Northern District of Alabama
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction SummitRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks at the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Summit today. Before that national audience, he discussed the Northern District of Alabama’s work in Jefferson County on domestic violence matters.
U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona, AUSA Jeremy Sherer, and Kelly Klehm, Deputy Director of One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center (One Place), and Director of Camp Hope – Alabama, are presenting at the Summit on the Safe at Home: PSN’s Role in Reducing Domestic Violence panel.
Since 2022, the Department of Justice has committed more than $1.6 million of funding for new projects to address domestic violence within the Northern District of Alabama.
In 2022, the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $500,000 to One Place to facilitate and implement the Domestic Violence and Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) in Jefferson County, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Birmingham approximately $340,000 to enhance the response of local law enforcement and prosecutors in Jefferson County. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has dedicated Project Safe Neighborhoods grant resources to enhance protections for domestic violence victims within the district.
In 2023, the OVW awarded One Place $800,000 to support its mission as the comprehensive service provider for victims of domestic and sexual violence in Jefferson County. The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!) and the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) partnered with One Place in its application to enhance services to survivors of domestic violence in Jefferson County. The award comes to One Place through OVW’s Improving Criminal Justice Responses grant program.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Remarks Delivered:
Thanks everybody. Thanks, Amy. Thanks to everybody from the team at the Office of Justice Programs. Thanks, Karhlton, and everybody from the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
I know how hard it is to put something like this together and how much work. And I greatly appreciative everyone’s efforts.
Thank you, Mayor Hogsett, and Chief Taylor for welcoming us to Indianapolis. We are grateful to both of you for being here today and for hosting us. Mayor Hogsett, as a former U.S. Attorney, we regard you as one of our own, and we are grateful that you are here.
I also want to recognize the state and local law enforcement leaders, city and town leaders, and community partners who have traveled from across the country to be here for the next three days.
I speak for all of us at the Justice Department when I say that your perspectives and your insights are invaluable to us. We have an enormous amount of respect for the work you do every single day in your communities.
And speaking of all of us at the Justice Department, I really mean that. I am also joined here this morning by Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, whom you all know well.
Also here are leaders from each of the Department’s law enforcement components, the ATF, FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service; 40 of our United States Attorneys and senior leaders from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country; leaders from the Office on Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ); and many other components.
I am very pleased that all of them are here; I am very proud of their work.
Convenings like this one, with our law enforcement and community partners, are always important to us at the Justice Department. We know that the best time to build relationships across agencies and jurisdictions is before a crisis or an incident occurs in our communities.
But this is an especially critical time in our work together to keep our communities safe.
Today, we are confronting a global threat environment that makes it particularly urgent for us to remain vigilant in the face of risks of terrorism and hate-fueled violence.
We are closely monitoring the impact that the conflict in the Middle East may have in inspiring foreign terrorist organizations, homegrown violent extremists, and domestic violent extremists both in the United States and abroad.
And all of us have seen the extremely sharp increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities across our country since October 7. The fear that so many communities are feeling is palpable.
This comes at a time when law enforcement agencies and communities across the country have already been facing significant challenges in the form of violent crime.
We are here together today because we know that no one law enforcement agency, no one community, no one town or city can address these challenges on its own. We need each other. We need to work together.
We are also here in Indianapolis for the same reason that all of us came to public service in the first place: we believe that everyone in our country deserves to feel safe and to be safe in our communities.
Every person, in every neighborhood, deserves to feel protected. Every parent deserves to know that their children will be safe when they play outside.
Violent crime is not just a threat to people’s physical safety; it is a threat to their ability to freely go about their daily lives. Violent crime isolates people and their communities. It deepens the fractures in our public life. And when it is not addressed, it can undermine people’s trust in the government and in each other.
Combating the threat that violent crime poses to people’s safety, and to our shared future, is what motivates us at the Justice Department every day.
Shortly after I was sworn in as Attorney General, we launched our Department-wide Violent Crime Reduction Strategy aimed at addressing the spike in violent crime during the pandemic.
Central to that strategy is the importance of our partnerships.
That includes partnership among federal law enforcement agencies assisting in the fight against violent crime; partnership with the local communities harmed by that crime; and partnership with the state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies protecting those local communities every day.
Another element of that strategy is the recognition that the best anti-violent crime strategies are tailored to the needs of, and are developed with, individual communities.
That’s why one of the first things we did was focus on strengthening Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). We oriented the program around a set of principles that put community partnerships, community trust, violence prevention, and measuring results at the center of our efforts.
Since then, each of our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices has worked with its partners in state and local law enforcement to develop and implement data-driven, district-specific, anti-violent crime efforts.
Our U.S. Attorneys have brought together law enforcement, research, and community partners to develop PSN programs designed to focus on the drivers of violent crime in their communities. And I am proud of the work they have done. To give just a few examples:
Right here in Indianapolis, less than two weeks ago, a PSN case out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana brought together its partners at the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to secure the conviction and sentencing of a repeat violent offender.
In the Middle District of Florida, the office’s PSN strategy has focused not only on the investigation, disruption, and prosecution of violent crime, but also on targeted outreach to members of the community, including students, community leaders, and people incarcerated in state prisons nearing their release dates. This outreach is aimed at preventing violence before it occurs.
And in the Northern District of Alabama, the office created a PSN program, the Operation Safe Families Initiative, to combat the domestic violence that is driving a significant part of the violent crime in that district. In Jefferson County, Alabama, domestic abusers annually commit more than 70% of the homicides.
The Northern District of Alabama’s PSN program brings together — in one building — federal and local prosecutors as well as law enforcement, victim service providers, and other partner agencies.
This program gives victims of domestic violence a place to go that can meet their needs — not just in terms of pursuing enforcement options against the perpetrator, but also in regaining a sense of safety and well-being.
Like PSN, the National Public Safety Partnership, or PSP, is focused on strengthening partnerships across communities to tackle violent crime.
PSP makes DOJ tools and expertise available to local law enforcement agencies as they work to address the unique challenges of their communities. Sites participating in this program are able to consult with and receive training, technical assistance, and an array of Department resources to combat violent crime.
Today I want to welcome the newest sites participating in PSP this year, all of which are represented here today.
- Knoxville, Tennessee;
- Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Raleigh, North Carolina;
- San Antonio, Texas; and
- Vallejo, California;
You join more than 50 communities that have worked with DOJ personnel, outside experts, and each other to better understand and tackle the violent crime challenges specific to their communities. We look forward to working together with you.
In addition to PSN and PSP, the Justice Department is putting to use every resource at our disposal in the fight against violent crime.
This includes our prosecutors, who are going after the recidivists and gangs that are responsible for the greatest violence.
This includes our law enforcement components, each of which is working with its state and local law enforcement partners to seize illegal guns and deadly drugs.
And this includes our grantmaking components, which are working closely with communities across the country to provide targeted support and assistance.
We are funding evidence-based, community-centered initiatives aimed at preventing and disrupting violence. We are funding community policing efforts that build the public trust between law enforcement and the community that we know is essential to public safety.
And we are making critical investments in hiring more law enforcement officers in communities nationwide to address the crisis in recruitment and retention to support much-needed resources for law enforcement officer health and wellness.
As we work with our partners nationwide to implement community-tailored approaches to combating violent crime, we also recognize that there are universal challenges that require a comprehensive approach. That includes the epidemic of gun violence.
And that is why ATF is working with its state and local partners to trace more firearms than ever before in its history.
That is why we are operating Crime Gun Intelligence Centers in every ATF Field Division to coordinate comprehensive tracing and ballistics analysis. These centers, which are represented here today, allow state and local law enforcement agencies to harness the power of ATF’s ballistics database and firearms-tracing technologies. This information helps lead them to the repeat shooters who fuel violent crime.
In addition, all 94 of our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are bringing gun trafficking cases under the new provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Those provisions have given us new authorities to go after gun traffickers and straw purchasers responsible for flooding our communities with guns. Our prosecutors have now charged nearly 300 defendants under that Act and seized hundreds of firearms in connection with these cases.”
I have mentioned several examples of how the Justice Department is working to implement our partnership-based violent crime strategy.
In implementing that strategy, we have generated a wealth of resources shaped heavily by the feedback we have received from all of you.
But information is only as helpful as it is accessible. That is why, today we are releasing a new publication through the Office of Justice Programs, our Violent Crime Reduction Roadmap.
We have spent two and a half years using every available resource to combat the violent crime spike, and this is a guide to the programs and strategies that we have seen work.
We have seen them work in the District of New Jersey. There, federal, state, and local law enforcement have worked together to target their resources on the individuals and organizations that were primarily driving violent crime in five target cities with the worst violent crime. These efforts have paid off, as the number of shootings have decreased significantly in New Jersey, statewide.
And we have seen them work in the Eastern District of Michigan, where the U.S. Attorney’s Office has partnered with both law enforcement and the community to drive down violent crime in Detroit.
Through the One Detroit Partnership, they have aggressively prosecuted the primary drivers of violence, worked with community groups to prevent violence from occurring, and collaborated with corrections experts to support those who are returning to the community to ensure they do not return to violence.
This kind of partnership works: recent data from the Detroit Police Department indicate that this year the city is on track for the fewest homicides in Detroit in over 60 years.
It is our hope that the Violent Crime Reduction Roadmap provides a starting point for communities across the country to learn about resources available to help them replicate these efforts.
As I said at the start of my remarks, all of our communities are facing urgent and unprecedented challenges today.
But I am encouraged by the data we have been seeing indicating a recent decline in homicides. The FBI has reported that the number of homicides fell over 6% nationally between 2021 and 2022.
And earlier this year, the Major Cities Chiefs Association reported an over 10% decrease in the number of murders across 69 major cities through September of this year, compared to the same time period last year. These developments are encouraging. But this is not a time to relax our efforts. We have so much more to do.
