District of Arizona
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Phoenix Man Arrested for Making Online Death Threats Against the President and Vice PresidentRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. –David Michael Hanson, 41, of Phoenix, was arrested on Wednesday for making online threats against the President and Vice-President. Hanson was charged by federal criminal complaint on Tuesday with five counts of Threats Against the President and Successors to the Presidency and five counts of Interstate Communication of Threats.
The complaint alleges that in November and December of 2023, while living in Arizona, Hanson used a social media platform to post threats to murder the President and Vice President of the United States. On November 19, 2023, Hanson posted online a series of threatening statements including one that stated, “#joeAndKamala I’m asking you to resign on Monday your alternative is death brutally murdered.” After the U.S. Secret Service spoke to Hanson and warned him that it was a federal crime to post such threats, on December 23, 2023, Hanson posted another series of similar threats aimed at the President and Vice-President.
Each count of Threats Against the President and Successors to the Presidency carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count of Interstate Communication of Threats carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The United States Secret Service is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-6010MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-010_Hanson# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced to 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Hector Lagarda-Gil, 45, of Mexico, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release. The court also ordered that Lagarda-Gil forfeit a 2018 Mazda CX5 automobile and $148,000 in United States currency. Lagarda-Gil pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine on September 21, 2023.
A co-defendant, Jesus Omar Encincas-Burruel, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release on December 1, 2023.
Lagarda-Gil negotiated and coordinated the delivery of over 300 pounds of methamphetamine to undercover agents during a four-month period in 2022. On March 29, 2022, Lagarda-Gil met with an undercover agent in Las Vegas, Nevada, and personally delivered 45 pounds of methamphetamine to the agent after receiving the methamphetamine from Encinas-Burruel. In June of 2022, Lagarda-Gil traveled to Las Vegas again and delivered another 61 pounds of methamphetamine to the undercover agent. On July 1, 2022, Lagarda-Gil was arrested after delivering 217 pounds of methamphetamine to agents.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Homeland Security Investigations – Tucson office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tucson office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1607-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-009_LaGarda-Gil# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Leader of Human Smuggling Organization Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for ProfitRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Maria Mendoza-Mendoza, aka “La Guera,” 51, of Honduras, pleaded guilty yesterday to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2024, before United States District Judge Raner C. Collins.
Mendoza-Mendoza admitted that she was a leader of a smuggling organization that smuggled over 100 migrants from Honduras into the United States, and that, as a leader, she coordinated alien smuggling and money laundering events. Mendoza-Mendoza admitted she told a co-conspirator she would “bleed out” a guide as punishment and that she stated that a migrant whose family did not pay his fee would be thrown “back in the desert.” She also admitted that the smuggling organization used firearms and that the smuggling involved dangerous risks to the migrants. The government of Honduras extradited Mendoza-Mendoza to the United States in June 2023 to face these charges.
A conviction for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime.
Homeland Security Investigations-Sells office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-00078-RCC-MAA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-008_Mendoza-Mendoza# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Money Launderer Sentenced to 48 Months and Ordered to Pay over $1 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Flavia Annang, 60, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution to 19 victims. Annang pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering on March 9, 2023.
Between May 2018 and April 2022, Annang laundered money for scammers who lured victims into various online frauds. In some instances, the victims believed they were sending money to support an online romantic partner who falsely stated they needed to pay taxes and fees to release an inheritance or gold bars. The stories told to the victims by the scammers were fraudulent. The scammers directed the victims’ monies into accounts controlled by Annang and her co-conspirator. When Annang and her co-conspirator received the fraudulent monies, they kept a fee for themselves, and then transferred the funds to Ghana. Annang and her co-conspirator set up phony businesses and then opened business bank accounts to hide the transfer of the fraudulently obtained funds. The FBI traced over $4 million, sent by 106 victims, through Annang’s and her co-conspirator’s bank accounts. One Arizona victim lost nearly $5 million to the scams, sending over $1 million to Annang’s and her co-conspirator’s accounts and the remaining money to multiple other individuals. Annang’s co-conspirator pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and was sentenced to 48 months in prison on January 3, 2024.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00893-JCH-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-007_Annang# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Murderer of Deputy U.S. Marshal Sentenced to Life ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Ryan Schlesinger, 31, of Tucson, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Court Judge Raner C. Collins to life in prison for second-degree murder, plus consecutive sentences of 20 years for attempted murder and 50 years for discharging a firearm during the commission of a violent offense.
In November 2023, a federal jury convicted Schlesinger of second-degree murder of a federal officer, three counts of attempted murder of a federal officer, four counts of assault of a federal officer, and five counts of discharging a firearm during the commission of a violent offense.
On November 29, 2018, deputies with the United States Marshals’ Arizona Wanted Violent Offender Task Force attempted to serve a felony arrest warrant on Schlesinger for allegedly stalking a Tucson Police Department (TPD) sergeant. While the Task Force attempted to execute the arrest warrant, Schlesinger outfitted himself in body armor. Schlesinger refused to exit his residence and opened fire on the deputies who were outside his window. Deputy U.S. Marshal Chase White was shot twice in the upper torso and died a short time later.
Prior to the murder, Schlesinger had been in a yearlong dispute with the TPD. Schlesinger sent multiple threatening emails, went to a TPD officer’s parents’ home, and attempted to arrest a TPD sergeant. Despite being under multiple active injunctions against harassment, Schlesinger possessed three firearms in violation of those court-issued injunctions. Schlesinger sent a final threatening email to the TPD hours before the murder. After murdering Deputy White, Schlesinger surrendered to the TPD, wearing the body armor and a ballistic helmet.
Deputy White was 41 years old. He is survived by his wife and four children. He was also a lieutenant colonel with the United States Air Force Reserve. Deputy White was the first Deputy U.S. Marshal killed in the line of duty in Tucson in 66 years.
“The courage of survivors was on display this week in federal court,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “I am grateful to the family of Deputy U.S. Marshal Chase White for sharing poignant memories of their wonderful son, husband and father; and I am mindful of the valor of the men and women of the Marshals Service.”
“This sentencing finalized the FBI’s efforts to hold Ryan Schlesinger accountable for his senseless act of violence. The diligence and fairness of the legal process has guaranteed Schlesinger will no longer be able to cause harm to law enforcement or members of the Tucson community," said Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI’s Phoenix Field office. "The FBI will not waiver in its pursuit of justice no matter how long it takes."
“Deputy U.S. Marshal Chase White tragically lost his life in the line of duty while bravely safeguarding the community from a dangerous and violent individual,” said Acting U.S. Marshal Van Bayless. “Chase epitomizes the ideals of a dedicated Guardian and compassionate man who extended his help to those in need. His legacy will live on through the United States Marshals Service and his extraordinary family."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah B. Houston and Jane L. Westby, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-02719-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-006_Schlesinger# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Alien Smuggling Coordinator Who Recruited on Snapchat Sentenced to 71 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Nathanael Alley Rivera, 23, of Eloy, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 71 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Rivera pleaded guilty on September 6, 2023, to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit for his supervisory role in a criminal conspiracy to transport hundreds of undocumented noncitizens for financial gain.
From May 2021 through November 2022, Rivera recruited drivers and mid-level coordinators for alien smuggling transportation by posting solicitations on Snapchat. The Snapchat posts often included photos of large sums of money, firearms, and requests for drivers to move undocumented noncitizens from locations near the United States/Mexico border further into the United States. While committing these crimes, Rivera used Snapchat to communicate directly with his mid-level coordinators who would then communicate with the transport drivers. The conspiracy involved the transportation of hundreds of undocumented noncitizens, and Rivera bragged to other co-conspirators about transporting people in overcrowded vehicles and in generally unsafe conditions. He also used minors to facilitate certain smuggling events.
During the first months of the conspiracy, Rivera was on probation for a previous alien smuggling conviction.
Homeland Security Investigations - Douglas office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-02699-TUC-JGZ-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-005_Rivera
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Serial Bank Robber Arrested After String of RobberiesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Justin Eric Lindsay, 28, was arrested Saturday morning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a string of bank robberies committed between August 12, 2023, and January 6, 2024. Lindsay was charged by federal criminal complaint with committing five bank robberies and one attempted bank robbery.
