District of Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. – Saul Parra, Patrick Orozco, and Rafael Gamez-Ramirez, all from Tucson, were indicted on August 23, 2023, for Conspiring to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit.

The indictment alleges that, beginning around November 2021, Gamez-Ramirez coordinated with Orozco to purchase a parcel of land located in Bisbee, Arizona, to be used to facilitate the transport of undocumented noncitizens into the United States. Orozco bought and placed a recreational vehicle onto the property where undocumented noncitizens waited to be transported. Law enforcement officers pursued and stopped several vehicles leaving the parcel between November 2021 and January 2022. One of the smuggling events resulted in the death of an undocumented noncitizen after a driver lost control of the vehicle on I-10 near Exit 297. Parra participated in the human smuggling conspiracy by loaning his vehicles to drivers in exchange for payment.

A conviction for Conspiring to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 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.

Homeland Security Investigations-Douglas conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR 23-01261-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-149_Parra (WITHDRAWING AND CORRECTING
                                        RELEASE # 2023-148_Parra)

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Saul Parra, Patrick Orozco, and Rafael Gamez-Ramirez, all from Tucson, were indicted on August 23, 2023, for Conspiring to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit.

The indictment alleges that, beginning around November 2021, Gamez-Ramirez coordinated with Orozco to purchase a parcel of land located in Bisbee, Arizona, to be used to facilitate the transport of undocumented noncitizens into the United States. Orozco bought and placed a recreational vehicle onto the property where undocumented noncitizens waited to be transported. Law enforcement officers pursued and stopped several vehicles leaving the parcel between November 2021 and January 2022; one such pursuit resulted in the death of an undocumented noncitizen after a driver lost control of the vehicle on I-10 near Exit 297. Parra participated in the human smuggling conspiracy by loaning his vehicles to drivers in exchange for payment.

A conviction for Conspiring to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 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.

Homeland Security Investigations-Douglas conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR 23-01261-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-148_Parra

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Hector Manuel Cruz, Jr., 29, of Chandler, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On April 25, 2023, Cruz pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

Co-defendant Konstantin Shurayeu, 32, of Phoenix, was sentenced this summer by Judge Snow to seven years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On March 14, 2023, Shurayeu also pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

On July 14, 2022, Cruz and Shurayeu met at an apartment complex in Phoenix to complete a drug transaction. Law enforcement ultimately found 4.93 kilograms of fentanyl, 3.38 kilograms of methamphetamine (actual), 8.49 grams of methamphetamine, 1.20 kilograms of cocaine, 0.77 kilograms of fentanyl analogue, 1.12 kilograms of heroin, 0.35 grams of oxycodone, 0.84 kilograms of marijuana and 12,330 units of Xanax (a Schedule IV substance) between Cruz’s vehicle, Shurayeu’s vehicle, and Cruz’s apartment. Law enforcement also located 16 handguns, two shotguns, one rifle, a ballistic vest and $118,195.00 in United States currency in Cruz’s apartment.  

 

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR 22-00901-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-147_Cruz

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TUCSON, Ariz. – David Lee McCracken, II, 45, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 70 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. McCracken pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. 

On August 22, 2022, United States Border Patrol agents encountered McCracken at the SR-286 checkpoint driving a sedan. McCracken consented to a search of his vehicle’s trunk, during which an agent observed a large spare tire and rim for an off-road vehicle inside the trunk. When the agent directed McCracken to secondary inspection, McCracken abruptly fled at a high rate of speed. After an extensive search, agents located McCracken, the vehicle, and tire. The tire contained 55 packages of methamphetamine, totaling approximately 25 kilograms.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR 22-02028-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-146_McCracken

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – James Philip Piccolo, 65, of Scottsdale, Arizona was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $651,478 in restitution to the IRS and a $10,000 fine. Piccolo pleaded guilty in January 2023 to one count of failing to pay the IRS federal income taxes withheld from employees.

Piccolo co-founded Tecademics, LLC in 2016 and founded IQUP, Inc. in 2017. Both Tecademics and IQUP instructed clients in how to manage online businesses and conduct marketing efforts on the internet. In his plea agreement, Piccolo admitted that he was responsible for submitting any tax payments to the IRS for both companies. Between 2017 and 2018, Piccolo received business tax returns prepared by Tecademics’s and IQUP’s bookkeeper. Those returns reported employees’ wages for each quarter, as well as the portion of the wages withheld by the employer for state and federal taxes. Piccolo admitted that he knew that he was required to pay those taxes to the IRS. For the tax periods between January 2017 and April 2018, however, Piccolo did not pay the taxes owed by Tecademics and IQUP. In total, Piccolo failed to pay $651,478 in taxes to the IRS.

“The conviction and sentencing of the defendant are the results of an effort by the Internal Revenue Service to vindicate the rights of honest business owners by holding scofflaws to account,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “Instead of following the law, Piccolo breached his employees’ trust by failing to pay the taxes withheld on their behalf.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aron Ketchel, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-23-0037-JAT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-145_Piccolo

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Yvette Naomi Garcia, 36, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Garcia pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder. 

On December 26, 2021, Garcia, an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, murdered a Pascua Yaqui woman by intentionally running her over multiple times with a vehicle. The offense occurred on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation in Tucson, Arizona.

The FBI and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances M. Kreamer Hope and Scott A. Turk, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR 22-0525-TUC-SHR (BGM)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-144_Garcia

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Fernando Ray White, 42, of Santan, Arizona, a member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 210 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On December 9, 2019, White shot the victim multiple times, killing her. The defendant pleaded guilty on July 14, 2023, to Second Degree Murder.

The Gila River Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raynette Logan and Vinnie Lichvar, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00766-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-143_White

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On September 5, Sean Lee Arnold, 51, of Tucson, was sentenced by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 135 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Arnold previously pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

On August 31, 2021, law enforcement agents served a search warrant on Arnold’s home in central Tucson where they found approximately 1.35 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and a rifle. Arnold admitted to agents that he bought and sold multiple pounds of methamphetamine a month and that he knew he was prohibited from possessing weapons.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Ashley Culver and David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR 21-2521-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-140_Arnold

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Yesterday, a jury found Tre C. James, 31, of Pinon, Arizona, guilty of the First Degree Murder of Jamie Yazzie. The jury also found James guilty of several acts of domestic violence committed against three former intimate and dating partners. The guilty verdict followed a seven-day jury trial before the Honorable Douglas L. Rayes. Sentencing is set for January 29, 2024. James faces a mandatory life sentence for his crimes.