I am even more encouraged by your presence here.
We know that the only way to replicate what is working and to bring violent crime down in every community is learning from each other and by investing in our partnerships.
I know that is what you’re going to be doing over the next three days.
Our work together is our best hope to fulfill the promise that brought us all here — that we will protect each other.
Thank you for your commitment to that work.
Four Individuals Charged with Drug-Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Four people have been indicted on drug-distribution charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.
A four-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Jasmond Dewand Foster, aka “Jazz”, 36, of Florence, Victor Manuel Alcocer-Gonzalez, 37, of Mexico, Edgar Camacho-Reyes, 36, of Mexico, and Jose Salomon Gorozquieta-Gusman, 31, of Mexico, with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine These crimes allegedly occurred between July 16, 2023 and July 26, 2023, in Lauderdale County. Alcocer-Gonzalez, Camacho-Reyes and Gorozquieta-Gusman were also charged with manufacturing and possessing with intent to manufacture 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Camacho-Reyes and Gorozquieta-Gusman were charged with illegal re-entry after deportation.
The minimum penalty for conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine is 10 years in prison. The maximum penalty for illegal re-entry after deportation is 10 years in prison.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Stuart Burrell is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Birmingham-area Musician “88 DayDay” Charged for Role as Administrator of “Glass House Records,” a Telegram Channel Dedicated to Sale of Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury indicted a Birmingham-area musician and a co-conspirator for their roles in a cyber-enabled check fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A nine-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Daylin R. Banks, aka “30Skiii Only 1” and “88 DayDay,” 22, of Springville, Alabama, and Gabriel Samuel Odiot, aka “Motion,” 19, of Kissimmee, Florida, with conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that between August 2022 and July 2023, Banks participated in a scheme to sell stolen or otherwise fraudulent checks on a Telegram channel called “Glass House Records.” Banks obtained checks that had been stolen from the custody of the U.S. Postal Service and marketed a portion of them for sale on the “Glass House Records” Telegram channel. At the same time, Banks collaborated with Odiot and others to alter, duplicate, or forge other stolen checks and have them deposited into accounts controlled by the conspiracy.
The charges against Banks and Odiot relate to an indictment filed in August against Mekhi Diwone Harris, an administrator of an Alabama-based scam Telegram channel called “Work Related.” According to court documents, thousands of stolen or fraudulent checks totaling more than $15 million were posted to the “Work Related” channel.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bank fraud or conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution is 30 years in prison. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison. The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison. The maximum penalty for possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices is 10 years in prison. The minimum penalty for aggravated identity theft is two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment.
The U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Canter. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Heflin Police Department, and the Hueytown Police Department have all provided significant assistance during the course of the investigation.
An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A convicted felon was sentenced to over five years in prison on gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Matthew Hal McRraney, 49, of Ohatchee, to 63 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. McRraney pleaded guilty to the charge in August.
According to the plea agreement, on September 15, 2022, McRraney got into verbal altercation with his girlfriend, retrieved a short-barreled shotgun, and chased her down the street. The Anniston Police Department received a call reporting that McRaney was chasing a woman with a gun. An Anniston Police Department officer pursued McRraney and apprehended him after he slid down an embankment into a fence. Officers recovered a short-barreled, 12-gauge shotgun in some bushes. McRaney admitted he had possessed a short-barreled shotgun around the time he was in an argument with his girlfriend.
McRraney is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of multiple prior felony convictions, including felony battery and battery on a law officer or firefighter.
ATF investigated the case, along with the Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel S. McBrayer and Darius C. Greene prosecuted the case.
Former Gadsden Pharmacist and City School Board Member Sentenced for Drug Distribution Conspiracy and Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former Gadsden-area pharmacist and city school board member was sentenced yesterday for drug distribution conspiracy and tax crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius D. Hardeman of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Nathan Thomas Carter, 41, of Gadsden, to 54 months in prison. In July, Carter pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and three counts of filing false tax returns. Carter was also ordered to forfeit $110,620 in illicit drug proceeds and pay restitution to the IRS of $124,547 in unpaid taxes.
According to the plea agreement, between 2015 and late 2021, Carter conspired with others to distribute controlled substances including oxycodone and hydrocodone. Between February 2018 and 2023, Carter worked as the pharmacist in charge at Midtown Pharmacy in Gadsden. Records reflect that Midtown Pharmacy ordered at least 80,000 more oxycodone pills than the pharmacy dispensed to patients. Carter diverted opioid pills from the pharmacy and sold those pills to other drug distributors. He regularly took distributor bottles from his pharmacy to his house, where he repackaged the pills in plastic bags for resale. Carter admitted to earning about $450,000 in illicit income, which he failed to report on his income tax returns. According to the plea agreement, during the execution of a search warrant at Carter’ house, authorities found more than $110,000 in cash.
The FBI, DEA, and IRS investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama Observes Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
Birmingham, Ala. – U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). DVAM provides an opportunity to honor victims and survivors, and recognize the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors.
The prevalence of domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence is alarming. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes. Nearly 20 percent of all violent crime is categorized as domestic violence, as revealed by the 2021 National Crime Victimization Survey data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
“Domestic violence tears at the fabric of our communities and affects every demographic of society,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “People who commit violence within their homes are often also the same people who commit violent crimes in our communities. My office along with our federal, state, and local partners remain committed to protecting victims of violence.”
An abuser’s access to firearms is the single greatest risk factor for intimate partner homicide. The presence of a firearm during a domestic violence incident increases the risk of homicide 500%.
Federal firearm laws prohibit gun possession for domestic abusers. These firearm laws can be used to prosecute abusers – often without the testimony of victims, who may be hesitant to testify in a court proceeding against their abuser. The pertinent federal laws that may relate to domestic violence crimes fall into two broad categories:
- Crimes under the Gun Control Act, which prevents prohibited persons – including convicted felons, individuals previously convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses, and individuals subject to certain protective orders—from possessing firearms, or from lying to firearms dealers about their status
- Crimes under the Violence Against Women Act, which prohibits interstate stalking, cyber stalking, and using interstate commerce to commit domestic violence or violate protective orders
The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women has awarded One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center (One Place) $800,000 to support its mission as the comprehensive service provider for victims of domestic and sexual violence in Jefferson County. The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!) and the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) partnered with One Place in its application to enhance services to survivors of domestic violence in Jefferson County. The award comes to One Place through OVW’s Improving Criminal Justice Responses grant program. Since 2022, the Department of Justice has committed more than $1.6 million of funding for new projects to address domestic violence within the Northern District of Alabama.
In October 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama launched Operation Safe Families to bring federal law enforcement alongside local victim service providers, state and local law enforcement, and local prosecutors to better respond to the needs of victims of domestic violence and the threats presented to the community by domestic violence offenders. Not only do domestic violence offenders often terrorize former intimate partners, national and local crime data confirms that domestic violence offenders present extreme risks to law enforcement officers and are often responsible for significant amounts of violent crimes in Alabama communities.
If you would like more information about Operation Safe Families visit
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/operation-safe-families-protecting-families-gun-violence or to receive training or resources related to domestic violence, please contact the U.S Attorney’s Office at 205.244.2015.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or need resources, please visit:
https://www.justice.gov/ovw/local-resources.
Montgomery Man Arrested for Armed Robbery of a U.S. Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Montgomery man was arrested in Huntsville on Tuesday on charges stemming from the robbery of a U.S. Postal carrier, 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 Anthony Darryl Barber, Jr., 23, of Montgomery, Alabama, with robbery of a U.S. Postal carrier, unlawful possession of U.S. Postal Service Keys, and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime. The incident occurred in Madison County on May 3, 2023.
To report United States Postal Service mail theft or other crimes committed through or towards the United States Postal Service, please contact the United States Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or https://www.uspis.gov/report.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case along with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and Huntsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Barlow is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A convicted sex offender was sentenced on child exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
Chief U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Austin Jeremy Bobo, 34, of Trussville, to 180 months in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Bobo pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography in May.
According to the plea agreement, on October 30, 2020, a social media outlet submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) relating to an account that uploaded images containing child sexual abuse materials. The investigation revealed that the account belonged to Bobo. Between November 2019 and October 2020, Bobo uploaded numerous images of child pornography to the account. Bobo was convicted in the Circuit Court for Lee County, Alabama, of an offense related to child pornography in March 2016.
FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF), Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid 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.
Joran van der Sloot Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Extortion and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty today and was sentenced for his role in a scheme to obtain $250,000 from Elizabeth (“Beth”) Ann Holloway, the mother of Natalee Holloway, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
The guilty plea and sentencing of Joran Andreas Petrus van der Sloot, 36, occurred before U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco. Van der Sloot pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
According to the plea agreement, in 2010, van der Sloot solicited money from Beth Holloway, Natalee Holloway’s mother, on promises he would reveal the location of her daughter’s remains in Aruba and the circumstances of her 2005 death. However, after being paid a total of $25,100, van der Sloot provided information that he later described as “worthless.”
According to the sentencing memorandum and plea agreement, van der Sloot agreed to provide full, complete, accurate, and truthful information regarding Natalee Holloway’s disappearance in exchange for a sentence of 20 years.
“Today, the United States held Joran van der Sloot accountable for his scheme to exploit a mother looking for information about her missing daughter,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The United States hopes that the information regarding Natalee Holloway’s disappearance provides some important answers for the family and the community that has followed this family’s tragedy. Today’s result would not have been possible without the help of the FBI, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Government of Peru, the Netherlands and Aruba, U.S. Marshals Service, and Shelby County Sherriff’s Office, who assisted in this process. I am grateful for their hard work and dedication. May this long-awaited day finally bring justice for Beth and for Natalee’s family and friends.”