The complaint alleges that, since August 2023, Lindsay has robbed five banks, including branches of Chase and U.S. Bank. According to the complaint, Lindsay would enter a bank and hand a teller a demand note for money. At four of the robberies, Lindsay claimed he had a gun, although no firearm was ever shown. On Saturday, Lindsay was arrested shortly after robbing a U.S. Bank branch in Mesa.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The United States will have up to 30 days from arrest to seek an indictment of Lindsay.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Mesa and Tempe police departments. Assistant United States Attorney Ben Goldberg, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-09042MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-004_Lindsay# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Hosts Meeting to Support the Alliance to Combat Transnational ThreatsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Monday, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, Gary M. Restaino, hosted an Advisory Board to discuss the unique challenges faced by law enforcement operating along the State’s southern border. In attendance were key officials from the Tohono O’odham Police Department, Phoenix Police Department, Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, Cochise County Attorney’s Office, Pima County Attorney’s Office, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, United States Border Patrol, the Arizona Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Attorney’s Office.
The Unified Border Command – formally known as the Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats (“ACTT”) – is a collaborative initiative aimed at fostering coordination, information-sharing, policy development, and strategic planning among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating along the U.S. – Mexico border. Arizona’s Alliance was formed in 2011, and its members currently include border Sheriffs, the Arizona Attorney General, the Department of Public Safety, the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”), and federal law enforcement partners. The dangers and complexities of border security require a unified approach. To that end, the ACTT bylaws establish an additional Advisory Board of state and local law enforcement agencies, coordinated by the United States Attorney.
The Unified Command Advisory Board is committed to supporting ACTT in its mission of safeguarding our borders and protecting the communities served, and to providing operational guidance and input via stakeholders from around the State.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-003_Unified Command Advisory Board
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Money Launderer Sentenced to Prison for Role in Online ScamsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Whitney Adams, 27, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution to 17 victims. Adams pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering on May 16, 2023.
Between January 2021 and April 2022, Adams laundered money for scammers who lured victims into various online frauds. In some instances, the victims believed they were sending money to support an online romantic partner who falsely stated they needed to pay taxes and fees to release an inheritance or gold bars. The stories told to the victims by the scammers were fraudulent. The scammers directed the victims’ monies into accounts controlled by Adams and her co-conspirator. When Adams and her co-conspirator received the fraudulent monies, they kept a fee for themselves, and then transferred the funds, via trade-based money laundering or other means, to Ghana. Adams and her co-conspirator set up phony businesses and then opened business bank accounts to hide the transfer of the fraudulently obtained funds. The FBI traced $4,437,604, sent by 106 victims, through Adams’ and her co-conspirator’s bank accounts. One Arizona victim lost nearly $5 million to the scams, sending over $1 million to Adams’ and her co-conspirator’s accounts and the remaining money to multiple other individuals. Adams’ co-conspirator pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 18, 2024.
This case was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Elder Justice Initiative. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This DOJ hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step and can help authorities identify fraudsters and recoup losses. The hotline is staffed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00893-JCH-2
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-002_Adams# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Tucson Man Fined and Ordered to Pay $180,000 in Restitution for Molino II FireRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael J. Sobcynski, 64, of Tucson, was ordered last week by United States Magistrate Judge Michael A. Ambri to pay a fine and $180,000 in restitution to the United States Forest Service for his role in the fire dubbed as the “Molino II Fire.” Sobcynski pleaded guilty to Use of Incendiary Ammunition.
On April 30, 2023, Sobcynski was target shooting in the Molino Basin target shooting area of the Coronado National Forest. His shotgun was loaded with incendiary rounds, which ignited multiple small fires and ultimately caused a wildfire that burned within the Coronado National Forest. Fire suppression costs exceeded $200,000.
Investigators from the United States Forest Service conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-mj-09176-MAA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-001_Sobcynski# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to 109 MonthsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Vivian A. Earle, 42, of Phoenix, was sentenced yesterday to 109 months in prison by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow. Earle was convicted on five counts of Bank Robbery by a jury on June 30, 2023.
Between April and August of 2019, while in Phoenix, Earle robbed five banks, including Wells Fargo, Chase, and Bank of America, taking over $34,000. After the last robbery, a bank customer followed Earle’s vehicle from the parking lot and called 911. Phoenix Police responded and followed Earle until they apprehended him.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Gayle Helart and Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-01121-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-207_Earle# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Assault on Border Patrol Agents Results in Lengthy SentenceRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jorge Zazueta-Miranda, 51, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 90 months in prison. The sentence is to run consecutive to a previous Illegal Re-Entry of a Removed Alien conviction and sentence from New Mexico. Zazueta-Miranda pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon on June 23, 2023.
On April 1, 2020, U.S. Border Patrol agents near Douglas observed two yellow, cloned “construction” trucks with construction company logos on the sides. Agents stopped one truck, which contained 19 undocumented non-citizens. The second truck, driven by Zazueta-Miranda, failed to stop and sped up. Zazueta-Miranda drove at high speeds through the city of Douglas to the airport area, then continued along the border road into the rugged desert area. A Border Patrol agent attempted to intercept the truck, but Zazueta-Miranda deliberately turned towards the agent’s vehicle and collided with it striking the rear quarter panel. Zazueta-Miranda backed up and then drove towards a break in the U.S. border wall, striking a second agent’s vehicle. Zazueta-Miranda and several undocumented non-citizens jumped out of the truck and fled through the break in the border wall, successfully fleeing into Mexico. Agents recovered a latent print from the driver’s side door belonging to Zazueta-Miranda. A witness, who had been abandoned in the second cloned construction truck, identified Zazueta-Miranda, by a photo, as the driver, and an arrest warrant was issued. Almost two years later, on February 9, 2022, Zazueta-Miranda was arrested in New Mexico after being caught near the New Mexico – Mexico border.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sierra Vista field office, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Serra M. Tsethlikai and Evan N. Wesley, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00681-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-206_Zazueta-Miranda# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Arizona CEO and Accomplice Charged with Embezzling Millions of Dollars from Tribal Healthcare ProviderRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On December 14, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 40-count indictment against Kevin McKenzie, 47, and Corina Martinez, 41, of Tucson. McKenzie and Martinez were charged with Conspiracy to Embezzle from an Indian Tribal Organization; Embezzlement; Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds; Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; and Engaging in Monetary Transactions in Property Derived from Specified Unlawful Activity. McKenzie was also charged with Attempted Tampering with a Witness.
The indictment alleges that, from 2015 through July 2023, McKenzie, first as Chief Operating Officer and then as CEO of Apache Behavioral Health Services (ABHS), engaged in a scheme to defraud millions of dollars from ABHS. ABHS is organized by and under the laws of the White Mountain Apache Tribe to provide behavioral health services to its members. McKenzie used two contracts as a front to funnel money from ABHS to himself. Under the first contract, ABHS paid over $32 million to Helping Everyday Youth (HEDY). Thereafter, based on an agreement with McKenzie, HEDY funneled over $14 million in fraudulent proceeds to a shell company McKenzie owned. McKenzie concealed this backdoor financial arrangement from ABHS. McKenzie made significant efforts to hide his scheme through money laundering and attempted to persuade a witness to lie to investigators.
The indictment also alleges that McKenzie, again as CEO for ABHS, and Martinez through her company Evolved, LLC, entered a phony “referral” contract to embezzle additional money from ABHS. Using this agreement, McKenzie caused ABHS to pay $15 million to a second Martinez company, Evolved Healthcare Inc. (EHI). Portions of the fraudulent proceeds were split amongst McKenzie and Martinez. Martinez gave McKenzie large sums of money, paid at least $800,000 of his personal credit card bills, and purchased other luxury items, including a $128,000 Rolls Royce Ghost and a $952,000 home for McKenzie’s family. EHI and Evolved LLC did not perform any services for ABHS.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-02258-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-205_McKenzie/Martinez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Three-Time Alien Smuggler Sentenced to 60 MonthsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Clifford Valisto, 63, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Valisto pleaded guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit on October 2, 2023. Valisto also was sentenced to 12 months in prison to run concurrently for violating conditions of his federal supervised release from a prior alien smuggling conviction.
On July 19, 2023, Valisto picked up six undocumented non-citizens, including a 15-year-old unaccompanied minor, in a Ford F-150. Witnesses reported that Valisto was having difficulty controlling his vehicle, and appeared to be falling asleep as he approached a Border Patrol checkpoint. United States Border Patrol agents found all passengers to be present in the United States illegally.
Valisto previously had been convicted of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, CR-18-01843-TUC-DCB, and Conspiracy to Transport an Illegal Alien, CR-11-01345-TUC-DCB.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-CR-01213-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-204_Valisto# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Arizona Man Charged with Defrauding at Least 150 Victims in Cryptocurrency Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a 50-count indictment against Jeremie Sowerby, 45, of Fountain Hills, for wire fraud and transactional money laundering.