James was charged with nine federal crimes. Counts 1 and 2 alleged that James shot and killed Jamie Yazzie, a Pinon woman who went missing in the summer of 2019, and whose remains were found on the Hopi Indian Reservation in November 2021. Ms. Yazzie was listed as a missing person by both Federal and Tribal law enforcement. The investigation into Ms. Yazzie’s disappearance was headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but multiple agencies provided invaluable assistance at all stages, including the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Services, Navajo Nation Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs (Hopi), and Navajo County Sherriff’s Office. 

While investigating Ms. Yazzie’s disappearance, law enforcement uncovered several acts of domestic violence that James committed against other women. The jury unanimously found James guilty of these domestic violence counts as well, Counts 3 through 9. 

“Vindicating the rights of missing and murdered indigenous persons requires all the energy and compassion we have,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino.“That means not only investigation and prosecution of tough cases, but also community engagement, cultural competence,  and active listening to next of kin and other family members.”

FBI Special Agent Dustin Drace led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Sharon K. Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. Ms. Yazzie’s family, including her mother, father, grandmother, and other relatives and friends attended all seven days of trial, and want to express gratitude to their attorney, Darlene Gomez, for doing the same. 

The Crime Victims’ Rights Act recognizes the importance of private lawyers in amplifying victims’ rights, and the Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund is available to pay travel and lodging costs and per diem for next of kin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is committed to addressing the persistent violence endured by Native American families and communities in the state of Arizona, including by working with Tribal nations to address the important issues of missing or murdered indigenous persons, and acts of domestic violence. This office and the Department of Justice view this work as a priority for its law enforcement components.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-08073-PCT-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-139_James

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Jorge Oliverio Moran-Can, 42, of Guatemala, was sentenced by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 18 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Moran-Can was previously convicted of one count of Assault of a Federal Officer.

A jury convicted Moran-Can on April 24, 2023, of assaulting a United State Border Patrol agent by intentionally shoving the agent down a steep, rocky incline. The agent sustained minor injuries.

The U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Houston, Frances Kreamer Hope, and Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handed the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR 22-01661-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-141_Moran-Can

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Robert Cameron Foust, 39, of Alabama, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to five years in prison. Foust will serve his five years consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving in CR 09-10100-JTM (District of Kansas). Foust previously pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. 

On October 18, 2018, Foust, an inmate at the Federal Bureau of Prison’s Federal Correctional Center, in Tucson, Arizona, attacked another inmate with a prison-made knife. The victim fell to the ground and Foust continued to stab him. In total, the victim sustained more than 20 non-life-threatening wounds. Foust later told agents that had the victim resisted or defended himself during the stabbing event, Foust would have “smoked” the victim. Foust also admitted that he had made the five-inch knife. At the time of the attack, Foust was already serving a 185-month sentence for Commercial Robbery, Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. 

The FBI and the Federal Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-00841-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-142_Foust

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Vandrick Yazzie, 34, of Red Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 180 months in prison. Yazzie pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child. 

Between 2018 and 2019, Yazzie, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, sexually abused the minor victim while she was in his care on the Navajo Nation. After Yazzie finishes serving his prison term, he will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life, and required to register as a sex offender.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Juan County New Mexico Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR 21-08132-PCT-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-137_Yazzie

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Rosa Villanueva, 39, of Somerton, Arizona, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week on two counts of Importation of Methamphetamine and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

The indictment alleges that on August 16, 2023, Villanueva drove her vehicle from Mexico through the San Luis Port of Entry and was stopped after a drug-sniffing canine alerted on her vehicle. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered almost 95 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in 161 packages throughout the car.

Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and up to lifetime 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.

Homeland Security Investigations, Yuma Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Coakley II, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-23-01295-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-138_Villanueva

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Two cases between Arizona and Federal officials involving shipping containers were voluntarily dismissed on Sept. 15. Both cases generated national media attention regarding the State of Arizona’s unauthorized installation of shipping container barriers on federal property at the international border with Mexico. In the first case, the then-governor brought a declaratory action against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Forest Service, claiming that Arizona was legally entitled to install shipping containers at the border. The United States followed with an affirmative lawsuit against various Arizona officials that sought a halt to the project, removal of the shipping containers and damages for trespass, ejectment, interference with easements and other constitutional violations on federal lands.  

Immediately upon the filing of the United States’ lawsuit, the State agreed to stop the installation project and to remove all the shipping containers from federal lands. Both cases were then stayed pending further resolution between the parties. During the stay, Arizona removed all shipping containers from United States’ properties and completed extensive remediation work on National Forest lands that had been damaged by the installation and subsequent removal of the shipping containers. Arizona also paid the United States an additional $2.1 million dollars under a Collection Agreement to allow the U.S. Forest Service to complete additional remediation and revegetation work along the border.

“We worked to ensure that U.S. property rights and agency missions were respected especially since the placement of the shipping containers by the State of Arizona abutted on our international border with Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We appreciate the collective support of U.S. Attorney Restaino and his office, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture in seeing this situation through, including remediating the land where the containers were placed.”

“Comprehensive border solutions require collaboration and common sense,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “When Arizona unilaterally placed hundreds of shipping containers on tribal and federal land back in 2022, it made the border less safe. The containers have now been removed and the land restored. Thanks to the Department of the Interior (through the Bureau of Reclamation) for supporting the rights of the Cocopah Tribe, and to the Department of Agriculture (through the Forest Service) for its vigilance against environmental degradation.”

Because Arizona has resolved its trespass and remediated or paid to remediate the damage to federal property, the United States determined that its lawsuit was no longer necessary and voluntarily dismissed the litigation.

Senior Trial Attorneys Andrew Smith and Shaun Pettigrew of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Natural Resources Section prosecuted the cases.

PHOENIX, Ariz. ⸺ In commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the original enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Justice Department announced yesterday nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards, including over $3 million for the District of Arizona.

For nearly three decades, VAWA provided the tools and resources to protect and serve survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. To commemorate the 29th anniversary of VAWA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Arizona is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded grant monies to Arizona to support community responses to gender-based violence.

Specifically, Arizona received the following funds for the 2023 fiscal year:

●  OVW awarded $3,609,737 under the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program - the VAWA’s signature program - which awards funds to every U.S. state and territory to promote a coordinated community response among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, victim services organizations, and other community services to ensure the safety of survivors. The money awarded to Arizona will be used to enhance the capacity to develop programs to end gender-based violence and hold offenders accountable.

“Prior to the enactment of VAWA, survivors were primarily left to fend for themselves, often cycling in and out of dangerous environments with little help from legal systems or service providers,” OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo said. “VAWA has changed this landscape by supporting a coordinated community response to address domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in a more comprehensive manner. It emphasizes survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and community-based approaches and ensures that services are available across every state and territory.”

OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.