“Today’s sentence holds Joran van der Sloot accountable for the pain he has caused the family and friends of Natalee Holloway,” said FBI Birmingham SAC Carlton Peeples. “After more than a decade of uncertainty, hopefully this will bring them and this community some closure. During this lengthy investigation, the FBI remained committed in aggressively pursuing and holding this individual accountable for the crimes he committed against US persons. I would like to thank our local, state, federal, and foreign partners who assisted in this investigation and a special thanks to all the FBI personnel, past and present, who worked tirelessly in bringing this individual to justice.”
The FBI investigated the case. Criminal Chief Lloyd C. Peeples and Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby prosecuted the case.
Two Men from Mississippi and Alabama Sentenced for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
Thomas Harlen Smith, 45, of Mathiston, Mississippi, was sentenced to 108 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. A jury convicted Smith of 11 charges, including nine felonies and two misdemeanors, on May 5, 2023.
Donnie Duane Wren, 44, of Athens, Alabama, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and 24 months of supervised release by Judge Walton. A jury convicted Wren of two felonies and one misdemeanor on May 5, 2023.
According to evidence presented during the trial and court documents, on Jan. 5, 2021, Smith traveled from his home in Mississippi to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally held by former President Trump the next day and picked up his cousin, defendant Wren, from his home in Alabama along the way. On the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Smith and Wren attended the rally and afterward made their way toward the U.S. Capitol building. Before entering Capitol grounds, Smith climbed a column near the African American History Museum with the outdated Mississippi state flag.
Smith and Wren arrived on the restricted Capitol grounds and observed other rioters climbing scaffolding erected around the stage for the Presidential Inauguration. The two then climbed the structure and made their way to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. Smith pushed toward the front of a group of rioters and used a flagpole like a spear to try to break a window next to the Lower West Terrace doors. Smith thrust his flagpole at the window five times. He then surged through the doorway, where he and a mass of other rioters pushed into a line of Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) officers attempting to hold the door shut.
Smith then exited the Tunnel and reunited with his cousin, Wren, who had witnessed the violence directed by other rioters against police officers in the area. The two posed for a photograph together on the Lower West Terrace. Smith and Wren then climbed up a railing to the Upper West Terrace and confronted a line of police officers using riot shields and attempting to clear the area. Smith and Wren pushed back against the police line, placing their hands on the officer’s shields and leaning back into the police. Wren leaned all his weight into the riot shield, preventing the police officer from advancing. Wren’s push against the riot shield was an early assault on the Terrace that instigated the fight between rioters and police attempting to clear the area.
While this occurred, Smith witnessed an object fly past him and hit an officer. Smith yelled at the officer, “You deserve that, you piece of s—!” At 4:35 p.m., Smith kicked an MPD officer in the back—sending the officer to the ground. Smith then picked up a metal pole-like object and threw it toward the line of police, striking two MPD officers in the head.
Later that day, on Facebook, Smith described the assault on the Capitol: “Patriots stood together and battled the tyrannical cops throughout the entire afternoon.”
Smith was convicted of 11 charges at trial, including felony offenses of assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon; obstruction of an official proceeding; two counts of civil disorder; two counts of assaulting, impeding, or resisting officers; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon. He was also convicted of two misdemeanors: disorderly conduct in the Capitol grounds or buildings and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
Wren was convicted of civil disorder and assaulting, impeding, or resisting officers, both felonies, and a single misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.
This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Mississippi, the Northern District of Alabama, and the Southern District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Birmingham Field Offices and the Homestead, Florida and Oxford, Mississippi Resident Agencies, which listed Wren as #219 on their seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department.
In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
National Children’s Advocacy Center Awarded $4.25 Million in Grants from Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Department of Justice has awarded grants totaling $4,250,000 to the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC), announced U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and NCAC Executive Director, Chris Newlin.
“I am proud to announce that the NCAC has received these grants for its important work on behalf of children in Madison County, the Southern Region of the United States, and throughout our nation,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “These grants are vital in sustaining this center’s mission to continue to provide training and support to professionals dedicated to responding to child abuse throughout our nation. I am thankful for the ongoing partnership with the NCAC as we work together to provide a safer future for children.”
“We are so thankful for the continuing support from the Department of Justice and our partnership with U.S. Attorney Escalona,” said Chris Newlin. “This grant will provide critical training and support to equip child abuse response professionals and their multidisciplinary teams with the knowledge and skills to be the steadfast guardians of our children's safety, ensuring a brighter tomorrow for all."
The NCAC is receiving the funding through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) grant program. The NCAC was awarded $1,250,000 for the Fiscal Year 2023 Victims of Child Abuse Act Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers Program and $3 million for the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 Victims of Child Abuse Act and Training and Technical Assistant for Child Abuse Professionals.
Under the Victims of Child Abuse Act Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers Program grant, the NCAC operates the Southern Regional Children’s Advocacy Center program which provides coordinated, strategic training and technical assistance, and resources to state chapters, other Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC), and multidisciplinary teams within the southern census region of the United States. The Southern Regional Children’s Advocacy Center was formed in 1995 and supports more than 41% of the 1,000+ CACs currently operating throughout the United States which served more than 380,494 youth in 2022.
Under the Training and Technical Assistance for Child Abuse Professionals grant, the NCAC will continue to provide model training programs and support for federal, state, tribal and local professionals who assist in the multidisciplinary response to child abuse victims. The grant allows NCAC to continue to provide significant free virtual training through its Virtual Training Center, and continue operating the renowned Child Abuse Library OnlineTM (CALiOTM) which is the largest digital library for child abuse resources in the world.
The NCAC exists to champion and strengthen the global response to child abuse and give every child the best chance at life, safe from abuse. A global leader and changemaker, the NCAC provides hope, healing, and justice for children through global training for child abuse professionals, community-based child abuse prevention strategies, and a multidisciplinary approach to child abuse that includes forensic interviews, medical and mental health services, and family advocacy. Give every child the best chance at life at www.nationalcac.org.
Jefferson County Man Convicted of Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
The jury returned a guilty verdict against Terrell Corey McMullin, 30, of Fairfield, after two days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala. McMullin was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“The illegal possession of firearms by repeat offenders is a persistent threat to the peace and safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “Our ongoing collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement has been instrumental in removing illegal firearms from our communities. Together, we are making our communities safer every day.”
“Today’s announcement is a perfect answer to one of our most important whys, why we chose to protect and serve the public,” said SAC Watson. “This is a positive result of a job well done by the ATF and our partners who work tirelessly to combat violent crime within our communities. We will continue to use all our resources to disrupt the illegal possession of firearms and bring those individuals to justice who continue to disregard the law and the brave men and women who enforce them.”
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 exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The pursuit ended when McMullin crossed into the Fairfield city limits. During the search of the abandoned vehicle, the officer found a tan Glock 9mm pistol with an installed Glock switch in the driver’s seat. The Glock was later determined to be stolen.
The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison.
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.
Jefferson County Agencies Awarded $800,000 to Enhance Responses to Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women has awarded One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center (One Place) $800,000 to support its mission as the comprehensive service provider for victims of domestic and sexual violence in Jefferson County. The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!) and the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) partnered with One Place in its application to enhance services to survivors of domestic violence in Jefferson County. The award comes to One Place through OVW’s Improving Criminal Justice Responses grant program.
The collaborative application developed by One Place, ¡HICA!, and JCDH addresses key barriers to victims of violence that are seeking assistance, as well as significant risk factors that correlate with an increased risk of homicide for domestic violence victims.
“The awarded funds will allow our team of partners at One Place to expand on-site resources and offer more comprehensive support for survivors of domestic violence,” said Kelly Klehm, One Place’s Deputy Director. “This award advances our shared goals, which are to improve care for the survivors we serve and to make the process of receiving help less intimidating and more efficient.”
One Place’s successful grant application with ¡HICA!, and JCDH emphasized addressing barriers and risks faced by survivors. Through the grant by OVW, ¡HICA! will provide legal services to survivors of domestic violence, who might be hesitant to seek help due to language or cultural barriers. Also, JCDH will ensure the provision of specialized nursing services to victims of strangulation. When strangulation occurs in relationships with domestic violence, the risk of lethality to the victim increases by 750%.
“This grant allows us to expand our existing work at One Place and underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring that the Latino community has full access to the essential legal services they need during their most challenging times. Working collaboratively with our partners, we aim to break down language barriers and create a haven where all victims feel heard, understood, and supported,” said Carlos Alemán, Chief Executive Officer of ¡HICA!.
“Violence, in any form, has direct and indirect deleterious impacts on society and is a public health concern. JCDH is committed to violence prevention and supporting survivors of violent acts. Receipt of this grant demonstrates the importance of collaborative partnerships to serve those in need,” said Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. David Hicks.
Since 2014, One Place has served as Jefferson County’s one-stop community response center for victims of domestic and sexual violence. Local agencies who are on-site partners at One Place include ¡HICA!, the YWCA of Central Alabama, Legal Services of Alabama, United Counseling, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office – Birmingham Division, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Birmingham Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. At One Place, victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence receive wraparound services from one central location, with an emphasis on maintaining a survivor-centered approach.
“I am grateful to the Office on Violence Against Women for their support of our partner’s work in Jefferson County. Victims of domestic violence face numerous and life-threatening barriers to seeking help, and they deserve our best efforts and fullest support,” said United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona. “One Place’s work, alongside ¡HICA! and JCDH, will improve protections for victims most at risk of domestic homicide and will address cultural and language barriers that too often separate victims from life-saving care”.
In Jefferson County, offenders with a domestic violence history are responsible for the vast majority of homicides committed each year. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office has identified that more than 70% of homicide offenders in Jefferson County for 2021, 2022, and 2023 have previously committed acts of domestic violence.