The indictment alleges that Sowerby scammed at least 150 victims out of millions of dollars in a cryptocurrency scheme known as Dunamis Global Technologies. Sowerby marketed Dunamis as a company that sold cryptocurrency mining machines to be hosted in Dunamis warehouse facilities in Lakeside and Tempe, which he falsely claimed to own. Sowerby informed victim-investors that they were purchasing cryptocurrency mining machines with unique serial numbers associated with each victim’s cryptocurrency wallet. In reality, Sowerby directed most of the victim funds to accounts under his control. Any “earnings” were directed to a Dunamis wallet controlled by Sowerby, and victims were never able to access their invested money or any purported profits. Instead, Sowerby stole the money and used it for himself, including purchasing Teslas, residential properties, cryptocurrency, and other expensive items.
Sowerby was previously charged, along with co-defendant Luis Ortega, in a 55-count indictment alleging that Sowerby and Ortega scammed hundreds of victims out of millions of dollars in a cryptocurrency investment scheme under the guise of three entities: Now Mining, VIP Mining, and Millennium Technologies. Sowerby was also previously charged for defrauding an Arizona physician through what he claimed to be an exclusive hedge fund investment opportunity called “Justice Capital.” Both cases remain pending.
A conviction for wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, or both. A conviction for transactional money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
The FBI and IRS-CI believe that additional victims of Sowerby’s investment fraud schemes remain unidentified. Anyone who believes they were defrauded by the defendant in this case should contact the Victim Witness Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona at [email protected] or fill out the questionnaire at this link: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-potential-victims-of-jeremie-sowerby-luis-ortega-fraud-schemes.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01757-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-203_Sowerby# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Three Men Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Five Firearms Including a "Ghost Gun" at a Phoenix ResidenceRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Victor Alfonso Apodaca Aguilar, 22, of Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 12 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Aguilar’s co-defendants, Jose Bernardo Vega-Ruiz, 27, and Hector Alvarado-Aboyte, 29, were each sentenced on November 20, 2023, to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. All three men, undocumented non-citizens from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, pleaded guilty to Alien in Possession of a Firearm.
On March 9, 2023, the three men were living at a house in Phoenix where a federal search warrant was executed. Five firearms, including a “ghost gun,” were located at the residence.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa E. Jennis, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-510-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-201_Aguilar# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Arizona Man Arrested for Making Online Threats Against Federal Agents and EmployeesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Michael Lee Tomasi, 37, of Rio Verde, Arizona, was arrested on Friday after a grand jury indicted him on three counts of Threat Against a Federal Official and three counts of making Interstate Threats.
From May 2021 through November 2023, while living in Colorado and Arizona, Tomasi used a social media platform to express a desire to incite violence and threaten a variety of individuals and groups, including elected officials, a judge, and federal officials and law enforcement officers. The charges against Tomasi relate to threats he made in Arizona to federal law enforcement agents and employees.
“The threats of violence against public officials alleged in this indictment are abhorrent,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The defendant is specifically charged with threatening to kill FBI agents and other FBI employees just for doing their jobs. I am deeply proud of the work the FBI does every day; its personnel should not have to deal with threats against themselves as they work to protect the American people. The Justice Department will not stand for such heinous behavior and will prosecute threats against its employees to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Threats against law enforcement personnel like those alleged in this indictment are not just polemics, they are illegal under federal law and corrosive to civic life and dialogue," said United States Attorney Gary Restaino.
Each count alleging Threat Against a Federal Official carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Counts alleging Interstate Threat carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01751-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-202_Tomasi# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Arizona Man Arrested for Making Online Threats Against Federal Agents and EmployeesRead the Press Release
Michael Lee Tomasi, 37, of Rio Verde, Arizona, was arrested on Friday after a grand jury indicted him on three counts of threats against a federal official and three counts of making interstate threats.
According to court documents, from May 2021 through November 2023, while living in Colorado and Arizona, Tomasi used a social media platform to express a desire to incite violence and threaten a variety of individuals and groups, including elected officials, a judge, and federal officials and law enforcement officers. The charges against Tomasi relate to threats he made in Arizona to federal law enforcement agents and employees.
“The threats of violence against public officials alleged in this indictment are abhorrent,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The defendant is specifically charged with threatening to kill FBI agents and other FBI employees just for doing their jobs. I am deeply proud of the work the FBI does every day; its personnel should not have to deal with threats against themselves as they work to protect the American people. The Justice Department will not stand for such heinous behavior and will prosecute threats against its employees to the fullest extent of the law.”
“In this country, there’s a right way and a wrong way to express your views under the Constitution, and violence or threats of violence is not it,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The men and women of the FBI work tirelessly and selflessly to protect others every day, and we will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable those who make violent threats against them or any of our colleagues in law enforcement.”
“Threats against law enforcement personnel like those alleged in this indictment are not just polemics, they are illegal under federal law and corrosive to civic life and dialogue,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona.
If convicted, Tomasi faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of making threats against a federal official, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of making interstate threats.
The FBI is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization Leadership Indicted on Charges of Human Smuggling and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
On Nov. 29, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an 11-count indictment against Jorge Damian Roman-Figueroa, Luis Eduardo Roman-Flores, Manuel Jose Bernal, Joel Salazar-Ballesteros, and Jesus Armando Gonzalez-Villela, all of Mexico, for conspiracy to transport aliens; conspiracy to launder monetary instruments; conspiracy to distribute marijuana, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine; distribution of marijuana, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine; and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“These actions are the latest in a long line of the Justice Department’s efforts to dismantle, piece-by-piece, violent cartels like Malasa Manas and Sinaloa,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to target and prosecute the leaders and associates of the criminal groups responsible for poisoning the American people with fentanyl and endangering vulnerable migrants for profit.”
The indictment alleges that defendants Jorge Damian Roman-Figueroa, also known as Soldado, Luis Eduardo Roman-Flores, Manuel Jose Bernal, also known as Peque, and Joel Salazar-Ballesteros, also known as Catorce, are members of the Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO), operating in the Santa Cruz and Mascarenas areas of Mexico, with the permission of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The indictment alleges that these defendants operated a human smuggling organization as part of the Malas Manas TCO, trafficked drugs, and laundered the proceeds of both criminal activities. More specifically, the indictment alleges that beginning at an unknown time but including December 2020 and continuing through Nov. 12, 2021, defendants Roman-Figueroa, Roman-Flores, Bernal, and Salazar-Ballesteros conspired to transport aliens within the United States as part of the Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization.
The indictment alleges that between January 2019 and August 2023, Roman-Figueroa, Roman-Flores, and Salazar-Ballesteros conspired to launder the profits of alien smuggling and drug smuggling through the movement of monetary instruments from the United States to the Republic of Mexico.
The indictment further alleges that from 2019 until 2023 Roman-Figueroa, Bernal, Salazar-Ballesteros, and Gonzalez-Villela conspired to distribute and did distribute various quantities of fentanyl, marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Finally, the indictment alleges that Bernal brandished a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime involving methamphetamine on Feb. 3, 2021. The most serious of these crimes carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
“DEA’s top operational priority is to defeat the two criminal organizations responsible for the influx of fentanyl into the United States — the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels. As alleged in the indictment, these defendants worked with the Sinaloa Cartel to send fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the United States,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Today’s actions demonstrate that DEA will relentlessly pursue every member and associate of these global criminal organizations, which threaten the public health, safety, and national security of the American people.”
“The facts alleged here illustrate the breadth and diversity of the harmful actions by transnational criminal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “This case isn’t about just guns, or drugs, or aliens. In our continuing efforts to safeguard and bolster border communities, we look forward to establishing the interconnectedness of these three related crimes.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This case also involves the OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Homeland Security Investigations Nogales, DEA Tucson Division, and the FBI OCDETF Strike Force in Tucson conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rui Wang, Arturo Aguilar, and David Petermann for the District of Arizona worked on the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann for the District of Arizona is prosecuted the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization Leadership Indicted on Charges of Human Smuggling and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On November 29, 2023, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an 11-count indictment against Jorge Damian Roman-Figueroa, Luis Eduardo Roman-Flores, Manuel Jose Bernal, Joel Salazar-Ballesteros, and Jesus Armando Gonzalez-Villela, citizens of Mexico, for Conspiracy to Transport Aliens; Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Cocaine; Distribution of Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Cocaine; and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
“These actions are the latest in a long line of the Justice Department’s efforts to dismantle, piece-by-piece, violent cartels like Malasa Manas and Sinaloa,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to target and prosecute the leaders and associates of the criminal groups responsible for poisoning the American people with fentanyl and endangering vulnerable migrants for profit.”