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RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-136_OVW Grant Awards

TUCSON, Ariz. – Kyle Adam Haney, 60, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker on August 31, 2023, to 120 months in prison. Haney pleaded guilty on October 6, 2022, to one count of Possession of Child Pornography. When Haney is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life and will be required to register as a sex offender.

Haney was identified in connection with an investigation into the production of child sex abuse material by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In the course of that investigation, agents discovered communications by Haney about sharing sexually explicit images of prepubescent children. Agents subsequently searched Haney’s phone pursuant to a search warrant and discovered several sexually explicit images of minor children which included infants and toddlers.

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 conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carin C. Duryee and Scott A. Turk, District of Arizona, Tucson, handed the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR 21-02970-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-135_Haney

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Nina Buendia, Patricia Garcia, Kayloni Guerra, Ernesto Martin, Michael Cory Norris, and Mount Vernon Robinson of Sells, Arizona, and Travis Lopez of Covered Wells, Arizona, were indicted last week on charges of Distribution of Fentanyl or Methamphetamine. The indictments mark the conclusion of a community impact initiative on the Tohono O’odham Nation that started in August of 2022 and involved enforcement action on 27 methamphetamine or fentanyl transactions from the Sells and Covered Wells, Arizona communities.

In addition to interdicting hand-to-hand drug sales, agents executed multiple residential search warrants and recovered an additional 157 grams of methamphetamine, 695 grams of fentanyl, two handguns, three rifle magazines, 264 rounds of ammunition, and U.S. currency. Lopez, who is a prohibited possessor, was also indicted on Felon in Possession of Firearm charges.

Homeland Security Investigations Sells and the Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation in these cases, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tohono O’odham Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, will be handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBERS:         CR-23-1308-TUC-RCC
                                        CR-23-1309-TUC-SHR
                                        CR-23-1310-TUC-RCC    
                                        CR-23-1312-TUC-JAS
                                        CR-23-1313-TUC-RCC
                                        CR-23-1311-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-134_Tohono O’odham Community Impact Initiative

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Patrick Green, 48, of Longview, Texas, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 14 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $226,146 in restitution. Green pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. 

Green was the final co-conspirator to be sentenced in this case. Jonathan Blake, 30, of Tucson, Arizona, and Bethany Helene Green, 46, of Longview, Texas, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in this case. In early August, Judge Hinderaker sentenced Blake to six months in prison, and sentenced Bethany Green to 37 months in prison. All three co-defendants are responsible for, and ordered to pay, $226,146 in restitution.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, to offset employees’ lost wages, the federal government added $600 per week in federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) to the states’ standard unemployment payments. In May 2020, shortly after this government relief was announced, Bethany Green devised a fraudulent scheme to apply for Arizona unemployment assistance and the additional PUA funds on behalf of inmates at the Pima County Jail who were not entitled to receive unemployment payments. Bethany Green conspired with inmates at the jail, including her husband, Patrick Green, and another inmate, Jonathan Blake, to apply for benefits on their behalf. Patrick Green and Jonathan Blake also recruited other inmates to the scheme. A total of 16 inmates provided their personal identifying information which Bethany Green then used online to fraudulently apply and obtain unemployment benefits for the inmates. Bethany Green charged the inmates a fee, typically $1,000, to complete the online unemployment applications. Bethany Green then charged the inmates an additional weekly fee of $100 to file the weekly certifications necessary to continue the unemployment payments. In total, Bethany Green and her co-conspirators defrauded the Arizona Department of Economic Security of $226,146 in false unemployment claims.

United States Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, and Arizona Department of Economic Security-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-01664-TUC-JCH (BGM)-1
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-133_Green

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Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities culminated in the extradition of a human smuggler, who allegedly operated in Mexicali on the U.S.-Mexico border for several years as part of an international human smuggling conspiracy.

In March, Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, 61, was arrested in Mexico pursuant to a U.S. request for her extradition and surrendered by Mexico to U.S. authorities on Sept. 5 to face charges previously filed in the District of Arizona and unsealed in March. She is scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court later today in Phoenix, Arizona.

“This extradition is the result of continued coordination between the Justice Department and our Mexican law enforcement partners to bring to justice human smugglers who exploit migrants’ desperation and undermine the rule of law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It is another example of the impactful work Joint Task Force Alpha is doing to disrupt dangerous criminal operations and dismantle transnational criminal organizations by pursuing their leadership — wherever they operate.”

According to court documents, Hernandez-Salas allegedly conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants into the United States from and through Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, Eritrea, India, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Hernandez-Salas and co-conspirator Raul Saucedo-Huipio, 48, allegedly charged the migrants as much as tens of thousands of dollars to make the journey and directed the migrants where to unlawfully cross the border into the United States, including by providing them with a ladder to climb over the border fence. Hernandez-Salas and co-conspirators also allegedly robbed the migrants of money and personal belongings while armed with guns and knives. 

In June, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed corresponding sanctions on the Hernandez Salas transnational criminal organization. 

Saucedo-Huipio remains in custody in Mexico.

The indictments against Hernandez-Salas and Raul Saucedo-Huipio, and their subsequent arrests, were coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created in June 2021 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime.

“When international criminal organizations endanger economic migrants seeking a better life in America, an international response is required,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “JTFA’s partnership with Mexico holds managers and organizers accountable for the criminal activities of cross-border smugglers.”

“This extradition is another testament to our global commitment to investigating, combating and dismantling human smuggling networks,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI is dedicated to its law enforcement partnerships and mission, notably those accomplished through JTFA efforts, that seek to eradicate these crimes and bring those who propagate them to justice.”

HSI Yuma is investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, FBI, and U.S. Marshals Service, working in concert with HSI Tijuana, INTERPOL, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI also received substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center/Counter Network Division and OFAC.

JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn and Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Jennis for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Hernandez-Salas, and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office and the Mexican Foreign Ministry for making the extradition possible.

Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other U.S. law enforcement agencies, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant human smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the  Office of International Affairs; and the Organized Crime and Gang Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners.

This investigation is also supported by the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or raise grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Edward Kwaku Boakye, 27, of White Plains, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker on August 22, 2023, to 14 months in prison and ordered to pay $532,738 in restitution to 11 victims. Boakye pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. 

Between February 10, 2017, and October 28, 2020, Boakye laundered money for other scammers who lured victims into various online frauds. Some 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. Other victims believed they were sending money to ship gold bars in which they had an interest to the United States. The scammers directed the victims’ monies into accounts controlled by Boakye and his co-conspirator. The FBI traced $710,068.91 sent by 40 victims through Boakye’s and his co-conspirator’s accounts. One Arizona victim lost nearly $5 million to the scams, sending Boakye and his co-conspirator almost $500,000 and the remaining money to multiple other individuals.