In October 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama launched Operation Safe Families to bring federal law enforcement alongside local victim service providers, local law enforcement, and local prosecutors to better respond to the needs of victims of domestic violence and the threats presented to the community by domestic violence offenders. Not only do domestic violence offenders often terrorize former intimate partners, national and local crime data confirms that domestic violence offenders present extreme risks to law enforcement officers and are often responsible for significant amounts of violent crimes in Alabama communities.
OVW’s Improving Criminal Justice Responses program is designed to encourage partnerships between state and local governments, courts, victim service providers, coalitions, and rape crisis centers to ensure that sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking are treated as serious violations of criminal law.
Including this award, the Department of Justice has committed more than $1.6 million of funding for new projects to address domestic violence within the Jefferson County since 2022. The Office of Violence Against Women has awarded $500,000 to One Place Metro Family Justice Center to facilitate and implement the Domestic Violence and Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) in Jefferson County, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Birmingham approximately $340,000 to enhance the response of local law enforcement and prosecutors in Jefferson County. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has dedicated Project Safe Neighborhoods grant resources to enhance protections for domestic violence victims within the Northern District of Alabama.
For more information on One Place and its services contact (205) 453-7261.
Oklahoma Woman Pleads Guilty to Murder Committed in the Talladega National ForestRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Oklahoma woman pleaded guilty to crimes committed in the Talladega National Forest, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
Yasmine Marie Hider, 21 of Edmond, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court R. David Proctor to murder, kidnapping, and robbery. Hider is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
According to the plea agreement, on August 14, 2022, college students from Florida, were driving to Cheaha State Park, in Clay County, Alabama, to hike to see the waterfalls. The couple was flagged down by Hider to help “jump start” Pinkins’ car which was broken down. Hider robbed the male and female and shot the male as he attempted to defend himself and his girlfriend. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers found Hider seated several feet away with four gunshot wounds.
The maximum penalty for murder and kidnapping is life in prison. The maximum penalty for robbery is 15 years in prison.
Krystal Diane Pinkins was convicted last week in federal court. Pinkins is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, at 9:30 a.m.
The FBI and the Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigations - U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated the cases, along 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.
Calhoun County Man Sentenced to More than Eight Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Calhoun County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty for possession of a sexually explicit video of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Judge Annmarie Axon sentenced Joseph Skylar Weeks, 32, of Jacksonville, Alabama, to 97 months in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release. In June, Weeks plead guilty to possession of child pornography.
According to the plea agreement, On August 7, 2022, an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) responded to an ad posted by Weeks on a social media application. Between August 2022 and October 2022, Weeks communicated with the UC, whom Weeks believed to be a 14-year-old girl, about arranging a time to meet. On October 13th, Weeks arrived at the meeting location and was arrested by Homewood police officers. A search warrant was obtained for Weeks’ cell phone where investigators found a video containing child sexual abuse material. This conviction will require Weeks to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. 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.
Tennessee Woman Convicted of Federal Crimes Committed in the Talladega National ForestRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Tennessee woman was convicted of crimes committed in the Talladega National Forest, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
A federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Krystal Diane Pinkins, 37, of Memphis, Tennessee, after four days of testimony before Judge R. David Proctor. Pinkins was convicted of murder, robbery, and unlawful use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
“Today, the jury held the defendant accountable for her actions,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “I want to thank our local, state, and federal partners for their tireless efforts in this investigation and bringing justice to the victims and their families.”
“The victims of this terrible crime were simply being Good Samaritans” said FBI Birmingham SAC Peeples. “Today’s verdict sends a strong message that individuals who commit these crimes will be held accountable for their actions. I would like to thank the many local, state and federal resources that came together to seek justice for the victim. I hope today’s verdict can bring continued healing to the families and friends who will be forever impacted.”
According to court documents and trial testimony, on August 14, 2022, a couple who were college students from Florida, were driving to Cheaha State Park, in Clay County, Alabama, to hike to see the waterfalls. The couple were flagged down by Yasmine Marie Adel Hider, 21, to help “jump start” Pinkins’ 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. Evidence proved Pinkins aided in the crimes by providing the firearm, planning the robbery, and watching nearby in the woods as the robbery and murder took place. After the shooting, Pinkins fled into the woods and was found six hours later hidden in a secluded campsite.
The maximum penalty for murder and unlawful use of a firearm during a crime of violence is life in prison. The maximum penalty for robbery is 15 years in prison.
Hider, who testified in Pinkins’ trial, is scheduled to plead guilty before Judge R. David Proctor on October 4, 2023
The FBI and the Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigations - U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated the cases, along 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.
Pell City Man Charged with Scheme to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Pell City man has been charged with a scheme to defraud investors in his various companies, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
An information filed in United States District Court charges John Michael Golden, 48, with one count of wire fraud.
According to the information, Golden was the founder and owner of Wolf-Tek, LLC; MountainTop Timber, LLC; and DroneTek, Inc. The information alleges that between January 2018 and July 2022, Golden devised a scheme to persuade individuals to invest in his companies. He made various misrepresentations to the investors, including his businesses were about to be sold for millions of dollars to companies such as Amazon, he had timber leases and an ability to harvest timber for profit, and he had hundreds of pre-orders for drones that he simply needed capital to fulfill. Golden also gave some investors Promissory Notes in which he misrepresented his ability to repay. Golden defrauded investors in his companies of more than $3.5 million dollars. He used the funds to pay back prior investors and for personal expenses.
The maximum penalty for wire fraud is twenty years in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Rummage is prosecuting the case.
Representative John Rogers Charged with Obstruction of Justice in Fraud Case Involving the Jefferson County Community Service FundRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Representative John Rogers has been indicted by a federal grand jury for obstruction of justice, and tax charges have been added against his assistant, in a superseding indictment in the case involving schemes 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.
A 25-count superseding indictment filed this week in United States District Court charges Varrie Johnson Kindall, 58, of Chelsea, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of mail fraud, 1 count of money laundering, and 4 tax related charges. Additionally, the superseding indictment charges John Rogers, 82, and Kindall with 2 counts of obstruction of justice. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. In June, former Representative Fred L. Plump, Jr., pleaded guilty to conspiring with Kindall and resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives.
According to the 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 superseding indictment identifies certain relevant parties. Representative 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’ personal and professional assistant. Individual #1 was the Founder of Organization #1.
Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, Representative 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 Kindall.
The superseding indictment alleges that from in or about March 2019, and continuing through April 2023, Kindall conspired with Plump and others 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 Kindall. Plump and Kindall submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’ intended use of Fund money. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Kindall for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis. On one occasion, it is alleged, Kindall engaged in money laundering by moving a large sum of illegally obtained money between bank accounts.
Additionally, the superseding indictment alleges that, in 2019, Kindall committed wire fraud by assisting Rogers in directing Fund money to another entity, identified as Organization #1, and then requiring Individual #1 to pay kickbacks to her.
The superseding indictment alleges further that, after learning about the federal investigation into the fraud scheme, Rogers and Kindall attempted to obstruct justice by offering Individual #1 additional grant money as a bribe and otherwise trying to corruptly persuade Individual #1 to give false information to federal agents.
The superseding indictment adds 4 counts alleging that Kindall did not file a tax return for 2019 despite receiving substantial income and aided the filing of false tax returns for 2020-2022.
The maximum penalty for the conspiracy and substantive fraud counts is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for money laundering is ten 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 failing to file a tax return is 1 year in prison and a $25,000 fine. The maximum penalty for aiding the filing of a false tax return is 3 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Catherine Crosby are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tuscaloosa Man Convicted on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A federal jury today convicted a Tuscaloosa man 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.
The jury returned its guilty verdict against Jimmy Lee Spencer, 37, after 2 days of testimony before Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler. Spencer was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana.
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 a plethora of packaging material that he used to package and sell narcotics in the community.
The maximum penalty for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana is 20 years in prison.
The ATF investigated the case along with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany T. Byrd and M. Blake Milner are prosecuting the case.
Former Alabama Department of Corrections Lieutenant Pleads Guilty to Federal 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 pleaded guilty today to using excessive force on an inmate and lying afterwards in an official report to cover up his abuse.
According to the plea agreement, former William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility Lieutenant and Shift Commander Mohammad Shahid Jenkins, 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. Jenkins admitted that, 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. In it, he gave a false account of where, in Donaldson, he transported V.R. to and he omitted entirely his use of force on V.R. from his report. As part of the factual basis, Jenkins further admitted that he lied to investigators by denying using any force on V.R.
Further, as part of the factual basis, Jenkins admitted to using force on another inmate on a different 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 D.H. was suffering from the effects of chemical spray.
“Senior law enforcement officers set the tone for junior officers whom they supervise,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant abused his position of power to carry out a violent assault on a restrained inmate, in an isolated location of the prison. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who violate the civil rights of any American, including those who are incarcerated in our jails and prisons.”
“There is zero tolerance for corrections officers who commit these egregious crimes,” 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 who they are sworn to protect and keep safe.”
“The civil rights of all must be protected, including those who are in the trusted custody of law enforcement officials,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “To willfully deprive any individual without due process or subject the same to cruel and unusual punishment can’t be tolerated or perceived to be so commonplace it’s considered normal inside of our institutions. The FBI will remain committed to holding those who swore an oath to protect and serve, but instead willfully abused their privileges and abandon their responsibilities as law enforcement officers, accountable.”
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19. Jenkins faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the excessive force charge related to his assault of V.R. and 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge. He also faces up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
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 are prosecuting the case.
Administrator of Scam Telegram Channel Charged with FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury indicted a Birmingham-area man for his role operating a scam Telegram channel dedicated to the sale of stolen and fraudulent checks, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division.