The indictment alleges that defendants Jorge Damian Roman-Figueroa, also known as Soldado, Luis Eduardo Roman-Flores, Manuel Jose Bernal, also known as Peque, and Joel Salazar-Ballesteros, also known as Catorce, are members of the Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO), operating in the Santa Cruz and Mascarenas areas of Mexico, with the permission of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The indictment alleges that these defendants operated a human smuggling organization as part of the Malas Manas TCO, trafficked drugs, and laundered the proceeds of both criminal activities. More specifically, the indictment alleges that beginning at an unknown time but including December 2020 and continuing through November 12, 2021, defendants Roman-Figueroa, Roman-Flores, Bernal, and Salazar-Ballesteros conspired to transport aliens within the United States as part of the Malas Manas Transnational Criminal Organization.
The indictment alleges that between January 2019 and August 2023, defendants Roman-Figueroa, Roman-Flores, and Salazar-Ballesteros conspired to launder the profits of alien smuggling and drug smuggling through the movement of monetary instruments from the United States to the Republic of Mexico.
The indictment further alleges that from 2019 until 2023 Roman-Figueroa, Bernal, Salazar-Ballesteros, and Gonzalez-Villela conspired to distribute and did distribute various quantities of fentanyl, marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Finally, the indictment alleges that Bernal brandished a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime involving methamphetamine on February 3, 2021. The most serious of these crimes carries a minimum mandatory term of 10 years and up to a maximum term of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
“DEA’s top operational priority is to defeat the two criminal organizations responsible for the influx of fentanyl into the United States— the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels. As alleged in the indictment, these defendants worked with the Sinaloa Cartel to send fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the United States,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Today’s actions demonstrate that DEA will relentlessly pursue every member and associate of these global criminal organizations, which threaten the public health, safety, and national security of the American people.”
“The facts alleged here illustrate the breadth and diversity of the harmful actions by transnational criminal organizations,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “This case isn’t about just guns, or drugs, or aliens. In our continuing efforts to safeguard and bolster border communities, we look forward to establishing the interconnectedness of these three related crimes.”
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This case also involves the OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Homeland Security Investigations – Nogales Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration – Tucson Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation OCDETF Strike Force in Tucson conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Rui Wang, Arturo Aguilar, and David Petermann worked on the investigation. AUSA David Petermann is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01975-TUC-JCH (AMM)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-200_Roman-Figueroa, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Sells Man Sentenced to over 20 Years for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jeremy Espuma, 31, of Sells, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 248 months in prison for child exploitation offenses. Espuma, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, pleaded guilty to Child Exploitation by way of Production of Child Pornography on March 22, 2023. Upon release from prison, Espuma will be placed on lifetime supervised release with sex offender conditions and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case against Espuma arose after undercover agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered that he was sharing child exploitation material online. A subsequent investigation led to the identification of a child victim that Espuma had sexually abused. Espuma had also distributed images of the child and offered access to the child in exchange for money in the online forum where he was found by law enforcement. The investigation also led to the identification of another individual with whom Espuma shared the images. That offender, Kyle Adam Haney, was sentenced to 120 months in prison on August 31, 2023.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Tucson, Arizona and Knoxville, Tennessee, and the Tohono O’Odham Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carin Duryee and Scott Turk, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-02971-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-198_Espuma# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/q
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 144 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Approximately 90,000 Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl and Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Pilar Angel Leon-Beltran, 44, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 144 months in prison. Leon-Beltran pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on March 22, 2023. Leon-Beltran also admitted to being in violation of a condition of his supervised release from a previous federal conviction.
In April of 2022, Leon-Beltran traveled with three co-conspirators from Tucson to the Phoenix metropolitan area. Leon-Beltran and his co-conspirators were subsequently stopped by federal agents and Arizona DPS Troopers in Scottsdale during an undercover operation. Approximately 90,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl were discovered in their possession. Leon-Beltran had a loaded firearm in his possession while he was transporting the fentanyl-laced pills.
Co-conspirator Enrique Flores-Diaz pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and was sentenced to 78 months in prison on February 3, 2023. Co-conspirator Denisse Calderon-Razura pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and was sentenced to 15 months in prison on June 28, 2023. Co-conspirator Laura Elena Hambrick has pleaded guilty to Accessory After the Fact. She is scheduled to be sentenced on January 18, 2024.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Operation. The OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation in this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1094-JGZ-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-197_Leon-Beltran# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.20-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Possessing 115 Pounds of Fentanyl Pills with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Nathan Hernandez, 20, of Yuma, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl last week. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2024, before United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi.
Hernandez admitted that on November 3, 2023, he entered the United States through the San Luis Port of Entry in San Luis, Arizona, with 115.04 pounds of fentanyl pills hidden in a non-factory compartment of his 2020 Dodge Ram. Hernandez further admitted that he possessed the fentanyl with the intent to deliver it to another person. In his plea agreement, Hernandez agreed to forfeit the 2020 Dodge Ram used to transport the fentanyl pills into the United States.
A conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Doyle, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01674-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-199_Hernandez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Man Sentenced to Prison for Assault of a Federal Officer After Illegally Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Adbiel Martinez-Barrera, 21, of Guerrero, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 13 months and 1 day in prison. Martinez-Barrera pleaded guilty to Assault of a Federal Officer and Improper Entry by an Alien on September 6, 2023.
On May 5, 2023, a United States Border Patrol agent responded to a call from a Border Patrol camera operator who had spotted two suspected undocumented non-citizens in Douglas. The agent went to the area and located the two subjects, a male and a female, hiding in the brush. The agent was in the process of arresting the female when the male, Martinez-Barrera, who was bigger and heavier than the agent, mounted the agent from behind causing them both to fall to the ground. Martinez-Barrera tried to suffocate the agent by placing his hand over her mouth and nose, restricting her ability to breathe. Martinez-Barrera finally released the agent and fled the area but was later apprehended by other agents who arrived to assist. Martinez-Barrera had illegally crossed into the United States earlier that night.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00777-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-195_Martinez-Barrera# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Arizona Man Arrested on Two Counts of Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Donald Day, Jr., 58, of Heber, was arrested on Friday, on a federal arrest warrant after a federal grand jury indicted him on two counts of Interstate Threats.
From January 2022 to February 2023, Day used social media platforms to express a desire to incite violence and threaten a variety of groups and individuals, including law enforcement and government authorities. As to Count One, following the killing of two Queensland (Australia) Police Service officers in December 2022, Day posted a video on YouTube threatening any law enforcement official who came to his residence. Separately, as to Count Two, Day threatened to kill a victim (the Director General of the World Health Organization) in February 2023 on the video platform BitChute, calling on others to join him.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-8132-PCT-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-196_Day# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Tucson Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael Elton Tillman, 55, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Tillman pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on March 27, 2023.
On May 5, 2022, Tillman, a convicted felon, sold a loaded Arsenal 7.62x39 mm pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition for $1,000 to a federal agent. After the sale, agents executed a search of Tillman’s apartment and found a loaded Taurus 9 mm pistol, 9 mm ammunition, .380 caliber ammunition, 7.62x39 mm ammunition, narcotics, narcotics paraphernalia, and bulk United States currency. Analysis of the firearms and ammunition confirmed they passed through interstate commerce. Prior to possessing and selling the pistol to the agent, Tillman had been convicted of multiple Arizona felonies, including manslaughter.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Bolling, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 22-01262-RM-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-193_Tillman# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Resumen de la Cumbre de la Fuerza Operativa Conjunta AlfaRead the Press Release
La fiscal general adjunta en funciones Nicole M. Argentieri, de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia, convocó ayer en Washington, D.C., una reunión con cinco fiscales de los EE. UU. y los principales dirigentes, fiscales y colaboradores del departamento en la Fuerza Operativa Conjunta Alfa (JTFA, por sus siglas en inglés) para hablar sobre la labor de la JTFA en el desmantelamiento de las redes de tráfico y trata de personas que operan cerca de la frontera sudoccidental.
La fiscal general auxiliar en funciones Argentieri estuvo acompañada por el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland, el fiscal Alamdar Hamdani del distrito sur de Texas, el fiscal Jaime Esparza del distrito oeste de Texas, el fiscal Alexander M.M. Uballez del distrito de Nuevo México, el fiscal Gary Restaino del distrito de Arizona y la fiscal Tara K. McGrath del distrito sur de California, quienes son socios claves de la JTFA.