When Boakye and his co-conspirator received the fraudulently-obtained monies, they kept a fee for themselves, and then transferred the funds via trade-based money laundering or other means to Ghana.  Trade-based money laundering occurs when criminally-derived funds are used to purchase a commodity (in this case, motor vehicles) in the profit center for the criminal activity (here, in the United States) for shipment to the headquarters of the criminal organization (as to Mr. Boakye, in Ghana).

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 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sierra Vista Resident Agency, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-00031-001-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-132_Boakye

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael Ortiz, 70, of Tucson, Arizona was sentenced by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins on August 29, 2023, to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ortiz pleaded guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. Ortiz also was sentenced to 12 months of consecutive imprisonment for violating conditions of his federal supervised release, which was imposed for the defendant’s 2018 alien smuggling conviction.

On July 21, 2022, Ortiz was encountered by United States Border Patrol agents while transporting four individuals who were illegally in the United States. Ortiz failed to yield to agents, traveled at speeds of 90 miles-per-hour, and evaded law enforcement for approximately 30 minutes. He was apprehended after his vehicle became stuck near a wash on a dirt road.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR 22-01803-TUC-RCC
                                        CR 18-00360-TUC-RCC
                                        CR 13-01304-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-131_Ortiz

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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TUCSON, Ariz. –Emma Encinas-Obregon, 34, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to 45 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Encinas-Obregon pleaded guilty to Importation of Methamphetamine. 

On October 19, 2022, Encinas-Obregon entered the United States from Mexico through the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, in a 2011 Audi A4. Concealed inside the vehicle were 50 packages containing 23 kilograms of methamphetamines. Encinas-Obregon admitted to smuggling drugs into the United States on eight separate occasions since August 2022. Each time, after entering the United States, Encinas-Obregon would leave her car while shopping and members of a criminal organization would remove drugs from her vehicle. Encinas-Obregon was paid approximately $2,000 each time she smuggled drugs from Mexico into the United States.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Evan N. Wesley, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-02507-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-130_Encinas-Obregon

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Michael Martinez, 28, of Fort Worth, Texas, but formerly of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 40 years in prison. Martinez pleaded guilty on March 8, 2023, to three counts of Producing Child Pornography, involving three minors, ages 7, 5, and 3. When Martinez is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life.

In 2016, when Martinez was 22 years old, he lived in Phoenix, Arizona, in a house with Child Doe 1 (age 7). As an acquaintance of Child Doe 1’s mother, Martinez had access to Child Doe 1 and took sexually explicit pictures and videos of the minor in January 2016. Later in 2016, Martinez moved residences and lived with Child Doe 2 (age 5) and Child Doe 3 (age 3), because he was a roommate of the minors’ mother. In this house, Martinez acted as a babysitter where he had access to the minors and took sexually explicit pictures and videos of both of them in November 2016. Further, Martinez admitted engaging in sex acts with the three minors. In 2022, Martinez was arrested in Texas where he had moved in 2017 after these events.

“The pain and harm caused to these victims is irreparable,” said Gary Restaino, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “The court’s sentence sends a strong message of deterrence to those who seek to hurt children.”

“Children deserve to feel and be safe in their homes,” said Myron T. Byrd, acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Phoenix field office. “Today’s sentencing should bring some closure to the families knowing this predator will be in federal prison for a very long time. I want to thank the members of the FBI Phoenix Crimes Against Children Squad for their work on this case and their commitment to protecting our children to ensure justice is served for them,” Byrd added.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 case was investigated by the Phoenix Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Phoenix Division, Dallas Division, and FBI Headquarters). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle L. Helart and Brett A. Day, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00272-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-129_Martinez

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to sending threatening communications to an election official with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. 

“The Justice Department has no tolerance for illegal threats that target those who administer our elections, and it will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute such criminal conduct,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These threats endanger election workers and their families, and they endanger our democracy.”

According to court documents, on or about Aug. 2, 2022, on the date of Arizona’s primary elections, Joshua Russell, 44, of Bucyrus, left the following voicemail for an election official with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office (Victim‑1): “This message is for traitor [Victim-1’s full name]. You’ve drug your feet, you’ve done nothing, to protect our election for 2020. You’re committing election fraud, you’re starting to do it again, from day one. You’re the enemy of the United States, you’re a traitor to this country, and you better put your sh[inaudible], your [expletive] affairs in order, ’cause your days [inaudible] are extremely numbered. America’s coming for you, and you will pay with your life, you communist [expletive] traitor [expletive].”

“Election officials are the first responders of democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “We best vindicate the work of these public servants when we locate, investigate, and prosecute those who make threats against them.”

Additionally, on or about Sept. 9, 2022, Russell left the following voicemail for Victim-1: “This message is for terrorist [Victim-1’s last name]. The only reason you’re still walking around on this planet is because we’re waiting for the midterms to see you prosecuted for the crimes you have done to our nation. You are a terrorist. You are a derelict criminal. And you have a few short months to see yourself behind bars, or we will see you to the grave. You are a traitor to this nation, and you will suffer the [expletive] consequences.”

“This case is another successful result from the hard work of the Election Threats Task Force,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to investigate anyone who threatens election officials working to keep America’s elections fair and free.”  

Finally, on or about Nov. 15, 2022, Russell left the following voicemail for Victim-1: “This message is for communist, criminal, [Victim-1’s full name]. We will not endure your crimes on America another day. You’ve been busted, over and over again. We will not wait for you to be drugged through court. A war is coming for you. The entire nation is coming for you. And we will stop, at no end, until you are in the ground. You’re a traitor to this nation. You’re a [expletive] piece of [expletive] communist, and you just signed your own death warrant. Get your affairs in order, cause, your days are very short.”

Russell pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication. The sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 13, and the defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Phoenix Field Office is investigating the case, with the assistance of the FBI Cleveland Field Office, Mansfield Resident Agency.

Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Two years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.

Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

Today in the Northern District of Georgia and in the District of Arizona, the Justice Department secured guilty pleas in two criminal cases involving defendants charged with making illegal threats against members of the election community.

The guilty pleas follow two recent sentencings in the District of Arizona and the Northern District of Texas. To date, the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force has charged 14 cases involving threats against the election community and secured nine convictions.

“A functioning democracy requires that the public servants who administer our elections are able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute those who target election officials and election workers as part of our broader efforts to safeguard the right to vote and to defend our democracy.”

On Monday in the District of Arizona, an Iowa man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for sending threatening communications to an election official on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and to the then-Attorney General of Arizona.

This afternoon in the Northern District of Georgia, a Texas man pleaded guilty to posting a message riddled with graphic threats aimed at two Georgia officials, an election worker, and local law enforcement.