An eleven-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Mekhi Diwone Harris, 24, of Birmingham, Alabama with conspiracy, wire fraud, and bank fraud. Harris was arrested on August 9, 2023, pursuant to a complaint issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
The indictment alleges that between October 2022 and August 2023, Harris participated in a scheme to sell stolen or otherwise fraudulent checks on a Telegram channel called “Work Related Slips.” According to court documents, thousands of stolen or fraudulent checks have been posted to the “Work Related Slips” channel since October of last year. The victims include individuals, municipalities, utilities, churches, nursing homes, schools, non-profit groups, and businesses across the country — including hundreds in the Northern District of Alabama. The total value of the checks posted to the "Work Related Slips" channel is more than $15 million.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bank fraud or conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution is 30 years in prison. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison. The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison.
The FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Canter. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection service all provided significant assistance during the course of the investigation.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Jury Convicts Vestavia Man on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Last week, Eugene Douglas Reid, III, 48, of Vestavia, was convicted of distribution and transportation of child pornography, following a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples made the announcement.
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.
The maximum penalty for distribution of child pornography and transportation of child pornography is 20 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years up to life.
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 are prosecuting 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.
Veterans Charity CEO and Attorney Charged with $1.9M Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A father and daughter have been charged with devising a scheme to misuse CARES Act funds, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
An information filed yesterday in United States District Court charges Kenneth L. Phillips, 62, of Birmingham, and Danielle A. Phillips, 30, of Birmingham, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the information, Kenneth Phillips, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, was the founder and CEO of Priority Soldier, Inc. (PSI). His daughter, attorney Danielle Phillips, held various roles with PSI including Chief Operating Officer and in-house legal counsel. PSI's stated mission is to strengthen military families by advocating, educating, and addressing critical issues affecting veterans and their families.
The information alleges that in November 2020, the defendants submitted a fraudulent proposal to the State of Alabama requesting COVID-19 grant funding to operate an online program to assist veterans dealing with PTSD in coping with the then-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants received approximately $1.9 million dollars in funding, but rather than use the funds for their intended purpose, began transferring funds to their personal bank accounts. After paying themselves a combined salary of more than $400,000 during the one month the program operated, the defendants in January 2021 represented to the Alabama Department of Finance that PSI had spent all but $54,617.04, which they returned. In reality, more than $1.4 million remined in the PSI bank account, which the defendants used to purchase personal items such as luxury sports cars, watches, and diamond jewelry for their own personal benefit.
In conjunction with the charge, the government also filed a plea agreement with both Kenneth and Danielle Phillips. Both must appear before a judge to enter a guilty plea.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan S. Rummage is prosecuting the case.
An information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Another Person Charged with Fraud Involving the Jefferson County Community Service FundRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An assistant to Representative John Rogers has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with schemes 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.
A 21-count indictment filed this week in United States District Court charges Varrie Johnson Kindall, 58, of Chelsea, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of mail fraud, 1 count of money laundering, and 2 counts of obstruction of justice. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. In June, former Representative Fred L. Plump, Jr., pleaded guilty to conspiring with Kindall and resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives.
According to the 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 indictment identifies certain relevant parties. Representative 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’ personal and professional assistant. Individual #1 was the Founder of Organization #1.
Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, Representative 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 defendant Kindall.
The indictment alleges that from in or about March 2019, and continuing through April 2023, Kindall conspired with Plump and others 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 Kindall. Plump and Kindall submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’ intended use of Fund money. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Kindall for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis. On two occasions Kindall engaged in money laundering by moving large sums of illegally obtained money between bank accounts.
Additionally, the indictment alleges that, in 2019, Kindall committed wire fraud by assisting Rogers in directing Fund money to Organization #1 and then requiring Individual #1 to pay kickbacks to her. The indictment alleges further that, after learning about the federal investigation into the fraud scheme, Kindall attempted to obstruct justice by asking Individual #1 to give false information to federal agents and offering Individual #1 additional grant money as a bribe.
The maximum penalty for the conspiracy and substantive fraud counts is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for money laundering is ten 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Catherine Crosby are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 33 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a convicted felon for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced David Mitchell, IV, aka “Luh Mexico”, 27, of Birmingham, to 33 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on December 28, 2022, Birmingham Police officers were patrolling the area of Norwood Bottoms. Officers observed a black Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT running, with music playing loudly, and unoccupied. As officers were looking at the Jeep, Mitchell approached yelling at them. Officers recognized Mitchell and knew he had an active felony warrant. Officers took Mitchell into custody for the warrant. Officers conducted a pat down of Mitchell and found a Glock 9mm pistol in his waistband. The pistol had been reported stolen with Alabaster Police Department, and it was loaded with fifteen rounds of 9mm ammunition. Officers found the key to the Jeep in Mitchell’s back pocket and $4,398 cash in his pocket. After running the tag on the Jeep, officers discovered that the tag was not registered to the Jeep. The Jeep had been reported stolen with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. Officers obtained a search warrant for the Jeep. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found a blue duffle bag containing marijuana, an iPhone, hydrocodone pills and two high-capacity Glock magazines.
FBI investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Announces Results of Nationwide COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement ActionRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the results of a coordinated, nationwide enforcement action to combat COVID-19 fraud, which included 718 enforcement actions – including federal criminal charges against 371 defendants – for offenses related to over $836 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud.
“The Justice Department has now seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that criminals had stolen and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This latest action, involving over 300 defendants and over $830 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud, should send a clear message: the COVID-19 public health emergency may have ended, but the Justice Department’s work to identify and prosecute those who stole pandemic relief funds is far from over.”
The announcement was made by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco at a roundtable meeting of senior Justice Department officials, law enforcement partners, and Office of Inspector General (OIG) executives. Deputy Attorney General Monaco also announced the launch of two additional COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces: one at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and one at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. These two strike forces add to the three strike forces launched in September 2022 in the Eastern and Central Districts of California, the Southern District of Florida, and the District of Maryland.
“The law enforcement actions announced today reflect the Justice Department’s focus – working with our law enforcement partners nationwide – on bringing to justice those who stole from American businesses and families at a time of national emergency,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “The two new Strike Forces launched today will increase our reach as we continue to pursue fraudsters and recover taxpayer funds, no matter how long it takes.”
At the meeting, Michael C. Galdo, Acting Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement, detailed the results of the three-month coordinated law enforcement action that took place from May through July 2023, which included criminal, civil, and forfeiture actions. More than 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces, the Justice Department’s Criminal and Civil Divisions, and more than a dozen law enforcement and OIG partners worked together to conduct the sweep.
“I applaud the hard work of our prosecutors around the country,” said Acting Director Galdo. “However, this announcement is not a victory lap. Our mission is not complete. We know from our investigative partners that identifying those who committed pandemic relief fraud and recovering stolen funds is difficult work. But the Justice Department, including our strike forces, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and the Criminal and Civil Divisions, is committed to using our criminal, civil, and forfeiture tools to hold these fraudsters accountable.”
As part of the effort, 718 law enforcement actions occurred, including criminal charges, civil charges, forfeitures, guilty pleas, and sentencings, with a combined total actual loss of more than $836 million. Criminal charges were filed against 371 defendants, and 119 defendants pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial during the sweep. Over $57 million in court-ordered restitution was imposed. 117 civil matters occurred during the sweep, with over $10.4 million in judgments. Prosecutors worked with law enforcement to secure forfeiture of over $231.4 million.
As part of the announcement, Acting Director Galdo said that 63 of the defendants had alleged connections to violent crime, including violent gang members also accused of using pandemic funds to pay for a murder for hire. Twenty-five defendants have alleged connections to transnational crime networks.
Many of the cases in the enforcement action involve charges related to pandemic unemployment insurance benefit fraud and fraud against the two largest pandemic Small Business Administration programs: the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Additional matters involved pandemic healthcare billing fraud, fraud against the Emergency Rental Assistance program, and fraud committed against the IRS Employee Retention Credit program (ERC), a refundable tax credit for businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees and were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) worked with the California Strike Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey to bring multimillion dollar ERC fraud cases during the enforcement action.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force (CFETF) to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Action cases were prosecuted by the following Justice Department entities: Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Civil Division’s Fraud Section, Consumer Protection Branch; and by the following U.S. Attorneys’ Offices: Northern District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama, Arizona, Eastern District of California, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia, Southern District of Indiana, Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Western District of Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri, Northern District of Mississippi, Maine, Montana, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Northern District of New York, Northern District of Oklahoma, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Northern District of West Virginia.
The cases were investigated by the following agencies: FBI; U.S. Secret Service; IRS-CI; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Army Criminal Investigations Division; Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; the Diplomatic Security Service; and the Offices of Inspectors General from the Small Business Administration, Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Reserve Board, Social Security Administration, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief, Treasury, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
OCDETF Fusion Center and OCDETF’s International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force provided key support.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Convicted Felon Sentenced on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon was sentenced today for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Cedric Rozell Thomas, 24, of Birmingham, to 120 months in prison. Thomas pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in March 2023.
According to the plea agreement, on December 4, 2020, Jefferson County Sheriff deputies initiated a traffic stop on Thomas. Thomas fled and led deputies on a high-speed vehicle chase from Fairfield to Ensley. The pursuit ended when Thomas wrecked his vehicle and fled on foot. Deputies pursued Thomas on foot and apprehended him. Thomas had in his possession a Hi-Point .45 caliber pistol.
On September 29, 2021, officers with Birmingham Police Department patrolling the Smithfield Court Housing Community and saw Thomas walking across the street. The officers knew Thomas had federal warrant. Thomas fled from officers, and dumped the contents of a bookbag he was carrying, including a Stoeger .32 caliber handgun. Officers arrested Thomas shortly after pursuit.