“El tráfico y la trata de personas son delitos insidiosos”, declaró el fiscal general Garland. “Los traficantes de personas se aprovechan de los sueños de una vida mejor de los inmigrantes vulnerables. Ponen en peligro y explotan a las personas con fines lucrativos. Y las redes de tráfico y trata de personas amenazan la seguridad de nuestras comunidades y nuestra seguridad nacional”. Hasta la fecha, la labor de la Fuerza de Tarea Operativa Conjunta Alfa ha dado como resultado más de 260 aprehensiones nacionales e internacionales, más de 170 condenas, importantes penas de prisión y cuantiosas incautaciones y decomisos de bienes y contrabando, incluidos cientos de miles de dólares en efectivo, bienes, vehículos, armas de fuego, municiones y drogas”.
Durante la reunión, la fiscal general auxiliar en funciones Argentieri destacó la labor de la JTFA para exigir responsabilidades a quienes se aprovechan de la desesperación de los migrantes, los ponen en peligro y socavan el estado de derecho mediante el tráfico de personas. Expresó su agradecimiento por el continuo compromiso de las fiscalías estadounidenses y de las autoridades del orden público con la misión fundamental de la JTFA. Fiscales estadounidenses del distrito sur de Texas, del
distrito oeste de Texas, del distrito de Nuevo México, del distrito de Arizona y del distrito sur de California están asignados a la JTFA para investigar y procesar a los traficantes de personas que operan en México, Guatemala, Honduras y El Salvador. La Sección de Derechos Humanos y Enjuiciamientos Especiales de la División Penal dirige a la JTFA en colaboración con las Fiscalías de los Estados Unidos y con el apoyo especializado de la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales; la Oficina de Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación de la Fiscalía; la Sección de Estupefacientes y Drogas Peligrosas; la Sección de Lavado de Dinero y Recuperación de Activos; la Oficina de Operaciones de Aplicación de la Ley; y la Sección de Crimen Violento y Delincuencia Organizada. La JTFA también cuenta con una importante inversión en la aplicación de la ley por parte del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, el FBI, la Administración para el Control de Drogas y otros socios. La JTFA coordina estrechamente con las autoridades del orden público extranjeras las investigaciones transfronterizas, las aprehensiones de objetivos extranjeros y las extradiciones.
En la reunión, los líderes de la JTFA hablaron sobre las formas de utilizar los recursos limitados para mejorar los esfuerzos de aplicación de la ley de EE. UU. para combatir las redes de tráfico y trata de personas más prolíficas y peligrosas que operan en México, Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras, y fortalecer nuestras relaciones con nuestros socios extranjeros en esos países. La fiscal general auxiliar en funciones Argentieri reafirmó el compromiso de la División Penal de dirigir y apoyar la labor fundamental de la JTFA para desarticular y desmantelar las redes delictivas que explotan a los migrantes y amenazan la seguridad pública.
De izquierda a derecha: fiscal de los EE. UU. Restaino, fiscal de los EE. UU. Uballez, fiscal general auxiliar en funciones Argentieri, fiscal general Garland, fiscal de los EE. UU. McGrath, fiscal de los EE. UU. Hamdani y fiscal de los EE. UU. Esparza.
Readout of Joint Task Force Alpha SummitRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division convened a meeting with five U.S. Attorneys and the department’s key leaders, prosecutors, and contributors to Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) in Washington, D.C., yesterday to discuss JTFA’s work dismantling human smuggling and trafficking networks operating along the Southwest Border.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri was joined by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico, U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona, and U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath for the Southern District of California, who are key partners in JTFA.
“Human smuggling and trafficking are insidious crimes,” said Attorney General Garland. “Human smugglers and traffickers prey on vulnerable migrants’ dreams of better lives. They endanger and exploit people for profit. And human smuggling and trafficking networks threaten the safety of our communities and our national security. So far, Joint Task Force Alpha’s work has resulted in over 260 domestic and international arrests; more than 170 convictions; significant jail sentences; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband – including hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, property, vehicles, firearms, ammunition, and drugs.”
During the meeting, Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri highlighted JTFA’s work to hold accountable those who prey on migrants’ desperation, put migrants in danger, and undermine the rule of law through human smuggling. She expressed appreciation for the continued commitment from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and law enforcement partners to JTFA’s critical mission. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of New Mexico, District of Arizona, and Southern District of California are detailed to JTFA to investigate and prosecute human smugglers operating in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section leads JTFA in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and with dedicated support from the Office of International Affairs; Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. JTFA coordinates closely with foreign law enforcement partners on cross-border investigations, arrests of foreign targets, and extraditions.
At the meeting, JTFA leaders discussed ways to use limited resources to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts to combat the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras and strengthen our relationships with our foreign partners in those countries. Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri reaffirmed the Criminal Division’s commitment to leading and supporting JTFA’s critical work to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks who exploit migrants and threaten public safety.
From left to right: U.S. Attorney Restaino, U.S. Attorney Uballez, Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri, Attorney General Garland, U.S. Attorney McGrath, U.S. Attorney Hamdani, and U.S. Attorney Esparza.
Arizona Man Charged with Defrauding Local Physician Out of $207,000Read the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment against Jeremie Sowerby, 45, of Fountain Hills, Arizona, on November 14, 2023, for wire fraud and transactional money laundering.
The indictment alleges that Sowerby scammed a victim-investor, an Arizona physician, out of $207,000 under the guise of a purported risk-free investment opportunity called “Justice Capital.” Sowerby convinced the victim to invest in what he claimed to be an exclusive hedge fund investment opportunity that supposedly used a “bot” algorithm to invest in a product tied to the stock market. Sowerby claimed that the investment and its guaranteed rates of return could be withdrawn in cash or Bitcoin at any time. Instead, however, Sowerby stole the money and used it for himself, including for an $83,000 cashier’s check made out to an entity he owns and controls.
Sowerby was previously charged in a separate case, along with co-defendant Luis Ortega, in a 55-count indictment alleging that Sowerby and Ortega scammed hundreds of victims out of millions of dollars in a cryptocurrency investment scheme under the guise of three entities: Now Mining, VIP Mining, and Millennium Technologies. That case remains pending.
A conviction for wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, or both. A conviction for transactional money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation have conducted the investigation in this case. Further investigation remains ongoing. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
The FBI and IRS-CI believe that additional victims of Sowerby’s investment fraud schemes remain unidentified. Anyone who believes they were defrauded by the defendant in this case should contact the Victim Witness Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona at [email protected] or fill out the questionnaire at this link: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-potential-victims-of-jeremie-sowerby-luis-ortega-fraud-schemes.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01586-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-194_Sowerby# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Parker Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Domestic Violence AssaultRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ryan Niles Ameelyenah, 29, of Parker, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 120 months in prison on count one and 60 months in prison on count two, to run concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release. Ameelyenah was convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (count one) and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury of an Intimate Partner (count two) by a Phoenix jury on August 17, 2023.
On July 9, 2022, Ameelyenah, an enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), assaulted the victim, who was an intimate partner, causing her to sustain serious and substantial bodily injury. The assault occurred on the CRIT Indian Reservation and the victim is an enrolled member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and CRIT Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina J. Reid-Moore and W. Vinnie Lichvar, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01296-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-191_Ameelyenah# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Federal Inmate Charged with Attempted Murder and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On December 1, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint charging attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury against John Turscak, 52.
The complaint alleges that while incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution Tucson, Turscak stabbed another inmate, D.C., who had previously been convicted of federal crimes in another district, approximately 22 times with an improvised knife.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Attempted murder and assault with intent to commit murder violations each carry maximum penalties of 20 years’ incarceration, while assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury each carry maximum penalties of 10 years’ incarceration.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-192_Turscak
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Casa Grande Drug Smuggler Sentenced to 10 Years for Smuggling Methamphetamine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. –Jesus Vega Perez, 22, of Casa Grande, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Perez was convicted by a federal jury on January 19, 2023, of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Importation of Methamphetamine.
On April 2, 2022, Perez drove a 2018 BMW sedan into the United States through the San Luis Port of Entry (POE) in San Luis, Arizona. At the POE, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 30 packages hidden throughout the vehicle. The packages contained a white crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. The combined weight of the packages was over 30 pounds. Perez presented, and the jury rejected, a duress defense at trial.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00388-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-190_Perez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Alien Smuggling Foot Guide Convicted of Smuggling Offenses After a Migrant in His Care DiedRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, a federal jury in Tucson convicted Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 27, of Agua Prieta, Mexico, of multiple alien smuggling offenses, including Conspiracy to Transport and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit and Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit. The jury also found that Dessens-Romero placed human life in jeopardy during and in relation to his alien smuggling offenses. Each of the alien smuggling convictions carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A conviction for Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison. United States District Court Judge John C. Hinderaker will determine the sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The sentencing date is set for February 22, 2024.