Also today in the District of Arizona, an Ohio man pleaded guilty to sending a death threat to an election official with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

And finally, earlier this month, a Texas man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for threats he made to an official in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and another Maricopa County official.

During and following the 2020 election cycle, the election community reported a sharp increase in hostile and threatening communications received from members of the public. In response to the increase in threats, in June 2021 the Justice Department announced the creation of the Election Threats Task Force, which includes members from the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, to address the rise in threats against the election community, and to protect all election workers – whether they be elected officials, appointed officials, or those who volunteer their time – against the threats they face.

Fact Sheet

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Vanessa Rene Dundon (a.k.a. Sioux Z, a.k.a. Suzie Q), 38, of Indian Wells, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. As a condition of her supervised release, Dundon cannot travel to, or be on, the Hopi Reservation. Dundon pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

 “Drug trafficking causes particular harm for tribal communities,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “The exclusion of defendant from the Hopi Reservation is an additional tool to prevent future harm, and an extra measure of protection for Hopi villages.”

Dundon was stopped in her vehicle on the Hopi Reservation in April 2021, March 2022, and April 2022. On each occasion, she had controlled substances in her vehicle. At the change of plea hearing, Dundon admitted that on April 17, 2022, she possessed 58.4 grams of pure methamphetamine and that she intended to deliver it to other individuals in exchange for payment.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Phoenix Field Office, and Hopi Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-08043-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-128_Dundon

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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TUCSON, Ariz. – Dulce Maria Haros, 19, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 16 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Haros pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl on March 7, 2023.  

On October 1, 2022, Haros was traveling on a shuttle that stopped at a United States Border Patrol checkpoint. During a routine inspection, agents discovered a handbag containing three packages of fentanyl pills totaling three kilograms in weight. Haros admitted the handbag was hers, and that she intended to deliver the fentanyl to another person.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-02343-TUC-RM (BGM)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-127_Haros

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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An Iowa man was sentenced yesterday to two and a half years in prison for sending threatening communications to an election official on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and to the then-Attorney General of Arizona. 

“This sentence makes clear that individuals who illegally threaten election officials and others associated with the electoral process will face meaningful penalties,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department will diligently investigate and prosecute attempts to illegally threaten, intimidate, and coerce the individuals administering the nation’s free and fair elections.”

According to court documents, on or about Sept. 27, 2021, Mark A. Rissi, 64, of Hiawatha, said the following in a voicemail message he left for Clint Hickman, an election official with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors: “Hello Mr. Hickman, I am glad that you are standing up for democracy and want to place your hand on the Bible and say that the election was honest and fair. I really appreciate that. When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], you’ll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of [expletive]. You’re gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you.”

“Those who weaponize election protests threaten our civility and our democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “Thanks to our partners with the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force and the FBI for ensuring accountability.”

Additionally, on or about Dec. 8, 2021, Rissi said the following in a voicemail message he left for then-Attorney General of Arizona Mark Brnovich: “This message is for Attorney General Mark Brnovich . . . . I’m a victim of a crime. My family is a victim of a crime. My extended family is a victim of a crime. That crime was the theft of the 2020 election. The election that was fraudulent across the state of Arizona, that the Attorney General knows was fraudulent, that the Attorney General has images of the conspirators deleting election fraud data from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors computer system. Do your job, Brnovich, or you will hang with those [expletive] in the end. We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. That’s your future, [expletive]. Do your job.”

Rissi pleaded guilty to two counts of sending a threatening interstate communication.

“The FBI works to ensure that threats to election officials will not impact election results, but will result in legal consequences,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing represents the FBI and our partners’ dedication to keeping American elections impenetrable from criminal influences.” 

The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Omaha Field Office, Cedar Rapids Resident Agency.

Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide.

Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, announced today the recent unsealing of 13 indictments charging a total of 22 individuals with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit.

Each indictment charges a human smuggling coordinator who utilized social media, including Snapchat, to recruit individuals within Arizona to transport undocumented noncitizens for money. After recruiting the drivers on social media, the coordinators often switched to a messenger application such as WhatsApp to coordinate the logistics. Many of the indicted coordinators were identified through law enforcement contacts, data from cellular phones, and their social media accounts.

Smuggling coordinators often recruit juveniles and young adults as drivers with social media posts that glamorize alien smuggling. Many of the posts claim drivers can make large sums of money without the risk of being arrested, as depicted below in an exemplar from the first-listed case.

The charged cases include:

• United States v. Ramon Moreno-Lopez; CR-23-01022-DWL
• United States v. Mauricio Andrade-Garcia, et al.; CR-23-01024-DLR
• United States v. Juan Ausencio-Avendano, et al.; CR-23-01026-DJH
• United States v. Josiah Gomez, et al.; CR-23-01042-MTL
• United States v. Jalen Harris, et al.; CR-23-01051-MTL
• United States v. Ruben Ibarra, et al.; CR-23-01023-GMS
• United States v. Dominic Leos, et al.; CR-23-01025-MTL
• United States v. Jose Molina; CR-23-01041-SPL
• United States v. Keyani Perez, et al.; CR-23-01040-DGC  
• United States v. Armando Ramirez, et al.; CR-23-01021-DLR
• United States v. Fabian Rivera, et al.; CR-23-01020-DLR
• United States v. Jose Sarabia, et al.; CR-23-01019-JJT
• United States v. Arnoldo Soto, et al.; CR-23-01043-MTL

A conviction for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum sentence of 10 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.

Homeland Security Investigations–Casa Grande and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol–Tucson Sector conducted the investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Arellano Edwards, John Ballos, Timothy Courchaine, Brett Day, Matthew Doyle, Lisa Jennis, Christine Keller, Marcus Shand, LeighAnn Thomas, and Stuart Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecutions.

CASE NUMBERS:

CR-23-01024-DLR

CR-23-01022-DWL

 

CR-23-01026-DJH

CR-23-01040-DGC  

 

CR-23-01042-MTL

CR-23-01021-DLR

 

CR-23-01051-MTL

CR-23-01020-DLR

 

CR-23-01023-GMS

CR-23-01019-JJT

 

CR-23-01025-MTL

CR-23-01043-MTL

 

CR-23-01041-SPL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-126_Snapchat Takedown

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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Defendant assisted in smuggling almost 50 assault rifles and high-capacity semi-automatic pistols from the United States into Mexico

TUCSON, Ariz. – Victor Coronado, Jr., 40, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Coronado pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods from the United States.

Coronado was the leader of a conspiracy to smuggle firearms from the United States into Mexico between October 2019 and July 2020. Coronado and his co-conspirators purchased firearms, made false statements to firearms dealers in the acquisition of firearms, provided funds to others for the purchase of firearms, and assisted in smuggling 49 assault rifles and high-capacity semi-automatic pistols into Mexico.

