexual abuse material located on his Facebook account. In August 2019, federal search warrants were obtained for Conley’s residence in Bessemer and his Facebook account. A total of 18 digital devices were seized from the residence. Forensic analysis of the digital devices and his Facebook account revealed 701 images and 741 videos of child pornography.
“There is no place in our communities for those who prey on vulnerable children,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The success of cases like this come from the strong partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement. We have one common goal – to pursue justice for child victims. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners in Alabama and Washington, D.C., this predator has been held accountable for his actions.”
“This sentence sends a strong message that the FBI will continue to aggressively identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who produce, possess, and distribute child pornography, SAC Peeples said.” This case highlights the importance and benefit of law enforcement partnerships and task forces. I would like to thank all our local, state, and federal partners who assisted in this case and the men and women of the FBI for their relentless efforts in protecting our children.”
FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case, with the assistance of FBI Washington and Metropolitan Police of the District of Columbia’s CEHTTF, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Bessemer Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White and Daniel McBrayer prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.