Evidence presented at trial established that Dessens-Romero was the human smuggling foot guide for five Mexican nationals who illegally crossed into the United States on or about February 13, 2021. The group included three sisters – ages 23, 20, and 17 – and their family friend, age 16. Dessens-Romero led the individuals under his care into the rugged and remote Huachuca Mountains near Fort Huachuca in Southern Arizona. He led the group on a perilous route due to less law enforcement presence. The group had limited food and water, and at night, suffered through serious weather conditions including cold and snow.
By February 15, 2021, the 23-year-old sister was in significant physical distress. She was unable to eat or walk or follow simple commands. Dessens-Romero told the group that they were close enough to a traveled roadway where the sick woman could be found if the group left her. Dessens-Romero did not call emergency services. Instead, he located cell phone reception at higher ground in order to call a transnational criminal smuggling organization. Dessens-Romero then led the rest of the group to Sierra Vista where they were picked up by unidentified co-conspirators and transported further into the United States.
The family of the woman left behind contacted authorities on February 16, 2021, to report a missing person. Despite extensive search efforts by United States Border Patrol, military officials from Fort Huachuca, Cochise County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), she was not located. In the months following, HSI worked collaboratively with SOS Búsqueda y Rescate, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding missing migrants, to continue searching for the missing woman. On November 20, 2021, members of SOS Búsqueda y Rescate located skeletal remains in an isolated area of the Huachuca Mountains, on Fort Huachuca property. Dental records confirmed that the remains belonged to the missing 23-year-old sister.
At trial, additional evidence confirmed that Dessens-Romero continued to smuggle undocumented non-citizens within the United States until June of 2021. This evidence included WhatsApp messages setting up the transportation of aliens to various locations within the United States, including the transportation of two aliens through Tennessee. Dessens-Romero was arrested on June 30, 2021, by Tennessee Highway Patrol while transporting these two individuals.
This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime.
Homeland Security Investigations-Douglas office conducted the investigation in this case, in coordination with the Fort Huachuca Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, HSI-Nashville office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00376-TUC-JCH-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-189_Dessens-Romero# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Former Mixed Martial Arts Fighter Arrested in Florida for Multiple Sex Crimes Involving MinorsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – James Bond, former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter “Underdog,” of Scottsdale, was arrested early Thanksgiving morning at Miami International Airport after being denied entry into Argentina. Bond faces charges for Sex Trafficking of Minors, Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places, Production of Child Pornography for Importation to the United States, and other related offenses.
James Bond, who changed his name from Jaymes Christopher Schulte, had his initial court appearance on his indictment on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami. He will be transported to the District of Arizona to face charges.
The indictment alleges that he had sex with eight minors in Colombia and that he solicited, recruited, and enticed the minors to engage in commercial sex acts. He is also alleged to have produced videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and to have distributed these videos through his website.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Homeland Security Investigations – Phoenix is conducting the investigation in this case, jointly with the Columbian National Police, HSI Bogota’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit- DIPRO, with assistance from HSI Miami, and HSI Attache offices in Buenos Aires. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-187_Bond
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Bosnian War Criminal Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Sinisa Djurdjic, 50, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina (“Bosnia”) and a Tucson resident, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 70 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On May 19, 2023, after a nine-day trial, a federal jury found Djurdjic guilty of Visa Fraud and two separate counts of Attempted Unlawful Procurement of Citizenship.
The evidence at trial revealed that Djurdjic emigrated to Tucson under the United States refugee program in 2000. Nine years later, Homeland Security Investigations launched an investigation after receiving a roster of a Serbian police brigade suspected of various wartime atrocities during the 1990s. Djurdjic was listed as a member of the brigade. The multi-year international investigation, and the evidence presented at trial, showed that Djurdjic was indeed a member of that police brigade and other Bosnian-Serb military units and that he was a prison guard at two separate prison camps north of Sarajevo. Both prison camps were established by the “Republika Srpska,” the Bosnian-Serb military unit that espoused the idea of “ethnic cleansing” during the civil war. During that war, Bosnian Serbs sought to exclude all Bosnian Muslims and Catholic Croats to create a nation of only one ethnicity – Serbian.
During the trial, five Bosnian Muslims who were held at the prison camps testified that, as a prison guard, Djurdjic tortured prisoners in his custody for months in 1992. At trial extensive evidence demonstrated that Djurdjic obtained refugee status and permanent residence in the United States for two decades by lying about his prior military and police service. His lies prevented immigration authorities from making a fully informed decision regarding his applications for immigration benefits. As a result, Djurdjic secured a safe haven for himself in the United States to which he was not entitled and thereby escaped justice for his war crimes in Bosnia for over thirty years.
“Our lives were ruined by people like Sinisa but we managed to rebuild them and his conviction is one of the final bricks in our house of peace,” said one of the victims in his statement to the Court.
At sentencing, the judge found by clear and convincing evidence that Djurdjic committed the offenses to conceal his torture of prisoners of war as a prison guard in Bosnia and that he concealed his war crimes from immigration authorities.
Homeland Security Investigations, Tucson Field Office, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Liza Granoff and Kevin Schiff, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-1658-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-188_Djurdiic# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Rio Rico Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Transporting Illegal Aliens for ProfitRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Moises Ruiz, Jr., 34, of Rio Rico, was sentenced on November 9, 2023, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 40 months in prison. Ruiz pleaded guilty on August 31, 2023, to one count of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit.
On February 20, 2023, United States Border Patrol agents pursued Ruiz while he was traveling on State Route 90, driving a grey Chevrolet pickup truck. Ruiz accelerated to a high rate of speed and eventually merged onto Interstate-10 (I-10). Ruiz exited I-10 and was located by agents with the assistance of air support. After a lengthy pursuit, agents were able to apprehend him.
Five undocumented noncitizens exited Ruiz’s vehicle during the pursuit and were later found by agents.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol Agents-Sonoita Station and Homeland Security Investigations-Nogales conducted the investigation in this case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Chamblee, United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00385-SHR-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-186_Ruiz# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Drug Dealer Sentenced to Six Years After Fentanyl Pills Caused the Death of an Arizona TeenRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Michael Fox, 29, of Tucson, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 72 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Fox was indicted by a grand jury on September 28, 2021, and pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl on April 6, 2023.
On June 29, 2019, Fox sold three fentanyl pills to a 16-year-old female in Glendale. Within approximately one hour, the victim was found unconscious and not breathing. The victim was rushed to the hospital, but she never recovered and was pronounced dead on July 1, 2019. A Maricopa County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was cardiac arrest related to a fentanyl drug overdose.
The United States Attorney’s Office sought a sentencing enhancement in the case to account for the death of the victim. The District Court held a two-day evidentiary hearing on October 10, 2023, and November 14, 2023, to present testimony and argument on the enhancement. The Court took statements from the victim’s family, several supporters of Mr. Fox, and argument from the attorneys. The District Court ruled for the United States finding that the fentanyl pills that Fox sold to the victim caused her death.
“This is not the first time we’ve held a fentanyl dealer responsible for a poisoning death under our federal sentencing laws and the federal sentencing guidelines,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “But it’s the first time we’ve had a lengthy evidentiary hearing with scientific testimony on fentanyl as part of the sentencing. We appreciate our partnership with the DEA in helping provide a strong message of deterrence, and we particularly thank the victim’s family for their support of the prosecution and their patience waiting for its outcome.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan McCarthy, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00784-GMS-PHX
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-184_Fox# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Border Enforcement Surge Yields Increased ConsequencesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced its ongoing cooperative efforts with the United States Border Patrol to enhance consequences for unlawful border crossers in the Tucson Sector. Last week, the agencies surged their efforts along the Southern Arizona border. As a result, the United States Attorney’s Office filed charges against and delivered consequences in the United States District Court, Tucson Division, to 133 unlawful entrants into the United States, up from 91 prosecutions the week before.
“Prosecution – and the deterrence it provides – is a key tool in securing the border,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “We appreciate our partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, including its commitment in detailing three DHS lawyers to the United States Attorney’s Office as Special Assistant United States Attorneys to help staff the surge. While prosecution alone won’t comprehensively solve border issues, a surge in resources amplifies the diligence and hard work of our Border Patrol colleagues who are out there protecting our Nation.”