The firearms that Coronado conspired to smuggle are prohibited from being exported from the United States into Mexico without a valid license. Neither Coronado, nor any of his co-conspirators, had a valid license or any other lawful authority to export the firearms into Mexico.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, assisted by Homeland Security Investigations and United States Customs and Border Protection, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Bolling, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-02081-RM-MSA
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-125_Coronado, et al.

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Derwin Davis Tsosie, Jr., 26, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes on Monday to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Tsosie pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder. 

On November 14, 2022, Tsosie was driving at approximately 135 miles per hour when he hit the victims’ car from behind, killing the driver and seriously injuring the passenger. Tsosie’s blood alcohol concentration was .323, more than four times the legal limit. At the time of the crash, Tsosie’s license was suspended for a previous DUI arrest. The crime occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where Tsosie is an enrolled member.

The Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR 23-8019-PCT-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-124_Tsosie

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A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today to sending a communication containing a bomb threat to an election official in the Arizona Secretary of State’s office. 

“Americans who serve the public by administering our voting systems should not have to fear for their lives simply for doing their jobs,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As this case demonstrates, the Justice Department is investigating and prosecuting violations of federal law against election officials and election workers. Only by protecting those who administer the election process can we ensure that the right to vote, itself, is protected.”

According to court documents, on or about Feb. 14, 2021, James W. Clark, 38, of Falmouth, sent a message via the website contact form of the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, Election Division, addressed to the election official, and warned her that she needed to “resign by Tuesday February 16th by 9 am or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated.”

“Threatening public officials is a serious matter, never warranted by the situation no matter how heated or politically charged,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “Cases like this are important in protecting not only the public official victimized by the conduct, but also the integrity of our election processes as a whole.”

Shortly after transmitting the message, Clark conducted online searches that included the full name of the election official in conjunction with the words “how to kill” and “address.” Additionally, on or about Feb. 18, 2021, Clark conducted online searches involving the Boston Marathon bombing.

“Defending the rights of Americans, particularly the right to vote, is a fundamental part of the FBI’s mission to protect the American people and uphold the constitution,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Election workers are dedicated members of our community who have the solemn responsibility of ensuring the integrity of the U.S. voting process. The FBI will fiercely protect election officials from threats of violence and intimidation, and in doing so, protect the fidelity of U.S. elections.”

Clark pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 26 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. 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, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Phoenix Field Office joined in the announcement.

The FBI Phoenix Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Boston Division.

Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ offices and FBI field offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.

Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Dwayne Keith Anderson, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan on Monday to six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Anderson pleaded guilty on May 24, 2023, to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, Aid and Abet.

Anderson was a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), doing business as 602 Firearms Instruction L.L.C. in Phoenix, Arizona. Anderson met Essa Williams at a gun show, where he told Williams he could assist him with firearm sales by helping him avoid a background check. Williams had several felony convictions, had previously been sentenced to the Arizona Department of Corrections, and therefore could not legally possess a firearm.

On December 13, 2021, Williams texted Anderson about purchasing a firearm and sent false information for a female, including a photo of her driver’s license. Anderson filled out the Firearms Transaction Record with the false information and signature of the female. Although Anderson knew that the purchaser of the firearm must fill out the Firearms Transaction Record, Anderson completed the form with the false information. Anderson sold Williams a Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol, using the false information provided by Williams. Anderson had never met the female, and only saw Williams again when he arrived at Anderson’s house that night to pick up the firearm.

Williams is pending trial in Maricopa County Superior Court for allegedly shooting Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Officer Tyler Moldovan on December 14, 2021. The Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol was not the firearm that was used to shoot Officer Moldovan. Pursuant to a search warrant, PPD detectives searched Williams’ black Dodge Charger after the shooting of Officer Moldovan, locating the Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol on the back seat floorboard.

“Federal firearms laws and regulations make America safer,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “These laws are designed to make it harder for the drivers of violence in our communities to obtain guns. An FFL like Mr. Anderson who sells a firearm to a felon betrays the public trust and places his fellow citizens at risk.”

“Federal Firearms Licensees are held to a high standard and when they do not abide by these laws, it does a disservice to the community and to other law-abiding Federal Firearms Licensees,” said Brendan Iber, ATF Special Agent in Charge. “ATF will aggressively pursue anyone that thwarts these federal firearms laws and regulations. It is unacceptable for FFLs, or anyone, to provide firearms to felons.”

This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00277-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-123_Anderson

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Manuel De Jesus Guzman, 19, of Rio Rico, Arizona, and Joshua Francisco Mendez, 19, of Tucson, Arizona, were sentenced on June 21, 2023, and July 26, 2023, respectively, by United States District Judge James A. Soto. Guzman was sentenced to 18 months in prison and Mendez was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison; both sentences will be followed by three years of supervised release. Guzman and Mendez pleaded guilty to Smuggling Goods from the United States.

Guzman and Mendez attempted to exit the United States and enter Mexico on June 7, 2022, through the pedestrian gate at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. During a search at secondary inspection, Customs and Border Protection officers located four AK-47-style rifles taped to their bodies. Guzman and Mendez had two Romarms WASR-10 rifles, one Century Arms VSKA rifle, and one Century Arms BFT rifle.

The firearms that Guzman and Mendez intended to take across the border are prohibited from being exported from the United States into Mexico without a valid license. Neither Guzman nor Mendez had a valid license or any other lawful authority to export the firearms into Mexico.

Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Bolling and Micah Schmit, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-01487-JAS-MSA
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-122_Mendez et al.

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Thomas Esquivias Ramirez, 31, of Safford, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ramirez pleaded guilty to Assault by Strangling an Intimate Partner and a Dating Partner. 

Ramirez, an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, assaulted a Pascua Yaqui woman on October 9, 2021, by strangling her and impeding her breathing. The offense occurred on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation in Tucson, Arizona.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Frances M. Kreamer Hope and Special Assistant United States Attorney Madelynn Franklin, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-1815-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-119_Ramirez

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Rudy Vasquez Cervantes, 20, of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Phoenix on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

The indictment alleges that, on June 30, 2023, Cervantes was traveling by vehicle when he was stopped by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed packages hidden under the floor between the back seat and trunk. The packages tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine and weighed a total of 128.75 pounds.

A conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and up to lifetime 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 Drug Enforcement Administration, Yuma Office, is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa E. Jennis, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-01113-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-120_Cervantes

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Martha Betancourth Angulo, 34, of Torrance, California, was indicted last week on one count each of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.