The ATF investigated the case, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius Greene prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to KidnappingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon pleaded guilty today to kidnapping and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
Jeffrey Barton, 51, of Guinn, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala to felon in possession of a firearm and kidnapping.
According to the plea agreement, in June 2022, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) received a call from a man reporting that an individual, later identified as Barton, had been at his residence and forced his wife into a vehicle at gunpoint. A CCSO Deputy saw the vehicle the victim’s husband described leaving the driveway of the victim’s residence. When the female victim in the vehicle saw the CCSO deputy’s patrol car, she jumped out of the driver’s door and began running toward the deputy. The deputy saw Barton in the back seat. Barton got out of the vehicle with his hands above his head. Officers searched the vehicle and found a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol on the ground next to the driver’s door.
The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison. The maximum penalty for kidnapping is life in prison.
The ATF investigated the case, along with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples is prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
Timothy Jabbar Wyatt, 31, of Clanton, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Karen O. Bowdre to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on January 15, 2023, a Calera Police Department officer observed a vehicle on the side of Interstate 65 at mile marker 229. A male, later identified as Wyatt, was standing beside the vehicle. The officer stopped to assist. Upon approaching, Wyatt dropped some food items and a case of water he was holding. He then fled into the woods off the side of the interstate. Calera Police Department officers searched for Wyatt in the woods. The next day, Calera Police Department officers found Wyatt in a makeshift shelter structure next to a stream in the woods. Officers looked in the shelter to make sure no one else was in it and found a Sundance .25 caliber pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition.
The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison.
The ATF investigated the case, along with the Calera Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples is prosecuting the case.
Two North Alabama Defendants Sentenced on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Two North Alabama defendants were sentenced last week on child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Picard.
U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced two defendants in separate and unrelated cases.
“The sexual abuse and commercial exploitation of children is among the most serious crimes prosecuted by my office,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The creation and distribution of digital images of child sexual abuse perpetuates a criminal industry that is incredibly destructive to both the victims and consumers of this material. The prosecution of these defendants is part of the ongoing commitment of my office, and that of our federal, state, and local partners, to identify and prosecute child predators. I am grateful for the work of all involved in bringing these two defendants to justice.”
“Finding and arresting predators involved in victimizing and exploiting children is one of our highest priorities,” said Acting Special Agent in charge Travis Pickard who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “These sentences are a testament to HSI’s and its law enforcement partner’s commitment to protecting our most vulnerable population from exploitation as well as holding those violators accountable.”
Jeremy Michael Lee Powell, 25, of Athens, was sentenced to 600 months in prison followed by lifetime of supervised release. In April 2023, Powell pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. According to court documents, Powell befriended the minor children’s mother and engaged in sexual acts with her seven- and eight-year-old children. Powell told the children to keep it a secret. Powell knew the mother needed childcare assistance, so he conveniently offered to assist with the children while the mother worked. Powell also took full advantage of the fact that the children’s father was not in contact with them and swayed the children into calling him “da-da.” Law enforcement discovered 47 sexually explicit images involving the children on Powell’s cell phone.
Becky Lynn Burroughs, 46, of Decatur was sentenced to 260 months in prison followed by lifetime of supervised release. Burroughs pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography on April 27, 2023. According to the plea agreement, Florida investigators identified an account distributing child pornography in an internet chatroom. Investigation revealed that the account belonged to Burroughs. Between March 2021 and September 2021, Burroughs uploaded at least 11 videos, as well as numerous images, of child pornography to the internet. On September 1, 2021, a search warrant was obtained for Burrough’s residence in Decatur, Alabama, and agents seized Burrough’s phone. A forensic review of the cell phone located 10 child sex abuse images and videos.
HSI - Birmingham investigated the Jeremy Powell case, along with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White, Daniel McBrayer, and William McComb prosecuted Powell.
HSI – Birmingham investigated the Becky Burroughs case, along with HSI – Tallahassee, the Leon County, Florida Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid prosecuted Burroughs.
These cases were 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 Alfa Agent Pleads Guilty to Mail FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former Alfa agent pleaded guilty today to mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
Bret Chappell, 44, of Warrior, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco to one count of mail fraud.
According to the plea agreement, Chappell was a licensed insurance agent working for Alfa Corporation (Alfa) in Hayden, Alabama. Between 2019 and 2022, Chappell devised a scheme to defraud numerous victims into surrendering existing Alfa life insurance policies for cash value and purchasing new Alfa Life Insurance policies covering the victims. In one instance, he convinced an elderly victim that Alfa offered certificates of deposit for purchase, when in fact Alfa is not a financial institution and does not offer certificates of deposit. Nonetheless, Chappell convinced the victim to cash two certificates of deposit from another bank, based on the belief that the victim would receive the product promised by Chappell. Chappell also prepared fraudulent documents that were purportedly issued by Alfa and delivered these fraudulent documents to the victims. Chappell convinced the victims to endorse the checks issued to them by Alfa. However, rather than using the funds to purchase legitimate policies covering the victims, Chappell deposited the funds into his personal bank account. In total, Chappell received funds from victims totaling $862,286.55.
The maximum penalty for mail fraud is 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case, along with the Alabama Department of Insurance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby is prosecuting the case.
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Tuscaloosa Man Convicted of Illegally Possessing 10 rounds of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A federal jury today found a convicted felon guilty of illegally possessing ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
The jury returned its guilty verdict against Deandrea Darnelle Young, 34, of Tuscaloosa, after two days of testimony before Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler. Young was convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
“It is not only a federal crime for a prohibited person to possess a firearm, but also to possess ammunition,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “Removing firearms and ammunition from prohibited persons is an integral part of our efforts to fight violent crime and to keep our families and communities safe. Alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold these individuals accountable.”
“Many people know that convicted felons are prohibited from possessing firearms, but a lesser-known fact is that they are also prohibited from possessing ammunition,” SAC Watson said. “We at ATF work tirelessly to keep our communities safe from the individuals who endanger our neighborhoods. We will continue to work with our state, local, and federal partners to protect the public from violent criminals.”
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 27, 2022, a Tuscaloosa Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on Young. The officer made contact with Young and asked for his driver’s license and insurance. Young ignored the officer’s repeated requests for information and fled from the officer. The officer chased Young and found the abandoned vehicle in an apartment complex. During the search of the abandoned vehicle officers found 10 rounds of Igman 9mm ammunition underneath clothing belonging to Young. The officers 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 in case number 7:21-cr-00461-LSC-GMB; and was convicted on August 15, 2012, in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, of two counts of Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, First Degree, in CC-2012-2072 and CC-2012-1389. On the same date, he was convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance in CC-2012-2073. On November 9, 2011, in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Young was convicted of Burglary, First Degree, in CC-2008-1527, and of Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, First Degree, in CC-2011-2381.
The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of an ammunition is 10 years in prison.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney L. Plyler and Catherine Crosby are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Escalona Announces Recent Indictments Aimed at Reducing Violent Crime Across the Northern District of AlabamaRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today, United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona announced that continued efforts to combat violent crime have led to federal firearms charges against 12 individuals. These indictments are the result of the collaborative efforts of federal and local partners to identify and focus enforcement on individuals who illegally purchase and possess firearms in the Northern District of Alabama.
“Felons who illegally possess firearms are major contributors to violent crime in this district,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The fundamental goal of our violent crime work is to focus our enforcement actions on the individuals and criminal activities that drive violent crime in our communities. We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to protect our communities and to reduce the number of firearms in the hands of prohibited people.”
Last month a federal grand jury indicted 12 individuals across the Northern District of Alabama on a variety of federal firearm charges.
DeKalb County
Mark Anthony Clines, 59, of Rainsville, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm.
Miguel Angel Rojas, 31, of Valley Head, was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm.
Etowah County
Michael Wesson, 66, of Southside, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm.
Jefferson County
Robert Elijah Allen, 29, of Birmingham, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm. Somer Lemere Ross, 27, of Birmingham, was charged with making a false statement to a federal firearms licensee dealer during the purchase of a firearm. Ross falsified documents by specifically stating that she was the actual buyer when in fact she was buying the firearm for an individual who was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Cornelius Abodur Brownlee, Jr., 21, of Ensley, was charged with illegally possessing a machine gun, that is, a Glock 9mm pistol equipped with a “Glock switch” and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Roderick Jimelle Needham, 23, of Birmingham, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm.
Kenneth Lamont Crawford, 51, of Birmingham, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm.
Mark Anthony Clifton, 37, of Cedar Bluff, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm.
Shelby County
Dennis Dewayne Dothard, 39, of Birmingham, was charged with Hobbs Act Robbery, brandishing a firearm in during and in relation to a violent crime, and felon in possession of a firearm.
St. Clair County
Christopher Allen Grooms, 40, of Ashville, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm.
Tuscaloosa County
Isiah Teanthony Joy, 31, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the Department of Justice’s violent crime strategy to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders collaborate to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Gadsden Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Conspiracy and Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Gadsden-area pharmacist has been convicted of drug distribution conspiracy and tax crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius D. Hardeman of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Nathan Thomas Carter, 41, of Gadsden, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns
According to the plea agreement, between 2015 and late 2021, Carter conspired with others to distribute controlled substances including oxycodone and hydrocodone. Between February 2018 and 2023, Carter worked as the pharmacist in charge at Midtown Pharmacy in Gadsden. Between 2018 and 2021, records reflect, Midtown Pharmacy ordered at least 80,000 more dosage units of oxycodone 30 mg than the pharmacy dispensed to patients. Carter diverted opioid pills from the pharmacy and sold those pills to other drug distributors. He regularly took distributor bottles from his pharmacy to his house, where he repackaged the pills in plastic bags for resale. The defendant earned about $150,000 in illicit income, per year, which he failed to report or include on his income tax returns in 2019, 2020, and 2021. According to the plea agreement, during the execution of a search warrant at Carter’ house, authorities found more than $110,000 in cash.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances is twenty years in prison. The maximum penalty for each count of filing false federal income tax returns is three years in prison.