“Over the last few weeks, Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector have increased prosecution efforts by charging 133 individuals for illegal entry into the U.S. – a 240% increase from prior weeks. These prosecutions provide consequences for illegal entry and re-entry after removal along the border in Southern Arizona,” said John Modlin, Chief Patrol Agent for Tucson Sector. “Our strong working relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is outstanding; they are fully engaged with our efforts to prosecute cross-border crime in Southern Arizona.”
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and the numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials who were subjected solely to administrative proceedings.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-185_Immigration Enforcement Surge
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Chandler Man Sentenced to over 7 Years for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Walter Lee Riggins, Jr., 28, of Chandler, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 87 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023, to Voluntary Manslaughter.
On December 27, 2020, Riggins, a member of the Gila River Indian Community, shot the victim, killing him.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Gila River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Raynette Logan and Vinnie Lichvar, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00553-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-183_Riggins# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.New River Couple Arrested in Riverside, California for Fraud Targeting AHCCCSRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Thvoughn Lynden Curry, 31, and his wife, Alexis Daneen Curry, 32, of New River, Arizona, were arrested on November 2, 2023, pursuant to a federal indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering. Alexis made her initial appearance in Riverside, California on November 7, 2023, and Thvoughn made his initial appearance in Riverside, California on November 14, 2023. The Currys were arrested by officers from the Riverside County Sherriff’s Office as they left the Pechanga Resort & Casino, in Temecula, California.
The indictment alleges that the Currys devised a scheme to defraud the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency that offers health care programs to low-income Arizona residents, by submitting fraudulent claims for payment to AHCCCS. Between approximately February 1, 2021, continuing through March 31, 2023, the Currys submitted over $12,000,000 in claims for the purported treatment of approximately 185 patients through their outpatient behavioral health clinic located in Mesa. The Currys are charged with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering.
A conviction for Wire Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. A conviction for Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This is a joint investigation run by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Mesa Police Department, with assistance from AHCCCS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Brook, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-1293-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-182_Curry# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Backpage Principals Convicted of $500M Prostitution Promotion SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Phoenix convicted three former owners of Backpage.com yesterday of multiple counts of promoting prostitution business enterprises and multiple counts of money laundering, including conspiracy offenses.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Lacey, 75, of Paradise Valley, Arizona; Scott Spear, 72, of Phoenix; and John “Jed” Brunst, 71, of Phoenix, owned Backpage.com, which was the internet’s leading forum for prostitution ads from September 2010, when Craigslist shut down its prostitution ad section, until April 2018, when the United States seized Backpage.com. Evidence at trial showed that the conspirators knowingly promoted prostitution via various marketing strategies. For example, the conspirators engaged in a reciprocal link program with an independent web forum that permitted “johns” to post reviews of prostitution acts with specific women. Additionally, the conspirators used an automated filter and human moderators to remove terms known to indicate sex-for-money, while still allowing the ads to be posted. Through this attempt to sanitize the ads, the conspirators sought “plausible deniability” for what the conspirators knew to be ads promoting prostitution. Over the life of the conspiracy, the conspirators earned more than $500 million. In an effort to preserve the money earned, Lacey, Spear, and Brunst laundered the money through numerous shell companies they created in multiple foreign countries.
In March 2018, a grand jury in Phoenix charged the conspirators in an indictment with conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce, facilitating prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce, conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment money laundering, international promotional money laundering, and transactional money laundering.
In April 2018, Carl Ferrer, 57, of Frisco, Texas, who was Backpage’s co-founder and CEO, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce and to engage in money laundering. In August 2018, Dan Hyer, 54, of Dallas, who was Backpage’s Sales & Marketing Director, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce. Additionally, several Backpage-related corporate entities, including Backpage.com LLC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
Co-conspirator James Larkin, 73, died on July 31 before trial began.
Lacey, Spear, and Brunst each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona, Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Phoenix Division, and Inspector in Charge Carroll Harris of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Los Angeles Division made the announcement.
IRS-CI, the FBI Phoenix Field Office, and USPIS investigated the case. The Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rapp, Margaret Perlmeter, Andy Stone, and Peter Kozinets for the District of Arizona and Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Office of the California Attorney General, and the Office of the Texas Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Boyle for the Central District of California is handling the asset forfeiture aspects of the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Bozdech for the District of Arizona.
Backpage Principals Convicted of $500M Prostitution Enterprises Promotion SchemeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. - A federal jury in Phoenix convicted three former owners of Backpage.com yesterday of multiple counts of promoting prostitution business enterprises and multiple counts of money laundering, including conspiracy offenses. Michael Lacey, 75, of Paradise Valley, Arizona, was convicted of one count of international concealment money laundering, and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on most of the other counts charged against him. Scott Spear, 72, of Phoenix, was convicted of a conspiracy to violate the Travel Act by facilitating prostitution, and multiple separate violations of the Travel Act, along with a conspiracy to commit money laundering and multiple separate money laundering violations. John “Jed” Brunst, 71, of Phoenix, was convicted of a conspiracy to violate the Travel Act by facilitating prostitution, along with a conspiracy to commit money laundering and multiple separate money laundering violations. Lacey, Spear, and Brunst each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the money laundering charges. Spear and Brunst also face up to 5 years in prison for the Travel Act violations. Federal District Court Judge Diane J. Humetewa will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants owned Backpage.com, which was the internet’s leading forum for prostitution ads from September 2010, when Craigslist shut down its prostitution ad section, until April 2018, when the United States seized Backpage.com. Evidence at trial showed that the defendants knowingly promoted prostitution via various marketing strategies. For example, the defendants engaged in a reciprocal link program with an independent web forum that permitted “johns” to post reviews of prostitution acts with specific women. Additionally, the defendants utilized an automated filter and human moderators to remove known sex-for-money terms, while still allowing the ads to be posted. Through this attempt at sanitizing the ads, the defendants sought “plausible deniability” for what the defendants knew to be ads promoting prostitution. Over the life of the conspiracy, the defendants earned more than $500 million. In an effort to preserve the money earned, Lacey, Spear, and Brunst engaged in extensive money laundering by creating numerous shell companies in multiple foreign countries.
On March 28, 2018, a grand jury in Phoenix charged the defendants in an indictment with the crimes of conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce, facilitating prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce, conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment money laundering, international promotional money laundering, and transactional money laundering.
In April 2018, Carl Ferrer, 57, of Frisco, Texas, Backpage’s co-founder and CEO, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce and to engage in money laundering. Additionally, several Backpage-related corporate entities, including Backpage.com LLC, have entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
In August 2018, Dan Hyer, 54, of Dallas, Texas, Backpage’s Sales & Marketing Director, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce.
Co-defendants Andre Padilla, 50, of Plano, Texas, and Joye Vaught, 42, of Dallas, Texas, were acquitted on all charges. The remaining defendant, James Larkin, 73, died on July 31 before trial was scheduled to begin in August.
United States Attorney for the District of Arizona Gary M. Restaino, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the Phoenix Division, and Inspector in Charge Carroll Harris of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Los Angeles Division made the announcement.
IRS-CI, the FBI Phoenix Field Office, and USPIS conducted the investigation in this case. The Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Rapp, Andy Stone, Margaret Perlmeter, and Peter Kozinets of the District of Arizona and Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the office of the California Attorney General, and the office of the Texas Attorney General. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Boyle of the Central District of California is handling the asset forfeiture aspects of the case, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Bozdech of the District of Arizona.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-00422-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-181_Backpage###
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Two Arizona Scammers Charged in Cryptocurrency Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On September 19, 2023, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a 55-count indictment against Luis Ortega, 42, of Litchfield Park, and Jeremie Sowerby, 45, of Fountain Hills, for Wire Fraud and Transactional Money Laundering.
The indictment alleges that Ortega and Sowerby scammed hundreds of victims out of millions of dollars in a cryptocurrency investment scheme. Under the guise of three entities, Ortega and Sowerby marketed a “risk-free” investment opportunity in “leases” of purported Bitcoin mining machines located abroad (Now Mining); a direct investment in Bitcoin mining machines in Arizona (VIP Mining); and a real estate and technology company through which investors could purchase custom-built container houses using the defendants’ proprietary “Millennium” cryptocurrency. Each entity involved the promise of lavish giveaways and profits that could be accessed and liquidated immediately. In reality, the entire scheme was based on lies. Ortega and Sowerby siphoned the victim funds to bank accounts they controlled and used the money for themselves, including for the purchase of properties and a new vehicle, and extensive cash withdrawals.