The indictment alleges that, on June 29, 2023, Angulo was traveling on Interstate 8 in Yuma County, Arizona when she was stopped by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. During the encounter, officers found 90 packages hidden within Angulo’s vehicle. Field tests on the contents of the packages revealed the presence of methamphetamine and cocaine. The total weight of the methamphetamine, including packaging, was 112.87 pounds. The total weight of the cocaine, including packaging, was 2.99 pounds.

Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and up to lifetime 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 Drug Enforcement Administration, Yuma Office, is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph K. Nwoga, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-01112-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-121_Angulo

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Angel Daniel Miranda-Contreras, 29, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 41 months in prison. Miranda-Contreras pleaded guilty on April 10, 2023, to Importation of Fentanyl, Importation of Heroin, Importation of Methamphetamine, and Importation of Cocaine. 

Miranda-Contreras crossed the border from Mexico into the United States in a 2015 Volkswagon Crossfox at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona on August 5, 2022. Concealed in hidden compartments inside the vehicle were 47 kilograms of fentanyl, five kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, and 870 grams of heroin. At the time, Miranda-Contreras claimed that he was unaware that he was smuggling illegal narcotics into the United States, but that he had only agreed to smuggle money from the United States to Mexico.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-01900-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-118_Miranda-Contreras

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office announced its immigration enforcement statistics for April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2023. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the Tucson and Yuma Sectors of the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the three-month period ending June 30, 2023, the United States brought criminal charges in Arizona against 1,552 individuals who illegally entered or re-entered the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 275 cases against individuals responsible for smuggling undocumented noncitizens to and within the District of Arizona. In this time period, the United States also prosecuted 90 reactive drug cases arising out of immigration ports of entry and checkpoints.

Reducing migrant smuggling and mitigating the risk to communities impacted by these offenses continues to be a priority for the Office and its law enforcement partners. Some of these prosecutions are directed against leaders and coordinators of alien smuggling organizations. Other prosecutions are aimed at deterring young adult drivers, often recruited over social media platforms, from engaging in this dangerous activity. Prosecutions against young drivers include three cases brought against juvenile smugglers during this time period. 

These statistics represent United States Attorney’s Office prosecutions only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-117_2023 Second Quarter Immigration Enforcement Statistics

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Leudi Jesus Garcia-Jauregui, 25, of Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 47 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Garcia-Jauregui pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023, to Assault on a Federal Officer with Physical Contact and Attempted Reentry of a Removed Alien. Garcia-Jauregui also admitted that he had violated the terms and conditions of his supervised release after previously serving a 24-month sentence for Attempted Reentry of a Removed Alien and Importing a Stolen Vehicle.

On November 12, 2022, just two days after Garcia-Jauregui had been released from federal prison and deported from the United States, Garcia-Jauregui attempted to reenter the United States. He was seen running northbound in the southbound vehicle lanes at the DeConcini Port of Entry, in Nogales, Arizona. Garcia-Jauregui disregarded U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers’ commands to stop before being tackled to the ground. He attempted to break free multiple times, attempted to bite two officers, but was finally arrested. While in custody, Garcia-Jauregui became combative again, punching an officer twice in the shoulder and chest.

United States Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-02612-JAS and CR-21-01247-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-116_Garcia-Jauregui

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Gary M. Restaino announced today that Plexus Worldwide, LLC (Plexus), an Arizona limited liability corporation that directly markets health and wellness products, agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that the company violated the federal False Claims Act (FCA).

The settlement resolves allegations by the United States that Plexus presented mail to the United States Postal Service (USPS) for delivery with postage that was based upon and calculated with attributes not associated with the items mailed, which resulted in underpaid postage. The United States also alleged that Plexus mailed other items with re-used postage. According to the United States’ allegations, the postage Plexus affixed to the mailed items represented that postage had been appropriately paid, when in fact, it had not, and the misrepresentations facilitated Plexus’ underpayment or non-payment of postage.

“The Postal Service is a unifying force in America,” said United States Attorney Restaino. “It has always delivered mail through snow and rain and heat and ‘gloom of night’; during the pandemic it delivered free masks to protect our Nation; and it increasingly connects our fellow citizens with access to the ballot box for local, state and federal elections. It is therefore incumbent on all businesses to pay their fair share to support this integral means of communication.”

“Mailers who underpay postage short-change the U.S. Postal Service of necessary funds to carry out our mission,” stated Phoenix Division Acting Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson. “Postal Inspectors are committed to protecting the Postal Service from abuse and ensuring its financial viability by holding businesses accountable for underpaying postage. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to vigorously investigate mailers who fail to comply with postal regulations.”

As part of the settlement, Plexus admitted to underpaying postage and submitting duplicate postage that resulted in a net deficit of postage due to the USPS. Plexus also admitted that it presented mail to the USPS for delivery, even though the postage weights and other attributes used to calculate postage were underreported, resulting in underpaid postage and duplicates. Additionally, Plexus admitted that systems and controls were lacking, resulting in duplicate postage and in payments that understated the postage due. Additional details of the United States’ allegations and Plexus’ admissions are set forth in the settlement agreement, available here.

Plexus Settlement Agreement

The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was handled by the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona.  

Individuals with information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse related to federal programs should contact the relevant federal agency. A list of agencies and contact information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/agency-links.

RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-114_Plexus

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Jorge Alexis Hernandez-Martinez, 25, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on July 14, 2023, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 36 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Hernandez-Martinez pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods from the United States.

Hernandez-Martinez and his co-conspirators obtained firearms and ammunition from licensed firearms dealers within Arizona with the intent to smuggle them into Mexico. In January 2020, Hernandez-Martinez and his co-conspirators obtained 6,800 rounds of 9mm ammunition, which are designated on the United States Commerce Control List as prohibited by law for export from the United States into Mexico without a valid license. Neither Hernandez-Martinez nor any other individual involved in the conspiracy to export firearms and ammunition had a license or any other lawful authority to export them from the United States into Mexico.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Bolling and Sandra M. Hansen, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-01250-SHR-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-115_Hernandez-Martinez

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Eric David Marrufo, 43, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to life in prison. Marrufo was convicted of five counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact With a Child.

A jury convicted Marrufo on August 19, 2022, of sexually abusing the victims at his home on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation between August 1, 2006, and August 1, 2008. Marrufo is a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew C. Cassell and Rui Wang, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-17-0976-TUC-CKJ-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-113_Marrufo

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Anthony William Delgado, 28, of Parker, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 144 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Delgado pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter.

On October 24, 2021, Delgado struck the victim multiple times in the head and face with a sledgehammer, causing the victim to sustain fatal injuries. The victim died one week later. Delgado is an enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) and the offense occurred on the CRIT Reservation.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CRIT Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina J. Reid-Moore and LeighAnn M. Thomas, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00427-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-112_Delgado

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Jonathan Edward Mayer, 22, of Tacoma, Washington, was sentenced on June 30, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 84 months in prison. Mayer previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and three counts of Possession of Unregistered Firearms, specifically pertaining to a privately manufactured firearm, or “ghost gun,” machine gun conversion devices, and a silencer. 