The FBI and IRS investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward is prosecuting the case.
Kentucky Man Arrested on Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Kentucky man was arrested yesterday on child exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A four-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court charges Aden Willis Yeager, 21, of Louisville, Kentucky, with one count of production of child pornography, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography arising out of events that occurred between April 2020 and October 2020 in Tuscaloosa County.
“Summer is here, and children will have an increased online presence. I encourage parents to have open and ongoing conversations about safe and appropriate online behavior,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “My office, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue in our efforts to protect our most vulnerable victims – our children.”
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.
For information on the FBI’s guidance on child exploitation and protecting children visit https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/protecting-your-kids.
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 maximum penalty for production of child pornography is thirty years, and the penalty for coercion and enticement of a minor is ten years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for transportation and possession of child pornography is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF)investigated the case along with the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force and the University of Alabama Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Six People Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury today indicted six people on fraud charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
A 10-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Ionut Iamandita, 28, Milena Iamandita, 25, Elena Matei, 18, Florin Matei, 27, Larisa Iordache, 28, and Marius Iordache, 29, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Ionut Iamandita, Milena Iamandita, Elena Matei, Florin Matei, and Larisa Iordache were also charged with aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, from February 2023 to June 2023, the defendants participated in a conspiracy that used skimming devices and covert video cameras to steal Listerhill Credit Union and Avadian Credit Union customers’ account information. Conspirators then withdrew funds from ATMs using stolen account information.
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.
The FBI and United States Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from the Lauderdale County’s Sherriff’s Office, Tuscaloosa County Sherriff’s Office, Hoover Police Department, and Vestavia Hills Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a convicted felon on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Rayford Raymond Russell aka “Pete”, 74, of Rainsville, to 168 months in prison. In February, Russell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, attempt to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, use of a phone to facilitate a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Russell was on federal supervised release when he committed these crimes.
"Removing drivers of violent crime from our communities remains a high priority for our office and our law enforcement partners," U.S. Escalona said. "I am grateful for the hard work and cooperation that brought this repeat offender to justice."
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to ensuring the U.S. Mails are not used as a tool to distribute narcotics to our communities,” said Scott Fix, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge of the Houston Division. “The sentence handed down today should serve as a reminder to other perpetrators engaged in this type of criminal behavior that we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring them to justice. We extend our appreciation to ALEA, ATF, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, and Huntsville Police Department for their assistance with this investigation.”
“The ATF worked collaboratively and tirelessly with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to disrupt the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics, and other criminal acts that were committed,” ATF SAC Watson said. “The ATF will remain in lockstep 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.”
According to the plea agreement, during the week of August 10, 2022, law enforcement investigated a series of suspicious packages being mailed to a residence in Flat Rock, Alabama. The package was intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service and contained approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. On August 12, 2022, a controlled delivery of the package was made to the intended residence owned by Cindy Franklin. Franklin was receiving packages for “Pete” and was compensated with money and marijuana for the packages she received. Between April 2021 and August 2022, approximately 350 pounds of methamphetamine and marijuana were mailed to Russell’s and Franklin’s residences. On August 12, 2022, Russell moved his firearms and ammunition to a residence in Dutton, Alabama. A search warrant was obtained for the residence. Law enforcement officers seized multiple firearms loaded with approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition and other ammunition belonging to Russell.
On May 23, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Cindy Land Franklin, 64, of Flat Rock, to 36 months in prison for use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime. Franklin pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2023.
In June 2010, Russell pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama to being a felon in possession of a firearm, conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and money laundering. In March 2011, Russell was sentenced to nine years in prison.
The USPIS and ATF investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Huntsville Police Department and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell E. Penfield prosecuted the case.
California Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a California man on a drug trafficking charge, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.
U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Blackburn sentenced Esteban Roberto Ortiz, 43, to 300 months in prison. Ortiz was convicted in February of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. The jury also returned a special verdict that the offense involved more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
Evidence at trial proved that Ortiz conspired with others to transport approximately 11 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 pounds of marijuana from California to Alabama. Ortiz coordinated couriers to travel to Alabama in a vehicle containing an after-market hidden compartment where the methamphetamine and marijuana were stored. After the couriers were stopped in Oklahoma, agents from DEA Oklahoma City and DEA Birmingham coordinated a controlled delivery of this car to Alabaster, Alabama, to meet Ortiz, where he was taken into custody. Evidence at trial further showed that, ahead of the vehicle’s arrival, Ortiz was planning for the distribution of these drugs to a network of drug associates in Alabama.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Ryan Rummage prosecuted the case.
Ringleader Sentenced in Immigration Scheme that Offered Fake MarriagesRead the Press Release
Huntsville, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Huntsville man for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and submit fraudulent immigration documents, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services District Director Denise M. Frazier.
U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Preston Olantunji Augustus, 73, to 27 months in prison. In March, Augustus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and submit fraudulent documents related to immigration status.
According to the plea agreement, Augustus operated a business, ISE-Interlink located in Huntsville, AL, which purported to provide placement for international students into professional programs to pursue university study or professional career placement. However, according to the indictment and the plea agreement, between November 2016 and August 2021, Augustus, and his co-conspirators Lucretia Bibbs, 44, of Huntsville and Shawnieque Wells, 29, of Huntsville and others participated in a scheme to recruit and pay United States citizens (USC) to engage in fraudulent marriages with non-United States Citizens (non-USC) so that the non-USC could obtain legal status in the United States and ultimately U.S. citizenship. The defendants also assisted with the preparation of documents to be submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding the marriage, to include directing participants to fraudulently represent that they were residing together as spouses, when in fact, they did not reside together as spouses and had no intention of residing together.
HSI investigated the case along with the USCIS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell E. Penfield and John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge yesterday sentenced an armed career criminal 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 Corey L. Maze sentenced William Wayne Osbourn, 38 of Sylacauga, to 228 months in prison. Osbourn pleaded guilty on March 17, 2023, to unlawfully possessing a Smith & Wesson magnum revolver in October 2021 in Talladega County. Osbourn is prohibited from having a firearm because of multiple prior felony convictions and the sentence pronounced yesterday reflected his status as an Armed Career Criminal. Osbourn was previously convicted on January 25, 2011, in the Circuit Court of Talladega County, Alabama, of the offense of Receiving Stolen Property, First Degree; convicted on March 6, 2012, in the Circuit Court of Talladega County, Alabama, of the offense of Attempted Unlawful Manufacturing of a Controlled Substance, Second Degree; convicted on February 11, 2014, in the Circuit Court of Talladega County, Alabama, of the offense of Unlawful Manufacturing of a Controlled Substance, First Degree; and convicted on September 21, 2015, in the Circuit Court of Calhoun County, Alabama, of the offense of Robbery, First Degree.
“Prosecuting career criminals who possess firearms is an important part of reducing violent crime in this district,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “We are grateful for the investigation by the Sylacauga Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the ATF in bringing this defendant to justice.”
“Today’s announcement is a perfect answer to why we chose to protect and serve the public. Illegal firearm possession and narcotic distribution in our communities is dangerous and damaging to everyone involved in the criminal activity,” said SAC Watson. “ATF will remain in lockstep with our local, state and federal partners in our continuing effort to combat violent crime and maintain public safety.”
The ATF investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Sylacauga Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel McBrayer and Brittney Plyler prosecuted the case.
This case is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to More than 18 Years in Prison for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Jefferson County man on child pornography offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Court Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Andrew Scott Eaton, 32 of Mulga, to 222 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. On February 7, 2023, Eaton pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to the indictment, Eaton had previously been convicted under the laws of the State of Alabama of Sexual Abuse, First Degree, in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, and of Sexual Abuse of a Child Less than 12 Years Old, in the Circuit Court of Bibb County.
FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel S. McBrayer and Lloyd C. Peeples 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.
Man Pleads Guilty to Running Child Sexual Abuse WebsiteRead the Press Release
An Alabama man pleaded guilty yesterday for his involvement with a website dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, William Michael Spearman, 57, of Madison, was the lead administrator of the website, which had been operating for many years. The website included a section devoted to the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, a section devoted to images and videos depicting children being subjected to pain and torture, and a section devoted to avoiding detection by law enforcement. As the lead administrator, Spearman managed numerous “staff” members, directed them how to help run the site, recommended other users for promotion, kept records of child pornography files advertised and distributed over the site, presided over staff meetings, praised and scolded users, and counseled users and other managers about the function and expectations of the website. Spearman also advertised and distributed images over the website.
Spearman pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The following defendants have also been convicted in the Southern District of Florida for their involvement with the same website:
Name
Residence
Charges
Status
Selwyn David Rosenstein
Boynton Beach, Florida
Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; five counts of advertisement of child pornography; possession of child pornography
Sentenced to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution to victims
Gregory Malcolm Good
Silver Springs, Nevada
Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography
Scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 22
Robert Preston Boyles
Clarksville, Tennessee
Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography
Scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 15
Matthew Branden Garrell
Raleigh, North Carolina
Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography
Scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 1
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit, West Palm Beach Resident Agency, and Miami Field Office investigated the cases. Substantial assistance for the case was provided by FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies in: Huntsville, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Clarksville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Madison, Wisconsin. Substantial assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, District of Nevada, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of North Carolina, and Western District of Wisconsin.