A conviction for wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or both. A conviction for transactional money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
A number of victims have been identified by the FBI and IRS CI. However, there is evidence that victims remain unidentified. Anyone who believes they were defrauded by the defendants in this case should contact the Victim Witness Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona at [email protected] or fill out the questionnaire at this link: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-potential-victims-of-jeremie-sowerby-luis-ortega-fraud-schemes. Victims can access information regarding the case status here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/us-v-luis-ortega-jeremie-sowerby.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01321-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-180_Ortega/Sowerby# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Justice Department Secures Agreement with Arizona Prison System Resolving Discrimination Against Incarcerated People with Vision DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) has agreed to adopt systemwide reforms to correct and prevent discrimination against incarcerated people with vision disabilities.
The agreement resolves the Justice Department’s findings that ADCRR violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against incarcerated individuals with vision disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision. The department found that ADCRR failed to reasonably modify its policies or provide auxiliary aids and services, such as Braille materials and displays, audio recordings and screen reader software, to ensure that people with vision disabilities could communicate effectively while incarcerated. ADCRR failed to provide accessible processes to request accommodations or file disability-related complaints. ADCRR also over-relied on other incarcerated people to help individuals with vision disabilities without properly training or supervising those providing help.
“People with vision disabilities held in jails and prisons should not be subjected to a higher risk of harm or exposed to greater restrictions than their sighted peers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “They should not be denied trained aides, or accessible technology and materials that allow them to participate in work, education and recreation programs. This agreement embodies the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that prisons and jails throughout the country, respect and protect the rights of all people detained inside these facilities, including those with vision disabilities.”
“This agreement is a critical step towards giving Arizonans with vision disabilities an equal chance to benefit from prison programs and to successfully reenter society,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “We appreciate Director Thornell’s leadership and ADCRR’s willingness to proactively work with the Justice Department to address our concerns. We look forward to continuing to collaborate to make the Arizona prison system more just, more equal and more genuinely rehabilitative for Arizonans with disabilities.”
Under the three-year agreement, ADCRR will retain an expert third-party consultant to help revise its policies and practices, train its personnel and provide necessary modifications, aids and services and assistive technology to people with vision disabilities in ADCRR custody. ADCRR will regularly report to the department and adopt robust screening and documentation procedures to ensure people with vision disabilities are provided with any aids and services they need throughout their incarceration. ADCRR will also designate a systemwide ADA Administrator and facility ADA coordinators to ensure consistent implementation of the agreement across all state facilities.
The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section handled this matter in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the ADA’s goals of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities, including people who are incarcerated. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov.
Twenty-Two-Year-Old Woman Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Role as Social Media Recruiter for Alien SmugglersRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Destiney Rae Montoya, 22, of Phoenix, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Montoya pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit on August 16, 2023. The offense includes a sentencing enhancement for being a coordinator.
Between 2021 and 2022, Montoya used social media to solicit and advertise for drivers to assist with smuggling undocumented noncitizens further into the United States after their arrival. Federal agents executed multiple warrants enabling them to trace Montoya’s illegal conduct and communications to establish her as a coordinator.
Homeland Security Investigations – Douglas office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-CR-0277-TUC-RCC (JR)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-179_Montoya# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Woman Ordered to Pay over $38,000 in Restitution for Interference with Flight Crew on Hawaii-Bound FlightRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Cayla Farris, 29, of Hawaii, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to a time-served sentence of 3.6 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. During her term of supervised release, Farris will not be permitted to travel by commercial aircraft without prior approval. Farris was ordered to pay $38,952.00 in restitution to American Airlines for delay-related costs due to her actions. Farris pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023, to Interference with a Flight Crew Member.
On February 13, 2022, Farris boarded an American Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu, Hawaii. During the flight, Farris used profanity and threatened the flight crew and passengers onboard. As a result of her behavior, the flight crew was unable to continue their duties. The captain ultimately decided to turn the plane back to Phoenix. For passengers onboard, this disturbance caused several flights to be re-routed to Hawaii.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01393-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-176_Farris# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Tucson Man Convicted of Second-Degree Murder for Killing Deputy United States MarshalRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Ryan Schlesinger, 31, of Tucson, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of second-degree murder of a federal officer. Second-degree murder is a homicide committed with malice aforethought, which means deliberately and intentionally, or recklessly with extreme disregard for human life. Second-degree murder is a class A felony punishable by up to life in prison.
Schlesinger also was convicted of three counts of attempted murder of a federal officer, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison; four counts of assault of a federal officer, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison; and five counts of discharging a firearm during the commission of a violent offense, a felony punishable by not less than 10 years, and up to life, in prison. The guilty verdicts came after a 13-day trial before United States District Judge Raner C. Collins. Schlesinger’s sentencing is set for January 22, 2024.
On November 29, 2018, deputies with the United States Marshals Arizona Wanted Violent Offender Task Force attempted to serve a felony arrest warrant on Schlesinger for allegedly stalking a Tucson Police Department (TPD) sergeant. Schlesinger refused to exit his residence and opened fire on the deputies who were outside his window. Deputy U.S. Marshal Chase White was shot twice in the upper torso and died a short time later.
Prior to the murder, Schlesinger had been in a yearlong dispute with TPD. Schlesinger sent multiple threatening emails, went to a TPD officer’s parents’ home, and attempted to arrest a TPD sergeant. Despite being under multiple active injunctions against harassment, Schlesinger possessed three firearms in violation of those court-issued injunctions. The evidence showed that Schlesinger sent a final threatening email to TPD hours before the murder. While the Task Force attempted to execute the arrest warrant, Schlesinger outfitted himself in body armor. After murdering Deputy White and committing the other crimes of which he was convicted, Schlesinger ultimately surrendered to TPD, wearing the body armor and a ballistic helmet.
Deputy White was 41 years old. He is survived by his wife and four children. He was also a lieutenant colonel with the United States Air Force Reserve. Deputy White was the first Deputy U.S. Marshal killed in the line of duty in Tucson in 66 years.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah B. Houston and Jane L. Westby, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-02719-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-178_Schlesinger# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Camp Verde Woman Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Embezzlement of $670,000 from Yavapai-Apache NationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Savannah Sandoval, 36, of Camp Verde, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Sandoval also was ordered to pay over $650,000 in restitution. Sandoval pleaded guilty on August 9, 2023, to Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
Between August 2017 and May 2022, Sandoval, the former Comptroller and Executive Director of the Yavapai-Apache Nation Housing Department, embezzled $670,908 from the Yavapai-Apache Nation, including over $133,000 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Indian Housing Block Grant Funds.
As Comptroller and Executive Director, Sandoval was the supervisor of the accounting department and oversaw day-to-day activities and financial transactions. As such, she had access to Housing Department credit cards and knowledge of its vendor accounts. In 2022, it was discovered that there had been hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases via Tribal credit cards. On at least 184 occasions funds were fraudulently transferred by Sandoval into her personal accounts.
“Indian Tribal Organizations have historically been vulnerable to theft and embezzlement,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “The theft here meant that roofs and floors and appliances in houses on the Nation could not be repaired or replaced. The Court’s sentence sends a strong deterrent message to those who steal from Native American communities.”
“HUD OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of funds meant to assist with housing on Native lands,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Kaminsky with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who would misuse federal tax dollars for personal gain.”
“Financial crimes have long been at the forefront of the FBI’s efforts, and we will continue to meticulously investigate any and all fraudsters in pursuit of our mission of protecting the American people,” said Akil Davis, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix field office.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation of this case, with assistance from the Yavapai-Apache Nation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-08089-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-177_Sandoval# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Local Drug Distributor Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Organizing the Sale of CocaineRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Elias Sambrano, 33, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 60 months in prison, followed by 48 months supervised release. Sambrano pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.
Sambrano organized and attempted to organize sales of cocaine and methamphetamine. Sambrano confirmed with interested parties that he had high-quality cocaine for sale, discussed pricing and purity levels of drugs with others, and knowingly and intentionally coordinated the sale of approximately one kilogram of cocaine for $32,500 to an out-of-state purchaser on November 2, 2020.
The Drug Enforcement Administration in Sierra Vista, Arizona conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 21-CR-02281-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-175_Sambrano# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Twenty-Nine-Year-Old Pascua Yaqui Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Molesting Fellow Tribal Member 10 Years EarlierRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Orlando Miguel Valenzuela, 29, of Tucson, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 10 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Valenzuela pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact on January 23, 2023.
In August 2019, the victim reported several instances of sexual abuse committed by Valenzuela that had occurred between 2013-2014, when the victim was under 12 years old and Valenzuela was over 18 years old. Valenzuela was located by law enforcement and indicted in April 2022. When Valenzuela is released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Micah Schmit, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 22-CR-0682-TUC-CKJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-173_Valenzuela# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.