Mayer was attending the University of Arizona in October of 2021 when agents executed a search warrant on his apartment. Underneath his bed, agents found a bag of marijuana and a “ghost gun” with an automatic conversion switch that rendered it a machine gun. Agents also discovered $20,000 in U.S. currency, individually wrapped cocaine, a small bulk quantity of cocaine, six firearms, high-capacity magazines, a silencer, 10 grams of mushrooms, 15 grams of amphetamines, approximately one gram of LSD, and a gold money counter. Several firearms were seized, including a Glock pistol loaded with a 30-round magazine found in a backpack that Mayer carried around campus. Mayer admitted to mailing marijuana, mushrooms, and machine gun conversion devices through the United States Postal Service to various locations in the United States.

“Schools and guns are a dangerous combination,” said United States Attorney Gary M. Restaino.  “The defendant got caught up with the wrong people from out-of-state, and his actions created a public safety risk here in Tucson.”

“The conviction and sentencing of Mayer is an excellent example of multiple law enforcement agencies combining their expertise and resources to combat narcotics and firearms trafficking.  U.S. Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking organizations to keep USPS customers and employees safe,” stated Acting Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Phoenix Division.”

“I commend the outstanding work conducted by law enforcement in this investigation, which saved lives,” said DEA Phoenix Division Special Agent in Charge Cheri Oz. “DEA and our partners are dedicated to public safety and will continue to stand strong, protecting the communities we serve.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—Phoenix Division, the multi-agency Tucson Strike Force, the United States Postal Inspectors Service (USPIS)—Phoenix Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation in this case in partnership with the Spokane, Washington Field Offices of the DEA and USPIS, local and regional law enforcement partners in Eastern Washington, and the University of Arizona Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan P. DeJoe, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution with assistance from Richard R. Barker and Stephanie Van Marter, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.

CASE NUMBER:           21-CR-3187-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-111_Mayer

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Miguel Angel Acatzihua-Temoxtle, 26, a citizen and national of Mexico, was sentenced last Thursday, by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  Acatzihua-Temoxtle pleaded guilty on March 15, 2023, to Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon and Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury.

United States Border Patrol agents received information on May 31, 2022, that several groups of non-citizens were passing though the Baboquivari Mountain range near the area of Newfield, Arizona. When agents located the group, Acatzihua-Temoxtle fled up the side of a wash, kicking several large boulders towards one of the agents to slow his pursuit. When agents apprehended Acatzihua-Temoxtle, he physically assaulted one agent by using the agent’s flashlight and attempted to strangle another agent with his lanyard used to hold night vision goggles.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Raquel Arellano, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-01420-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-110_Acatzihua-Temoxtle

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Alberto Ibarra-Barraza, 31, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on Monday, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to a term of 36 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ibarra-Barraza pleaded guilty on February 27, 2023, to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit and Threats to Murder an Employee of the United States.

On March 16, 2023, Ibarra-Barraza was transporting four undocumented noncitizens when he encountered law enforcement. Ibarra-Barraza stopped his vehicle, directed the passengers to exit, then fled at a high rate of speed. Ibarra-Barraza then crashed his vehicle sustaining serious injuries. While at the hospital, Ibarra-Barraza verbally confronted the victim, a United States Border Patrol Agent, and threatened to kill the victim upon his release from the hospital.

United States Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel J. Walters, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-01958-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-109_Ibarra-Barraza

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Hector Francisco Ramirez-Roman, 39, of San Luis, Rio Colorado, Mexico, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 108 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. Ramirez-Roman also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Ramirez-Roman pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine.

Ramirez-Roman was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on May 21, 2021, while crossing from Mexico into the United States driving his tractor-trailer loaded with cucumbers. Upon inspection, agents discovered that the passenger-side gas tank was filled with a combination of gasoline and liquified methamphetamine. More than 332 kilograms of methamphetamine -approximately 1.3 million individual doses - was removed from the gas tank.

United States Customs and Border Protection, assisted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-01384-JCH-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-107_Ramirez-Roman

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Lee Kinney, 37, of Inscription House, Arizona, was sentenced on June 26, 2023, by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 292 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Kinney pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.

On or about November 5, 2022, Kinney, a member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed the victim to death and later fled from law enforcement. Upon his arrest, Kinney directed law enforcement agents to where he had hidden the murder weapon.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-08132-PCT-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-108_Kinney

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Diana Marie Moore, 42, of Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty on Monday to Wire Fraud and Money Laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2023, before United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich.

Moore admitted that she owned two behavioral health counseling services, Harmony Family Services (HFS) and Harmony Family Services II (HFS II) and that she had also submitted an application for a third behavioral health counseling service, Logan Family Health, LLC (LFH). All three then applied to be medical providers for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency - HFS applied in 2019, HFS II applied in 2020, and LFH applied in 2022. AHCCCS approved all three applications. At the times that HFS and HFS II applied to AHCCCS, Moore admitted that she failed to disclose her ownership interest in the other entity. Moore also failed to disclose her prior felony conviction, which was required to be disclosed on the AHCCCS application form.

Moore further admitted that she engaged in fraudulent billing practices targeting AHCCCS. Starting in January 2020, Moore began obtaining AHCCCS identification numbers for AHCCCS enrollees by paying other providers to transport AHCCCS enrollees to the HFS or HFS II facility for a single day, and then obtaining the enrollees’ identification numbers once they arrived. After these AHCCCS enrollees left the HFS or HFS II facility, Moore would submit bills to AHCCCS, which falsely claimed that HFS and HFS II continued providing services to those same enrollees for up to 90 days. Moore regularly claimed that HFS or HFS II provided counseling services to a given AHCCCS enrollee for eight or more hours each day, five days a week, for months in a row, even though Moore knew such services were not provided. In addition, Moore submitted claims to AHCCCS which falsely claimed that HFS or HFS II provided services to certain AHCCCS enrollees who were, in fact, deceased or imprisoned at the time Moore claimed to have provided services. Moore later established LFH to knowingly engage in the same pattern of fraudulent billing. Between January 2020 and December 2021, HFS, HFS II, and LFH collectively received over $22 million in payments from AHCCCS. 

In her plea agreement, Moore agreed to forfeit four residences, seven luxury vehicles, and over 100 other items, including jewelry, artwork, and designer clothing, all of which Moore purchased using fraudulent proceeds.

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.

Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aron Ketchel, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-00040-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-106_Moore

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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