Trial Attorneys Kyle P. Reynolds and William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Statement from United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona on Appearance of Joran van der Sloot in Federal Court in Birmingham, AlabamaRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Joran van der Sloot, 35, was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gray Borden in Birmingham, Alabama, on one count of extortion and one count of wire fraud for soliciting money from Beth Holloway, Natalee Holloway’s mother, on promises he would reveal the location of her daughter’s remains in Aruba and the circumstances of her 2005 death. Van der Sloot was brought to the United States to stand trial on these charges pursuant to the Extradition Treaty Between the United States of America and the Republic of Peru and will be returned to Peru after this case concludes pursuant to the terms of that same treaty.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lloyd C. Peeples, III and Catherine L. Crosby are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI, and Peruvian law enforcement authorities have been instrumental in securing the temporary surrender of van der Sloot.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ohio Man Found Guilty of Assault on Law Enforcement Charges Connected to Jan. 6 Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — An Ohio man was found guilty of assaulting law enforcement officers related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Kenneth Joseph Owen Thomas, 41, of East Liverpool, Ohio, was found guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia of four counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; and engaging in physical violence on Capitol grounds. U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 6, 2023.
Thomas was on the Upper West Terrace at 3:30 p.m. standing in front of a line of police officers who were preventing the rioters from advancing further towards the Capitol. When the crowd surged forward against the police line, Thomas twice charged the line of police officers, striking two Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers with his hands and shoving them. Thomas’ assaults against these two MPD officers were captured on police body worn cameras (BWC) and in many open-source videos from the scene.
Then, approximately an hour later in a different part of the Upper West Terrace, Thomas was captured on MPD BWC footage advancing toward a line of law enforcement and pushing against their shields.. At 4:26 p.m., officers began to advance to dispel the crowd of rioters from the steps. Thomas turned toward rioters and ordered them to “hold the line” against advancing officers, repeating this statement fifteen times as he locked arms with the other rioters and pushed against the offices. Then, at 4:28 p.m., again as officers attempted to clear the Upper West Terrace, Thomas rushed to the head of the line of rioters and twice threw himself into an MPD officers while yelling to the rioters “hold the fucking line.” In subsequent interviews, law enforcement officers confirmed the attack and stated Thomas “was one of the first to come in and start hitting [and] pushing officers on the line.”
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, who identified Thomas as #214 on their seeking information photos, as well as the MPD, with significant assistance provided by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office.
In the first 28 months since Jan. 6, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol breach, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Georgia Woman Sentenced to 25 Years for Sex Trafficking MinorsRead the Press Release
Georgia Woman Sentenced to 25 Years for Sex Trafficking Minors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge this week sentenced a Georgia woman for sex trafficking of minors, announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Marlette Laishell Smith aka “Lala,” 29, of Rome, Georgia, to 300 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release. On March 23, 2023, Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of Sex Trafficking of a Minor and two counts of Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity.
According to court documents, Smith recruited two minor females (15 and 16 years of age) into prostitution for her own financial gain. The minor victims were stranded in Memphis, Tennessee, and were trying to get back home to California. Smith met them on a stairwell at the Motel 6 in Memphis – the minor victims were hungry, had no money, no place to stay, no mode of transportation, only the clothes on their back, and an uncharged cell phone. Smith told them that she would help them get back home if they would go with her to Alabama and make $200 each. Smith drove the minors to Georgia then to Alabama where she sexually trafficked them.
“The commercial sexual exploitation of children causes long-lasting harms to child victims and the entire community,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “The fight to prevent and disrupt exploitation would be impossible without the support of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. We are especially grateful for the work of FBI Birmingham in apprehending the defendant in this case.”
“This sentence sends a strong message to those who prey on minors and abuse their trust. The victims, who found themselves in a vulnerable state entrusted this person for assistance in returning home. The FBI is dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of the victims and reuniting them with their families,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. “I am proud of the diligent work of FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, the Homewood Police Department, and other law enforcement partners who assisted in bringing this individual to justice.”
The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White and Darius Greene 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.
Birmingham Man Pleads Guilty to Car Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man pleaded guilty to a scheme involving the theft and interstate shipment of at least $1.6 million in stolen cars, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard.
Dexter Sherrod Pearce, 34, pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles. As part of his plea, Pearce admitted that from May 2020 until August 2022, he and others stole and transported from one state to another at least 24 cars valued at over $1.6 million.
Pearce admitted as part of his plea that he and others stole cars from automobile dealerships and individuals in other states and transported them to the Northern District of Alabama to sell. The conspirators also stole cars in Alabama and transported them to other states to sell. To conceal that the cars were stolen and to facilitate the sale of the stolen cars, Pearce and others caused vehicle identification numbers to be altered, obtained false bills of sale and tag applications, and used the false documents to obtain bogus car titles and registrations.
According to the plea agreement, Pearce has agreed to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes and forfeit $227,615.00, representing the money he made during the conspiracy.
“The theft and interstate transportation of stolen vehicles has been a persistent problem in many parts of this country, and we are grateful for the work of HSI in unraveling this scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona.
“Organized criminal activity, such as this, is extremely costly to victims and the economy as a whole,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Every day, HSI and our law enforcement partners, are working to disrupt these criminal organizations and bring those who look to profit from these stolen goods to justice.”
The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for interstate transportation of stolen cars is ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Catherine Crosby are prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More than 27 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a New York resident 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 Jerrelle Quintez Gladden, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, to 330 months in prison. In September 2022, a federal jury convicted Gladden of possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime, and felon in possession of a firearm.
“This sentencing signifies our unwavering commitment to combat the threat of illegal drugs and firearms,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we strive for safer streets, and through our collective efforts, we will work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”
“The ATF commends the collaborative efforts that our brave men and women in law enforcement make on a daily basis,” SAC Watson said. “Criminals do not take a break, and neither will we. The ATF pledges to continue to work with our state, local, and federal partners to keep the communities safe from narcotic dealers and illegal gun possessors.”
According to evidence presented at trial, in January 2020, law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant on a residence in Anniston. Police officers searched the house and found Gladden, a convicted felon, in a bedroom where officers also found digital scales with white crystal-like residue, small plastic baggies consistent with distribution, Gladden’s personal items, and 2 baggies of methamphetamine. Behind the door in the bedroom next to Gladden’s room, officers found a folded chair that contained a clear baggie of methamphetamine, a brown paper bag of U.S. currency, and two loaded firearms: a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Taurus .380 caliber pistol. The Sig Sauer was reported stolen 8 days prior to finding it during the execution of the search warrant.
ATF investigated the case along with the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit and the Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney Plyler and Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.
Three Additional Individuals Charged with Conspiracy to Steal Government Property from Anniston Army DepotRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Three additional individuals have been charged with conspiracy to steal United States property from Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) in an ongoing investigation, 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.
In charging documents filed in United States District Court, Kelvin Battle, 53, of Anniston, Steve Bonner, 62, of Goodwater, and Shane Farthing, 41, of Gadsden are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal United States property. Battle and Bonner are also each charged with an additional count related to specific instances of stealing or selling property stolen from ANAD. Six other individuals have pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty to offenses related to the theft of property from ANAD.
According to the charging documents, Battle and Farthing, who were police officers at ANAD, and other civilian employees of the Directorate of Emergency Services stole military property from warehouses at ANAD. Bonner acted as a middleman, selling stolen property directly to buyers and delivering stolen property to the owner of a military surplus store in Sylacauga. 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.
Battle has also been charged with two counts of wire fraud in connection with false statements made to obtain emergency loans and a loan guarantee from the Small Business Administration under programs designed to provide support to small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a plea agreement, also filed today, Farthing has agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy to steal United States property. The plea agreement states that Farthing agreed to pay restitution to the United States and forfeit the money he made from the conspiracy.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for theft of government property is ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Logistics Agency Office of Inspector General are investigating the cases. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment or information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Gadsden Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury yesterday indicted a convicted felon on an armed bank robbery charge, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Edward Aliji Muhammed Brown, 41, of Gadsden, with armed bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, Brown used a firearm during the robbery of Exchange Bank in Gadsden in March 2023. Brown is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction. Brown was convicted on August 24, 1999, in the Circuit Court of Etowah County, Alabama, of the offense of Robbery, First Degree.
The maximum penalty for armed bank robbery is 25 years in prison. The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 15 years in prison.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Gadsden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Representative Fred Plump Charged with Conspiracy and Obstruction of Justice Charges and Agrees to Resign from the Alabama House of RepresentativesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Representative Fred L Plump, Jr. has been charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice and has agreed to resign from the Alabama House of Representatives, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James Dorsey.
A charging document filed today in United States District Court charges Fred L. Plump, Jr., 76, of Fairfield, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund.
According to the charging document, 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 charging instrument identifies certain relevant parties. Legislator #1 was a long-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Defendant Plump 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. Individual #1 was Legislator #1’s assistant.
Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, Legislator #1 was allocated approximately $500,000 by the Fund. Legislator #1 directed approximately $400,000 of those discretionary funds to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump gave approximately $200,000 to Individual #1.
The charging instrument alleges that from in or about March 2019, and continuing through April 2023, Plump conspired with others to defraud and obtain money from the Fund. It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracy that Legislator #1 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 Individual #1. Plump submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’s intended use of Fund money. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Individual #1 for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis.
The charging document alleges further that Plump, after being interviewed by agents and served with a grand jury subpoena, corruptly attempted to obstruct the investigation by sending Individual #1 a text stating “Red Alert” and meeting with Individual #1 to warn her about the investigation.
According to the plea agreement, also filed today, Plump agreed to plead guilty to the charges, pay restitution of at least $200,000 to the Fund, and resign from office immediately upon entering his guilty plea. The Court will set a date for Plump to enter his guilty plea.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Catherine Crosby are prosecuting the case.
An information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.